While I know this review is a little late, I still was driven to contribute.
First off, I have to say that I don’t remember ever being so upset by a revelation. Secondly, I don’t watch very many lengthy Asian dramas, or Asian dramas at all. I discovered them around 2018, and this is only my fourth. I was fortunate enough to have stumbled on three of the GREATEST Asian dramas of all: Ashes of Love, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (South Korea), and Nirvana in Fire, and even though I was open to another, each one I tried to watch after those ended in the first three of four episodes, if not the first.
But, Joy of Life has everything: good looking leads, strong character actors, fabulous sets and costumes, interesting score, great writing, and I could go on and on. I really don’t have anything bad to say about it. But, as I grew near the finish, I kept wandering how they were going to tie all of it together in the remaining episodes. Well, I finally got my answer, and it was a completely disappointing revelation.
The ending was so shocking, I was just left hanging after the last episode and was completely dumb struck. Surprisingly, the last episode was followed on youtube by a review (be sure to watch) Joy of Life – First Impression AvenueX where a gal shares her knowledge about the production in a semi-critique. It is actually more informational, but her comments are generally spot on. Anyway, as I sat there listening to her, she informed her audience, in the third part of her dialogue (around 11:00), that this was actually a trilogy, and this was just the first entry. OH! The first part of my revelation. She went on to say that this was originally set to spread out over 5 years of production. FIVE YEARS! The revelation went on. They may not have even started to film the second entry in the trilogy, yet. She went on to suggest that because it will take so long, many of the actors could be replaced. Ok, now I am palpitating. I could imagine some of them may even die.
I was just innocently searching for something to watch when I spied an interesting picture of a striking young man in costume, and it was episode 01! I thought it looked promising, as I always do, and by the end of the first episode I was hooked. I binge watched three, four, five, episodes, no more, at a time trying to stretch the enjoyment out over time. I got so wrapped up in it I even dreamt about it. It became, as did Scarlet Heart Reo, Nirvana in Fire, and Ashes of Love, part of my daily thoughts and imaginings. Now, it is revealed that the image of that horrible ending, cliff hanger, or whatever you want to call it, must remain stuck in my craw for MONTHS, MAYBE YEARS! What a dirty trick!