My Journey To You - Thoughts and Impressions Part 1 of 2
I realise that I've been missing these past few months, i've been on a consumption binge but with little to no bandwidth to write about any show/film irrespective of how much I may have loved them. (depression is an ass) But I can, once again, feel thoughts tingling in my brain and I've decided to get back to writing, something that I deeply enjoy. Anyway, enough about me, let's get started.
To keep the post from getting obscenely long, I'm going to split it into two. This post will be about the technical aspects of the show. Part 2 will focus on the characters.
My Journey To You is a 2023 fantasy, Wuxia show (shows/films that are based in ancient China with martial arts warriors being capable of superhuman feats, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). It was highly anticipated owing to the amazing trailer (one of the best I've seen)
Plot: The series tells the story of Yun Wei Shan, a spy longing for freedom, who infiltrates the Gong residence to complete a mission. In the eerie and treacherous Gong residence, she encounters love and friendship, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and finds the determination to move forward. Together with the rebellious nobleman Gong Zi Yu, they grow and mature through their shared experiences. (via mydramalist)
It stars: Yu Shu Xin (Yun Wei Shan), Zhang Ling He(Gong Zi Yu), Ryan Cheng (Gong Shang Jue) and Lu Yu Xiao (Shangguan Qian), Tian Jia Rui (Gong Yuan Zhi), Jolin Jin (Gong Zi Shang) and Sun Chen Jun (Jin Fan)
Written by: Edward Guo.
Series directed by: Edward Guo & Luo Luo
I'll talk about everything I liked before I get into the stuff that I didn't.
Right off the bat, this show has some of the most gorgeous characters you'll come across and this applies to both the men and the women. The costume and make-up departments do an amazing job making already attractive people look ridiculously attractive. They also help the actors really inhabit the world seamlessly. The costumes are especially incredibly detailed and intricate, you can see the care that went into crafting the look for each of these characters. Shout-out to Huang Wei (costume designer) and Shi Hui (Make-up)
One of the best aspects of the show is the cinematography by Wei Hong. This show is aesthetically beautiful, so many absolutely stunning shots. Chinese shows (and Korean shows) love slow-motion shots, and while at times, it can be a bit much, this show makes great use of them, especially during the fight scenes.
The cinematography is helped to a great extent by the excellent production design, courtesy Jiyao Zhang. Like the costumes, the production design too is detailed and intricate. The world feels fully realised and yet also lived in. Each of the different clan mansions, the Front Hill and Back Hill are so incredibly different and distinct that you can immediately tell where you are. An insane amount of hard work went into the show and it shows in every frame.
You can tell that they had a good budget to work with and every bit of it was spent on making the show look as stylized as possible, there is not an ounce of realism to be found here, cue slow-motion beautiful hair flying shots. (Every day I bemoan my inability to make gifs) But the screencaps below illustrate the beauty of the show, it's so gorgeous that you could literally use screencaps as wallpapers.
The fight scenes in the show are some of the best I've seen. They are intense and thrilling and always coherent, you can always tell who's fighting who. The fight scenes are also so aesthetically pleasing, like an exceptionally deadly dance.
Now, we come to the not-so-great stuff.
First off, the marketing. The show was marketed and advertised as an action fantasy show and while there is action and it is excellent, it's not an "action" show. The main focus of the show is on the characters and the internal power struggle of the Gong family. There are also whole scenes, sometimes making up the bulk of an entire episode which are just conversations. I've seen a lot of viewers disappointed and it makes sense. they thought they were coming for action and instead they got verbose conversations.
The pacing also comes to a near-halt in some of these scenes and instead we're treated to lengthy expositions which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it becomes tedious when it happens repetitively.
Now, let's come to the worst thing about the show, it's ending, specifically the last 5 minutes. This end is ridiculously mindbogglingly bad when you consider that there is almost no confirmation on a 2nd season. It's just such a bad idea to end on a cliffhanger like this. If they wanted to leave things open for a potential 2nd season, they could have ended with the Wufeng elders coming together at that character's home, possibly to hold them ransom or something, like literally anything else.
if you're planning on watching this show and I do recommend it, keep in mind that it does get slow and don't watch the last 5 mins of the show. Trust me, you'll like the show a whole lot more if you follow that approach.
Part 2 HERE
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Welcome to the 'Best Character with [X] surname' polls!
This is where I take several characters from different Chinese media (mostly cnovels and cdrama) and run a poll on which one is the 'best'. What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!
NB: the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often they will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.
If you can't find a surname, it's because I couldn't find enough candidates (at least 3 from 3 distinct medias) to compete. Feel free to submit candidates!
I will be posting several polls at a time, so do come back and check this masterpost to remember which polls are ongoing, who the winners are, and who's coming up next!
Finished polls: Xing/Rong/Nan/Ren/Pan/Qu/Fu/Sui/Tan/You/Sima/Xuan/Chang/Xun/Shangguan/Jian/Qian/Shu/Xi/Yuwen/Cai/Sha/Yin/Ceng/Helian/Zeng/Lou/Mi/Ji/Ping/Tong/Tuoba/Ge/Murong/Hei/Niu/Tao/Si/Pang/Zi/Gongsun/Mao/Qing/Lian
Chi/Shan/Tian/Dao/Chao/Xin/Ran/Sang/Cang/Miao/Yao/Zang/Chong/Nangong/Kong/Hai/Deng/Kang/Jun/Chun/Gui/Peng/Gong/Dai/Bao/Bian/Leng/Xian/Kan/Hou/Shao/Kou/Zuo/Lai/Tie/Huan/Min/Xiong/Cen/Dou/Misc
There's only a certain number of hyperlinks that can be added per post, so the rest of the completed polls can now be found here
All the details of the individual polls under the readmore
An - posted 15/03/24 WINNER An Zhe
Bai - posted 28/02/24 WINNER Bai Fengxi
Baili - posted 22/03/24 WINNER Baili Qingmiao
Bao - posted 1/05/24 WINNER Bao Rongxing
Bi - posted 26/03/24 WINNER Bi Changfeng
Bian - posted 1/05/14 WINNER Bian Cheng
Cai - posted 7/04/24 WINNER Cai Quan
Cang - posted 23/04/24 WINNER Cang Jiumin
Cao - posted 8/02/24. WINNER - Cao Weining
Cen - posted 7/05/24 WINNEER Cen Xiao
Ceng - posted 8/04/24 WINNER Ceng Aiyu
Chang - posted 3/04/24 WINNER Chang Geng
Chao - posted 21/04/24 WINNER Chao Zi
Chen - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Chen Qingxu
Cheng - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Cheng Shaoshang
Chi - posted 19/04/24 WINNERS Chi Zhanggui and Chi Xiaochi
Chong - posted 25/04/24 WINNER Chong Ming
Chu - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Chu Wanning
Chun - posted 28/04/24 WINNER Chun Shen
Cui - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Madam Cui
Dai - posted 30/04/24 WINNER Dai Mubai
Dao - posted 20/04/24 WINNER Dao Mingsi
Deng - posted 27/04/24 WINNER Deng Kuan
Di - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Di Feisheng
Ding - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Ding Rong
Dong - posted 21/03/24 WINNER Dong Yi
Dongfang - posted 25/03/24 WINNER Dongfang Qingcang
Dou - posted 7/05/24 WINNER Dou Cheng
Du - posted 26/03/24 WINNER Du Cheng
Duan - posted 23/03/24 WINNER Duan Baiyue
Fan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Fan Xian
Fang - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Fang Duobing
Fei - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Fei Du
Feng - posted 28/02/24 WINNER 'Other'
Fu - posted 31/03/24 WINNER Fu Yao
Gao - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Gao Xiaolian
Ge - posted 13/04/24 WINNER Ge Chen
Gong - posted 30/04/24 WINNER Gong Yu
Gongsun - posted 17/04/24 WINNER Gongsun Heng
Gu - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Gu Xiang
Guan - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Guan Hemeng
Gui - posted 29/04/24 WINNERS Gui Wen, Gui Yang, Gui Bai and 'Other'
Guo - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Guo Changcheng
Hai - posted 26/04/24 WINNER Hai Lanshi
Han - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Han Ying
Hao - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Hao Du
He - posted 22/03/24 WINNER He Xuan
Hei - posted 14/04/24 WINNER Hei Xiazi
Helian - posted 9/04/24 wINNER Helian Yi
Hong - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Hong Qigong
Hou - posted 3/05/24 WINNER Hou Bin
Hu - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Hu Tianying
Hua - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Hua Cheng
Huan - posted 6/05/24 WINNER Huan Xiaoyan
Huang - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Huang Shaotian
Huo - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Huo Xiuxiu
Ji - posted 11/04/24 WINNER Ji Xue
Jia - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Jia Kui
Jian - posted 4/04/24 WINNER Jian Buzhi
Jiang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Jiang Cheng
Jiao - posted 27/03/24 WINNER Jiao Liqiao
Jin - posted 29/02/24 WINNER Jin Ling
Jing - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Jing Beiyuan
Jun - posted 28/04/24 WINNER 'Other"
Kan - posted 3/05/24 WINNER Kan Jian
Kang - posted 27/04/24 WINNER 'Other'
Kong - posted 26/04/24 WINNERS Kong Xiu and Alexis Kong
Kou - posted 4/05/24 WINNER Kou Baimen
Lai - posted 5/05/24 WINNER Lai Zhongshu
Lan - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Lan Wangji
Lei - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Lei Wujie
Leng - posted 2/05/24 WINNER Leng Yue
Li - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Li Lianhua
Lian - posted 18/04/24 WINNERS Lian Yufan and Lian Qiao
Liang - posted 13/03/24 WINNER 'Other'
Lin - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Lin Chen
Ling - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Ling Wen
Liu - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Liu Qingge
Long - posted 23/03/24 WINNER Long Zhi
Lou - posted 10/04/24 WINNER Lou Yao
Lu - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Lu Guang
Luo - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Luo Binghe
Ma - posted 13/03/24 WINNER Ma Xiuying
Mao - posted 17/04/24 WINNER Mao Panfeng
Mei - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Mei Changsu
Meng - posted 29/02/24 WINNER Meng Zhi
Mi - posted 10/04/24 WINER Mi Chong
Miao - posted 23/04/24 WINNER Miao Renfeng
Min - posted 6/05/24 WINNER Min Yunzhong
Ming - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Ming Yi
Misc - posted 7/05/24 WINNER Gongyi Xiao
Mo - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Mo Xuanyu
Mu - posted 22/02/24 WINNER Mu Nihuang
Murong - posted 13/04/24 WINNER Other
Nan - posted 29/03/24 WINNER Nan Feng
Nangong - posted 25/04/24 WINNER Nangong Si
Nie - posted 15/03/24 WINNER Nie Huaisang
Ning - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Ning Yingying
Niu - posted 14/04/24 WINNER Niu Chunmiao
Ouyang - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Ouyang Zizhen
Pan - posted 30/03/24 WINNER Pan Zi
Pang - posted 16/04/24 WINNER Pang Yizhi
Pei - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Pei Ming
Peng - posted 29/04/24 wINNER Peng Sanbian
Ping - posted 11/04/24 WINNER Ping An
Qi - posted 22/02/24 WINNER 'Other'
Qian - posted 5/04/24 WINNER Qian Jin
Qiao - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Qiao Wanmian
Qin - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Qin Banruo
Qing - posted 18/04/24 WINNER Qing Ge
Qiu - posted 25/03/24 WINNER Qiu Congxue
Qu - posted 30/03/24 WINNER Qu Lingfeng
Ran - posted 22/04/24 WINNERS Ran Lin and Ran Yun
Ren - posted 29/03/24 WINNER Ren Ruyi
Rong - posted 28/03/24 WINNER Rong Changqing
Ruan - posted 21/03/24 WINNER Ruan Nanzhu
Sang - posted 22/04/24 WINNER Sang Zan
Sha - posted 7/04/24 WINNER Sha Hualing
Shan - posted 19/04/24 WINNER Shan Gudao
Shang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Shang Qinghua
Shangguan - posted 4/04/24 WINNER Shangguan Qin
Shao - posted 4/05/24 WINNER Shao Lin
Shen - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Shen Wei
Sheng - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Sheng Minglan
Sima - posted 2/04/24 WINNER Sima Yi
Shi - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Shi Qingxuan
Shu - posted 5/04/24 WINNER Shu Yanyan
Si - posted 15/04/24 WINNER Si Yilin
Song - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Song Lan
Su - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Su Zhe
Sun - posted 15/02/24 WINNER Sun Wukong
Sui - posted 31/03/24 WINNER Sui Zhou
Tan - posted 1/04/24 WINNER 'Other'
Tang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Tang Fan
Tao - posted 15/04/24 WINNER Tao Ran
Tian - posted 20/04/24 WINNER Tian Qi
Tie - posted 5/05/24 WINNERS Tie Yinyi and Tie Miansheng
Tong - posted 12/04/24 WINNER Tong Lu
Tuoba - posted 12/04/24 WINNER Tuoba Yan
Wan - posted 24/03/24 WINNER Consort Wan
Wang - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Wang Pangzi
Wei - posted 8/02/24 WINNER Wei Wuxian
Wen - posted 2/03/24 WINNER Wen Kexing
Wu - posted 15/02/24 WINNER Wu Xie
Xi - posted 6/04/24 WINNER Xi Ping
Xia - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Xia Dong
Xian - posted 2/05/24 WINNERS Xian Ge and Xian Qing
Xiang - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Xiang Liu and Xiang Nanfang
Xiao - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Xiao Jingyan
Xie - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Xie Lian
Xin - posted 21/04/24 WINNER Xin Ziyuan
Xing - posted 28/03/24 WINNER Xing Zhi
Xiong - posted 7/05/24 WINNERS Xiong yipei and Xiong Chumo
Xu - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Xu Da
Xun - posted 3/04/24 WINNER Xun Feizhan
Xuan - posted 2/04/24 WINNER Xuan Shen'an | The Empress
Xue -posted 11/02/24 WINNER Xue Yang
Yan - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Yan Wushi
Yang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Yang Wuxie
Yao - posted 24/04/24 WINNER Yao Zhen
Ye - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Ye Baiyi
Yi - posted 9/03/24 WINNER Yi Bichen
Yin - posted 8/04/24 WINNER Yin Yu
Ying - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Ying Hecong
You - posted 1/04/24 WINNER You Huo
Yu - posted 11/02/23 WINNER Yu Ziyuan
Yun - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Yun Biqiu
Yuan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Yuan Boya
Yue - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Yue Qingyuan
Yuwen - posted 6/04/24 WINNER Yuwen Xuan
Zang - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Zang Ming
Zeng - posted 9/04/24 WINNER Zeng Xiangdong
Zhan - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Zhan Yunfei
Zhang - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Zhang Qiling
Zhao - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Zhao Yunlan
Zhen - posted 24/03/24 WINNER Zhen Ping
Zhi - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Zhi Xiu
Zhong - posted 27/03/24 WINNER Zhong Li
Zhou - posted 2/02/24 WINNER Zhou Zishu
Zhu - posted 9/03/24 Winner Zhu Hong
Zhuge - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Zhuge Liang
Zi - posted 16/04/24 WINNER 'Other'
Zuo - posted 5/05/24 WINNER Zuo Ran
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best dramas I’ve watched so far in 2021 (and some not so good ones) part 1 out of god knows how many
Word of Honor - based on danmei novel Faraway Wanderers by Priest. The gayest thing I’ve seen in my entire life. Exhilarating story line, excellent villains, tight fast pace with no screen time wasted. Superbly acted by the entire cast. Emotionally devastating and devastatingly rewarding. Budget of two pieces of string and duct tape. A drama I will be obsessed with for at least the next two years and then some. 11/10
Nirvana In Fire - based on historical novel Lang Ya Bang by Hai Yan. Every drama I’ve ever watched and rated 10/10 has been downgraded. This is, hands down, the best drama I’ve ever watched in my life. The plot, the acting, the characters, the goddamn ending, everything in this drama will ruin you. As someone else said, the only problem with Nirvana In Fire is that there are no other dramas like Nirvana In Fire. 10000/10
Dance of the Sky Empire - based on wuxia/xianxia novel of the same name by Bu Fei Yan. Short and entertaining. This drama is like a light, sweet snack. You can probably expect to be hungry an hour later. It starts off with excellent potential for complexity and growth, but then… nothing really happens. Mediocre budget. Good found family tropes. Xu Kai does a decent job, but hardly even stretches his acting muscles. 5/10
The Lost Tomb: Ultimate Note - based on Grave Robbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei. Honestly, I put off watching this because I was sure it wouldn’t be as captivating as the Sound of Providence, so I didn’t wanna end up disappointed. I was wrong. It is amazing. At no point did the different cast throw me off; absolutely incredible job done by everyone involved. Visually stunning, intricate plot, excellent horror elements. Ends in a cliffhanger so be wary if it’s the only season you plan to consume. If Xiao Ge is your weak spot, this season will fuck you up hard. 9/10
The Lost Tomb (2015) - based on Grave Robbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei. The first, and by many accounts, the most shoddily done season of the Lost Tomb. That said, I love it to pieces. Wu Xie wears a studded belt like it’s 2009, and Xiao Ge has peak emo hair. Prime pingxie fanfic material. Absolutely ridiculous and enormously entertaining. A an absolute gem of a drama that deserves a cult following. 8/10
The Legends - based on xianxia novel Ostentatious Zhao Yao by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang. This meandered to hades and back, multiple times, for the entirety of the 56 episodes. Beautiful visuals, set designs, and choreography. Depressing as fuck. An emotional rollercoaster that Love and Redemption can only dream about, without the bonus of the happy ending. I was mentally numb to every aspect of it by episode 40. However, Xu Kai is pretty amazing in this role, and this drama is the sole reason why I’m willing to fancast him as Hua Cheng, so take from that what you will. 6/10
Douluo Continent- based on xuanhuan novel Douluo Dalu by Tang Jia San Shao. Probably the most entertaining, fast paced drama I’ll watch this year. Interesting premise and a plot that doesn’t meander. Contains the first het couple I’ve been invested in so far this year. Immensely satisfying found family tropes, plethora of female characters, relatively satisfying ending, especially considering that season 2 is uncertain, and may not have the same cast. 9/10
Still in the process of watching:
My Roommate is a Detective
Detective L
The Lost Tomb 2
Looking forward to:
Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi
Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan
Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi
The Wind Blows From Longxi - based on historical novel of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu
Sword Snow Stride - based on the xuanhuan novel The Snowy Path of the Heroic Blade by 烽火戏诸侯 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Hu Jun
Heaven Official’s Blessing - based on danmei novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - cast unknown
Thousand Autumns - based on danmei novel of the same name by Meng Xi Shi - cast unknown
Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin
A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran
Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin
The Long Ballad - based on wuxia manhua by 夏达 starring Dilraba Dilmurat and Wu Lei
Luoyang - based on a historical drama of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Wang Yibo and Huang Xuan
The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao
Jade Bone Ballad - based on xianxia novel Mirror: Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong
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