There isn’t a lot of joy so I’m not sure why it’s titled that way in English.
The idea that this is a modern man’s story adds a fresh perspective which is refreshing. Points to the music also being modern.
The first 2/3 are interesting and great, Then he goes on a mission and then a dozen new characters get dumped in without any real character development. The last 16 episodes then feel like any other palace intrigue drama with lots and lots of talk and then more and more talk. I wish they found a better way to keep this as fresh as the first part.
Also one plot twist was so freaking obvious that I felt the character was stupid for not seeing it.
Anyway, obviously there’s is a lot more story left since this ends on a cliffhanger.
Despite my drawbacks, I will be tuning in for the next season.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Masterpiece that is Joy of Life
First off I must say I gave this drama 10 stars rating at completion, but due to the score I gave for music at this review, overall rating got pulled down to 9....There are already soooo many reviews praising this drama on its plot and script (well deserved praises!!!), so I thought I would go in a different direction, and talk on a few points that few would have talked on.
THE CAST
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There are some dramas where there is cast magic (eg: Guardian, Ashes of Love, Once Upon a Time in Ling Jian Mountain), even if the cast magic did not captivate you at first, it works into your heart by middle of drama (eg: Scarlet Heart, Untamed, Love & Destiny)-- Joy of Life is the rare cdrama masterpiece that lacks this. Other then Chen Dao Ming and Wu Gang, the rest including the leading actors felt replaceable.... I love Zhang Ruo Yun! First saw him in Novoland Sky Castle 1 and fell in love with his ice-cold portrayal of the prince. But.... although he performed much better here, and JOL is also a much better drama, I would be remembering him as Feng Tian Yi from Novoland. Maybe it is personal taste, but the cast magic failed to captivate me. Somehow Zhang Ruo Yun does not "own" Fan Xian as much as he did as Feng Tian Yi. Even Tian Yu who put up an excellent performance as Wang Qi Nian did not "own" his role too. For me, only Chen Dao Ming (Emperor of Qing) and Wu Gang (Director Chen Ping Ping) stood out.
Acting wise, everyone is at top game!! Just a few supporting actors who were a bit weak, but nothing that would spoil your enjoyment of the drama ;)
THE MUSIC
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The background music can be quite off-putting at the beginning, for about the first 10, 13 eps. I wish it could have been less... but I guess the production team wanted to emphasize on the fun and comedic moments. This was why I dropped JoL initially -_-" Was excited when I saw Zhang Ruo Yun is leading this, watched it and dropped around ep 4 ~ 6 because I couldn't stomach the bgm..... All the rave reviews and high praise brought me back to this, and I AM VERY GLAD I persisted.
This is an excellent drama: with dynasty politics and schemes that make sense and do not felt too exaggerated, and I especially admire the finale eps. Director and scriptwriter are too good-- after relaxing the pace in the 3rd and 2nd last ep, filling these with extra scenes that are entertaining but adds no value to plot development, they suddenly gear up and gave us a punch-in-guts finale ep! Some might hate this (lol) but I especially love it! The impact of what they want to leave us with, to look forward to Season 2, felt especially sharp by relaxing the pace to comedy and self-reflection (you will understand this when you watch the drama), then sudden "fireworks" at the ending. Not sure if I'm making sense here, not quite sure how to express that ending in words. Looking forward to Season 2 ^^
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This review may contain spoilers
Journey ahead is full of dangers. Do you still want to step on this path and know who your enemy is?
🍁OVERVIEW OF PLOT:-Fan Xian, the illegitimate son of Fan Jian, grew up far from the capital city in Danzhou, in the care of his grandmother. From the very young age, Fan Xian has intelligence of adults and memory of an entirely different era which in not even recorded in the history books of Qing Kingdom. His mother was killed shortly after giving birth to him and left him in the protection of her blind guard-cum-friend Wu Zhu, who is not less than a grandmaster of martial arts.
At the very young age, Fan Xian mastered the martial arts as well as poisons. As he grows up, he wanted to explore the capital city and live a carefree life there.
Finally, Fan Xian was invited to return to the capital city but an assassination attempted to kill him, breached his peace of mind. This made him to question his identity. He decided to investigate the perpetrator and why someone wants to take his insignificant life.
He returned to capital and get to know that he is already engaged with someone he never had seen before. After a number of events, he found out that his mother, Ye Qing Mei, was a mysterious yet genius lady, some very powerful people in capital favour him and are his backers because of his mother.
What's so special about Fan Xian that makes these powerful people favour him? What kind of person his mother was and how and why was she killed? What relation had she with those powerful people? Why so many people wants to kill Fan Xian? Why has he the memory of a different world? Will he ever be able to live his life care freely when everyone is plotting against him at every step?
Dive in to know more.
🍁KEY CHARACTERS:-
🌿Fan Xian (Zhang Ruo Yun) :- Genius at learning things, untamed, playful and crafty, combined with a loyal and warm heart. He has sense of humour that no one can match upto. Always unexpected, especially in dire situations. Exceptional in martial arts and poison at his young age. However crafty and powerful he is, he never lack compassion towards innocent or tried to covet power. His every action has solid reasons which we can't even imagine. He stands out with his abilities and genuine care for his family and friends. An unparalleled male lead I have ever encountered.
🌿Chen Ping Ping (Wu Gang) :- Director of Overwatch Council and a slick person. His schemes precede him. His cunningness and ruthlessness always masked under his warm demeanour. His schemes will leave you in awe.
🌿Emperor of Qing (Chen Duo Ming) :- A person whose thoughts are deep hidden in his heart and no one has ever seen through him. Nothing can escape his sight. What he really wants is yet to be revealed and no one has ever been able to figure it out. He trusts nobody and also has a warm demeanour, yet his ruthlessness and scheming are no child's play. The best chessmaster.
🌿Wang Qi Nian (Tian Yu) :- He works in Overwatch Council. Excellent in tracking someone and a money lover. He is funny and cunning at the same time.
🌿Lin Wan'er (Li Qin) :- The illegitimate daughter of Princess Royal Li Yun Rui and Prime Minister Lin Ruo Fu. She is a sickly and gentle girl. A arrange marriage with Fan Xian was bestowed upon her by Emperor and she is the key to control Imperial Treasury.
🍁MY VIEWS:-
This is such an interesting drama from starting to the end. The story itself is captivating, so are the characters. I couldn't help myself but to binge watched it. It's full of action, adventure, mystery and political intrigue that never been seen before, with balanced humour sprinkled throughout the drama. Every second spent to watch this, is definitely worth.
Storyline is one of the best I have ever seen in dramas so far. It keeps the audience guessing all the time as to what will happen next, no matter how much you try to guess, it never turns out to be exactly what you thought but is always unexpected. The schemes will blow your mind. Every action, every detail, every expression of characters is crucial to the plot. The story unravels like an onion, just when you start to think you can predict the next action of the characters or the plot, there’s always more to it than meets the eye. When you think you know who is the schemer there comes something which will play with the mind. This is one of those dramas where no matter how much you praise the writing it can never be enough. Hats off to the makers for creating such a brilliant masterpiece.
This drama is full of interesting characters. Not only the male lead but support characters are fascinating. Most of the characters are multi-layered and capricious. No character is poker-faced. Fan Xian, Chen Ping Ping, Princes, Li Yun Rui and Emperor Qing are some of those which will make you thrilled with their schemes and actions. Never trust them fully, there is always something hidden, even in their micro-expressions. The Emperor Qing is the most sharp and scheming emperor I have ever encountered in dramaworld. Wang Qi Nian, Fan Ruo Ruo, Uncle Wu Zhu, Prime Minister Lin and Fan Jian are also noteworthy.
I loved how Fan Xian handled his relationships, whether it was with his family and friends or his enemies. Drama doesn't focus on romance so it feels somewhat cliché. Despite her being significant to the story, Female lead character is not developed well enough, so is her screen presence. But there are some other female characters like Li Yun Rui, Haitang Duo Duo, Emperor Qi and Fan Ruo Ruo who are worthy of praise.
🍁ACTING:-
Speaking of acting and casting, I can’t imagine anyone else other than Zhang Ruo Yun as Fan Xian. His physique is perfect for this role and his acting didn't let me down. How shameless, cunning and ruthless Fan Xian is and just, funny and warm-hearted at the same time! Zhang Ruo Yun perfectly nailed this character. Other actors like Wu Gang (Chen Ping Ping), Chen Duo Ming (Emperor Qing), Liu Duan Duan (Li Cheng Ze), Tian Yu (Wang Qi Nian) and Gao Shu Gong (Fan Jian) also did marvelous job with their characters. Additionally, the child actor played Young Fan Xian also gave remarkable performance. All other casts also did a great job.
🍁OTHER ELEMENTS:-
There are some modern elements added in the drama which make it more fun to watch as it's also a sci-fi and Fan Xian has the memory of 21st century.
If we talk about costumes, the production is done well, so are the costumes, especially for Fan Xian. All the action scenes are certainly splendid. OSTs, I would say are average.
🍁ENDING AND RECOMMENDATION:-
We still have two more seasons up ahead so it's understandable that the ending is a cliffhanger. There remains many schemes yet to come into light. But by the end of this season, Fan Xian now has a life goal to achieve. I'm excited for the season 2.
"The wind so swift, the sky so wide, apes wail and cry; Water so clear and beach so white, birds wheel and fly.
The boundless forest sheds lits leaves shower by shower; The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.
A thousand miles from home, I'm grieved at autumn's plight; I'll now and then for years, alone I'm on this height.
Living in times so hard, at frosted hair I pine; Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine."
- Fan Xian
For me Joy of life refers to when you have someone to protect with your life. This is a must watch drama without any doubt. Highly recommended from me.
A True Masterpiece!
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Highly humorous and secrets keep unraveling...
This drama was highly humorous. I watched it a second time and added this first paragraph. After five years, I could not remember many of the sub-plots while watching season 2. Season 2 made a lot of references to events in season 1. Then I realised how good this drama was. Exchanges were witty and the characters were scheming enough. I kept wonder what Fan Xian was going to do next when sabotaged.If you are reading this review to figure out whether you should watch this period drama, I say I highly recommend it. It had all the hygiene factors of an excellent drama - interesting story, excellent acting, handsome lead actors, pretty actresses, lovely costumes, beautiful cinematography and melodious theme songs - elements that many contemporary Chinese dramas exhibit. The story around the lead character was mysterious. Things were always not what it seemed to be. Just as the story unveiled a perpetrator behind the assassination of Fan Xian, another revelation was uncovered. This is only season 1, and the story ended at less than the mid-point of the story.
However, if you are watching this because of Xiao Zhan, then you might be disappointed. He only appeared towards the last few episodes and he was a far cry from his outstanding performance in the Untamed. The role in this story did not suit him at all. The character was like a block of wood and did not give him the chance to perform his best. It is likely he would appear in future seasons and I hope he does better.
Chinese dramas can be very creative but in general tend to demonstrate a lot of weaknesses in the stories as well. In this drama, the link of the story to the writer and professor was quite redundant. Even if this link was removed, the drama could have proceeded well, so creating this link was really not necessary.
The actress playing the part of Fan Xiao's mother was a rather poor fit. When the episode showed her coming out of the mysterious temple, I was expecting the dramatic appearance of someone exceptionally beautiful and intelligent, but was rather disappointed to find a seemingly silly teenage girl with crooked teeth. She might have done well in a role of a bubbly teenage girl but did not fit the important role of Fan Xian's mum who was to have an immense impact on the politics and a highly successful business woman. Since it was a very short appearance, it seemed like she was just conveniently roped in - perhaps the more established actresses do not want the role.
I think details in the stories are something that Chinese dramas need to work on to perfect their dramas. Even successful epics often demonstrate illogical bits, highly stretched parts that do not gel together well or scenes conveniently thrown together to make the story progress as desired. Someone needs to fine-combed through the scripts to sieve out these bits without dampening the story, or better still, enhance it.
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Boring
BORING AF! Dont get the high ratings must be peer pressure because No way this has 9.0😂Its just Meh to me. I’ve watched other drama with high ratings much better than this. The story is crappy, It just drags on and on. dropping at Episode 8 because no way I’m wasting my hours, life and time watching this. Y’all must be succumbing to peer pressure that’s the only thing I can think of because No Blooooooody Way!!!!
That’s my personal opinion, I’m not about to tussle with you guys. Y’all get a life😂
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Now coming to what I did not like. The characters are so short lived except for the main ones. They will start showing a guy and lots of talk about how great or powerful he is and then boom dead or gone or don't appear again. And Few important roles have very limited screen time such as the female lead. And Romance. There is absolutely no chemistry between the leads and I still wonder who really is the female lead. And as the drama progresses, there is just lot of talking about the scheme and it doesn't give you that kick. And for the main character just blurts out everything to his companion whoever it is and everything goes according to his plan throughout the series. I mean come on, give him some unexpected twist or something.
And some point in the story, there are just lot of characters without much meaning. And in such long series, character, suspense everything grows as you progress. But in this case it was just dragging.
Basically they have tried but missed it. It could have been a really good one. But NO, it's not.
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Plot:
Despite being 46 episodes, the plot was somehow very tight and felt pretty fast-paced. The storyline was constantly evolving and changing, and there was something exciting and new happening in every episode. Usually, in dramas, I feel that the plot is predictable; however, nothing is as it seems in this drama and I felt genuine suspense and surprise. The details and complexity of the drama keep you on edge, as each layer is pulled back in every episode.
Characters:
The characters are amazing. Each character felt very unique and well developed as every character has multiple very different sides to them. All the actors and actresses did a wonderful job portraying the characters. Although, most characters didn't have many scenes (apart from the lead) every one of the characters were important to the plot and had a role in moving the story. The characters are very well developed where every antagonist was able to make me feel empathy and sorrow for them at some point. The main actor (Zhang Ruoyun) for the protagonist (Fan Xian) did an amazing job of portraying the character and his microexpressions made the character feel that much more real. I liked how the main character was not perfect and did not know everything, and at times he was very flawed. My favourite characters were Fan Xian's brother Fan Sizhe, his uncle Wuzhu, and Haitang Duoduo. Fan Sizhe was so funny, every time he entered a scene I would always laugh out loud. Wuzhu was just so cool yet cute, every time he had a fight scene my eyes would always be on him. Haitang Duoduo was such an amazing female character and she is also just so cool. She was a good fighter but was also genuine and did what made her happy.
Directing, editing and screenwriting:
I honestly think that the editing was a bit reason why this drama was so good. The editors did an amazing job and were able to perfectly combine funny and serious scenes. The screenwriters were very clever and are able to build up the plot then unravel a bit, before building it even more, then unravelling a bit, before building it to the peak. The directing was beautiful and the fight scenes have been some of the best fight scenes I have seen in a while. The fight scenes were all very well choreographed and the special effects used within them felt very natural and fitting. Honestly, the fight scenes were just so cool and reignited my want to learn martial arts.
Anyways, I made this account just to review this drama because I loved it so much. I highly recommend this drama and you should 10/10 watch Joy of Life!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Far better than almost all other Chinese dramas
Joy of Life is the rare Chinese drama that manages to be succinct, thematically cohesive, well-plotted and populated with well-written characters. It has a fairly long episode count but it makes use of each of them and doesn't drag. When I was watching this for the first time I was astounded by how many firsts I was experiencing. It is the only Chinese drama I have ever watched that has truly compelling scheming. The only drama with an emperor whose scenes I don’t want to skip. The main lead is so three-dimensional he seems to be coming alive. The world itself feels huge, but also deep — and Chinese fantasy worlds almost never do. They show a restraint with the CGI that makes it more immersive, rather than cheapening the story with poor quality graphics. When I finished it I was satisfied, but I was also very sad because I realized that I would probably never see another drama like it. With the exception, hopefully, of season two! Joy of Life is so well realized that it makes other dramas feel flat and thin in comparison.The drama would not work nearly as well if that hadn’t cast Zhang Ruo Yun as Fan Xian. This character has to embody the show. He has to feel like a relatable everyman while also being super intelligent and charming. He has to be powerful while also feeling vulnerable, so you’re scared for him. He has to surprise his opponents and overcome obstacles set against him time and time again, seemingly against all odds. ZRY absolutely pulls it off. He is enigmatic and energetic and very funny while also handling the darker and more serious aspects of the drama.
A particular side note for Chen Doaming as the Emperor. This is hands down, bar none, the best performance I have seen of an emperor in any tv show I have ever watched. He is powerful, intimidating and sometimes cruel without ever resorting to being a tyrant and having a scene where he cuts off a peasant's head, or something. He feels like he's emperor not because he was born into the royal family, but because he was meant to be emperor. It feels like no matter where or when he was born or what status he was, somehow he would end up becoming emperor. He is so imposing and exudes so much weight on screen that you hang on every word he says. But he's not just scary, he's also funny and can be strangely warm. He is always a few steps ahead of everyone else and always seems to know what's going on, in a way that makes you love him more and also be more frightened for Fan Xian. I also love that he is almost always in what appears to be his pyjamas? Or at least his lounge wear? and in his private chambers. We never see him in his full emperor's attire or in his big hall or prancing around -- he is so regal and so clearly in charge that he just reads documents in his study and the whole kingdom comes trembling in when he calls. INCREDIBLE stuff. Truly magnetic.
The rest of the cast is also excellent, filled to the brim with upcoming and new talent as well as seasoned, legendary actors. Everyone is bringing a spark to their role, making even guest appearances meaningful. Wu Gang is wonderful as the tricky, slippery Chen Ping Ping. He, the emperor and Fan Xian make up the central trio of the show, three powers that are not necessarily in opposition, but are constantly They give legitimacy and depth to their roles and storylines, and they up the stakes tremendously. There are also supporting characters that really shine, Wayne Wang as Teng Zi Jing and Tian Yu as Wang Qi Nian are especially wonderful, but really there are so many great characters that I can't name them all. It's because they are all so great that you become so emotionally invested in the show. You never feel the need to fast-forward so we can 'get back to the main character'.
The story really rips along, upping the stakes and increasing the complexity at every turn. As it does so, the great cast fills everything out and makes you really care about the characters and their plights. As the story unfolds things get weirder and weirder, and the consequences become greater, and yet the story never really loses its joy and comedy. I am often left frustrated by historical dramas that start off very light and fun and become gloomy and tragic by the end. Even though I love a good tragedy, I also often feel that the drama isn't as good the darker it gets. However, even though Joy of Life CERTAINLY has strife, tragedy and darkness in it, the brightness we get at the beginning never goes away completely, no matter what's happening. Tonally, that's a juggling act that few dramas can pull off, but this one did. It can be deeply moving and emotional as well as incredibly funny all in the same episode.
A few things that weren't as good or that I know bothered some other viewers: The character of Lin Wan'er feels flat and underdeveloped, which is sad because she is a good actress who deserves a good role. In season two I hope that her role gets expanded and her character can gain some depth so that she will feel like a better match to Fan Xian. I do love their romance, which I think is magical and sweet, and they have good chemistry, but she becomes a bit redundant. I don't just want a weak, one dimensional invalid as basically the only woman in the show! Give me some better writing please!
Additionally, I think some people weren't expecting this to be as fantastical as it is, and were put off by it. This world feels like a heightened reality. The weird secret societies, people with incredible powers, the time travel (??), the encounter with heaven (??) -- all these things feel natural and enjoyable if you're prepared for them. If you go into this show expecting a Serious Historical Epic you will be disappointed. That is not what this show is. It's a fantasy comedy drama that is honestly more enjoyable, intelligent, well-acted and suspenseful than 90% of the dramas that I have seen in the last five years, regardless of country or genre.
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Truth to be told, Fan Xian ain’t exactly a likeable character. The more I thought about his actions, the more pretentious he seemed - to the point I was actually anticipating someone putting him in place, even if just temporarily. For someone who just wants to live a joyful life, he did not try to avoid the attention. For someone who wanted to fight the corrupt, he was too good at manipulating others and using them to his advantage.
Even though I was not on board with him as a person, I still extremely enjoyed his character. I do believe the simping over him from other characters was a bit too much, but there is no doubt - he was that charming.
By the end of the show I had my favorites: Emperor, Ruo Ruo, Teng Zi Jing and Shen Zhong. Seeing how some of these characters are not even the mains, and add to the story for a limited period of time, it shows how much care was put into making even supporting and side characters 3 dimensional, with their own arcs and depth.
Character wise, I have only one complaint: Wan’er. It’s not that I disliked her, I was just painfully indifferent to what her story is. For the majority of the drama she was passive, playing more or less just the role of Fan Xian “kindergarten” like love interest. That said, her character was the center of one of my favorite scenes from Joy of Life so she gain few pints form me.
I’m sure I am not the only one who thinks the characters were the best part. With how well written they were, how unique and entertaining their interactions were presented, no scene felt redundant.
The story itself was truly well paced. Probably one of the best pacings from any Chinese show I have seen. The comedy bits were funny and well spread throughout the show. Joy of Life provides a few emotional scenes, but they never hit me hard - mostly because they were not set up well. It’s hard to get emotional, when literally seconds ago I was laughing on the floor because of the over the top fighting choreography.
The fighting scenes themselves were another aspect that was either hit or miss. Some were perfect, some far from it. Overall, I liked them all, either because I was impressed or entertained.
The drama is full of plot twists, it’s hard to predict characters’ motivations and future plans. Some twists were brilliantly planned, with clues scattered throughout the plot, some came out of nowhere, being completely impossible to predict, only guess (the type I myself quite dislike).
Sadly, the ending left a lot to desire. It was just anticlimactic and infuriating to me as a viewer. More about it in the comment section under spoiler.
Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable ride that led to nowhere and doesn’t make me want to continue the journey - I am off this train. I feel like season 2 will clown me at the end too, leaving me annoyed and forced to watch last season, and I’m not up for it.
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Amazing!
I watched this drama right after The Long Ballad. First 10 minutes of ep1 I thought why this drama has high ratings then I was hypnotised by wonderful acting, great music, story itself at times can be too much to follow but how clever! The cinematography is magical, fight scenes are so cool. The music plays just at the right time to evoke emotions, so well done! The stories ML tells to FL and you see it in animated at the same time was so good. I was in tears, really captured the emotions there.I have to say one of the most shocking ending I have seen, I could never have seen it coming. I know there is a sequel coming soon but still.. After the end, I had to go back and watch from the beginning. I loved it, I will miss it so much!
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A Mind blowing Experience
This series is an addiction, it's a thrilling ride that never ends till the last second of the 46th Episode. It'll leave you empty & unfulfilled with any other drama. I'm desperately in search of another series with this kind of badass emperor, I often find myself missing the witty, all knowing emperor that could never be manipulated by mere tricks & had a firm grip on power and everyone beneath him.Fan Xian's character is such a well rounded, multi-faceted hero /anti-hero, you'll find yourself rooting for him and wouldn't even mind him having a harem (inside joke for those who have watched this lol)
Every Character is so well written from Chen Ping Ping to Duo Duo and everyone else he meets in the course of the show
I've never watched something so brilliantly written & thoroughly captivating
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