‘My Journey to You’: Episode 1 Run-down — a Spy Drama That Needs More Spying

EPISODE 1 RECAP

My Journey to You starts out with two spies successfully infiltrating a manor. One of them is the female lead of the drama Yun Weishan (Esther Yu), and the other one seems to be her mentor. Not like “Shifu” mentor, but like an older brother figure who trained her for this mission, who wears an unnecessary amount of eye-shadow, by the way.

Once they shot everyone unconscious, Weishan puts on a wedding robe that was supposed to be for the lady of this manor and the two of them review the mission.

Weishan insists she already understands what to do, but the mentor insists they need to lay everything out again. Well, come on, Weishan, just let the man talk, how else are you gonna give expositions to the audience?

Here goes: Weishan’s job is to pretend to be one of the brides sent to the Gong manor this season in order to infiltrate their family. They have a strong security system so this is a very dangerous mission.

The reason Weishan agreed to do it is because the success of the mission will earn her her freedom.

Now, the Gong family, according to Weishan’s mentor, has unique standards for the women they choose for their sons. They already have everything they want in terms of money and status, so their only requirement is the women who are married into their family are able to produce heirs who, in turn, will continue to manage their business. Erm… that’s it? Isn’t that, like, the goal of every single parent in Asian dramas? I’m pretty sure the writers just put this in to facilitate the forced-proximity romance.

Anyway, at some point during their training, Weishan’s mentor hands her a book with a red cover which he is sure can help her with the mission.

We don’t know what kind of book it is, but Weishan takes one look at it and then flees from her seat while the guy gives her a sly smile.

If nobody tells me what that book’s title says, I’m going to assume it’s smut instructions.

However, the bosses of the spy organization don’t want to leave such an important job to Weishan alone, so they train another girl for the same mission. Their plan is: they will let one of the two girls be discovered and killed, which will make it safer for the other one to operate. Ruthless, but effective, I guess.

On the day when all these women arrive at the Gong family, Lord Gong – the father – has already been informed that one of them is a spy. So he decides to do what all old men in these dramas do: execute them all. How’s this a good idea, though? Even if you’re the most powerful clan in the entire kingdom, you still need a good reputation and maintain good relationships with other families to survive, right? How is killing off your daughters-in-law going to achieve that?

Thankfully, the two sons of the Gong family are smarter than their dad. One of them is quiet and logical, and the other one – the male lead Gong Ziyu (Zhang Linghe) – is rash but kind. When the girls are knocked out and placed in prison, he makes a plan to get them out. Maybe Gong Ziyu has ulterior motives, but for now, I don’t see anything but “nice” on his face.

So, despite the father’s order, Gong Ziyu breaks into the mansion’s prison and leads the girls out. Weishan runs off on her own but is caught by him shortly. This might be one of her plans to test the water, but anyway, they share a moment before the whole plan gets ruined because a new guy in black shoots down from the roof in the middle of the night and blocks their way out.

COMMENTS

My first impression of this drama – which is only based on the first 3 episodes, okay? – is that it seems to be more style than substance.

While presenting itself as a spy drama, the “mystery” part of the story is frequently sacrificed for slow-mo, unnecessary revelations, and unrealistic world-building arrangements.

While it’s true that viewers should expect unrealistic plot lines and even fantasy elements when there are people flying over roofs and flipping in midair like physics doesn’t exist, but how much suspension of disbelief is required from the viewers is something this drama is still struggling to answer. At least in these initial episodes.

At points, characters carry out their missions in theatrical fashions; conversations get drawn out for dramatic effects; and time is wasted on whispers about how dangerous something is without showing the actual danger in question.

There are scenes where characters would explain directly what just happened in previous scenes when it couldn’t be clearer to the audience what happened. The purpose of these conversations is supposedly to show how secretive and capable the spy organization is, but they become less mysterious because of this narrative style.

During these scenes, two (there may be more) leaders of the spy squad would sit in a small structure that looks like a shrine and communicate down their wishes to the spies as if they were gods. While it makes for a few suspenseful moments, it also makes you question the effectiveness of this organization.

Does this arrangement happen because these leaders’ identities are supposed to be kept secret, or because they are only subordinates putting on a show by their leaders’ order? Either way, it is too extra and dramatic a performance to be taken seriously by the audience and by the characters around. How could these guys not laugh during these info-exchange sessions is quite a mystery.

On top of that, every single action is presented to be the most crucial, the most epic thing that ever happens on the screen, which dilutes the effect of the truly important scenes when they come.

All being said, My Journey to You is definitely worth a try. First off, the costumes and sets are a visual treat, and the acting isn’t bad. It may look juvenile if you go in expecting a spy drama with a tight plot and heavy emphasis on espionage, but keep in mind that the relationship aspect is what ultimately drives this story and everything will become a lot better.

Orchid and Changheng shipper? This drama might just have been made for you.