babepiggie

I have to laugh at your post because I agree absolutely! To classify The Long Ballad as just a revenge drama is selling it short. It's more of a personal growth story for many characters but none more so than our lead , Li Changge. I guess to each his own..

Is there a limit to how many words per post because I can go on forever about how much I love Reba as an artist and person? 😁 Here goes my discovery of this beautiful artist named Dilraba Dilmurat...

I noticed Reba in Eternal Love and thought her character was absolutely adorable and immensely enjoyed her portrayal as Bai Feng Jiu and her romance in the drama. Perhaps due to the unsatisfying ending to their love story, I sought to ease my broken heart by reading the novel (“Pillow Book” a.k.a. the drama, “Eternal Love of Dream”) and loved the character even more and imagining Reba in the role as I read the novel. While waiting for “Eternal Love of Dream” to air, I watched older Reba dramas and honestly did not enjoy them much due to poor plot and/or mediocre character development. I finished only two of Reba’s earlier works – “Pretty Li Hui Zhen” and “Sweet Dreams”. Reba was sweet and likeable in both dramas but her characters and the plots for both productions lacked depth. I tried and dropped “The King’s Woman” (like the chemistry between Reba and ZBB but hate the romance) and “Flame’s Daughter” (couldn’t get into the story or pairing). Finally “Eternal Love of Dream” aired and although I enjoyed the drama but thought it was too long and overly convoluted as Reba and Vengo played multiple characters and one arc was unnecessary extended (mortal realm arc).

And then came “The Long Ballad”...Li Changge was the type of character I longed for Reba to portray!! Her character had substance – smarts, flaws, a kind yet brave heart and Reba’s performance was heart-stopping flawless in my eyes. I cried for her character’s struggle and rejoiced that she found her true path in life. She showed that one could overcome pain and that not exacting revenge took great strength and strong conviction. I loved seeing the character’s personal growth and after this drama, I truly became an Alice and wished to know everything about her. I later watched the variety show, “Keep Running” on Youtube and enjoyed her and her interactions with her castmates. She was very down-to-earth, humble, cute and competitive, yet considerate of others. I could sense her genuinely kind heart and couldn’t help but admire her as a person.

Then Qiao Jing Jing came alive in “You Are My Glory”. I read the novel prior to learning Reba was cast as the female lead and she was tailored made for this role. Qiao Jing Jing is one of my favorite female leads in a Chinese novel and I love her fearlessness and her knowing what she wants and going for it attitude. Her chemistry with Yang Yang was electric and it was wonderful to see how she (and Yang Yang) brought this novel to life. This drama is definitely on my very often rewatch list.

Later, I learned she sought to portray Ji Yun He in “The Blue Whisper” and while waiting for the drama, I read the novel and absolutely love it! She embodied the character so well and I commended her drama selections. Ji Yun He was another character that was complex yet relatable. Reba gave justice to this character as described in the written work.

Now as I continue to wait for her next drama to air, I have been following some of her personal news shared by many Reba’s fans here. I am truly amazed at how thoughtful and insightful she is in her interviews. She encourages fans with her thoughtfulness and just being comfortable in her own skin. People she worked with, in dramas or behind the scenes in magazine shoots, always have kind words about this woman. I love where she is in life and in career. Although I gripe (too often) for her to act in more works, I do want her to be in control of her drama destiny and for her to choose roles that fulfill her as an actress. Hopefully whatever role(s) she selects, Reba will continue to give us characters with depth and substance. If that means taking a longer time, so be it, but I do pray that her next perfect role comes sooner rather than later.

As we wait for her next dramas to broadcast, I can’t wait to see what kind of performances she will bring. Ren An Le (Legend of Anle) and An Ni (Prosecution Elite), please arrive soon! I want to continue this dramatic journey with our dear Reba for as long as she wants to grace our screen!

I am surprised that Reba does not take on a drama while waiting for issues with the other rumored dramas to resolve, whether is it drama investment or finding the male leads. I read that she is approached with many scripts so it seems like it's Reba being very selective which dramas she is interested in taking. I do hope she starts filming soon. Miss her so much and can't imagine no Reba dramas in 2024. 😫

I am looking forward to both LOA and POE because I just miss seeing her onscreen. I hope they don't air closely together so I can savor her role before moving onto her next drama. Hope the rumor of early next year is true so our Reba drought officially ends.

Really? I am surprised YY is favored over Leo since I know you're a big fan of TLB. I love both men of course! Reba has amazing chemistry with many of her male costars.

Probably Yang Yang (YAMG enough said!). They are electric together. I also enjoy her with Leo Wu, Vengo Gao and Zhang Bin Bin. I just wish it was better script in her collaboration with ZBB. The dramas ended up disappointing even though they have wonderful chemistry together.

My top two is Long Ballad and You Are My Glory. I love the character, Li Changge, and Reba's portrayal of this character left me breathless - so much depth in the characterization and she made me feel so much in this character's journey! YAMG has tremendous rewatch value; I've been playing it if I need a quick pick-me-up because their romance is smile worthy. I also have a soft spot for Eternal Love, just because it's my first drama with Reba and prompted me to watch her other dramas.

Agreed! She has the most beautiful smile and I'm just happy to see her bright face. At first, I'm drawn to her because of her dramas but after learning more about her personal life, I truly admire how sweet, respectful and thoughtful she is in her interviews and her interaction with others. I am so pleased to be supporting someone who has such wonderful qualities! Long live Reba and the sunshine she brings!

I never get this need for anti-fans to come to an artist's page and spouting these hateful comments. Fine, you're not a fan of her acting, just don't watch her dramas. Watch your favorites act and have a happy drama viewing experience. No need to share your opinion and harshly comment that she is the worst and quit acting. Please. Her dramas and acting bring tremendous joy to her fans and even some casual viewers who are perfectly fine with her drama portrayals. Who are you to determine an artist should stay in the entertainment business? Why do you act like you don't have the free will to avoid her dramas if you truly hate her acting? There are hundreds of dramas that aired that you have not seen and Reba is not in them! Yes, you have the right to air your opinion just like others have the right to refute them and I, for one, love this girl. She gets better with every drama and she has the heart of gold. I am anxiously waiting for her upcoming drama productions and in my opinion, it will be a sad day when she stops gracing my TV screen!

This comment is so contradictory. How can you be a "fan" when you don't like her acting? She is, first and foremost, an actress and people usually become fans of hers because they enjoy her acting.

Reading that you were avoiding this MDL page breaks my heart a bit because it was our discussion and your enthusiasm for both Ji Yun He, Chang Yi and their story which prompted me to pick up the novel and boy, their tale of romance and sacrifice touch my heart more than any novel I ever read. I have read the novel twice and cried both times; now after watching the drama adaptation, I felt both Reba and Allen capture their characters so poignantly. Sure, we might be influenced by what we read in the novel but I do think we have a deeper understanding of both characters and their motivations. Although their personalities changed slightly in the drama but when watching TBW, their heartfelt love and the emotions this couple evoked still manage to move me and I cried those tears when reading the novel as when I watched them on my TV screen.

I will be first to say that the drama is not perfect because there are areas in the plot that I felt can be better, but there were also additions that I thought were well done. But in terms of their love story and how strong their bond is and what they need in a life partner, I never waver in my stance or support of this couple. You aptly described their character, their struggles and sacrifice, their perseverance and the innate goodness in both characters that I am left speechless. At their core, both yearn to be free and found true freedom in each other. I found this sentiment so beautiful to read and so beautiful to watch onscreen. I hope our comments on this thread might shed light to others or new viewers to watch their story from a different perspective and perhaps, they can appreciate why we love this couple as much as we do.

Most definitely! It’s always good for others to read another person’s perspective and I have every intention to write a formal review, likely comparing the drama to the novel as I think both mediums are deserving of attention. Thank you for your suggestion!

Hi Gizzy! You’re such a great representative of a true Reba fan. 😊 You’re helpful with questions and always encourage positive discussions of Reba’s works with other fans. I know we have engaged in numerous conversations in several Reba MDL drama pages and our discussions are fun and so pleasant. I know many people might be tired of my long-winded comments (I sometimes marked them as “spoiler” so that they do not dominate the page when scrolling :P) but you always leave thoughtful comments for me. I do appreciate your kind gesture. 😊

Thank you for such lovely comments! I am quite passionate about both characters and their story and I could not help but highlight how much I love their epic romance and their sacrifice and love for each other. Definitely one of my favorite fictional couples of all time!

Likewise! I really enjoy reading your takes as well. 😊 When I watched TLB, I did not read the manhua but still enjoyed it and felt the characters were well represented. In general, I tend to favor the written work as compared to the drama adaptation (and it’s also true for The Blue Whisper) but I am not such a stickler where I would reject the drama if the details are not exactly as presented in the novel, unless of course the change was so extreme that it distorts the story telling completely. While TBW drama is not perfect (there are areas that can be better presented) but I think the drama still manages to capture the essence of the novel so I still find it quite entertaining and would highly recommend!

Thank you for the suggestion. I still have few episodes to complete for part 2 and plan on writing a formal review after I am done. 😊

I, too, did not mind that Yun He was more manipulative in the drama as compared to the novel. It’s quite realistic given the environment she grew up that she would be calculating in trying survive and be a good demon tamer.

In regards to TMOPB, I am the opposite. I didn’t really care for the character, Bai Qian, to be honest. I found her to be too cold and unfeeling. I like Ye Hua though but overall felt lukewarm about their romance, though I did enjoy when Bai Qian was Su Su in the mortal realm (her personality was warmer and sweeter) and how the two met. I discovered Reba through TMOPB and she stole the show for her (I know I’m in the minority). I like her romance with Dong Hua; she’s childish and adorable and I like her romantic persistence even if he would not reciprocate. I can’t recall if there anything specific the character Dong Hua did that might offensive (other than his constant rejection of her feelings)? I know Reba received many criticisms from viewers for this role in that they found her antics annoying and hated how single-minded she was in her pursuit of Dong Hua. However, I think many viewers forget how young her character was supposed to be (in years) and her personality and actions IMO are reflective of her age. I personally found her character very likeable and Reba acted Bai Feng Jiu with such charm.

Applause for this comment! I was in a mood to start a wuxia drama and came upon this page but was appalled at the amount of hate the lead actress/FL character is getting. Thank you for posting your comment and much appreciation to other people for defending Yang Chao Yue! It was off putting to read unwarranted (perhaps unintentional) personal attacks by some on the lead actress. I have no idea who she is and have not seen any of her dramas but viewers should know how to separate the character from the artist. Please criticize the character in the drama if you believe it’s warranted but do not leave petty comments about the actress just because you do not like her character.

Like you, I do not condone bullying of any kind and your message is a good reminder that posters should be careful of what they write and how their messages might come across. Although the intention behind some comments were meant to be of a joking nature, but I, as passerby, did not perceive it that way. Some areas in a person’s life should never be open for jesting. The smiling/laughing emojiis could be interpreted as “yes, I agree with you, haha”, not “yes, it was a good joke”.

Reading your comments makes me root for the actress and I really hope she succeeds and improves herself. She was not born privileged, probably was sheltered when she entered Chinese entertainment industry and her “crybaby” moments were likely due to real overwhelmed emotions coming through at the time. We should not hold that against her or ridicule her for it. While criticism of her acting might be justified, but she’s still very young and might get better with more opportunities. Not all actors enter this industry with natural talent and not all actors improve at the same rate but if she puts forth the effort, perhaps she can make an impact and be convincing in her future works. I am definitely pulling for her!

Happy birthday to our beautiful Reba! Wishing you good health, professional success and much happiness, 💕❤️

I do understand where you’re coming from. I love the novel and Chang Yi in the novel has a more majestic aura while remaining pure. It helps that the physical description of Chang Yi, with his white hair and blue eyes, further enhances this quality of being ethereal. The drama’s Chang Yi is much more subdued and is portrayed as more innocent and naïve, which I think was written for two reasons:

(1) The drama cannot fully disclose the torture scenes of Chang Yi and decides to use his trusting nature to provide levity in the drama; examples include the bathing scenes and his desire to sleep in the same bed as Yun He, not realizing the inappropriateness. In the novel, Chang Yi showed more spirit and defiance as he was tortured, which I very much enjoyed, so it is a shame that viewers cannot witness these traits onscreen.

(2) To contrast the “manipulative” Ji Yun He and Chang Yi to fast pace their romance and provide more angst when she “betrays” him.

I personally prefer the drama to follow the novel in being more dark but unfortunately, I think the drama team is hindered by censorship issues (the torture scenes) and had to improvise. With these restrictions, I did come to terms that not everything written in the novel will come to life in the drama. As its core, I think the drama captures their love story well and so far, I am enjoying their journey.

However, I do not agree that drama’s Chang Yi is dumb down in order for Ji Yun He to protect him. I am assuming that you are referring to his time at Flower Valley? I honestly cannot think of one scenario where he acted too gullible which prompted Yun He to act to protect him. He was written to be trusting towards Yun He, understandably due to his fondness for her and the fact that she showed him kindness. These sentiments are also expressed in the novel. In addition, his species has a simple mindset and acts from the heart. It is within his nature to help those in need and he reiterated in the drama that he would save Shunde again because his heart compels him to do so. And Yun He is not the only one doing the protecting, he also shields and saves her when (1) he cut off his tail and (2) when he agreed to Shunde’s demands to travel to the Immortal Master Mansion. Even if Yun He is the only one offering protection, I don’t see an issue with that. To me, it illustrates the goodness of Yun He in wanting to protect a pure hearted soul and does not diminish Chang Yi in the slightest if he needs protection.

Thanks for the reminder. 😊 I will include these comments in my formal review once I have completed the drama. There are others areas of the drama that I want to comment so I’m sure my review will probably be longer than usual.