A Journey to Love (2023) - Final Review

Final review/rating: A Journey to Love (2023) - Wuxia meets politics as a princess, an assassin, and a squad of spies embark on mission impossible

This is 9/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         9 Stars Plot:                       8 Stars Acting/cast:            9 Stars Couple chemistry:   8 stars Music:                    9 Stars Re-watch value:      9 Stars Enjoyment factor:   9 Stars

Based on an original screenplay, A Journey to Love (2023) is an engaging blend of wuxia and politics.  The narrative centres around the journey of a delegation that embark on mission impossible: the rescue of their undeserving Emperor from the hands of a hostile State. Although they (and we) know it is essentially a suicide mission, there is so much thrilling heroics, hilarity, and hijinks along the way that it is impossible not to fall in love with the squad and to be invested in their story.  I found myself fervently hoping that their plot armour would hold forever and that they would all make it home.   

The English title of the drama is serviceable, but I much prefer the Chinese title, 《一念關山》/《一念关山》 "A Thought of Fortresses and Mountains". It is derived from "一念起關山", the penultimate line of Shen Yue 沈约's frontier poem 《卻東西門行》/《却东西门行》 But the East West Gate (which I have attempted a more detailed commentary + translation of 👉here).   

In brief, the line "一念起關山" expresses the poet's yearning for the fortresses and mountains that delineate and protect his country. Given the drama's themes, the choice of title is incredibly apt, poetically evoking the delegation's love of country and their desire to protect its frontiers, as well as their yearning to return home.  

Notably, A Journey to Love (2023) heralds the comeback of veteran actress Liu Shi Shi, as well as the first main male lead role for Liu Yu Ning in a costume drama. Their kickass power couple of deadly assassin Ren Ru Yi and Chief Ning Yuan Zhou blew me away with their awesomeness.  Liu Shi Shi is a delight to watch, especially in her mesmerisingly good fighting scenes, and although Liu Yu Ning's acting is a work in progress, I think he holds his own.  I fell for them, as well as for every member of the squad (especially Fang Yi Lun's Yu Shi Shan) like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Although I enjoyed this drama, it isn't without its flaws. A tendency to focus on characterisation at the expense of plot meant that midway through there was a marked decrease in momentum, and the rush to the ending could have been better conceived and executed. But overall, it is still a drama that scores a solid 9 from me, because there was just so much to love.

   

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) - Final Review

Final review/rating: Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) - All aboard the Lotus Flower RV for a fantastic tale of wuxia, mystery, and brotherhood

This is 9/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         9 Stars Plot:                       9 Stars Acting/cast:            9 Stars Chemistry:              9 stars Music:                     9 Stars Re-watch value:       9 Stars Enjoyment factor:    9 Stars

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) reminds me of why I love the wuxia and detective genres so much - the drama is a fantastic combo of both.

A wonderfully witty script, fascinating characters, and action packed scenes full of thrilling choreography as befits a wuxia, this drama had me hooked from the first episode right to the very end.  The ten cases are certainly interesting enough, but the draw for me was the bromance between the trio of male leads (Cheng Yi, Zeng Shun Xi, and Xiao Shun Yao), which was both hilarious and deeply moving. 

For those who find the staple fluffy c-drama romance tiresome, this drama largely eschews the usual romantic tropes and instead focuses on the close bonds of platonic male friendship and found family.     

Honestly, I wanted the trio to continue their travels in the lotus tower RV, solving mysteries and having jianghu adventures together forever. But in many ways, this drama is about letting go and saying farewell. There is bitter-sweetness in having to acknowledge that all good things come to an end, but sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.    

Also, can I just say I want a lotus tower RV of my own. The one in the drama looked so damn cool...

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Chinese title: 蓮花樓 / 莲花楼 (Eng translation: "Lotus Flower Tower") 

Episodes: 40 + 1 short special episode

Genre: Wuxia, mystery/detective, historical

Original network:  iQiyi

Release date:        23 Jul 2023

Airing schedule:    23 Jul 2023 - 9 Aug 2023

Synopsis: 

Ten years ago, the leader of the Si Gu sect Li Xiang Yi was the best swordsman in the world and the shining light of wulin. But both Li Xiang Yi and leader of the Jin Yuan alliance Di Fei Sheng disappear after a deathly duel in the Eastern Sea, leaving both the Si Gu sect and Jin Yuan alliance in disarray.  

Ten years later, countryside physician Li Lian Hua travels the world, with his faithful dog and a lotus tower in tow.  He inadvertently becomes famous for his medical prowess and is reluctantly dragged into the jianghu which he no longer wishes to be a part of. 

Along the way, Li Lian Hua meets Fang Duo Bing, who dreams of becoming a hero. Fang Duo Bing suspects that Li Lian Hua is not who he seems and is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.  Meanwhile, Di Fei Sheng remerges in jianghu, recognises that Li Lian Hua is none other than Li Xiang Yi, and demands a rematch.

  

Till the End of the Moon (2023) - Final Review

Final review/rating: Till the End of the Moon (2023) - A xianxia trolley dilemma and a Devil God that will break your heart

This is 9.5/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼

Overall rating:         9.5 Stars Plot:                       9 Stars Acting/cast:            10 Stars Couple chemistry:   10 stars Music:                    8 Stars Re-watch value:      9.5 Stars Enjoyment factor:   10 Stars

It's fair to say that Till the End of the Moon (2023) (TTEOTM) opened to sky-high expectations, jumping from 1 million reservations on Youku in September 2022 to 5 million by 5 April, 2023, just prior to its premiere. After all, it is a S+ production, headed by the incomparable Luo Yun Xi and Bai Lu in their second collaboration, in a no expenses spared extravaganza of a xianxia drama.  It's also based on a deliciously dark source novel《黑月光拿稳BE剧本》"Black Moonlight holds the BE script", with a deliciously dark anti-hero.

So between censorship and expectations, it was probably never going to be all things for all people.  But from the moment the strains of a gothic-esque organ started blasting and the voice of Liu Yu Ning began to sing the opening theme, I was ready.  So, so ready.  

Is TTEOTM perfect? No. But is it entertaining? Hell yes! What a feast for the senses!  It will surely be hard to beat for sheer spectacle, state of the art CGI and special effects, and the rollercoaster of angst and anguish that it delivers with gorgeous leads who act their hearts out and share off-the-charts chemistry. Indeed, the truly god-level acting from Luo Yun Xi, who gives an intoxicating, heartbreakingly good, multi-faceted performance is worth the price of admission alone. That, and the way he rocks perfect eyeliner and his xianxia couture wardrobe with 360 degree perfection. And his voice... 

It is probably best to watch TTEOTM with the heart rather than the mind as there are way too many artefacts, parallel timelines, avoidable misunderstandings, and unanswered questions about predestination and free-will that are not always neatly resolved in the drama.  Just sit back, and let the addictive bitter-sweet angst of TTEOTM wash over you. It may break your heart, but I for one, do not regret letting it do that to mine.   

SPOILERS AHEADS

  

Till the End of the Moon (2023) - Synopsis

Drama info:

Title:  Till the End of the Moon 

Chinese title:  长月烬明 / 長月燼明 (Eng translation: "Lengthy moon, ashes bright") 

Episodes: 40

Genre: Xianxia, fantasy, romance

Original network:  Youku

Release date:        6 April 2023

Airing schedule:    6 April 2023 - 9 May 2023

Synopsis:

The invincible devil god Tantai Jin rules supreme over a helpless world, wrecking havoc and destruction in the three realms.  

To save the the world, immortal Li Su Su travels 500 years back in time and assumes the identity of Ye Xi Wu, with the aim of destroying Tantai Jin before he can become the demon lord. But as Ye Xi Wu, she is married to the young Tantai Jin, a mortal hostage prince from the Jing kingdom whose tortured past and painful present give her pause. Her quest becomes complicated when she develops feelings for Tantai Jin, and he for her.

Three keys hold the fate of changing their destiny and that of the world: a dream, a teardrop, and a single love thread...