Half of Us (2023)

Watching this drama is like going on a beautiful drive that drops you off in the middle of nowhere. You end up lost and wondering if this ride is really worth it.

The most memorable thing about the series is the art direction, which is highly stylized and simply stunning. The writers take great care in developing each character and creating the bleak yet beautiful world of Gong Men, a powerful family with many secrets, supposedly the last bastion against the ultra evil organization of Wu Feng. The worldbuilding is impressive, until it all falls apart like a pillar of sand in the finale.

The finale feels like it’s written by someone else entirely – someone who doesn’t bother to read the early chapters. Like a video game, characters are buffed and nerfed at random. Some of them are so OOC it will make your head spin. Then we have “The Dumbest Plan Ever,” hyped up by the so-called brains of Gong Men. The plan gives away strategic secrets, leading to the deaths of longtime allies and the wipeout of the Gong’s elite guards. After all that, they still can't touch Wu Feng's upper management, but viewers are told it's a victory and that the Gongs are brilliant strategists. At this point I can’t take the show seriously anymore.

The one saving grace is the supporting cast, which is one of the best ensemble cast I've seen in a while. The actors have such rapport that I wonder if they’re all close friends in real life. Cheng Lei and Lu Yu Xiao are smoldering with a kind of sexual tension you don't often see in C-drama. The leads Zhang Ling He and Esther Yu aren’t bad. They have chemistry with everyone, except each other.

This is a show that desperately wants to be taken seriously, but has not done enough to earn it. It’s better than mediocre, even entertaining in a shallow sort of way. You'll enjoy it more if you leave logic at the door.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

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

Leia Mais

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!

Leia Mais

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!

Leia Mais

‘My Journey to You’. Odd, maybe the journey has only just started?

I’m glad the last few episodes were all released at once!

This is my second time watching a wuxia drama and I was not disappointed. Although it is indeed slow paced, I felt that every word was not said without thought. And although there were several heart wrenching deaths I was glad that the majority lived on. I enjoyed the backstories to each of the characters, my favourite being the love between young master yue and yun que. His acting got me!

There is no arc or backstory to the wufeng although if they were to further explain in a next season I don’t think I would be that interested. Even if it ended with an open ending I’m not sure if I want to know what happened afterwards. A last battle? A happy ending? That’s what I believe in. I’m not sure a special would show this so I’d rather not know. Although knowing how they tricked me in the last several episodes to believe in only what was shown I’m sure they were able to survive the last test. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Thank to all the actors for their amazing performance. I was impressed and I even found an actor I hope to see more of in the future!

Leia Mais

the only thing to complain is.. where’s the second season?

as someone who never writes reviews, i cannot not contribute to the ratings of this deserving drama. i absolutely loved this masterpiece! starting from the aesthetics till every beat of music used. it was very well done, eyes pleasing, the well executed acting of the whole cast, the first-class editing and the story plot kept me glued to the screen. watching a serie for the second time, i find it boring and a waste of time , but this deserves more than one sitting watch. yu shuxin and zhang linghe’s chemistry was marvellous, looking forward towards their third project together (won’t mind even if it will be a wuxia or historical hihi). i’ve never loved a drama this much other than LLTG (love like the galaxy). recommend this experience 10 out of 10, it’s worth every second, trust me. salute to the writers, director, editors, cast, staff and everyone that worked on this magnificent piece.

Leia Mais

Not to disrespect public's opinions

God I loved it so much especially Yu shuxin and lu yuxiao's acting in this drama was spectacular,as both female main leads played an excellent role of a villain .It was my first time seeing Yu shuxin's acting,her expression and overall appearance in the drama was speechless, considering her personality in real life being joyous,I didn't expect she would act so much better than I expected. The costumes, editing, fighting scenes,plot, storylines,acting ,cast,drama production, background music all was so awesome. I hope to see more and more dramas like these in the near future (Inshallah). Though I loved the ending but I really hope for a 2nd season, don't care if it's gonna be 10 episodes but then the 1st season's ending wouldn't make much sense and It would disappoint me to have such a good drama ruined , I hope the drama production companies to pay attention to viewers on social media .It was the best drama of the year 2023 , as the year is ending ,I wish everyone Happy New Year, Goodnight 🤍🖤🤍🖤

Leia Mais

gripping story/plotline

It's the kind of cliff-hanger ending that keeps you wanting for more asap.

From ep 1-24 it was a breezy watch for me. They maximized their 24 episodes so well that there's no room for filler scenes. There are no spoilers in this review, I'll just write why I love this drama.

1. The cast: I have to admit I've never watched anything from the cast aside from YSX and ZLH so I was pleasantly surprised with everyone's performance. Tian Jia Rui was a scene stealer for me as well as Zuo Ye. I was surprised they're newbies. There's just something about their interpretations of their characters that draws you in. Jin Jolin is ofc a fan favorite lol

2. The plot: It's a work of art. I love the world-building and honestly would want to know more about Wufeng and of their past (and ofc their future but I'm not too hopeful T-T). The execution is also really good, it keeps you hanging after each episode.

3. The production: Top notch. I love the general dark palette. It suits the overall vibe of the drama. SFX, VFX and sound effects are just the right amount to support each scene. Love it.

4. The characters: Very intriguing. I'm particularly curious about the Hanyas and the leaders. Also each character have their own stand out personality that each actor/actress portrayed well.

I'd also like to say something about the fan "feud" between YSX and LYX and their CPs. For me, LYX indeed was a standout. Every time she schemes, her eyes draw you in. I'm such a sucker for actors who have amazing control of their micro expressions and i think LYX excels in that (as well as TJR and ZLH tho i think he needs more training too). But YSX did an excellent job as an assasin too especially since this is far different than her usual roles. Her action scenes are good, tho imo her micro expressions need more work. They both have their strong points. As for the CPs, they're also both remarkable, they have their own audience. For someone who hates toxicity, I definitely preferred the main cp and for people who love thrill and sexual tension trope then the 2nd cp is def for them. I preferred the main cp's honest relationship.

Overall, My Journey to You is an amazing drama that I would proudly recommend to those who ask. It's amazing!

Leia Mais