Half of Us (2023)

A masterpiece!!-a classic drama which is spectacular in direction

My journey to you is a classic C drama.it is a little bit different from other C dramas in every aspect ,the quality of production is top notch.
When come to story- It include almost every aspect like good theme,fights,romance,cliffhangers ,comedy .most of the viewers are disappointed in the ending,but I think it is an opening for season 2,a kind of good ending.because wife f not completely defeated yet ,so story won’t end like that ,so we can only wait for a part 2
When comes to acting-almost all of them were really good in there own part ,lovable charecter

Leia Mais

A breath of fresh air

So this drama is amazing.

Acting:
On point!

Music:
Decent

Storyline:
Rollercoaster and engaging. It's not entirely predictable because you can't guess what skme character may or may not do and what side they are on - which is why I call this a breath of fresh air and also its the first time I watched Esther take on a serious role and she nailed it.

Chemistry:
I'll be honest. I started the first episode without any expectations and a few episodes in, boom the second leads chemistry was burning. its an extremely slow burn for them. I wasn't really watching it for the main leads - just the story tbh.

This is quite rare.... I actually liked all the actors involved in the drama as they did superb acting especially the little kid Young Master Xue was it?

I would love a season 2 for this because I feel this can't be the end and pretty much all of the characters need a proper closure and a lot of us have many unanswered questions of what ifs.

Leia Mais

An Emotional Rollercoaster

Dark, gritty and suspenseful thriller.

Warning: Don't get too attached to any characters. (vibe of this series is very similar to Game of Thrones series, so very possibly a few beloved characters of My Journey to You, may also share similar fate as that one. )

On the surface it is Gong family's males who control everything but real power is held by female characters.... Many species have females that are more devious and vicious than males due to their conditioning and survival instinct and so are the Female Characters in this series. The chief of wufeng is a female, even though the viewers never get to see her face even at the end... Shangguan Qian another great manipulator, even she wouldn't know whether she was telling truth or a lie...

Edward Guo, the director as well as the writer deserves major credit for the aesthetics of the drama. The picturisation has an enlivening effect, making it seem like watching cinema and not just a drama. The story is full of mystique, audience has to remain alert and engaged so as not to miss an important clue because the story is filled with layers upon layers of subterfuge and cunning.

The story starts with Esther Yu/ Yu ShuXin assuming a false identity of Yu WeiShan to enter bride selection process held by the Gong family. She enters under a false identity with a secret mission given by Wufeng, an assassin organization. Due to untimely death of the head of Gong family, Gong HongYu and the young heir, Gong HuanYu, an inexperienced and unambitious Gong ZiYu(Zhang LingHe) becomes the sword wielder(head) of the Gong family.. ....Yu WeiShan now becomes the chosen bride of Gong ZiYu and so starts their journey towards each other while navigating the traps set around them.



Some of the questions that the viewers grapple with from the beginning of the series are:

* What is the real intention of Wufeng organisation? Who is the mastermind?

*what is the real identity of Yu WeiShan?

* Who killed Gong HongYu and Gong HuanYu in the beginning of the series that catapulted a sequence of events?

*what is the mystery surrounding Madame Lan, Gong ZiYu's mother?

* And the most important question..... Who are allies and enemies? (Every character has a secret agenda)

As soon as the audience unravels one riddle another crops up in its place, keeping them on their toes and guessing throughout.


One major drawback that I see is the ending... I was mentally prepared for more mayhem and death but the ending seems more of a let down... The build up of the antagonist was larger than life, however we never got the ultimate confrontation with the BIG BAD... Even the open ending about WeiShan's fate and ZiYu was unsatisfactory, it felt as if the writer wanted to make the network happy so left it upto the audience to resolve it as they seem fit.........MAYBE Edward Guo the director as well as the writer wanted to continue with the stories of wufeng and is hoping for a second season or even if the second season doesnt work out, he is publishing the books so he may continue writing about these characters in his book so in his mind this series is just the beginning and not the end... However if that was the case I would have liked to have a hint at the end that their story will continue either in books or if lucky then in a second season of the series.


All the actors have performed stupendously making their characters come alive onscreen. Yu ShuXin, Zhang LingHe, Ryan Cheng, Lu YuXiao the main leads leave a lasting impression of their characters.


Overall, A good watch comparable with old school Agatha Christie novels(Especially, Then There Were None), the audience is kept entranced with whodunnit along with a good dose of romance taking them on a thrilling ride on an emotional roller coaster🎢

Leia Mais

A rather rare drama that exceeded my expectations when I least expected it to be

I was already settled for less for this drama but it gave me a big surprise as I started watching and finally completing it.

First, Esther Yu, whom I was accustomed to seeing in a delicate and dainty role more often, won me with her unusual character as someone fierce and armed with bravery. The way she played her role showcased her acting flexibilities and it was a success shifting from her comfort roles given this right material.

Second, I was not a fan of the ML but with how well the story and his character were orchestrated which was a commanding factor thus, his acting abilities surfaced. While he was often cast for supporting roles, it was evident here he could carry a lead role and deserves more spots for that in the future.

Third, never have I seen such graceful fighting scenes like in this drama, those glides and moves were winning combinations. I am giving my big applause to those involved in creating and choreographing those significantly artistic scenes. I was in a state as if I was seeing dancing performances rather than fighting scenes.

Finally, the story, the execution, and the choice of casts even the songs used made this drama by far unexpectedly likable to watch. I particularly enjoyed the character of the eldest Young Miss ZiShang who brought sunshine in this drama with her humor and naughtiness. Unlike other supporting roles that can be omitted and still the drama would make sense, here, without her supplementary role, the story will likely suffer. Further, it was noticeable that the majority of the acting parts were focused on the facial and vocal features of every character, a smart approach suitable for this drama that created a ground for its strong storytelling.

It was a different wuxia for me and patrons of this genre will give their approval of this drama. However, it ended up hanging though it was not announced yet, I believe a second part is right on the boil.

Leia Mais

─ a journey between light and dark.

While it took me a while to finally find time to properly focus and watch this drama, I'm so glad I didn't delay it for too long ─ as I truly enjoyed the journey this drama showed. In fact, I'm so glad not to let reviews of others affect my watching experience as there are many points I don't agree with what other viewers stated.

While it's true that there are ups and downs, the storyline is quite unique-ish, at least among the dramas released in the past few years. Just from the colours and cinematography, it promises something new and delivers it as well. I especially have to say the cinematography is one of the best I have seen so far.

I liked all the dynamics they showed ─ whether it was between the family members, friends, or lovers. They showed a variety of forms of love, which was beautiful. The characters' developments were interesting to watch as well. I think everyone got a good screen time and their importance was told when it was necessary. In fact, I loved how the story played with the perspectives ─ at some point, it made sure to show audience not to judge so easily.

The chemistry and acting were beautiful too ─ not only in romantic way but the chemistry between parent and child, siblings, student and tutor. It was so nice to see pieces of humanity they tried to hide due to their responsibilities.

The building of the last battle in the past four episodes was so captivating. It was like watching battle of minds ─ showing the shift in the journey between light and dark.

For the ending, while it might be said it's open ending due to many possibilities, I hope they can surprise us with a second season as I would definitely like to watch it.

ps. OST is really beautiful as well ─ both the songs and instrumentals.

link to edits : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI-LyvxxdMxBkohitgnIvHMpq4W59UJ7n&si=VVDdaUBDBNeGE0oI

Leia Mais

Best Show of 2023 and I do not take it lightly !!!

I have watched many C-dramas and I am so shocked at how good this show is. This show is highly unpredictable. I spent many nights chatting with others to piece parts of this show together on theories. I can't believe how vested I was in this show.
Because this show was 24 episodes the story line had to get to the point and not drag out stories and the director and screenwriters executed this well. Are there missing pieces? Yes but they told enough to keep the storyline together.

Zhang Ling He - Played Gong Zi Yu very well, you had to see him mature and use his smarts quickly in the show. The costumes looked amazing also. I really enjoyed his character.

Esther YU- Her role was great she played her role very well. I know her objective was to be calm and not show a lot of emotions and I wished she showed more emotions towards Gong zi Yu but that is what makes Yu shu Xin great.

Lu YU Xiao - Playing Shangguan Qian she played the role well, she was veyr cunning and always had a sly look on her face. She understood her assignment. She did a good job.

Ryan Cheng- Gong Shang Jue was amazing he was great , I really enjoyed his character .

Gong zi Shang - I love how Dramatic and silly she is.. Her role is excellent

Jing fan - I was so loyal and I like how the tables turned at the end for him, it was so cute. His storyline was awesome

Tian Jia Rui - Gong Yuan Zhi loved his role also so cool, I really enjoyed his acting

There is more, I just wanted to give major kudos to the cast and I hope there will be a season 2. even if its not the way the show ended was with a bang. the objective was to make us think and provoke thought and I can truly accept that.

Leia Mais

Can we trust former spies in our household?

My Journey to You is a thriller where female spies are used to penetrate into their victim's household to get hold of the latter's secret.

The Infinite Heat is a weapon treasured by the Gong family to safeguard their own interest and their allies. The family embraces compassion and righteousness unlike their rival, Wufeng, a group of assassins led by a ruthless leader who never shows his/ her face throughout the 24-episode drama.

Female spies are used by Wufeng to dismantle the safeguarding of the Gong famly. Throughout the drama, viewers are slowly realising that Wufeng isn't the only threat that the Gong family is facing.

Hence, the quest of finding out who the main culprit of the murders is and many incidents that take place in the Gong family mansion begins.

As a viewer, I find the story is pretty standard ie. a prodigal son suddenly transforms into a responsible person due to the change in circumstances; romance between a spy and her victim; and rivals among family members.

I enjoyed this drama but will not be hopeful to have a season 2.

Watch it because its rewatch value is considered a 10-rating.

Leia Mais

Great last 2023 summer series from iQIYI

Dark and mysterious Wuxia costume series.
Very interesting and will keep you glued til the end. Best choreographed martial arts fight I have ever watched. Awesome wardrobe line-up and location.
The director for this series is same one who directed Wuliang and Painted Skin which are both excellent dark costume series.
I am surprise that he added a humorous character in this series. He balanced it out perfectly this time.

Highly recommended to watch.
Is it worth the subscription fee? A big YES.

Tho it almost didn't air due to the a criminal charge of one of the minor artist playing a support role, it still ended up being one of the top favorite release for this summer entertainment of C-drama. Quite a few disappointed viewers as to the ending. It wasn't as bad I think, it's more like being left open for possible season 2. Sadly, the new Chinese entertainment law will not approve release of sequels within12 (or is it 24?) months of airing.

Note:
As to which artist was charged, according to news release, it is the artist who played the role of Xue GongZi, the friend companion to the young child Xue TongZi, in the back hill who aided the first real trial/test of the Sword Wielder.
Xue Gong Zi [Xue Tong Zi's servant & aide]

Leia Mais

Dark and gritty mystery, with surprisingly a touch of comedy!

What a fun mystery series!

This was a really good dark and gritty series. I loved watching all the plotting, scheming and mystery behind the Wufeng spies and their mission to infiltrate the Gong family. I had so much fun coming up with my own theories and watching the revelations. The web of lies and mystery had me on my toes!

The only frustrating thing was that a lot of the fighting capabilities of the "good" characters seemed quite inconsistent. They'd win fights against strong people but lose to weaker people so it had me scratching my head at times. I just wish they found a way to move the plot along without creating that kind of inconsistency.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't really care much about the romance in this. Like it was nice, but I personally would have preferred more focus on the bonding between all the Gong brothers/cousins etc. I wish we got more scenes of all the brothers working together than the romance plot imo. But I'm still overall satisfied with how things played out.

I loved the OST in this drama so much! I loved that we got to see the backstories of some of the spies and why they became what they were. The way the ost was used during backstories and all throughout the drama was A+.

Also, scene stealers for me in this series were the scenes between ZiShang/Xiao Hei, and ZiShang/Jin Fan. Common denominator being ZS. I just loved this girl so much. She's so wacky and every scene with her brought out so many fun and light moments that gave us a break from the bleary and dark tones of this drama. Everybody's acting in this was amazing. Shang Jue's menacing glares but rare soft smiles, Yuan Zhi's psychotic smirks but childish nature, ZiShang's happy go lucky personality covering her sadness/desire for love, Yun Weishan's girlish nature hidden behind her cold upbringing, Zi Yu having a boyish/unserious nature while wanting be acknowledged and taken seriously. Each one of these characters played their roles so well and I loved that they weren't one dimensional characters. More so, I loved that we were given enough time to actually flesh out these chsracters and see their true nature behind the face they put on for the world. Everyone on the cast did a fantastic job.

I don't like that this was set up for a S2 but there was still some plotlines and character backgrounds that beed to resolved so it makes sense that a S2 will be needed and I'm more than likely going to watch it if/when released. I also just want to see my man, Shangjue, be happy and smile. Sigh.

Overall, it was a really engaging mystery drama!

Leia Mais

Second cp stole the show

Love my toxic couple, Gong Shangjue and Shangguang Qian. I need more of them!!!! Every scene between them was peak tension and drama. Also this is the first drama that made me change my mind about Esther Yu (couldn't stand her character in LBFAD) but in this drama she was really good as quiet but sharp Yun Weishan. I love the scenes between Yun Weishan and Shangguang Qian, I wish there was more of their tense, 'keeping each other on your toes' dynamic and scenes.

The pacing is super uneven - starts off slow, drags like crazy in the middle with the boring back hill/three tests arc, and intense and heart stopping in the last big battle arc. That ending hurts me, S2 please 😭 did my girl SGQ lie about her pregnancy like she lied about almost everything else or was she telling the truth?!

This is also one of the most visually beautiful shows! Almost on par with the films I used to analyze for film class.

Leia Mais

Curiosity is the biggest bait

[this is more of an after thought than a full review]

This drama has Guo Jing Ming (director/screenwriter) written all over it making it a double edged sword from start to finish.
As someone who only found out about the existence of c-drama during the Pandemic, his work had a sense of exciting familiarity from the get go. The way he uses visual story telling and symbolism reminded me of some of my favorite movies/shows growing up. I have yet to find another Chinese Director or writer who is able to evoke that feeling in me.
Visually this drama really is impressive. I have a massive soft spot for dark, goth-vibe movies and shows. Combine that with the bad-ass BGM when the characters were introduced and the carefully crafted visual storytelling ... ah I love it!

The more dramas I watch, the more drama-fatigue I get and it's hard to watch anything from start to finish because everything becomes so predictable. But for the first time in a long time I watched episode after episode being excited about what happens next. I could not have guessed it and that made it a really good watch for me.

Instead of thinking of it as FL, ML, SFL, SML, TML,... It was quite clear (to me) that this drama has multiple mains and every story is equally as important. Although it begins quite ambiguous, it becomes more and more evident that among all the leading characters there's no one who is really a villain. Everyone's ambitions are justifiable and not born out of greed. This solidified my initial impression that this is a story of many, not of just two.
But unfortunately the story of first CP dragged along after having a very good start. Any sense of chemistry that was there eventually fell into a slumber as their story became more and more lukewarm. The intense stares and slow mo walking past-each-other scenes early on quickly ceased to exist and in my opinion this is what gave the second CP the chance to shine even brighter because they kept the intensity up. ZY was introduced as the spoiled son that spends a lot of time hanging out at the dance house (brothel?), likes to drink and pretends to be weaker than he actually is. He often rebelled against his father and did not hesitate to yell that he will leave. Everything about his introduction had me believed he would at some point reveal his true character and show every one his wits especially after the tattoo scene, however he and YS were gradually reduced to being the safe option in order for the more complex characters to go about their story. After all you cannot have your bread buttered on both sides.
GSJ and GZY had such epic introductions, with epic instrumental that is not commonly used by c-dramas and their styling was also much better than that of the ML, who sometimes looked like his make up was wet paint.
The brothers reminded me of a duo of wolves, so calculated but also deeply complex and their dynamic was amazing. In comparison ZY fell short on so many levels and became the SW although GSJ was much more qualified and long term would have been more respected and feared by outsiders. Thinking about ZY ten years down the line... I cannot help but to suspect that the reputation of Gong will become less and less feared. Selfishly though I must admit this provides GSJ with a tiny chance of freedom, that he unlikely is to take willingly but if the circumstances are right I believe he could have his own drama about how he leaves the Gong family, despite having an undying sense of loyalty towards them. I have no doubts was the situation flipped YZ would not hesitate and leave to be with YSS... but doesn't it sound more interesting if it was the so-sure-about-his-place character that ended up leaving the mountain? - Wishful thinking I know.


Not being able to have multiple deeper, darker main characters is something I have noticed in every c-drama that attempted this so far - guess this is where Censorship comes into play. At this point I don't think I'll ever get see a 10/10 drama from China because only the most dark and twisted (love) stories can get such a rating from me.

GSJ, GZY and SSQ were the most interesting part of this drama. She was thrown into a lion's den and of the two assassins, her mission was much trickier and therefore so much more exciting. We only got glimpses but I believe these three could have their own drama, making it a push-and-pull game of wits and raw feelings. I would not want it to be ruined by idol romance but rather make it a dark romance. I'm kinda fed up with healthy or realistic relationships in dramas, it's fictional so give me all the borderline toxicity. I wasn't walking around in a "Mrs. Salvatore" hoodie for years because I liked Matt, lol. (vampire diaries).
The story of these 3 had an even flow and from all the characters I found theirs could be the perfect background story for a season 2. Yet I did wish we had gotten more scenes of them taking a (dangerous) liking to each other.
But I really didn't like how they schemed against her near the end. It wasn't until then, that SSQ was singled out as the only antagonist of the four/five. YZ did not tell her about the fortnight flies and she also ratted her out to the others, which totally took away the element of surprise and potential for a great reveal scene. I was actually looking forward to that a lot and I'd almost say while watching it was one of my biggest disappointments.
My favorite scenes were early on when GSJ was riding a horse in the dark and the camera films from above and then through an open gate as he rides past.. and a little earlier GZY being on the roof to stop ZY - just EPIC. You already get the clear feeling that these two are very different from your usual drama characters and they delivered 100%.


--BIG SPOILER--

I read up on the final scene and it's interesting how on Chinese internet the interpretation is that SSQ's life ended since he saw her standing on water. Previously only for-sure dead characters were 'seen' by the leads, so the fact that he imagined seeing her could hint at that she is no longer alive. On the contrary on mdl, reddit, etc everyone is certain she is alive since she was seen in a garden tending to the flowers.

-- CONCLUSION--

In the beginning it all felt like one epic production and I could envision it continuing in so many ways. Even now I still think if they were ever to make this a multi-season show, they could really pull the wheel around and make it amazing. Somehow I can't shake the feeling that it felt like the backstory of something greater. Knowing how this is most likely a stand alone drama, I do feel let down but in my mind there is no doubt that the story continues and the best is yet to come. (small hope is that the screenwriter/director has multiple works that have more than one part)
As I said, it truly feels a prologue. In a perfect world (or literally just a country without TV censorship) this could turn into a complex game of survival and love that could de-throne any drama I ever watched. As small as the world of Wufeng & Gong was, it was just the perfect amount to get immersed into the story without feeling like you need to care about the rest of the world. I really loved that aspect.

One of SSQ's lines early on was "curiosity is the biggest bait" and they really took that and went with it for the entire drama. I was really curious after the very intriguing start and was baited into watching till the end. I don't regret as it stands out a lot to me and is not comparable to other dramas in my opinion but I also kept waiting and waiting for big things to happen and from to time things did happen but the entire 3 trials thing was such a big plot of the drama which I really didn't like it at all. I only fast forwarded twice during this drama, both times were during the second trial. I really wanted the leads to have a more intense story. Also I feel like for some of the symbolism I know too little about chinese language, culture/history to really get it. I felt like there was a lot of hidden meaning behind things shown and spoken.
In all of the drama, there is only one thing visually that bothered me. The transitions... some of them were just like the ones you use for a fancy power point.
Also there are so many single tear drops running down the characters face… I was about to make a drinking game out of it, lol

Full circle moment back to the beginning of this after thought that turned into an endless thought: Guo Jing Ming's work is always like that. I watched his movie "The End of Endless Love" a few days ago and had the exact same feeling afterwards. Some real glimpses of gold, that just hit so right and feel totally unique but he's never able to make a full stream of light from the few glimpses. Makes me wonder, does he just have really great ideas but doesn't have what it takes to turn them into reality... he needs to pair up with a superb screenwriter and maybe then it will turn into a masterpiece.

Another drama watched that was on my "not interested" list and ended up leaving a big impression. Maybe I should listen more to what people are hyping up?

Leia Mais