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Joy of Life chinese drama review
Completed
Joy of Life
0 people found this review helpful
by navi
Jul 26, 2025
46 of 46 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

is this what they call an “isekai”—except not that much, admittedly

TLDR; The cinematography is amazing, and for the most part, the transitions are so smooth. I watch for the romcom, so this one had spotty rom parts but definitely didn't lack on the com. So many plot twists I almost forget this was a story within another story. What a cliffhanger tho.. Acting is amazing, and even the minor characters have phenomenal performances. Music is pleasant to listen to, although bgm doesn’t always use more traditional instruments since it’s like an “informal” historical drama (you’ll see what I mean in the first ep). Rewatch value is one-and-done for me just bc it’s p long, but still amazing nonetheless.

Story: This is the most chillest emperor I've seen in a drama, but that's also probably bc this show is more lighthearted than others. There are a ton of funny peak moments and interactions between characters that somehow fits into the dramatic/serious scenes. Something I've noticed that I haven't seen in other mystery-type shows is the parts where they replay scenes when they have different context, which I find rlly helpful, since there are so many eps. There are a lot of calculating ppl in the story, so it’s hard to keep track of how that ties into motives or story since I kinda just go w/ the flow, and I don’t try to theorize what happens next bc my brain is too small for all that.

Acting/Cast: Sheesh for the lightheartedness this show usually has, when smth goes down, the actors don't disappoint. Each character has their own quirks, and they're lovely in their unique way. The ml's snarkiness adds to the comedy aspect and makes it more enjoyable. I also like how not every fem character is a love interest, and it's refreshing to see a best friend dynamic that's just them hanging out and complaining about life's woes.

Music: I was surprised to hear 李建 singing the intro haha, but it does foreshadow events in the story. Bg music is very silly but enjoyable nonetheless.

Rewatch value: Lots of stuff/clues to look for after a rewatch, though that is a bit off-putting since there’s so many eps, and like I said before, once the plot gets new info, it replays flashbacks w/ new context. Not to mention there’s a S2, so I think this one is a one-and-done for me. Good show regardless!

—我们都要好好活着,对吧?
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