A Journey to Love 一念关山 [2023]

[OsmanthusTea]

 

 

 

 

Love the styling for the ladies in this drama but unfortunately not for the men. Those men has either dried damage hair or messy unruly weird bangs....They seem to have a troop of stylist with different level of skills and taste, hating each other and refused to read the memos....

 

@Tofu

I do think he isn't the baddy they think he is. Most likely the hostage Emperor is the baddy. I'm only on eps 4 so not much information.

[Tofu]

Liu Yuning sang the opening OST at the Weibo event yesterday. 

 

He also picked up an award too. 

Spoiler

 

 

Same with Liu Shishi.

Spoiler

 

 

[OsmanthusTea]

All the men in the diplomatic envoy are more gossipy than a coven of desperate housewives.....  Even the stoic and macho heavy sabre wielder Qian Zhao.....

[Tofu]

@OsmanthusTea It's so unexpected which makes me like them even more. There's always something about other people's drama that makes things more interesting. 

[OsmanthusTea]

I’m on eps 16 and loving how the little princess has grown so much. She personally inserted the lovely blade and twisted it inside the sweet chest of her scumbag lover 💪🏻

Edited December 7, 2023 by OsmanthusTea

[OsmanthusTea]

 

 

 

Bwahahahahahahahaha.........

[IpohBanana]

@40somethingahjumma I have been in like with Alen Fang for a long time, glad you think kindly of him in this drama. 

He has typically been casted in the supporting role, for whatever reasons, and even if he took on the lead role, it was not in a drama with a good script, so I hope this time, he will at least get noticed a bit more for future projects.

 

As for Liu Yu Ning, I think my wish came true and he is going to be paired with Zhao Lu Si in another new drama - though sometimes these things can fail miserably because of the plot. Let's see.

 

Yah, poor tall chap (LYN) was getting such a beating about his looks - not good looking enough, etc. China viewers can be extremely blunt and cruel, he didn't graduate from acting school so he has had to pick up the trade from on-the-job training, but I think he doesn't lack in terms of on-screen presence and the right attitude.  But I must say, besides his hard work, he has quite a bit of luck/ good interpersonal connections. I recall he mentioned that he got the role in Legend of Anle from attending a celebration dinner, and the director signed him up for the role just like that, over dinner!

[Tofu]

The pettiness of these boys, hahahaha!

 

 

[OsmanthusTea]

@Tofu

I'm really wish that another better actor was casted as LTG instead. This is a meaty role with a great potential as a scene stealer if it's done right but this guy is too green. A seasoned actor can turned LTG into Li Cheng Yin/Gu Xiao Wu. Such a waste....

[SilverMoonTea]

Their love is so endearing. Like the way he hold her hand and saying that he will become tamed husband who will following her around 

 

@OsmanthusTeasaid it's out of character Ning got so jealous of LTG. I said to her, LTG is a young fresh meat 😆

[Tofu]

@OsmanthusTea Haha! I've been complaining to @SilverMoonTea about LTG. I'm like, "who is this brat, please get out of the way". Haha!

 

To me, it's been those more important scenes where you can really see his weakness in acting abilities. Outside of those scenes, he's ok. I looked up the actor and apparently, I've seen him in two other dramas. I do not remember who he played in those two dramas. 😅

 

11 hours ago, IpohBanana said:

I hope this time, he will at least get noticed a bit more for future projects.

I low-key hope that he continue to escort princesses with Liu Yuning. They are so funny together, always bantering. Maybe next time, he can be the ML and LYN will be his right hand man. Haha!

 

11 hours ago, IpohBanana said:

Yah, poor tall chap (LYN) was getting such a beating about his looks - not good looking enough, etc

They have high standards because I think LYN is a very handsome man. I didn't realize how much people were telling him this. He's addressed it so many times I've lost count. Are people upset that he went from an influencer to an actor? Or that he's a singer turned actor? I guess, I don't understand and a part of me don't know if I should try to understand. 

 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

2 minutes ago, Tofu said:

 

They have high standards because I think LYN is a very handsome man. I didn't realize how much people were telling him this. He's addressed it so many times I've lost count. Are people upset that he went from an influencer to an actor? Or that he's a singer turned actor? I guess, I don't understand and a part of me don't know if I should try to understand. 

 

I'm also totally confused with this. And actually isn't it more meaningful that he started as commoner, I heard he was a chef before. I think he must be very persistent to be able to reach what he have now. I also don't think I'll be able to understand netizen. Nevertheless he still number 1 though. 

 

 

[Tofu]

@SilverMoonTea Maybe they are channeling LTG and being a bit delulu. 

[40somethingahjumma]

Good to see you here @IpohBanana. I can't watch the show right now (up to 18) as I'm travelling and the internet here is not great. On top of that I'm sharing it with others.

 

I've always thought that Alen Fang is decent actor with good eye acting even in The Long Ballad where playing that character Wei Shuyu was a thankless task. What he needed was the right script. I've seen a few of his shows and this one has done justice to his talents. 

 

If this show doesn't screw up the ending, this will be at the very least my favourite C drama of the year. I've liked a few but this one has everything in it. But the characters especially those in the delegation are the best thing about it. They are all different and bring something entertaining to the table.

 

@Tofu I wish they had chosen a more experienced actor to play Li Tongguang. This actor can't give me the nuance I'm looking for in a character like this. He doesn't annoy me so far but his obsession with Ruyi feels Oedipal. He definitely comes across as having attachment issues. 

 

While Liu Yuning is not the most handsome male lead I've been privy to, he is really not that bad looking. At certain angles he reminds me of Nam Joo-hyuk which no one would ever say was ugly. Social media is what it is and I'm surprised anyone takes the comments of know-nothing youngsters and continue to repeat it ad nauseum. It's contemptible. And we should not dignify it with commentary but I keep seeing it on various platforms. 

 

Is it really that important that Ning Yuanzhou be good looking? He's a spy master and an intelligence analyst. His looks don't matter. Completely irrelevant as far as his character is concerned. It's not what makes him an attractive leader or what attracts Ruyi to him. 

[Tofu]

Princess Yang Ying's character growth is by far one of my favorite. From the beginning of their journey to now, she's learned so many valuable lessons and have grown so much. Yuanzhou telling her that he's glad she's not like the Wu Emperor must have been good to hear. I love her interactions with Yuan Lu and I'm hoping only for good things with their relationship. 

 

I was not able to watch all of today's episodes, but it seems like Li Tongguang will find out Ruyi is Ren Xin. As much as I love to hate him, I do empathize for him. He has abandonment issue that he has yet to address. I hope that he is able to process through that issue soon, because his obsession with Ruyi is wearing thin on me. 

 

@IpohBanana @40somethingahjumma Finding the right script with the right character can take a long time for some actors/actresses. While I've only seen Alen in one other project, I like him as Shisan more than his character in the Long Ballad. I don't think the latter did him any justify with the character he played. He was quite forgettable in Long Ballad because there were so many other stronger characters with better development. It seems like he finished filming a costume drama this summer, so hopefully, it'll be a good one when it comes out! 

 

 

[Tofu]

Liu Yuning's Interview. 

 

 

[peperomia]

Just started this and already really liking it at ep 7. The elements of wuxia and court politics are well-balanced and well-developed which I feel are a rarity nowadays. Of course, the romance gives me the warm fuzzies. I like the slow-burn and push/pull with Ruyi's persistence and Yuanzhou's resistance. LOL. But seriously though, Yuanzhou won me over when he said he wants Ruyi to know there are many interesting things to experience in the world besides killing. I thought okay, the English title is kinda clicking now. Will we actually get to see baby "Xiaochuan" by the end of their journey? 😏😂

 

I like that Ruyi and Yuanzhou are strong characters equally and individually. Together, they might end up being one of my favorite wuxia pairings in a long while. And as a whole, the envoy crew might be one of my favorite squads.

- - - - - -

Oh boy. From skimming the comments, it looks like I need to brace myself for an overly obsessive character. I was hoping Li Tongguang would be an interesting character (maybe a wild card) on the An side.

[Tofu]

1 hour ago, peperomia said:

I was hoping Li Tongguang would be an interesting character (maybe a wild card) on the An side.

He's still very much a wild card with a dose of manic when Ruyi is mentioned or around him. He's a smart guy, but he lose all functionality when he's in a manic state.

 

[Tofu]

I hope this drama protects these babies at all cost. 

 

[OsmanthusTea]

 

I like LTG when he isn't obsessing over his Shifu. He is a strong and smart man but Shifu presence turns him into a complete 变态. I know many prefer Yang Ying with YuanLu but I would like LTG with her instead.

Edited December 12, 2023 by OsmanthusTea

[Tofu]

@OsmanthusTea I know! When he's not obsessing over her, I actually really like him. He's very smart and you can tell he actually is a bit compassionate towards people. His abandonment trauma is so strong and he's struggling with it. I hope Li Tongguang gets the character growth he deserves because if he continues to be like this, I don't know how much of him I can watch. 

 

Li Tongguang with Yang Ying would be a nice twist, but Yang Ying's and Yuan Lu's comradery is so admirable. I think these two are closer in age too. Yang Ying is 16, Yuan Lu is 18, and Li Tongguang is 22. The rest of the A-Team is in their late 20s to early 30s. 

[peperomia]

I’m only on ep 9 so I can't comment on Yang Ying’s preferred love interest. Just wanted to say though that I have high hopes for her as a person of high power in the state of Wu. Ruyi seems to believe in her potential and so do I. I would like to see the experience and knowledge that she gains from her journey outside the place to be meaningful. I hate to say this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some lives are sacrificed for peace by the end, so I hope for her role and growth will be impactful.

 

Yuan Lu has a heart of gold so I totally understand why everyone wants to protect him at all costs.

[Tofu]

The two fight in real life for Ruyi's affections too. Haha!

 

 

[Tofu]

6 hours ago, peperomia said:

I hate to say this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some lives are sacrificed for peace by the end, so I hope for her role and growth will be impactful.

From my experience of watching wuxia dramas, usually one of the main characters is sacrificed. With Yuan Lu's illness, the drama is setting it up to be him, but it could very well be Yuanzhou or Ruyi too. I really hope everyone is alive and happy at the end. 

 

I thought this scene was very touching and it shows how much Yuanzhou loves Ruyi. I don't think I would get in an ice bath for anyone. I would just dump them in the ice bath instead. 

 

[peperomia]

22 hours ago, Tofu said:

From my experience of watching wuxia dramas, usually one of the main characters is sacrificed. With Yuan Lu's illness, the drama is setting it up to be him, but it could very well be Yuanzhou or Ruyi too. I really hope everyone is alive and happy at the end.

 

My experience from watching costume dramas is similar, but I hope this story won't follow suit. I want everyone to be alive and happy at the end too. Yuan Lu has to live past 20+!

 

I was able to power through some more episodes last night. I’m at ep 12. I thought it was a good stopping point where Yuanzhou and Ruyi are officially together. I loved how their baby talk circled back and played a part with them confirming their relationship (and commitment). I couldn’t help but smile when Yuanzhou surprised Ruyi by finally agreeing to having a baby together, but the right time is when the mission is over. I believe their plan is to retire and live peacefully. This part made me really hope they achieve their happy ending. The rest of the family too.

 

22 hours ago, Tofu said:

I thought this scene was very touching and it shows how much Yuanzhou loves Ruyi. I don't think I would get in an ice bath for anyone. I would just dump them in the ice bath instead. 

 

Looks like there will be some sweet and touching scenes coming my way. Yuanzhou makes me want to be Ruyi. But yeah, I wouldn't get into an ice bath for anyone either. LOL.