Singularity
Joy of Life is one of the best dramas I've watched. It has a unique combination of excellent story, characters, casting, acting, production, and writing all mixed together into a delicious drama-slurry.
Regarding the writing/plotting, the show starts out lightheartedly as we are introduced to the characters (there's a child actor in the first episode who's simply delightful). The first half of the season contains most of the more humorous moments but they remain to lighten the mood through the rest of the episodes as well. There is a fun blend of action/fighting scenes (which are generally well done with believable effects) and political maneuvering (which occupies most of the show). The political intrigue is well crafted and most developments are believable and fit together effectively. The dialogue is generally well done and scenes are edited together cleverly to tell the story. There is also an overlaying element of sci fi, which while not crucial to this season would be expected to become more important in future seasons.
Regarding the acting and casting, the performances are overall excellent. The main character is portrayed excellently. Most of the time he presents an intelligent and charming exterior but the viewer really gets a sense of his moral compass. The main character has several emotional and powerful scenes which are all very well done. The supporting cast are also excellent, with standout performances for the Intelligence Director, the Emperor, the MC's sister, and Duo Duo. The remainder of the cast is also high quality--I can't think of any characters that are miscast, and even the only character I disliked (Yan Bing Yun) felt as though he was purposefully portrayed as dislikable.
The only criticism I have is the ending, which is a pretty severe cliffhanger. I will not deduct points for this as there is a planned second (and hopefully third) season; however, if those fall through and the followup seasons never materialize I will be quite despondent indeed. And if there are followup seasons made, I very much hope that the director can reassemble as much of this cast as possible.
Regarding the writing/plotting, the show starts out lightheartedly as we are introduced to the characters (there's a child actor in the first episode who's simply delightful). The first half of the season contains most of the more humorous moments but they remain to lighten the mood through the rest of the episodes as well. There is a fun blend of action/fighting scenes (which are generally well done with believable effects) and political maneuvering (which occupies most of the show). The political intrigue is well crafted and most developments are believable and fit together effectively. The dialogue is generally well done and scenes are edited together cleverly to tell the story. There is also an overlaying element of sci fi, which while not crucial to this season would be expected to become more important in future seasons.
Regarding the acting and casting, the performances are overall excellent. The main character is portrayed excellently. Most of the time he presents an intelligent and charming exterior but the viewer really gets a sense of his moral compass. The main character has several emotional and powerful scenes which are all very well done. The supporting cast are also excellent, with standout performances for the Intelligence Director, the Emperor, the MC's sister, and Duo Duo. The remainder of the cast is also high quality--I can't think of any characters that are miscast, and even the only character I disliked (Yan Bing Yun) felt as though he was purposefully portrayed as dislikable.
The only criticism I have is the ending, which is a pretty severe cliffhanger. I will not deduct points for this as there is a planned second (and hopefully third) season; however, if those fall through and the followup seasons never materialize I will be quite despondent indeed. And if there are followup seasons made, I very much hope that the director can reassemble as much of this cast as possible.
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