Things to know before watching
The Long Ballad had an interesting premise, and I genuinely enjoyed certain aspects of the story especially how the female lead disguised herself as a man. That part was creative and gave her character strength and depth. Her bond with her uncle even felt more real and emotional than the one with her own father, which added to the complexity of her journey.However, there were quite a few things that fell short for me.
First off, while the show tried hard to make the lead seem like a man, the red eyeshadow and makeup clearly made her look like a woman which took away from the realism of the disguise. Visually, it didn’t quite convince.
Then there's the princess who got lost that entire subplot dragged far too long. Hao Du's character shift also felt rushed. One moment he's cold and stern, and suddenly he’s soft and romantic with little explanation or transition. It made his development feel unearned.
Another thing I noticed: the creators clearly wanted every side character to find love. And while that works in some dramas, here it felt forced. The connection between Princess Yongning and Ashile Sun, for instance, lacked any real romantic tension. If anything, their relationship felt more political than passionate.
The costumes were another issue. The repetition of outfits was noticeable something that breaks immersion in a historical drama. The wigs often looked fake, and some of the acting felt flat or disconnected. The Queen, in particular, should have had more costume changes to reflect her royal status, but it felt like the production cut corners in that department.
Finally, the ending left too many loose ends. Some plot holes were never addressed, and the resolution felt rushed and unsatisfying after so much buildup.
Overall, while The Long Ballad had a strong foundation and moments of brilliance, the execution especially in costume, character development, and pacing weakened its impact. It could have been great, but it settled for average.
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The story is dragging
The story is boring and dragging please and please if you see this review don't waste your time and watch this movie. I don't know who wrote this what lead Him to write this story or what he was thinking when writing it , what does the director feel like directing them,when the actors where given the scri p did they read it or even voice out that the story didn't make any little or bit sense like how the hell did they even shoot it will straight fave...didn't they edit the movie how comes they didn't felt like let's delete this human eyes are not supposed to see something not well planned like thisWas this review helpful to you?
