The Long Ballad (2021)

Overhyped drama

This drama got popular cuz of the two main leads and it shows. I started the drama because I'm Zhao Lusi fan and right before it aired I found out Liu Hai Kuan had a role too (that turned out to be insignificant). This is the first drama I watch with Dilraba and Leo Wu and I'm NOT impressed.

First, I don't like the leads, especially Ashile Sun who felt like a Gary Sue (or should I call him Gary Sun?). None of his acrtion had consequences since no matter how he did, Great Khan was all over him he didn't face anything. The only thing about his character was him having a crush on Changge. Hell, the two leads have no romantic chemistry. Changge didn't think about him at all while he didn't mind others. Her falling in love with him was so forced I rolled my eyes. Maybe the fact neither of them had an actual character growth. Somehow they were always right (especially Ashile Sun) and EVERYONE listened to them. After Ashile Sun "died", I skipped almost everything.

Mimi was annoying. I don't hate Shuyu-gege, but never cared for him. Also, he shot Changge and it didn't affect anything??? Also, the plot was her getting revenge on her uncle but she dropped it without any apperent reason other than it would might contradict history (Li Shimin was an empror during Tang dynasty, that much is what I know). The truth is revealed later, but she drops her revange too early. So the whole plot is pointless. Also the story with Khatun is the one I skipped and I'm okay with that. It was so boring and predictable.

And don't let me start how much I hated the animation. Either do it properly or don't do it at all. There are drawings of a battle, but the pictures and the sound don't match. People talikng- real poeple- over the animation and it doesn't look good. It a shame since I do like the art style and it doesn't have to be in motion, but the anumation director should be fired. There were only two time there the animation was used in the right way. It was a very lazy way to save money. So many of the scenes could be live. Not to mention there episodes with no animation- I like it but it made the animation stand out more in a bad way.

Few points I liked- Leyan and Hou Du however are superior both in romantic plot line and indivitual character development. Leyan's story and growth was much more interesting than Changge's most of the time. I'm one of the few people who like Hou Du from the beggining and by the end I was completely in love. I think he is what Ashile Sun was meant to be only he was done better. Situ Lang Lang should have had more screen time, he was so much fun. Also, I've supported Sher from the begining, maybe because he was right for hating Ashile Sun.

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Like many had mentioned; A MUST WATCH (for the century!)

This is my 2nd review on a drama (and the first for a period dramas).

Since most reviews has summarized the whole storyline, I shall not repeat what's said.

To me, this is an amazing drama which worth all the busy time in the world to watch it (I personally had watched it, all the 49 episodes for 3x and will do so again)!!
IT'S WAY WAY EXTRAORDINARILY THAN HUA MU LAN!! Many remarkable life lessons to gain from the dramas too!! Seeing the greater good!!

Astonishing storyline!!
Magnificent acting skills from all casts!! Dilraba, Leo Wu and all the rest, fits their role perfectly!!
The production crews, the screen writers, producers, etc.. have all done an incredible job to bring this magnificent dramas alive!!

By far the most successful period drama, I ever watched! Thank you all for bringing us this magnificent dramas!!

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ONE OF THE BEST DRAMAS??

The Long Ballad, adapted from a popular manga, tells the story of Li Chang Ge (played by "Dilraba"), she's a princess of Tang Empire, and this drama tells about the misunderstanding she had, and because of it, she had to go far, far away from home, and she discovers the true meaning of friendship, faith, loyalty, sacrifice, love. Thereafter, She meets Ashile Sun (played by "Leo Wu) and she gets tangled into a vicious circle of politics [ more of a mess for me]. Long adventure with new people and full of dangers, new challenges, well her character is real brave and stubborn.

ROMANCE>>>
Slow burn, I will say this that even though it was slow burn and we didn't got to see much between them but, it was beautiful. He's always so caring, protective of her, while she's the type to run away again and again and again. He was so jealous when she was with Sher [his brother]. But Iiked it overall.

CAST>>>>
Amazing cast and their acting superb, I got to see my 3 favourite actors in a single drama, I can't ask for more. And the characters like SHER, they made it real interesting. HAO DU his character being strong, adding that the ost was sung by him, worth it.

OST , SOUND EFFECTS>>>>
The most interesting part of this drama was the background music, OST was real good, the music was fit for every scene.
I love listening to all types of music, so I added another track in my fav's.

CHOREOGRAPHY>>>>
The acting for the CUJU game was awesome, the director did a good job there, archery scenes, horse riding scenes, sword fighting, and all the fighting scenes, satisfying 100% , since I am a fan of action genre. 1st episode and CUJU game, I totally got immersed in it. Hitting the ball by head and, a perfect kick score goal, those strategies , movements with hands , fist.

The outfits were really attractive, like I was wishing for, that they would wear the grassland attire in the whole 49 episodes.

MY REVIEW IS SHORT BECAUSE I'M NOT GOOD WITH WORDS, SO I CAN'T EXPRESS MY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS DRAMA MUCH,
BUT ONE THING FOR SURE NO FAN WILL REGRET WATCHING THIS DRAMA, FANTASTIC DRAMA.
Thank you for reading>>>>>

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I finished this series only for cast team

May be because of huge China’s population even this drama got good rating.
They took 49 episodes only to prove that it is impossible to change one’s character even after too much of suffering and loses. Especially for the main leads no one expect this kind of character. The only enjoyment we will get while watching Chinese dramas is we will get confused whether the direction team is brainless or the one who is watching it. Their characters(every character in the drama ) acts like they have multiple personality disorder, some time they are too quick witted, some time they act like very dumb and sometimes like fools.
From first to last episode the FL never learned anything from her mistakes even after so much of suffering and loses. She keeps on acting reckless, she keeps on suffering because of that and keeps on crying by thinking her mistakes but she never changed her character even after so many loved ones died because of her reckless and careless behavior, even at the last seen also the same thing.
In the whole drama it is same she keep on doing mistakes and getting troubled but always the ML rescued her with great price but she never changed even after promising so many times, I literally prayed to god it’s better for the drama to watch if someone kill her or the ML. Even if any animal suffers that much it will change but the FL of the drama not.
The funniest thing is they have mocked the war with cartoons explaining what has happened in the war, I am not saying it is because to save the production cost but may their creativity because when I say the other settings and the plots it is in executive level. I can promptly say that I never saw low budget, poor cast or poor acting skills Chinese dramas but only they lack in brainy direction team. Really its a shocking thing that with that much Chinese population they don’t have enough talented directors.

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Amazing Journey

This review might be a bit late, since the drama already aired a while ago, but I just had to write one.

I have a habit of waiting till the drama is complete before watching, because I'm not patient enough to wait for each episode and I'm so glad that I didn't start this while it was airing.

As dramas go, this is one of the longer ones with 49 episodes, but it is definitely worth your time.

Let's start with the actual review then!

Story:

The story starts off with our heroine leading a carefree life as a Princess, but in a matter of episodes her world is turned upside down, when her uncle kills her whole family and brands them as rebels. She barely escapes with her life and vows revenge. On her journey she matures and learns many things and eventually lets go of her hate for the sake of her country. The beautiful thing about this story is the growth and development of each character as individuals as well as their relationships with each other. Each and every character evolves and it's beautiful to see and exciting to follow.

Acting/Cast:

It's definitely one of the dramas that is perfectly cast, from the older cast to the tiny babies. When initial reports came out that Wu Lei was going to act opposite Dilraba Dilmurat, I was one of the sceptics. I never doubted his ability to act, because I have seen him in other dramas and I know he's a terrific actor despite his young age. What worried me was the fact that the two might not share any chemistry. I'll admit, I was wrong. So wrong. They were entrancing together.

The whole cast of this drama did an amazing job, but here are the standouts for me:

- Dilraba Dilmurat as Chang Ge: Obviously, she's the main character and we're are practically following her story. Dilraba never disappoints. Whether Chang Ge is being mischievous, emotional, serious or deadly, it's all believable and she delivers an amazing performance, playing a character that's complex and ever changing. Chang Ge is one of the characters that changes and matures throughout her journey so much, but somehow still holds on to her values. She's a very strong character and Dilraba did a great job portraying her.

- Wu Lei as Ahile Sun: Absolutely magnetic. I never doubted Wu Lei could act, but he's outdone himself as Sun. Strong, brave and loyal, this character was an absolute delight to watch. I can't imagine any other actor playing this role now. Just like Dilraba, Wu Lei performed each scene to perfection. I was very impressed with the amount of emotion he can portray. A simple gaze seemed to tell a whole story.

- Zhao Lu Si as Leyan: Zhao Lu Si is adorable and that's the side that people are most familiar with from her previous dramas, but as Le Yan she can finally show off her range. Her character's journey is one of the most interesting to watch on the show and the way she changed from the sheltered, weak princess into a mature and formidable woman was one of the highlights of the drama.

- Liu Yu Ning as Hao Du: This is the first time I've ever seen his act and it's a breath of fresh air. From the cold Hao Du in the beginning of the drama to the warm ball of light at the end, Liu Yu Ning did such an amazing job portraying his character that I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was able to portray emotion with tiny changes in his expression. I'm looking forward to seeing him in other projects.

- Kudousi Jiang Ainiwaer as Ashile She'er: Another character who's reveals more and more of himself as the episodes go by, She'er is complex, misunderstood and lonely. This is another actor that I'm seeing act for the first time and I was really impressed by the range of emotion he can portray. He was able to make us feel whatever we needed to feel towards his character whenever he appeared. Great performance.

- Geng Le as Li Shimin: From the generation of the parents, Geng Le's Li Shimin stands out above the rest. The sheer emotion this man can portray is enough to move mountains. His relationship with Le Yan and Chang Ge was heartwarming to watch. As the Emperor he's brave, majestic, intelligent, kind and fair. As a father, he dotes on both Le Yan and Chang Ge and his desire to protect both of them is an absolute pleasure to witness.

Music:

The soundtrack of this drama matches it so perfectly. The instrumental music complements each scene and the songs are absolutely amazing and unforgettable. I'm in love with this soundtrack.

Favourite Scenes (no in any particular order):

- The duel between Sun and She'er. It was absolutely breathtaking. I could hardly take my eyes off the screen. I've rewatched this scene many, many times.

- The duel between Hao Du and She'er. The high stakes, Le Yan's outburst of emotion and Hao Du's unshakable determination. Another scene I have rewatched.

- Sun and Chang Ge rolling off the roof. Cute and exciting.

- Sun telling Chang Ge what his first wish is. This was basically his confession moment and I absolutely loved the wording of it. He wasn't demanding anything, but giving his all to her instead.

- A Dou's death and the battle outside the gates afterwards. This is one of the scenes that absolutely killed me. I was not prepared for it.

- Hao Du and Le Yan confessing to each other after his duel with She'er. This was the cutest thing to watch. And a scene I was waiting for since the moment Hao Du picked up the little pouch that Le Yan dropped.

- Le Yan slapping Hao Du. This was a scene that absolutely needed to happen and when it does, it's everything you wanted.

- Sun saving Chang Ge after she's kidnapped by Khatun's men. The way he just charges in with his arrows!!!!

- When Sun takes off his mask and Chang Ge finds out his Ashile Sun. Besides being and absolutely stunning scene visually, the emotion is everything.

- The scene between Chang Ge and Li Shimin when she finally calls him Second Uncle again.

- The death of Sun's foster mother and the following outburst.

There are more, but I think I need to stop now, before the whole drama is written down here.

If you're still doubting whether to watch this, stop doubting and just watch it. The moment you start, you won't be able to stop and you'll actually wish there were more episodes.

This is one of the dramas that I'll be rewatching in the future.

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Politics, War and Romance

This is my first series with Dilraba as the main female lead. At first a bit hesitate to watch this, as I don't really like the male lead.
Overall this series is good, the story flow and paced nicely, not too much romance, just enough. Not too heavy with the politics, just enough for the entertainment purpose. The war scenes are good, fighting scene also good. Recommended to those looking for great story with politics and war and a hint of romance. Not heavy politics like 3 kingdoms and stuff, but entertaining.
Some scenes a bit weird though, especially the horse riding scene, really really fake and not natural. In episode one when Li chang ge ride the horse, can see that she is not really riding the horse but something else and got other scene also the same result. But this is a minor.
Story wise, yet to read the novel..but I think as usual there's deviation with the novel.
In my opinion Ashile Shun should be play by other actor with bigger build and face to suit the grassland people image. Leo Wu is too small for that.
Overall all casts acting are good, especially Zhao Lu Si here, as we can see her great acting transformation from a cry baby princess to a strong princess.

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Too long but decent wuxia drama

Not a fan of dillireba, especially in period dramas because I felt that something about her image don't suit period dramas that well and it's abit hard to focus on her expression and all. However, i do think this is one of the better ones she acted (also with the boost of a lot other strong supporting actor/actress). Had a lot of mixed feelings while watching this because i think it's neither good/bad.. i managed to finish it by skipping a lot of boring scenes.

PROS:
- Good change in Zhao Lu Si's usual fun and quirky roles. Her role as princess has impressed me a lot.
- ML is not a jerk and express his feelings well
- Despite ML's young age, he managed to pull off the role very well & also the romance with FL
- No evil love triangle plot

CONS:
- 2nd couple (ZLS and LYN) can have more scenes together and more on their relationship growth since the drama is so long
- FL's role as someone that is good at martial arts is not portrayed well in most scenes.. sometimes she can fight hundreds of people, sometimes she don't seem like she can fight
- Too long, a lot of scenes can be cut short/ you can still catch up after skipping a fair bit

FINAL VERDICT: watch if you like a strong FL and ML & not much romance involved

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One of the best!

This drama is by far one of the most beautiful I have seen. It is a story of a princess that gets involved in political games, seeks revenge, and finds love on the way.
I particularly liked the female lead. Li Chang Ge is strong-willed, ambitious, a good strategist, and a good diplomat. I like powerful female characters, as they become role models for teenagers and not only. She has a mind of her own, she is able to sacrifice everything for her beliefs. She is a loyal friend and a good fighter as well.
The main male lead, Ashile Sun is Li Chang Ge's reflection. Although he is the son of a powerful han, and always quarrels with his brother (that envies him), Ashile Sun remains a character of great moral status. He is a good leader, loved and trusted by his soldiers, a good strategist, loyal to his principles. He takes calculated chances and would do anything in his power to protect the ones he loves. Ashile Sun and Li Chang Ge are the perfect couples. Even when they are enemies, they show mutual respect and put the wellbeing of their people above their own dreams of revenge.
Their journey is an adventurous one, they help each other, care for each other, have each other's backs. And in the end, Chang Ge renounces at her name and status as a princess to become the wife and partner of the man she loves and to roam the world together with him, in peace and harmony.
Each character of the drama is beautifully constructed, the cast really does a wonderful job in interpreting. The soundtrack is so suitable and epic, I really really liked it. There are other stories in this drama worth watching because every character has his own story and evolution. You must not miss this drama!

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Amazing show and well built plot

This is my first review so I'm not sure what I should write, but here goes:
This show was awesome, the ML and FL were built really well as characters and it was nice to watch how they developed as persons.
I deducted half a point from the story line, because it got a little boring in the middle of the show. I didn't really feel like watching the romance of supporting roles and their struggles. The drama had lots of plot twists and emotional scenes. Overall, I must say the cdrama was the best historical drama I've ever seen.
The actors were great and in my opinion this is Dilraba's best drama. (I haven't seen all of them, but still).
I would definitely watch it again but I'd probably skip some scenes.

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Everyone Needs An Ashile Sun!

10/01/2023

I went into this after watching a number of other good CDramas with little expectations except that I didn't feel Lu Wei was right for the role and that perhaps someone else should have been chosen.

I thought he wasn't good looking enough, too scrawny and not old enough to pull off such a strong character like Ashile Sun and I knew nothing about Ashile Sun other than that he was like a nomad or warrior from the grasslands.

And I am not the only one that saw it this way from other reviews I have read on different platforms, but at least there aren't many.

Glad to say I was proven wrong!

Dilraba was okay, but unfortunately I didn't take to her at all.

The story, more or less, is about how a demoted Tang Princess set on vengeance ends up saving the Tang Dynasty from falling into enemy hands as overtime she comes to realise there is far more at stake than just her own personal vendetta.

The outro song eventually grew on me as did the music throughout each episode.

I enjoyed all of the males in it and the youngest princess, but I really liked the characters of Mu Jin, Yaro, Ashile Sun, Sher and Hao Du.

I have probably watched this 3 times back to back so it is most definitely likeable and re-watchable. There is not really one episode that is boring and the pace is just right!

From episode one it is exciting with the horse chase scene on to the bridge from the very start and that phenomenal Cuju game between the Tang and Ashile players.

In episode 5 we have a bit of a laugh when Ashile Sun discovers Channge isn't a male and is slapped hard even though he is blind folded.

And in episodes 15 and 16 it is a pivotal moment when Channge learns a certain home truth about Ashile Sun.

One of the best scenes I have ever watched in any movie or series comes at the end of episodes 24 and start of episode 25.

If you want to see real acting at its best I'd highly recommend watching the above.

In comparison to Lu Wei's character in Love Like The Galaxy (Ling Buyi), in the "uncle massacre scene", Ashile Sun wins hands down when it comes to "losing the plot." He is far superior!

Not sure why Lu Wei didn't do the same justice for LLTG although it wasn't a complete mess.

What else?

I appreciated that Ashile Sun was more honest and direct which is what I like in a person just in general so I found his character had more depth than Ling Buyi did in LLTG. Ashile Sun saw the bigger picture whereas Ling Buyi was all about vengeance no matter what the cost!

And whoever filmed some of the scenes in The Long Ballad should be given an award because some of the angles and shots were spectacular to a fault like the fight scenes and that Cuju game.

Some excellent filming - my kind of filming!

I know there are some that didn't take to TLB because it lacked romance, but to me that was an added bonus because the story was what I was in it for not a drawn out cliched triad situation or love between a couple that takes 59 episodes to manifest in full.

There is definitely love scenarios in this, but it isn't suffocating like it is in some CDramas. Yes!!!

That aside it is indeed a well told story that isn't too light or depressingly heavy and each episode has something going on.

I'd highly recommend this series for the story and a well told story at that where you will be drawn in by most, if not all, the characters and like each and every one of them!

This will probably remain in my top 5-10 for life!

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