My Journey to You (2023)

A unique, unforgettable cdrama

Amazing martial arts choreography, breathtaking cinematography, and a compelling spy assassin storyline = a cdrama that is unique and unforgettable. It will feed your inner demon with the delicious darkness that lingers in each well-crafted scene. If you're craving comedy, there are unexpected hilarious scenes that will make you chuckle in memory.

Romance is aplenty with 4 CPs, and you can choose to ship your sweet, heartwarming CP, your spicy hot CP, your adorable CP and/or your star-crossed CP.

Also, the excellent acting from an eye candy cast is just the lovely cherry on top! Enjoy watching!!

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This is the drama we have been looking for

I watched this drama with my husband and he only watches really good C dramas so I went into viewing with high expectations due to reviews. I have to say. This was probably one of the C dramas that had the best character development for such a short 24 episode series.

The best part of the drama for me was that I never knew what was going to happen. Just when I thought the writer was going to write some basic storyline to drive angst or tension, something else is written and craziness explodes. I wouldn't call the drama perfect. Sure, at times the bickering is a little too much and long and going from one story arc to the next can be lengthy but the characters! The entire cast is pretty important in the drama and everyone has a story which is something I enjoyed a lot. I never knew I could care so much for the B and even C cast.

Esther Yu totally shines in this drama and gone is the dizzy girl with the high pitch voice. I really think this was the drama for her to act and to show the world that she can be a good serious actress. I was really excited that Zhang Ling He was casted as the male lead and I really wanted to see him shine. We got a taste of him in Love between Fairy and the Devil. I thought he was fairly good, but he still needs to work on his camera presence. For someone who is over 6 feet tall, you want your character to command the scene and that is something I feel like he still struggles with, but there is hope because he is pretty close.

Overall, the drama was exciting to watch and isn't for the faint of heart. A lot of dramatic events happen, but you will truly feel for all the characters which is totally new for me.

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My Journey to another Journey...

I am missing some romance and believe this drama is incomplete but it was very dark and pretty to look at.

The female lead has more or less one expression which is kind pf refreshing while our male lead is bubbly and full of joy and charisma. The side characters are part interesting part annoying. But work pretty well there are a few to many recaps as well as some never ending monologs that felt like the writers took a short cut instead of letting us see the actual plot as it unfolded we got some kind of mess and recap instead.

Some part of the dialog/whispers where so predictable I found myself mumbling them in Mandarin (though I do not speak Mandarin). Other parts came seemingly out of nowhere. The side couple have some pretty decent dynamics but the villains are underdeveloped and even though they seem to try to explain them to us it ended up just confusing taking away most of the exitement leaving me with the feeling of meeh...

Not to mention the show of romance was so little I believe it should be removed from the genres and added to the tags with slight romance.

That said it is an okay watch with pretty scenery, pretty people and probably more poison's and elixirs than all the wuxias of 2024 will have combined.

Leaving me with the questions: Will there be a second season? will that season have as much poison and scheming or will they move on to fire and smoke?

Lire davantage

Infinite Heat < Infinite Slo-mo action sequences

Lots of beautiful looking people. Choreography is amazing. Sets and costumes are all well designed. Lu Yu Xiao (2FL) did amazingly well, my first time seeing her. I really hope she pops off and gets a more main role, because she deserved it.

The sets remind me of Song of Glory and Jade Dynasty, it is so artificially looking, it looks funky. Albeit beautiful, but cannot be immersed in, as it looks too fake. Story seems like it could be a 3 hours movie that expanded to 24 episodes. Usually the 2ML is written to make the ML look good, but it seems like this is the reverse in this drama. Honestly disappointed in how they wrote the ML. 2ML is intelligent, ambitious, and scheming. While ML is more of: Yun Wei Shan, Yun Wei Shan, Oh- Father and Brother died, Yun Wei Shan, Yun Wei Shan, Yun Wei Shan, Oh wait, I'm supposed to be the Sword Wielder, Yun Wei Shan, Yun Wei Shan. The definition of a simp. Honestly comical. 2ML is more towards the family, and its responsibilities. He’s like a general, he’s rough and tough, but his loyalty is to the house. As far as the ML goes, he’s just really infatuated with the FL, really doesn’t deserve the position. Idk what the writer was thinking when writing the character. I think after 10-15 episodes, we can see some smartness in him, after like half the series. But honestly, it's really dull to me.

The dynamic with ML couples and 2ML couples is that the ML couples are ‘soft’, have a soft spot for personal relationships and don’t want to involve the innocent. While the 2ML couples are ‘hard’; use whatever means necessary to achieve what is needed. Who said the Gong’s mansion was hard to infiltrate? Just send 2 beautiful and smart women in and TA-DA. If it wasn’t for 2ML, Gong’s family would have been destroyed in under 10 episodes, but then again, we wouldn't have a drama to watch :D.

As for the actors/actresses, they all did well for their role. I had high hopes going in, with a rating of 8.7. But the rating is probably inflated due to how well it was filmed, the actors and actresses, and how beautiful everything looks.

Lire davantage

An engaging and striking drama, let down by it's final few episodes

I went into My Journey to You blind, having been introduced to it through gifs that were being created on Tumblr. It was the cinematography that held my attention at first, yet after reading what this show was about I was instantly intrigued. A more mature story filled with intrigue and suspense, with an intricate spy network infiltrating its way into a powerful family that tries to route them out -- how could I not be interested? This show sounded so promising and interesting, I was eager to watch it.

For the most part, there is very little I dislike about this show. The beginning is fantastic; the pacing and tension of what is being set up for the story is engaging and draws you in instantly, the mystery of what's happening making you ask questions that have you wanting the next episode as soon as you can. The episodes can run quite long for a cdrama - roughly about an hour in length - and while some episodes that feels like enough, for others it can feel like they run a little too long .

The acting in this show is incredible, and there's not a character that I found to be frustrating or felt was out of place. I'd say some of the roles that stood out for me were that of Tian Jia Rui's Gong Yuanzhi, Cheng Lei's Gong Shangjue, Sun Chen Jun's Jin Fan, and Lu Yu Xiao's Shangguan Qian. But honestly, the entire cast stepped up and delivered in this show, and they should all be praised for the work they've done here.

I mentioned that the cinematography was the first thing to draw me into this show. Regardless of any of its flaws, My Journey to You is a masterpiece in this area. This was very obviously a big production, and the shots and camerawork that were used are something else. So many scenes look like works of art, and it truly elevates this show to another level altogether. I would go as far as to say it's probably one of the most beautiful dramas from the 2023 lineup, and there were quite a few stunning works that year!

I will say that for all of its strengths, this show does struggle towards its ending. I won't say much as I aim to keep this review spoiler-free, but I felt that the last few episodes made some odd choices: not all of them were good. The finale to this show is ... baffling, honestly. It sets up for the potential of a sequel, however I very much doubt that such a thing will come to light. As I mentioned, I came into this show blind and had no idea about the struggles and controversies that were wrapped around it (plagiarism allegations, investigations into sexual assault charges pressed against one of the supporting cast, arguments that this story 'borrowed' too much from Japanese dramas rather than more traditional Chinese ones), but having since read about them I can sort of see why this show ended as it did. In a way, it's rather a miracle this show was even released as it was - but I find myself glad that the audience got to watch it. So, while the ending may feel unsatisfactory for what had started out strong, it doesn't diminish the otherwise enjoyable show that it began as.

Lire davantage

Gong ShangJue is the best character

I may sound biased, but this is the first time I watched the entire series for not the Male Lead, but the second Male Lead.
Gong ShangJue is absolutely perfect. He's smart, capable( more than enough capable,actually) and devoted to his clan. he knows how to keep his head in the game, even when he's cornered. and does not let anything cloud his judgement. even when he keeps plotting against Yun WeiShan, I wanted to support him.
and the way he takes care of Gong YuanZhi, like it was just as easy as breathing or blinking. and he is so fiercely protective of his people. I'm totally Fangirling over him right now ????
the rest of the cast is also good. and Gong ZiShang - Jin Fan have the most ridiculously hilarious screen time.

Lire davantage

My journey to you in S...L...O...W M...O...T...I...O...N

The drama looked pretty intriguing from the story. It started off with a bang which looked pretty promising then it began to drag in the middle, then accelerated all the way towards the end and finally stopped dead in the end. (That's the gist of the drama).
All the things that I loved about the drama in the beginning began to irk me towards the end. One such example is the aesthetics. It was really gorgeous to look at the mesmerizing natural scenes now and then but they did it way too much that I began to skip them. Another example is slow motion, that is the biggest problem in this drama. It was good at first in some scenes but they were walking in slow-mo, running in slow-mo, drinking in slow-mo, fighting in slow-mo, talking in slow-mo and explaining things in slow-mo...tbh I had to watch all that in 2x many times. (I have never seen a bad guy explaining his plans for more than half an hour and that too so damn slowly that I even lost interest in the middle of his conversation. The closeup scenes for instance began to look funny because they did it way too much especially during the fight scenes which, by the way, showed really good choreography, began to look fake. It looked they were posing with a sword for some photoshoot.
The main leads for me were the least interesting couple (I just did not feel anything for them. They were good in separate scenes but whenever they were together it felt .... boring.) Even the side characters were far interesting than them. The sister was hilarious (there was overacting but still in all the chaos she was the one who made me laugh). I loved yound elders and felt more connected to their stories than the leads. Plot wise it was really interesting but due to some reasons it looked the writers were justifying ML's every action right no matter how stupid it was. The interaction of two brothers and sister-in-law was something I enjoyed a lot. I felt more connected to young elders like Xue and Hua despite less screen time than anyone in the drama even the assassin mentor Hanyesi made me cry. It had great visuals, beautiful actors, well acted suspenseful story and good songs but it lacked chemistry ( FL had more chemistry with her mentor despite few scenes, two brothers had more chemistry than second leads) and sense at times. Plus the ending which wasn't even an open ending tbh. I wonder if there will be a season 2? (So many loose ends).
All I can say in the end is that it was a good one time watch.

Lire davantage

Re main CP v second CP

Some reviews say that series fail because the second CP more popular than the Main CP I totally disagree, the second CP was for me annoying and too much time devoted taking away from the main CP which is the reason I watched the show. The second FL voice was soooo slow as calculating as the character she portrayed and second ML and his hanger on fake brother ( more like his gay lover) were just jealous of ML driven idiots, so how can such characters be of any interest to viewer. The main CP is the attraction in this series. The Main couple looked good together, they grew as the show progressed into more mature characters, they were influenced by each other so their relationship was one of growth and depth unlike the second CP who from the beginning just used each other their only progress was physical they had sex which is the only depth of their relationship not love

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Intriguing

This is my first chinese historical drama that I actually committed to (I tried >The Long Ballad< but never continued after episode 2 and that is because I must be intimidated with its plot and length lmao), but I was too curious with this drama. I follow Shuxin on Instagram and when she dropped the trailer, I fell in love. So moody and dark and entrancing, I just had to give this a shot! I have seen Esther in >Moonlight< (My fave C-rom-com!) and >A Romance of the Little Forest< (Also one of my faves!), so I know her bubbly and cute characters, but from the trailer, it was clear that this role and character would show a different side of her, and! it! does!

I like both the main characters as well as the second couple and all the side characters. Poison bro is my fave, he looks good and a little devilish and I like it! Also, the fact that this show is the actor's debut project is insane because his acting is really good! The acting in general is consistent and amazing from the entire cast! The second female lead specifically is so great, i LOVE her voice acting as well, she is the perfect spy for Wufeng! I like how we slowly get the characters' backstories to understand their actions and motivations better. I love the music, and how grand and epic it sounds as well as the clothes/styling and setting in general. The fight montages also look amazing, they keep me at the edge of my seat!

What... is this ending, are they kidding?? They fooled us with the happiness and bliss and peace of the characters, and BOOM the last minute takes that away lmao. I mean, this screams season 2, but will we ever get it?? I did not expect to cry so much, but young master Xue's story was really sad and touching :( Also Elder Yue reminiscing about Yun Que :((( and the bracelet he promised her, their story was just sad and tragic :( The last couple of episodes - 22/23 specifically - were REALLY good. Twists and turns and revelations at any minute, it was amazing to find out who collaborated with who, i loved to see it. I think the last episode was really great overall, but this ending leaves me wanting for more (season 2 to be precise). This story was so good though... as mentioned above, the acting was really great, I loved every performance. No one was lacking, not even for a second.

Overall, I am super happy I started this show and will now finally watch some more chinese costume (fantasy) dramas, because my list is full of them... I was just a little scared to start them haha!

Lire davantage

Non-traditional wuxia strikes again!

My Journey To You was an amazing drama to watch from beginning to end; There was suspense, thrill, hints of romance, and sibling bonds with a touch of comedy from a specific character I adore so much.
The cinematography was very movie-like and I don't think we see this in a lot of dramas. That's fine, it just sets this drama apart from others. The martial arts choreography was very AMAZING TO WATCH! I was floored, especially how Yun Wei Shan, the female lead, attacks her opponent so graciously.
Each and every character within this drama were multi-dimensional hence I was very touched by their back story. Each character had something they loved and lost at some point in their lives. Some other characters work hard to make their parents feel proud. It was quite relatable!
The acting was phenomenal especially from Esther Yu, who typically plays very naive, cheerful characters. Here she plays a demure, strong, protective spy, Yun Wei Shan. Despite her cold demeanor, she can be quite emotional, and vulnerable when Gong Zi yu (male lead - Zhang Ling He) shows how much he cares for her. Although Yun Wei Shan is a spy, she actually yearns to be freed from this lifestyle and Gong Ziyu tries his hardest to make it come true for her. As a character, I really enjoyed watching her use her brains - how quick witted she can be to get out of difficult situations - albeit it's not always going to work. As aforementioned, I really enjoyed watching her fight because it was very elegant and gracious, granted it seemed she wasn't as strong as she looked.

Moving on to Zhang Ling He who played Gong Ziyu. A young man known to be the crybaby and naive kid of the family because he doesn't want to take on the responsibility of being a Gong. Turns out he is quite the grown man we would expect from Gong family. Very observant, seems to have photographic memory, and quite intelligent in his own way as well. I know a lot of people disliked him for being oblivious to his surroundings but I'm sure we're all surprised because it was the total opposite.

The second female lead, Shang Guan Qian, is what you would call a scheming two face b*tch. Boy, she played her part extremely well! Someone needs to give Lu Yu Xiao an award for her acting! The way she played Shang Guan Qian makes you think TWICE about her intentions every single time! It's the way she acts with her voice and the micro expressions! AMAZING! Albeit, she can be quite nice when she needs to but only for a price.

Have I mentioned the amount of eye candies in this drama? There's a lot of handsome men and women in this drama, but mostly men. LOL Eyes candies are great but, "Can they act?" is the most important question. There's many handsome actors I can name off the top of my head who are just strictly handsome with no acting skills whatsoever. However, in My Journey To You, there is no black sheep.

Let's begin with Gong Shang Jue played by the actor, Ryan Cheng! This man is handsome, but he supports it with his acting very well. On the surface he is seen as very cold, hot tempered man. Known to be one of the best martial artist in the MJTY universe, even Wufeng is afraid of him, however he is quite the opposite of what he portrays. He has a very gentle, and caring side - truly loves and cares for his family. His backstory was very tragic but it didn't change him completely. He is very intelligent and capable of leading the Gong Family. I loved his micro expressions as well, you can tell when he's in disbelief, or suspicious of someone. And despite of his cold demeanor, his secretive smiles just makes my heart flutter.

Gong Yuan Zhi played by the actor Tian Jia Rui is the "younger brother" of Gong Shang Jue. He can be very cunning but unlike his brother, he is not trusting of others. His ability to create unique poisons makes him an asset of the Gong Family. A prodigy if you will. Although his personality seem to be cunning, and hateful of others -with good reason. He is an orphan. His history with Gong Shang Jue was a bit emotional to watch because Jue is someone he looks up and cares for deeply. He loves the attention he gets from his brother, it's rare to see brotherly bond like this in dramaland. I like it because it showcases what Yuan Zhi lacks prior to Jue and how much Jue means to him now and vice versa. Yes, I would love to slap the grin off his face sometimes but that just proves the actor did his part very well. Props to Jia Rui!

Young Master Yue played by the actor Zuo Ye, quite handsome and great acting as mature elder. Albeit, maybe too mature because it seems he aged 50 years after his backstory was revealed. :( Zuo also uses micro expressions, his tears were real and convincing. The way he speaks was filled with sorrow, it's difficult to explain without spoiling his plotline. Best to watch it with your own eyes!

Notable actors would be Gong Zi Shang played by Jolin Jin. Oh my lord, help me..girl gave me laughs for days with her exaggerated and dramatic acting. Lmao She was definitely the comedy relief within this serious, dark concept drama. I typically do not like overexaggerated acting but it grew on me in this drama - just a tiny bit. Gong Zi Shang is the way she is because of the lack of parental attention. Hence, she acts dramatically in front of others. When someone shows her care, she will care and side with them. I feel like she should've been with Xiao Hei, another mysterious character in the drama, because of how his energy matched so well with hers. They're both quite hilarious to watch! Then again, their backstory were quite similar and it's understandable why they got along so well. I wish Zi Shang knew how much he cared for her.. :( Justice for Xiao Hei!

Towards the last few episodes of wrapping up the drama, it felt like I was watching Twilight where everything was a lie. LOL But at the same time, a relief that the characters weren't as bad as they portrayed to be.
How was the ending of the drama? It was ambiguous. Hoping for season two because that was just a cliffhanger at this point. There's so many questions left unanswered.
I'm not disappointed entirely because wuxia are typically like this - albeit this isn't traditional wuxia but when you watch a lot of wuxia dramas - you shouldn't expect a happy ending. It can be an open ending, sad, or even ambiguous ending. And I'm glad it ending very enigmatically because there's a possibility of a season 2.

Might have to wait 3-4 years like I did with Joy of Life unfortunately. :( But overall, amazing drama definitely a must watch if you want some martial arts action, thrill and suspense!

Lire davantage

A true gem that deserves all the praises!!

Wow, let me tell you about the incredible experience I had with "My Journey to You"! From the very first scene, I was completely hooked. The story unfolded in such a captivating way that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen. The writing and cinematography were superb, bringing every emotion and detail to life. And can we talk about the cast? Absolutely beautiful performances by each actor, making it even more believable and engaging. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat with its thrilling action sequences and unexpected twists that left me gasping for more. And that cliffhanger ending? It left me eagerly anticipating what's coming next! "My Journey to You" is truly a masterpiece that will keep you entertained from start to finish!

Lire davantage

This drama is a breath of fresh air from the usual predictable storylines. It's like a labyrinth that takes you on a journey of scheming and deceit, leaving you guessing at every turn. The dark hues of the lens and the elaborate costumes add to the overall atmosphere of the show. The music is perfectly matched and the daily dose of cliffhangers keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The characters are multifaceted and the cast skillfully portrays their respective parts with depth. As a viewer, you'll find yourself walking alongside the characters until they reach the exit. While the execution may not be perfect, it's close enough to keep you hooked. Overall, this drama is a must-watch for anyone looking for something different and exciting.

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