The Long Ballad (2021)

The Long Ballad: First Impressions

“The Long Ballad” was deliriously intoxicating, uniquely entertaining, emotionally engaging, deeply realistic and delightfully gratifying. All aspects of the production, cinematography, scenery, characterization, acting talent, action, dialogue and attention to detail made the series exude a high level of realism both engaging and immersive in the Tang era. If you are looking for action, adventure, and tender romance with lots of killings I highly recommend “The Long Ballad.”

“The Long Ballad” was my first completion of a long series Chinese historical drama series with English subtitles. Typically, I don’t write any reviews about anything but this series deserves a review. Typically, I am not a great fan of long series with subtitles and continuous commercial ad interruptions every few minutes. I don’t even remember how I stumbled over this series on YouTube but I was fascinated, captivated and hooked by the first scene. I was able to watch and complete all 49 episodes in about three to four weeks because I am a busy working professional. After completing the series, I searched and discovered this website resource and wanted to share my first experience with “The Long Ballad.”

I was instantly connected by the emotional soundtrack, the visuals, the natural scenic beauty, the characters, the action, the plot, the architecture, the cities, the towns, the palaces, the furniture, the costumes, the customs and all manners of warmongering. The Tang Dynasty era suddenly became alive and sparked in my imagination as to what life might have been like that long ago. Far too long I have yearned to learn and experience more about our Chinese cultural heritage. I have read some books attempting to understand the history of China. “The Long Ballad” series instantly connected me to a fascinating time and space with a broad range of fantastic possibilities from great walled cities, the grasslands, the desert and beyond !

I was fascinated to learn that most of the location names still exist on today’s map of China so I was able to dive into the terrain and find potential routes that once were and helped me really get deep into the story. It gave me a sense of the long travel distances, time frames and treacherous travel difficulties of the era from one place to another.

I went into the story blind not knowing anything about anything simply seeking some connection with my Chinese cultural heritage. I immediately fell in love with the cast, the characters, the story, the world and the open-ended possibilities. I really didn’t know any of the actors going into it so I did not have many preconceived notions or biases towards the actors, the characters or the story. I think not knowing anything about the actors or the story made my experience even more powerful because it allowed my imagination to detach from reality and absorb every visual and word of the story. The screenplay was generally well-written with well-timed tender and comical moments interspersed throughout the midst of an intense drama. It was joyful to watch and pretend to live every special moment vicariously through each character.

The introductory and closing credits immediately pulled me into the story. The soundtrack pulled at my heart strings instantly. The credits gave me time to engage and decompress between each episode. I don’t think I ever skipped the introduction nor the closing themes on any episode. However, I spent a lot of time rewinding because the English subtitles rolled so fast I could hardly read and watch the action at the same time. I do have to admit I did rewatch some of the most tender moments over and over again to my heart’s content.

In many scenes the subtleties of romantic passion were so accurate, intense and intimate it was challenging to discern between character and actor so the story melted together with no choice but to fall for the fantasy with such realism that it was extremely hard to resist. The superb acting talent, on-screen chemistry and cinematography were so natural and fluid it made the story deeply realistic, intimate and believable ! Every actor seemed to have been on their very best top level of ability combined with the meticulously staged sets, furniture, artifacts, details and scenery made the series deeply memorable. The production quality makes the series worth watching over and over again from beginning to end ! I loved it ! Thank you to all producers, actors and stage crews for creating such a beautiful and gratifying engaging series.

* About me: I am a third-generation Panamanian-born-Chinese-American born to Hakka Chinese parents. I was born in The Republic of Panama. I speak Spanish, English and very limited domestic Hakka Chinese. I seek to learn and reconnect with my Chinese cultural heritage to understand the hearts and minds of China. I currently live in the United States and work in the fields of architectural design and construction administration.

Recently, Chinese people in Panama celebrated 150 years in Panama. My family Chinese cultural heritage stems back to a village in Sha Tau Kok on the border of what used to be the New Territories northeast of Hong Kong. Sha Tau Kok is east of Shenzhen toward Starling Inlet. When the Japanese brutally invaded China in World War II, my maternal great grandfather and his family were forced to flee Sha Tau Kok and take refuge within the New Territories in Tai Po village about 9.6 km (6 miles) southwest. Within a few years, he emigrated to Panama where he made a small fortune owning and operating a small local bakery. My father was born in Panama to Hakka Chinese immigrants and worked for the United States Panama Canal Commission as an Electrical Power Generation Dispatcher. In the early 1990s, my father took his family and emigrated to the United States.

Leia Mais

I love this drama so SO much!! Li Chang Ge has had so many roles & had so many experiences having an amazing transformation! She started as a sincere and talented disciple, eagerly learning martial arts and civilian management. And a loving daughter to her mother. Then she became a daughter seeking vengeance. Then becomes an unwilling but responsible master to A'Dou, then she became a master who failed to save her disciple, then she became a princess and a soldier defending her kingdom at all costs, then she became a slave in name only and felt warmth & love again from a friendship, then she lost that friendship due to her misguided sense of justice & short-sightedness. Then she fell into depression, losing all her confidence and slowly coming to loathe herself, struggling to find her purpose and falling into a cycle of self-blame, then she briefly found her calling in serving & taking care of the weak & the injured, but then she realised she doesn't need to interfere her own determined journey, that that for her, the taoist principle of non-interference means that she shouldn't interfere with her own will, purpose & desires, if she wants to do something & has good principles behind it, then she should do it! I am SO excited to see how she carries on!! Although Li Chang Ge is my favourite girl, ALL the girls in this show are MAGNIFICENT! Princess Yicheng is so SMART, Determined, ambitious & LOYAL..She's a princess endlessly fighting to save the Glory of her kingdom, she and ChangGe are mirror images of each other, each striving to reach the same goal but ultimately choosing vastly different paths. I LOVE Shiba, the last surviving member of the 18 Horsemen of Yanyun, she is fierce, fearless & unequivocally loyal to her masters, no matter old or new. I LOVE Mimi Gulli who gave Chang Ge a sister right after she lost a life-long sister, I LOVE how Mimi Gulli did her best as a sister, I LOVE Boss Hong Fu Nu, who is a female entrepreneur creating jobs, giving home & livelihood to commoner women and helping them become truly independent! Taking care of SO many young women.Truly a MATRIARCH!! I LOVE Leyan who's timid but resilient beyond belief! I LOVE nun Jing Dan, devoting her life to the care of others and helping others find their true purpose.

the Khatun is my fave character apart from Chang Ge, even after that...they are like mirror images of one another, but ultimately choosing different paths to achieve ultimately the same goals.

Leia Mais

They have happy ending

I love the story of Change Ge and also love Leyan relationship between her cousin. This is the only Chinese drama that revenge but she didn’t kill all of the family who kill Change Ge’s family lol 😂 while she said she is not longer sister and friend for Leyan but when she heard Leyan hurt she worries about her so much haha 😂 . And also this is the only drama that I don’t need a kiss scene at all everything just focus on war and fight. Also love manipulating of Change Ge. I really really love to see Zhao Lusi and Dilireba together again so much but as 2 female lead who had interest the same sex (I meant like lesbian) I wanna see them as lover they both have a really really great chemistry plus Zhao Lusi doesn’t like men so why don’t give her a chance with woman?

Leia Mais

First C-Historical and mind is blooooooown

I am writing this review in an attempt to relieve my post-TLB hangover...I refuse to believe that it's actually over.

So,,,I came to The Long Balland "blind" I'd never watched a historical c-drama, have no idea (still) what wuxia and that other one (is it xianxia??) is, have a sketchy background on the Tang Dynasty, totally unfamiliar with the cast and well, just generally prepared to inducted into this brand new world by the cast of TLB and boy was happy about that fact. TLB just built up and then smashed my conceptualization of what this genre can offer.

Okay, let's talk about Changge....first time I have watched a Female Lead character whose baddassery is not watered down by romance....first time a FL has a line saying, "Okay I am going to go save my man" and then proceeds to do just that!!! I was so excited about the beautiful depiction of Li Changge as the woman we all are. I mean we had real character development, we watched her cry and plot revenge, feed her anger with grief, then make mistakes and then grow up and face her fears and her beliefs and then come full circle and see the futility of her revenge mission. I loved especially that she could see the folly of taking the wrong path in the life of another wounded and vengeful woman (and then helped us the audience understand the writer's overarching message). Li Changge was never portrayed as the woman with everything, in fact, we saw so many of her faults that we could truly appreciate her strength and therefore the power and charm she had over those who loved her and trusted her and chose to follow her.

Now, enter Ashile Sun....wuuuuwi. Helluuuuurrrr! Somebody give that guy a medal. Do you know I was a third-way through the drama when I finally googled Wu Lei and learnt he's 21?! Whaaaat?! It was all in the eyes! And together, Changge and Sun had some blazing chemistry. I loved that he stepped in not to reign her in but to be a part of her life. The slow burn was a bitter-sweet torment to watch. The lack of pretensions was just a breath of fresh air as well.

And then the second lead couple...I fell hard for HanYan...just wow! So cute!

This was not a flawless drama. While there were was some epic production feats., the fact remains that the battle scenes were an anti-climax. I appreciate the artistic use of manhua comic scenes to translate what could have been a mass production to scale a depiction of war scenes from that era but...uhm...its a let-down to have suspense building towards a royal battle and then have no proper imagery to support it. Some CGI scenes were also just awful.

All that said TLB is one to watch and definitely deserving of the hype.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

Women empowerment story in Tang dynasty

I've postponed it till it was finished Airing to binge watch it as a whole without waiting ,,I did that in few days I've managed to finish it and I'm immersed in it still
I will speak about my experience watching it with high expectation from all the reviews and my friends' recommendations
It met My expectations for the first twenty episodes ,, they were really fast paced and really amazing ,, exciting to watch
then it dragged after that for about 17 episodes ,,, dragged a lot actually I 've became a bit bored and kept wanting more scenes of side stories than the main one
, overall it was enjoyable to watch ,,,
I loved the romance between Hao do and Li yen more than the male leads ,, their romance seemed natural and beautiful ,, I hoped for more scenes of them ,, their love story was perfect but with little scenes
The male leads did great job portraying their characters apart than when they were together,,, their own stories were very strong and their characters were so much interesting on their own than when they were together it became more saving each other from danger that's it
I don't know why but their romance was lacking a lot ,, And I'm not talking about kissing or love scenes
I'm talking about chemistry between them ,,, I kept seeing Wu Lie a kid to his older sister caring for each other hahahha
he's an adult young man but I felt his age when he was with Dilerba in every scene so I didn't feel their love story right at all ,, even the kissing scenes were not that good and seemed awkward ,,,,,, May be because her character seemed like an older brother for him making decisions on her own for him ,, her personality as li chang ge was so much powerful than her love interest
The main story had some issues also .... The uncle's complicated relationship with her love/ hate relationship it wasn't logical at times ,,, she was his enemy ,, people were trying to kill her ,, he seemed passive about it as he was forced to accept that situation ,, didn't protect her as he should or stopped the people that were after her and kept hoping for her to survive
knew that she was with his enemy and acted passive again ,, I don't know the plot at some places were really illogical
Over all this drama is enjoyable to watch and I recommend it for anyone
it was really good even the draggy part is ok not that bad

Leia Mais

This is unique, unconventional, and epic.

This is the best drama I've watched...probably ever. I can't get over it!

This is a standout drama for me because of various reasons:

1. The character development of all characters is definitely admirable.
This does not happen usually in cdramas where some characters feel flat throughout the whole drama. I am not only talking about Li Changge, whose character development was significant (and beautiful), but also Ashile Sun and other supporting characters like Hao Du, Wei Shuyu, and Princess Leyan. It was so refreshing to watch a drama where these characters are able to properly assess situations, make characteristic decisions, and act with sense. Also!! They LEARN. I think that's amazing in cdrama land haha. They're able to grow and mature but still remain true to themselves. (aaaa i could write more on how li changge's character developed but this post would be too long lmao)

2. The plot is solid.
I have to say that things just keep going and nothing really dragged, I enjoyed the adventure, twists, and turns. Each episode is aired with a purpose and the story is easy to follow. This does not follow the typical "formulaic" chinese drama plotline where it loses its footing and begins to falter in the middle or latter third. Very dynamic and engaging!

3. I loved the main characters.
Li Changge was such a badass. She is the character other that FL characters wish to be. She is actually intelligent, independent, assertive, she fights (yes, with swords and arrows) etc.! So cool. Ashile Sun is a great leader with a not-so-kind reputation but with the purest heart. He's such a great ML, sincere and flawed. The other supporting leads also stole my heart.

4. I appreciated the relationship between the characters.
You got sismance, bromance, master-disciple, familial relationships, leader-community, friendships, romance etc. These relationships will make you smile and bawl your eyes out. It's exciting to watch relationships between these characters blossom and change throughout the course of the drama.

5. The romance is to die for!!
I loved it. It is such a slow burn romance but SOOO rewarding. I really loved how their feelings developed. Their banter. The intimacy. The sincerity. The connection. But above anything, I loved their mature relationship and how they respect each other's decisions. I did not expect the chemistry between them, I watched this without any expectations and OHMYGOD. It's great. GeSun is my #1 CP. AAAAAAA

6. The focus on other themes.
Don't get me wrong, although the romance here is one of my favorite things, this drama does not revolve around the romance of Changge and A'Sun. It is the story of Changge, and how she solidifies her identity, then learn truth, then discovers her purpose. Throughout her journey, she encounters pretty dark events and ideas that challenge her thoughts. War, social class disparity, pride, and patriotism are some of the themes that were touched in this drama.

7. The music is so GOOD.
Opening and ending OSTs are such jams. The scores are so amazing. It just sets the mood for the scene so well.

8. The martial arts choreography is so fun.
I don't really pay attention to fight scenes but TLB made me. Those were just so intricately choreographed and well excecuted. It keeps me on my toes and so engrossing to watch. The fight scenes were just. so cool.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Ballad and I recommend this to anyone, but most especially to those who want to break free from c-drama stereotypes. Or simply to those who are in for a ride. This one's for you.

Leia Mais

Great Production That Left Me Unsatisfied

I really loved this drama and feel I haven't watched anything this engaging since TLTWTMPB. The best part is that it has an OST that knocks your pants off! The production was a feast for the eyes: gorgeous sets and costumes, attractive leads, entertaining storyline, character growth, and originality. However, there were some aspects that left me unsatisfied which I thought detracted from the production, weakening its impact.

The drama starts out strong from the beginning and draws you right in. There is plenty of action and romance. I especially enjoyed the slow burn of romantic tension between the main leads (ML). Unfortunately I feel as if it's something of a tease, because I never feel as if they are all in. Without giving too much away, they never seem to really settle their relationship with one another. We know our MLs love each other, but there is an unsatisfying lack of closure. This is unsurprisingly why many fans are hoping for a second part. The most frustrating thing was watching the actors touch each other awkwardly and pass off their tender moments with light brushing of lips for kisses. There is kissing in romantic scenes with the secondary characters, but you barely see anything with the MLs! This really killed me. The big moment was a hug in a blurred out scene, which I imagine was supposed to be the moment they finally give in to an expression of tenderness. This makes me wonder if there is some kind of production code that the producers had to follow given the young age of the male lead, and perhaps the intended viewers? Whatever it was, it made me feel exasperated and strung along. I am never quite able to believe in the reality of the romance because of the awkwardness in the actors. Romantic scenes have to be well rehearsed like any other or it rings hollow.

Some of the performances were great and some were just acting. When they were invested, I believe it. When they weren't, the performances were painful to watch because they felt overacted and insincere. In order for me to believe in a scene, the stakes have to be high, meaning the actor has to make me believe it. There are several moments where the director could have pushed for a more believable moment. Lei Wu's strongest performance came during a horrible tragedy. Boy did he make me cry! He spent the rest of the show giving a very nuanced performance. This actually worked. A look here, a smirk there. He was strong, composed and sometimes stiff. He is a wonderful young actor who can take you to the moon with the right direction. The inconsistency in performances hurts this drama as does the implausible storylines and plot holes. Characters manage to survive after being shot with arrows, and fall from cliffs. They disappear and reappear, others are one dimensional. Even so, the talented team of producers managed to put together a very entertaining drama I thoroughly enjoyed.

Leia Mais

drama matches the name
"行" telling the journey of changge to find her faith

Not very bad and good enough to enjoy the drama,, the acting is notbad,For that director, maybe this is his 2nd work that is still worth watching besides Ash of Love


2 female leads, 2 of them were separated from their group and also searched for by the group, and the same as when they were in 1 place with their group they were missed, quite annoying,,,

has a jumping scene, and at the beginning of the story the scene is still tolerable, in the middle and end getting worse ,,,jumping scene, but there are lots of scenes where they whisper and sometimes doing /saying somethings and we don't know what the real purpose , and sometimes in tense scenes they change it with another scene or replace it with a manga scene, quite annoying

And ep17, why did he suddenly become emperor? even though it's only been a few days? and has a mustache, should it? ,and if so why does the world seem so quiet? not fuss about their new king? and at that time changge should be more anger , but she is not


and sometimes the player's dialogue doesn't match and matches the next scene, some scenes are contradictory

Leia Mais

An Incredible Adaptation!

I initially wanted to watch this show because of Leo Wu, who was in Nirvana In Fire as Fei Liu.
Yet this drama exceeded my expectations. It was a slow start, but once the story gets moving it becomes interesting.

Leo Wu had grown up to be a strong, good looking guy. I almost didnt recognise him lol
I have seen Dilraba from Eternal Love before, but i didnt like her on that.
But this drama changed that completely. Dilraba was absolutely amazing in this drama.
Her beauty and capability of an actress was better displayed.

This story is adopted from a Manhua, which I went to check after finishing this show. Sadly the Manhua has not been completed yet due to some reason. The characters are based from real hitorical figures, such as the emperor of Taizong.
The stroy was unique and there were similar elements from other dramas like this.
But this was executed very well, with good pacing. Backstory of characters and well develeoped characters.
I really liked how some characters underwent a redemption arc, and proved to be not as you once expected them to be.
The characters grew through out their journeys, the reason I liked this show the most was due to the characters and their
life experiences have changed them for the better. (which were nice life lessons for the viewers)
I really liked how Li Change Ge was strong and independent! She was smart and was a good strategist.
The female characters can be really cool in this Drama. Certain Dramas I watched have been ruined for me
due to weak female leads, I was happy that it was not the case with this story!

The OST in this Drama is AMAZING! From the epic opening to that Beautiful ending song Cocoo sang by Zhou Shen.
And also the OST from Zhao Lu Si. That was really fitting during most scenes.

In conclusion the Romance was great, I loved the secondry couple just as much as main couple.
I liked the Third couple as well. I liked the acting of most actors and actresses. Loved the acting of the 2 main leads!
The action was epic, the costumes and sets was great. Very nice scenery and Cinematography.

The nitpicks for me was, while I liked the Manhua moments for certain parts. I felt like it was overused in certain scenes.
And that is why I can't give this drama a 10. And I felt that the ending could have been more satisfactory and fleshed out better.
Regardless of that, it was an awesome journey. I plan to rewatch this sometime in the future!

Leia Mais

This drama shows how a person transform according to the struggles he/she encounters in her journey.

This drama will keep u till the edge from starting to the ending. Maybe it can help one's with some real life events.
all and all, I love this drama mostly because the main lead (Li Chang Ge) doesn't go crazy or mental (indulging in revenge and destruction) after encountering so much hurdles or difficulties throughout her undecided journey and twisted fate after her Family's murder mystery. As, like in Princes Agents (Yan Xun [Yan Emperor]) goes crazy after his family's death and set on his own path, for the slaughter of innocents and doom of his empire as the fire of hatred and revenge can destroy one's focus and peace of mind. I sincerely want to thank all the efforts of all the people who developed this drama from thinking to script writing to directing to organizing, background music introducing to everything, last but not the least I would like to show my gratitude to everyone for their competence and hard work. LOVE YOU EVERYONE

In this whole drama, a person sets on the journey of revenge but later on finds oneself's piece of mind and a wider understanding of The Tang Empire and its people.... LOVE U OVERALL

Leia Mais

I like the male lead & female lead.

I’m a fan of the female lead as I find her quite gorgeous and her acting is pretty decent too. She’s very easy on the eyes and very watchable. The male lead has grown up to be a very fine young man who’s tall and well-built. I swooned.

What I liked / Watch because:
- great leads with chemistry
- great acting cast on the whole
- story plot is an exciting one on the whole
- there are suspenseful moments, touching moments, cute moments, lovey moments … lots of ups and downs throughout the whole show
- the music complements the show
- I actually liked the “comic book” elements

What I didn’t like:
- the last section of the show (probably the last ten to fifteen episodes weren’t as good as the front part)
- the ending was a let down to me as there wasn’t a true “happily ever after” ending element for the male lead and female lead in that they didn’t get married and settle down
- too many deaths - I know it’s war and stuff but too many deaths/ too much bloodshed
- the woman who played KeTun was insufferable - the way she spoke and acted really put me off
- good people die and I don’t like to see this

Overall, please watch!! I recommend it as it is a well-made drama. There are some ‘I cannot believe this’ moments but it is a drama, after all. It is entertaining and 49 episodes are kind of over before you know it. Watch!

Leia Mais