The Long Ballad

First C-Historical and mind is blooooooown

I am writing this review in an attempt to relieve my post-TLB hangover...I refuse to believe that it's actually over.

So,,,I came to The Long Balland "blind" I'd never watched a historical c-drama, have no idea (still) what wuxia and that other one (is it xianxia??) is, have a sketchy background on the Tang Dynasty, totally unfamiliar with the cast and well, just generally prepared to inducted into this brand new world by the cast of TLB and boy was happy about that fact. TLB just built up and then smashed my conceptualization of what this genre can offer.

Okay, let's talk about Changge....first time I have watched a Female Lead character whose baddassery is not watered down by romance....first time a FL has a line saying, "Okay I am going to go save my man" and then proceeds to do just that!!! I was so excited about the beautiful depiction of Li Changge as the woman we all are. I mean we had real character development, we watched her cry and plot revenge, feed her anger with grief, then make mistakes and then grow up and face her fears and her beliefs and then come full circle and see the futility of her revenge mission. I loved especially that she could see the folly of taking the wrong path in the life of another wounded and vengeful woman (and then helped us the audience understand the writer's overarching message). Li Changge was never portrayed as the woman with everything, in fact, we saw so many of her faults that we could truly appreciate her strength and therefore the power and charm she had over those who loved her and trusted her and chose to follow her.

Now, enter Ashile Sun....wuuuuwi. Helluuuuurrrr! Somebody give that guy a medal. Do you know I was a third-way through the drama when I finally googled Wu Lei and learnt he's 21?! Whaaaat?! It was all in the eyes! And together, Changge and Sun had some blazing chemistry. I loved that he stepped in not to reign her in but to be a part of her life. The slow burn was a bitter-sweet torment to watch. The lack of pretensions was just a breath of fresh air as well.

And then the second lead couple...I fell hard for HanYan...just wow! So cute!

This was not a flawless drama. While there were was some epic production feats., the fact remains that the battle scenes were an anti-climax. I appreciate the artistic use of manhua comic scenes to translate what could have been a mass production to scale a depiction of war scenes from that era but...uhm...its a let-down to have suspense building towards a royal battle and then have no proper imagery to support it. Some CGI scenes were also just awful.

All that said TLB is one to watch and definitely deserving of the hype.

Read More

Took me a while to get through, but I kept coming back :D

It's a really good thing if: a drama is long and therefore I don't necessarily binge watch it in one sitting, BUT over the course of *months* I keep coming back to watch more. I am one of those people where if I step away from a drama, it's highly likely that I'll never get back to it - it's a bad habit that'd I'd like to fix, but it's an honest truth. With The Long Ballad though, I would watch a couple episodes, then take a month break, and then I'd watch 10 episodes, and then take a week break. It had no rhyme/reason, but the point is, I *wanted* to come back to it, which is a huge deal for me. A testament of the strength in the story, acting, and effects.

On a whole, Chinese dramas tend to be a bit slower paced and it takes a while to get into the story - it's the same here. The first 10 episodes had some dull moments that made me wonder if I really wanted to continue watching this drama. But then things really take off. Personally, my favorite arc was when Changge was taken to live in the Eagle Division - the tensions, the plotting! It had me at the edge of my seat!

While I obviously loved our MCs, Changge and Sun ( *v* ), I really liked the supporting cast too. Leyan had such a beautiful metamorphosis that had me in tears. Sher also had a tragic transformation that was sad, but necessary and satisfying.
My favorite character dynamic to see resolved was the animosity Changge held toward her uncle, Li Shimin. The way Li Shimin cared for his niece throughout the drama broke my heart and when their relationship is finally repaired, I was so satisfied!

The OST was great - I WANTED to watch the intro and closing song just to listen to the music! All of the accompanying instrumentals were fantastic too - they were perfect and building the emotion in the moment.

The biggest drawback of the very good, The Long Ballad is that it's LONG and there's not much skinship at all. Some parts of the drama are not as exciting or thrilling as others, but they're all necessary to the overall story, so pay attention!
I would recommend The Long Ballad to those who enjoy historicals with some romance and have the patience for longer dramas.

Read More

Women empowerment story in Tang dynasty

I've postponed it till it was finished Airing to binge watch it as a whole without waiting ,,I did that in few days I've managed to finish it and I'm immersed in it still
I will speak about my experience watching it with high expectation from all the reviews and my friends' recommendations
It met My expectations for the first twenty episodes ,, they were really fast paced and really amazing ,, exciting to watch
then it dragged after that for about 17 episodes ,,, dragged a lot actually I 've became a bit bored and kept wanting more scenes of side stories than the main one
, overall it was enjoyable to watch ,,,
I loved the romance between Hao do and Li yen more than the male leads ,, their romance seemed natural and beautiful ,, I hoped for more scenes of them ,, their love story was perfect but with little scenes
The male leads did great job portraying their characters apart than when they were together,,, their own stories were very strong and their characters were so much interesting on their own than when they were together it became more saving each other from danger that's it
I don't know why but their romance was lacking a lot ,, And I'm not talking about kissing or love scenes
I'm talking about chemistry between them ,,, I kept seeing Wu Lie a kid to his older sister caring for each other hahahha
he's an adult young man but I felt his age when he was with Dilerba in every scene so I didn't feel their love story right at all ,, even the kissing scenes were not that good and seemed awkward ,,,,,, May be because her character seemed like an older brother for him making decisions on her own for him ,, her personality as li chang ge was so much powerful than her love interest
The main story had some issues also .... The uncle's complicated relationship with her love/ hate relationship it wasn't logical at times ,,, she was his enemy ,, people were trying to kill her ,, he seemed passive about it as he was forced to accept that situation ,, didn't protect her as he should or stopped the people that were after her and kept hoping for her to survive
knew that she was with his enemy and acted passive again ,, I don't know the plot at some places were really illogical
Over all this drama is enjoyable to watch and I recommend it for anyone
it was really good even the draggy part is ok not that bad

Read More

This is unique, unconventional, and epic.

This is the best drama I've watched...probably ever. I can't get over it!

This is a standout drama for me because of various reasons:

1. The character development of all characters is definitely admirable.
This does not happen usually in cdramas where some characters feel flat throughout the whole drama. I am not only talking about Li Changge, whose character development was significant (and beautiful), but also Ashile Sun and other supporting characters like Hao Du, Wei Shuyu, and Princess Leyan. It was so refreshing to watch a drama where these characters are able to properly assess situations, make characteristic decisions, and act with sense. Also!! They LEARN. I think that's amazing in cdrama land haha. They're able to grow and mature but still remain true to themselves. (aaaa i could write more on how li changge's character developed but this post would be too long lmao)

2. The plot is solid.
I have to say that things just keep going and nothing really dragged, I enjoyed the adventure, twists, and turns. Each episode is aired with a purpose and the story is easy to follow. This does not follow the typical "formulaic" chinese drama plotline where it loses its footing and begins to falter in the middle or latter third. Very dynamic and engaging!

3. I loved the main characters.
Li Changge was such a badass. She is the character other that FL characters wish to be. She is actually intelligent, independent, assertive, she fights (yes, with swords and arrows) etc.! So cool. Ashile Sun is a great leader with a not-so-kind reputation but with the purest heart. He's such a great ML, sincere and flawed. The other supporting leads also stole my heart.

4. I appreciated the relationship between the characters.
You got sismance, bromance, master-disciple, familial relationships, leader-community, friendships, romance etc. These relationships will make you smile and bawl your eyes out. It's exciting to watch relationships between these characters blossom and change throughout the course of the drama.

5. The romance is to die for!!
I loved it. It is such a slow burn romance but SOOO rewarding. I really loved how their feelings developed. Their banter. The intimacy. The sincerity. The connection. But above anything, I loved their mature relationship and how they respect each other's decisions. I did not expect the chemistry between them, I watched this without any expectations and OHMYGOD. It's great. GeSun is my #1 CP. AAAAAAA

6. The focus on other themes.
Don't get me wrong, although the romance here is one of my favorite things, this drama does not revolve around the romance of Changge and A'Sun. It is the story of Changge, and how she solidifies her identity, then learn truth, then discovers her purpose. Throughout her journey, she encounters pretty dark events and ideas that challenge her thoughts. War, social class disparity, pride, and patriotism are some of the themes that were touched in this drama.

7. The music is so GOOD.
Opening and ending OSTs are such jams. The scores are so amazing. It just sets the mood for the scene so well.

8. The martial arts choreography is so fun.
I don't really pay attention to fight scenes but TLB made me. Those were just so intricately choreographed and well excecuted. It keeps me on my toes and so engrossing to watch. The fight scenes were just. so cool.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Ballad and I recommend this to anyone, but most especially to those who want to break free from c-drama stereotypes. Or simply to those who are in for a ride. This one's for you.

Read More

Great Production That Left Me Unsatisfied

I really loved this drama and feel I haven't watched anything this engaging since TLTWTMPB. The best part is that it has an OST that knocks your pants off! The production was a feast for the eyes: gorgeous sets and costumes, attractive leads, entertaining storyline, character growth, and originality. However, there were some aspects that left me unsatisfied which I thought detracted from the production, weakening its impact.

The drama starts out strong from the beginning and draws you right in. There is plenty of action and romance. I especially enjoyed the slow burn of romantic tension between the main leads (ML). Unfortunately I feel as if it's something of a tease, because I never feel as if they are all in. Without giving too much away, they never seem to really settle their relationship with one another. We know our MLs love each other, but there is an unsatisfying lack of closure. This is unsurprisingly why many fans are hoping for a second part. The most frustrating thing was watching the actors touch each other awkwardly and pass off their tender moments with light brushing of lips for kisses. There is kissing in romantic scenes with the secondary characters, but you barely see anything with the MLs! This really killed me. The big moment was a hug in a blurred out scene, which I imagine was supposed to be the moment they finally give in to an expression of tenderness. This makes me wonder if there is some kind of production code that the producers had to follow given the young age of the male lead, and perhaps the intended viewers? Whatever it was, it made me feel exasperated and strung along. I am never quite able to believe in the reality of the romance because of the awkwardness in the actors. Romantic scenes have to be well rehearsed like any other or it rings hollow.

Some of the performances were great and some were just acting. When they were invested, I believe it. When they weren't, the performances were painful to watch because they felt overacted and insincere. In order for me to believe in a scene, the stakes have to be high, meaning the actor has to make me believe it. There are several moments where the director could have pushed for a more believable moment. Lei Wu's strongest performance came during a horrible tragedy. Boy did he make me cry! He spent the rest of the show giving a very nuanced performance. This actually worked. A look here, a smirk there. He was strong, composed and sometimes stiff. He is a wonderful young actor who can take you to the moon with the right direction. The inconsistency in performances hurts this drama as does the implausible storylines and plot holes. Characters manage to survive after being shot with arrows, and fall from cliffs. They disappear and reappear, others are one dimensional. Even so, the talented team of producers managed to put together a very entertaining drama I thoroughly enjoyed.

Read More

drama matches the name
"行" telling the journey of changge to find her faith

Not very bad and good enough to enjoy the drama,, the acting is notbad,For that director, maybe this is his 2nd work that is still worth watching besides Ash of Love


2 female leads, 2 of them were separated from their group and also searched for by the group, and the same as when they were in 1 place with their group they were missed, quite annoying,,,

has a jumping scene, and at the beginning of the story the scene is still tolerable, in the middle and end getting worse ,,,jumping scene, but there are lots of scenes where they whisper and sometimes doing /saying somethings and we don't know what the real purpose , and sometimes in tense scenes they change it with another scene or replace it with a manga scene, quite annoying

And ep17, why did he suddenly become emperor? even though it's only been a few days? and has a mustache, should it? ,and if so why does the world seem so quiet? not fuss about their new king? and at that time changge should be more anger , but she is not


and sometimes the player's dialogue doesn't match and matches the next scene, some scenes are contradictory

Read More

An Incredible Adaptation!

I initially wanted to watch this show because of Leo Wu, who was in Nirvana In Fire as Fei Liu.
Yet this drama exceeded my expectations. It was a slow start, but once the story gets moving it becomes interesting.

Leo Wu had grown up to be a strong, good looking guy. I almost didnt recognise him lol
I have seen Dilraba from Eternal Love before, but i didnt like her on that.
But this drama changed that completely. Dilraba was absolutely amazing in this drama.
Her beauty and capability of an actress was better displayed.

This story is adopted from a Manhua, which I went to check after finishing this show. Sadly the Manhua has not been completed yet due to some reason. The characters are based from real hitorical figures, such as the emperor of Taizong.
The stroy was unique and there were similar elements from other dramas like this.
But this was executed very well, with good pacing. Backstory of characters and well develeoped characters.
I really liked how some characters underwent a redemption arc, and proved to be not as you once expected them to be.
The characters grew through out their journeys, the reason I liked this show the most was due to the characters and their
life experiences have changed them for the better. (which were nice life lessons for the viewers)
I really liked how Li Change Ge was strong and independent! She was smart and was a good strategist.
The female characters can be really cool in this Drama. Certain Dramas I watched have been ruined for me
due to weak female leads, I was happy that it was not the case with this story!

The OST in this Drama is AMAZING! From the epic opening to that Beautiful ending song Cocoo sang by Zhou Shen.
And also the OST from Zhao Lu Si. That was really fitting during most scenes.

In conclusion the Romance was great, I loved the secondry couple just as much as main couple.
I liked the Third couple as well. I liked the acting of most actors and actresses. Loved the acting of the 2 main leads!
The action was epic, the costumes and sets was great. Very nice scenery and Cinematography.

The nitpicks for me was, while I liked the Manhua moments for certain parts. I felt like it was overused in certain scenes.
And that is why I can't give this drama a 10. And I felt that the ending could have been more satisfactory and fleshed out better.
Regardless of that, it was an awesome journey. I plan to rewatch this sometime in the future!

Read More

This drama shows how a person transform according to the struggles he/she encounters in her journey.

This drama will keep u till the edge from starting to the ending. Maybe it can help one's with some real life events.
all and all, I love this drama mostly because the main lead (Li Chang Ge) doesn't go crazy or mental (indulging in revenge and destruction) after encountering so much hurdles or difficulties throughout her undecided journey and twisted fate after her Family's murder mystery. As, like in Princes Agents (Yan Xun [Yan Emperor]) goes crazy after his family's death and set on his own path, for the slaughter of innocents and doom of his empire as the fire of hatred and revenge can destroy one's focus and peace of mind. I sincerely want to thank all the efforts of all the people who developed this drama from thinking to script writing to directing to organizing, background music introducing to everything, last but not the least I would like to show my gratitude to everyone for their competence and hard work. LOVE YOU EVERYONE

In this whole drama, a person sets on the journey of revenge but later on finds oneself's piece of mind and a wider understanding of The Tang Empire and its people.... LOVE U OVERALL

Read More

Misunderstanding leads to long battle

Love story had been started after 30 episode till then each character hide their emotions .
All four leads were good but I like seconde lead couple more though they got the screen more after 30th episode. Though it was a happy ending but I am not happy with the ending ,atleast the story should have first lead marriage also they way story went . Too much stretch the story ,involve two children as a companion with both female lead but both ending is sad this part also I don't like. Involved so many sub stories this made story little boring and long .
Story started with misunderstanding because of this a battle of revenge started . Misunderstanding clear up at the last few episodes . In between story add up few romantic scene ,I think this scenes bear the story . It is not a love story . It is a story of battle of revenge .

Read More

Character development and its actors saved this drama

This is the first drama where I didn't want to skip the intro and ending which I think should say a lot about the music track.
Starts off with a bang. First ep and we're up and going. However, I did have some qualms at first, really had to suspend my disbelief and immerse myself into the story while Changge was running around town hiding from the authorities wearing a bright white costume.
This drama is definitely more heavy on character development and experiences than it is on romances which I like, and why I gave it a higher rating. There is romance and it is done well enough to be believable within each character's stories, but if you want romance heavy this isn't it.
Towards the middle to end eps things slow down. The story has a few parts where it picks up the plot pace but I feel by the ending quarter was still dragging.
I don't really understand the ending sequence as it muddled up what I thought was already clear but I also read elsewhere that producers wanted to wrap quickly and didn't give time to properly flesh out a better ending episode. Shame. They basically agreed to marry each other as partners in life just without the ceremony so why in the end are they separated? If anyone can explain the ending kindly.
Despite the drama going *slightly* downhill towards the end, the first half impact and continual character development throughout kept me watching. I enjoyed the drama overall and binged watched it even when it got slow. Got to know of a great cast and will follow many of these actors in their future works as they made the drama work when production and writing faulted.

Read More

Engaging watch, beautiful styling, beautiful people, production done well

When this was released, I read some skeptical reviews about it so I held off on watching it but kept it on my list. Don't know what prompted me but felt like watching it a few days ago and I binged it in like 4-5 days and I wonder why I even waited so long coz I thoroughly enjoyed it. Except a few complains here and there I don't have much to criticize about. Loved the ensemble cast, loved the styling, the OST, the cinematography. I have no idea what the source material is like so I went into this with no expectations and it was a very pleasant experience for me. I was satisfied with the pacing till the end but I also wish last 4 episodes were a little more detailed, especially the last two felt like all too quick to wrap it all up. Talking about cinematography, there were some shots that were just stunning to watch. Oh gotta mention the choreography for the fight scenes, loved that. The camera work in those so good. One thing that annoyed me was chang ge's impulsive actions at times but I guess those were learning lessons for her in a way. Special shout out for how wu lei portrayed his character, the fierce warrior, self confidence but at the same time with gentleness and warmth to him. Have been interested in him since nirvana in fire days and I feel he has picked up some good projects in the last year or so, so I was happy to see him pulling off this character well. Also one tiny gripe is I would have liked for the second lead couple story to be explored a bit more. It felt like too quick for them to build that chemistry between them and then suddenly they are getting married. But overall this was an engaging watch for me and I think I might rewatch it again someday down the line when I'm taking a break from crossing off the dramas in my to watch list.

Read More

Zhao Lusi is the star of the show!

I initially wanted to give this show a below than average rating but Zhao Lusi saved it for me. She was amazing! This is my first time seeing her and I am so impressed by her acting talent. She is so young but she's got so much potential to be one of the best asian actresses of today. In contrast to the first female lead, she is not convincing at all as Changge. She's a poor casting choice in my opinion. There were many scenes of her that were really questionable. The actor playing Sun is quite good but it's the Yueyan and Hao Du storyline that kept me from dropping this show. They need to do another drama together! Amazing chemistry! Overall, it's a mediocre drama with mediocre storyline and mediocre actors except for Zhao Lusi and Liu Yining.

Read More