Treachery, schemes, murder, politics and a whole lotta fun - Joy of Life’s Season 2 picks up with a bang and maintains its high quality from the first episode to the last.

✔️After the events of season one, our adorably cunning hero Fan Xian is now more guarded, more ruthless, more dangerous and a 100% more delicious. As he navigates through the capital politics with betrayals at every turn, gets numerous harsh reality checks along the way and sees the injustice that plagues the kingdom, his thirst for justice and fairness builds up in every episode.

✔️Zhang Ruo Yun is an absolute star in this show as he puts out a performance that is hard to look away from. Fan Xian flits easily from a highly intelligent edge lord, to a vulnerable broken hearted man, to a surprisingly devoted husband, to a hilarious goof, a wickedly stylish martial artist and back to being an angry God. Nobody does anger and wrath as good as Zhang Ruo Yun because when he gets mad, I am there, seated, on my knees, READY for things to go down.

His dialogue delivery is also absolutely spectacular. Seriously, you know when he wants to spit acid with his words and when he wants to caress you with them - his eyes are expressive as hell.

✔️The best thing about season 2 is the way Fan Xian’s character gets more layers. From the start, Fan Xian isn’t exactly the typical overpowered, do-no-wrong, C-drama character. That’s because there’s no secret that he is incredibly privileged and favored by the most powerful figures in the kingdom and also has the knowledge of the future as his superpower. So, there is always this question: Is he that good or is it because of all the help he always gets from others?

However, in this season, the show really dives into what that means for Fan Xian - the frustration that no matter how much he does, at the end it feels like it is always the King or Chen Ping Ping running the show or that wherever he goes, he has his mother’s legacy hanging over him like a cloud.

And, sometimes he doesn’t want to always have to be in the position to play these mind games or do the right thing. As a result, we get an extremely fleshed out, hopelessly endearing character in Fan Xian who grows in spite of himself and independently of all the elements that are hell bent on pushing him to be the person they think he should be.

So, it's no surprise that his various relationships with other characters also hit you right in the feelings because of their authenticity. Especially considering how political and dialogue heavy this drama is.
Whether it is the begrudging respect he instills in his enemies, or the unwavering loyalty of his friends, the affection that comes from his teachers, the innocent camaraderie he has with his siblings or his deep deep love for Wan’Er - all of it contribute to painting this incredibly nuanced portrayal of Fan Xian and allows you to appreciate the glimpse of pure, tender human interactions and feelings on screen.

✔️That is one reason why, even though some viewers have complained about this season having less action and more dialogue - I felt like there was so much necessary character development in this show that allowed Fan Xian to grow maturely and find himself in a way that was very different than his bright faced, less darker character in season 1 and as a character focused person, I was 100% here for it.

✔️Other than Fan Xian, all the other characters bring their own flavors to the show. Every time a character from the first season comes on screen, it’s like welcoming an old friend. Especially the men who are certifiable daddies aka: the inscrutable, omnipresent king, the sly Chen Ping Ping, Fan Xian’s adorable father Fang Jian and his morally scrupulous father in law.

All of these political mavericks are an absolute delight to watch as they pull out one scheme after another to both use and help Fan Xian as they push him towards becoming the powerful man he is surely becoming.

✔️The drama is a masterclass in cinematography and soundtrack and is so sensually pleasing to watch. It seriously has some of the best camera work I have seen in a long time with an excellent music score.

✔️The pacing of the show is great with something impactful happening in almost every episode. The show beautifully balances emotional, tear jerking scenes with wit and hilarity, coupled with action and intense moments where you just want to jump and holler.

✔️Moreover, it is peppered with some excellent dialogues and you can see how both the writing and direction has been executed with a lot of thought because of the way the drama focuses on and enhances the tiniest moments to add to the overall impact and gravitas of a particular scene.

✔️The acting across the board is phenomenal and the themes of friendship, loyalty, brotherhood, slight romance, camaraderie and family are all explored with a delicate subtlety that makes the drama go down like a well-simmered pot of stew.

✔️As far as the antagonists go, while not all of them are effective, they are all 100% entertaining. Especially, the wily little second prince who is the human personification of a sly fox and the deranged princess.

✅ Overall, I lived and breathed this show throughout its airing period and was impressed with the way they were able to raise the stakes even higher from season 1 and maintained its top tier quality. It also ended with a note that was so on brand with everything Fan Xian is - tongue in cheek, wickedly fun, always having the last word and impossibly tempting you for more.

Undeniably, one of the best C-dramas ever.

A must watch.