VelvetLady852
Land of Pristine Beaches & Friendly Folks
It is indeed the longest day in Chang’an
“The Longest Day in Chang’an (长安十二时辰) is adapted from the novel of the same title by Ma Bo Yong (马伯庸). It is set in Chang’an, the capital and heart of the Tang Empire, in the year 744 A.D. Our protagonists, Zhang Xiao Jing (Lei Jia Yin), Li Bi (Jackson Yee) and their team, have 24 hours to catch the forces that are trying to destroy the city and uncover their plot. In the midst of this, there is an ongoing fight for political supremacy between the Crown Prince and the Right Chancellor, and at the same time, the Emperor is planning to hand over governance of the country to the Right Chancellor, as he prepares to do a semi-retirement.
The drama feels realistic and gritty, in the sense that you don’t see people with exceptional “qing gong” (轻功) or “lightness skill” flying as they fight, and the battle scenes feel so grounded. Also, the way they filmed the city scenes gives an authentic feel, and the drama shows Chang’an to be a very diverse and vibrant city, with people from different ethnicities converging in one big melting pot.
The story has twists and turns, and it’s interesting to see the plot unfold. However, the drama’s pacing varies. Some parts are exciting and keeps you guessing and anticipating the next scenes, some parts are touching and emotional, and there are some parts that are slow and dragging. I truly felt that it was a very long day, but more than that, it felt like the events happened in more than one day – more like 2 to 3 days.
Most of the cast did a great job portraying their characters. I especially like Zhou Yi Wei as Long Bo and Feng Jia Yi as the Emperor; they were able to bring their characters to life. One of the most memorable scenes for me was between Long Bo and the Emperor as they faced each other in the banquet hall. I was so touched by the conversation, reactions and emotions that it brought tears to my eyes. The Emperor showed himself to be both compassionate and a good leader, but also somewhat out of touch with the realities on the ground. In other words, he was far from perfect, as some of his subjects made him out to be.
The drama’s fight and battle scenes were well-executed, and as mentioned, they look realistic and grounded. I like the soundtrack, as it fits the mood of the drama. Some of the music have an ancient feel to it, while the others are more upbeat. There is even an English language song played at the end of a few episodes.
Final verdict: Overall, this is a good mystery/political drama, but it would have been better if the pacing is faster in the slow scenes and some annoying characters have less airtime.
The drama feels realistic and gritty, in the sense that you don’t see people with exceptional “qing gong” (轻功) or “lightness skill” flying as they fight, and the battle scenes feel so grounded. Also, the way they filmed the city scenes gives an authentic feel, and the drama shows Chang’an to be a very diverse and vibrant city, with people from different ethnicities converging in one big melting pot.
The story has twists and turns, and it’s interesting to see the plot unfold. However, the drama’s pacing varies. Some parts are exciting and keeps you guessing and anticipating the next scenes, some parts are touching and emotional, and there are some parts that are slow and dragging. I truly felt that it was a very long day, but more than that, it felt like the events happened in more than one day – more like 2 to 3 days.
Most of the cast did a great job portraying their characters. I especially like Zhou Yi Wei as Long Bo and Feng Jia Yi as the Emperor; they were able to bring their characters to life. One of the most memorable scenes for me was between Long Bo and the Emperor as they faced each other in the banquet hall. I was so touched by the conversation, reactions and emotions that it brought tears to my eyes. The Emperor showed himself to be both compassionate and a good leader, but also somewhat out of touch with the realities on the ground. In other words, he was far from perfect, as some of his subjects made him out to be.
The drama’s fight and battle scenes were well-executed, and as mentioned, they look realistic and grounded. I like the soundtrack, as it fits the mood of the drama. Some of the music have an ancient feel to it, while the others are more upbeat. There is even an English language song played at the end of a few episodes.
Final verdict: Overall, this is a good mystery/political drama, but it would have been better if the pacing is faster in the slow scenes and some annoying characters have less airtime.
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