This review may contain spoilers
The Long Ballad - A Beautiful Story That Didn't Fully Win Me Over
This is the third Chinese drama I’ve watched—after The Prisoner of Beauty and Love Like the Galaxy—and while The Long Ballad had many strengths, I still feel conflicted about it overall. It was beautiful, rich in story, and filled with interesting characters—but not everything landed for me.
The Romance
To be fair, the story of Li Changge and Ashina Sun makes sense. On paper, their love story is powerful. I understand why he fell for her—she’s different, strong, unafraid—and why she eventually reciprocated, given how much he protected her and treated her as his equal. Written out, it’s the kind of story that should sweep you off your feet.
But in practice... something was missing. Maybe it was the acting, maybe the directing, or maybe just a lack of chemistry. I wouldn’t say it “fell flat,” because I was emotionally invested to a degree—if one of them had died, I would’ve felt it—but not nearly as much as I was with the second lead couple: Hao Du and Li Leyan.
Hao Du and Li Leyan were the highlight of this drama for me. Their development felt natural, their chemistry was clear, and their scenes were emotional and often tense. I was genuinely rooting for them. When Hao Du fought the Chieftain to win her hand, I was stressed and excited. They brought heart into the story where the main couple sometimes lacked it.
The Visuals & Style
Visually, The Long Ballad is stunning. The landscapes, battle sequences, and overall aesthetic are beautiful. One thing that stood out to me, though, was the costume design. Compared to the other two dramas I’ve seen, the costumes here weren’t as grand or ornate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—maybe the show aimed for historical accuracy—but I can’t really judge, as my experience with historical Chinese dramas is still very limited. It just looked different, and that stuck with me.
There’s one stylistic choice, though, that did bother me at times: the animated sequences. While I didn’t mind the full animation scenes here and there, the parts that mixed real actors with animated backgrounds—or scenes where a character was clearly cut out and pasted onto a fake environment—made me cringe. Maybe I’m just not used to that style, and I’m not totally against it, but it sometimes looked silly and broke the immersion. I couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly during some of those moments.
Humor & Tone
Unlike The Prisoner of Beauty or Love Like the Galaxy, this drama had almost no humor. And I don’t think it was trying to be funny either, which is fine—but I definitely missed the comic relief. The other two dramas had me laughing out loud, and that balance of light and dark made their stories more engaging. In contrast, The Long Ballad leaned heavily into seriousness, which sometimes made it feel emotionally flat or overly intense. More than once, I found myself cringing rather than laughing—which, sadly, does affect how much I enjoyed it overall.
The Lead & Believability
I’m still unsure how I feel about the female lead, Li Changge. She’s undeniably beautiful, with striking presence, and she had moments of brilliance. But I never felt deeply moved by her. Maybe it’s the way she was written to be emotionally restrained or the way she leaned into a more mannish, tough image—but something about her didn’t fully click for me.
Also, while I accept that main characters often have plot armor, this show pushed it to the extreme. Both Changge and Ashina Sun survive everything—arrows, battles, betrayals—while characters like Mimi die from a single shot. It started to feel ridiculous. Changge could talk her way out of anything, disguise herself perfectly, and always come out on top. At some point, it just wasn’t believable anymore. I get that she’s supposed to be special—but not that special.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad I watched The Long Ballad, and I see why it has fans. It tells an epic story, doesn’t rush its ending, and explores a wide, complex world. But emotionally, it didn’t leave the same impression on me as the other two dramas I’ve seen. It lacked humor, the main romance didn’t quite deliver on-screen, and the visual style occasionally pulled me out of the moment.
That said, Hao Du and Li Leyan made it worth it.
The Romance
To be fair, the story of Li Changge and Ashina Sun makes sense. On paper, their love story is powerful. I understand why he fell for her—she’s different, strong, unafraid—and why she eventually reciprocated, given how much he protected her and treated her as his equal. Written out, it’s the kind of story that should sweep you off your feet.
But in practice... something was missing. Maybe it was the acting, maybe the directing, or maybe just a lack of chemistry. I wouldn’t say it “fell flat,” because I was emotionally invested to a degree—if one of them had died, I would’ve felt it—but not nearly as much as I was with the second lead couple: Hao Du and Li Leyan.
Hao Du and Li Leyan were the highlight of this drama for me. Their development felt natural, their chemistry was clear, and their scenes were emotional and often tense. I was genuinely rooting for them. When Hao Du fought the Chieftain to win her hand, I was stressed and excited. They brought heart into the story where the main couple sometimes lacked it.
The Visuals & Style
Visually, The Long Ballad is stunning. The landscapes, battle sequences, and overall aesthetic are beautiful. One thing that stood out to me, though, was the costume design. Compared to the other two dramas I’ve seen, the costumes here weren’t as grand or ornate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—maybe the show aimed for historical accuracy—but I can’t really judge, as my experience with historical Chinese dramas is still very limited. It just looked different, and that stuck with me.
There’s one stylistic choice, though, that did bother me at times: the animated sequences. While I didn’t mind the full animation scenes here and there, the parts that mixed real actors with animated backgrounds—or scenes where a character was clearly cut out and pasted onto a fake environment—made me cringe. Maybe I’m just not used to that style, and I’m not totally against it, but it sometimes looked silly and broke the immersion. I couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly during some of those moments.
Humor & Tone
Unlike The Prisoner of Beauty or Love Like the Galaxy, this drama had almost no humor. And I don’t think it was trying to be funny either, which is fine—but I definitely missed the comic relief. The other two dramas had me laughing out loud, and that balance of light and dark made their stories more engaging. In contrast, The Long Ballad leaned heavily into seriousness, which sometimes made it feel emotionally flat or overly intense. More than once, I found myself cringing rather than laughing—which, sadly, does affect how much I enjoyed it overall.
The Lead & Believability
I’m still unsure how I feel about the female lead, Li Changge. She’s undeniably beautiful, with striking presence, and she had moments of brilliance. But I never felt deeply moved by her. Maybe it’s the way she was written to be emotionally restrained or the way she leaned into a more mannish, tough image—but something about her didn’t fully click for me.
Also, while I accept that main characters often have plot armor, this show pushed it to the extreme. Both Changge and Ashina Sun survive everything—arrows, battles, betrayals—while characters like Mimi die from a single shot. It started to feel ridiculous. Changge could talk her way out of anything, disguise herself perfectly, and always come out on top. At some point, it just wasn’t believable anymore. I get that she’s supposed to be special—but not that special.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad I watched The Long Ballad, and I see why it has fans. It tells an epic story, doesn’t rush its ending, and explores a wide, complex world. But emotionally, it didn’t leave the same impression on me as the other two dramas I’ve seen. It lacked humor, the main romance didn’t quite deliver on-screen, and the visual style occasionally pulled me out of the moment.
That said, Hao Du and Li Leyan made it worth it.
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