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.
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This review may contain 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! Was this review helpful to you?
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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Season Two please!!.. Epic Drama!!
This drama is just so good that I don’t know what else to write!!... just watching it made me felt so wise and skillful... I love the ML .. he was so shipable with all the females that got tangled with him.. the story was excellent.. I could watch it all year long without skipping a scene..That’s how great the drama is!!!! Even if they Roman was kept at a low low..you wouldn’t even notice it because there are so many other plots that were going on...Amazing simply Amazing.. the wisdom and scheme packed in this drama is totally splendid...and uncle Wu..I’m your die hard Fan😂Was this review helpful to you?
Just wow.
I loved it because of the story. Some characters are flat and easy to see through- they're plastic- but others are very three dimensional, and that's why I'm addicted.
The characters are very well developed- the important ones at least- and it follows the original story pretty well. I loved the depth of the storyline- the layers that will only be peeled back with each season- though it is unfortunate that it had to end so soon. My mom's listening to the audio book, which is well over 400 "chapters" long; the show ends about a hundred of those audio book episodes in. Thank goodness there will be future seasons; I doubt I could live well knowing this is the ending to the show.
My favorite will always be the characters, even though the story line far outshines the character development. There are definitely episodes I will be watching again just for specific scenes; I'm glad I didn't skip over this show because the lead wasn't someone I knew.
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ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
Honestly, I hate writing reviews for my favourite dramas the most. I mean, Joy of Life is truly a masterpiece... what am I supposed to write? No word can describe how brilliant this show is, you just have to watch it and see for yourself. But because I promised to review everything that I finish, I will try to express my thoughts as well as I can. And I'll probably fail to do so, but don't mind me lol.I've never seen a show in which every single character is so different and unique. It's honestly insane, because there are quite a lot of characters here, yet every one of them was simply a pleasure to watch. None of them was just black or white. The good guys were far from perfect and had realistic flaws. The bad ones had their motives and were excellently written which makes it hard to hate them just because they are interesting to watch.
Fan Xian is one of the best main leads out there and I fell in love with his character. And my love was growing with every episode, he was simply an amazing person with amazing ideals. And he's a character we can easily relate to. He is exceptionally smart, witty and playful, with a good heart and brilliant fighting skills. It's just impossible not to fall in love with him. The Emperor of Qing was such a weirdo lol, it was very hard to read his mind and his mysterious personality was making me love him even more. Oh, and my love Chen Ping Ping!!! This guy... I don't know if it was the way the character is written or the performance of the actor or maybe both, but his character was giving me shivers. And even after I finished the drama, I still can't tell what kind of a rare bird CPP is.
Of course there's no way I won't mention my favourite man aka the Second Prince Li Cheng Ze who is one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen. And I don't know whose idea was, but Lui Duan Duan with this hairstyle can slap me in the face and I'll be very thankful. It suits the actor PERFECTLY.
The ladies in the drama were also awesome. Our main heroine - Lin Wan'er was such a beautiful and adorable creature. I loved the romance between her and Fan Xian, I love how there was no much useless drama with them and they simply supported each other. Haitang Duo Duo though... this girl was on fire!!! I hope we'll see her more in the second season!
The ending... I mean... we have a second season... and we have to wait two years... but it's fine. Yes, totally fine. I'm not crying at all.
Sooooo overall, Joy of Life is a masterpiece. It has an amazing plot (46 episodes yet no boring second), some shocking twists here and there, BRILLIANT CHARACTERS and the humour was soooooo on point, I almost cried from laughing! So yeah, it's a must watch for sure. But DON'T watch it now, because you'll hate the fact that you have to wait two years for the second season. It's just painful.
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Decent but PROFOUNDLY OVER-RATED @ MDL
I used to teach Screenwriting. There were many 'best practices' that appeared in many books but one that was an affront to my experience of cinema. The practice said "START REAL BIG", then tone things down for most of the story, and then finish EVEN BIGGER than the opening. I completely disagreed with the first part of that advice based upon many quality classic movies.The BETTER advice is to start 'interesting as hell' and make each page a little more interesting than the last. So that you become 'surprised' at how engaging the story is and start watching the series faster. Novels like this are called 'page turners'.
JOY OF LIFE does just this. It gets better as watch. The problem is that the build is so RIDICULOUSLY SLOW that a viewer can and will lose interest before they get hooked.
Read the comment sections here. I'd say a third of the people that tried this series walked. And that is understandable since the show is so amorous of itself it has no idea how dull the pacing is for the first two thirds. Knowing where the story is going works for the writers but not the viewers if you take WAY too long to set up the story.
The only reason I kept watching JOY OF LIFE was that I love half of this cast. There are several people from RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE, one from REBEL PRINCESS, and one from LUOYANG. If it wasn't for the amazingly talented lovely (and bitchy) Xin Zhi Lei I'd have ditched the series after 15 episodes. But since character was saved for much later I pushed on.
Why would I have ditched? There are two critical mistakes this story makes that NO STORY SHOULD MAKE --
1. This is mildly spoiler-ish but since it shows up in the first minutes of the first episode I don't see the harm: the lead character isn't really IN the story. He comes from our reality but ends up in this story's reality like it's a lucid dream. Because of this his character knows he is never in any actual peril. That would be like Dorothy AWARE that she is dreaming and smirking at the Wicked Witch the entire time. It completely DESTROYS normal dramatic tension. But don't take my word. As the series progresses they kind of back away from this STUPID idea and pretend it was never there. (This explains part of my low rating.)
2. The show shifts genres as it progresses. It's starts as a sort of funny leaning DRAMEDY but then evolves into a proper DRAMA. But the path to this transition is littered with way WAY too many comic relief sidekicks. And fight sequences featuring SALSA or ROCK AND ROLL music which took me right out of the story.. It leaves an adult with the impression that the production crew was entirely teenage.
What makes the 2nd half of the series more bearable is that it becomes a more serious story where our hero Fan Xian finds himself in genuine danger. Get this and I'm not kidding: in episode 42 (of 46) Fan Xian actually says, "For the first time I feel like I'm in real danger." I don't know how to break this to the morons who wrote this script but that feeling was supposed to happen no later than Episode 5. Imagine Dorothy of Kansas feeling in absolutely no peril at all until the Wizard took off in his balloon near the story's end. It's LUDICROUS.
So I'm left BAFFLED and BEWILDERED at how so many people on this site have rated this series so high. Was it based on a novel that everyone in this genre has already read? (Harry Potter syndrome?) Personally I resent when people like a series based upon some other source. I base my review on what I'm reviewing and nothing else.
The cast is easily the best part of this series. My problem is that I've seen half this cast elsewhere and the same actors got much better roles. If you enjoyed Song Yi in this you're going to ADORE her in LUOYANG where she basically chews every scene she's in. That show has a cast that's a little too emotionally distant -- except for her. There's a pout she does in one episode that's almost worth watching the entire series for. (No, really!)
Part 2 of JOY is being filmed now and no matter how compelling the 2nd half of this installment has been I absolutely positively will not watch the 2nd series if there's SALSA music in fight scenes. Or if Fan Xian is smirking too often in the first episodes.
It's been fun, I suppose, but I can recommend 4 other shows before this one: REBEL PRINCESS, RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE, MAKE A WISH, and THE GREAT CRAFTSMAN. These shows DESTROY this one.
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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!
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This review may contain 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
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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!Was this review helpful to you?
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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