101kumquats
Action-packed, political turmoil, survival, dry romance...and a story that loses steam mid-way.
The Long Ballad was not quite what I expected.
TL;DR Overall opinion: I found the drama quite enjoyable (especially the beginning). Towards the end, the side characters' stories became my central focus (less dragging). The drama had some slow parts that were good parts to stop and come back later. In general, the Long Ballad is about a C+ to B- on my grading scale. Watch it again? Probably not. Do I appreciate the drama? Yes. Do I want a season 2? No, I don't think that is necessary. Are the characters memorable? Yes.
Pros:
1. Strong Main Lead(s): Dilraba plays the role of a physically and mentally strong, capable, clever girl (Changge) who is raised as a princess of the emperor. She encounters many hardships that test her mental and physical strength. Ashile Sun (Leo Wu) is a seemingly cold, intelligent person. He is the general of the Eagle Division under the Great Khan. His character is interesting to watch--from the carefully devised plans to his unique mercy (as well as heartless killing).
2. Fun Supporting Characters: A few of my favorite supporting roles include Hao Du (Liu Yuning)--a very stoic, heartless man-- and Li Leyan (Zhao Lusi)-- the hopeless princess and best friend of Changge. Both characters are fun to watch as they mature and change throughout the drama. I was also surprised to see Liu Haikun take on a less serious role of a swordsman (Situ Lanlang).
3. Dynamic Characters: Especially Hao Du, Li Leyan, and Ashile She'er--the characters' journeys in life adds depth/gives more to the drama.
4. Soundtrack: Need I say more? Look up "Cocoon" by Zhou Shen.
5. Antagonists: The antagonists change throughout the series, each posing a different threat that requires a new strategy which kept me guessing.
6. Storyline: The storyline is excellent! I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say this: From Princess to outcast to military strategist to slave to outlaw to hero... the story follows the life of a girl whose life is flipped backwards, and whose friends become enemies and enemies become friends (NOT A SPOILER).
7. The Side Plots: The side plot with Li Leyan kept me going. Even when the main plot dragged for eternity, I persevered for her corner of the drama. Her journey is unique, like Changge's, but shows us that you don't have to be a battle princess or a military strategist... everyone has their own struggles, even the innocent, the rich, the poor, the heartless... *cough cough*
Cons:
1. Flat Characters: Changge started off as a dynamic character--kind to those close to her and kick-butt to her enemies; as the drama progressed, she gradually became flat and emotionless (aside from tears--the romance scenes with her blank expression often left me confused about her emotions at the moment).
2. Annoying Characters: (Entirely my opinion) the Crown Prince, Mimi Guli (sometimes she is sweet and likeable especially towards the end of the drama, but other times she is just a bit... annoying), Zhen Zhu (Princess Tujia of Monan--extra), and Wei Shuyu (he started off fine, but eventually became extra).
3. Poor/Cheesy Graphics: Sometimes the cartoon and the live action will be combined, but the live action part looks like a... well... 1979 footage on extremely blurry, smashed lens.
4. Drags on: Towards the end, the plot began to drag. Not-so-big issues took f o r e v e r . It could have ended with 40 episodes.
5. Sorry guys, the Romance: Romance is just the sprinkles on the cupcake, the cherry on top, NOT the sole purpose of the drama, nor the main issue at hand. In the Long Ballad, not all the romance was bad. Li Leyan's romance was cute and bearable, and so was Mimi Guli's romance. The main leads... well... it dragged. It seemed a bit weak in some episodes (from I LIKE YOU in one only for meh in the next). Or it would be confusing *does she like him or is this a flaw in expression* and sometimes the relationship issues at hand were exaggerated. The main leads' relationship with each other sometimes seemed VERY dry. But, the small actions like taking one's hand or standing up for one another and watching each other's backs were enjoyable (sometimes it just got confusing).
TL;DR Overall opinion: I found the drama quite enjoyable (especially the beginning). Towards the end, the side characters' stories became my central focus (less dragging). The drama had some slow parts that were good parts to stop and come back later. In general, the Long Ballad is about a C+ to B- on my grading scale. Watch it again? Probably not. Do I appreciate the drama? Yes. Do I want a season 2? No, I don't think that is necessary. Are the characters memorable? Yes.
Pros:
1. Strong Main Lead(s): Dilraba plays the role of a physically and mentally strong, capable, clever girl (Changge) who is raised as a princess of the emperor. She encounters many hardships that test her mental and physical strength. Ashile Sun (Leo Wu) is a seemingly cold, intelligent person. He is the general of the Eagle Division under the Great Khan. His character is interesting to watch--from the carefully devised plans to his unique mercy (as well as heartless killing).
2. Fun Supporting Characters: A few of my favorite supporting roles include Hao Du (Liu Yuning)--a very stoic, heartless man-- and Li Leyan (Zhao Lusi)-- the hopeless princess and best friend of Changge. Both characters are fun to watch as they mature and change throughout the drama. I was also surprised to see Liu Haikun take on a less serious role of a swordsman (Situ Lanlang).
3. Dynamic Characters: Especially Hao Du, Li Leyan, and Ashile She'er--the characters' journeys in life adds depth/gives more to the drama.
4. Soundtrack: Need I say more? Look up "Cocoon" by Zhou Shen.
5. Antagonists: The antagonists change throughout the series, each posing a different threat that requires a new strategy which kept me guessing.
6. Storyline: The storyline is excellent! I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say this: From Princess to outcast to military strategist to slave to outlaw to hero... the story follows the life of a girl whose life is flipped backwards, and whose friends become enemies and enemies become friends (NOT A SPOILER).
7. The Side Plots: The side plot with Li Leyan kept me going. Even when the main plot dragged for eternity, I persevered for her corner of the drama. Her journey is unique, like Changge's, but shows us that you don't have to be a battle princess or a military strategist... everyone has their own struggles, even the innocent, the rich, the poor, the heartless... *cough cough*
Cons:
1. Flat Characters: Changge started off as a dynamic character--kind to those close to her and kick-butt to her enemies; as the drama progressed, she gradually became flat and emotionless (aside from tears--the romance scenes with her blank expression often left me confused about her emotions at the moment).
2. Annoying Characters: (Entirely my opinion) the Crown Prince, Mimi Guli (sometimes she is sweet and likeable especially towards the end of the drama, but other times she is just a bit... annoying), Zhen Zhu (Princess Tujia of Monan--extra), and Wei Shuyu (he started off fine, but eventually became extra).
3. Poor/Cheesy Graphics: Sometimes the cartoon and the live action will be combined, but the live action part looks like a... well... 1979 footage on extremely blurry, smashed lens.
4. Drags on: Towards the end, the plot began to drag. Not-so-big issues took f o r e v e r . It could have ended with 40 episodes.
5. Sorry guys, the Romance: Romance is just the sprinkles on the cupcake, the cherry on top, NOT the sole purpose of the drama, nor the main issue at hand. In the Long Ballad, not all the romance was bad. Li Leyan's romance was cute and bearable, and so was Mimi Guli's romance. The main leads... well... it dragged. It seemed a bit weak in some episodes (from I LIKE YOU in one only for meh in the next). Or it would be confusing *does she like him or is this a flaw in expression* and sometimes the relationship issues at hand were exaggerated. The main leads' relationship with each other sometimes seemed VERY dry. But, the small actions like taking one's hand or standing up for one another and watching each other's backs were enjoyable (sometimes it just got confusing).
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