What a bittersweet drama. I’ve never had such mixed feelings about a Chinese Historical drama before. It’s either I like it or I don’t like it. There’s no in-between. But for some reason, this one is the first where I really don’t know how to really feel.

Reasons to watch:

THE BROMANCE is strong between the Emperor and Sima Yi. With so much dreary, backstabbing, & gloomy palace politics going on, it’s so refreshing to have them both bring joy to the screen when we need a break from all the serious stuff. Like seriously, it’s soooo cute how they interact with one another! (P.S. This is the first drama where “consummation” is so openly mentioned multiple times between two characters. And it was hilarious!)

ELVIS HAN. Wonderful actor! He played Sima Yi as if he was Sima Yi. He literally was the savior of this show. Most of the times, characters tend to be one-dimensional. They’re either intelligent/good or manipulative/evil. But Sima Yi was intelligent and manipulative as hell. He was the wild card where you never knew what move he was going to pull next. HE KEPT THE SHOW GOING. I seriously don’t know how many times I almost quit on this drama but kept going because of Elvis Han’s portrayal of Sima Yi. His love story was refreshing as well! Much more interesting than the Empress and Emporer imo.

CAO CAO. I know this sounds crazy but he’s literally the perfect villain. He doesn’t show up until the latter half of the story but that’s what makes it work so well. You hear about his cruelty and his ruthlessness but you can’t put a face on it till later. Empresses and commoners literally all shake in fear at his name. And when you do finally meet him, it’s like facing Thanos from Avengers. Every time Cao Cao was on screen, it felt like the world was on a ledge and all it needed was his push to fall and crumble. He’s literally the epitome of what and how a villain should be written and portrayed!

CAO PI. A tragic character that happens to be one of my favorite. The actor did such a great job on honing this character and launching it into the tragedy it became. He was a joy to witness on screen. Especially early on when he was still just an innocent, young, and pretty boy. I looked forward most to his scenes actually. The actor really draws you in on who and how Cao Pi came to be.

However the cons of this drama are:

1) TOO MANY CHARACTERS INTRODUCED AT ONCE. I’ve lost track on who was who so many times. The politics got messy and so did the writing, it made me confused at times on what was going on. I began to lose interest and was only looking forward to my fav characters to pop up on screen. That’s never a good sign.

2) SLOW-PACED. The first 20 episodes were agonizing as the emporer kept committing the same mistakes just to get yelled at again and again over the same things. It was like running in a circle. A cycle of stupidity. Which means that there was no character growth from him. It got very annoying at various points that I almost stopped watching.

3) BORING. Most of the court politics were boring. Each problematic arc was extremely dreary most of the time. Maybe one or two situations really drew me in. But there was never really a shocking moment that was done well. The tension wasn’t built well enough that when the truth came out, it was kinda like “Eh, ok.” I never really received the “OMG” moment in full. The only time I felt that way was when one of the female character’s true identity was revealed and I didn’t see it coming.

4) CHARACTER USAGE. Sometimes characters are introduced and forgotten. And then they pop up later and you’re like “I forgot you existed.” I don’t know why you would put a character into a story just to throw them in the background. I feel like there was so much potential for growth for all the people in this story and at times, it was wasted.

OVERALL:
The most beautiful moments of this drama were the funny and light-hearted scenes. Every time I wanted to quit watching because of the boring court politics, one of these silly scenes would come on and pull at my heart-strings. Then I’d be like “IM BACK IN THE GAME!” It seriously contains some of the sweetest yet heart-wrenching scenes ever. I love how many of the characters in this story are super witty, smart, and intelligent. Many of the good guys AND the bad guys see through everything and no one is dumbed-down just to keep the mystery going. That’s sometimes rare in these kind of drama to see the bad guys prevail or to see them on par with the good guys in terms of intellegience. BUT this drama does have many things it could’ve worked on like pace & story-telling, in general. It drove me away and pulled me back many times so I guess it’s worth the watch.

PSS. The romance factor really pops in this. There’s no shy, maiden-like love. Characters who are in love, plunge into it completely. No hiding or acting shy from it. They legitimately express their love openly and willingly. No one fights their feelings. The kisses are as real as it can get. No fake flat lip to lip. Expect some tongue action in here. (:


The ENDING: ended like how it should have. You have to remember this is based on historical truths. It was bittersweet but it honored the reality in which these people existed in.

Overall Grade: C++

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Captivating, to say the least.

What a stunning & magnificent drama. It came with drama, comedy, suspense, and mystery in its finest form. Fans of Nirvana in Fire would appreciate this one. Allow me to elaborate:

Pros:
1) VILLAINS. One thing this drama does well is having well-rounded characters. I don’t really see that in Chinese historicals very much. Usually villains are portrayed as completely evil with no redeeming qualities. And usually in drama world, when a “bad” guy dies, their existence just seems to cease to exist like a problem that went away. But in this drama their deaths lingered. Everything that they were, everything that they held dear, everyone that they knew & loved, were all affected. You felt their deaths just like Fan Xian did too. Even if they were considered the enemy, they weren’t just another “bad guy.” They were a dad. They were a son. They were a brother. They were somebody to someone even if they weren’t on the “good” side.

Surprisingly, I found myself sympathizing with the villains more often than I did with the heroes. Every character (good or bad) had their reasons for what they did. And they all had something they wanted to protect fiercely.

2) PLOT. The intricate web of plots are not there for the sake of just being there. The plot is not dumbed down for any of us. The writers will make you work for it. Every dialogue. Every movement a character makes. Every plot-line. All of this is there to develop Fan Xian’s character and to move the plot forward. Sometimes we get boring filler episodes that have nothing to do with the bigger picture in these types of dramas. But not in this one. Every. Episode. Counts. Seriously, don’t skip or you might just lose the plot.

3) UNRELIABLE NARRATOR. Not everything is what is seems. I know, I know. *eye rolls* But really. You can’t trust anyone in this drama. Usually you can tell who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. Not in Joy of Life. There’s so many layers to this story that keeps it refreshing. Always something brewing underneath the surface. And you never know what you’re gonna get.

4) THE EMPEROR. Jesus H. Christ, he is one hell of a character! Forget Fan Xian, I’d watch this for his performance alone! Extremely well-written! Wonderful acting! Not your typical, gullible, blinded-by-officials type of king. HE ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON & I LOVE THAT. No one can fool him in his own court. And the best part is, you see all sides to him. You see the messy side. The hard side. The cruel side. The soft side. The ruthless side. The mysterious side. You never know his next move. THIS. This is how an emperor should be written. Take notes drama writers. He is the epitome of POWER.

5) BALANCE. What this drama also does well is knowing when to be comedic and when to be serious. You will laugh (most of the times it’s like a WTF laugh) and you will cry. Don’t let the gray color gradient on screen fool you into thinking this is a melodramatic drama. It is not. It is extremely funny when need be. And it pulls it off well.


Cons:
1) COMPLICATED. It can be hard to follow. There are times when I had to rewind a few times to understand. The plot is so intricate and deals with many characters so you must follow closely. Not only that, the writers assume that their audiences are smart enough to dissect the plot themselves, which is not always the case. It can be hard to understand at times with so much going on & so many character names to remember.


2) SLOW-PACED. I must say I don’t think I was fully invested until episode 20+. I stopped watching & it took me at least 3xs to push through. And when I did, I was so glad and thankful I didn’t miss out on such a wonderful drama. One of the best written!

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OVERALL:
This is one of those dramas that’s just different in terms of how it is written & directed. It breaks the barrier of what historical dramas should strive for. It really does it all! After watching, I was left utterly speechless, bereft, & lost. I haven’t felt like this since 10 Miles of Peach Blossom. I’m mad that there’s even a season 2! I wish it was all just 1 season! I don’t wanna wait for more Fan Xian & Yan Bing Yun!

P.S. Joy of Life has one of the most beautiful opening credits I’ve ever seen from a drama. Absolutely stunning.


Anyways, happy heartbreak! I mean watching! Happy watching! Haha.

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HUGE LETDOWN :(

This drama had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I don’t know where it went wrong bc when I look back at the earlier episodes and compare them to the later episodes, it baffles me that it belongs to the same DRAMA. The earlier episodes were so fun and had so much spark. There was witty banter, comical situations, & hilarious tropes! Our leads were so cute and lovable. Our villains were....well, villainizing as they do. & then it all went downhill from episode 24+. Characters got weird and their actions became inconsistent.


Things I love about the drama:

1. Xu Kai. Funny ass hell. Serious when needed. Finally a male lead with a personality. But halfway through, he lost his charm. Sad to see such a fun character get ruined by terrible writing.

2. The Sheng Family. Their playful banter and family dynamics gives such a refreshing taste to the screen. Especially with a father who enables his children’s crazy, silly antics ?. And a mother who realizes that her children’s lives are much more important than building a “name” for their family image.

3. Lu Ying Ying. Although she is the daughter of the villains of the story, she’s got more balls than all the men included. She stands up for her family. And has gotten them out of sticky situations at the risk of her own comfort. And she’s super perceptive & smart. Just sad that she always ends up getting the worst end of the stick due to her idiot father and brother. I really like her though. She’s a little naive at times but she means well. It’s also great seeing a villain’s daughter not follow their family’s footsteps. She was kind towards everyone she knew even her father’s enemies. She didn’t “plot” against anyone or she didn’t get “even” with others as you’d expect of a villain’s daughter.

Things I didn’t like about this drama:
1. The utilization of characters is terrible. Which is crazy bc they have such an amazing and talented cast! I’ve never seen a drama just throw characters to the side so blatantly as if they cease to exist. Lots of characters just pop in and pop out episodes with no rhyme or reason. They’ll go missing for tons of episodes. Pop up. And then go missing for the next 5 episodes. If you ask me, that just screams lazy poor writing.

2. The terrible case of the missing male lead. Oh my god, I see Prince Zhao (a second lead) more than I see our main male lead. How does that even work??? There’s literally episodes where we don’t see Xu Kai at all. And he hardly has scenes with the main female lead!!!

3. Too many petty situations that doesn’t further the bigger picture. For example, Princess Xinnan’s “marriage” dilemma. That was dragged out for far too long for no damn reason??? That entire arc could’ve been edited out and it wouldn’t have affected the main story one bit. That’s just one example, there’s multiple more that I don’t want to spoil for ya.

4. And on top of that, the Empress is literally her own worst enemy. All the crap that happens to her (& others) is literally caused by her. She is the root cause of everyone’s pain. Separating lovers, separating friends, commanding the killing and beating of innocent people without a fair trial. And then end up regretting her actions. I was so over her!!! She was the true villain of the story of you ask me!!!

5. The pacing was sometimes too quick for me. Some scenes needed to be soaked in to feel connected to these character but often times, they were rushed and quickly moved on to the next. Didn’t give us any time to soak in the emotions the actors were giving us. One second a character could be alive, and then the next second is their death? Like at least give us some build-up. Jeez.

6. Relationships. I wish they gave more screen time with all of the romantic relationships. That way we could see why two characters have become attached. Sometimes I’m just like why does she/he like you again?? Y’all only seen each other twice??? You fell in love just like that???? There wasn’t really a buildup. We’re often just given “hey they’re in love, accept it. Don’t question it.” So it makes some of the romantic relationships fall flat. But I will say that Yan Zi Feng’s love storyline intrigued me the most. Until it got weird & lowkey kidnapp-y rapey-ish. Idk.


****** SPOILER******
7) Yan Zi Feng is the dumbest character next to the Empress. He’s soooo darn yummy to look at. But his actions are stupid & makes no sense. One minute he’s not in love with Lu Ying Ying, & then the next he’s in love with her. Don’t get me wrong. People’s feelings can change. But we didn’t really get to see where & how he came to that realization. His declaration of love for her came outta nowhere after tons of episodes of him pushing her away and telling her he didn’t like her. Then all of a sudden he wants to rescue her from a situation HE PUT HER IN. So yeah, a little emotionally abusive to say the least. Thank god Lu Ying Ying didn’t give into his love so easily after he confessed his feelings. I’m happy she gave him lots of shit for it! Oh & he also kidnapped a lot which isn’t cute. So please scriptwriters: STOP MAKING KIDNAPPING A CUTE THING, IT’S NOT.

******END OF SPOILER******

OVERALL:
Anyways, this drama was the most disappointing drama I’ve ever watched. SO MUCH POTENTIAL. But it all got lost in the terrible writing. It was like the writer got tired and didn’t want to finish the story so they just jumbled a bunch of scene together that didn’t even make sense anymore. I’m just sad at the waste of all the good talented cast members!

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