The Long Ballad (2021)

well made drama worth watching

this was on netflix so i decided to watch it! binged all eps in 3-4 days time lol. definitely a solid 9 for me!

there were many touching moments in the drama and personally, my fav couple was hao du and leyan. I hated that their first love line was in one of the first 5 eps and the next was 20+ eps away lol. And when leyan was lost, they did not show much on leyan or haodu but rather scenes less than 5 mins showing that haodu was finding her. This was quite sad cuz i do think their story deserves to be well developed in the earlier scenes. ok but they focus on the couple more in the later scenes so im cool. anyway just gotta give props to the team for casting zhao lusi and yu ning as leyan and hao du respectively. They look so good together. Does anyone here thinks hao du looks like wang yi bo in some angles too? or is it just me haha

The main couple!! super sweet! i didn’t realised leo wu was so much younger than dilereba and that probably answers for the lack of romantic scenes. I was expecting a proper kiss but all he gave was a peck hahaaha and another scene showing their lips nearing but damn no kiss :<

Talking about acting, delireba (li chang ge) amazed me. She portrayed her character very well. you could see that she was trying her best to show the emotions needed throughout the whole drama. Being pretty on screen wasn’t her priority. I’m just stating this because many other ancient cdramas i’ve watched have FL trying so hard to look good in every scenes, even crying scenes and that got me rolling my eyes. Delireba is different. you can see she really wants to do the best for the project she has taken on.

Leo wu (ah sun) is so handsome. I admit he does look like a softie at most times when he’s supposed to look tough all time. But that’s what makes him unique. A character appearing tough, yet soft for his loved ones. For that, he was definitely one of my fav characters in the show.

Anyway, give this drama a try. you won’t regret.

Leia Mais

BEST DRAMA EVER?!

Look… there are almost no dramas that pressure me into having dark eye bags for a month, but this one was THE exception. This drama had the best and most interesting storyline I had ever come across, with mysteries, royalty, history, and of course- beautiful romance. Additionally, the camera work and technical affects just increased my rating of this drama. However, most of all, the cast was just PER-FEC-TION. Perfection, I repeat. Dilraba is one of my favourite actresses of all time, not only her unparalleled beauty suiting Li Changge flawlessly, but also her amazing personality and talent. No other actress could replace her spot in this drama. Leo also gave me those rare goosebumps. There are no other words to put it- he was BORN for this. As a young actor with not many achievements yet, he shocked me completely by the way he portrayed his character. Last but certainly not least, Zhao Lusi was fitted the role of the princess so well, that I just had to watch her Romance of Tiger and Rose right after. Her chemistry with her co-actors are always awesome and she never disappoints me. The chemistry between the cast was all too good to be real- although it was, and that’s why I gave the drama a full rating. I should say no more, because you should get on to watching this drama now! Believe me, you won’t regret it! ;)

Leia Mais

A Balanced Story

The action is top notch, a thriller... deeply moving without being overly bloody. Maybe a little nitpick would be about the end... I kinda wanted more, but I have become used to the open-ended-ness of Cdramas. This one is one of the highly recommended, edge of your seat ones.

Cinematography - awesomeness
Chemistry - sweetness

I adore Dilraba in her roles.... Leo Wu & Rosy Zhao outperformed themselves. The actors were brilliant in their positive and negative roles.

The other Khan boy - 😍
Hao Du - 😍
General A' Du - 🤩

Too many characters brought the stars out of my eyes

!!!

Leia Mais

An absolutely epic long ballad

Extremely rewarding drama. The main storyline is of such a rare quality, supported by a fantastic, generous and talented cast. This one is an emotional rollercoaster. Wu Lei and Dilraba Dilmurat are perfect. The production is highly qualitative and supported by a beautiful OST. Even if we are not granted any kiss scene between the leads, their romance is nonetheless really heart-fluttering and very gratifying and satisfactory nonetheless. Their expressions, the way they look at each others ….is one of a kind. All in all, one of the best dramas in its kind. I especially loved the growth of the two female leads, their long ballad towards true wisdom…Learning along the way that revenge as a goal in life is not worth pursuing, as its toll will always be more than what you bargained for…and such a waste of the precious time we have…

Leia Mais

Female centric historical drama

I do not intend to write a long review for this one, so I'll just summarise my thoughts as succinctly as possible.

Overall:
This is a female centric drama focused on the growth of the lead character Chang'ge in her pursuit of vengeance and how she comes to find her role and aim in life.

Positives:
+ This is NOT a romance-themed drama which is fantastic for people who are more plot focused.
+ There is effort to expand character development beyond those of the lead characters. Every character has his/her own motivations and reasons to act in the way they did.
+ There is emphasis in the strength of the protagonist Chang'ge and how the fact that she is a female does not limit her in any way. Most female characters are strong and capable in this drama.
+ There is respect between the primary pairing and the male lead Ashile Sun's attitude and thoughts toward his beloved aligns with modern thinking.
+ Excellent pacing from the first episode up till when Suozhou fell.
+ Brilliant start and directing for the football match. I do love Dilraba's acting right at the start as a haughty and playful princess.
+ Great push and pull between Chang'ge and Li Shi'min when it comes to the dynamics of their relationship.
+ Above average acting and good acting chemistry overall.
+ Best OST of the year.

Negatives:
- The conflicting interests of Chang'ge and Ashile Sun means that sometimes Sun is forced to take a step backwards to the disadvantage of his faction to accommodate plot development.
- There were way too many reversals towards the end, and they were not thought out well.
- There is a repetitive plotline for the second female lead Le'yan which seemed to have taken inspiration from a similar plot point at the start between Chang'ge and A'dou but portrayed in a relatively unpolished and awkward manner.
- The part regarding a political alliance via marriage between Tang and Ashile was a very clichéd plot point and was resolved in very clichéd fashion.
- Weird styling for the protagonist.
- Unusual directing angles and shortcuts taken by using comic in place of certain heavyweight scenes.

Leia Mais

A Blossom of love in the Midst of War

When I first saw the drama plot and eps I said to myself "so much eps to watch is there going to be misunderstandings between the leads" then I started to watch and got attached to it I loved the way they fought for survival and the military strategies
In my heart, this drama is irreplaceable because in the drama we see love, war, sacrifice fighting for what you believe in, etc.

Every character in this drama is amazing I think we learn a lot of things about life as we understand these characters.

One thing I learned is that "No matter if you hurt the person you love you will do whatever it takes to save them."

Li Chang Ge and Ashile Sun are one-of-a-kind characters because of the war they fight for what they believe in, how they trust each other, and how they know what each is thinking is impressive.

This drama has the blend of everything I love in a drama.

You will never regret watching it.

Leia Mais

A worthy historical costume cdrama released in recent 2 years

My initial impression of this drama as i was watching the initial episodes was the resemblance to the Prince of Lan Ling (2013) - masked ML warriors, FLs as extraordinary woman (奇女子), MLs as god of war (战神), war tactics/strategies and peace treaty between warring states. The resemblances wean off eventually as i progressed with the drama and become more attached to The Long Ballad’s characters.

This is a drama of putting the interests of the country before self*, of protecting the loved ones (family and friends) before self*, and a coming of age drama of the four main leads:
(1) Li Chang Ge who despite seeking out revenge for her parents’ death on the Emperor, understands and puts the interests of the country before self;
(2) Ashile Sun who is courageous in his love for Li Chang Ge, loyal to his adopted father and to his people, and who puts the interests of his loved ones before his;
(3) Li Le Yan who transforms from a dainty princess to a princess who understands the needs of, and seeks better lives for, her people; and
(4) Hao Du who once followed orders fervently and coldly to one who doesn’t surface judge and who fights courageously for his princess’ love.

* those are true of Prince of Lan Ling as well.

Besides romance with four couples (Li Chang Ge x Ashile Sun, Li Le Yan x Hao Du, Mimi Guli x Mu Jin, Luo Shi Ba x Xu Feng), there is sismance (sisterly love) (Li Chang Ge x Li Le Yan, Li Chang Ge x Mimi Guli), bromance (brotherly love) (Ashile Sun x Mu Jin, Ashile Sun x She Er) and also touching encounters with kids the two FLs met (Li Chang Ge x A Dou, Le Yan x Wu Ye).

Happy to see Leo Wu again and this time in a lead role, after enjoying his portrayal as the little Fei Liu protecting his master (the ML) in Nirvana in Fire about 6 months ago. He has grown up to be a fine actor.

Zhao Lu Si captivated me and had me rooting for her and Liu Yu Ning’s Hao Du, instead of the first lead couple. I was actually quite put off by her portrayal in Oh! My Emperor, so much so that i only finished the first season and didn’t continue the second season. Perhaps it’s the role. I first saw Liu Yu Ning on the same stage as Xiao Zhan in Our Song. He came across as a good singer. (And i started watching Oh! My Emperor for Xiao Zhan, but never finished the complete drama).

The manhua strips inserted in some key scenes, though a convenient way to cut costs while linking back to its comic source, are eye sores that also cheapen the quality of this drama.

Overall, it is a historical costume cdrama released in recent 2 years that is worth watching.

Leia Mais

Wished it was longer

Where do I start? I love almost everything about the drama. The plot. The soundtrack. The costumes and cinematography. Most importantly the casting. I’m particular blown away by Leo Wu’s performance as Ashile Sun - he’s such a badass as Tegin and there’s so much emotions in his eyes & his body language. I can’t forget the fighting scene, when he threw the cup on the ground and the ep when he had to kneel to She’er.
I wished the drama was longer though, some sun-plots just felt they were crammed into a mini series. Also, wish there’s more passion between the FL and ML - the chemistry is there and there’s so much potential for an epic love story but there’s simply lack of passion from LCG so it just didn’t feel memorable which is a shame. That aside, both leads delivered very solid performance. The drama is def worth your time.

Leia Mais

YOU CAN NOT MISS!!!

The play tells the story of Li Changge's survival after the change in the inner court and her gradual growth in revenge after disguised as a man to hide her identity. FL is a strong and brave woman who only wants revenge for her parents. In the conflict of interests between home and country, she finally gives up revenge and becomes the messenger of national peace with ML.

Dilraba is a Chinese actress I like very much. I've seen that "You Are My Glory" and "Eternal Love of Dream". She has a very excellent performance in both modern dramas and ancient costume dramas. And her appearance is full of exotic. She has a special charm, which makes me unable to extricate myself.

Wu Lei played a play when he was young. He is very handsome from his youth to now. I thought he would not be suitable for this role before watching this play, but I was wrong. He is very suitable. In this play, he is very mature, steady and courageous. His acting skills have conquered me!

Leia Mais

The Long Ballad (TLB) - a masterclass in storytelling

In a nutshell:
TLB is a 2021 Chinese drama based on a Manhua (Chinese comic book) of the same title. Set in the Tang Dynasty, TLB is a coming-of-age story about Li Change Ge (title: Princess Yong Ning), who is a headstrong and spirited daughter of the Crown Prince. She shares an affectionate bond with her best friend/cousin, Le Yan, and her Uncle Li Shimin (title: Prince Qin), who is also her tutor in military strategy and martial arts. When a military coup occurs, Change Ge becomes a political fugitive and flees the Capital disguised as a boy. Vowing to avenge her parents, she escapes to neighbouring cities in an attempt to shore up military support to retake the Capital. Along the way, she meets the enigmatic Ashile Sun from the Grassland tribes and they both form an unexpected friendship. Circumstances bring the two frenemies closer together as they discover a larger threat to the Tang Dynasty and the Grassland Tribes. In the end, Change Ge learns about the meaning of survival, sacrifice, unconditional love, and finally forgiveness.

The Highlights:
TLB is a fast-paced drama that pulls you into the thick of the plot right from the opening scenes. I effortlessly devoured all 49 episodes like an Atkins dieter set loose at the bakery on cheat day. As the story progressed, I found myself visually, musically and emotionally drawn deeper into the fears, desires, and inner conflicts of the characters. Unlike many C-dramas, this one stays consistent with its themes symbolised by Change Ge’s jade dagger of youthful innocence, tragedy, revenge, and letting go of past enmity.

The solid screenplay is equally supported by a strong cast. Dilraba Dilmurat was born to play the role of Change Ge, as she convincingly sweeps you onto the emotional rollercoaster ride of her character’s coming-of-age journey. She is able to convey all of Change Ge’s feelings of betrayal, hate, fear, sorrow, determination, and defiance with the most subtle of facial expressions. Leo Wu also flourishes in his role as the warrior prince conflicted by his duty to his Tribe and his instinct to protect the people he loves. He plays Ashile Sun with poise and commanding physicality, yet with an undercurrent of gentleness and refreshing chivalry. Imperial bodyguard Hao Du, played by Liu Yuning, and Le Yan, played by Zhao Lusi were the dark horses in this drama, with their unexpected onscreen chemistry and several scene stealing moments. Although probably not intended by the writers, the chemistry between Dilraba and Zhao Lusi playing the best friends/cousins torn apart by tragedy was off-the-charts; amusingly more so than the titular pairing of Dilraba and Leo Wu!

The fight choreography had a grounded yet energetic grittiness to it, with each stroke of ferocity reflecting the escalating intensity of the script. The original soundtrack (OST) and theme songs masterfully capture the emotion and tone of each scene, without being annoyingly overpowering. It is certainly one of the best I have heard so far and continued to evoke emotions I felt long after finishing the drama.

The Lowlights:
A storytelling device used in this drama was the sudden transition from live action scenes to comic book sequences; sometimes with awkwardly inserted CGI talking heads. This was thankfully only used in a few episodes, but was enough to abruptly disengage me from the story for those brief moments. The drama also starts to lose steam in the final 2 episodes with a few draggy scenes that didn’t add anything substantial to the overall plot. However by then, I was so invested in the drama that it didn’t become a major stumbling block to my overall entertainment. Change Ge also spends nearly half the drama playing a boy - a classic Chinese drama troupe where all it takes is for the female character to wear male clothing and ta da ... everyone believes she is a man! Love it or hate it, it's a classic troupe that requires some suspension of reality.

The Verdict:
The Long Ballad is a captivating drama that will leave you smiling, crying and cheering. The storyline is easy to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed the wild and exhilarating journey of survival and growing-up that these memorable characters took me on. Definitely worth the watch!

FAQs:
1. How many episodes? 49. Each around 45 mins long
2. Where can I watch? All 49 episodes with English subtitles free on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI65kLxuO_M&t=1323s

Leia Mais

A MUST WATCH DRAMA!!

Just completed this. I LOVED IT. Li Changge what a character!! Her character from a stubborn revenge seeking princess to a person who fights for people was marvellous. Love her equation with her uncle and luyan. Also who surprised me the most was Minister Du. I was so sure that he was gonna be the antagonist. I was waiting for his downfall.But he was just a person fighting for his country. Every character had their moment to shine.
Also, mimi is that one friend everybody needs in their life. Her and changge's bond is so precious. Hao du and leyan's plotline was most anticipated for me. I was rooting for him the moment he appeared on screen. I just wish there was more time for leyan to let go of shuyu and for us to know how her feelings developed for hao du.
Coming to the main lead's love story, theirs is one of the few healthy relationships protrayed in chinese historical dramas i've ever seen. The slow burn, them going from friends to lovers, that actions speak louder than words , them just being there for eachother. Loved everything about them.
Definitely one of the few dramas i am gonna be rewatching in future.

Leia Mais

Watch "Love Like the Galaxy" instead

The Long Ballad was too damn L-O-N-G!!! It clocked in at 49 episodes, which could have been easily condensed to half that amount. It dragged on unmercifully. There was zero chemistry between the FL and ML.

Zhao Lusi was the only good performer in this show, as she is great in practically every show she is in. I watched this show mainly for her and Leo Wu. Leo Wu's performance was mediocre, maybe because he was young at the time (20 yrs old) and had not yet perfected his acting skills (but see my next paragraph about Leo Wu).

If you want to see a better historical drama with both Zhao Lusi and Leo Wu, I recommend that you watch "Love Like the Galaxy" which was produced a year after this show. LLTG has an outstanding screenplay, costumes, set design and special effects, and all the actors/actresses displayed excellent acting skills. That show is superior to this Long Ballad show in all ways! Although LLTG has 56 episodes, it goes fast without any dragged-out scenarios.

I will not be rewatching this show in future or recommending it to anyone.

Leia Mais