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I got hooked on this series very quickly. I'm thankful they didn't make this a time-travelling story. So Fan Xian retaining his future knowledge and vocabulary make the story quite funny as it blends modern-day with olden-day stuff. Fan Xian's early life started out pretty sad and lonely. I do like his grandma's acting, she's the same grandma in "The Story of Ming Lan". A real veteran. I had tears falling down when he said farewell to his grandma when he departs to the capital city to look for his father and family.
So many people want him dead, it's almost crazy that he is alive. The excitement continues to build up. So, the story keeps me glued to the show. I do like Wan'er his future wife to be. I'm super happy they didn't drag the part about Fan Xian and Wan'er not knowing they were betrothed. But the confusion was rather well done. Light-hearted and well-executed plot.
I do wish they create more poison-related plots in the show, cause he is an expert poison alchemist. A must watch in 2019. Nice romantic plot with a super high level of excitement with wuxia fighting scenes. I love Fan Xian's guard. He's so cool.
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If you’re looking for so,e actions and a bit of humor you’ll like this.
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I don't think I've binged so much ever as I've finished the season in 4 days. There is something for everyone from romance, twists, plots, fighting even some SI-FI.
I have one complaint only but it is my personal opinion: Cliffhangers - I hate it with passion as story can be partially wrapped up without it.
I will definitely rewatch it at least once just before season 2 comes out.
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The only drawback I have is that I hope they keep the main cast when they do the next season. Like EVER NIGHT, they changed the main cast and it was not as good as season 1.
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Cliffhanger of the Season
I watched this drama because of Zhang Ruo Yun. In the beginning, Joy of Life did not WOW me, but as the episodes dropped every week, I became riveted to the monitor. This is the first C-drama that did not drag, or contain extraneous filler. The fleeting flashbacks were the only unnecessary nuance.Overall, the production values were top notch. This Director knew how to supervise his departments; Wardrobe, Set Design, Music, Martial Arts Choreography, Cinematography, and Editing (...more or less), to produce a clean, efficient drama work. The Film Editor did a decent job 80% of the time, but he got carried away with some impossible scene splicing (known as scene intercut) toward the end of the drama.
Zhang Ruo Yun carried the weight of the drama on his shoulders. Modern thinker Fan Xian was a fish out of "historical" water, but he blended well into the fabric of the imperial dynasty. The other cast members did a very good job with their character portrayals. Fan Xian's handlers, Uncle Wu Zhu, Wang Qinian and Teng Zi Jing, were the most intriguing and well liked characters.
Generally, I would be irate if a C-drama had a cold ending, hinting at a follow-up season. Joy of Life is the only drama that I am eagerly awaiting Season 2, which I hope, does not drag on for two years. An extended interval between Seasons 1 and 2 would disrupt the momentum and continuity, and the Producers should know that they "should strike while the iron is hot".
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Great drama
Wang Juan delivers another great screenplay. My 2 favorite chinese dramas are his adaptions. Both Joy of Life and Sword Snow Stride have great main and secondary characters. All are well written and have interesting aspects that are integral to the story. By far the best written male characters that i've seen in all the chinese dramas that I've watched, with by far the most variations of personalities as well. I look forward to the second season.Was this review helpful to you?
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A very good political drama with humor elements
If the world is filled with people who are neither good nor bad, so are the characters in this drama. It's a world of grey.One of my favourite things in a movie or show is a grey character. Always interesting and unpredictable and this show embodied that. Not even a single predictable character. You will think "oh this person must be a certain way" but they turn around and do something they have never done before. It was super fun to see this play out.
"Joy of life" is like a game with the writer whipping out a bunch of interesting, smart and power hungry people all in one show and seeing what happens. Its political yet humorous, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
This show had 46 episodes, I was gearing up for a long ride with high expectations and I would say this show has reached most of my expectations thank fully and surprised me quite a bit too. I really enjoyed most of the characters and most storylines.
It was really enjoyable from episode one to about ep 20, very clever, funny and interesting. But from 20 to 30 I started to feel a drag and it started to get uninteresting. There were alot of filler episodes and plots that could have been done without . I was almost
gonna drop it so bad, but only xiao zhan made me want to hold on. But after that phase things not only got better, it really kept me on the edge. The unveiling of the layers of the story was perfect. The story made sure that the audience always stayed alert in order to get what is happening.
This show is the epitome of equality. The women of this show are unbeatable, strong no matter thier circumstances and never a pushover. As an untamed fan this was a job well done as untamed lacked in this department.
This show hits different spots regarding dilemmas on political and social issues. I found myself questioning and debating about my own morals. This show strengthened my morals in some ways maybe. Now that's a huge impact.
As an untamed fan, it would be a lie to say that xiao zhan was not part of the many reasons why I watched this show. It was so great to see him on screen again, though it was for a support role. He bought in alot to the table and ended the show with a bang 🤪
This show was a treat to the eyes as well as the ears. The osts and the bgm used in the drama was beautiful. Plus point once again was xiao zhan sang one of the osts hehe.
In conclusion this show had a huge impact on me and I think it would impress many people so I highly recommend it! Cant wait for season 2 please release it asap 😫
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به تمام معنی عالییی
از اون سریالایی بود که با اکراه شروعش کردم، دوسال تمام دانلودش کرده بودم ولی برای اینکه معمولا ژانر عاشقانه میبینم اصلا حوصله ی دیدنش و نداشتم ، بعد دوسال بالاخره از بیکاری نشستم پاش و از قسمت اول میخکوبم کرد پای سریال ، به معنای واقعی نویسنده ی سریال نخبه بوده، داستان سریال خیلی خوب و قوی و معمای جالبی داره که لحظه به لحظه میخکوبت میکنه پای سریال تا ببینی ته داستان چی میشهتا الان سه بار دیدمش و هنوز از دیدنش خسته نشدم
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The future is a long past
Having not read the novel, I had no idea what I was in for in this first installment of the Joy of Life series. And honestly, it took me about 12 episodes before I really settled into the drama. The anachronistic elements and humor were not landing for me yet, and Fan Xian's love-at-first-sight for Lin Wan'er was not at all interesting. Once his friend Teng Zijing is killed, the drama finally finds its footing and a better balance between its heavy drama and lighter moments. As Fan Xian becomes mired in the cesspool of political and palace power struggles, the audience too is drawn in - and things do not let up until the very last shot of episode 46 when you are left with a most frustrating cliffhanger.The characters are deliciously multi-dimensional, even as some ooze pure evil (Princess Royal Li Yunrui is a standout) as they endeavor to manipulate people and events to their own benefit. Even our determined male lead Fan Xian behind his confident exterior carries a lot of pain and loneliness. My favorite scenes are those where we get a glimpse of his true inner state - the quieter moments (such as Xiao En's final moments, the last scene with Zhuang Mohan, and just chatting in Haitang Duoduo's garden).
Without getting too much into things, this story is apparently a period drama, but it is actually set in the very distant future (I know, is this story sci-fi? Historical? Have to wait and see in season 2 if this gets explained further). As such, it makes the story all the more poignant. Many years from now, what will mankind have to show for itself? Have we been able to overcome our greed, hatred and distrust of others? When will we stop hurting or killing each other? Can centuries of literature, poetry and history truly make us better? These are timeless questions, all the more pertinent in today's conflict-ridden world. I think this story, which has yet to finish, will ultimately take an optimistic stance because we all want to believe in Fan Xian - the seemingly powerless one who can stand up and continue in the endless fight for good.
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One of the best (if not THE best) chinese drama in recent years.
I started to watch this drama because of the good reviews and I had also just finished The Untamed (which was my first costume cdrama) so I had high hopes for this drama. My expectations where definitely meet!Acting/characters:
FanXian is a very lovable main character, both capable of being serious but is also a very witty character. The entire cast is amazing with some of the best acting i've seen from a drama. The older cast is especially phenomenal, even the "evil" characters" are captivating too watch. One of my favorite things about this drama is the care for the minor characters. You can tell that the production team really put in alot of thought into even the minor characters, they all have a purpose and is well flushed out.
Story:
At first I thought this drama would just be another political palace drama but there is so much more to it. And even though the story is pretty serious, there is still plenty of comedy and lighthearted moments sprinkled through out the drama, making it easier to watch. There is romance but that is not the focal point of the story. I didn't necessarily care too much about the romance but it didn't take anything away from the story, I do however wish that Wan'er had more to do (hopefully she will in the next season).
Other points:
- The intro is probably my favorite cdrama opening!
- If I where to critic something, it would be that the show slows down a bit during the last 10 episodes, but I was still interested in the story nonetheless.
- The show is very beautiful, I know that some people thought that the coloring was off and I can see why, however this did not bother me at all.
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A fun ride
The main character is such a mood and the supporting characters are all master rank actors. The storyline is quite linear and easy to follow. All the strategies are also carefully explained in detail by the characters in the story. There are many scenes that make me emotional, but mostly a light paced comedy that you can enjoy while having meals.My only complaint about this is drama is that I found no chemistry between Fanxian and his fiancee, and I don't feel morally justified to ship FX with other female characters. And the storyline is simple enough to understand in one go. No chemistry + simple story = less rewatch value that's why I give it 8.5/10 in that aspect
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