Great Epic production. Loved the 2nd leads
The Long Ballad is an epic historical drama that delivers on all fronts: a compelling story, fantastic acting, and stunning production. The show masterfully weaves together political intrigue, warfare, and a deep, emotional character journey.While the main leads, Dilraba Dilmurat and Leo Wu, deliver exceptional performances, the supporting cast truly shines. The on-screen chemistry and complex relationship between the second leads, played by Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning, are a definite highlight. Their character development is a journey you won't want to miss.
One of the show's biggest strengths is its focus on character growth. Each character, from the main protagonist to the supporting cast, undergoes a significant transformation. You get to see them evolve and mature as they face challenges, which makes their stories feel rich and authentic. The drama's high-quality production, from the beautiful cinematography to the elaborate costumes and sets, adds another layer of depth, making it a must-watch for any fan of the genre.
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Nice female leads
I loved this drama unexpectedly. I loved both the fls here. Both were strong n had such a nice ckt arc where they grew as ckts individually due to the hardships they faced. I loved dilraba n wu lies chemistry too n loved their pair but sadly it had less of romance story of them n so I ended up feeling robbed off as the drama isnt abt romance much. But still it was enjoyable. Unpopular opinion but I didn't like hao du as ckt or with Zhao lusi as her love interest. He wasn't given a proper arc or reason to fall in love with yong in. He was jst obsessed with following his father's order to kill yongan, then suddenly realised he loves yongin after going in search of her🥴, maybe the need to find her safe made his protective side to feel he is in love with her or something.. Anyway, we move. I loved Shers ckt too, wanted to see more bromance scenes between sher n Sun. All in all a long n slow but interesting drama, I may not rewatch but enjoyed watching it nonetheless. Oh, Leo wu looked absolutely breathtaking with Ashile tribe getup n added the charm to the show. 🥰Was this review helpful to you?
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Love it and Hate it
The Long Ballad is a story about a talented princess and her growth over the course of 49 episodes. Her journey starts out as one seeking revenge, and then it develops into something more. She is both the central figure of the story, and the highlight of it.The story begins by portraying her as very talented both in martial arts and strategy. It would be easy to describe her as even being a little too perfect. It quickly humanizes her though, displaying her naivety and ignorance of the world. She is talented and smart, but she is not invincible or all knowing. Her journey forces her to face many hardships and grow as an individual as she faces the realities of common people.
Overall Princess Changge is an intriguing character, and Dilraba Dilmurat does a fine job in the role.
The negatives with this show are entirely related to the completely perfect male lead. In fact, calling him perfect is too modest. He's the best at martial arts, archery, strategy, cunning, courage, care for others, etc...He's so perfect that it is barely an inconvenience for him to go out of his way to save to FL no matter the circumstances. He has a lot going for him, but essentially he is a 1-dimensional character. That 1 dimension is perfection.
Consequently, the Long Ballad is the story of Changge and her journey. The story tells us that we should expect a lot out of her, but then it FREQUENTLY presents opportunities to put her in danger that only the ML can save her from.
The romance also fell flat. Part of this is related to how perfect the ML was, but there also just was not a lot of chemistry between the two characters. I started to dread any scene that featured both leads together.
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This drama is the reason I'm not giving up on Chinese historical romances
After having watched two historical cdramas before and being thoroughly annoyed with them, I was starting to think that the problem was just me,the common denominator, but this drama proved me wrong.I thoroughly enjoyed the title. Yes, it had its moments of frustration and bad decisions (mostly on part of the FL), I recognise that they were in fact used as a plot device and build up and in a very effective manner, might I add. Few points:
1. The plot and the storyline was strong - 49 episodes and not once did I think it was dragging. The writers knew what they wanted to show and did not deviate, kudos to that.
2. The acting was stellar from the leads, the side characters and the villains alike. I found myself absolutely immersed in the story and that is something that hasn't been happening to me a lot recently.
3. Most, if not all, characters turn out to be wholesome unlike the other dramas that I watched where I hated pretty much everybody(yes, including the leads):
The male lead was consistent to his character throughout the run of the show and the charisma Leo Wu brought to the role was just *chef's kiss*.
Zhao Lusi did an incredible job playing Le Yan, especially considering how much I hate such characters usually. Both the writing and the acting of the character made her emerge as an extremely endearing character.
The character arc our dear Hao Du got has got to be one of my favourites recently. He had one of the realest and most wholesome character development and the transition of the cold blooded general to our adorable prince consort was super cute.
The only little qualms that I have are with the female lead. She literally had a foundation to be a strong, independent and smart lady but she was dumbed down to a damsel in distress so bad. Even when I did not know about the existence of the manhwa I felt this, and the feeling only amplifies once I did get to knw about it thought the comments. It would've been nice to have the entire gaining respect through actions before people finding out she's a woman arc. Plus the ending really did irk me, she had to be saved by the ML yet again, like character development where? It was very obvious that while the showmakers wanted to appeal the FL as a strong and smart war strategist, they couldn't let go of the cliche 'saved by the ML' trope. But still, I never once found myself to be hating her. I was rooting for her improvement and survival throughout. Plus, Dilraba playing the character could never make me hate her.
4. All in all, I enjoyed the run of this drama - it was well directed, well casted and well implemented. Though I would've preferred them truely following the manhwa a bit more, I'm not salty about it.
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Real blockbuster of a tale with two sets of strong ML & FL
I’m not normally a fan of Dilraba as she mostly leaves me cold but I felt she did really well in this even though the plot line was a little predictable as she leapfrogged over everyone in her path (just by being an ‘awfully nice’ person) to become the most important ‘saviour’ to complete strangers who trusted her completely despite knowing nothing about her.Leo Wu was brilliant as the main ML, smouldering and dark one moment, adoring of his FL and fiercely protective the next.
I will admit that my favourite characters were played by Zhao Lusi and Lui Yuning. They were a fantastic match and I love everything both of these actors have been in and their chemistry as Hao Du and Le Li A did not disappoint. It was off the charts as they went from hating each other to being unable to live without each other. They were incredibly watchable and their character development was subtle at times but so beautiful to watch.
The storyline was excellent, the acting, production values and costumes amazing but I don’t understand why there always has to be a main support character that gets killed off - I didn’t think this added anything to the plot.
Wonderful all rounder but probably not one I’d watch again
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Great storyline!
I gave this drama 8.5 because fo the female lead acting she's always acting stiff in all her drama same face expression whilst the ml expected his role very well. Dilrelba doesn't really fit into the princess taking revenge thingy even the story is also great overall but I wouldn't recommend re watching it there are some lots of unnecessary scene that should not even be there but still this is just my opinion. Kudos to the director and production team and the cast Members aswell. I love wu lei..Was this review helpful to you?
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Characters That Compel
The Long Ballad was well... long. It definitely dragged at points. I must say the characters were well written. I loved their development, although not all of it was well executed (i.e., Le Yan's development had to be pointed out by all the characters around her but was not obvious as a viewer). Still, I feel like any character could have been the protagonist and I would root for them, including the main villainess. I did not like the haphazardly thrown-in animation scenes; there was no rhyme or reason. It seemed like someone messed up in post and lost footage, or they ran out of budget. Finally, my biggest complaint was the poorly done romance. I felt no spark in any of the pairings. I get that romance wasn't the focus, but I wanted more. Overall enjoyable watch for the hero's journey and varying character perspectives.Was this review helpful to you?
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The Long Ballad - A Beautiful Story That Didn't Fully Win Me Over
This is the third Chinese drama I’ve watched—after The Prisoner of Beauty and Love Like the Galaxy—and while The Long Ballad had many strengths, I still feel conflicted about it overall. It was beautiful, rich in story, and filled with interesting characters—but not everything landed for me.The Romance
To be fair, the story of Li Changge and Ashina Sun makes sense. On paper, their love story is powerful. I understand why he fell for her—she’s different, strong, unafraid—and why she eventually reciprocated, given how much he protected her and treated her as his equal. Written out, it’s the kind of story that should sweep you off your feet.
But in practice... something was missing. Maybe it was the acting, maybe the directing, or maybe just a lack of chemistry. I wouldn’t say it “fell flat,” because I was emotionally invested to a degree—if one of them had died, I would’ve felt it—but not nearly as much as I was with the second lead couple: Hao Du and Li Leyan.
Hao Du and Li Leyan were the highlight of this drama for me. Their development felt natural, their chemistry was clear, and their scenes were emotional and often tense. I was genuinely rooting for them. When Hao Du fought the Chieftain to win her hand, I was stressed and excited. They brought heart into the story where the main couple sometimes lacked it.
The Visuals & Style
Visually, The Long Ballad is stunning. The landscapes, battle sequences, and overall aesthetic are beautiful. One thing that stood out to me, though, was the costume design. Compared to the other two dramas I’ve seen, the costumes here weren’t as grand or ornate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—maybe the show aimed for historical accuracy—but I can’t really judge, as my experience with historical Chinese dramas is still very limited. It just looked different, and that stuck with me.
There’s one stylistic choice, though, that did bother me at times: the animated sequences. While I didn’t mind the full animation scenes here and there, the parts that mixed real actors with animated backgrounds—or scenes where a character was clearly cut out and pasted onto a fake environment—made me cringe. Maybe I’m just not used to that style, and I’m not totally against it, but it sometimes looked silly and broke the immersion. I couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly during some of those moments.
Humor & Tone
Unlike The Prisoner of Beauty or Love Like the Galaxy, this drama had almost no humor. And I don’t think it was trying to be funny either, which is fine—but I definitely missed the comic relief. The other two dramas had me laughing out loud, and that balance of light and dark made their stories more engaging. In contrast, The Long Ballad leaned heavily into seriousness, which sometimes made it feel emotionally flat or overly intense. More than once, I found myself cringing rather than laughing—which, sadly, does affect how much I enjoyed it overall.
The Lead & Believability
I’m still unsure how I feel about the female lead, Li Changge. She’s undeniably beautiful, with striking presence, and she had moments of brilliance. But I never felt deeply moved by her. Maybe it’s the way she was written to be emotionally restrained or the way she leaned into a more mannish, tough image—but something about her didn’t fully click for me.
Also, while I accept that main characters often have plot armor, this show pushed it to the extreme. Both Changge and Ashina Sun survive everything—arrows, battles, betrayals—while characters like Mimi die from a single shot. It started to feel ridiculous. Changge could talk her way out of anything, disguise herself perfectly, and always come out on top. At some point, it just wasn’t believable anymore. I get that she’s supposed to be special—but not that special.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad I watched The Long Ballad, and I see why it has fans. It tells an epic story, doesn’t rush its ending, and explores a wide, complex world. But emotionally, it didn’t leave the same impression on me as the other two dramas I’ve seen. It lacked humor, the main romance didn’t quite deliver on-screen, and the visual style occasionally pulled me out of the moment.
That said, Hao Du and Li Leyan made it worth it.
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The Long Ballad — Inspiring and Emotional
What makes The Long Ballad stand out from other historical dramas is its combination of strong characters, deep themes, and stunning production. It is not just a love story but a journey about war, survival, and learning to choose peace over endless revenge. Li Changge, played brilliantly by Dilraba, is one of the strongest heroines I’ve seen in a long time. Her intelligence, courage, and determination to fight her own battles set her apart from the usual “damsel in distress” trope. Wu Lei’s Ashile Sun complements her perfectly — calm, loyal, and a man of principle. Their bond grows slowly, based on trust and respect rather than shallow attraction, and it was refreshing to watch their relationship develop in such a natural way.The side characters add another layer of richness to the story. Some of them had surprisingly strong arcs that were equally emotional and inspiring, often stealing the spotlight in their moments. These characters made the world of the drama feel alive and gave the story more depth. The fight scenes, strategy, and political plots also kept me hooked, and the visual quality — from sweeping landscapes to detailed costumes — made the experience even more enjoyable.
However, the drama is far from perfect. The pacing in the middle slowed down considerably, and some later storylines felt forced or unnecessary. The romance, while beautifully subtle, could have been given more attention to balance the heavy focus on politics and battles (a little more romance and this would have been 10/10). There were also a few storytelling clichés that weakened the impact, and the final stretch did not feel as strong as the earlier episodes. These issues kept the drama from being truly outstanding.
Even so, The Long Ballad remains addictive and worth watching. Its emotional themes, strong performances, and memorable characters more than make up for its flaws. If you’re looking for a historical drama that blends action, romance, and heart with a strong female lead, this is a great choice despite its imperfections.
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Somewhat draggy historical drama
Was gonna give this a 7.5 star but then the drama ended up being way longer than it needed to be. It was very fun seeing Dilraba play a very different type of character but I was most blown away by Zhao Lusi. I just watched Who Rules the World and wow she is so versatile!! I am now going to make my way through her backlog. I want to just point out that I loved how well written the female characters were and the sisterhood between them. So rare in cdramas. Leo Wu was ok, his face doesn't emote that much but it fit his character in this role.Was this review helpful to you?
Heart pounding♥️, Exciting, Entertaining
Love that there are, like, no misunderstandings, there's a great cast, acting, visuals, action, and OST! I also really enjoy this drama as there's always been an element of mystery, it constantly surprises me and I have literally no clear idea what'll happen next! I feel there are a few dragged out scenes on certain characters. Also, felt there didn't seem to be too much chemistry between the 2 leads, more like a mutual respect? maybe because of the age gap🤷♀️ Wasn't bad though, still quite liked both characters!The other couples make up for it though☺️😉
Overall I'm really enjoying it 😁
Something extra...
New bias, Liu Yu Ning🙈
Loved his song in Love and Redemption, had no idea it was him! Love listening to his voice❤️ Great actor too🙃
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A decent Cdrama
Wow, I'm actually enjoying a Cdrama after a long while! It's fast-paced, many of the characters are clever (not all of them cuz that'd be unrealistic) and, despite the age difference, I have utterly fallen for the main couple! Their personalities match really well, truly a power couple! This is also my first time watching a Leo Wu drama and I'm loving it so far.I don't usually like politics and warfare but they've mixed in a balanced amount of humor, romance, friendship, action, conspiracies, and life reflections to keep me interested. Yes, it has it's flaws but I find it better overall than many of the Cdramas that have come out recently. It's not shockingly impressive like 'Joy of Life' but also far from the scathing reviews a lot of Chinese are saying. Idk how Go Go Squid(which I found the main FL's childishness and stalking behaviour quite grating to watch and the plot quite simple. I did like the ML's acting though) didn't get much negative reviews and yet this drama does when it's got much more layers to it. So take reviews with a grain of salt and just check it out for yourself ?
Dilraba and Leo also seem quite comfortable with each other behind the scenes and get along well. I noticed many of her fans mentioning how relaxed and happy she's looking, while promoting the drama, for the first time in a long while.
I'm looking forward to the next episodes, fingers-crossed it maintains the quality until the end!
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