Regarding the writing/plotting, the show starts out lightheartedly as we are introduced to the characters (there's a child actor in the first episode who's simply delightful). The first half of the season contains most of the more humorous moments but they remain to lighten the mood through the rest of the episodes as well. There is a fun blend of action/fighting scenes (which are generally well done with believable effects) and political maneuvering (which occupies most of the show). The political intrigue is well crafted and most developments are believable and fit together effectively. The dialogue is generally well done and scenes are edited together cleverly to tell the story. There is also an overlaying element of sci fi, which while not crucial to this season would be expected to become more important in future seasons.
Regarding the acting and casting, the performances are overall excellent. The main character is portrayed excellently. Most of the time he presents an intelligent and charming exterior but the viewer really gets a sense of his moral compass. The main character has several emotional and powerful scenes which are all very well done. The supporting cast are also excellent, with standout performances for the Intelligence Director, the Emperor, the MC's sister, and Duo Duo. The remainder of the cast is also high quality--I can't think of any characters that are miscast, and even the only character I disliked (Yan Bing Yun) felt as though he was purposefully portrayed as dislikable.
The only criticism I have is the ending, which is a pretty severe cliffhanger. I will not deduct points for this as there is a planned second (and hopefully third) season; however, if those fall through and the followup seasons never materialize I will be quite despondent indeed. And if there are followup seasons made, I very much hope that the director can reassemble as much of this cast as possible.
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oh man i have no idea what to say here
This drama is amazing.before i continue just give me a moment to feel superior to all of you because i read the entire book (yes, all 700 ish chapters) so i know what's gonna happen haha
no dont worry i won't spoil it, i'm not a jerk
STORY
There are so many clever jokes to balance out the seriousness, there's a good love story, excellent characters that aren't transparent at ALL, and amazing arcs. I enjoyed basically every single moment of character interaction, and the plot moved super fast (which is really my thing).
ACTING/CAST
I'm no expert on acting and honestly I could only point out bad acting if it was on purpose :(
The only thing I have to say about the cast is that every character was super talented (at least as far as I could see), especially Fan Xian, Chen Ping Ping, and the emperor.
MUSIC
this music boosts my vibe but also kind of makes me sad
REWATCH VALUE
This has really high rewatch value because every time you watch it you realize something new about the story, and it's quite short honestly
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You much watch this show!!
OK, I admit, I came to watch this drama because of XiaoZhan. After the drama Chenqing Ling (The Untamed), I started to search for dramas by Xiao Zhan, and this drama is one of them. (By the way, if you haven’t watched The Untamed yet, you might want to check it out.)Initially, at episode 1, I almost gave it up because it started off as a modern-day drama, so I thought; I had expected a historical wuxia drama. But very quickly within the first episode, it moves into historical settings and I was totally hooked since then.
Accordingly, this drama is adapted from a novel whose popular author has also written many other works including Ever Night. I have not read this particular novel (Joy of Life), but I understand that it is a super long novel, and the drama adaptation is planning for a five-year 3-season run, and we are currently in season 1. Whether the following seasons would run into any unforeseeable issues is anybody’s guess (such as the change of actors etc).
In the actual novel, it is supposedly a time travel story. But because such stories (time travel) are banned in China film production (I don’t understand why China wants to stymie such creativity), the production team has cleverly adapted the story by cutting out the time travel part hence passing censorship.
I must say, unexpectedly, this drama is so good! The story is interesting. The dialogues are funny and unexpected. The play of words and homophones, puns and use of chenyu (idioms) are hilarious, and yet witty, deep, meaningful and cultured. Too bad many of these wonderful characters (Chinese words) are lost in the translation and non-Chinese native speakers may not find the dialogues as wonderful as the native speakers do. Seemingly a light-hearted drama, but when it comes to emotional moments, the director has successfully squeezed out a tear or two from me. The acting is immaculate! I love the relationship Fan Xian has with his siblings and with others whom he considers as friends; it’s deep and genuine. Unlike most actors who act in historical dramas, Zhang Ruoyun has a presence day physique making him a perfect Fan Xian as he is supposed to be a modern man; his etiquettes are simply hilarious and Zhang delivers 100%. The supporting cast is equally good, in particular Guo Qilin who plays Fan Xian’s little brother; he is adorable and amazing. I hope to see more of him. I love the opening and ending OSTs, with the ending song being sung by Xiao Zhan, another talented actor and singer.
33 episodes in, I still haven’t seen a whiff of Xiao Zhan. Nonetheless, this hasn’t reduced the enjoyment I have got out from this delightful drama. Xiao Zhan plays a supporting role and for marketing purposes, his name is being displayed or used prominently to attract attention. I can understand why the team is doing this (Xiao Zhan is currently the hottest Chinese actor in China), but I find it deceiving and I can't say I appreciate it. This drama should receive the attention it duly deserves if being marketed properly, because it is indeed a great drama.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Joy of Life is now my absolute favorite drama of all time. Among the few dramas I have given a 10 rating this one deserves over a 10 rating! I started watching this drama with no expectations but after the first episode I was hooked. The writers did a phenomenal job. The storyline was engaging throughout the series and all the plot twists were cohesive. The entire cast was amazing. Each character was excellently portrayed. I hope the same actors will be casted for the next seasons, it would be such a shame and loss if they don’t. Technical stuff like cinematography, music, sets, costumes were all top notch. I can’t wait for the next season. This is a must watch! Cet avis était-il utile?
Cast:
I decided to watch it because I believed in the acting of Zhang Ruo Yun, Li Qin, and Xiao Zhan. But then as I watched more and more I really have to applaud for the entire cast!! Very very very phenomenal acting by everyone.
Story:
I went into this drama blind and with no knowledge about the original novel, but that’s ok because the story was logical and easy to follow. I’ve never watched a drama with this many plot twists and turns, but I liked that each event followed after another in a logical way. I am not a fan of political dramas, but this one was an exception. The politics were the most intriguing parts of the story and tbh the main leads’ love story was the most boring lol (no offense to Li Qin but I did not find much significance to her character…but perhaps she will become more important later on, idk). The ending left me hanging and I have so many questions GAH!! I’m tempted to read the novel to find out but at the same time I would prefer to learn the secrets by watching it acted out so I’m conflicted…
Other notes:
-The fight scenes are SO GOOD!!! And there are so many!!! I especially love that our protagonist is good at everything haha
-I LOVE the humor. Unlike humor in other dramas, the ones in this drama actually made me laugh out loud. Being a native Chinese speaker, I had the advantage of getting the humor straight on, instead of through translation. It may be hard for non-Chinese watchers to get the humor since there are a lot of word plays and homophones.
-My only critique would be the lighting and overall visual look of the scenes aren’t very good. There were times where I had to turn my brightness to max and still couldn’t see what was happening. But technical flaws for me aren’t very important when the story is good.
Tldr, one of the highest quality dramas I’ve watched in terms of storyline. I am really looking forward to watching the next seasons. For anyone who hates plot holes and cliff hangers, don’t watch this until the next season comes out lol. It is filled with unanswered questions.
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Complex, well done drama!
Joy Of Life, Nirvana In Fire 1 and 2 are dramas that build the audience’s feelings of tension and anticipation as the story develops. Engaging, complex and well written.I’m glad that they added a comedic humor throughout all the episodes. Wang Qi Nian and Xiao en massage scene was hilarious, Tian Yu’s character is one of my favorite in this drama.
Zhang Ruo Yun is not your typical handsome Cdrama actor, but he is funny and charismatic.
All the cast did a great job portraying their characters.
Looking forward to season 2, and hopefully it will not be a prequel, after such a cliffhanger ending.
Cet avis était-il utile?
Cet avis était-il utile?
Amazing show!
Everything about the Joy of Life was done very well! By far one of my favorite CDramas.The plot is very interesting and hooked me from the very first episode. I love that it’s a story within a story and that it mixes ancient and modern themes. There were so many twists within the plot and subplots and always had you guessing.
The acting was amazing. Every character had so much depth and so much offer to the story that it made you want to know more about each. There were so many things going on with each character but it was all related to the main story and main ML.
Normally, I hate to see cliffhangers at the end of shows but this one had me so anxious. That’s what you call good writing. I very excited for season 2!
Cet avis était-il utile?
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
One of the best
OK, I admit, I came to watch this drama because of XiaoZhan. After the drama Chenqing Ling (The Untamed), I started to search for dramas by Xiao Zhan, and this drama is one of them. (By the way, if you haven’t watched The Untamed yet, you might want to check it out.)Initially, at episode 1, I almost gave it up because it started off as a modern-day drama, so I thought; I had expected a historical wuxia drama. But very quickly within the first episode, it moves into historical settings and I was totally hooked since then.
Accordingly, this drama is adapted from a novel whose popular author has also written many other works including Ever Night. I have not read this particular novel (Joy of Life), but I understand that it is a super long novel, and the drama adaptation is planning for a five-year 3-season run, and we are currently in season 1. Whether the following seasons would run into any unforeseeable issues is anybody’s guess (such as the change of actors etc).
In the actual novel, it is supposedly a time travel story. But because such stories (time travel) are banned in China film production (I don’t understand why China wants to stymie such creativity), the production team has cleverly adapted the story by cutting out the time travel part hence passing censorship.
I must say, unexpectedly, this drama is so good! The story is interesting. The dialogues are funny and unexpected. The play of words and homophones, puns and use of chenyu (idioms) are hilarious, and yet witty, deep, meaningful and cultured. Too bad many of these wonderful characters (Chinese words) are lost in the translation and non-Chinese native speakers may not find the dialogues as wonderful as the native speakers do. Seemingly a light-hearted drama, but when it comes to emotional moments, the director has successfully squeezed out a tear or two from me. The acting is immaculate! I love the relationship Fan Xian has with his siblings and with others whom he considers as friends; it’s deep and genuine. Unlike most actors who act in historical dramas, Zhang Ruoyun has a presence day physique making him a perfect Fan Xian as he is supposed to be a modern man; his etiquettes are simply hilarious and Zhang delivers 100%. The supporting cast is equally good, in particular Guo Qilin who plays Fan Xian’s little brother; he is adorable and amazing. I hope to see more of him. I love the opening and ending OSTs, with the ending song being sung by Xiao Zhan, another talented actor and singer.
33 episodes in, I still haven’t seen a whiff of Xiao Zhan. Nonetheless, this hasn’t reduced the enjoyment I have got out from this delightful drama. Xiao Zhan plays a supporting role and for marketing purposes, his name is being displayed or used prominently to attract attention. I can understand why the team is doing this (Xiao Zhan is currently the hottest Chinese actor in China), but I find it deceiving and I can't say I appreciate it. This drama should receive the attention it duly deserves if being marketed properly, because it is indeed a great drama
Cet avis était-il utile?
Amazing and Compelling Show
Gosh I love this show! To me the story is highly compelling, from unraveling the mystery of Fan Xian's mother to the political power plays that are being worked around him. It's almost like watching a chess match, all players are masters. There are tension filled moments but many more humorous ones. I love that combination and Fan Xian is the most humorous one of all. The acting from the cast is amazing, ZRY is very charismatic in this role! Even the little actor who's plays young Fan Xian is great and I wish we could have seen a little more of him. And I'm in love with Uncle Wu! My only complaint is that I wish they could have added more layers to the female lead, she was little one dimensional, too sweet and sickly. All the fight scenes are awesome (especially loved Fan Xian vs the Saintess, and all the Uncle Wu action)! The introduction theme song is great, but absolutely love "Remaining Years" by Xiao Zhan, it somehow makes me want to sway like I'm a leaf in the gusty wind, LOL! I've re-watched this drama several times now and it's still great. Eagerly looking forward to another season, hopefully it's still coming, especially after that cliffhanger that they left us with!Cet avis était-il utile?
A Must-Watch Drama
A Magnificent Masterpiece!!!A must-watch one of a kind Screenplay!!!
I seldom write Reviews and I can say that this is one of the Drama's that captured my attention and made me eager to impart my own Perspective.
To start with, it was quite a while before I had a chance to discover this Work-of-Art. The things that I do to get a watchlist is to go through well-spoked-of Actors and check out their Dramas, Where? Of course, here on my favorite MyDramalist website! What would usually capture my attention is the Actors who play's the main lead, but this time I made a gamble and went for the high Rating this Drama achieved. When I saw the Title "Joy of Life" at first I was hesitant because I am not a great Fan of heavy and chaotic Imperial plots, which I thought that would cover the title itself, hmmmm... then I saw the Rating and checked out Reviews and Recommendations. I told myself , let's give it a go. When I started watching, there was a hint that this will be a different experience for me. And to tell you, it was a privileged for me to have discover a MASTERPIECE! I have watched a few C-Drama's and I'll say that this is one of a kind. A Great combination of Action, Drama, Comedy, Intrigue, Sword-fight, Time Travel, and Adaptation from a Novel!!!
My Commendations:
Actors;
All the Casts are all well picked. Whoever chose these Actors to fit the Characters, I'll give you a rating of 10/10. It is a great responsibility to have this task of choosing not just the best, but most fitted for the role, in order to sustain a good Drama all through out all the Episodes.
This is the first time I watched a Drama for the main-lead Zhang Rou Yan, now I can say he is one of the promising Actors in the Industry. I would also give thanks to a great performance of the little Fan Xian, young Actor Finn Han, I can assure you that this little boy have a bright future when it comes to acting. The rest of the Actors are all great!!!
Screenplay;
It amazes me that I was given a chance to experience a very well thought Screenplay. I love how it is being witty and humorous but at the same time it gives that intriguing and well planned tactics. I would usually drop the drama's I'm on during the last 4 to 5 episodes because somehow I already have a guess outcome and my interest drops. Those first few minutes of the first episode caught my interest, and as the story goes on, it was a great experience for me. Commendations to the (Book/Manga)Writer Mao Ni and the Screenwriter Wang Juan, you guys did a great effort to have this whole Drama a Success. I love all the Characters. The Story itself is mainly a Fascination for me. For the Directors all of you did a good job as well, thank you.
Sound Track;
Great choice of Songs all through out the Story!!!
Well balanced and fitted for each Scenes.
I can say it adds up to producing a great Screenplay!!
Re-Watch Value;
YES! YES! YES!
Overall;
This is a Great C-Drama that you must watch. And once you are done watching, I'm sure that you would feel the same EXCITEMENT that I have for the upcoming SEASON 2!!!! Thinking about that.... I know that my waiting will be paid off because behind this great C-Drama, composed of a well built foundation of Directors, Screenwriters, Producers, Writers, Casts and Staffs behind the scenes(thank you by the way for the great effort) that will equal our Expectations.
Thank you for giving sometime to take a peek on my Reviews!
I hope that this Review will be of help to those looking for a Great Drama PlayList like me!!!
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Witty drama
This is the perfect drama, in my opinion. Don't be deceived by the solemn looking poster. It is quite light. The dialogue and plot is witty and it never felt dumb. The ML is OP but his personality is so fun that I don't care. lol.The pacing in this drama is amazing. The comedy, the serious parts, action and scheming were really well balanced that I never felt bored.
This is one of the best acting I've seen in a drama. The veteran actors are amazing and I felt goosebumps.
They develop the characters so well that I shed a few tears when villians have lost.
The only bad thing is, this is S1 of 3. I can't wait until S2 airs.
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