Joy of Life Season 2

A Good Enough Sequel

I can't say I loved this second season as much as the first but it was nice to see these characters again. It felt very familiar and pretty much a direct sequel despite the recasts and some of the actors obviously looking much older, bulkier or thinner because of the 5-year gap between seasons. I still enjoyed it but it doesn't have the magic of the first season. That was truly lightning in a bottle. And like most sequels that are used as setups for the final installment, it does feel like it doesn't have a beginning or an ending. There are some things that are introduced in preparation for the succeeding season. Thus, this should be taken as a transitional piece.

More characters are introduced in this season and I'm glad I finally got to meet the other princes, the dashing eldest prince and the bumbling idiot that is the youngest prince. They are both likable to say the least. But I'm disappointed that some of them just came and went without much ceremony. Some of the older characters like Gao Da only appear in some scenes and never return, which is a shame because he was one of my favorites in the previous season. I guess they are there for fan service only, nothing more.

The writing this season is a little bit all over the place. While the dialogues, political machinations, and plot twists are still superb, the plot progression is kinda slow, some scenes are dull and lackluster without the fight choreography from the first season, and there are subplots that just go nowhere. There are more illogical and you-must-suspend-your-disbelief aspects as well. I really don't get Fan Xian's motivations sometimes and why the overarching plot about the divine temple, androids, futuristic knowledge, and other sci-fi elements are barely mentioned and seemingly abandoned. I blame the original writer for this because even in the book, it is never fully explained. Again, why put science fiction elements into a story but never fully explore them??? From a writing standpoint, that is a complete waste of a concept and just lazy writing, period! He obviously excels at writing political dramas, so why not just write exactly that? Why introduce science fiction at all? Methinks this writer just wanted to set himself apart from the many Chinese authors that write historical novels, hence the ice age and advanced nation plot. But he may not be well-versed in this field and could not be bothered to actually do some research and incorporate science into his book. Such a travesty!

The music, just like in the first season, is hit or miss with me. If the first season had latin music, this one has a yodeling theme that reminds me of The Sound of Music. If you've seen The Sound of Music and are familiar with its soundtrack, then you'd know what I mean. Just horrible horrible choice in music! The costumes this season are better, though. At least they look more organic and worn unlike the plasticky costumes from the previous season. The cinematography is still excellent. But while the cast is one of the best I've seen in any drama, there's one I would rather not see again. Gina Jin is an awful choice for Ye Ling Er. They should've never recasted that role. And then there's the yogurt product placement that just takes me out of the drama every time it appears on screen. They even keep talking about it, too. Word of Honor did the same thing but they did it in a way that was hilarious, thus I was able to forgive it.

As a whole, this was a fun second season and probably better than expected considering it's the middle season and that most sequels are not as good as the original. I just hope I won't have to wait more than 2 years for the finale.

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Seamless continuation from Season 1 but over does it...

I still think it keeps what makes JOL great in the new season. However, I don't have a scene to point to in this season that will be the masterpiece. It doesn't have a '100 poems in one night' legendary scene. I think the scene between Fan Xian and Zi Ye was compelling though, and the scene at court when FX is accused of bribery or when the Censorate makes a complaint about the emperor. I feel like they went a little over the top with the humor and keeps trying to make the second prince a crass villain when I'm not convinced. All of his schemes fail, and yet he tries a new one. The second prince was almost cartoonish in this season. The CP's character also drastically changes from S1, in which I'm not sure whether he's a good guy or the show is trying to make him a good guy because of FX's influence, but then he burned a whole town, and callously tells his mother to forget about the slaughter of her entire clan. I'm actually not sure why the CP was made the CP, when compared with the emperor who is hard to read and whose plans reveal themselves when the deed is done, it's hard to see how a guy who is an open book can lead the country. I keep thinking that the emperor wants FX to be CP instead, what with making him a 'lone subject'. Others have complained about Ye Ling Er so I won't add on to it. I just don't get why she is making eyes at the 2nd prince whom she knows has no regard for human lives and keeps falling for his lies. Then again, this show has a problem with writing female characters, especially our female lead who is on all the posters yet I can count on two hands how many times I saw her in the whole show. The source material is a male fantasy so there's not much to improve on. I totally forgot that the whole point of the show was the Divine Temple and all this futuristic stuff, which seems to me like it was cut down to avoid censorship. It was so out of place in the latter half of the show. Despite my complaints, I'll watch season 3, I think we won't see Fan Si Zhe in the next season since his send off was made such a big thing.

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Boy they sure took too much time producing this season 2, i almost forgotten the storyline from s1 and i didnt even watch the show the same year it was aired!

Anyway, This s2 moved at a much slower pace than s1, cant say much about that because even in the novel, the arc after Fan Xian’s return from Northern Qi until before his wedding was indeed pretty boring. I love the fight at Xuankong Temple though.

I really loved the book, i think its one of the best that ive read so far. And the fact that its a sci fi in a wuxia premise made it a thousand times better cuz i definitely did not expect this plot twist when i was reading the novel. As i was reading, i tried to imagine how would it look if it were made into a tv show it wouldve been so gooood. The action in this book is aplenty and very satisfying. Cant wait to see them materialize on screen in s3. Thats where all the heartpounding actions are. Special Kudos to the screenwriters for smoothing out the Fanxian character into a loyal lover. I love everything about novel fanxian except how he constantly cheats on Wan er. Glad the fanxian on screen is nothing like the novel’s in the love relationship department.

So far the production has done a tremendously well done job on this show. The actors have given their top notch performance. A must see for a court politics/wuxia fan. U wont regret it.

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Better than last season but probs bc of better costuming

First impressions: Wow very strong start; I didn't know the emperor was capable of running/looking panicked. Most of the lead actors are the same and also the important side characters, but it’s also been like 3-4 years since the last season so understandable they couldn’t get all the original actors.

TLDR; Can I be honest? I think this season's a whole lot better than S1. Last season I kept watching bc of the plot twists and comedy, but idk, I guess the comedy here is on a whole other level. And maybe bc the costuming is higher budget. It rlly calls out a lot of society's faults. Not in a cheesy way but realistically that makes the audience ashamed bc of it. Also 👏character development 👏. On another note, this was in the first season too, but you can never tell which side the characters are on bc of all the plot twists that keep you on your feet. Acting is amazing as always. Music is also enjoyable. Personally, this is a one time watch but it was fun while it lasted.

Story: There are a lot of lessons to take away from the show (corruption, etc.) that in a different show would seem too idealistic, but somehow it doesn't always feel that way. This show doesn't always use the plot armor card, and even when they do, it's usually bc they plant seeds beforehand instead of moments before it's revealed, which still isn’t amazing but at least it’s not a lazy bomb drop. I do have a slight nitpick tho abt Lin Waner and Fan Xian’s relationship (idr if this was called out in the last season regarding FX’s dad but if not disregard the rest of this paragraph). If FX really is the emperor’s son then wouldn’t they be cousins?? And that’s kinda weird like I know Waner is an illegitimate daughter, but the emperor is technically her uncle. And you could argue that Liu Yunrui (her mom) is not blood related so like an in-law to the emperor, but the princes call her 姑姑, which is paternal aunt sooo the emperor and her mom are blood related.. And the princes regard Waner as a sister so like?? Like I think they’re cute, but idk I’m kinda conflicted lmao

Acting/Cast: I love how instead of getting angry all the time, most conversations are just snarky comments abt the other person lol. The side charaxters are so loveable as well.

Music: I love how they still kept most of the music from last season. I initially thought the intro was sung by Fei Yuqing bc of the vibrato, but it was still Li Jian lol. Still good regardless.

Rewatch value: This is a one-and-done for me. There just isn’t a lot of small clues than last season imo that’s worth a rewatch

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THEY FORGOT SEASON 1…

They basically rebooted the series. The whole intrigue at the end of season 1 was the post ice age world, divine realm, futuristic mystery left behind by Fan Xian’s mother. They do not continue any of this and turned it into a generic corruption drama. It’s not even a mystery drama anymore, just corruption. They go through cases like dismantling brothels and ensuring ethical exams. New characters introduced are boring, while Uncle Wu, Eunuch Martial arts masters have all been forgotten thus far. Without a doubt, one of the biggest let downs of the year. Considering fans waited 5 years for this. The soul of the drama is lost.

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A Symphony of Morality and Power: Joy of Life Season 2

Joy of Life Season 2 is such a masterpiece and a great continuation of the first season. The storyline is very captivating while brining back old favourites and continuing to following Fan Xian on his journey. In this season, Fan Xian has shifted into a more morally grey character which I really enjoyed as he follows or more so discovers his mother's footsteps, balances his moral beliefs and navigates the political mess between the princes. Wan'Er and Chen Ping Ping had less prominent roles in this season while allows us to really focus on Fan Xian and his evident shift in attitude, thinking and the way he reacts to the situations that are quite literally thrown at him. He literally could not catch a break not even on his wedding night. I also really liked how they reused the original soundtracks from S1 and it really feels nostalgic. However, the opening and closing songs did not disappoint at all, already added to my playlist! I really liked them and feel like they definitely have that JOL feeling to them. My only problem was the recasting of Ye Ling'Er, which I feel does not represent her role properly. From S1 to S2, the dynamic of Ling'Er has completely changed and it doesn't even feel like the same character. Overall, JOL has a very special place in my heart when it comes to CDramas, and this might (is) a biased rating but 10/10.

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Another masterpiece

Done! After waiting for almost 5 years, S2-36 episodes gone just like that 😭 but the whole season didn't dissapoint. Do I like S1 better, maybe. I feel S1 is more cohesive, every episode was crafted nicely to tell the whole story. S2, it's a bit more choppy like getting all the puzzle pieces thrown together at the same time and have no clue what to expect 😅 could be because of the episode limitation?

But! I have to say Zhang Ruo Yun saved it all. His acting skill is more refined, his facial expressions are really impressive (and charming 🥰). Bonus - love his hair style, don't think I've seen wavy male hair style in any costume dramas 😄😄
I also love some new roles in S2. The Empress is definitely interesting and with the way she hides a bottle of wine in her sleeve - I wonder what else people actually put in there...🤔

Anyway. I heard some people who loved S1 complaining about S2 🤷‍♀️ Yes, more dialogues in S2 but this drama was never intended to be wuxia drama so I didn't care that part. In fact this is a very few dramas where I have to pay attention to all the dialogues otherwise I would get lost. I even had to slow down a few times too.

For me, I love both seasons equally.
I knew from the very beginning this drama has 3 seasons (the book has 800 chapters or so) and S2 ended with another open ending, but at least nobody got stabbed this time.
I just hope we don't have to wait another five years!
What's next...rewatch with a better sub!

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oy of Life S2
Done! After waiting for almost 5 years, S2-36 episodes gone just like that 😭 but the whole season didn't dissapoint. Do I like S1 better, maybe. I feel S1 is more cohesive, every episode was crafted nicely to tell the whole story. S2, it's a bit more choppy like getting all the puzzle pieces thrown together at the same time and have no clue whatto expect 😅 could be because of the episode limitation?
But! I have to say Zhang Ruo Yun saved it all. His acting skill is more refined, his facial expressions are really impressive (and charming 🥰). Bonus - love his hair style, don't think I've seen wavy male hair style in any costume dramas 😄😄

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Waited for to long but....Not feeling attached to the story

I dont write reviews generally but I invested too much time in it therefore felt to do it. I watched first season 3 rd time before watching the second season even after that i felt connection to the story of first season but i fell totally detached in second season . In the first season male lead dealing with different things like family ,love ,the king ,chen ping ping,different bullies, discovering about his mom and in second half of first season with enemy state but in second season half way through and he is only bickering with second prince not much to do with other side character. One of the major disappointment I fell their is no major movement in second season which make you feel alive,full of emotions like in first season when he kill the bigger enemy in front of every one, writing greatest poem, then writing more than 100 poem and also raising his flag while entering enemy state.
I always thought why people write so much in reviews and now I get it.
I also want to say people should read comments and review but if ratings are decent they should definitely try it by themselves because people see and feel differently so it can be your cup of tea.
Finally if any one disagree they can message me or can comment ....we can discuss it

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season 3 when??

Season 2 of Joy of Life had a lot to live up to, and while the first season is still better, this season really really good. The pacing was a little slower and the story less focused than the first season, but at this point I didn't care because a) it was still good and b) I just wanted to see Fan Xian worm his way out of all his problems.

It was so much fun to see all of the characters/actors back this season (with some changes). I will say some characters seemed to have a bit of a personality makeover (the Crown Prince). Something else I noticed was that it seemed like Fan Xian was a bit less morally grey this season. He was very much For the PEOPLE this season. Don't get me wrong I actually do buy his journey from "I just want to live comfortably" to wanting to help the common people. It's just that he seemed less ruthless this season and I wanted that aspect of him back in full force.

All of the acting was still excellent (shoutout to the Second Prince. He's my favorite Barefoot Psycho) but once again Zhang Ruoyun was beyond practically everyone else. Fan Xian has become one of my absolute favorite characters and it's really due to Zhang Ruoyun. That boy is acting with his ENTIRE chest and I love him for it.

Lastly! We've been teased with that damn gun for TWO seasons now. Fan Xian better blast someone with it next season.

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The original was a masterpiece and so is the sequel, even after a five year wait.

Acting, Thrilling Action, Comic Relief, Cinematography, and great OST💌💌💌💌

The year 2024 will be the year remembered by some as the year Chinese dramas out classed Korean Dramas in putting out great drama productions for this year. Like the year 2016 did for Korean dramas (the turning point for Korean dramas) 2024 abounds with some of the greatest most innovative Chinese Dramas I have seen. Forget the question about which is better, Chinese dramas have arrived.

Chinese Period Drama Joy of Life 2

From the Book Qing Yu Nian, written by Mao Ni, the Chinese drama series Joy of Life (2019) was written by Wang Juan and directed by Sun Hao. Both writer and director returned in 2024 for Joy of Life 2. It is like Wang Juan and Sun Hoa were not going to put out anything short of the perfection, like the high standards found in Joy of Life. The Chinese drama series Joy of Life sits at number one out of all 100 Chinese Dramas I have viewed. The pair of writer and director seemed to have vowed to wait out these five years until the stars aligned so that they could put out perfection and they did it again. It is a death knell to wait five years for a sequel. You lose your audience. Joy of Life 2 was going to be a masterpiece or it just was not going to be put out. There are thrills and action, great acting, great comic relief, great cinematography and filmmaking, great music and a very cohesive story. Joy of Life did not suffer from the five year wait as respects cohesive storyline between the original and the sequel. Joy of Life 2 will most likely land in number 2 on my All Time Chinese Drama List. Joy of Life is number 5 out of 400 Korean, Japanese, and Chinese Dramas I have reviewed. (To note: I have not watched Nirvana on Fire (2015) yet, which by everyone’s account should be in the top three)

What the story of ‘Joy of Life’ does is fill in all of the canvass. While many dramas are entertaining on so many different levels, many of these dramas are pencil drawings next to the Renoir of the Joy of Life drama series for me. Joy of Life 2 is so well written. Many words fill up the dialogue, leaving so many thoughts to digest, one doesn’t feel like the dialogue space is wasted with garbage words. The interplay between the good and the evil, each challenge, each victory, each loss in the cat and mouse games play out wonderfully in this Period Political drama with intense Court intrigue. The cat and mouse skirmishes are reminiscent of the great Chinese drama The Rise of the Phoenixes (2018). Joy of Life 2 is a next level experience.

Joy of Life 2 is a great interplay of serious drama with comic relief. Mapping out the comedy within the serious is not the easiest of tasks. If you throw in the comedy in the wrong places it becomes a joke. If the comedy is weaved in seamlessly, it can become a masterpiece. What Joy of Life 2 is good at is throwing in comedy amidst chaos. The viewers get scenes like where there is threatening chaos and thrilling danger and then amongst this you see dancing Eunuchs doing line dancing? You freeze in place trying to comprehend what you are viewing. This much of a juxtapose should not work in any universe, but it works in the Chinese Costume Drama ‘Joy of Life’ 2 series. What brain is that creative?

Joy of Life 2 has some of the best choreographed action sequences, as was the case with Joy of Life. Known for its trend-setting moves for its action sequences, I enjoyed the wonderful cliff scene in Joy of Life 2. The two nefarious Princes are back and a whole lot more nefarious and funnier in Joy of life 2 than in Joy of Life. (Watch out for the Poison Prince scene. Hilarious). Also back are much of the cast from Joy of Life, including the weirdest but most intelligent Emperor, who provides much angst for the protagonist. Our protagonist Fan Xian / Fan Shen again is played by Chinese actor Zhang Ruoyun. He gives another great dramatic comedic performance.

Can Joy of Life 2 stand on its own without viewing Joy of Life? There will be some parts of the drama that should produce a deeper value meaning with a deeper connection to the past that will be lost. However, Joy of Life 2 can stand on its own, because of its entertainment value. Some problems will arise for sure with the lost of all the information about the dead mother of the protagonist and her connection to the present action. This is lost to those who view this series out of sequence. It is worth putting in the 82 episodes back to back for the best experience. You won’t get bored at all if this is your kind of drama. However, the presentation of Joy of Life 2 is so good that if I could read Chinese, I would read the book.

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