This Show Brought Me Joy!
Such a great show!!!!!!! This was an absolute blast to watch. It was well-paced and even though every episode was plot-heavy, it never felt bogged down by it. It was also very funny!! All the characters were important to the storyline and nothing felt wasted. I wished the FL was a stronger character w/her own purpose because I thought that she was the weakest link. However, I thought towards the latter part of the show she had more agency. I look forward to her character growth in season two. Speaking of which, hurry up and give us season two!!!Was this review helpful to you?
My review for joy of life
One of the best dramas ever. It got me hooked from the very first episode.
The young fan xian was hilarious.
As the story progress and it keeps introducing new characters and every character were interesting. I keep wanting to know more and more about them. There's so many things yet to unfold. You think you know them but you will be proven wrong the next episode. I'm really really looking forward to the next season. I don't know if I can pick a favourite character because I have so many.
And at every turn at you will find something unexpected. The story got 10x more interesting after he reach Beiqi. I really didn't want it to end. I don't know if I can call this drama a comedic suspense but I absolutely love the humour, conversations, and surprise in it.
Acting was top tier. The actors were all very natural. I didn't find anything cringy or force.
It is not romance heavy and it was in the background and I'm thankful for that because the only thing I didn't like about JOL was interaction between lin waner and fan xian. I have always liked Li qin but her character was the most boring one for me. I didn't hate the character it wasn't annoying or anything but it was forgetful. Fan xian had amazing chemistry with Haitang dou dou and Si lilli.
The osts weren't memorable either. I didn't find myself running back to listen to it 24*7 the moment I finished the series. It wasn't bad but just didn't like it much.
As for rewatching it, I don't know if I will ever rewatch it because it is the suspense and surprise factor that kept me hooked and now its over I don't think I will watch it again. But I really can't wait for the next season.
I would recommend this drama to everyone. Historical, futuristic, suspense , Sci fic, comedy, romance, action, plot and planning. It has a little of everything and I absolutely love it.
Now I am back to finding everything else bland and uninteresting because this was so so good.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Slow and Steady Makes The Perfect Bread
Joy of life has to a masterpiece of art in how to put a novel in a visual media, which clearly every other show has failed to most extend. Those who have not read the novel (its too detailed and often long winded for a visual drama) will not understand how amazingly the show has trimmed most fat and kept the simple stuff for anyone to enjoy. Yes, it removes the depth in many ways but it should not be overlooked how cool everything looks and the atmosphere of a historical drama is second to none.I have seen some historical drama after this and some had better character depth and story, however, this one was the most believable. The director actually put effort in providing us with enough data on where each important building is. How far from the castle everyone is and the walking time actually makes sense in most cases. The power system makes sense not like other drama where you just move around with sword and the main character wins in the end.
My favorite character is obviously the teacher (blind folded man) of the main character, like whose isn't? He has to be the coolest character ever seen in Chinese drama. The ambience is crazy whenever he is around. I have always loved OP characters done right. It is rare to see a over powered person being so limited in appearance still having so much impact in the story without taking the limelight from others. The novel writer was a genius and the director lived up to it.
The political drama makes so much sense, its often confusing who is the good and bad guy but it is what it should be "nuanced" I always loved moral gray area is the right place for leaders and their job is not to always do what is right but to do whatever to survive in the difficult world and every king and other leaders does that really well here.
The comedy mixed with depth really puts this show in another level of media where you cant help but be hooked to the screen. The main fault of this show is the length. The second season was slower than the first and if keeps up the third season is gonna be all political and no comedy with too much action to ruin the pacing. I just hope they bring back the slow and methodical pacing of the first season with more efficient delivery of comedy and richness.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fantastic Periodic Drama
Love this drama. So funny, witty and the rhythm is really good. It is not draggy. The part that I find most amazing is the number of casts they included in this drama. It must be really expensive to portray so many characters of the book. The production team didn't save money on this and I was so impressed. THey did the casting really well as well, none of the actors and actresses looked cheapskate (you wld find this in some low budget drama where they would cast really badly on the badguys)The story is so amazing as well, so much of intricacy moments all intertwined together, like a big jigsaw puzzle. I had to go to Youtube to search a few synopsis to understand the relationship between all the events. So glad that the scriptwriters managed to write the scenes well, or else, it would have been so difficult to understand.
I have only 1 complaint. They left us hanging on the last episode. It's really crappy to be watching a drama that paces so quickly and suddenly to be hit by a last episode that hang half way. I should have waited for S2 to come out before watching this.
I hope in the next season, they will feature Yuan Quan more prominently (the professor) I love her acting. She is that kind of actress that carries so much complexity on her. Definitely more than meet the eyes.
Was this review helpful to you?
Rewatch preparing for S2 EPIC Script!
One of my all-time favorite dramas. This is the best script ever!Everything is absolutely perfect except the lighting. There's a lot of olive tunes to the drama making the actors look not as pretty which is incredible because there are a ton of beautiful actors in here.
For those people that may not like this drama for whatever reason, may missed all the essence of Chinese language word play. There's so much comedy but all lost in translation. Even the names are clever. Sadly, I can only understand 80% of it. I so wish I can read the actual book but since I can't, the drama itself is perfect.
Some Fun Word plays:
Fan Jian - Fan Xian's Dad's name actually sounds like "being bitchy"
Chen Ping Ping - A very girly name for the master schemer
Nei Ku - Treasury sounds exactly like underwear
There are countless of these.
Unique on every level.
1. Political scheming isn't all that interesting to me but it's part of every costume drama you can't avoid. However, it is interesting here because all the characters are all multi-dimensional.
2. Characters. You can't find any weakness here. Well written characters along with perfect casting.
Mini Fan Xian - I could've used extra episode of him. He's so cute and expressive.
Fan Xian - Everybody loves Fan Xian. I am 100% biased here because the actor has been one of all-time favorites.
Wang Qi Nian - The side kick endless funny punch line delivery guy
Teng Zi Jing - The assassin in the beginning that formed such strong bromance
Fan Si Zhe - Did not know the actor is actually a standup comedian but I can see why
I literally loved almost every character big or small. Shows how brilliant the script writer is.
3. Level of literacy
There's a scene of Fan Xian reciting all the famous poems. (no I never got to that level in my Chinese) but it's amazing the actor reciting all those poems in one breath. People with high Chinese literacy will surely appreciate this.
Was this review helpful to you?
I started this drama because of Xiao Zhan, but he is in the last 8 episodes or so, and since the very first episode I didn't mind because I was immediately hooked. The little boy that played Fan Xian was so good and charming I was sad to see "older" Fan Xian... I wouldn't have minded to have at least 10 episodes with little Fan Xian.
But I didn't know this was just Season 1 and Season 2 has not even started filming yet till I was on Ep15 or so :( so I think people who starts this should keep that in mind.. the cliffhanger is O_O
While I liked the characterization of all characters, and I specially like Fan Xian, I didn't trust half of them. Or more than half of them. Is this one a bad guy or a good guy? It was like this for most of the drama, but even with that, I was enjoying it. The passive-aggressiveness is hilarious, from Fan Xian and the Princess Royal, to the Crown Prince and the 2nd Prince, to the stepmother and Fan Xian at the beginning of the drama.
I am not one that particularly enjoys too much romance, so this one has just the perfect amount of it. Not too much and besides, Wan'Er makes Fan Xian happy. And she isn't dumb nor a damsel in distress, except for the fact that she is sick. So I don't understand why people do not like her :( If this was a harem, I wouldn't have minded to see Fan Xian married to Wan'Er, Si Lili and Duo Duo... all these girls were good in a way or the other and very different from each other, and best of all, they all had chemistry with Fan Xian.
The acting was good, wigs and costumes were excellent; the plot is WOW, so there isn't a single dull moment in the entire 46 episodes. In fact, I even think it was a bit short because I wanted to see more of Uncle Wu Zhu, of Fan Xian's siblings (Ruo Ruo and Fan Si Zhe... so smart and caring one, while so funny and charming the other), of the Ninth Masters (I wanted more fight scenes tbh). The songs were so fitting, specially the OP song, while the ED song became easily one of my favorites... I listen to it regularly <3 with XZ beautiful voice.
If I had to complain, it would be that I didn't understand a few things... or it was extremely witty and too advanced for my poor brain, or some things got lost in translation...
Looking forward to see them all in Season 2! I love that little smile from Zhang Ruo Yun at the end XD
Was this review helpful to you?
Confusing yet intriguing
LIKEAlmost everyone is grand master in martial arts
The fear everyone had when they hear about Chen Ping Ping's army
Wondering who Chen Ping Ping's secret bodyguard is
The time spent between Fan Xian and Xiao En
The relationship between Qing Emperor, Chen Ping Ping and Fan Jian
The silly Fan Si Zhe - Guo Qi Lin is forever comedic
Everything that revolved around Ye Qing Mei
DISLIKE
Ended abrubtly and finally after five years season two is out - gonna start soon
MUSIC
Yi Nian Yi Sheng 一念一生 - Li Jian 李健
REWATCH VALUE
Yes without a doubt
Was this review helpful to you?
It had a good amount of martial arts, humor, and a great storyline. This is only the first season!
Fan Xian is the main male lead of the drama. He is a smart, sarcastic, and cunning man. He knows how to speak his way out of things, he also have great martial arts skills. Did I mention he's quite funny as well? :) I just love his character so much! The actor did a wonderful job in playing this character! His subtle expressions are hilarious. XD
Was this review helpful to you?
Combo hero-coming-of-age, wuxia, espionage and imperial intrigue.
Good watch. Prob'ly shot in 2018/9, 46 episodes -- only Part One of story! Combo hero-coming-of-age, wuxia, espionage and imperial intrigue. Many truly talented actors as supporting characters creates central focus on balancing nodes of power. The hero Zhang Ruo Yun/Fan Xian has excellent very masculine charisma and utter fidelity to his beloved.A giant spy agency operating in the bowels of brutalist concrete architecture is balanced by the brilliant Chen Dao Ming as Dad the emperor puttering around with archery in slouchy white robes in his man-cave study, controlling his fractious family and state from afar. Fan Xian's story ties together this portion like the red string of fate.
Out of the city next, the fights get better (to my ignorant eye?) and the hero matures, fighting off various ladies' romantic overtures, and physical dangers, with aplomb, acting as ambassador to a northern country. Lots of cool 9th level masters and very dangerous enemies, and Fan Xian's faction starts to take shape.
To me the feminine rulers he grapples with in a northern enemy country seem like a cynical nod to then-fashion by the author or director (I am watching this during pride month which makes it feel particularly insulting) -- the northern emperor, obviously a woman, unacknowleged by plot (weird), is sismancing a great female martial artist, and then later suddenly one of the more politically ambiguous characters back home develops a bromancy henchman.
first posted July 2024 on Viki
Was this review helpful to you?
Simply superb!
Amazing amazing story! I’ve seen so many period dramas that I’ve loved, but they were all invariably slow paced. This one here is the most fast paced period drama I’ve ever come across and the story kept me engrossed, entertained, excited, scared, giggling, feeling sombre and wanting more! The story was thoroughly unpredictable, with so many twists and turns, but not a single dull moment throughout. Just when I felt I’m getting a grasp of what’s happening, the story would take a turn and leave me surprised and looking forward to what happens next. I’m so glad there is a season 2! I’m looking forward to the story ahead!Was this review helpful to you?
Joy of Life is a fast-paced show with very little boring moments. It is also very witty, filled with puns (that are difficult to wrap your head around sometimes) and scheming characters. There is a nice balance between the light-hearted comedy and the darker politics of the palace. Not all characters are who they seem to be, and the true enemy is hidden in the shadows, only revealed at the very end. While I think the plot is overall cohesive, the genre fluctuates slightly. Is it a historical fantasy drama? Mostly. Are there themes of science-fiction? Yes. It is difficult to summarise Joy of Life into one genre, because it has hints of several genres, including wuxia and science fiction.
Out of all the female characters, I think Fan Xian and Li Waner have the weakest chemistry. The show thrusts us into a sort of "love at first sight" between the main couple, and then slowly builds chemistry. I think they are cute together, but the chemistry between Fan Xian and Haitang Duoduo was much stronger and believable in my opinion. In the book, Fan Xian's relationships with the women is extremely different (from what I've heard, Fan Xian has a harem), but has been changed in the show. Quite a few things have been changed in the show (because of censorship), so the plot is slightly different from the novel.
Overall, a good show that balances palace/country politics as well as comedy.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Joy of Life is the story of Fan Xian who is born knowing the modern world in feudal times. The story follows him as he movs to the capital and falls in love, and basically walks the tightrope on court politics and the royal family.What I liked about the drama was the outstanding acting. Everyone was great in their roles. The male lead was outstanding. The story although it could be dragging in parts and slow was complex and interesting most of the time. Everyone has layers and they are neither really good or bad. I am a huge fan of Xiao Zhan so even though he wasn't in many episodes and he played a very unsympathetic character, he was still very nice to look at and appreciate! The music was good, not great but I've listened to the opening and closing dongs multiple times.
What I didn't like.... let me start with since there is a season 2 some of this may be resolved but there were things that I didn't really like. First I am not certain I am supposed to care about the main love story. The two were barely together so I really have no interest in the love story at all. In fact I found the mail lead much more interesting with Si Lili and especially Haitang Duoduo. Ideally Fan Xian should end up with Haitang Duoduo. Also, the story with Qi was a little confusing as the last part of the show was all new characters and you do not see any of the original set of characters. I missed Xian's sister Ruoruo, and his father and step-mother. I was invested in the characters and then they were just gone. I missed Uncle Wuzhu and what happened to him??? Again that may be fixed in season 2. Plus they did it explain the frozen people and the god temple very well. The massive secret that kept Xiao En in jailer years was that he knew where the God Temple was but Chen Pingping was the only one that seemed to care. That whole episode was confusing to me.
One of the best things was the characters are so layered and complex, but it also makes it hard to like most of them. I am still not certain if the cares about Fan Xian. I do know his adopted father certainly does care about him. So basically liked the Fan Xian, Uncle Wuzhu, Fan Jian, Ruoruo, and Fei Jie leader of the third bureau. Everyone else I am not sure what to think about them. Again that is interesting but also left me not really caring.
STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING
The show ends on a cliffhanger in the true sense of the word with Xian being stabbed and bleeding on the ground. I'm not sold that Yan Bingyun actually stabbed him and that this wasn't already planned. Yan Bingyun seemed to be listening to him and yes the bureau was his life, but it felt like there was a crack when Shen Zhong's sister was stabbed protecting him and he seemed upset when he heard what the second prince was doing to control Xian. I mean there was a whole not between the threats fo the second prince and the morning when Bingyun stabbed. That is just what I am thinking, but I haven't heard Xiao Zhan will be back for the second season.
Overall I liked it, but not like my favorite show, Would I watch again, maybe if I had nothing else to watch. Would I watch season 2 - yes cause I have to find out what happened to Uncle Wuzhu.
Was this review helpful to you?
