Alegria da Vida 2 (2024)

The original was a masterpiece and so is the sequel, even after a five year wait.

Acting, Thrilling Action, Comic Relief, Cinematography, and great OST💌💌💌💌

The year 2024 will be the year remembered by some as the year Chinese dramas out classed Korean Dramas in putting out great drama productions for this year. Like the year 2016 did for Korean dramas (the turning point for Korean dramas) 2024 abounds with some of the greatest most innovative Chinese Dramas I have seen. Forget the question about which is better, Chinese dramas have arrived.

Chinese Period Drama Joy of Life 2

From the Book Qing Yu Nian, written by Mao Ni, the Chinese drama series Joy of Life (2019) was written by Wang Juan and directed by Sun Hao. Both writer and director returned in 2024 for Joy of Life 2. It is like Wang Juan and Sun Hoa were not going to put out anything short of the perfection, like the high standards found in Joy of Life. The Chinese drama series Joy of Life sits at number one out of all 100 Chinese Dramas I have viewed. The pair of writer and director seemed to have vowed to wait out these five years until the stars aligned so that they could put out perfection and they did it again. It is a death knell to wait five years for a sequel. You lose your audience. Joy of Life 2 was going to be a masterpiece or it just was not going to be put out. There are thrills and action, great acting, great comic relief, great cinematography and filmmaking, great music and a very cohesive story. Joy of Life did not suffer from the five year wait as respects cohesive storyline between the original and the sequel. Joy of Life 2 will most likely land in number 2 on my All Time Chinese Drama List. Joy of Life is number 5 out of 400 Korean, Japanese, and Chinese Dramas I have reviewed. (To note: I have not watched Nirvana on Fire (2015) yet, which by everyone’s account should be in the top three)

What the story of ‘Joy of Life’ does is fill in all of the canvass. While many dramas are entertaining on so many different levels, many of these dramas are pencil drawings next to the Renoir of the Joy of Life drama series for me. Joy of Life 2 is so well written. Many words fill up the dialogue, leaving so many thoughts to digest, one doesn’t feel like the dialogue space is wasted with garbage words. The interplay between the good and the evil, each challenge, each victory, each loss in the cat and mouse games play out wonderfully in this Period Political drama with intense Court intrigue. The cat and mouse skirmishes are reminiscent of the great Chinese drama The Rise of the Phoenixes (2018). Joy of Life 2 is a next level experience.

Joy of Life 2 is a great interplay of serious drama with comic relief. Mapping out the comedy within the serious is not the easiest of tasks. If you throw in the comedy in the wrong places it becomes a joke. If the comedy is weaved in seamlessly, it can become a masterpiece. What Joy of Life 2 is good at is throwing in comedy amidst chaos. The viewers get scenes like where there is threatening chaos and thrilling danger and then amongst this you see dancing Eunuchs doing line dancing? You freeze in place trying to comprehend what you are viewing. This much of a juxtapose should not work in any universe, but it works in the Chinese Costume Drama ‘Joy of Life’ 2 series. What brain is that creative?

Joy of Life 2 has some of the best choreographed action sequences, as was the case with Joy of Life. Known for its trend-setting moves for its action sequences, I enjoyed the wonderful cliff scene in Joy of Life 2. The two nefarious Princes are back and a whole lot more nefarious and funnier in Joy of life 2 than in Joy of Life. (Watch out for the Poison Prince scene. Hilarious). Also back are much of the cast from Joy of Life, including the weirdest but most intelligent Emperor, who provides much angst for the protagonist. Our protagonist Fan Xian / Fan Shen again is played by Chinese actor Zhang Ruoyun. He gives another great dramatic comedic performance.

Can Joy of Life 2 stand on its own without viewing Joy of Life? There will be some parts of the drama that should produce a deeper value meaning with a deeper connection to the past that will be lost. However, Joy of Life 2 can stand on its own, because of its entertainment value. Some problems will arise for sure with the lost of all the information about the dead mother of the protagonist and her connection to the present action. This is lost to those who view this series out of sequence. It is worth putting in the 82 episodes back to back for the best experience. You won’t get bored at all if this is your kind of drama. However, the presentation of Joy of Life 2 is so good that if I could read Chinese, I would read the book.

Leia Mais

season 3 when??

Season 2 of Joy of Life had a lot to live up to, and while the first season is still better, this season really really good. The pacing was a little slower and the story less focused than the first season, but at this point I didn't care because a) it was still good and b) I just wanted to see Fan Xian worm his way out of all his problems.

It was so much fun to see all of the characters/actors back this season (with some changes). I will say some characters seemed to have a bit of a personality makeover (the Crown Prince). Something else I noticed was that it seemed like Fan Xian was a bit less morally grey this season. He was very much For the PEOPLE this season. Don't get me wrong I actually do buy his journey from "I just want to live comfortably" to wanting to help the common people. It's just that he seemed less ruthless this season and I wanted that aspect of him back in full force.

All of the acting was still excellent (shoutout to the Second Prince. He's my favorite Barefoot Psycho) but once again Zhang Ruoyun was beyond practically everyone else. Fan Xian has become one of my absolute favorite characters and it's really due to Zhang Ruoyun. That boy is acting with his ENTIRE chest and I love him for it.

Lastly! We've been teased with that damn gun for TWO seasons now. Fan Xian better blast someone with it next season.

Leia Mais

Waited for to long but....Not feeling attached to the story

I dont write reviews generally but I invested too much time in it therefore felt to do it. I watched first season 3 rd time before watching the second season even after that i felt connection to the story of first season but i fell totally detached in second season . In the first season male lead dealing with different things like family ,love ,the king ,chen ping ping,different bullies, discovering about his mom and in second half of first season with enemy state but in second season half way through and he is only bickering with second prince not much to do with other side character. One of the major disappointment I fell their is no major movement in second season which make you feel alive,full of emotions like in first season when he kill the bigger enemy in front of every one, writing greatest poem, then writing more than 100 poem and also raising his flag while entering enemy state.
I always thought why people write so much in reviews and now I get it.
I also want to say people should read comments and review but if ratings are decent they should definitely try it by themselves because people see and feel differently so it can be your cup of tea.
Finally if any one disagree they can message me or can comment ....we can discuss it

Leia Mais

THEY FORGOT SEASON 1…

They basically rebooted the series. The whole intrigue at the end of season 1 was the post ice age world, divine realm, futuristic mystery left behind by Fan Xian’s mother. They do not continue any of this and turned it into a generic corruption drama. It’s not even a mystery drama anymore, just corruption. They go through cases like dismantling brothels and ensuring ethical exams. New characters introduced are boring, while Uncle Wu, Eunuch Martial arts masters have all been forgotten thus far. Without a doubt, one of the biggest let downs of the year. Considering fans waited 5 years for this. The soul of the drama is lost.

Leia Mais

The show continues to be funny, clever, and very very entertaining. However, the story is missing a central plot that ties everything together.

It's not clear what the drama is trying to achieve. Is it a find your origins story? A quest for power? I have no idea because the plot is all over the place. Season 2 gave more explanation about Fan Xian's background, where his mother came from, but still left a lot of questions unanswered. Several key characters discussed finding the temple where mom came from, but no steps were taken to actually find it. Fan Xian constantly talked about bringing justice to the world, but the never-ending slew of conflict between the royal family and officials always kept him occupied with the current problem at hand. What is the end goal here?

I liked what the writers did with Waner's character. In season 1, I didn't think she fit Fan Xian's personality very well being very submissive and non-confrontational. I always found him having way more fun and chemistry with other female characters. But, in season 2, she came a little bit into her own and started making her own decisions. I also liked how she was able to figure certain things out without falling victim to someone else's manipulations.

Some of the character personalities completely changed. The crown prince was a lot meaner in season 1. In season 2, he is a lot friendlier and nicer. The second prince went from being kind of ambiguous to more villainous. The show spent too much effort subverting viewer expectations, than creating a central plot.

The best part of the story is the music. It's very goofy and completely out of place. We go from fighting sequences with Spanish-esque party music to Nordic yodeling. It's completely ridiculous and hilarious.

Leia Mais

Very confuse on this drama….I am between giving 5 or 6 at of 10.

Waiting 4 years for this drama makes me feel dissatisfied that it turns out to be boring, slow, a lot of talking and repetitive comedy.
If you are the type of person who wants this drama to be like S1…Then turn around and
leave.

BTW The op is not better than the first season however I like better the ending song of S2 than Season 1.

Spoilers…..


The ending of S1 end up in a cliffhanger however in the first episode without waiting at least for the 2 episode everyone knows that the ML is alive… Like where is the suspense or mystery? In this drama or kingdom everyone knows things at the speed of light. There are no secrets or silence. Since every rumor or conflict everybody including the death people knows about it.
There were scenes that could be a battle scene or a lot of fighting. HOWEVER, nobody fights and that was soooooooooo annoying to me. I think in this season there were no more than 3 or 4 fight scenes. That is why is very talk based and can get very boring.
The jokes were repetitive or unnecessary long. For example, when they were dressing the ML for his wedding they give literally a montage that lasted 5 or 6 minutes, another example was when they were giving a surgery to the Ml and the Ml stars to have illusions seeing cartooned made of AI faces and this lasted more than 3 minutes.. This was for me so annoying and unnecessary especially if it takes very long and they repeating the same song of this moments of comedy. Dies scenes could be replace with a fight scene or more story based context.

The Ml is not the same as S1 in fact I find him more cowardly than ever and bowing every time to the king something that in the first season he would not do.

And finally the ending. The last 2 eps were rush and the ending is not a sad cliffhanger but is a cliffhanger regardless and we have to wait for 3 years for season 3. To me was like WTF, especially when in the when in the real word they make a joke that if the 3 seasons would take years and I was like What? And the thing is that they will mostly take 3 years and I'm afraid will not be still like season 1.....

For me this drama could be better if it had 40 ep and more fighting scenes and more life-or-death scenarios. Also, more romance because the ML and the FL were barely together, without lying they were together if you include all the scenes less than 30 minutes.

Well, this is my humble review.

Leia Mais

After all of this, I wasn't expecting the story to have a season 3. Season 2 was also put very well together just like season 1.

The series does a really good job of recalling things that have happened in the past so it kind of forces you to watch season 1 to understand what's happening in this season. The show also does a great job of keeping the audience entertained. It has this feeling in the drama, where it lures you to keep watching. It makes you want to know what's going on and makes you continue to binge watch it.

The acting and cast is what caught me off guard. The most impressive part of season 2 was having more than half the og cast return. That is one pretty hard task to do. Not only is the og cast brought back but they've even introduced new characters which was awesome. The acting was also the same and really funny. The laughs between crown prince and second prince is super hilarious.

Can't wait for season 3, hoping the cast remains the same!

Leia Mais

The Saga Continues

First of all, the production and crew did a most satisfactory job of continuing the story which most of us waited with baited breaths - 5 long years! For most part, the sequel is very well done - 90% of the cast returned which is pretty amazing as this cast is like a dream team; the acting is superb except for one (guess which one) ; the plot lines are still witty, intriguing and captivating; and the side characters and their stories are still heart -wrenching or rib-tickling. Overall, I love it and would recommend it to those who want more than idol dramas filled with troupes, passable acting and beautiful people.

First of all, the high quality of actors is evident. This show has actors with real acting chops. They may not be all aethestically attractive but boy, are they charismatic, even riveting. I could take my eyes off them as they were full of life. Yes, I'm talking about those playing the side characters! Secondly, the scriptwriter knows his craft, having to adapt the orginal works to make it palable for the modern audience and to ensure the flow of the story.

I still love my favourite characters. I wish I belonged to the Fun (Fan) family. I wish I am a nepo baby like Fan Xian with so many father figures. I wish I had 'friends' who would lay their lives for me. I wish I could change and impact the people around me for good. There were so many 'feel good' moments. Then there are also the heart-wrenching ones - I cried for the Jins, the Censor, the scholars, Shijia town and lots more. I cried with a tissue box in front of me.

Lastly, the impact - long after I finished watching, I kept thinking about it. Is my country like the Qing Kingdom? Are the common folks short-changed? Is there a double-standard for the rich (and powerful) and for the poor common people? Do we need a anti-hero like Fan Xian and his gang?

Leia Mais

عالی به معنای واقعی

اولش موقع دیدنش استرس داشتم
میترسیدم مثل فصل اول خوب درنیارن، استرس داشتم بازیگرا عوض شده باشن نتونم حس بگیرم ، تا قسمت 5/6 هم این استرس رو داشتم ولی بعد 6 کاملا روند سریال مثل قبل عادی شد برام، داستان مثل فصل 1 هیجان شو داشت و بازیگری هم عالی بود، ، سر این فصلم کلی خندیدم و از داستان لذت بردمف تنها چیزی که درموردش دوست نداشتم عموش بود که این فصل کمتر نشونش دادن، من عاشق عموشممم

Leia Mais

Wow!

I've seen a lot of TV shows and few can get me excited. This series, however, really literally blew me away!
It has everything - excellent direction, design, perfect script, editing, cinematography, sounds and music, a great and engaging story, suspense, joy, sadness, love, intrigue, humorous and light comedy elements and quite serious and enlightening passages to think about.
And all of this is, as the icing on the cake, combined with truly breathtaking and unforgettable performances by all the actors of the individual characters.
The second series has not lagged behind the first in anything - and that in itself is exceptional!
Am I as sentimental as Fan Xian?! I guess so - "I know it and I won't do it again". So the last thing I can add to this is - thanks and a standing ovation to everyone who made this series!
Hopefully they'll all stay together and actually film the announced third season!

Leia Mais

Mediocre, could have been better

Mediocre S2, where the script changes and direction, and comedy seemed forced all the way around, too many added unnecessary scenes and dialogues. Problem starts with the added cliffhanger in S1 (not in novel), which then took so many episodes in the start of S2 to get the story back on track. In the process the story timelines and some of the reveals throughout S2 got changed, too, not for the better. I also found some of the casting/character changes lacking (i.e. Ye Ling Er, Li Hong Cheng, He Zong Wei). I did like the addition of actor Ailei Yu as Deng Zi Yue. The original cast that were in both seasons did good, many excellent portrayals. Some of the S2 music was annoying, which was not the case in S1.

There were many memorable moments in the novel, which I was looking forward to, that got changed or glossed over, i.e. Jiangnan Martial Assembly. In S1, the drama did an excellent depiction of the banquet night of the 100+ poems and ZRY delivered that scene perfectly.

IMO S2 does not live up to S1, and I expect that S3 will be much the same (we'll see). Thankfully the source material (the novel) is the basis for the drama, which is well written with an original storyline, so the screenwriter and production team can't mess it up too badly.

Just my personal opinion after watching S1 a couple years ago, reading the entire novel, rewatching S1 before S2, and just finished watching S2.

Leia Mais