3
19
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Did not quite stick the ending, but still a very enjoyable watch.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25 (almost a solid 8.5)
Just as many have commented and reviewed, “A Journey to Love” was an exciting, fun, and engaging drama for most of the episodes. Unfortunately, along with other fellow viewers, I was disappointed in the last 5-6 episodes. Even so, this is still a drama worth watching.
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What I Like:
Fight/Action Scenes - It has been a while since I last watched a drama with very satisfying fight scenes that don’t rely on CGI. There are still some posing and slow motion, but comparatively, the fight scenes are fast-paced, realistic and choreographed well. There are many war scenes, as well as just regular fighting amongst each other. These scenes are also spread throughout the drama. All actors and actresses look the part and I don’t see anyone weak who acts like they are flailing around with their swords.
The Gang of Brothers - Who would have thought I will love these side characters more than the main leads. The buddies from the Six Realms Hall/Liu Dao Hall are such a fun bunch. They provide many comedic moments. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the comedy jives with the vibe of the drama, since “A Journey to Love” appears to be a serious drama of assassination, palace politics and wars. But I love these guys so much. Each of them brings something different to the group. And when the last few episodes happened, I was so sad.
Alen Fang/Yu Shi San (13) - I bet 13 is the most loved character in the drama. I’ve seen Alen Fang in many other dramas before, mostly as a supporting role. The last drama I saw him in was “The Longest Promise” and he played the beloved Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan is such a different character from 13 but Alen did such a great job. It’s lovely to see more and more viewers know and acknowledge Alen’s acting. He shines so brightly that Liu Yu Ning, as the main lead, pales in comparison.
Princess Yang Ying - This is my first time watching He Lan Dou and she has quite a difficult character to play in Yang Ying. I found He Lan Dou’s acting a little rough in the beginning and it took me a while to get used to her cross-dressing role. But she grew on me and I like her acting and her character more and more. It’s lovely to see little Yang Ying grow in front of our eyes. From the forgotten and timid princess to an independent, strong-willed and feisty lady of the house.
Ren Xin - A true assassin and the best of the best. She doesn’t stop killing, from ep 1 to ep 40. Finally we have a strong female character who is strong from the beginning to the end. Her romance softens her hardened heart a little, but deep down she’s still the trained assasin. I enjoyed Liu Shi Shi’s portrayal of Ren Xin. LSS exudes elegant yet arrogant charisma. Her posture and head were so straight that I wondered if LSS needed a massage after every scene. LOL
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What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
Li Tong Guang - I like him and then I don’t like him. His obsession towards Ren Xin is a little dramatic, but it’s not like I’ve never seen this before. This is my first true time watching Chang Hua Sen and I don’t think his acting is quite up to par to play such a polarizing character. He wasn’t bad, but at times he seems to have tried too hard to act crazy, and his acting lacks maturity. Other times, I feel that he did quite a good job as someone intelligent and ambitious, yet still cares about the lives of the common people. Maybe if this Li Tong Guang is played by another actor, I might have liked him more as the default gray character of a drama.
Romance - I love all things romance, yet I am not loving the romance between Ren Xin (FL) and Ning Yuan Zhou (ML). It’s not horrible. They look good together, and Liu Shi Shi has the perfect height to stand next to the super tall Liu Yu Ning. But I am not feeling their chemistry. I think Liu Yu Ning’s acting is adequate but not amazing, and especially not good during romantic scenes. There are also way too many slow motion romantic scenes and there was one kiss that took forever for the lips to touch. On the other hand, I love the few scenes Yu Shi San has with Chu Yue. Their scenes are so limited but I feel the chemistry between them so much more. Their night of fun together brought a lot of joy. The conversation/confrontation the day after was emotional and really tugs at my heartstrings. And the last scenes of them together make me feel so, so sad.
Pacing - I was really enjoying the different arcs in the first 70% of the drama. I thought it was well-paced and I was invested and engaged. The combination of comedy, action, camaraderie, and palace politics are pretty well done. Then the last arc with the northerners happened. It’s like someone presses on the gas pedal and everything speeds up. Why was there such a rush in the end? Was the drama edited and chopped up because of the 40-episode limitation? Was that the writing’s fault? I am not sure.
Ending - Was I surprised how ‘brutal’ the ending is? Not really. I don’t dislike the ending per se. I am a little surprised by the sheer number of deaths. I’ve watched C-drama historicals enough to know not to love a character too much, as they might not make it to the end. I just wish their deaths would be spaced out. I don’t think I have the time to mourn for each death, and the drama did not take a breather before moving to the next one. This ties back to my criticism of the pacing.
Dubbing - How I wish everyone used their real voice. Unfortunately, Liu Shi Shi/Ren Xin and Chang Hua Sen/Li Tong Guang. The other main cast did and I applaud them for it, especially for Liu Yu Ning/Ning Yuan Zhou and the young He Lan Dou/Yang Ying. But all dubbing was done in the studio and none live.
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Although this drama is not perfect, I have quite an enjoyable time watching it. It’s able to hold my attention until about ep 35. If the last 5-6 episodes are paced well and the main romance has better chemistry, I would have rated this an 9.0. But now, I am just going to give this an 8.25-8.50. I will still recommend this drama for the fun bunch of guys, great action scenes and an engaging plot.
Completed: 2/22/2024 - Review #406
Just as many have commented and reviewed, “A Journey to Love” was an exciting, fun, and engaging drama for most of the episodes. Unfortunately, along with other fellow viewers, I was disappointed in the last 5-6 episodes. Even so, this is still a drama worth watching.
—-----------------------------------------------
What I Like:
Fight/Action Scenes - It has been a while since I last watched a drama with very satisfying fight scenes that don’t rely on CGI. There are still some posing and slow motion, but comparatively, the fight scenes are fast-paced, realistic and choreographed well. There are many war scenes, as well as just regular fighting amongst each other. These scenes are also spread throughout the drama. All actors and actresses look the part and I don’t see anyone weak who acts like they are flailing around with their swords.
The Gang of Brothers - Who would have thought I will love these side characters more than the main leads. The buddies from the Six Realms Hall/Liu Dao Hall are such a fun bunch. They provide many comedic moments. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the comedy jives with the vibe of the drama, since “A Journey to Love” appears to be a serious drama of assassination, palace politics and wars. But I love these guys so much. Each of them brings something different to the group. And when the last few episodes happened, I was so sad.
Alen Fang/Yu Shi San (13) - I bet 13 is the most loved character in the drama. I’ve seen Alen Fang in many other dramas before, mostly as a supporting role. The last drama I saw him in was “The Longest Promise” and he played the beloved Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan is such a different character from 13 but Alen did such a great job. It’s lovely to see more and more viewers know and acknowledge Alen’s acting. He shines so brightly that Liu Yu Ning, as the main lead, pales in comparison.
Princess Yang Ying - This is my first time watching He Lan Dou and she has quite a difficult character to play in Yang Ying. I found He Lan Dou’s acting a little rough in the beginning and it took me a while to get used to her cross-dressing role. But she grew on me and I like her acting and her character more and more. It’s lovely to see little Yang Ying grow in front of our eyes. From the forgotten and timid princess to an independent, strong-willed and feisty lady of the house.
Ren Xin - A true assassin and the best of the best. She doesn’t stop killing, from ep 1 to ep 40. Finally we have a strong female character who is strong from the beginning to the end. Her romance softens her hardened heart a little, but deep down she’s still the trained assasin. I enjoyed Liu Shi Shi’s portrayal of Ren Xin. LSS exudes elegant yet arrogant charisma. Her posture and head were so straight that I wondered if LSS needed a massage after every scene. LOL
—---------------------------------------------
What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
Li Tong Guang - I like him and then I don’t like him. His obsession towards Ren Xin is a little dramatic, but it’s not like I’ve never seen this before. This is my first true time watching Chang Hua Sen and I don’t think his acting is quite up to par to play such a polarizing character. He wasn’t bad, but at times he seems to have tried too hard to act crazy, and his acting lacks maturity. Other times, I feel that he did quite a good job as someone intelligent and ambitious, yet still cares about the lives of the common people. Maybe if this Li Tong Guang is played by another actor, I might have liked him more as the default gray character of a drama.
Romance - I love all things romance, yet I am not loving the romance between Ren Xin (FL) and Ning Yuan Zhou (ML). It’s not horrible. They look good together, and Liu Shi Shi has the perfect height to stand next to the super tall Liu Yu Ning. But I am not feeling their chemistry. I think Liu Yu Ning’s acting is adequate but not amazing, and especially not good during romantic scenes. There are also way too many slow motion romantic scenes and there was one kiss that took forever for the lips to touch. On the other hand, I love the few scenes Yu Shi San has with Chu Yue. Their scenes are so limited but I feel the chemistry between them so much more. Their night of fun together brought a lot of joy. The conversation/confrontation the day after was emotional and really tugs at my heartstrings. And the last scenes of them together make me feel so, so sad.
Pacing - I was really enjoying the different arcs in the first 70% of the drama. I thought it was well-paced and I was invested and engaged. The combination of comedy, action, camaraderie, and palace politics are pretty well done. Then the last arc with the northerners happened. It’s like someone presses on the gas pedal and everything speeds up. Why was there such a rush in the end? Was the drama edited and chopped up because of the 40-episode limitation? Was that the writing’s fault? I am not sure.
Ending - Was I surprised how ‘brutal’ the ending is? Not really. I don’t dislike the ending per se. I am a little surprised by the sheer number of deaths. I’ve watched C-drama historicals enough to know not to love a character too much, as they might not make it to the end. I just wish their deaths would be spaced out. I don’t think I have the time to mourn for each death, and the drama did not take a breather before moving to the next one. This ties back to my criticism of the pacing.
Dubbing - How I wish everyone used their real voice. Unfortunately, Liu Shi Shi/Ren Xin and Chang Hua Sen/Li Tong Guang. The other main cast did and I applaud them for it, especially for Liu Yu Ning/Ning Yuan Zhou and the young He Lan Dou/Yang Ying. But all dubbing was done in the studio and none live.
—---------------------------------------------
Although this drama is not perfect, I have quite an enjoyable time watching it. It’s able to hold my attention until about ep 35. If the last 5-6 episodes are paced well and the main romance has better chemistry, I would have rated this an 9.0. But now, I am just going to give this an 8.25-8.50. I will still recommend this drama for the fun bunch of guys, great action scenes and an engaging plot.
Completed: 2/22/2024 - Review #406
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