I will be ascending to the Nine Heavens after gaining immortality before even getting to watch this🥲
The sexual aspect of the book was so effed up, I really don't think it'll ever get made in China. Not after how Xiao Zhan was targeted following the popularity of Untamed. This book was so much more effed up than even Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation was.
All any up and comer thinking of starring in this has to do is think back on Untamed and Xiao Zhan and, unless desperate, they'll run for the hills.
The filming supposedly took place back in 2020. That's over 5 years now. How likely is it the Chinese production isn't dead in the water?
Is a shame, because the story/plot aside from the effed up sex was actually pretty good. But no matter how much the effed up sex is trimmed out of the script, it'll still be the source material.
Question: If a hair pinning ceremony is so important to recognise a girl becoming a responsible adult (or whatever it means), then why were they willing to marry her off episodes prior to the hair pinning ceremony issue even being raised?
He kinda explained in an interview that thas was the character he was meant to portray...not showing too much…
I'm going with the impression that his not the kind of character to go silly in love in first. More a character who sees the FL's worth despite her flaws and values her because of that.
I only started watching this today, and am up to episode 14 so far.
A comment I read when I was about to start condemned the series for being 'feminist'. I don't get it. As I said, up to episode 14 so far, what makes it 'feminist'? Or is the use of the word 'feminist' likely a failure of an auto-translation?
That aside, it absolutely is melodramatic a.f.
Let me correct the above: _Melodramatic A.F._ !!!!
By which I'm referring to the excessively dramatic combination of sound/music paired to excessively drawn out dramatic scenes. I'm not someone who likes over the top dramatics, but sometimes, when it's done right, it's like eating an entire 2L tub of triple choc choc chip icecream with a cherry puree swirl. Decadently delicious. And that's what this series is to me so far.
Still only up to ep 14 though, so will have to see if it continues being this delicious to the end.
I'm glad the scriptwriters aren't committed to following the book to the nth degree.
They're following it to the spirit, but taking some leeway to present the story in the visual medium. What constraints they're following, I'm not sure of. Surely the Chinese limit on the number of episodes is one constraint, but they might have more than that one aspect in mind, who knows. If there is ever a Q&A done I'd like to have that question asked of the production team.
That they're willing to take some leeway makes me hopeful they'll do something more with the story of the northern temple than what was in the book.
If I were the filmmaker, I wouldn't use XZ either. Despite his fame rn, he's a risky actor. XZ indeed could bring…
I dunno. Apart from his eye make up being a bit weird, I thought XZ played the part of a released prisoner having to overcome his torture trauma at the end of s1 quite well.
Fame or not. Good acting or not. Toxic/blinkered fans or not.
All that is irrelevant to me.
XZ inhabited the part and I got used to him in it. Having to deal with a different face for the character is jarring.
I don't know why OP bothered to bring up the XZ drama since AFAIK it was that awful fan fic drama fallout that lead to him being dropped from this JOL production, not his ability nor his commitment to this project. Bringing it up now is flogging a dead horse.
That aside - even if a new actor's face in the role is a bit jarring, at least this new actor seems to be doing his best.
All else aside - human being to human being I hope XZ is doing well and put all that needless fan fic melodrama behind him.
- I don't know if you've read the novel, but it hurts me every time I remember that in the novel Teng Zijing doesn't…
But Zijin's story arc in the series was portrayed very impactfully I felt. It seemed to fit what I felt was the 1st season's overall theme of celebrating/experiencing all the human moments of life.
I'm hoping the 2nd season has been produced with the same degree of sentiment.
What’s this joy of life special edition that just dropped?
Seems like an abbreviated form of the 1st season. Since this 1st season was so many years ago, and the 2nd season has a lot of pre-release interest, they probably want to gain some viewership numbers in the lead up to the 2nd season and also help new and old viewers transition back into the storyline.
I think it's great they've fixed the originating premise back to that of the novel (ie him in the hospital bed due to illness in modern times, rather than that library/story competition nonsense).
I'm watching to see if they've made any other adjustments. Seems so far they're looking after the story not just doing this gratuitously.
Ok so I’m on episode 3 of JOL special Edition. I see they replaced the whole beginning scene where he’s writing…
The adjustment of that original library/story competition premise to him dying in a hospital bed in modern times adjusts the story to fit that of the novel, so I'm all for it. And watching this special edition with interest to see if they make any other adjustments.
All any up and comer thinking of starring in this has to do is think back on Untamed and Xiao Zhan and, unless desperate, they'll run for the hills.
The filming supposedly took place back in 2020. That's over 5 years now. How likely is it the Chinese production isn't dead in the water?
Is a shame, because the story/plot aside from the effed up sex was actually pretty good. But no matter how much the effed up sex is trimmed out of the script, it'll still be the source material.
A comment I read when I was about to start condemned the series for being 'feminist'. I don't get it. As I said, up to episode 14 so far, what makes it 'feminist'? Or is the use of the word 'feminist' likely a failure of an auto-translation?
That aside, it absolutely is melodramatic a.f.
Let me correct the above:
_Melodramatic A.F._ !!!!
By which I'm referring to the excessively dramatic combination of sound/music paired to excessively drawn out dramatic scenes. I'm not someone who likes over the top dramatics, but sometimes, when it's done right, it's like eating an entire 2L tub of triple choc choc chip icecream with a cherry puree swirl. Decadently delicious. And that's what this series is to me so far.
Still only up to ep 14 though, so will have to see if it continues being this delicious to the end.
I think we can dismiss the value of your judgement.
However, he was not officially announced as a prince. This is the aspect that Zhystel is referring to, and which I would consider a spoiler.
Though I get the point that I'm probably being a little too picky about it.
They're following it to the spirit, but taking some leeway to present the story in the visual medium. What constraints they're following, I'm not sure of. Surely the Chinese limit on the number of episodes is one constraint, but they might have more than that one aspect in mind, who knows. If there is ever a Q&A done I'd like to have that question asked of the production team.
That they're willing to take some leeway makes me hopeful they'll do something more with the story of the northern temple than what was in the book.
Fame or not.
Good acting or not.
Toxic/blinkered fans or not.
All that is irrelevant to me.
XZ inhabited the part and I got used to him in it. Having to deal with a different face for the character is jarring.
I don't know why OP bothered to bring up the XZ drama since AFAIK it was that awful fan fic drama fallout that lead to him being dropped from this JOL production, not his ability nor his commitment to this project. Bringing it up now is flogging a dead horse.
That aside - even if a new actor's face in the role is a bit jarring, at least this new actor seems to be doing his best.
All else aside - human being to human being I hope XZ is doing well and put all that needless fan fic melodrama behind him.
https://kisskh.co/
Page for the special edition:
https://kisskh.co/Drama/Joy-of-Life-Special-Edition?id=9013
Location restriction perhaps? Do you a VPN?
I'm hoping the 2nd season has been produced with the same degree of sentiment.
I think it's great they've fixed the originating premise back to that of the novel (ie him in the hospital bed due to illness in modern times, rather than that library/story competition nonsense).
I'm watching to see if they've made any other adjustments. Seems so far they're looking after the story not just doing this gratuitously.