Half of Us (2023)

Unpredictable in Every Sense

I watched this drama while it was airing and all through out the comment section was filled with theories and ideas of how the drama would unfold. Luckily none of us were right as this drama is pretty hard to predict if you’re watching it with no prior knowledge. The characters truly felt like real intricate people with real feelings and real emotions. Each cast member played their role to the best of their ability and you can definitely tell in the quality of the drama. Furthermore it was honestly a success as a whole as the cinematography was absolutely stunning, the script was flawless, the soundtrack has made its way into my everyday listening music playlist, basically I can go on and on praising it, but I think everyone should give it a try. When I began watching it I didn’t think I would really like it since I’m not a fan usually of dark dramas, but this drama aced it and truly left me with a hunger for more like it. As for the ending I think each person has their own opinion about it, as for me I hope to see our questions answered in a second season and hopefully we will see the same quality of work and meet our cast members one more time as they bring these characters to life. Now after reading my rant you should go watch it. I have a guess you probably won’t regret it!

Leia Mais

A cinematic masterpiece with only one flaw

My Journey to You (MJTY) is dark story yet is able to find use of comedic relief to balance out its harder themes. Honourable mention to the very well choreographed fight scenes because they are simply *chefs kiss*. So much detail was put into this drama, and the production level was like watching a movie and not a long drama. If you like a happy ending, I would suggest stopping at 42:30 of the last episode and not finish the last few minutes.

Story:
The story is very well paced and thought out, and I'm constantly trying to figure out who is a Wufeng spy and who isn't. I really enjoy dramas where I feel like the story can outsmart me as a viewer, and MJTY was no exception. Every time someone was assassinated, the story was able to make the viewers guess and give them time to try to figure it out, but always added a good amount of twists to the murderers. I really enjoyed the stories of all the side characters, and the support cast played each character so well. The only flaw I found was that they ended the drama on an open note, possibly to encourage season 2 but seeing how big the cast is and the popularity of Esther and Linghe rising it's gonna be virtually impossible to see another season for years to come.

Acting:
The entire cast for this drama was phenomenal. Can we talk about how all the actors learned their martial arts scenes?! The fight scenes were so beautifully executed and I could see there was a minimal use of stunt doubles because the director is so adamant about creating masterpieces. Even down to Young Master Xue who is literally a kid, executed their characters perfectly. The chemistry of the second couple, Shangguan Qian and Gong Shangjue was insane; I could literally feel sparks fly off the screen. Although I felt like the main couple lacked chemistry together, both Esther and Zhang Linghe did a great job at playing their characters. The main comedic relief of the entire drama, Gong Zishang, was SO funny I literally could not stop laughing every time she was on screen.

Music:
I love my period dramas, and although this drama outshone in everything else, I did feel like the music was a bit lackluster. The music did not give me goosebumps or do much to enhance the scenes like in other dramas I've watched. However the background music score for the fight scenes did a good job at creating the atmosphere. I'm just disappointed there isn't any good OST songs for me to listen to after I finish watching.

Rewatch:
I will 100% be rewatching this because I want to pick up all the details again. The fight scenes were insanely good and I need to see it again.

Overall:
I really enjoyed this drama, and I think its becoming one of my favourites of 2023 after Hidden Love. I really loved Love Between Fairy and Devil last year and started this thinking it would be a great twist cuz now Esther is with the second lead, but I totally fell in love with the entire cast and was rooting for the entire Gong family to win. I also felt like the action scenes were so well done as if it came out of an animation, so it must have taken the actors so much effort to do those scenes and I'm so proud of all of them. I will definitely be following everyone's projects from now on!

Leia Mais

An Alluring Dark Beauty of Wuxia

My Journey To You began with a strong start that completely got me wrapped around its fingers at the very first watch. The strong female lead character who turned out to be a spy and a mysterious prince-like male lead battling out with his other brothers. The story on the first half has been very entertaining and had me seated enjoying every moment as I kept my toes awaiting every next moment. The romantic development, the unlocking of hidden identities and the cool fighting scenes. This drama had all the right ingredients from the get-go with so many complex characters present. Even the second female lead and second male lead had such good chemistry at par with the main couple. They were all hitting it off at the right notches. Ofcourse, the second male lead's brother adding to the storyline making it even more of an interesting watch.

I liked the mystery that was kept going around and how the main lead characters even second leading characters were eventually fleshed out. However, as the drama reaches its midway point, the plot lost most of its gripping tension when some of the scenes eventually became focused on the sister of the male lead. It felt almost filler and sudden how the tone of the drama changed from dark and mysterious to a quick light and comedic tone. I thought it was an inconsistency to the plot and had added no additional value, as even without it the storyline would still function well. Another thing which I eventually came to dislike is how the ending unfortunately failed to tie well with the whole narrative of the storyline. It wasn't as satisfying as I ought to expect it to be.

Overall, this drama still has a lot of good points in my opinion. Despite it having flaws which I thought could have been better executed, I still gave this drama a score of 9.5 for its uniqueness and wonderful start plus the actors, especially, the main leads great acting performance.

I recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch something dark and unique. It is still a decent and watchable drama.

Leia Mais

Just perfect. And now I must wrote 300 words. I'm watching that drama for second time. This was my first drama I was watching without jumping scenes, even for 5 seconds. Now watching frame by frame, even rewinding.
Story is fantastic. Caught me and I can't stop watching.
Excellent writers job.
Cast - incredible performances.
Director did awesome. I can see how she had all movie in her head before filming.
High level production.
I can't find mistakes in make up.
Light and atmosphere are fantastic. With so much feelings.
Music also.
It was hard for me to start rewatching this drama, because I knew I need two days, now I have them.

Leia Mais

Amazing cinematography and intriguing plots

This is my first time watching wuxia historical drama and it set my bar high. Even though one or two episodes at the end, probably their cut didn't blend seamlessly coz it left me feeling there was something that I didn't watch yet. Thank goodness for the top reviewer bcs at least they give me heads up.

The Male Lead, Gong Ziyu started as careless unpolished young man that disappointed his father but suddenly got thrust into Sword Wielder position and always got criticised by his cousins that he didn't deserve that spot which was true. Thankfully, he decided to prove them wrong. At the same time, quoting from his personal guard, "he was a foolishly good man". His heart was big and ofc he fell hard for the bride to be, Yun Wei Shan.

So our Female Lead, Yun Wei Shan was a Wufeng assassin that was sent to infiltrate Gong Family to get their families secret. Being in Wufeng just a job to her bcs what she craved the most was the freedom and not under their control anymore. She was smart and very skillful in martial arts. Although a bit impulsive at certain times, she witnessed how honest and kind Ziyu toward her, fell in love with him and decided to help him through the journey of getting the Sword Wielder position.

I really enjoy this drama bcs aside from romance, we got to see how strong brotherly bond between the other cousins in other lineages which was Shangjue and Yuanzhi, how wise, kind and gentle some of the Young Master in the back hill (Xiaohei, I love you and Xue Young Master, I adore you) and the funny antics of Eldest Young Miss Zishang pursuing Jin Fan.

I'm glad I watched this drama even though I am the type that want happy ending but I really understand why it ended like that. Their missions are not done yet and if Wufeng is not destroyed, Gong Family and people in martial arts world would not live in peace. Looking forward to season 2 if it exist, huwaaaaaa

Leia Mais

This drama started out slow, but after a few episodes, the story picked up and became more interesting as it went. I like the juxtaposition of characters and I’ve seen both leads in other works and they’ve already proven their acting prowess there, especially when I have viewed four of Zhang Ling He’s works before I watched this one. So I knew what I was expecting. Who surprised me though is Ryan Cheng. I didn’t realize he was also the main in “A Familiar Stranger,” but maybe it’s because his character there wasn’t as flushed out as Gong Shang Jue’s.

The characters in this drama are multi-dimensional, that they are not necessarily “all good” or “all evil.” Despite what has been portrayed, most of them have the freedom of choice, whether to follow along the path that was created for them, or carve out one for themselves. This is why I admire Yun Wei Shan’s character and Yu Shu Xin’s portrayal of a skilled assassin. She cleverly integrated herself into the Gong family and made her own judgment, not solely relying on what had been fed to her, while also following the edicts of her organization.

Gong Zi Yu, for his part, turned from a playboy to a love-struck fool, from a supposedly incompetent “spare” to become the new Sword Wielder. Throughout his journey through the trials, Gong Zi Yu has proven himself to be more than a sitting duck everyone assumes him to be. His ingeniousness, coupled with his compassion for the people, made him a formidable leader.

I find myself second-guessing the true nature of the characters, which is rare for me as I have usually found them predictable in other shows. Even I find the pairing of Gong Zi Shang (Zi Yu’s sister) and Jin Fan (Zi Yu’s guard) hilarious. Perhaps the only person I truly detested here is Shangguan Qian. I really have no tolerance for her type of character, through no fault of the actress.

As for other aspects, the production, cinematography and the costumes were breathtaking. Likewise, the plot here is also intricate and engaging. Everything here in this drama is smoke and mirrors, and it is up to these characters to decipher the truth from all of it.

Leia Mais

Perfect Casting and Most Beautiful Costumes I've ever seen

I'd rate the casting and costumes as 10000/10! Truly a perfect casting, not one is miscast. The costumes are also so beautiful probably one of the most beautiful I've seen in movies and also the sets💯. As for the story overall its a masterpiece, however as I was watching it, there are some parts I find boring. The action scenes are well choreographed and the directing of each scenes made it more intense and entertaining. While the story should've a clear ending for me, i didn't dislike the part that they gave a cliffhanger in hopes that it could have a season 2. Looking forward for it and I hope they will continue the story and with the same casts if possible.
The reason I watched this drama is for Zhang Linghe and now that i finished the drama I can say that he did fine, not spectacular but at least he did give justice to the role. Ester Yu is quite a surprise and she was one of the things I really enjoyed watching in this drama. This type of role is clearly different from her past roles and she nailed it!
Overall, I really enjoyed the drama and I hope they get a Season 2, w the same casts🙏

Leia Mais

Disappointed with the end

I liked the first episode . As drama progressed it got little bit bored but no reason I continued to watch it . After -8th episode it gets little bit interesting . I liked first lead's pairing but I start shipping 2nd leads also but at somewhere I felt that they were have sad ending but still I was excited to know the end but the end was not only sad ending with 2nd lead but also with first lead. sorry for being spoiler . So disappointed with the end . But I think there will be second season , if it is not then director sir kindly think about it . Actually we need second season because they were so many parallel stories which remain incomplete.
Background Music and songs were good .

Leia Mais

A Great Beginning With an Unfortunate Downfall

Literally just finished the show a few hours ago. Finally watched this show because I like the main leads and really enjoyed the supporting actors too. If it weren't for them I would've dropped it to be honest.

I feel like it was initially supposed to be a one season show. Even before watching the show I was surprised that it was only 24 episodes and had concerns on how they'll execute it. Unfortunately them introducing so much stuff was a mistake. The last third of the episodes had so much exposition dump and characters just talking instead of properly showing made things so unsatisfying. Yes they're very interesting but this is only doable if the show was at least 40 episodes.

I loved the all the characters they introduced both good and bad guys but since they introduced so many in a short time no matter what happened to them I did not care for them as much even though the show tried to make this whole emotional/dramatic thing. There was not enough build up and it's so disappointing because I know the writers had more they wanted to show but lacked the episodes to do so.

This show was beautifully shot and the fight scenes are choreographed well . Just be warned that you aren't getting the conclusion that you hoped for.

Leia Mais

I’m not usually a fan of dark and suspenseful dramas. But the cast, acting and cinematography is great. Though the storyline and the way the film is shot is on the dark side, they wittily injected some humour through the characters and music and that balance out the heaviness of the drama for me. I like how many of the support characters back stories are very well developed , it gives the characters a lot more depth and the way it’s filmed and presented make the audience really feel for these characters. Even the “antagonists” the brothers of the ML… the wufeng guides…. you can’t bring yourself to hate them knowing all their back stories. Beautifully written, filmed, casted, acted and presented. The only reason why the rewatch value isn’t higher cos it’s a personal preference to rewatch more lighthearted dramas and a lot of the wow factor for this drama is in its unexpected plot twists. But overall I really like the drama.

Leia Mais

hoping for a season 2; not romance heavy!

so much better than I was expecting honestly....

IF YOURE EXPECTING ROMANCE WITH A SIDE OF PLOT THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!!!

the story line initially was so incredibly good. two female assassins? being sent on a mission by being married into the Gong family? love it. i am so glad however, the more i watched, this it was wasn't super romance heavy. i was much more focused on the "brotherly" bonding going on in this more so than the romance. i have established that all the actors are so incredibly good (and good looking) that this is actually fucking insane casting. i cannot wait to see more from them (especially TJR who is so new to acting but did so good as GYZ he is actually my favorite character). YWS and GZYs relationship is also so cute GZY is so loving and caring and is such a nice addition to the cold/stoich stereotype many male characters get. HOWEVER, the relationship between GSJ and GYZ is my absolute favorite thing in this entire show it was so wholesome. i was so stressed out during the whole thing because i really wanted all the "brothers" to get along and WE FINALLY GOT IT 😭😭😭😭😭😭 anyways will rewatch for GSJ and GYZ scenes as well as the small romance bits

Leia Mais

Don't be blinded by beauty

My Journey to You had the potential to be one of the Great dramas, because it had the technical aspects in the bag. It's amazing production. The cinematography is beautiful. The martial arts choreography is absolutely mesmerizing, arguably the best I've seen in a while. The camerawork and editing are almost flawless. The styling greatly enhanced the actors' visuals. Not only that, the performances from the cast were terrific, most notably Tian Jiarui as Gong Yuanzhi and Jolin Jin as Gong Zishang, who gave off different energies in the series, but both made the show very entertaining to watch.

The biggest downside of My Journey to You is the writing. It starts off fast-paced and exciting, pulling the audience into the dark and dangerous world of martial arts. But then the story becomes too convoluted, and significantly slows down in the middle, maybe because they're really trying to establish the romance subplots. But this causes the story to lose hold of some of the built-up tension and intrigue, and it's difficult to pick back up. The series belatedly ups the ante again only in the last couple of episodes.

Also, the way Gong Ziyu's character is written is off-putting. It's not consistent: he is someone who is kind and sympathetic even to suspected assassins, but somehow could not extend the same kindness and understanding to his (admittedly shady) brothers; he is a character who knows he is undeserving of the power given to him yet is strangely very protective of it and becomes self-important about it. This makes it difficult to follow any proper character development. I could have enjoyed watching Gong Ziyu rise to power if it was clearly shown what flaws he was working on to be more deserving of the Sword Wielder title. Rather, it's framed like he could do no wrong; it seems his character is hastily scrapped together based on the formula of the male lead most likely to gain the audience's sympathy and awe. It works, mostly because of Zhang Linghe's acting ability, and also because the other characters have unique personalities to make up for GZY's rather generic one.

Yu Shuxin as Yun Weishan could have been given the opportunity to shine more, to show more of her ferocity as a fighter, so I'm actually hoping for a second season to this series so it could happen. Her fighting scenes here are nothing short of art.

Special shout-out to Young Master Hua, whose character arc, even though brief, made me cry a lot, which does not happen often.

Leia Mais