This was my first major costume C-drama for 2021 that I looked forward to, weekly. The subbed episodes could not come, fast enough.

The casting of Dilraba, Wu Lei, Zhao Lu Si and Liu Yu Ning in the four main roles was an excellent decision. I knew Dilraba and Wu Lei previously, but watched Zhao Lu Si and Liu Yu Ning for the first time. The LeYan and Hao Du storyline was more interesting than Changge and Ashile Sun’s.

I was very impressed with Wu Lei’s acting in this drama. At 21, he has proved with this acting job, that he can out-act the seasoned actors who might be in their 20s and 30s. This may be Wu Lei’s best acting performance to-date. This could also be Dilraba’s best acting performance to-date. I also loved Liu Yu Ning's acting, and went searching for his other dramas while Long Ballad was airing. I also enjoyed Zhao Lu Si's acting. She was a tiny fireball. Le Yan went from timid to self-assertive over the forty-nine episodes.

The story flow was well done. There were some draggy parts with Khan, Khatun and their underlings, as well as the Tang palace personnel. The ending was a bit vague. The anime scenes overcompensated for story telling action. We know there are talented graphic artists in China, but many scenes could have been live action, or just recounted via dialog.

A lot of beautiful people in this drama! The OST was very good.