Soula
Took me a while to get through, but I kept coming back :D
It's a really good thing if: a drama is long and therefore I don't necessarily binge watch it in one sitting, BUT over the course of *months* I keep coming back to watch more. I am one of those people where if I step away from a drama, it's highly likely that I'll never get back to it - it's a bad habit that'd I'd like to fix, but it's an honest truth. With The Long Ballad though, I would watch a couple episodes, then take a month break, and then I'd watch 10 episodes, and then take a week break. It had no rhyme/reason, but the point is, I *wanted* to come back to it, which is a huge deal for me. A testament of the strength in the story, acting, and effects.
On a whole, Chinese dramas tend to be a bit slower paced and it takes a while to get into the story - it's the same here. The first 10 episodes had some dull moments that made me wonder if I really wanted to continue watching this drama. But then things really take off. Personally, my favorite arc was when Changge was taken to live in the Eagle Division - the tensions, the plotting! It had me at the edge of my seat!
While I obviously loved our MCs, Changge and Sun ( *v* ), I really liked the supporting cast too. Leyan had such a beautiful metamorphosis that had me in tears. Sher also had a tragic transformation that was sad, but necessary and satisfying.
My favorite character dynamic to see resolved was the animosity Changge held toward her uncle, Li Shimin. The way Li Shimin cared for his niece throughout the drama broke my heart and when their relationship is finally repaired, I was so satisfied!
The OST was great - I WANTED to watch the intro and closing song just to listen to the music! All of the accompanying instrumentals were fantastic too - they were perfect and building the emotion in the moment.
The biggest drawback of the very good, The Long Ballad is that it's LONG and there's not much skinship at all. Some parts of the drama are not as exciting or thrilling as others, but they're all necessary to the overall story, so pay attention!
I would recommend The Long Ballad to those who enjoy historicals with some romance and have the patience for longer dramas.
On a whole, Chinese dramas tend to be a bit slower paced and it takes a while to get into the story - it's the same here. The first 10 episodes had some dull moments that made me wonder if I really wanted to continue watching this drama. But then things really take off. Personally, my favorite arc was when Changge was taken to live in the Eagle Division - the tensions, the plotting! It had me at the edge of my seat!
While I obviously loved our MCs, Changge and Sun ( *v* ), I really liked the supporting cast too. Leyan had such a beautiful metamorphosis that had me in tears. Sher also had a tragic transformation that was sad, but necessary and satisfying.
My favorite character dynamic to see resolved was the animosity Changge held toward her uncle, Li Shimin. The way Li Shimin cared for his niece throughout the drama broke my heart and when their relationship is finally repaired, I was so satisfied!
The OST was great - I WANTED to watch the intro and closing song just to listen to the music! All of the accompanying instrumentals were fantastic too - they were perfect and building the emotion in the moment.
The biggest drawback of the very good, The Long Ballad is that it's LONG and there's not much skinship at all. Some parts of the drama are not as exciting or thrilling as others, but they're all necessary to the overall story, so pay attention!
I would recommend The Long Ballad to those who enjoy historicals with some romance and have the patience for longer dramas.
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