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The Long March of an Excellent Drama
The story itself intrigued me but I only knew and was watching for Dilraba and LHK. What I got out of it was so much more. I will begin with outlining the pros then the cons. This costume drama has been moved into my number 2 position and added two more actors to my following pile on Weibo.Pros: The cast was absolutely superb. Our main leads were completely equal in everything they did. CG was a general in her own right and never played second fiddle to the ML. Everyone knows that Dilraba can and often plays strong characters so, I expected nothing less from her. Leo Wu, amazed me as it was the first time I'd seen him act in anything. For a 21 year old, to be able to play Ah Sun in such a regal and powerful way, was very impressive. Ah Sun was a man who knew his strengths and weaknesses and was able to let CG be the woman she was without belittling her. It's not often that in these costume dramas women FL can be as equal if not more powerful at times (take the rescue scene in episode 48) then the ML. Also showed how CG touched everyone's lives she met and the good ones followed her especially came to aid her in that episode (the assembly of the kitchen sink) when she needed it most.
Our second leads, though they had smaller scenes, did develop very slowly. Leyan's character was very annoying until mid way through when she finally had gone through all of her trials and tribulations; then she had a quiet grace and could formulate a plan or an idea without crying. And ice cube aka Hao Du I wanted hit with a frying Pan for a long time for trying to kill CG but after the slap heard around the world and great speech made by a now totally different Leyan, he started to melt (and his nickname got changed to ice melt). I only knew of Liu Yuning from the variety show "Our Song", so I knew he was a wonderful singer but now I found that he is a great actor as well. He was able to go from a cold-blooded puppet of his father to a hero and loving man to Leyan and a really great ally to CG.
Many of the side characters like the celibate one aka Shuyu who some people didn't think grew much, I felt he matured a lot himself though he was a sad character for not ending up with the woman he loved but maybe he won't be celibate forever and meets someone in Chang'an someday. LHK's Master made me laugh because it was the direct opposite character of the one he played in CQL and it was a great change for him. Every single character belonged in the show, for however long they were supposed to be. I do feel sad for Mimi's sacrifice because her character was truly a tragic one where though what she did was heroic, she would never get to be with the man she loved and her brother plus her friends. To have such a tragedy happen in the second to last episode, was very overwhelming, but I could see it was done to remind characters and audience of how precious life really is.
Khatun or bitch devil from hell, actress did a wonderful job playing the Wolf in sheep's clothing. Turned out that she was actually worse than the Khan himself having killed three out of four. To be able to play such an absolutely calculating, deranged character takes a lot and I command her for that.
The fact that nearly every stereotype and trope that you see in their dramas both costume and modern ones were disregarded was a pleasant surprise. Every misunderstanding was ironed out fairly quickly no matter how complicated and confusing between all leads and even the side characters. Things weren't just piled on and then hurriedly untangled in two episodes at the end but as things went along, things were solved. It was great to see.
I loved the OSTs as they fit each couple and the stories to perfection. Everyone got the song and power of their characters within all. The growth of all characters and their travels to get to their proper places both physically and literally was done well.
Cons: The horrible cartoons that were placed instead of every major battle and even for other shots was very obvious that production didn't have a lot of money. They lost so many nuances because of them and they should have used more CGI instead of that if it was such a problem. The blurry kiss and birds taking over was another negative. I don't know why it happened as some people here claim it's in his contract to not kiss until he's 21 and his parents run his studio while others say netizens were responsible for it; whatever the reason, it could have been done differently, though the forehead kisses, hugs, and all the love aka "like" shown through actions, did make up for it. Finally, the ending in my opinion wasn't satisfying in the least. More cartoons and our main leads in different places as a bird flies over them watching. Yes, I understand they are free and together but I personally felt that if they had them both on horses standing together on a hill overlooking the grasslands would have been more powerful. Like this power couple are looking over their world that they helped save, would have been the perfect ending to this series.
The pros way outweighed the cons. No series is 100% perfect. I will be rewatching my favorite episodes and scenes for a while and this drama is an absolutely recommend from me and many others here. I'm very glad I got a chance to watch this and meet some awesome people in the ever growing comment section. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a very successful airing! Bravo!
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Now for the first time, after so many series: I was more drawn to the second leads\couple. There were so many emotions going on with these two. It was heartfelt, sweet and somewhat exciting too. In truth, you get more development from the second leads than from anyone else. You also get a beginning, middle and conclusion. Yes, no cliffhangers.
Overall it was fair. It’s not on my rewatch list. I really did love the music.
Cast: I am definitely a fan of the female lead. I have enjoyed almost every drama she has stared in. Today I can officially say that the ML is also going to be an actor that I am watching for. He’s performance in this series with amazing. From the main leads to the secondary to the supporting cast, every cast member performed well. The energy that they brought to series really made it what it was.
Action: there was tons it. The fighting in this series is one that had me rewinding and re-watching them more than twice. Some of the choreography in terms of how they maneuver around and did all of these moves while they were fighting is something that was commended by followers and viewers while watching this series. I can almost guarantee that if you watched it you are going to rewind a couple of these scenes at least three times. They did not dial back with the action. In truth it almost look like these people are good actors but they’re not but it always looks so cool real.
Plot: what can I say? Initially I wasn’t really sure what the flight was but if you read the synopsis you will get somewhat of an idea. In reality it’s a battle of kingdoms. And not multiple kingdoms there’s really just one main one and then you have a few small little class but there is bickering and plotting amongst the minor one toward the larger one. I believe that the bigger plot about one princess a.k.a. the female lead fight for justice and her revenge. Although the revenge is really not a major part of the series. From start to finish you don’t really feel like the theories were all over the place. Everything had a clear point and added value.
Romance: yes I put a romance tag here because it’s listed under the genre historical romance. To be completely honest I liked the series a great deal but in terms of romance, it wasn’t present. Which leads me to my next point; the chemistry between the leads was almost nonexistent. Hilarious point is when they have a kiss scene or about to kiss, they’re replaced with a bird kissing each other supplement. Throughout series I also felt like they were just not in sync. I guess another word it just means that I didn’t really feel the intimacy. And yes you can have intimacy without all of the censored singing is it spell more like friends not lovers.
Characters: most of the characters were likable. Of course in every series I have to be a villain and we do have one here. The twister that is the villain is kind of an unexpected one. My favorite character in the series is best ‘Sher’. He’s not the main lead but for me he appears to be loyal, sweet, and passionate.
2nd FL and 2nd ML were great. They had such character growth.
No really overly annoying cast members.
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Great drama
A must watch for me. Amazing cast, amazing story. Especially female lead Dilraba did a great job. As a Turkish girl, I kinda like how they represented our history, even if it was worst times of 1st Köktürks:( *spoiler begins here* Beautiful Chinese princesses who became Khatuns caused destructions those times indeed as we learned in our history classes.Today, we still use some words such as "Ana (Ana/Anne: mother)", "Ata (Ata: father, ancestor; today we use mostly its 'ancestor' meaning) "Khatun (Hatun: woman, wife, dame, chick; informal, today it mostly considered as a slang word, its original meaning is not used)", "Khan (Han/Kağan: ruler, emperor; Han and Kağan are boy names today, we don't use it's original meaning 'ruler')", "Kurultai (Kurultay: council, general assembly)" and "Ashina (Aşina/Asena: she-wolf; it is believed that Ashina Clan is descended from this she-wolf, also a girl name today // some legend says it was the name of a baby boy rescued by a she-wolf, and he became the father of Ashina Clan)". That they use these words has reinforced my love for these series.
Every episode made me wonder what will come next. That's the brownie points! (i hope i use the idiom in right place:"))
And, the romance! Everything was amazing regarding them, i mean, all of the couples!
However, I am sorry for Hao Du, I wonder how his love story will end.
Can't wait to find Eng subs for the rest of the series and looking forward to finish it.
Edit after ending: What an ending! It was so sad to watch a show about your nation's history when it represents the worst times...
I am happy for Hao Du... and almost everyone else- except Sher. I really liked him, it was so sad -again:(- to see that he couldn't be happy at all.
I wish there were more romantic scenes... but this doesn't matter, it was an amazing drama! -with an amazing soundtrack
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Addictive, Cool Fight Scenes
TLB was very addictive and fun to watch, but it's not perfect.What I loved:
-the fight scenes, especially at the temple, between Sun and Sheer, and ending were well choreographed.
-touching story- I loved Chang Ge's last conversation with Lishimin - I cried lots!
-the cast - I've really enjoyed all the nuance. I've never watched Leo and Dilraba and I was impressed with their acting.
-the character development of She'er, Hao Duo, Leyan
What Could be Improved:
-Sun had very little character development - he was "perfect" from the beginning so the lack of growth was disappointing because even the side characters had shown growth.
-Sun's romantic love for Chang Ge seemed one-sided. Change Ge seemed to like Sun because of guilt (seemed more platonic love than romantic love).
-Chang Ge's grassland arc should be longer to show her strategic worth to the Eagle Division and build camaraderie; instead, the palace politics in the end was too long and didn't make too much sense.
-the makeup: Chang Ge should not have such heavy makeup when she is dressed up as a boy. She's gorgeous dressed as a princess.
What I despised!
-Canaries! They shouldn't have even bothered.
Overall, I would highly recommend TLB. Just remember that it is a drama, so there are some pretty big plot holes to overlook. The acting is very good and there are many touching storylines.
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Posterity for the birds
This is my final thought, ramble, rant... call it what you will.This may have a mild spoiler proceed with caution.
Good plot, good acting, excellent OST. Interesting main and side characters who all managed to standout on their own. Good pacing but it did lag towards the end. I really think they could have worked to make this ended at 42. Unnecessarily dragging it out to 49 did the drama a great disservice.
What I liked:
* Hao Du - Best boy. Only character that mattered from the get-go! You can’t imagine how much I like him. I watched Zhao Lusi for you TT (okay, I'll admit this character fitted her well but still... only for Hao Du!)
* Changge- was she perfect? No. But she was a great character to watch. A strong, defiant, smart and fearless character who puts loyalty and country above personal grudge. She is impulsive, cold, unreasonable at times too. The drama shows you how each experience shapes her, how it layer by layer peals off her shell, her anger, her resistance. Overall, this was a very well developed character.
* Li Shimin - okay the actor did really well in this role (this role fits him so much better than the one he played in LoF. He really came off as comical in that)
I'm a little disappointed though that we only got to see the empathetic side of him. He's Emperor Taizong and he's considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history! You don't become someone like that by ruling with benevolence alone. He had to also have been shrewd, cunning and calculative and a bit of ruthless to some extent. All great men who leave their mark on history are and I'd have liked to see a little bit of that instead of just showing his kindness.
* Minister Du - I know a well written character when I see a character that you initially dislike or feel is going to be the antagonist to the end but as the story progresses you see parts of their personality that makes you reevaluate your initial impression. Not because they went through a redemption arc, they are still the same people with the same principle but you find that you understand them better now. This was a character I didn't expect to be moved by this much but I nevertheless was (why am I surprised, he raised Hao Du!)
* She'er - this is a very stereotypical character. The arrogant, seemingly cruel misunderstood character but is in fact the innocent of them all. I think I like him because he's a cliched character, sometimes there is comfort in the known.
* Princess Yi Cheng/Khatun - regardless of how you may feel about her, I thought this was a very good, multi-layered character. Unrepentent to the end, which’s a large part of why I like this character, she still manages to pull on your emotions. She is not just one person - an innocent girl, an abandoned princess, a wife, a mother, a Khatun - in every version of her I have found genuine reasons to either empathize or sympathize with.
* Richard Wang's cameo - even if it was brief, the man showed up looking like an elf and giving me LoTR's crossover images I didn't know I needed.
* Underrated CP: Xu Feng and Shi Ba ❤️
What I didn't like:
* Li Change's lipstick - and this is why I HATE cross dressing/gender bending dramas. The lack of commitment. Dilraba did a very good job acting as Li Shi Si with her demeanor and aloofness but yet time and time again they have her in bright shades of lipsticks. Why? were they afraid she wouldn't look attractive enough for fans? Didn't she still get criticize for the 2 hair strands? If you can't please anyone at the very least commit to your craft. I don't need all my leading actor/actresses to stand out. I rather they play a convincing role. I'm already suspending logic pretending I don't see their chest.
* The anime- I had initially thought it was actually pretty cool to incorporate the anime in the drama but the drama ended up replacing ALL the battle scenes with manhua. WTF! It was very underwhelming. How are you going to ask me to be invested in the outcome of a war when I'm looking at drawings? I want to see blood, and stabbing and cutting and hacking. I want to feel the panic of watching the enemy creep up on a character from behind....There was no tension whatsoever so it was less impactful. To add to this, the badly CGI'd actors pretending to charge into the manhua scenes was so ridiculous, I burst out laughing each time.
Ya, I'm not buying this was due to COVID. It may have started that way but it feels like it's Tencents way of saving money. You'd think at least they'd spare some change and get Changge a 2nd outfit. The girl wore the same blue outfit from Ep 39-46.
* Wei Shu Yu - I know air is free but really we still shouldn't just waste it. Consistently mediocre, a glorified messenger, has neither brain nor spine... I could go on but I don't want to waste any more time on him.
* A'Sun in ep 42 - I really wanted to reach through the screen and throw him off the balcony. It's fine though because Hao Du exists. (okay, this reason is petty and I know but I don't care)
* Mimi Guli - annoying for most of the drama. Am I sad? Yes, but she is still annoying as a character and the dubbing voice didn't help at all. Every time she whined my ears suffered.
Editing this to add how much I hated the birds. This drama should be proud of its accomplishment in making me have strong averse reaction to two cute birds.
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An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
This is the empowering, female focused historical drama that I have been waiting for. Finally in Li Changge, we get a strong, smart, independent female lead character who seeks meaning in life beyond being just an extension of the male lead and his dreams. Not that Wu Lei's Ashile Sun is anything to throw popcorn at because this man is a total keeper from his fabulous thunderbolt eyebrows all the way down to his baby toes. No, I haven't actually gotten to his baby toes, my screen appears to be ahem... stuck... in a perpetual loop around about his stunning bare chest but I am sure they past muster. Even disguised as a man, Dilraba is such a peerless goddess no male lead ever seems good enough until Wu Lei rocks up to turbocharge this smoking hot OTP into one of my all time favorite drama couples. Don't be fooled by my shameless, shallow gushing, this is so much more than just another idol drama. All of the main characters in this drama start out as young people who don't know who they want to be when they grow up. They go on an incredible journey of self actualization to discover their true values and best selves.This story begins with Li Shimin's bloody ascent to the Tang throne over the bodies of his brothers, to be the greatest Tang emperor. Li Changge, a fictional character, is his much adored niece and daughter of the deposed crown prince. Disguised as a man, she flees the capital, vowing to avenge her family and tries to marshal her father's remaining supporters to undermine her uncle. Thus Changge embarks on a long and difficult quest, making many friends including the delicious Ashile Sun along the way. She is young, naive and makes costly mistakes with irreversible consequences along the way. In the process, she discovers that the truth is never simple and there are causes far greater than hers; that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. Dilraba's performance as Changge is several notches above all her other works; she is not afraid to ugly cry or allow grief and rage to ooze from every pore of her being.
I picked up this drama because Wu Lei's Fei Liu is one of my all time favourite drama characters. Who would have guessed that irascible kid would have grown up to be such a sexy beast of an Ashile Sun! And Wu Lei has not lost any of his agility in delivering thrilling, heavy hitting action scenes, with his kick ass fight with She'er being one of the drama highlights. But what really is on fire is his chemistry with Dilraba; their mutual attraction does not have to be expressed in words. When Sun tells Changge "From now on, you are my slave" his entire being screams "From now on, I am your slave." It is so refreshing to have a couple that understands each other, is honest with each other (even about lying to each other) and shares the same world vision. Ashile Sun's manliness comes from the fact that he is not threatened by Changge's independence and strength, he glories in it. Together they find that forgiveness brings peace and liberation. I am also most pleased that not all the men fall in love with Changge, Mimi is more the femme fatale.
Changge's cousin and closest confidante Leyan is inadvertently thrown on a similar journey. They are polar opposites by nature and deal with challenging situations in completely different ways but both show immense courage and fortitude. Leyan is the character that shows the most growth in this drama and even though usually weepy characters give me rashes, I was not allergic to Zhao Lusi's empathetic portrayal. Fair to say, the princess and the icicle is very cliche but Liu Yuning and Lusi really capture what made it such a popular trope to begin with. Sadly they must have cut those scenes where the uptight Haodu thanks Wei Shuyu for buying him looser underwear with tears in his eyes because poor Wei Shuyu never gets any love despite how he redeems himself later on.
As much as I find this drama's character development addicting, it must be said that the plot is flimsy and requires heavy suspension of disbelief. This is partly because the plot development is constrained by historical facts. While it is very cool to journey with our characters to all the historical hot spots and watch them interact with great historical figures while history plays out, the plot itself doesn't amount to much more than that. Changge's mother's story is tragic but anti-climatic as far as mysteries go and that is the problem, the drama doesn't really have a climax. The entire last arc is not only implausible, the main antagonist was mis-cast and their acting was so appalling I really cringed through many moments of the final few episodes. As for the ending, I found it most fitting. Weddings are not the same without family, permission was asked and received and beautiful vows were exchanged. We don't need more than that.
Broadly speaking, men are followers of women in this drama making it is the ultimate female fantasy fiction that on sheer addictiveness and enjoyment factor alone merits a 10/10. But objectively speaking it also has some flaws that make an overall 8.5/10.0 more fair.
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Big Reba and Leo fan!!
I was expecting a lot more romance scenes between Li Changge and Ashile Sun, because they have such a cute dynamic. I'd recommend this if you like the main couple and are willing to binge the drama in 2x speed while skipping through some unnecessary parts.I didn't read the manhua, so I'm not sure how much was changed, but I do feel some parts that made it into the real life drama should have been changed or cut out, as it either wasn't executed that great or it was just weird seeing it in real life vs had I read it in a book/cartoon.
I think this does play into why Li Changge and Ashile Sun didn't have too many scenes together, since the manhua was maybe less focused on your traditional romance?
Overall, there's definitely better dramas of this storyline/genre, but I am such a huge Dilreba fan I had to see her in this.
Pros:
- The storyline about war/peace/Chinese dynasties etc was simple enough to enjoy and digest.
- I'd honestly say the beginning of the drama was better than the end, just because there was a lot more action, seriousness, and "omg idk whats gonna happen next."
- Good looking idol actors. I'm gonna go ahead and give Leo Wulei some credit for portraying a manly aura at just the young age of 21. The kid's quite slender in frame but the way he carries himself was fitting for the role. The only actor I compare him to is Zhang Bin Bin, who was extremely masculine in King's Woman (which sucked as a drama but entertaining nonetheless) at the age of 24. So yeah, excited to see how Leo grows in the next few years.
Cons:
- If you're looking for a mind-blowing storyline, save your time and skip. A lot of the scenes were almost predictable and sadly corny.
Overall, I feel like this drama was hyped up to a degree, and I'd imagined it so differently in my head... No regrets watching it at the end of a long day of work as the episodes came out each week, but if I could choose a drama to watch of my own free will during a few days of vacation, I'd skip on this one.
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The story about Chang Ge and Ashile Sun lack “edge”, maybe because Dilraba isn’t a really good fit as a main lead. The male main lead doesn’t quite fit his role either.
The story about Leyan and Hao Du is less predictable and more interesting, although it’s not feasible that someone who is supposed to be good at embroidery would mess up weaving yarn the way Leyan does in the story.
Chinese historical dramas have a lot of “shang tian” and “lao tian” which westernized translators misleadingly translates as “g#d”. It doesn’t correspond the associated biblical “g#d”.
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The Long Ballad -- saved by its beautiful cast
The Long Ballad is a very entertaining drama. If you have never seen a Chinese historical, I would highly recommend you to watch this. But for those who have seen several historicals, The Long Ballad is an optional watch....TLB has 4 leads-- Dilraba Dilmurat, Wu Lei, Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. They are young and beautiful actors. Especially for Dilraba, Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi, who have put in very remarkable performances in this drama (I have seen them in their previous dramas and there are notable improvements for all 3). I'm happy for Dilraba who finally has a strong FL character who does not have a tragic ending. Wu Lei had felt like the wrong choice for Ashile Sun, military general in the grasslands would not look like him, but his acting convinced me! Zhao Lusi's Leyan has very good character developments that kept me worried for her for a long while... which is good, otherwise I might have dropped the drama in the 20+ eps.
The director did a great job and kept the plot going at a good, fast pace almost for the whole drama. The good thing about The Long Ballad is, it has no drag, every episode is essential. Even when it cuts to Leyan's arc, the slower plot developments there still keep our attention as we worry for her.
My greatest, and only issue is on the script. The script feels like it is written for elementary school children. The simplicity of the plot really comes apart in the last arc, that last 7 eps where I have to watch at 1.5x speed else I be falling asleep. I like Dilraba a lot, and kept reminding myself, it is only 7 eps left, finish this for Dilraba.....
I must say the plot, the main plot, is really good. It has a lot of potential.... unfortunately screenwriter has simplified it to juvenile levels.
-- Change Ge was stabbed/shot at in her chest, near the heart area, several times in the drama. Even falling down from a great height into a river. Yet she survived. FL halo is over-used here. And because of this, no matter what danger that Chang Ge is in later, we do not feel anxious for her becos scriptwriter has made it very clear that she cannot die...
-- Chang Ge was able to command Gong Sun He's army in the battle against Ashile (she has only been taught in warfare by Masters, never been in a battle)... and that scheme that they used, flooding the enemy troops with water. That should take several days, weeks to arrange. How to setup that in one night....
-- Middle part is generally okay, or maybe I tried not to be 'too picky' and shut down my brain as I continue watching. But in the rescue of the Tang general from Ashile camp. It is unthinkable that such a clever Chang Ge would act so foolishly... and when the escape plan failed and Ashile soldiers were catching up with them (literally just a few metres away, on horses), the three had a lot of time to chat and even got Shi Ba (the general's most junior disciple) to acknowledge Chang Ge as her new master..... I was like, um folks, the soldiers are coming on fast horses, so can you get going??!
-- I really do not like the last arc.... the part when Chang Ge and Ke Dun were plotting and scheming against each other. Those tribal heads are much older than them, yet they can be sooo easily manipulated??!! Yes, the excuse is Ke Dun had held them hostage with their family members. But dear scriptwriter, they are GRASSLANDS TRIBAL HEADS, big macho men with their own brains and capable of independent thinking. It is not convincing that all of them become cowards because loved ones were held captive. They are MACHO men.... at least a few would want to stand up against Ke Dun even if at the risk of their families.
-- And that fire at the end. For such a big fire to start so quickly, Ke Dun would have poured fuel on the floor much earlier. The hall was enclosed (windows closed), so when Chang Ge entered, she should have smelled the fuel.... um, maybe Chang Ge had a nose block that day? cough cough.....
And the kiss scenes in the drama..... why even bother putting in romance if you want to be PG about the kisses?
China has produced much better historical dramas, with better attention on details and the plots. The Long Ballad is only a fun and entertaining watch, with a very beautiful and talented cast. Please ignore the script, and you can enjoy the drama fully.
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This action packed, forbidden romance premise is highly engaging. Every single episode ends in a cliffhanger, making you want to watch the next and then the next ....
Binge watching, however, I noticed that large chunks of episodes go by with nothing really resolved. The plot doesn't 'move' much. Also, due to the repeated use of cliffhangers, the impact of large action and rescue scenes decrease over the course of the show.
The acting was great, and I often enjoyed the secondary characters just as much if not more than the main ones. I was fond of all of them, and continued to watch just to see how it ended. As others have noted, the two main leads have little romantic chemistry when sharing screen time (but when they are apart, you deeply believe that they care for each other). The secondary romance had much more connection.
The music, especially the end credits song, was a bit more haunting and creative than average. One or two action scenes where thrilling enough that I may rewatch selectively . . I grade on other criteria:
Complex Themes: 5
Simplistic: If you do right by your country and your people, all the rest will fall into place. Never be too prideful to lose sight of the bigger picture and learn from others. Self-sacrifice is a mark of good character.
Character Growth: 7
Each character has a standard trajectory, from pride, ego, or blind obedience, to doing what is best for your people. They all get a bit more grounded and thoughtful, less brash and impetuous.
Relationships/Depictions of women: 7
There are a lot of female friendships in the show, as well as a bit of focus on mother daughter relationships as well. I wouldn't say any of the depictions are complex: and the women are often separated from each other.
Production values/cinematography: 8
The show made a strange choice to switch to illustrations instead of live action whenever a scene would be too complex or expensive to shoot. Besides that odd choice, a few of the action scenes were truly thrilling and creative, and production values were generally high.
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Great Story and Acting
I highly recommend The Long Ballad.Story / Narrative:
What I like about The Long Ballad is how the story of Li ChangGe is told and her character development. It all started with her carefree life, living in a palace with nothing to worry about. And then life started to crumble when her family got annihilated. Back then she was blinded by the truth. She fought back and almost died many times, but she moves forward never thinking of backing off because of her goal. And then in her journey towards revenge, she met good and selfless people. This made her realize that fighting for what you think is right may not be the best solution, but instead fighting is about the common good, lesser casualties the better.
Characters / Actors:
Dilreba Dilmurat really shined in this series, not only did she carry the titular role but she owned the show. This is by far her best performance, hope she gets to win acting awards for TLB. She was so good with the action scenes that you'll never know that she was so cool and fun off-cam or behind-the-scenes. She indeed showcased her acting prowess here and gave her all. Leo Wu on the other hand is also a gem, he is a fine young man, very talented. The emotions he conveyed during the grassland arc were so on point, you can feel his angst, frustrations, his energy during the action scenes, and how he is able to switch to being calm and gentle when he is with Li ChangGe.
The side characters too were very watchable and what impressed me the most is that no matter what the differences were and even if they were on opposite camps or tribes, both ChangGe and A'Sun were admired and respected by the people they met along their journey. My favorite side character is Yuan Niang. She is so adorable.
Romance:
This is a very wholesome show. No third parties and lots of couples.
My fave of course is the main couple #GeSun. Literally will kill for each other, it was a slow burn and wasn't forced.
Dilireba and WuLeo are so perfect for their roles, overflowing with chemistry even w/o much skinship.
Cinematography / Sound Track:
The cinematography was also very nice, pleasing to the eyes. My favorite was the fireflies date of A'Sun and ChangGe.
This has one of the best Opening and Closing OST. Charlie Zhou's Cocoon is the best.
Wisdom / Lessons/ Quotes:
All the characters that ChangGe and A'Sun met left a great deal of impression and imparted wisdom. The part wherein ChangGe reflected and found her Tao, this part of the drama was the slow part but it was necessary for the story and we get to love ChangGe even more after she found her Path. My favorite quotes were: #1 Some people are soft like water, they absorb everything while others are like fire, and people who get close to them will get burnt. If you insist on staying with them you will become ash. #2 A Benevolent heart is never defeated.
The Long Ballad is one of the highly emotionally intelligent dramas that I will surely remember and love for a long time.
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THIS IS A MUST WATCH!!!
The Long Ballad is a really great drama. The story was great, the casts were great and the music was great everything was just perfect.As for the casts this was my first time watching Dilireba and Liu Yuning but I've watched dramas of Zhao Lusi like The Romance of Tiger and Rose, I Hear You and Oh My Emperor and of Leo Wu like Nirvana in Fire and Whirlwind Girl. So, I know that Lusi is a good actress and Leo Wu too. I was looking forward to Leo Wu in a lead role and indeed he had done a marvellous job. He looked so mature and handsome. Dilraba had done such an impeccable job as Li Changge and I don't know why some people were hating on her saying she was very stiff in portraying her feelings and what else but TBH I think she was just awesome. Every time there was a crying scene with her I did not find anything lacking I even cried a few time though I'm not a senti type person but the feeling were so strong that I can't help but cry. Liu Yuning as Hao Du has done a good job as well. He was really into the role which I liked about him. All the other supporting characters were great as well.
Now for the couples, I didn't have expected that Dilireba and Leo Wu look so adorable and peautiful together. Their chemistry was just so perfect that I didn't even know that Dilireba is older than him. There were not many romantic scenes but they had such a magical chemistry between them that when they were just holding hands or talking I'd start blushing. I just hope they do more dramas together. And as for the HaoYan couple I just want to say they were so cute. There were lots of sweet moments that had me go crazy. And the other couples like Mu Jin and Mimi Gulli, Xu Feng And Luo Shiba they were all so great too. They did such a good job keeping us hyped.
The OSTs were so wonderful Zhou Shen's 'Cocoon' , Zhang Bichen's Song and Sa Dingding's song were all so great. They made the drama much more enjoyable and good. Every time the songs came I would feel like flying. The songs were so good, touching and emotional. The war scenes were also so realistic I was getting goosebumps whenever there were any fight scenes. And the story to comic cartoon transition idea was brilliant it was so unique. Some people think that was to maintain the budget but that's not the whole truth they were saving and using it somewhere else like they used it to train the actors some little techniques of horse riding. We can see that some scenes were done by the actors themselves not by their double. So we should respect the production quality.
Overall the drama is PERFECT!!! I highly recommend it.
(NOTE: This is my first time writing a review so if had made any mistake please forgive as an amateur. I'll try my best in the future :) )
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