The irony. I think Liu yuning is much better looking than a lot of chinese actors that are considered good looking. Calling him ugly makes no sense to me.
Idk why Liu Yuning is considered ugly lol, I find many of those male actors in many xianxia dramas look so girly to me 😭🤣🤣🤣, like I cant even take them seriously. Liu Yuning is perfect. He has a good enough face, not girly but not overly attractive which suits perfectly for this role. His height tho, the man looks damn attractive in the guard uniform, the stylist did so well on dressing him up here, made him look well built and healthy, not that skinny girly sht we often see in many dramas 😅😅
exactly.....he has a aura that most of the actors dont have.....his eyes are so innocent....i cant even imagin other actor in ning younzhou role other than him
1. This drama made me a big Alen Fang fan. He did amazing in this role. And I LOVED what they did with the princess's character 2. The ML and FL did such a great job (and the ML is hot, people need their eyes checked) 3. Think I consider this almost a perfect drama if I pretend it ended at Ep. 34
I understand what you are saying. I don't think I have cried so much watching a c-drama as I did ep 35 to end. I actually had snot running down my nose and used tissues all over my desk. They should have made the story from 35-40 as a part 2 of about 20 ep
It turns out Fang Yilun is great in comedy, but he sometimes has these whiny drunkard roles, like in the long ballad and in granting you a dreamlike life, and a role that was maybe 9/10 points annoying, he plays it so well it becomes 15/10 annoying. 😅 He should stay away from crybaby roles in the future if he can.
This drama has issues, but the one thing that makes it the best period drama of the year for me is that it portrays REASONABLE characters, who talk things through, communicate, not the usual one dimensional villains or lovers. The writing felt actually smart, and didn't feel like my intelligence was insulted, like in so many other dramas. I completely agree on the little princess, she is also one of my favorite characters in this drama, alongside Ren Ruyi. Yu Shisan too. The side characters are truly memorable, not just stumbling blocs to highlight the main leads. It feels like a story with depth.
@@liawoodi Definitely. The scene when she kills her former lover + the scene when she reveals her gender, are two that immediately come to mind. I look forward to seeing more of her in other dramas.
I truly like liu yuning's eyes have emotions that can seen in every episode. Saying that female lead is weak? Ur really don't understand the story at all.
I didn't find the ML ugly and why do the actors have to be "pretty" to work in drama's? I like the acting and interaction of the group. I was invested in this drama from start to finish. Each character hit theyre mark. It was a sad ending, but that happens in war. I didn't let social media criticism stop me from watching and will probably watch again.
I too don't understand why there are haters of the ML. I like the drama as a whole. I liked that Liu Yuning was 2nd lead for awhile willing to vie his time to hone his acting skills before becoming a ML. And he showed his improvement in this drama. I totally didn't like some of his past dramas where his acting was rigid. I just care more about the story, maybe bec I'm an overseas drama lover. I'm more detached and not too absorbed with the actors and actresses.
Am an international fan of Liu Yuning, from the first time that I heard him sing an OST for a drama, I got hooked. Watched him in THE LONG BALLAD, LEGEND OF ANLE and A JOURNEY TO LOVE, and he is very GOOD with his acting, so I don't get what's the problem with these HATERS. LIU YUNING IS A VERY GOOD ACTOR AND A VERY GOOD SINGER PERIOD.
same the 1st time I've heard him sing an OST was 让酒 and I fell in love with his voice since then, my 1st time seeing him act was in ultimate note, I'm amazed how he holds these 2 professions (singer & actor) so well
The way Li Tongguang kept going back and forth from "I've gotten over my shifu" to crazy shifu-obsessed psycho made me so angry. Way to destroy a potentially great character arc.
When he first got the character developing talk-to I thought we were done with that and now he's gonna be a smart capable ally. With how the drama had been going I expected him to be a great character. And then that same character arc repeated 3-4 extra times. It was so frustrating.
@@2natrix and miraculously last episode he realized everything and changed... And NYZ trusted this fellow like she told that's also out of his character 😂😂...
I don't care whatever those blind haters say.Yuning is handsome and the drama is my fav CDrama for this year. Thank u IQIYI for this masterpiece And I cried a lot lol
Totally! He doesn’t even look average… he looks very good. Even before I watched dramas when I saw pictures of c-actors I saw him and thought he looks like an actor. No doubt
@@strangersontheinternet I know Li Yuning since Mr black from the Lost tomb series and then all variety shows and singing clips cuz the VOCALS are superior.He is a fine man. They just had to hate.
For me his acting is really good. i love all his character especially this drama, he really nailed it. For me he good looking to, but i love more of his acting.
True he wasn't ugly in fact he looked very handsome in this drama plus his acting suprised me. He is better than most so called pretty boys. I became a fan after watching him as Ning Yuanzhou. He has this incredible aura of being villian-like one second then cute and adorable in another. Other pretty boy actors won't be able to pull that off.
@@memphisgiaromano7234 True. Pretty boys are all over the place in the chinese dramaland nowadays and most of them only have their looks but the performances really tend to disappoint.I miss cdramas like this with serious yet very fun and fluffy vibes not too boring and with over-used romance and cringy atmosphere based dramas.
Everything you said about Liu Yuning is just on point. I personally don't think he is ugly. He is good looking. I think he did realyl well in this drama. P/S: I watched this drama because you recommended it. 😄
Okay, but Liu Yu ning being insulted for looking ugly is a big pile of horse crap, because he is hot and I will fight everyone who says otherwise. Anyways, A journey to love was such a good drama, this is one of those rare instances where 50 episodes are actually encouraged compared to 40 episodes lol. The only thing that threw me off was how everyone just started dying at one point, and how stupid Li Tongguang gets out of nowhere. In addition to that we never really heard how the Empress of An and Ren Ruyi got closer? A fun, enjoyable drama neverthless.
Yu Shisan played by Fang Yilun definitely left a strong impression. A unique refreshing character who was not merely a comic relief but agreed that I wish we could have gotten more screentime for him so we could see more of what he was as a person and his character arc too. Yang Ying was the complete character and had the best development arc and watching it happen as a viewer was so satisfactory. He Landou's acting really was the cherry on top, she owned her scenes I loved her so much! Li Tongguang was a constant point of frustration. So much screentime and yet you get the same thing again and again.Such unexplored character development, he had potential but everytime I would think that okay I might like him now, he would go and do something that would make me wanna smack him.Really felt like such a waste. An issue with the ending I have is I'm tired of open endings. Even if Chu Yue was having a dream, honestly it was weird to me that we see her, not Yang Ying and not Li Tongguang bidding farewell. Like why her?!
Agree especially the ending re Chu Yue. Why her? She was only really close to Shi-San among the guys, and didn't develop deep connections with the the rest to be missing them that much. What is she smoking! 😂 It'll be more appropriate for Yang Ying to be "hallucinating" or "seeing them" at the prairie here. Not Chu Yue!
@@littlefairy9696 right? First the ending episodes were a mess and then the ending scene in particular was such a disappointment. All I had was confusion, it didn't even make me feel sentimental. I was like this makes no sense.
It wasnt a dream they were showing that chu yue was going to die and at her last moments she saw them that they are happy and together. It wouldnt make sense for litonguang and yang ying to do this becauze their role in An country is very imp and they couldnt die or it would through the country in peril.
@@manalnadeem9190 again as Avenue x said it would've been moving if they showed it that way but nothing during the episode gave you that info that she is about to die. It was just up for interpretation of the viewer, so anyone could make up any scenario of why she was seeing them. The ending still did not make sense, it was like they put it in just because. I'm very done with open endings where I have to basically do the writer's job and make up scenarios in my head to interpret what exactly is the ending. P.S. sorry if the above written para came off with an angry tone but I'm not, and definitely not with you. :)
There's enough supportive comments about the Liu Yuning issue, and I'm on the train. However, I agree with everything you said in the video. There are issues with the drama, but it definitely was still a stand-out from all of the other dramas this year! One of my favourites so far! It had amazing characters and yes I ABSOLUTELY LOVE A-Ying's character, so much growth and we're there to see her grow throughout the drama. She grew up so well~ 😭
Feels weird watching your video bcs it feels like you're speaking out whats exactly in my mind about this drama😂😂😂😂 Despite the rushed ending, it is still overall good, 8.5 point from me. Its very clear from the start that this is a character-driven, action-packed, romance drama... So im glad that they give many highlight moments to each character, to the fight scenes, and the mature relationship between leads. Not only FL/ML, they also managed to make so many likeable support characters, for that reason i call this as the most successful group drama of 2023. I'm a Liu Yuning fan... all of those attacks on his appearance and slanders about him having capital to change scripts etc have been going around since cast announcement last year... but it got even more terrible when the drama aired... I should admit all of those bullying even made me stress and depressed, they even call him with animal names, like he's just a very low creature... his fans even got scolded for saying he's handsome, we're not blind and he has many talents plus good personality thats why we like him😭 so I can't imagine how he handles this bullying, a year long bullying and i think it will still continue when his currently filming drama airs later. Its all baffled me how those ppl say he has capital to change script for him and to get him more screentime, if they watched the drama they will find that Ning Yuanzhou is the only main character who has no flashback to his past story, no significant character development, he's there as the most stable character that helps other characters to grow🤦♀️
Also, i think there's something fishy about the management of the social media around him and this drama in particular, because when you see the Long ballad or Heroes the majority of the comments says he is handsome. The attacks against him have another base and they're just using bad language around his looks to hurt him. He is so hot but also, a very dedicated artist and a hard worker. I hope this wont afect him emotionally and he can keep going even higher.
Really don't understand the hate towards Liu Yuning. I find him handsome, tall, manly and perfect for the role. Some netizens are so nasty and shallow. This drama is great! And really, must we always see the same 'pretty' faces (not all great in acting) over and over again? SMH.
'Your mother didn't beat you up enough' really got me. As an international viewer, I was flabbergasted by the vicious attack on LYN looks. Like?? How?? He has beautiful body proportions for period drama with Hanfu, his movements were majestic without trying too much, and he has charisma as leader of the pack, we all can witness it in the drama. Attacking someone's face, well he is far from ugly anyway, is LOW. And I hate this part about cdrama industry in general, the smear campaigns are massive and vicious, on the other hand, you can love someone blindly to the point of worshipping a human being. That was crazy. There are a lot of things you can objectively criticize from this drama like you said, we invested our time and loved those characters in 34 episodes just for the writers brutally unalive them by the last 6 episodes, for no reason whatsoever. So unnecessary and rushed IMO...
she actually always been a good actress. i remember seing her first time, when she still 16 years old , i was amazed with this young actress. she is just unlucky because she never get good script since her debute. now that she change to a bigger company, we could hope that she would get better script in the future.
I first saw her as the FL in Buried City to Shut All Lights. I was amazed by her acting in that drama and I have always wondered why the drama and the FL did not get enough attention. You should definitely watch that drama.
I agree with you on your overall rating and I enjoyed the drama so much. I was very emotionally moved by the characters and enjoyed the costumes, fight scenes and cinematography. My opinion is that it would be a toss up between this drama and Lost You Forever for which is the best in 2023. Thanks for explaining the hate movement to the international viewers as the comments for some of the episodes didn’t always make sense. I have noticed that certain factions in some Asian fandoms can behave in very toxic ways.
The casting for this period drama was mesmerizing. This role was made for Liu yuning, he’s absolutely stunning. I can’t count how many times I’ve rewinded his scenes. The camaraderie between the group stole my heart. I absolutely loved this drama, just hated the ending.
Started the drama the minute it aired because of LIU YUNING,i loved every second of it and have zero regrets. Though i was shocked and sad about the ending it was great.It's my second favourite drama of this year after mysterious lotus casebook 😊
I’m so glad you’re review is all rounded covering problems within the drama and outside of the drama. I loved the drama and I’m still having withdrawal symptoms. Your final review gave me the closure I never knew I needed.
I'm so glad you decided to talk about this, A.X. What has gone on has been poisonous and wrong and so so hurtful to LYN. It has seemed concerted, it has seemed orchestrated to many of us too, but why?? The comments about his look are spurious - he looks magnetic, beautiful in this drama. NO, he is not a pretty little boy/idol. Can there not be any thought to what the character he played was - a deadly warrior, a leader, a man whom his team would die for? The vicious campaign against him has been maddening and, I don't know, just cruel. Maybe we will never know who has been behind it, but for those who care about this high quality drama and the truly stunningly talented LYN, we will continue to fight back.
I’m such a big fan of Liu Yunning. It’s so sad how many hates he’s getting because of his looks. Looks can only take you so far tbh… if netizens do their research they’ll know what an incredible and humble man he is. I love his voice and he is my #1 Chinese singer and actor. To those who don’t know he started his career on the street with his band singing songs and coming on live. I’m sure people saw his talent and he’s now a famous singer for a lot of Chinese OST and now his acting career is launching. I’m so proud of him!!! He definitely started from the bottom up and for that I give him much respect for his talents!!! Fighting Liu Yunning!!! I’ll be your biggest fan ❤️ In my eyes… you’re so handsome :) Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!!
Thank you so much for covering the ridiculous hate on the drama and the lead. I am thoroughly enjoying this drama and the main characters as well as the supporting roles are doing a great job. It is so enjoyable to see characters evolve in ways that make sense in the overall story.
OMG you actually shook my world because I kept feeling like the actor playing Du Zhang Shi was so familiar and turns out he was in My Bratty Princess with Jang Nara and Alec Su!! I looovveeddd that drama growing up and wow how time flies.
Loving this Drama!! Yuning captured my attention in "Ultimate Note" , grabbed my ❤ in "Long Ballard "" , this is where we see him as Sexy, Manly and absolutely adorable!! Li Shi Shi never disappoints, beautiful as always, she amazed me with this performance!! Once again, Thanks Avenuex for your intelligent and well spoken point of viewe🎉🎉
One thing that is for sure, I didn’t regret to watch this or purchase subscription for this coz it was still amazing and still rewatching for the nth time..😊😊😊😊 I give this a 10 because even the death scene was portrayed nicely… All characters got the right screen time for you to love them.. LYN being ugly?😂😂 He is the one of those charismatic,handsome actor out there.. not a pretty boy type,but a MANLY type of guy😊😊 The only handsome well in my category is wang ziqi, Wallace chung,wang kai, roy chu and liu yuning😆 My favorite character is Ning yuan Zhou and Yang Ying..
I don't care about whatever cast, but the pacing!!!!!!!. I don't mind that all the main cast died, but the story's pace is. Then I read on Twitter that the screenwriter was disappointed that "the chief" changed the plot without communicating with her. I still don't understand C-ent's culture; so many surprising things, LOL. Ren Xin is the most gorgeous character in Chinese drama this year. I love Liu Shishi's Performance in AJTL. Thanks for making actual female cross-male makeup, and I love Feng Yilun ( he is the lost brother of Hyun-bin; every time I see FYL, he reminds me of him). I love that those rulers ( all the Emperors) were depicted as Greedy people. it is so rare in Chinese idol drama, and I love how they FINALLY make characters in their 30s.
I agree with your review 200% with Li Tong quan being the most weak and annoyed. ML and FL are perfect for each other. Liu Yuning is tall, handsome, and charismatic! LTQ is pathetic and psychotic. Yuning stands out as the Alpha Male, the mature, master like figure to LTQ. I can turn around and rewatch this drama asap without missing a beat. Never before do I feel so glued to the character developments, that endear each actor to my heart. Great Directors. I wish it is 50 to 60 episodes for proper character development. 9.8 rating for me. Could be a 10 with continued thorough character development. The attacks on Liu Yuning has gotten to stop. Shameful. Vicious. Inhuman. Barbaric. I loved his charact4er in the Legend of Anle!
Liu Yuning is not ugly, he so fine, tall and damn good looking 😍. They need to put him in more dramas, i can look at him and never get tired 😂😂😂. The one that say he ugly are just jealous of his good look 😂🥰
Omg!! Thank you for defending Liu Yuning!!! He is already so talented as a singer and personally, to me he is extremely handsome. I just couldn’t stomach the hate this guy was getting from anti fans. I don’t get people’s obsession with looks. At some point if you put all the standard good looking people together, it will just turn into a copy and paste situation. I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t some 20 year old actor playing his character.
Thank you for voicing for Yuning¡ I think he is both humorous and talented, with extraordinary vocal and performance. He himself is absolutely a legend if you understand how tough and how strong he is during his efforts from a street singer to the most talented,popular singer in our era. I wish him a bright future and believe he can get more audiences’ love. He deserves it¡
If only i knew more chinese and more familiar with chinese social platforms i would be defending LYN as if it were my job 😭 but actually just hearing the few things you mention that have been said about him just breaks my heart and makes me want to cry. he’s achieved so much through pure determination and hard work, i admire his resilience and maturity so much when it comes to all the hate. He has such a unique aura and charisma and charm, not to mention his gorgeous voice and height and bone structure….. The fact people dont watch just because they think hes ugly is absurd, maybe thats why so many dramas now are so bad because they choosse pretty actors instead of talented ones because thats what ppl want 😭
Ikr? The part that boggles my mind about the attacks against him is that it's not some kind of big secret what he put himself through in order to just get into music and then into acting. Like, do you honestly think that a guy who literally *starved himself* in order to afford a guitar would give up because some random person said he was ugly? The silver lining here is that Liu Yuning's public response to all of this nonsense was pitch perfect, and made all of these people look like fools. This is a guy who knows how to control his own public image, which will only become more important as he gets more high profile roles. He's an outsider, and there will always be people who resent that. This won't be the last time someone orchestrates an attack on him: but he has shown that he is very good at turning these attacks into opportunities.
This is truly mental what's happening on the Chinese internet - I'm kind of glad we don't get to see those ugly things, but at the same time it's sad to know that all these great actors who work so hard on the dramas get such vicious treatment, no matter paid or not. I hope Liu Yuning knows about his international fan base and can receive some love from his non-Chinese fans as well. I agree about the OST of the drama - I immediately paid attention to it, not only the opening and ending songs, but throughout all the episodes as well, the music is so well done and fits the scenes perfectly. It's a movie-level quality for me. I also appreciated all the character development (or Li Tong Guang's lack of it) and how well-written everyone is. The ending and the pacing have its problems, for sure, but I'm still so glad I watched this drama, it was absolutely worth it. Thanks for the honest review! P.S. that lipstick color looks great:)
Loved your review and I totally agree especially on the last problem point. Li Tongguang's character had so much potential but whoever did the final editing messed him up. He could have been on developed into a better support character but instead we get this forced obsessed disciple that annoyed me every time he came on the screen. Of the characters in this drama the leads Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou plus their gang are the ones I invested so much love for. The reason I continued watching the drama even though I know they would be dead in the end. The love between the lead characters was very mature. Adding the 6 Halls gang with Yangying created a family that I dearly loved. Also, Yu Shisan will forever have a place in my head for being so funny and lovable at the same time. I have rewatched this drama multiple times now mainly focusing on the scenes of the characters I mentioned above, that's how much they made me love this drama. Hopefully as you said other dramas don't go this rushed ending route, just do a season 2, platforms can get more money that way if they actually think about it. Anyway became a fan of Liu Yuning because of this drama and looking forward to his future work.
I watch according to your recommendation most of the time, because I found your reviews appeals to my liking. I'm waiting for the best list to watch during the new year vacation
After hearing about people talking sh** about Yuning I thought maybe I’m biased so I showed his pic to my sis and she legit said “whoever thinks like that should be crazy, this man is absolutely charismatic and handsome what are people on?” And I couldn’t agree more… and she hasn’t even seen how good of a actor and singer he is…
Thank you for the in-depth review. I agree with everything. I had so much hope for the Li Tong Huang character at the beginning, but as the story continued, I couldn't connect to him. The acting didn't help the completely baffling writing. I wish the last scene was Princess Yang Ying recalling her friends. I didn't understand the choice of Chu Yue. Yang Ying is the one that we rooted for most and is the heart of the drama. She should have been the last one to tie everything together.
It was so good at the beginning, and then at the end it was like - 'I didn't think of an ending..... let's just kill everyone and then kinda hint that the main characters aren't dead! 😃 I'm a genius' Like..... what a let down.
Dude kinda remind me of Finnick’s death 😭😭, like those deaths are so UNNECESSARY, feel like the writer just wanna make it more tragic or add some drama for these characters.
@@AM-ry4px Kinda disagree about Finnick similarities. In the movie, he had gotten married and wasn't originally thought to be going on the mission to the Capitol. All the Liudao Hall team were ride or die, literally. 😄 ShiSan wouldn't even settle down because deep down he knew he would probably die doing his duty. I just don't get how most thought they were going to make it to the end.
Your analysis of this show was spot on! Especially about li tong guang’s character and the fallacies of the ending of this show. I couldn’t have put it in better terms. You’re well spoken and you have things well thought out. You’ve got a fan in me!
I agree this is the best drama in 2023, the brotherhood and peace for the people trump everything! The ending befits every character, Liu yilung is handsome!! Those Chinese haters are disgusting!!
I so agree with you. These awful people who have nothing better to do than to bully in such a vicious way, totally disgust me. Love the movie, love Liu Yuning. I find him good-looking, absolutely charming. He has such a great sense of humor. In this day and age, to see people being bullies makes me sad. I really wonder how they would feel, if this was one of their sons being attacked like this !
I think people decided it was a big female lead drama because they saw that Liu Shishi was one of the leads. Based on her seniority and popularity (and them not considering Liu Yuning to be up to par with her in terms of popularity and bankability) they decided that the only way she would take the drama is if she was the main lead. The hate train toward Liu Yuning was definitely unjustified and I'm glad the drama was as successful as it was in the end. I enjoyed the relationship between Ning Yuanzhou and Ruyi because they felt like two equals for the most part. They were open, honest and always communicating with each other. I also liked their sweet/romantic moments as well. He Landou/ Yang Ying was definitely the standout to me too, her character growth was great and He Landou really sold herself as an actress. She fit the role perfectly and was very convincing as a young Prince, moreso that what dramaland usually gives us when a female character is cross dressing. I think the show did a good job in showcasing the rest of the supporting cast and allowing the actors and their characters to shine. I also have to agree with the criticisms of the Li Tongguang character. I get that his obsession with Ruyi is supposed to be a weakness but it was honestly annoying seeing him continue to do the same dumb thing of trying to win her back by acting crazy and jeopardising the mission. It would have been better if they had made him a full villain so at least his actions/motivations would be consistent. They wanted him to be a redeemable character but for that to happen he would need to be consistent in his 'I am a better person now arc' instead of flip flopping. This is one of the rare shows that I think would have benefitted from having anywhere from 10-15 extra episodes so that the ending could have been as great as the beginning. I'll probably end up rewatching the show at some point next year though.
Ok but it WAS a GB drama though? Like, it starts with the female lead, it is clearly *her* story, all the important characters have a prior connection to her, and she's the one who finally defeats the bad guys. The drama opens on her dancing, and closes with her death (the scenes with the kids and Chuyue are really an epilogue, the story is actually over). It's just that screentime isn't the best measurement of how important a character is, plotwise. Yes, Ning Yuanzhou is onscreen slightly more often: but much of that time he isn't really *doing* anything. He's just riding a horse in the background of a scene that really focuses on the other Six Realms Hall bros, whereas Ren Ruyi is sitting in the carriage (because ya know, she's a wanted criminal) with the Princess. Ning Yuanzhou has a lot of dead screentime: a lot of time when he's just sort of standing there, because he needs to be in the scene either for plot reasons or for realism but he's not the focus of the scene or actually doing anything. Every scene Ren Ruyi is in, she is actually doing something. She ends up accomplishing a LOT more than any other character, even the male lead. There is absolutely no question, Ren Ruyi is the most important character in the drama and in general the female characters are more important than their male counterparts in terms of who actually advances the plot. But I think the director is also aware who his audience is, so he makes sure to put the male eye candy on screen more often. However, a lot of the time the guys are just standing there and maybe providing support while a female character does something. That's not a criticism! There's far far too much of the opposite in other dramas.
Way to go, someone standing up to the haters of social media, BRAVO, this is the very reason I am a fan...your honesty, unbiased reviews and justified rants. Here's to 2024 with more of your being candid and fresh.
Re: the looks thing, it was the same against Ren Min (the character she played is not supposed to be the prettiest, just the most rebellious). Main characters don't always have to be the prettiest, especially if that does not fit with the story.
Really like this drama. Liu Yuning is good looking & a great actor. Saying he is ugly is really stupid, his looks give him character, opposed to what people think as being handsome! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!😊
Really enjoyed your comments about this drama. I haven't watched it yet, but everything you say whets my interest in watching. You are making so many excellent useful points. Thank you.
Kinda glad I'm an international audience and did/ do not have to read or listen to the unreasonable hate towards Liu Yu Ning. I have to agree with AvenueX that "attacking someone for their looks is not criticism. It's basically showing that you're uneducated, uncivilized, and unlearned." HECK, YEAH! Liu Yu Ning, I hope your team can let you know we international audiences love your hard work ethic and your continued growth. Keep going and prove the haters wrong! I don't know many idols or whatever else they call currently popular actors and actresses but I have to say that A Journey to Love was an exhilarating ride. Each episode seemed more entertaining than the one before. The characters were endearing (the Squad from Six Realms Hall, the main couple, Princess Yang Ying - oh my, Princess Yang Ying!!!)...the acting believable, the script helpful in getting me attached to almost every single character (except Li Tongguang...he could have been less of a whiplash going back and forth extremes)... definitely one of the to 10 dramas I've ever seen.
I loved the drama and all the character developments up until the crazy plot and rushed and illogical pace towards the last 7 or 8 episodes. It made me so angry and left with feeling disappointed. It’s one of the best drama I’ve seen in 2023 until the later episodes. I do love the growth and arc of the Princess. Also loved Yuanlu. Loved the CP between the 2 leads and how they treated each other with respect and saved each other (and not always one saving the other). 劉宇寧’s acting improved and I wish to see him in more well scripted dramas next year.
When you talked abt Li Tongquang I knew immediately you are making valid and sound judgments 🎉. Everything you said in the end is what I have been thinking ❤
I will definitely be rewatching the drama up to the rescue of the emperor in the future, despite it having issues I think there is something genuinely great in there. After that point..... I would just like to know what happened there because it's a nonsensical mess. Li Tongguang's character... Jesus Christ. I loved him up until he got told off the second or third time and it became clear there will be no character development going on. Then he got the same exact talking to half a dozen times and stil filp-flopped between being obsessed with Ruyi to being a normal capable character. And then he gets everyone killed. An actual headache of a character. The last time a drama p*ssed me off like this was Rise of Phoenixes. So much potential to be ruined I actually got angry. Edit: Also the hate against LYN is nonsense. He's not playing a pretty boy, he's playing the chief of a spy agency. Why would he be a pretty boy? If anything the actor that should be getting criticism is Li Tongguang's actor. He didn't do a good enough job and his character isn't well written. But he's pretty so netizens don't have anything so say.
I finally got to the end of this drama and am able to appreciate your review. As usual, you are on point about so many things! He Lan Dou is phenomenal, I've seen her in other projects, here she shines the brightest. I hope it`s her breakthrough role. Liu Yuning does not deserve the hate, even though I didn`t like certain facial expressions that make him look soft and bewildered where the story does not call for it. And you are right, I could barely suffer through the last part and all the nonsensical siege and battlefield scenes. Overall, it was nice to see Cecilia Liu in a drama after Love Lost in Time, and to discover several very good actors. Yin Zhu Sheng playing the evil An emperor was a joy to watch.
THE BEST HISTORICAL CDRAMA IN 5 YEARS I WOULD SAY. Also yess the music and bgms Plays a huuuugeee roles too! Love love love everything about this drama
Brava, for your extended rant against those social media trends that are destructive and misleading. AJTL is one of my favorites this year and that goes for the leads as well as supporting actors, music is out of this world. The criticism of the Ren Xin's disciple character and actor are well taken. As for the hurried endings it probably also has something to do with fitting it within the required 40 episode format. As for the shocking tragedies at the end they are hard to face, but given how the storyline progresses don't come totally as a surprise and don't make me dislike the drama.
Unfortunately I think the biggest flaw in Chinese dramas (among other things) is usually pacing. The beginning tends to be decent or passable or fantastic but by the 70% point, the resolution with the final battle/villain tends to condense to 2-3 episodes when the beginning 70% was supposed to build up to it. I was really hoping Li Tong Guang and Chu Yue were going to end up together and develop an enemies-to-lovers relationship. I also initially thought Li Tong Guang was supposed to be vicious and strong yet he kept getting his butt kicked so it made me wonder what was so great about him hahah
This was a very thorough detail review of the series that I feel was definitely on point. Thank you also for speaking out on LYN getting hate comments just for his looks. I felt he did well in his role and didn't deserve those vicious comments, especially when it was on something so superficial. I personally thought he was good looking in the drama. He has a mature look which matched with the age of the FL. I understand people may have different opinions. but when I see or hear comments that are just pure evil with no sense or ground, it baffles me how can someone say stuff like that about someone they don't even know. Overall, I enjoyed this drama a lot as well, and Yang Ying quickly became one of my favorite characters. I hope to see more of He Landou's works in the future.
For me this drama was like a train that midway through the journey has lost its breaks. It started off way too slow (for my taste) and finished with a fast wall splatter. I liked that almost every character has a back story and they seem to be alive, to want things other than simply support the main leads and carry on the plot. Beside the main leads, I enjoyed He Landou's character and interpretation, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Fang Yilun and Chen Haoyu. Li Tong Guang was the biggest miss: the character was all over the place, and the actor didn't seem to have the experience/talent to hold on his shoulders such character. While the drama plot was enjoyable, midway through I found myself wondering if all the plot was really necessary. It felt like reading Scheherazade's stories. Why are Chinese dramas this long? It is my second year of watching them and I still don't get why, even though they have 40 hours on their hands, they (still) don't manage to tell a good story from beginning to end and why, oh why, the last few episodes are always crap? Is it a general rule in the contracts or something? Also, on the subject of beauty, as an international viewer (Europe, Romania) actors like Liu Yu Ning, Jiang Xiao Lin and Li Yun Rui are more attractive than actors like Xiao Zhan, Yang Yang and Zhang Bin Bin. But since beauty is more subjective than talent I rather appreciate actors for their talent, than their beauty. I don't know why "fans" are so intent on discussing physical attributes. It is anyway difficult for the actors to hear their work dissected and commented, but when the comments turn so personal, I feel really bad for them. They are humans too and at the end of the day, acting is just a job.
Thank you so so much for this review! I've been waiting for it!! I absolutely loved this drama and agree with every single point you made. Yang Ying is an amazing character and I'm super grateful to the screenwriter for creating that role. I loved every moment of this drama and (last 6 episodes aside), I don't regret spending nearly 40 hours watching it lol. Also, I don't understand people calling Liu Youning ugly; he's a very handsome man imo and a brilliant actor! And even if they think he isn't handsome, netizens are supposed to keep shut about it , it's his acting we're watching the drama for, not his looks jeez. On the other hand, for some reason, I see so many people online talking about how they like Li TongGuang and I just don't get it; what is there to like? He's such a shitty character and I wanted him dead 😭
Sono d'accordo sulla tua opinione riguardo al personaggio di Li Tongguang . È stato bravo l' attore che l' ha saputo interpretare . Non volevo escluderlo a priori.
Well said girl.....everything you said is on point.....I enjoyed that drama a lot until the episode 35.....after that i wondered.....what am i watching right now....a mess....😮😮😮😮.......I agree with you....Thank you for the video it was useful for me ( about my mental health because i thought that only me saw that something is wrong and the drama had issues....) Thank you again...❤❤❤👍👍👍👍......My best wishes to you and your family and Happy New Year...( in few days...) ❤❤❤❤...😊😊😊
Agree with #AvernueX' point on the hateful attacks of the male lead's look. If it's only about looks, why not just swap out all human characters in Chinese dramas for flawless AI-generated ones? It's really disheartening to see shallow criticisms overshadowing the heart and soul actors put into their performances. How did Chinese youth get so caught up in superficial judgments like these? Despite the adoration for the main female actress on social medias, I personally found her acting to be rather dull. On the other hand, the actress portraying the young princess deserves more recognition for her exceptional acting skills. She adeptly depicted the character's evolution from a timid princess to a formidable queen.
Apparently Mark Chao was criticized as not being good looking enough or his acting abilities were questioned in getting the roles in Eternal Love (TMOPB). It's my all time favorite cdrama and I can't even imagine anyone else playing his roles of Ye Hua and Mo Yuan. He was extremely appealing and sexy as Ye Hua. Men can be very attractive without having a baby boy face or lacking dimples (is that a thing in China, a majority of actors/actresses have dimples). I found nothing wrong with Liu Yuning's looks. Wallace Chung is one of the most appealing actors imho and he's not a drop dead gorgeous type of guy. Those who are criticizing should look in the mirror.
Of all that happened to Liudao Hall, Scarlet Agents, Palace etc, Why does Chu Yue gets the last scene?? Her character is the least 'useful' in the entire drama. I would've accepted it if it was Princess Licheng, who's character developed a lot from being a naive unfavored princess to becoming Prince Li and then later on becomes Li Tongguang's wife. Of all the character who remained alive, Princess Licheng deserves the last scene not the insignificant Chu Yue. Chu Yue is not even close to Ruyi, NZY, or to the Liudao Hall boys (except for Yu Shisan of course).
I can empathise with your frustration regarding people not in the industry critisizing the industry! Well said. I thoroughly appreciate your full analysis... so spot on! I wouldn't have noticed the specific issues with Li Tongguan's character, but I also was so frustrated with the character's actions in the last few episodes. But, as you said, I don't regret watching... especially the first 2/3 of the drama. Hoping 2024 delivers more :)
I find Liu Yuning quite gorgeous, especially in period garb, OMGAH. Lol. Super handsome. Definitely had me feeling all types of giddy throughout the drama. Haha. I'm not so much into these eastern Chinese/Korean definitions of what makes a guy good looking though anyways. Pretty boy visuals only go so far in entertainment (and in life HAHA). The actors who are actually memorable are the ones who can---DUN DUN---ACT!! E v e r y single thing you said was what I saw and felt throughout the drama. Because I don't speak the language, I really thought Li Tongguang was only a writing issue, but what you said about an actor being able to capitalize on a cruddy character is true also. The actor was serviceable, and he did have some really good moments, but had he acted into the nuances of his character and was really able to sell the grounded by delusional young leader character of Li Tongguang (which was probably not the right direction to take the character), that would've made the story way more complete and his character more forgivable, given that he led our leads to their untimely deaths. After what you described about the actor's acting, I kept wondering what it would've been like to see some of the really good small-role-male-actors-who-don't-get-casted-as-leads-in-anything-but-always-steal-the-show-through-their-tiny-little-characters-anyways play this prince, hmmmm... ANYWAYS, definitely the best Chinese drama of the year for me! The camaraderie, those fighting scenes, the music, GUH!!!
I cant imagine how toxic Cbiz is. Yi Nian Guan Shan is a fantastic drama for me to enjoy. The characters have brought me plenty of laughters and tears, but above all, the attempts and devotions of the casts and Liu Yuning himself touched my heart. In my opinion, he is talented and good looking. Best wishes for him. Love from Vietnam ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for bringing up the hate toward the actor regarding his looks etc... it's been a soar issue with me when viewers judge those by their looks and not the talent they posses. Yet, I know that it's just plain shalloness that these haters float in on a daily basis. I'm also happy that you brought up & educated how they work the script & the adding and cutting of certain things for them to come to the finishing touch. It may not be perfect .. but not many dramas are.
Thank you very much, I could not agree more with everything you said about this drama and its criticism. For me it’s also the best Chinese period drama in 2023. Without the unnecessary dream sequence at the end and a better motivation for the sacrifice of the ML instead even the solution of the drama would be quite acceptable. The last moments should go to the princess (Yang Ying) because she embodies the legacy of the whole mission and loved her companions on the titular journey dearly. She could even function as a nice stand in for the daughter the leads wanted but never had (FL significantly agreed to name her daughter Ying’er). Love your content, best wishes from Vienna, Austria!
Из России с любовью! Великолепный и исчерывающий анализ прекрасной дорамы. Несмотря на совершенно справедливые претензии - мы приняли и полюбили всех персонажей этого сериала. Прекрасные и незабываемые образы главных героев. Замечательные и очень живые образы всей команды. Вместе с ними мы совершили путешествие к любви. Любви к женщине, к друзьям и верности боевому братсву, верность долгу, Родине. И это хорошо, что мы не болеем навязанными гендерными болячками. Мы тут в России ценим сильных мужчин, любим их за мужество, стойкость, готовность закрыть собой всех, кто им дорог и тех, кто просто слабее и нуждается в защите. У Лю Юйнина - много поклонников в России, как у певца и теперь еще талантливого актера. И мы считаем его красивым мужчиной с яркой и не слащавой внешностью. Он трудолибив, упорен, харизматичен и невероятно сексуален.
Do agree with you in your appreciation of this drama as a whole, the actors and characters. I am half way through the drama and actually spoilers do not bother me, probably heightens my interest, but I do appreciate the dialogue between the main leads and secondary characters. I do not care for the fighting scenes but all the rest is really geared to a mature audience that is interested in the development of the role the actor plays because we want to know this person, their feelings and thoughts. Couriously, I usually care more for secondary roles than primary roles in cdramas because they have more depth. Primary roles are very boring unless they are very well scripted. One problem I see is that these dramas are geared to very very young audiences who only care to "see" their idol in which ever setting and pay for it regardless. It is a juvenile geared industry. But many of us who are mature would like to see more of the well rounded characters and thought out stories. As for Yuning it is unfair to have him subjected to such hate! My feeling is that they are very envious of his willingness to go through with his character with such good spirit! He brings to the FL (which is the actual star in this drama) some warmth and humanity otherwise she would be in a wuxia by herself. Believe many of her fans just want to see her and only her. Here the roles are reversed, he is the tender one and she the harsh one. This is a very interesting swich in stereotyped characters and Yuning can do that very naturally. And finally, he is not ugly just a good looking man with a beautiful soul and wonderful voice.
I originally watched this drama because of a fan edit of the princess and Li Tongguang but I fell in love with the main characters and the supporting characters especially Yu Shisan. The development of the princess is soo good but I'm disappointed to see no development for Li Tongguang's character. It's going back and forth. I really hope for his development but 😮💨. The sudden short scenes in between the episode to show the fall of the prince really shocked me like huh? However i still think this drama is one of the best drama I've ever watched ❤
I saw this Drama....and I really love it. I find it super. Liu Yuning is a very good actor with so much expression.I saw him first in The Long Ballad Drama with Wu Lei and I saw potentials......Go go go Liu Yuning. A Good Singer too.....🎉❤🎉.Waiting for his another is upcoming Drama
I'm watching this drama and I'm enjoying it so much! I heard about the hate on Liu Yuning's appearance from C-netizens and it's so sad. I don't think he's unattractive and he played his character wonderfully! Hating someone's appearance and bullying them for it is just so LOW and despicable. With that said, my favorite character is definitely Alen Fang's! He cracks me up every single time that he comes onto the screen - such a lovely and enjoyable character to watch! Also, Yang Ying has the best character growth ever! She went through so much and changed so much to become a stronger and braver princess. Very impressive. I really like this drama so far. ❤
Thank you for explaining the Asian entertainment culture to novices like me. It’s sad that there’s a fringe that want to crush anything that doesn’t align with what they want / deserve. Basically if it benefits someone else, it needs to be attacked. Thank you for being a light 💡 in the darkness!
I haven’t finished the drama but I really like it. It’s funny and serious. The acting is good and the plot is interesting. I heard about people calling the male lead ugly. I’m not Chinese but I think he is attractive and he can sing, I’d have a baby with him 😂. He is tall and has good martial arts. Every drama has flaws and I’m not worried about the ending.
Im aboit to watch this drama. Didnt know it has so much hate. And about male lead being not" idol looking" is the main reason i want to watch it. He looks like human finally normal asian handsome man. Not plastic surgery fake " pretty boy".
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The irony. I think Liu yuning is much better looking than a lot of chinese actors that are considered good looking. Calling him ugly makes no sense to me.
Idk why Liu Yuning is considered ugly lol, I find many of those male actors in many xianxia dramas look so girly to me 😭🤣🤣🤣, like I cant even take them seriously. Liu Yuning is perfect. He has a good enough face, not girly but not overly attractive which suits perfectly for this role. His height tho, the man looks damn attractive in the guard uniform, the stylist did so well on dressing him up here, made him look well built and healthy, not that skinny girly sht we often see in many dramas 😅😅
exactly.....he has a aura that most of the actors dont have.....his eyes are so innocent....i cant even imagin other actor in ning younzhou role other than him
Exactly these haters are absolutely sickening 🤔
Lol😅, i literally put his face as my phone wallpaper😊😊 and sometimes i just literally stares at it😍🤭
Poor dude. He looks very handsome! But even if he actually was unattractive, like, wow. What a mean thing to rant about!
1. This drama made me a big Alen Fang fan. He did amazing in this role. And I LOVED what they did with the princess's character
2. The ML and FL did such a great job (and the ML is hot, people need their eyes checked)
3. Think I consider this almost a perfect drama if I pretend it ended at Ep. 34
that ended at 34 comment, let's just pretend none of the things after ep 34 happened 🤣. I totally agree with that
I understand what you are saying. I don't think I have cried so much watching a c-drama as I did ep 35 to end. I actually had snot running down my nose and used tissues all over my desk. They should have made the story from 35-40 as a part 2 of about 20 ep
It turns out Fang Yilun is great in comedy, but he sometimes has these whiny drunkard roles, like in the long ballad and in granting you a dreamlike life, and a role that was maybe 9/10 points annoying, he plays it so well it becomes 15/10 annoying. 😅 He should stay away from crybaby roles in the future if he can.
I am making a note ! In case I want to watch this and find a good stopping point. Thanks for sharing.
Am actually in episode 34 and I have not been able to watch further especially after knowing about the sad ending 😢
This drama has issues, but the one thing that makes it the best period drama of the year for me is that it portrays REASONABLE characters, who talk things through, communicate, not the usual one dimensional villains or lovers. The writing felt actually smart, and didn't feel like my intelligence was insulted, like in so many other dramas.
I completely agree on the little princess, she is also one of my favorite characters in this drama, alongside Ren Ruyi. Yu Shisan too. The side characters are truly memorable, not just stumbling blocs to highlight the main leads. It feels like a story with depth.
Perfettamente d'accordo.
A Ying sometimes stole the show with her scenes for real. Stunning acting
@@liawoodi Definitely. The scene when she kills her former lover + the scene when she reveals her gender, are two that immediately come to mind. I look forward to seeing more of her in other dramas.
@@thecritic6977 that scene where she reveals her identity to the emperor and how she acts for power was such a good scene, i was so shocked
It was good then it stopped and they ruined it
Liu Yuning is so talented, beautiful and act very well. The plots and everything are well arranged and literally best drama for me.
And totally agree that Lee Tong Gwang’s actions are doubtful to me.
I truly like liu yuning's eyes have emotions that can seen in every episode. Saying that female lead is weak? Ur really don't understand the story at all.
Liu Yuning is handsome. His acting is good too
As an international viewer, I’ve actually always thought Liu Yuning was incredibly handsome! 🤷♀️
Very handsome. Cnetz are blind😅
Yes
He is so beautiful and sexy. ❤
U are right
Yaaaaaassss!! Like , are ty blind ? 😮
I don't understand Chinese beauty standards because everybody in these dramas looks beautiful.
Liu Yuning is such a charismatic actor. To call him ugly is crazy ☠️
I didn't find the ML ugly and why do the actors have to be "pretty" to work in drama's? I like the acting and interaction of the group. I was invested in this drama from start to finish. Each character hit theyre mark. It was a sad ending, but that happens in war. I didn't let social media criticism stop me from watching and will probably watch again.
Literally he is so tall and handsome too. And his voice. His osts>>>>>>>>
I too don't understand why there are haters of the ML. I like the drama as a whole. I liked that Liu Yuning was 2nd lead for awhile willing to vie his time to hone his acting skills before becoming a ML. And he showed his improvement in this drama. I totally didn't like some of his past dramas where his acting was rigid. I just care more about the story, maybe bec I'm an overseas drama lover. I'm more detached and not too absorbed with the actors and actresses.
Sorry just realized I shld say Liu Yuning bide his time, not vie.
Am an international fan of Liu Yuning, from the first time that I heard him sing an OST for a drama, I got hooked. Watched him in THE LONG BALLAD, LEGEND OF ANLE and A JOURNEY TO LOVE, and he is very GOOD with his acting, so I don't get what's the problem with these HATERS. LIU YUNING IS A VERY GOOD ACTOR AND A VERY GOOD SINGER PERIOD.
Yes, I agree, he has a wonderful voice
same the 1st time I've heard him sing an OST was 让酒 and I fell in love with his voice since then, my 1st time seeing him act was in ultimate note, I'm amazed how he holds these 2 professions (singer & actor) so well
I agree with you!! He is a good actor and sing very well too. Ohh yes tall and handsome!
The same here ❤
Me too
The way Li Tongguang kept going back and forth from "I've gotten over my shifu" to crazy shifu-obsessed psycho made me so angry. Way to destroy a potentially great character arc.
Exactly as if he has split personality or something
Agreed, no development for this character.
It felt so out of place
When he first got the character developing talk-to I thought we were done with that and now he's gonna be a smart capable ally. With how the drama had been going I expected him to be a great character. And then that same character arc repeated 3-4 extra times. It was so frustrating.
@@2natrix and miraculously last episode he realized everything and changed... And NYZ trusted this fellow like she told that's also out of his character 😂😂...
As a westerner, i find Liu yuning very attractive! His eyes are not too small...he's got gorgeous lips and soft eyes... Love him!
I don't care whatever those blind haters say.Yuning is handsome and the drama is my fav CDrama for this year. Thank u IQIYI for this masterpiece
And I cried a lot lol
Totally! He doesn’t even look average… he looks very good. Even before I watched dramas when I saw pictures of c-actors I saw him and thought he looks like an actor. No doubt
@@strangersontheinternet I know Li Yuning since Mr black from the Lost tomb series and then all variety shows and singing clips cuz the VOCALS are superior.He is a fine man. They just had to hate.
For me his acting is really good. i love all his character especially this drama, he really nailed it. For me he good looking to, but i love more of his acting.
True he wasn't ugly in fact he looked very handsome in this drama plus his acting suprised me. He is better than most so called pretty boys. I became a fan after watching him as Ning Yuanzhou. He has this incredible aura of being villian-like one second then cute and adorable in another. Other pretty boy actors won't be able to pull that off.
@@memphisgiaromano7234 True. Pretty boys are all over the place in the chinese dramaland nowadays and most of them only have their looks but the performances really tend to disappoint.I miss cdramas like this with serious yet very fun and fluffy vibes not too boring and with over-used romance and cringy atmosphere based dramas.
Everything you said about Liu Yuning is just on point. I personally don't think he is ugly. He is good looking. I think he did realyl well in this drama. P/S: I watched this drama because you recommended it. 😄
Okay, but Liu Yu ning being insulted for looking ugly is a big pile of horse crap, because he is hot and I will fight everyone who says otherwise. Anyways, A journey to love was such a good drama, this is one of those rare instances where 50 episodes are actually encouraged compared to 40 episodes lol. The only thing that threw me off was how everyone just started dying at one point, and how stupid Li Tongguang gets out of nowhere. In addition to that we never really heard how the Empress of An and Ren Ruyi got closer?
A fun, enjoyable drama neverthless.
Yu Shisan played by Fang Yilun definitely left a strong impression. A unique refreshing character who was not merely a comic relief but agreed that I wish we could have gotten more screentime for him so we could see more of what he was as a person and his character arc too.
Yang Ying was the complete character and had the best development arc and watching it happen as a viewer was so satisfactory. He Landou's acting really was the cherry on top, she owned her scenes I loved her so much!
Li Tongguang was a constant point of frustration. So much screentime and yet you get the same thing again and again.Such unexplored character development, he had potential but everytime I would think that okay I might like him now, he would go and do something that would make me wanna smack him.Really felt like such a waste.
An issue with the ending I have is I'm tired of open endings. Even if Chu Yue was having a dream, honestly it was weird to me that we see her, not Yang Ying and not Li Tongguang bidding farewell. Like why her?!
Agree especially the ending re Chu Yue. Why her? She was only really close to Shi-San among the guys, and didn't develop deep connections with the the rest to be missing them that much. What is she smoking! 😂
It'll be more appropriate for Yang Ying to be "hallucinating" or "seeing them" at the prairie here. Not Chu Yue!
@@littlefairy9696 right? First the ending episodes were a mess and then the ending scene in particular was such a disappointment. All I had was confusion, it didn't even make me feel sentimental. I was like this makes no sense.
It wasnt a dream they were showing that chu yue was going to die and at her last moments she saw them that they are happy and together. It wouldnt make sense for litonguang and yang ying to do this becauze their role in An country is very imp and they couldnt die or it would through the country in peril.
@@manalnadeem9190 again as Avenue x said it would've been moving if they showed it that way but nothing during the episode gave you that info that she is about to die. It was just up for interpretation of the viewer, so anyone could make up any scenario of why she was seeing them. The ending still did not make sense, it was like they put it in just because. I'm very done with open endings where I have to basically do the writer's job and make up scenarios in my head to interpret what exactly is the ending.
P.S. sorry if the above written para came off with an angry tone but I'm not, and definitely not with you. :)
Agree 💯!
There's enough supportive comments about the Liu Yuning issue, and I'm on the train. However, I agree with everything you said in the video. There are issues with the drama, but it definitely was still a stand-out from all of the other dramas this year! One of my favourites so far! It had amazing characters and yes I ABSOLUTELY LOVE A-Ying's character, so much growth and we're there to see her grow throughout the drama. She grew up so well~ 😭
Feels weird watching your video bcs it feels like you're speaking out whats exactly in my mind about this drama😂😂😂😂
Despite the rushed ending, it is still overall good, 8.5 point from me. Its very clear from the start that this is a character-driven, action-packed, romance drama... So im glad that they give many highlight moments to each character, to the fight scenes, and the mature relationship between leads. Not only FL/ML, they also managed to make so many likeable support characters, for that reason i call this as the most successful group drama of 2023.
I'm a Liu Yuning fan... all of those attacks on his appearance and slanders about him having capital to change scripts etc have been going around since cast announcement last year... but it got even more terrible when the drama aired... I should admit all of those bullying even made me stress and depressed, they even call him with animal names, like he's just a very low creature... his fans even got scolded for saying he's handsome, we're not blind and he has many talents plus good personality thats why we like him😭 so I can't imagine how he handles this bullying, a year long bullying and i think it will still continue when his currently filming drama airs later.
Its all baffled me how those ppl say he has capital to change script for him and to get him more screentime, if they watched the drama they will find that Ning Yuanzhou is the only main character who has no flashback to his past story, no significant character development, he's there as the most stable character that helps other characters to grow🤦♀️
Also, i think there's something fishy about the management of the social media around him and this drama in particular, because when you see the Long ballad or Heroes the majority of the comments says he is handsome. The attacks against him have another base and they're just using bad language around his looks to hurt him. He is so hot but also, a very dedicated artist and a hard worker. I hope this wont afect him emotionally and he can keep going even higher.
Really don't understand the hate towards Liu Yuning. I find him handsome, tall, manly and perfect for the role. Some netizens are so nasty and shallow. This drama is great!
And really, must we always see the same 'pretty' faces (not all great in acting) over and over again? SMH.
'Your mother didn't beat you up enough' really got me. As an international viewer, I was flabbergasted by the vicious attack on LYN looks. Like?? How?? He has beautiful body proportions for period drama with Hanfu, his movements were majestic without trying too much, and he has charisma as leader of the pack, we all can witness it in the drama. Attacking someone's face, well he is far from ugly anyway, is LOW. And I hate this part about cdrama industry in general, the smear campaigns are massive and vicious, on the other hand, you can love someone blindly to the point of worshipping a human being. That was crazy.
There are a lot of things you can objectively criticize from this drama like you said, we invested our time and loved those characters in 34 episodes just for the writers brutally unalive them by the last 6 episodes, for no reason whatsoever. So unnecessary and rushed IMO...
He Landou was actually a surprise! I had goosebumps by watching her acting! Some of her scenes were unforgettable and superb!
she actually always been a good actress. i remember seing her first time, when she still 16 years old , i was amazed with this young actress. she is just unlucky because she never get good script since her debute. now that she change to a bigger company, we could hope that she would get better script in the future.
@@xmb6793 thank you for information. I hope that she will have more opportunity to show her talents now!
True words, i laughed and cried with He Landou. I will always come back to her scenes.
Her line delivery is surprisingly good. Even when she's crying and talking it's very clear.
I first saw her as the FL in Buried City to Shut All Lights. I was amazed by her acting in that drama and I have always wondered why the drama and the FL did not get enough attention. You should definitely watch that drama.
I agree with you on your overall rating and I enjoyed the drama so much. I was very emotionally moved by the characters and enjoyed the costumes, fight scenes and cinematography. My opinion is that it would be a toss up between this drama and Lost You Forever for which is the best in 2023. Thanks for explaining the hate movement to the international viewers as the comments for some of the episodes didn’t always make sense. I have noticed that certain factions in some Asian fandoms can behave in very toxic ways.
The casting for this period drama was mesmerizing. This role was made for Liu yuning, he’s absolutely stunning. I can’t count how many times I’ve rewinded his scenes. The camaraderie between the group stole my heart. I absolutely loved this drama, just hated the ending.
Started the drama the minute it aired because of LIU YUNING,i loved every second of it and have zero regrets. Though i was shocked and sad about the ending it was great.It's my second favourite drama of this year after mysterious lotus casebook 😊
I’m so glad you’re review is all rounded covering problems within the drama and outside of the drama. I loved the drama and I’m still having withdrawal symptoms. Your final review gave me the closure I never knew I needed.
I'm so glad you decided to talk about this, A.X. What has gone on has been poisonous and wrong and so so hurtful to LYN. It has seemed concerted, it has seemed orchestrated to many of us too, but why?? The comments about his look are spurious - he looks magnetic, beautiful in this drama. NO, he is not a pretty little boy/idol. Can there not be any thought to what the character he played was - a deadly warrior, a leader, a man whom his team would die for? The vicious campaign against him has been maddening and, I don't know, just cruel. Maybe we will never know who has been behind it, but for those who care about this high quality drama and the truly stunningly talented LYN, we will continue to fight back.
I’m such a big fan of Liu Yunning. It’s so sad how many hates he’s getting because of his looks. Looks can only take you so far tbh… if netizens do their research they’ll know what an incredible and humble man he is. I love his voice and he is my #1 Chinese singer and actor. To those who don’t know he started his career on the street with his band singing songs and coming on live. I’m sure people saw his talent and he’s now a famous singer for a lot of Chinese OST and now his acting career is launching. I’m so proud of him!!! He definitely started from the bottom up and for that I give him much respect for his talents!!! Fighting Liu Yunning!!! I’ll be your biggest fan ❤️ In my eyes… you’re so handsome :)
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!!
Thank you so much for covering the ridiculous hate on the drama and the lead. I am thoroughly enjoying this drama and the main characters as well as the supporting roles are doing a great job. It is so enjoyable to see characters evolve in ways that make sense in the overall story.
OMG you actually shook my world because I kept feeling like the actor playing Du Zhang Shi was so familiar and turns out he was in My Bratty Princess with Jang Nara and Alec Su!! I looovveeddd that drama growing up and wow how time flies.
Loving this Drama!! Yuning captured my attention in "Ultimate Note" , grabbed my ❤ in "Long Ballard "" , this is where we see him as Sexy, Manly and absolutely adorable!! Li Shi Shi never disappoints, beautiful as always, she amazed me with this performance!! Once again, Thanks Avenuex for your intelligent and well spoken point of viewe🎉🎉
One thing that is for sure, I didn’t regret to watch this or purchase subscription for this coz it was still amazing and still rewatching for the nth time..😊😊😊😊 I give this a 10 because even the death scene was portrayed nicely… All characters got the right screen time for you to love them..
LYN being ugly?😂😂 He is the one of those charismatic,handsome actor out there.. not a pretty boy type,but a MANLY type of guy😊😊 The only handsome well in my category is wang ziqi, Wallace chung,wang kai, roy chu and liu yuning😆
My favorite character is Ning yuan Zhou and Yang Ying..
I don't care about whatever cast, but the pacing!!!!!!!. I don't mind that all the main cast died, but the story's pace is.
Then I read on Twitter that the screenwriter was disappointed that "the chief" changed the plot without communicating with her.
I still don't understand C-ent's culture; so many surprising things, LOL.
Ren Xin is the most gorgeous character in Chinese drama this year. I love Liu Shishi's Performance in AJTL.
Thanks for making actual female cross-male makeup, and I love Feng Yilun ( he is the lost brother of Hyun-bin; every time I see FYL, he reminds me of him).
I love that those rulers ( all the Emperors) were depicted as Greedy people. it is so rare in Chinese idol drama, and I love how they FINALLY make characters in their 30s.
I agree with your review 200% with Li Tong quan being the most weak and annoyed. ML and FL are perfect for each other. Liu Yuning is tall, handsome, and charismatic! LTQ is pathetic and psychotic. Yuning stands out as the Alpha Male, the mature, master like figure to LTQ. I can turn around and rewatch this drama asap without missing a beat. Never before do I feel so glued to the character developments, that endear each actor to my heart. Great Directors. I wish it is 50 to 60 episodes for proper character development. 9.8 rating for me. Could be a 10 with continued thorough character development.
The attacks on Liu Yuning has gotten to stop. Shameful. Vicious. Inhuman. Barbaric. I loved his charact4er in the Legend of Anle!
Liu Yuning is not ugly, he so fine, tall and damn good looking 😍. They need to put him in more dramas, i can look at him and never get tired 😂😂😂. The one that say he ugly are just jealous of his good look 😂🥰
我2021年就認識劉宇寧 他一直是認真努力善良上進的人 真的很受傷他這次被如此傷害 希望他能度過這個難關😢
Omg!! Thank you for defending Liu Yuning!!! He is already so talented as a singer and personally, to me he is extremely handsome. I just couldn’t stomach the hate this guy was getting from anti fans. I don’t get people’s obsession with looks. At some point if you put all the standard good looking people together, it will just turn into a copy and paste situation. I appreciated the fact that it wasn’t some 20 year old actor playing his character.
Thank you for voicing for Yuning¡ I think he is both humorous and talented, with extraordinary vocal and performance. He himself is absolutely a legend if you understand how tough and how strong he is during his efforts from a street singer to the most talented,popular singer in our era. I wish him a bright future and believe he can get more audiences’ love. He deserves it¡
If only i knew more chinese and more familiar with chinese social platforms i would be defending LYN as if it were my job 😭 but actually just hearing the few things you mention that have been said about him just breaks my heart and makes me want to cry. he’s achieved so much through pure determination and hard work, i admire his resilience and maturity so much when it comes to all the hate. He has such a unique aura and charisma and charm, not to mention his gorgeous voice and height and bone structure….. The fact people dont watch just because they think hes ugly is absurd, maybe thats why so many dramas now are so bad because they choosse pretty actors instead of talented ones because thats what ppl want 😭
Ikr? The part that boggles my mind about the attacks against him is that it's not some kind of big secret what he put himself through in order to just get into music and then into acting. Like, do you honestly think that a guy who literally *starved himself* in order to afford a guitar would give up because some random person said he was ugly?
The silver lining here is that Liu Yuning's public response to all of this nonsense was pitch perfect, and made all of these people look like fools. This is a guy who knows how to control his own public image, which will only become more important as he gets more high profile roles. He's an outsider, and there will always be people who resent that. This won't be the last time someone orchestrates an attack on him: but he has shown that he is very good at turning these attacks into opportunities.
LTG这个角色才真是资本塞进来，估计各方势力打架，把这个角色线改得稀烂。其实不管网上架吵成啥样，行内应该懂到底啥回事。我还是看好刘宇宁选本子的眼光，未来可期。
This is truly mental what's happening on the Chinese internet - I'm kind of glad we don't get to see those ugly things, but at the same time it's sad to know that all these great actors who work so hard on the dramas get such vicious treatment, no matter paid or not. I hope Liu Yuning knows about his international fan base and can receive some love from his non-Chinese fans as well.
I agree about the OST of the drama - I immediately paid attention to it, not only the opening and ending songs, but throughout all the episodes as well, the music is so well done and fits the scenes perfectly. It's a movie-level quality for me. I also appreciated all the character development (or Li Tong Guang's lack of it) and how well-written everyone is. The ending and the pacing have its problems, for sure, but I'm still so glad I watched this drama, it was absolutely worth it.
Thanks for the honest review!
P.S. that lipstick color looks great:)
LYN is a very talented man, his talent alone is enough to make him a very attractive person
Loved your review and I totally agree especially on the last problem point. Li Tongguang's character had so much potential but whoever did the final editing messed him up. He could have been on developed into a better support character but instead we get this forced obsessed disciple that annoyed me every time he came on the screen.
Of the characters in this drama the leads Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou plus their gang are the ones I invested so much love for. The reason I continued watching the drama even though I know they would be dead in the end. The love between the lead characters was very mature. Adding the 6 Halls gang with Yangying created a family that I dearly loved. Also, Yu Shisan will forever have a place in my head for being so funny and lovable at the same time.
I have rewatched this drama multiple times now mainly focusing on the scenes of the characters I mentioned above, that's how much they made me love this drama. Hopefully as you said other dramas don't go this rushed ending route, just do a season 2, platforms can get more money that way if they actually think about it.
Anyway became a fan of Liu Yuning because of this drama and looking forward to his future work.
Totally agree with you 😊
I watch according to your recommendation most of the time, because I found your reviews appeals to my liking. I'm waiting for the best list to watch during the new year vacation
BRAVO!!! THANKS FOR YOUR PREVIOUS HARD WORK!!! I PRAY THAT YOU HAVE A BLESSED 2024!!!
Thanks for this excellent analysis of this drama and your full- bodied investment . Admirable and Brava! 🙏
After hearing about people talking sh** about Yuning I thought maybe I’m biased so I showed his pic to my sis and she legit said “whoever thinks like that should be crazy, this man is absolutely charismatic and handsome what are people on?” And I couldn’t agree more… and she hasn’t even seen how good of a actor and singer he is…
The saddest drama I've ever watched. very touching for almost every episode. full of the spirit of friendship.
Thank you for the in-depth review. I agree with everything. I had so much hope for the Li Tong Huang character at the beginning, but as the story continued, I couldn't connect to him. The acting didn't help the completely baffling writing. I wish the last scene was Princess Yang Ying recalling her friends. I didn't understand the choice of Chu Yue. Yang Ying is the one that we rooted for most and is the heart of the drama. She should have been the last one to tie everything together.
I agree with you on the attack on LYN, that’s why I don’t use social media nowadays. It’s just very extreme, subjective, and hateful.
It was so good at the beginning, and then at the end it was like - 'I didn't think of an ending..... let's just kill everyone and then kinda hint that the main characters aren't dead! 😃 I'm a genius'
Like..... what a let down.
And deservedly, this drama's douban rating dropped just as they dropped the ball on the final episodes
They are dead.The ending scene is ChuYue's hallucinations or she also joined them afterlife.
I think it required 10 more episodes to wrap it up completely
Dude kinda remind me of Finnick’s death 😭😭, like those deaths are so UNNECESSARY, feel like the writer just wanna make it more tragic or add some drama for these characters.
@@AM-ry4px Kinda disagree about Finnick similarities. In the movie, he had gotten married and wasn't originally thought to be going on the mission to the Capitol. All the Liudao Hall team were ride or die, literally. 😄 ShiSan wouldn't even settle down because deep down he knew he would probably die doing his duty. I just don't get how most thought they were going to make it to the end.
Your analysis of this show was spot on! Especially about li tong guang’s character and the fallacies of the ending of this show. I couldn’t have put it in better terms. You’re well spoken and you have things well thought out. You’ve got a fan in me!
I agree this is the best drama in 2023, the brotherhood and peace for the people trump everything! The ending befits every character, Liu yilung is handsome!! Those Chinese haters are disgusting!!
I so agree with you. These awful people who have nothing better to do than to bully in such a vicious way, totally disgust me. Love the movie, love Liu Yuning. I find him good-looking, absolutely charming. He has such a great sense of humor. In this day and age, to see people being bullies makes me sad. I really wonder how they would feel, if this was one of their sons being attacked like this !
Hope Liu Yuning gets more good dramas❤❤. That would be a slap for his haters 😂😂❤❤
I think people decided it was a big female lead drama because they saw that Liu Shishi was one of the leads. Based on her seniority and popularity (and them not considering Liu Yuning to be up to par with her in terms of popularity and bankability) they decided that the only way she would take the drama is if she was the main lead. The hate train toward Liu Yuning was definitely unjustified and I'm glad the drama was as successful as it was in the end.
I enjoyed the relationship between Ning Yuanzhou and Ruyi because they felt like two equals for the most part. They were open, honest and always communicating with each other. I also liked their sweet/romantic moments as well. He Landou/ Yang Ying was definitely the standout to me too, her character growth was great and He Landou really sold herself as an actress. She fit the role perfectly and was very convincing as a young Prince, moreso that what dramaland usually gives us when a female character is cross dressing. I think the show did a good job in showcasing the rest of the supporting cast and allowing the actors and their characters to shine.
I also have to agree with the criticisms of the Li Tongguang character. I get that his obsession with Ruyi is supposed to be a weakness but it was honestly annoying seeing him continue to do the same dumb thing of trying to win her back by acting crazy and jeopardising the mission. It would have been better if they had made him a full villain so at least his actions/motivations would be consistent. They wanted him to be a redeemable character but for that to happen he would need to be consistent in his 'I am a better person now arc' instead of flip flopping.
This is one of the rare shows that I think would have benefitted from having anywhere from 10-15 extra episodes so that the ending could have been as great as the beginning. I'll probably end up rewatching the show at some point next year though.
Ok but it WAS a GB drama though? Like, it starts with the female lead, it is clearly *her* story, all the important characters have a prior connection to her, and she's the one who finally defeats the bad guys. The drama opens on her dancing, and closes with her death (the scenes with the kids and Chuyue are really an epilogue, the story is actually over). It's just that screentime isn't the best measurement of how important a character is, plotwise. Yes, Ning Yuanzhou is onscreen slightly more often: but much of that time he isn't really *doing* anything. He's just riding a horse in the background of a scene that really focuses on the other Six Realms Hall bros, whereas Ren Ruyi is sitting in the carriage (because ya know, she's a wanted criminal) with the Princess. Ning Yuanzhou has a lot of dead screentime: a lot of time when he's just sort of standing there, because he needs to be in the scene either for plot reasons or for realism but he's not the focus of the scene or actually doing anything. Every scene Ren Ruyi is in, she is actually doing something. She ends up accomplishing a LOT more than any other character, even the male lead. There is absolutely no question, Ren Ruyi is the most important character in the drama and in general the female characters are more important than their male counterparts in terms of who actually advances the plot. But I think the director is also aware who his audience is, so he makes sure to put the male eye candy on screen more often. However, a lot of the time the guys are just standing there and maybe providing support while a female character does something. That's not a criticism! There's far far too much of the opposite in other dramas.
I waited until I finished watching the drama to enjoy your review 😅
As always... Spot on!! ❤
Lou Luning is in top of my list in Chinese actors who can act very well.
Way to go, someone standing up to the haters of social media, BRAVO, this is the very reason I am a fan...your honesty, unbiased reviews and justified rants. Here's to 2024 with more of your being candid and fresh.
I really enjoyed this movie I think that Liu Yuning is very attractive and he is a good actor. I thought all the characters did well in this movie.
Re: the looks thing, it was the same against Ren Min (the character she played is not supposed to be the prettiest, just the most rebellious). Main characters don't always have to be the prettiest, especially if that does not fit with the story.
Ren Min wasn't compatible with Xiao Zhan.
@@christinewillson9408 We can agree to disagree on that, but that's not the topic at hand, I'm addressing critiques of her looks, specifically.
I liked Ren Min in The Longest Promise.
@@christinewillson9408 that's no justification for the cruel bullying campaign about her looks which was hardly 'ugly'.
.
Really like this drama. Liu Yuning is good looking & a great actor. Saying he is ugly is really stupid, his looks give him character, opposed to what people think as being handsome! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!😊
Really enjoyed your comments about this drama. I haven't watched it yet, but everything you say whets my interest in watching. You are making so many excellent useful points. Thank you.
I love Liu Yuning ❤
Kinda glad I'm an international audience and did/ do not have to read or listen to the unreasonable hate towards Liu Yu Ning. I have to agree with AvenueX that "attacking someone for their looks is not criticism. It's basically showing that you're uneducated, uncivilized, and unlearned." HECK, YEAH! Liu Yu Ning, I hope your team can let you know we international audiences love your hard work ethic and your continued growth. Keep going and prove the haters wrong!
I don't know many idols or whatever else they call currently popular actors and actresses but I have to say that A Journey to Love was an exhilarating ride. Each episode seemed more entertaining than the one before. The characters were endearing (the Squad from Six Realms Hall, the main couple, Princess Yang Ying - oh my, Princess Yang Ying!!!)...the acting believable, the script helpful in getting me attached to almost every single character (except Li Tongguang...he could have been less of a whiplash going back and forth extremes)... definitely one of the to 10 dramas I've ever seen.
It is wonderful to see an actor who looks real-not cookie cutter pretty boy. No plastic surgery.
I loved the drama and all the character developments up until the crazy plot and rushed and illogical pace towards the last 7 or 8 episodes. It made me so angry and left with feeling disappointed. It’s one of the best drama I’ve seen in 2023 until the later episodes. I do love the growth and arc of the Princess. Also loved Yuanlu. Loved the CP between the 2 leads and how they treated each other with respect and saved each other (and not always one saving the other). 劉宇寧’s acting improved and I wish to see him in more well scripted dramas next year.
he's not ugly, wtf is their standard?
When you talked abt Li Tongquang I knew immediately you are making valid and sound judgments 🎉. Everything you said in the end is what I have been thinking ❤
I will definitely be rewatching the drama up to the rescue of the emperor in the future, despite it having issues I think there is something genuinely great in there. After that point..... I would just like to know what happened there because it's a nonsensical mess.
Li Tongguang's character... Jesus Christ. I loved him up until he got told off the second or third time and it became clear there will be no character development going on. Then he got the same exact talking to half a dozen times and stil filp-flopped between being obsessed with Ruyi to being a normal capable character. And then he gets everyone killed. An actual headache of a character.
The last time a drama p*ssed me off like this was Rise of Phoenixes. So much potential to be ruined I actually got angry.
Edit: Also the hate against LYN is nonsense. He's not playing a pretty boy, he's playing the chief of a spy agency. Why would he be a pretty boy? If anything the actor that should be getting criticism is Li Tongguang's actor. He didn't do a good enough job and his character isn't well written. But he's pretty so netizens don't have anything so say.
I finally got to the end of this drama and am able to appreciate your review. As usual, you are on point about so many things! He Lan Dou is phenomenal, I've seen her in other projects, here she shines the brightest. I hope it`s her breakthrough role. Liu Yuning does not deserve the hate, even though I didn`t like certain facial expressions that make him look soft and bewildered where the story does not call for it. And you are right, I could barely suffer through the last part and all the nonsensical siege and battlefield scenes. Overall, it was nice to see Cecilia Liu in a drama after Love Lost in Time, and to discover several very good actors. Yin Zhu Sheng playing the evil An emperor was a joy to watch.
THE BEST HISTORICAL CDRAMA IN 5 YEARS I WOULD SAY. Also yess the music and bgms
Plays a huuuugeee roles too! Love love love everything about this drama
Brava, for your extended rant against those social media trends that are destructive and misleading. AJTL is one of my favorites this year and that goes for the leads as well as supporting actors, music is out of this world. The criticism of the Ren Xin's disciple character and actor are well taken. As for the hurried endings it probably also has something to do with fitting it within the required 40 episode format. As for the shocking tragedies at the end they are hard to face, but given how the storyline progresses don't come totally as a surprise and don't make me dislike the drama.
Unfortunately I think the biggest flaw in Chinese dramas (among other things) is usually pacing. The beginning tends to be decent or passable or fantastic but by the 70% point, the resolution with the final battle/villain tends to condense to 2-3 episodes when the beginning 70% was supposed to build up to it.
I was really hoping Li Tong Guang and Chu Yue were going to end up together and develop an enemies-to-lovers relationship. I also initially thought Li Tong Guang was supposed to be vicious and strong yet he kept getting his butt kicked so it made me wonder what was so great about him hahah
The male lead is so handsome than other actor
This was a very thorough detail review of the series that I feel was definitely on point. Thank you also for speaking out on LYN getting hate comments just for his looks. I felt he did well in his role and didn't deserve those vicious comments, especially when it was on something so superficial. I personally thought he was good looking in the drama. He has a mature look which matched with the age of the FL. I understand people may have different opinions. but when I see or hear comments that are just pure evil with no sense or ground, it baffles me how can someone say stuff like that about someone they don't even know. Overall, I enjoyed this drama a lot as well, and Yang Ying quickly became one of my favorite characters. I hope to see more of He Landou's works in the future.
For me this drama was like a train that midway through the journey has lost its breaks. It started off way too slow (for my taste) and finished with a fast wall splatter. I liked that almost every character has a back story and they seem to be alive, to want things other than simply support the main leads and carry on the plot. Beside the main leads, I enjoyed He Landou's character and interpretation, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Fang Yilun and Chen Haoyu. Li Tong Guang was the biggest miss: the character was all over the place, and the actor didn't seem to have the experience/talent to hold on his shoulders such character. While the drama plot was enjoyable, midway through I found myself wondering if all the plot was really necessary. It felt like reading Scheherazade's stories. Why are Chinese dramas this long? It is my second year of watching them and I still don't get why, even though they have 40 hours on their hands, they (still) don't manage to tell a good story from beginning to end and why, oh why, the last few episodes are always crap? Is it a general rule in the contracts or something? Also, on the subject of beauty, as an international viewer (Europe, Romania) actors like Liu Yu Ning, Jiang Xiao Lin and Li Yun Rui are more attractive than actors like Xiao Zhan, Yang Yang and Zhang Bin Bin. But since beauty is more subjective than talent I rather appreciate actors for their talent, than their beauty. I don't know why "fans" are so intent on discussing physical attributes. It is anyway difficult for the actors to hear their work dissected and commented, but when the comments turn so personal, I feel really bad for them. They are humans too and at the end of the day, acting is just a job.
Thank you so so much for this review! I've been waiting for it!! I absolutely loved this drama and agree with every single point you made. Yang Ying is an amazing character and I'm super grateful to the screenwriter for creating that role. I loved every moment of this drama and (last 6 episodes aside), I don't regret spending nearly 40 hours watching it lol. Also, I don't understand people calling Liu Youning ugly; he's a very handsome man imo and a brilliant actor! And even if they think he isn't handsome, netizens are supposed to keep shut about it , it's his acting we're watching the drama for, not his looks jeez.
On the other hand, for some reason, I see so many people online talking about how they like Li TongGuang and I just don't get it; what is there to like? He's such a shitty character and I wanted him dead 😭
Sono d'accordo sulla tua opinione riguardo al personaggio di Li Tongguang . È stato bravo l' attore che l' ha saputo interpretare . Non volevo escluderlo a priori.
I don't think Liu Yuning is ugly. He is not a "pretty boy" but I still think he is appealing.
Well said girl.....everything you said is on point.....I enjoyed that drama a lot until the episode 35.....after that i wondered.....what am i watching right now....a mess....😮😮😮😮.......I agree with you....Thank you for the video it was useful for me ( about my mental health because i thought that only me saw that something is wrong and the drama had issues....)
Thank you again...❤❤❤👍👍👍👍......My best wishes to you and your family and Happy New Year...( in few days...) ❤❤❤❤...😊😊😊
This was my favorite drama last year. The cast was amazing. The OSTs were stunning. And yes, Liu Yuning was so good in this one. Obsessed with him
Agree with #AvernueX' point on the hateful attacks of the male lead's look. If it's only about looks, why not just swap out all human characters in Chinese dramas for flawless AI-generated ones? It's really disheartening to see shallow criticisms overshadowing the heart and soul actors put into their performances. How did Chinese youth get so caught up in superficial judgments like these? Despite the adoration for the main female actress on social medias, I personally found her acting to be rather dull. On the other hand, the actress portraying the young princess deserves more recognition for her exceptional acting skills. She adeptly depicted the character's evolution from a timid princess to a formidable queen.
Apparently Mark Chao was criticized as not being good looking enough or his acting abilities were questioned in getting the roles in Eternal Love (TMOPB). It's my all time favorite cdrama and I can't even imagine anyone else playing his roles of Ye Hua and Mo Yuan. He was extremely appealing and sexy as Ye Hua. Men can be very attractive without having a baby boy face or lacking dimples (is that a thing in China, a majority of actors/actresses have dimples). I found nothing wrong with Liu Yuning's looks. Wallace Chung is one of the most appealing actors imho and he's not a drop dead gorgeous type of guy. Those who are criticizing should look in the mirror.
Mark Chao is HOT....
Of all that happened to Liudao Hall, Scarlet Agents, Palace etc, Why does Chu Yue gets the last scene?? Her character is the least 'useful' in the entire drama. I would've accepted it if it was Princess Licheng, who's character developed a lot from being a naive unfavored princess to becoming Prince Li and then later on becomes Li Tongguang's wife.
Of all the character who remained alive, Princess Licheng deserves the last scene not the insignificant Chu Yue. Chu Yue is not even close to Ruyi, NZY, or to the Liudao Hall boys (except for Yu Shisan of course).
I can empathise with your frustration regarding people not in the industry critisizing the industry! Well said. I thoroughly appreciate your full analysis... so spot on! I wouldn't have noticed the specific issues with Li Tongguan's character, but I also was so frustrated with the character's actions in the last few episodes. But, as you said, I don't regret watching... especially the first 2/3 of the drama. Hoping 2024 delivers more :)
I find Liu Yuning quite gorgeous, especially in period garb, OMGAH. Lol. Super handsome. Definitely had me feeling all types of giddy throughout the drama. Haha. I'm not so much into these eastern Chinese/Korean definitions of what makes a guy good looking though anyways. Pretty boy visuals only go so far in entertainment (and in life HAHA). The actors who are actually memorable are the ones who can---DUN DUN---ACT!!
E v e r y single thing you said was what I saw and felt throughout the drama. Because I don't speak the language, I really thought Li Tongguang was only a writing issue, but what you said about an actor being able to capitalize on a cruddy character is true also. The actor was serviceable, and he did have some really good moments, but had he acted into the nuances of his character and was really able to sell the grounded by delusional young leader character of Li Tongguang (which was probably not the right direction to take the character), that would've made the story way more complete and his character more forgivable, given that he led our leads to their untimely deaths. After what you described about the actor's acting, I kept wondering what it would've been like to see some of the really good small-role-male-actors-who-don't-get-casted-as-leads-in-anything-but-always-steal-the-show-through-their-tiny-little-characters-anyways play this prince, hmmmm...
ANYWAYS, definitely the best Chinese drama of the year for me! The camaraderie, those fighting scenes, the music, GUH!!!
I cant imagine how toxic Cbiz is. Yi Nian Guan Shan is a fantastic drama for me to enjoy. The characters have brought me plenty of laughters and tears, but above all, the attempts and devotions of the casts and Liu Yuning himself touched my heart. In my opinion, he is talented and good looking. Best wishes for him. Love from Vietnam ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for bringing up the hate toward the actor regarding his looks etc... it's been a soar issue with me when viewers judge those by their looks and not the talent they posses. Yet, I know that it's just plain shalloness that these haters float in on a daily basis.
I'm also happy that you brought up & educated how they work the script & the adding and cutting of certain things for them to come to the finishing touch. It may not be perfect .. but not many dramas are.
Thank you very much, I could not agree more with everything you said about this drama and its criticism. For me it’s also the best Chinese period drama in 2023. Without the unnecessary dream sequence at the end and a better motivation for the sacrifice of the ML instead even the solution of the drama would be quite acceptable. The last moments should go to the princess (Yang Ying) because she embodies the legacy of the whole mission and loved her companions on the titular journey dearly. She could even function as a nice stand in for the daughter the leads wanted but never had (FL significantly agreed to name her daughter Ying’er).
Love your content, best wishes from Vienna, Austria!
Из России с любовью! Великолепный и исчерывающий анализ прекрасной дорамы. Несмотря на совершенно справедливые претензии - мы приняли и полюбили всех персонажей этого сериала. Прекрасные и незабываемые образы главных героев. Замечательные и очень живые образы всей команды. Вместе с ними мы совершили путешествие к любви. Любви к женщине, к друзьям и верности боевому братсву, верность долгу, Родине. И это хорошо, что мы не болеем навязанными гендерными болячками. Мы тут в России ценим сильных мужчин, любим их за мужество, стойкость, готовность закрыть собой всех, кто им дорог и тех, кто просто слабее и нуждается в защите. У Лю Юйнина - много поклонников в России, как у певца и теперь еще талантливого актера. И мы считаем его красивым мужчиной с яркой и не слащавой внешностью. Он трудолибив, упорен, харизматичен и невероятно сексуален.
I loved this drama so much. I cried so much. Loved all the mains, the story, the music, everything.
Do agree with you in your appreciation of this drama as a whole, the actors and characters. I am half way through the drama and actually spoilers do not bother me, probably heightens my interest, but I do appreciate the dialogue between the main leads and secondary characters. I do not care for the fighting scenes but all the rest is really geared to a mature audience that is interested in the development of the role the actor plays because we want to know this person, their feelings and thoughts. Couriously, I usually care more for secondary roles than primary roles in cdramas because they have more depth. Primary roles are very boring unless they are very well scripted. One problem I see is that these dramas are geared to very very young audiences who only care to "see" their idol in which ever setting and pay for it regardless. It is a juvenile geared industry. But many of us who are mature would like to see more of the well rounded characters and thought out stories. As for Yuning it is unfair to have him subjected to such hate! My feeling is that they are very envious of his willingness to go through with his character with such good spirit! He brings to the FL (which is the actual star in this drama) some warmth and humanity otherwise she would be in a wuxia by herself. Believe many of her fans just want to see her and only her. Here the roles are reversed, he is the tender one and she the harsh one. This is a very interesting swich in stereotyped characters and Yuning can do that very naturally. And finally, he is not ugly just a good looking man with a beautiful soul and wonderful voice.
I originally watched this drama because of a fan edit of the princess and Li Tongguang but I fell in love with the main characters and the supporting characters especially Yu Shisan. The development of the princess is soo good but I'm disappointed to see no development for Li Tongguang's character. It's going back and forth. I really hope for his development but 😮💨. The sudden short scenes in between the episode to show the fall of the prince really shocked me like huh? However i still think this drama is one of the best drama I've ever watched ❤
I saw this Drama....and I really love it. I find it super. Liu Yuning is a very good actor with so much expression.I saw him first in The Long Ballad Drama with Wu Lei and I saw potentials......Go go go Liu Yuning. A Good Singer too.....🎉❤🎉.Waiting for his another is upcoming Drama
Well said and explained, i really hope that people start using common sense before writing those hate comments 🙄
Love this drama and the actors ❤❤❤
I'm watching this drama and I'm enjoying it so much! I heard about the hate on Liu Yuning's appearance from C-netizens and it's so sad. I don't think he's unattractive and he played his character wonderfully! Hating someone's appearance and bullying them for it is just so LOW and despicable.
With that said, my favorite character is definitely Alen Fang's! He cracks me up every single time that he comes onto the screen - such a lovely and enjoyable character to watch!
Also, Yang Ying has the best character growth ever! She went through so much and changed so much to become a stronger and braver princess. Very impressive.
I really like this drama so far. ❤
Thank you for explaining the Asian entertainment culture to novices like me. It’s sad that there’s a fringe that want to crush anything that doesn’t align with what they want / deserve. Basically if it benefits someone else, it needs to be attacked. Thank you for being a light 💡 in the darkness!
Excellent review! Happy Holidays!
Liu Yuning es maravilloso. Sus personajes los representa con mucho estilo. Es un excelente actor.
I haven’t finished the drama but I really like it. It’s funny and serious. The acting is good and the plot is interesting. I heard about people calling the male lead ugly. I’m not Chinese but I think he is attractive and he can sing, I’d have a baby with him 😂. He is tall and has good martial arts. Every drama has flaws and I’m not worried about the ending.
Im aboit to watch this drama. Didnt know it has so much hate. And about male lead being not" idol looking" is the main reason i want to watch it. He looks like human finally normal asian handsome man. Not plastic surgery fake " pretty boy".
Yes!!! It was a really interesting video, thanks!!!