Joy of Life: Season 2 (2024)

A Symphony of Morality and Power: Joy of Life Season 2

Joy of Life Season 2 is such a masterpiece and a great continuation of the first season. The storyline is very captivating while brining back old favourites and continuing to following Fan Xian on his journey. In this season, Fan Xian has shifted into a more morally grey character which I really enjoyed as he follows or more so discovers his mother's footsteps, balances his moral beliefs and navigates the political mess between the princes. Wan'Er and Chen Ping Ping had less prominent roles in this season while allows us to really focus on Fan Xian and his evident shift in attitude, thinking and the way he reacts to the situations that are quite literally thrown at him. He literally could not catch a break not even on his wedding night. I also really liked how they reused the original soundtracks from S1 and it really feels nostalgic. However, the opening and closing songs did not disappoint at all, already added to my playlist! I really liked them and feel like they definitely have that JOL feeling to them. My only problem was the recasting of Ye Ling'Er, which I feel does not represent her role properly. From S1 to S2, the dynamic of Ling'Er has completely changed and it doesn't even feel like the same character. Overall, JOL has a very special place in my heart when it comes to CDramas, and this might (is) a biased rating but 10/10.

Lire davantage

Another masterpiece

Done! After waiting for almost 5 years, S2-36 episodes gone just like that 😭 but the whole season didn't dissapoint. Do I like S1 better, maybe. I feel S1 is more cohesive, every episode was crafted nicely to tell the whole story. S2, it's a bit more choppy like getting all the puzzle pieces thrown together at the same time and have no clue what to expect 😅 could be because of the episode limitation?

But! I have to say Zhang Ruo Yun saved it all. His acting skill is more refined, his facial expressions are really impressive (and charming 🥰). Bonus - love his hair style, don't think I've seen wavy male hair style in any costume dramas 😄😄
I also love some new roles in S2. The Empress is definitely interesting and with the way she hides a bottle of wine in her sleeve - I wonder what else people actually put in there...🤔

Anyway. I heard some people who loved S1 complaining about S2 🤷‍♀️ Yes, more dialogues in S2 but this drama was never intended to be wuxia drama so I didn't care that part. In fact this is a very few dramas where I have to pay attention to all the dialogues otherwise I would get lost. I even had to slow down a few times too.

For me, I love both seasons equally.
I knew from the very beginning this drama has 3 seasons (the book has 800 chapters or so) and S2 ended with another open ending, but at least nobody got stabbed this time.
I just hope we don't have to wait another five years!
What's next...rewatch with a better sub!

Lire davantage

oy of Life S2
Done! After waiting for almost 5 years, S2-36 episodes gone just like that 😭 but the whole season didn't dissapoint. Do I like S1 better, maybe. I feel S1 is more cohesive, every episode was crafted nicely to tell the whole story. S2, it's a bit more choppy like getting all the puzzle pieces thrown together at the same time and have no clue whatto expect 😅 could be because of the episode limitation?
But! I have to say Zhang Ruo Yun saved it all. His acting skill is more refined, his facial expressions are really impressive (and charming 🥰). Bonus - love his hair style, don't think I've seen wavy male hair style in any costume dramas 😄😄

Lire davantage

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

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage

The pacing is all over the place

As a huge fan of the first season of "Joy of Life," I had high hopes for the second season, but unfortunately, it fell flat in almost every aspect. The magic and charm that made the original so captivating seem to have vanished, leaving behind a lackluster continuation that feels rushed and poorly executed.

The plot is convoluted and lacks the coherence that we loved in season one. It feels like the writers were trying to cram too much into too little time, resulting in a storyline that is confusing and unsatisfying. Character development has taken a backseat, with beloved characters feeling one-dimensional and their arcs feeling forced.

The pacing is all over the place, with some episodes dragging on while others rush through significant plot points. It’s frustrating to see such potential wasted, especially when the first season had such a strong foundation.

Visually, it doesn’t hold up either. The cinematography and production quality seem to have taken a hit, with less attention to detail and a lack of the stunning visuals that initially drew us in.

Overall, "Joy of Life Season 2" is a disappointing follow-up that fails to capture the essence of what made the first season great. It’s hard to believe this is the same series I once loved. I can only give it a 0.5/10, as it barely holds my interest and leaves me wishing for a return to form.

Lire davantage

Perf but i wish for more fight scenes and less wan er

Loved it! If there’s anything I wish it could have had more is fight scenes. There were less in S2 but very exciting none the less . Given that there were level 8/9 martial artists and grandmasters an FX is a martial artis too, I just wish there were more. Also, I don’t know if it’s the character or the acting but I noticed since S1, there’s just no chemistry between Fan Xian and Wan Er. Their scenes were my least favorite in both seasons. I found FX’s interaction with each characters very entertaining except theirs. there was more chemistry between FX and Si Lili in S1. You can sense the intensity even with just the eye contact.

Lire davantage

Highly recommend

I have watched the first and second season of Joy of Life cdrama in a row. It has been a long long while since the last time I truly enjoyed every single little of a series. No matter how good they are, they always lack in a thing or two. The story was perfect i was mesmerized by how things could fall in their exact right place you couldn't stop guessing what will come next and the series would surely never disappoint you, i love how the king would twist everything for his own sake, it was brilliant. A great mixture of action, drama, and comedy. The drama's cast played fantastically. I enjoyed every little detail every face expression, everything i mean it. The ost was perfectly fine. I could feel the ending in particular with every bone. A masterpiece indeed. Can't wait for the third season. I hope it doesn't take another 5 years.

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