songfalcon

Haha, hiii Linh!! It's good to be back and engage with everyone again :)

This drama has completely taken over my life. I don't go a single second not thinking about it haha.

How right you are! Once again you've perfectly worded everything that I want to say to the point I couldn't have said it better myself. Reba had done a phenomenal job in her role, she didn't just act out the character of Li Chang Ge, she became her. She had exceeded all of our expectations of her, and gave us the best Li Chang Ge there is.

This forum, despite the few who don't share the same views about how good this drama is, is indeed like you said, a safe haven for me. I feel happy whenever I read about everyone's thoughts and am excited to respond back with my own insights. Knowing that I'm not the only one who wholeheartedly loved this drama gives me so much comfort and happiness. :,)

it's good to be back :,)

Those types of dramas are really painful and frustrating to watch. But then I always end up putting up with it because that's what I've been used to. I don't know why writers always reuse the same tropes/formulas. I know they want to create drama but there are so many other ways to make a story interesting and engaging without it. TLB is a clear indication of that, and like you said other writers should really take notes and use this drama as a blueprint. We were all engaged throughout the whole 49 episodes to the point where we were begging for me, which is something thing I rarely ever see for a c-drama.

No matter how many times I've stated that I am absolutely in love with The Long Ballad, I still feel as if it isn't enough to express how in love I am with this drama, its cast, music, and story.

It's a great comfort drama for those who need something to watch to help them through a rough patch or it can also be a story about healing and growth and help one realize or want to find their own path in life.

Chang Ge is a strong, capable, and admirable female lead. Her story and journey was painful and heart wrenching, however, in the end she was able to mature and grow and was able to look past her revenge and eventually find peace and happiness with herself and the man she loves. Each person she encounters impacted her life and gave her a new perspective of the path that she wants to take. She was able to learn from the people she encounters and the experiences that she had went through. With every arc that passes, we can see her growth and development much more clearly.

It's not a type of growth that just magically happened over night, but it was a slow and torturous path to growth which makes it all the more realistic. The storytelling and acting done by the wonderful Dilireba also allows us viewers to feel as if we are actually going along the same journey as her. Usually I would be able to separate reality from fiction, while being able to enjoy the drama but also look at it from a third person perspective. With TLB, I would forget about everything and be completely enraptured by the story and feel myself go through the anger, pain, heartbreak, sufferings, and happiness that Chang Ge goes through. Whenever the plot goes into a new arc, I would find myself look back and think about the past arcs and feel as if they had been a lifetime ago, which I'm sure is how Chang Ge must've also felt when she looks back to her past.

When Chang Ge learns something, I too learn and mature with her. When she was wondering what her Tao was, I too questioned myself what my Tao was. And when she finally found her Tao and found peace and happiness, I also felt a sense of fulfillment and understanding of what my belief is in life.

I also found that every time I rewatch an episode, I am able to understand and notice the details and nuances a bit better. I can look at the story from a different perspective and understand where another character is coming from, which makes the rewatch even more enjoyable. Although I am rewatching it, it feels as if I am watching it for the first time, and I don't even find myself getting bored.

Overall this drama had been a great journey for me. I engaged in many thought provoking and engaging discussions that widened my perspectives and introduced me to new friends. I will forever be grateful to this drama and the whole team that had participated in it. I am grateful for the lovely people in this forum who have become like another family to me. The Long Ballad will always have a place in my heart and is one that I know I will always return to.

I also noticed this and it's also a big reason why I love the writing of TLB so much. Something that makes such a great couple is that they communicate with each other. Even if they don't understand one another at times, they make the effort to try and understand each other and talk to each other about it.

Their relationship is mature and strong, where not misunderstanding can stand in the way of their love for each other. They've been through a lot with each other and have saved one another many times. Sun trusts Chang Ge with his life and Chang Ge trusts Sun with hers.

They are a perfect match, and I love the connection and understanding that they both have together. It's such a breath of fresh air compared to what we usually get with the noble idiocy trope or the one where they blindly misunderstand each other when it could just be resolved if only both parties had talked it out.

I was! The last time I was here there were only 23K comments, but now we are at 26K! I definitely miss being on here and everyone as well haha. No matter where I am I'll always come back to this forum, it has a special place in my heart.

I know Mr. Sunshine has a similar dynamic between the FML and ML where he treats her as his equal and respects her but also protects and sacrifices for her at the same time. I wouldn't say that he is as dreamy and is good of a man as A'Sun is, but he is the closest that I can think of lol. Another good male lead is Ri Jeong Hyuk from Crash Landing On You. He's really loving towards FML and is also a great male lead.

I honestly don't think I will be watching any of her upcoming dramas lol. After hearing some stuff about her, I am a bit turned off by her real life personality. I might consider watching her historical one with Yang Yang because I'm a fan of him and the plot sounds interesting. Hopefully like you said, we'll be able to see if whether she is deserving of the praise.

You're right, it is clear who bore the greatest burden and had carried the drama, and it's definitely not Zhao Lusi. For someone who has never watched her other dramas before, I was impressed by her performance in TLB. Her crying scenes and acting were convincing, and I did enjoy her character. I was just a bit annoyed how there were a bunch of Haoyan scenes towards the end that could've been spent towards fleshing out the plot a bit more.

I don't get people who say that they were amazed by her acting, since the only commendable thing were her crying scenes. I feel like these type of people only think that a great crier is what makes a good actress when it's actually so much more than that.

Actually, I did lol. My spring semester just finished and I'm not taking any summer classes this year so I'm all free as of right now. Feels so great to be reading comments and engaging in these discussions again.

The soundtrack is probably one of the best parts about this drama. Every single song tells the story of the plot and characters so well. I've watched the soundtrack making video like a good 5 times now without understanding what they are saying. But even so, I feel like as if I do. Music transcends all languages, and while watching the making video as well as hearing it in the drama you can see how true it is. One can truly feel and understand the emotions through the instruments, lyrics, and voices of the singers. The heartache, pain, suffering, yearning, regret, love, and sacrifice of the characters can be felt perfectly through the soundtrack. The bgm was weaved perfectly into the scenes and enhancing it by either making making it more, funny, epic, sad, happy, etc. The musicians did a great job in the composing and arrangements of the score. Even by just listening to the soundtrack, I feel myself tearing up and thinking back to the drama. A good drama also needs a a good and memorable soundtrack, and I believe The Long Ballad couldn't have done it any better. Out of all the dramas I've watched, this soundtrack is my favorite by far.

Loved your comment Linh, and you're absolutely right! Reba's previous roles were just enough to show us that she can act, but there were no stand out performances that really showed the range of her acting compared to other actresses. When TLB trailer first came out I was a bit wary because I was afraid that they might stray away and butcher the manhwa. But the trailer had given me hope after seeing the few short scenes of Reba's portrayal of Chang Ge.

Although excited, I was still a bit wary, but her acting in this drama was phenomenal and I couldn't have been more proud of her. Finally, a drama that can showcase her range in acting and prove to haters that she's deserving of her fame.

I really liked it when you said, "I hope in the future she don’t settle for what roles people give her, but that she’ll pick the best of the best." I hope the same thing for her and that she'll continue to achieve higher praise and awards in the future and soar higher than ever before.

I love everything that you had said about Li Chang Ge and Reba! I couldn't have said it better myself! Only Reba can pull off the character of Li Chang Ge, and the director knew it when he was persistent in having her take on the role. He's a seasoned and experienced director who knows what he's doing when he chose Reba for the role. Having worked with her before, he is aware of her capabilities and talent, he must've been absolutely confident in her in order to still insist her to take on the role even when she had rejected it the first time. No matter how likable an actress maybe in person, for major projects such as this, acting abilities must come firsthand. The director was confident that Reba can do it, and of course he was absolutely right for doing so. He couldn't have chosen anyone better than Reba to take on the complex character Li Chang Ge.

I completely agree with you about Reba being a perfect fit for this role. I literally cannot imagine any other actress playing her, even from the start before knowing that this manhwa was going to be a drama, I had read it with Reba in mind. The role suits her so well and she had executed flawlessly. I am thankful for this drama and the role of Li Chang Ge that had given Reba a chance to show and prove to the world her talent that had been suppressed in her previous roles. To play the role Chang Ge, one must really truly understand her character in order to portray the character realistically and Reba had done just that. As a fan I was not only impressed, but was blown away by her acting more than I ever had before.

Le Yan's character is indeed cliche and simple. Zhao Lusi had done a fine job in her role and her crying scenes were great. But like you said, any other actress could've easily taken on the role. I feel like one of the reasons that Zhao Lusi had chosen this role is because it's a different role from her previous roles but it's also a role that doesn't require much in order to showcase her acting. It's a good start for her to show everyone that she can act in other roles besides the previous ones she was given. Besides that I don't think there was anything else commendable about her performance, as an actress who acted the simple character of Leyan, I think that she did pretty well in her role.

To be honest I do agree with you that the the plot did become weaker towards the end. The reason for me thinking so is due to the increase in useless fluffy Haoyan scenes that could have been cut out in order for more solid and fleshed out writing and development of the other scenes, for example, the plan that Sun and Li Jing had made, the scene where Sun had saved Chang Ge, etc. Some of the Haoyan scenes were absolutely unnecessary and did not help develop the plot at all.

I also agree that Zhao Lusi's acting was great, but to compare her acting to the rest of the cast like Leo and Dilireba and say that she is better isn't something that I would agree with. Despite being a good crier, I don't think that there was anything else in Zhao Lusi's acting in this drama that made her stand out. Her character was great but not very complex, hence Zhao Lusi didn't really need to do much in order to do a good job of acting out her role.

Leo and especially Raba on the other hand had much more complex and fleshed out characters to act out. Some scenes you might want to rewatch in order to grasp just how good their acting is are:
1. Ep 24: The scene where A'Sun drank the wine after agreeing to let Chang Ge stay with Sher'er.
2. Ep 25: The scene where A'Sun kneeled in front of Sher'er to save his mother before crying over her dead body, which is some of the best acting I've ever seen.
3. Ep 14 and 15: This is non explanatory, the pain and heartbreak Raba had portrayed at the loss of A'Dou and Gongsun Heng and Lady Gongsun. Her embarrassment, anger, and betrayal were perfectly acted out when she had found out who Ashile Sun was. Also the anger she felt as she chased after that soldier that had killed A'Dou? Freaking amazing!
4. Ep 48: This scene breaks my heart. The disbelief and pain on Chang Ge's face after Mimi had died. Her trying to process everything before her eyes landed on those of man she loves, and finally allowing herself to fully break down in his arms.

These are just a few scenes that I have listed out of the other episodes and there are still so many superbly acted out scenes that I didn't include. But even so with these scenes alone, one can clearly use see that Zhao Lusi's performance was nothing compared to performances that Leo and Raba had given in their roles. But to each their own opinions I guess.

Wow, I absolutely loved the way that you worded everything. Ep 14 and 15 although were some of the saddest episodes in the drama, were some of my favorites along with ep 18, 25, 32, and 48. The acting within these episodes were so raw and well done that it amazes me every time I rewatch it. Not only that but the execution of the scenes like when Chang Ge walked out of the gates to meet Sun, when Sun came and saved Chang Ge from Lady Jin, when everyone was fighting while Mujin and Mimi had their goodbye moment.

I still remember how much I had cried watching the Gongsun Heng and his wife's deaths. The scream that the dubber had let out as well as the painful tortured expressions that Raba had portrayed really ripped my heart to pieces.

I loved how you described the snow walking scene, yes I absolutely agree that it was epic, but it also has this melancholic feel to it. Like you said, seeing this 15 year old girl brave through the snow and carrying so much grief and sufferings on her shoulders to meet thousands of armed soldiers wanting to kill her. The snow and the music were so well paired with the scene and I absolutely love it.

As for Mrs. Gongsun, similar to you, I believe that ultimately she had agreed to follow her husband's path because she knew that their daughter would be safe in the hands of the people left behind. While on the other hand, her husband is this selfless ever so sacrificing General who had chose to walk alone and kill himself for the safety of his people. She understanding that, had chose to be the one to accompany him in the end knowing well that their daughter is in good hands. It was a beautiful scene, a heart wrenching episode, and an admirable sacrifice.

yeah, i just wanted to ignore them, but i just got so worked up that i couldn’t help but comment. just going focus on the positive comments and gesun now haha.

wow i haven’t been on here in a while and the first day back i found so many funny comments. wow didn’t know people on here were such funny people. i thought the comment above was funny, but this one had me laughing for a good moment.

anyways dude you’re entitled to your own opinion, but here’s mine. maybe you’ve never been exposed to what a healthy, mature, and toxic free is like so therefore your judgement is a bit clouded by your love for your actress.

but to say that leyan’s character’s story was more interesting than chang ge’s, i’m sorry to say that despite enjoying leyan’s journey, i would’ve dropped this drama a long time ago if she was the main character. her character is typical and her growth is more clearly seen probably because we don’t go through a single episode where someone didn’t say “leyan you’ve changed a lot” “leyan you’ve really grown”

leyan’s character isn’t as dynamic and mature as chang ge. you call chang ge weak? i’m so confused because you said you don’t like how she’s weak and is always saved by a’sun, but then go off and say that you like leyan. do you understand me?? like this makes no sense?? leyan would’ve died a long time ago if it weren’t for the many people who saved her, including chang ge. not once did girly ever save herself but had to rely on others and their help.

chang ge has been saved by a’sun, but she has also saved a’sun and many people countless of times. at this point it’s a natural trait of hers to save everyone, which is probably why you didn’t notice since you brushed it off as something she usually does. i mean if you ask me, deciding to give up your revenge to kill the person who killed your father for the sake of the people of not only your country is the most mature thing anyone could do. i’m sorry to say that based on leyan’s character, she probably would’ve gave up and gone off to die if she had experienced chang ge’s pain and suffering.

haoyan’s journey of love, hmm let me think, did you see this so called beautiful journey in your dream? if so then please share it with us all. cause to me, all i saw was a typical sweet girl falls for cold bodyguard trope. there was nothing interesting to say the least. if you associate love with physical contact then you probably aren’t familiar with what a loving, mature, and healthy relationship is consisted of. sure physical touch is important, but there’s so much more than that. love requires both sides to respect and care for each other, to treat one another as equals, to understand one another and support each other’s ideas and choices. gesun has all of these traits, something that haoyan still have a lot of learning to do.

i mean it’s kinda funny to me how despite all the so called “growth” leyan’s character went through, hao du was still scared that she could have gotten lost again, as if she’s stupid and can’t be left on her own lol. i really agree with what @Dragnelia had said about how some curves on a graph is much easier to see than others. maybe you’re the type to enjoy typical baseless romance and fan service so that you won’t have to think much, if so then that makes sense why you think gesun’s relationship is so boring, since there’s is simply more mature and dynamic and requires a bit of a higher iq and eq to understand.