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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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It really is the romance we've needed.
If there was every a source material that truly deserved an adaption, it would be for the Song of the Long March. Truthfully, although I have my complaints, they don't disappoint with this adaption. It's fairly true to the source material (where the changes are actually beneficial to the story and character development of the other characters). They also chose excellent actors; not exactly the ones I had in my mind, but boy did the embody their characters P E R F E C T L Y. (Dilraba was pretty spot on truthfully. I'dve like to see Kyulkyung try this role. But truthfully, Dilraba 110% fits the bill. I couldn't see it any other way.)But all of the actors-- they somehow make the characters more lovable then their source material version. The side characters are a bit more memorable, and you grow to be invested in the side stories progressing as well. There's plot twists, and stuff -- but it really helps fill out each character to seem more realistic. I found myself routing for the people I hated the most.
The cast, I can tell immediately -- seem like they'll be dorky and friendly off screens. It's unfortunate that I feel like the chemistry between Dilraba and Leo are a hair too dry for my liking, (i.e. Le Yan and Hao Du seem a bit more clear cut) but truthfully... I don't hate it. It's one of the few times, if not the only time it makes sense that they're not falling into each others arms. They really delivered even more then what I expected of the main characters in a way that makes sense.
Additionally,. their subtle movements, and really minute expressions truly makes it feel like they're living the life of the character. It feels natural; generally speaking, this doesn't feel like a rookie cast. And more importantly, the direction of the show is really on point. It isn't a 100% score in my book, but I think my bar is set a little higher just given my love for the original series as well as having seen some of the other work of the cast.
At Dilraba specifically, to no fault of her own, I found myself comparing her to her previous works where she has a similar estranged character (i.e. The King's Woman), and she hasn't really been able to separate those similar archetypes apart; it's a difficult task, probably impossible even-- but it's my small gripe. She makes Changge seem a bit more bullheaded and warrior-like in comparison to a quiet, chess-sort-of-cunning that I had imagined Changge to be. She grieves, but much more...loudly yet not as deeply....if that makes any sense. If I had to explain it another way, she acts too mature for the role, but contrasts by giving Changge a more childish/unwise? reaction to some things that makes her seem like she's in a different role.
Leo on the other hand makes Sun to be a bit more cool and calculating then I imagined Sun to be (if anything I expected him to have a bigger gap like how Dilraba is), but he really really shows the trust he has in her -- as well as understanding in her then I think the source material could ever get across. He knows what he wants, but he's not possessive, despite being the cold king stereotype. It's really really refreshing to see a male lead like that. I think he shows a really good progression of just being involved on the ride to I'm really just here for my girl Changge. I think this quieter (then the already quiet Sun) version really shows why he's the best of his clan; and it's not just purely on brute strength. *wolf's whistle to the fight scenes they do give him though because ooh weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
Again with all of that said, I really did not hate anything about this show; the whole cast gave it more colour that made it equally if not more enjoyable then reading it. They're purely gripes of a book to adaption watcher.
And even though it's not a one to one adaption, it's not a poorly done spin off either.
It's a good balance of new and respecting the original.; truthfully I think if this was my first historical style show, or if I had not read the series first this would have easily become my favourite series of all time. But since it's not, the least I have to say is this is an A-tier drama with S tier acting, S-tier directing and also most importantly S-tier source material. Please watch it. Also please consider reading the manhua.
I haven't slept yet, (in fact just binged up until episode 33 until my internet went down).. but I'm itching to get back to it. Somehow it brings me back without giving me horrible cliffhangers to hang off of-- which P.S. I'd say is the same level of draw that the manhua gives.
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watch 15 episodes in 2 day!
binge watched this like some addict, and I'm not big into cdrama this year actually.more like kdrama fans.
I like it because
- the cast is awesome
- Female lead and male lead chemistry is outt of the world
- not big fans of Dilraba, but...in here... she ROCKS!!
- just get to know Leo WU.. and... HE's AMAZING! instantly become his fan of his acting, and his killer look and expression.
- the story... How can someone write like that?
and that of course I discovered.. this drama is from manhwa that received Awards.
- love the supporting cast... Allen Fang, Zhao Lusy...
- I wish it has 100 episodes:)))
anyway, dont set up any expectation, just blend with your sofa, and watch it!
if you enjoy Maiden holmes, Romance of Tiger and Rose, Love by Hypnotic, The romance of Hua Rong,
Peach miles, Sound of the Desert... all that story with intense love, intense feeling, strong acting,
you will even enjoyyy this.
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It’s enjoyable
I’m up to episode 18 of this drama since that’s the latest subbed episode. I’m liking Dilraba’s role here, tougher than her usual beautiful Princess type roles. I like both leads. Their romance is still in its development stages although we as viewers can already tell the ML likes the FL but he has to play his tribe’s rule or she may end up getting a hard time given Sher is so jealous of the ML. Also, the majority of the characters still don’t know he’s a she so the ML has to treat her like that since everything he does is being tightly watched. I also liked the supporting cast- I had wanted the Princess to end up with Huo instead of that other guy (sorry I’m really bad with names so can’t remember the character names). It was obvious to me that guy she likes likes Dilraba’s character which is why I will be rooting for her to end up with that other guy who is cold and seemed very indifferent. I’m enjoying it so far. The plot, I especially like the pacing of the story, so far there have been no dragging episodes or scenes. There’s still a lot of episodes to cover so it would be interesting if they can keep the pacing like it is now. All in all, so far, a big 2 thumbs up for me. 👍👍Was this review helpful to you?
How is this highly rated?
This is actually the worst Chinese drama I've ever seen in my life. Worst acting, worst plot. Which isn't to say that I haven't watched boat loads of other garbage low budget shows, I've seen at least 50+ Chinese dramas, but honestly this one takes the crown.I have an extremely high tolerance for bad shows as I am mostly watching to improve my Chinese, but I'm not exaggerating even a little bit when I say this is unwatchable.
I mean, I have never written a review before on this site, I've never felt the need, but now- if I can convince even one person, just one person not to watch it, then I'll have considering my contribution to not be in vain.
My suspicion is that this show is highly rated because of die hard fans for the actress and actor who will praise literally anything they do because they find them attractive.
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