A Journey to Love Reviews

The character development in this drama is fantastic! Each character has their own strengths and personalities, embodying the spirit of chivalry and wielding their swords with grace. It captures the ancient charm that I love!
Especially in the eighth episode, the group battle scenes are simply epic. Fans of power couples and ensemble casts shouldn't miss it.

Furthermore, the director's skills are commendable. Behind the comedic moments, there's a sense of destiny for each character, which pleasantly surprised me.

Now, let's talk about the female lead. In short, it's hard not to love her. I would even say it perfectly replicates my favorite character archetype: a cool and strong-willed beauty. I have no regrets.

Lastly, I want to praise the screenwriter. I really appreciate how they portrayed Ren Ru Yi in the drama. She can be tender because of love, but she always remains true to herself. I genuinely love that aspect.

P.S. I have a small complaint: Apart from the romance between the male and female leads, everything else is great (no offense to anyone, I'm totally invested in the character relationships). But...the contrast between the male and female leads in reality is too stark, and it feels disjointed.

Currently, the female lead is not a saint and the male lead is not blindly loyal. Both characters are decisive and ruthless. I hope they don't end up with a poorly executed romance later on. I'll revise my comment after finishing the series.

From the eleventh episode onwards, it all fell apart. When the male lead and his brothers explained things, they just kept repeating the same clichéd phrases. Wasn't he supposed to be a master strategist? How come he couldn't come up with a better argument overnight before leaving?

I dropped the series after the nineteenth episode. Not only did the character development become inconsistent, but the main storyline also became strange. The Wu Kingdom is a defeated nation, with its emperor captured. Yet, a mere diplomatic envoy dares to stand up so boldly.
The fake prince even demands the highest level of respect from the other side, and the people of An Kingdom are actually intimidated to kneel? What kind of bizarre logic is that? And the funniest part is that Li Tong Guang, who is hailed as the male lead's poisonous dog, can't recognize the female lead whom he has liked since childhood.
He only fails to recognize her after a few years of not seeing her, despite her minor disguise (she supposedly underwent facial reconstruction, but there wasn't much change. Even some of the other subordinates recognized her, and they hadn't seen her in years).

It's a drama disguised as a female-centric story, but it's actually all about glorifying the male lead... The first six episodes were fine, but then it turned into a plot where the female lead's sole focus was on reproduction, while the male lead was portrayed as noble and devoted to a greater cause.

The female lead's strategic prowess and martial arts skills are no match for the male lead. She's supposed to be a top assassin! It's so low to have her character constantly emphasizing and relying on the male supporting role.

A top-tier actress paired with an unknown male actor, presenting the facade of female strength while in reality, the female lead depends on the male lead for everything. How many heterosexual male actors have been propelled to fame by this formula?
And how many female actors have faced criticism because of it? It's no wonder it's a male director behind this, truly cunning.

The female lead has great chemistry with any male supporting character, and any storyline involving Tang Guang is satisfying. However, when it comes to the main couple's character development, it's a disaster.
So the big female lead turned into the doting wife of the big male lead, right? The plot of the Double Cleansing Recording itself is unbearable to watch closely.

I've been eating too well since I was young, so I'm really suffering while watching.
Even if you're not a fan of Liu Shi Shi, you can't help but feel sorry for her. Can't they compensate her for the emotional distress she's been through?

As a drama with a strong female lead, it started off perfectly. Not only was she intelligent and decisive, but also deeply loyal and righteous.

However, things took a ridiculous turn when she encountered the male lead. The original character of the female lead instantly collapsed.
Never mind the fact that she initially prioritized having a child over having a man, but somehow she inexplicably fell in love with the male lead. It's as if she completely forgot why she started working with him in the first place, and instead became more and more infatuated, deviating from her original character.

Not to mention the double standards she displayed, treating the disciple assigned by the queen like a stranger. As for the male lead, it's even worse. He fell in love with the female lead for no apparent reason (perhaps he was enchanted by her?
). I won't even mention the rest.

The plot is even more absurd. A delegation from a defeated country engaging in verbal sparring with others is beyond belief. And the Prince of Li even mocked someone else's father for being from Wu Kingdom.
How ironic, did he forget his own origins?

And to top it all off, they dare to take the prisoners of war with them and even cut down their flags. If I were Li Tong Guang, I would want to kill the main characters a thousand times over.

Dropped the drama. The female lead had a great character setup, and the ensemble battle scenes were fantastic. But the casting was a huge failure, and the production team forcefully added unnecessary scenes that ruined the flow.
When I saw the male lead coughing up blood while trying to save Li Tong Guang, the only thought in my mind was, "Wow, I really wish the male lead would die here." Seriously, his death would have been a fantastic exit.
Since I'm leaving the show in a timely manner, I won't unleash a torrent of curses.

When the male and female leads started dating, they introduced jealousy scenes to emphasize possessiveness and protectiveness. But all those scenes with fragile male egos constantly complaining and interfering with the female lead's every move?
Get rid of them, just remove all of them. And what's with that pile of "loyalty and bravery, honoring the fallen" later on? I just can't stand it anymore. Even the capable female lead started saying, "My husband is a civil servant." Yue, the ugly male lead is so impotent in meetings.
Give the beautiful women more screen time!

Rated 3.5 stars. The fighting prowess of the female lead is a bit confusing. With a success rate of 4, she can find the weak spots of three people, but with a success rate of 9, she gets severely injured by four people.

The male lead is somewhat average (although I don't dislike Liu Yu Ning).
Especially when transitioning from other male actors to the male lead, his demeanor and face are a bit hard to put into words. However, his acting skills are still very good, especially in the scenes where he gets jealous, which really captivate the audience.

The female lead portrays a kind of "coolness" that seems forced. Her upright posture and raised head make me uncomfortable. It's like she lacks the relaxed and detached aura of a "transcendent being.

The overall pace is a bit slow.
We're almost at 20 episodes and still haven't seen the emperor. It's really exhausting. On the contrary, I really like the princess's storyline. The female characters who have appeared so far are all impressive. The Queen Consort insists on holding onto power, the noble concubine can sense that Li is using her, and Yue understands the importance of women leading the army, and so on.
I hope that each female character will grow in the later episodes and that no storyline will be abandoned.

This drama has been abandoned. I simply couldn't endure until the end. While the male lead is clearly out of character and lacks grace, the female lead, apart from her beauty, has been delivering the same lifeless acting for years.
Her perfectly straight posture may be aesthetically pleasing, but after watching for a while, it feels like my neck is hurting. It's too rigid. This is acting, not a red carpet event. It has seriously affected the viewing experience and performances.
As for the supporting cast, to be honest, apart from the character Bai Yi Shisan, the others are just so-so. Their plastic surgery-altered faces truly ruin the overall impression.

It's a bit of a male-oriented story disguised as a female lead drama, and it's not that bad to watch. But I watched it for the sake of the female lead, for the sake of a fresh female protagonist. I remember that's how it was promoted, to immerse oneself in the female lead's perspective while watching the show.
But there are some inexplicable parts. Still, I'm willing to give it four stars because the first sister is indeed outstanding. Setting aside the premise of the female lead, the plot is decent and not too cliché. However, the romantic storyline of Ren Ru Yi is poorly written and a missed opportunity.

The master-disciple relationship is messed up, the second male lead is ugly, but his voice is pleasant to listen to. I can endure it with my eyes closed, but I just can't stand the looks of the male and female leads. The male lead is ugly, yet he's so confident that he doesn't need good dubbing.
It's a big turn-off. Even with my eyes closed, I can't ship the official pairing. Ugly people should stay away from historical dramas.

I thought he was just ugly, but I didn't expect him to be a thief too. I can't stand this weird Frankenstein-like character who steals the spotlight.
I'm giving up on this drama.

Dubbed dramas are generally not up to par with good dramas, and the screenwriters are also challenging my intelligence. In the first 30 minutes, they pushed forward three storylines, with the female lead transforming from a spy to a super-powered warrior who can fly and disappear.
The male lead pretends to be dead on the battlefield, encounters enemy forces, and manages to leave unscathed. At the same time, he has superhuman strength, throwing people like spears and sending them flying.
The second female lead directly manipulates politics in the harem, using her pregnancy to control the courtiers. What kind of absurd plot is this?

I'm not particularly interested in the romantic storyline between the male and female leads. I watched it mainly for the master-disciple CP (couple pairing), and although there were quite a few time jumps in the middle, the fight scenes were not skipped, and they were really impressive.
Li Tong Guang and Ren Ru Yi's chemistry was off the charts! The actors in this drama showcased great acting skills and their fight scenes were swift and well-executed. The strategies and plot were also well-crafted.
Finally, this year we have a great wuxia drama like this after a long time, and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to the screenwriters and the cast for delivering such a fantastic show.
Wishing all the actors continued success and a bright future ahead.

The script is interesting, and all the female actors in it are stunningly beautiful. However, almost all the male actors in it are unattractive, especially the male lead. Not only does he have a plastic-like face, but his demeanor is also extremely poor.
The entertainment industry is beyond redemption. How can someone like him play a historical character? I'm not giving a low rating because I don't want the male actors to overshadow the hard work of the female creators and actresses.
This drama can be enjoyed without focusing on the romantic storyline and just following the plot, which is quite intriguing.

I think I've watched about 12 episodes. Overall, the quality of this drama is above average compared to other historical dramas I've seen this year. It's evident that there's a budget, and the money has been spent on more important aspects.
Liu Shi Shi is really cool, but she's also too rigid. Her acting has improved, but it does have its limits. Breaking through that ceiling is not easy.

Liu Yu Ning has definitely exceeded expectations, although it's possible that the expectations were set too low.
The advantage is that he naturally relaxes and you can see that his intellect and life experiences are enough to handle this role. The downside is that his skills and talents are limited. Nonetheless, I feel like this role has helped him establish a foothold in the industry.

The supporting cast is also quite good. The character they portray has tension and potential. I wonder how it will develop in the future. I don't plan to continue watching. The ceiling for historical dramas is like this, and it's hard to stay committed without any additional factors.
Once you put it down, it's difficult to pick it up again.

It seems like this drama is nearing its peak. If they can maintain it, it could be a very satisfying conclusion to the TV drama market this year. I hope it doesn't end in a rushed or unsatisfactory manner.

The first five episodes were fantastic, but somewhere along the way, something went wrong, leaving me on the verge of giving up on the drama. However, I persisted until the 17th episode.
The master-disciple relationship was a refreshing aspect, although it was heart-wrenching to watch. By the 20th episode, I couldn't bear to continue watching the male and female leads.
The male lead was forcibly highlighted, and the plot took a steep nosedive with many illogical plot developments. However, in the earlier part of the drama, I got a firsthand glimpse of the suffering of the displaced people after a lost battle and the humiliation suffered by captive rulers.
It reminded me of Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong from the Song Dynasty, who were captured and taken to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty, dying in a foreign land, and having their skulls turned into drinking vessels after death.
Over 3,000 members of the royal family, harem, and high-ranking officials were captured and sold. The royal children were violated, some enduring unbearable humiliations and ultimately choosing to end their lives.
History can be just as cruel in the present day, as seen in war-torn Iraq, Palestine, and elsewhere. May there be peace in the world.

Shi Shi is very pleasant to my eyes! The fight scenes are overall decent, but why are there so many odd freeze frames? Doesn't it feel too pretentious and exaggerated? Also, personally, I find the voice dubbing for the female lead to be mismatched and quite unpleasant to listen to.
And Shi Shi's acting is really perplexing (whispering), I even feel that it lacks the same immersion I had when watching "Scarlet Heart" over a decade ago.

As for the male lead... personally, I'm not a big fan...
So far, the character that surprises me the most is Yu Shi San. It's easy for such a character to come off as sleazy, but in the drama, they appear cute and funny.

The plot setting is really puzzling, and the ranking of martial prowess is also confusing.
And can we have fewer instances of the strong female character being saved by the male lead? It's getting on my nerves.

After watching episodes 17 and 18, at this point, I just can't bear the main romantic storyline anymore.
I just want to see more of the master-disciple relationship! Please give us more of that, the Chinese entertainment industry lacks good teacher-student pairings!

The plot is relatively normal, at least the values are not too problematic. It's stronger than that other drama "The White Deer" played by that "Clam Spirit" actress. My expectations for ancient dramas have lowered again.
I only ask for normal values, a decent plot, and good-looking people. After all, it's an ancient drama, so a little bit of acting skills is necessary. Just don't be stiff like a piece of wood.

The problem is that the male lead in this drama came out of nowhere, he's so ugly! Too ugly! I originally planned to give it three stars, but I'm deducting one star because it really affects the viewing experience.
I thought the content of this ancient drama was somewhat refreshing and different from the repetitive love stories across lifetimes, but I can't stand looking at the male lead's face.

The character setting of the minister by the princess's side is quite good, being scholarly without being pedantic.
It's a pleasant surprise.

No one watches this unimpressive male lead drama for Liu Shi Shi, because at best it deserves only three stars. The plot with the male supporting character Li Tong Guang is truly crazy and captivating. In comparison, the main couple's storyline is bland and uninteresting.
Of course, the male lead's unattractiveness is the original sin, and he should be banned from playing historical roles again. The plot feels inconsistent, sometimes good and sometimes not so good, but the male lead must have the strongest halo.
It feels like in recent years, the only historical dramas that truly respect the audience are "Lian Hua Lou," "Cang Lan Jue," and "Yuci Xiaowu Zuo.

After watching the latest two episodes, it feels like this drama, touted as a female-centric story, is more of a comedy. The political maneuvering also feels childish. As the victorious nation, An Guo is constantly being suppressed and portrayed as weak.
There's no need to forcefully emphasize how powerful the main characters are. The romantic subplot between the male and female leads is just not relatable. The plot, logic, and character development were decent in the beginning episodes, but as it progressed, something felt off.
It has deviated from the established character traits. Sigh, another disappointment in Chinese dramas. It's disheartening.