The Long Ballad (2021)

Okay to watch if you want to pass the time

Overall the drama was mediocre. A typical strong female revenge drama but failed to give much depth. The show lacks balance between the protagonists and the antagonists. The screen time was dominated with the main leads that it left no room for it's villains and secondary characters. This leaves me feeling disconnected with the drama. Without the focus on other characters the story tends to become irrational and ridiculous. I cannot for the life of me believe that during that era a Prime Minister would let a 15 year old girl command soldiers. Nor can I believe a King would only deploy one guard to find a Crown Princess. If you are willing to throw out your common sense and just want to indulge in looking at pretty people falling in love then this drama is for you. What this drama end up being was two beautiful main leads and their love story because that is the only thing that seems to be shot well in this drama but it's not enough to make me want to continue. The revenge aspect got lost by the middle of the drama and soon you're left with wondering what is the point in all this? Too many simple questions left unanswered throughout the entire drama. It's one of those dramas where you can just watch clips and be fine with it because the story as a whole was disappointing.

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Anticipating...

This is an amazing drama!!!!!
It is well portrayed and the storyline is well written. The characters are acted out so well and the cast is chosen perfectly and they have done justice to the characters. It is one of the few dramas that actually make you feels so engrossed into the story that you want to keep watching it to find out what happens next and I have got to hand it out to the scriptwriters and the manhua's author as they have written a great piece of work.
I loved every plot and line the actors spoke and how interesting it felt at every moment and scene. Though I've only watched a few episodes of what they have released but I can tell it will and is gonna be one of my favorite dramas out there. This may also be because I really like the male lead and his works but regardless it was worth the while and time.
The music and ost's were again chosen perfectly the were an amazing fit to the plot, they were made and directed very nicely. Tencent video is actually a very good online video streaming platform where almost all dramas are binge worthy(not too twisted).
I totally recommend watching this and if you want similar works just check out the recommendations I made on the recommendations page.
Hope ya'll definitely check this out!!!

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The Long Snore 无聊

This was one long boring Historical CDrama. GF and I kept trying to slog through it, finally throwing the towel in the thirtyish episode. Initially it was sort of decent, the FL is a strong character who is tough and has exceptional martial arts skills. She is hell bent on revenge for what was done to her and her family.

The memorable part of the FL's initial interaction with the ML is the competion with the ML in the Cuju match scene. I really enjoyed the Cuju match which is an ancient sports game going back to the Han Dynasty popular in the military and royalty. I felt it was executed beautifully although I cannot attest to the historical accuracy of the game play.

However, the story line and plotting became a big drag of revenge and messy plotting of political intrigue. Too many filler side stories and dragging things out un-necessarily. No chemistry between the leads, it felt like they would be better as siblings than lovers. The SML character who falls in love with the FL is annoying, not talking about the actor himself but the role. I don't know if the SML role was used as a contrast to the ML as a way to prop up the ML to the viewers; he was weak willed and undecisive. The princess SFL was also weak and fragile. It got annoying when she kept crying all the time, she does mature more later on as she goes through some hardships. The guard dude SML with the princess SFL chemistry was better and the love story between them was more engaging than the leads. You end up rooting more for them than anyone else.

Since its a big budget show, I need not say more on the production quality of the series. The acting was okay, the ML is on the stiff and wooden end of things. The FL and princess SFL did a pretty good job in their roles despite a messy drawn out storyline.

If one has insomnia and wants something to help them fall asleep, this might be the show for it.

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Great plot!

I only watched this because of Zhao Lusi lol. The story is good but I only cared for the Li Le Yan and Hao Du scenes. 🤣
Honestly, I skipped majority (knew enough about what was going on) and watched Le Yan and Hao Du. I LOVE them. They were adorable. The other main lead couple is cute as well.
I wish it showed more of Du and LeYan. They are considered main roles too. I figured it'd show more so....BUT their love story and how it happened. She could rely on Du and he never disappoints. Yeah he followed Le Yan cause of her sister etc but I could tell he really liked her. When she slapped him, I'm like oh s***, girllll but then he cried. I cried with him. 😭😭 I knew Du liked her from episode 1. The stank eyes he gives Wei Shu Yu throughout series was funny. Also, am AMAZING ending for them 🥰
Now Chang Ge and Ashile Sun had a good ending I suppose. I was hoping she would go back to at least visit and all instead of like basically gonna cut everyone out. I get it but she should also think of her sister, Li Le Yan. ☹️
Overall, I enjoyed it and will definitely be watching again. (Mainly for Li Le Yan and Hao Du)

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It's fine but misses on important beats

The Long Ballad is one of those stories where the princess who's only known royalty her whole life gets everything changed. She goes from princess to garrison leader to slave to the leader of a coalition. The story is focused on her journey and her romance with a general from the central plains. It's a fine story. The side characters such as the emperor, the crown princess, Haodu, and Sun's captains are all fine. My main problem is that Changge is too OP in this show. Like she literally gets shot in the chest with an arrow and falls off a cliff but we're supposed to believe she survives. Many other times she finds herself in dire situations and she gets out unscathed, either by herself or by getting saved. It's tiring seeing her get out of situations with no real consequence. What was the worst thing that happened to her after she left the capital? A kid she teamed up with for like 2 episodes died. Even when she becomes enslaved it doesn't really matter because she's protected by Sun. Speaking of Sun, the main romance in this show is not convincing in my opinion. Something about it doesn't work for me. The actors have chemistry, but it seems so rushed. They barely get any actual time together. They're always moving from one place to another and we're supposed to believe they develop a romance during that time. Ironically, the side romance between Leyan and Haodu was way more compelling. They get a lot of screen time and we can watch their relationship grow. When Haodu ultimately fights for Leyan's hand in marriage, it feels earned and there was a lot that built up to that moment. One of my favorite moments was when Haodu's adopted father finally made him an official member of the family so that he could marry into the royal bloodline. These are things missing from the main romance. There's just no time when they talk to each other about things that aren't plot related. But it's not all bad though. The plot, although bouncing from place to place too much, is pretty good. Whenever there were action scenes, they were done well. Although I really didn't like it when action scenes would be taken over by artwork and the actors were forced to stand in front of a green screen and shout their lines. I get the intent, but it's not fit for a live-action show. The acting was also really well done by the main actors. I didn't buy the main romance but it wasn't the fault of the actors. They sure did try. One last thing, the music is pretty good aside from one track that is basically completely plagiarized from "Up is Down" by Hans Zimmer. A couple of memorable melodies otherwise. There are still enough positives to make this a fine watch. I doubt I'll ever rewatch the entire series again, but there are definitely scenes that are worth revisiting. Solid drama.

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Best love story

OK I have to admit this is One amazing story. The characters, the story line, the costume, the plot, And the music. I don’t know how to say it, but it is so moving that my heart pounds every time I watch the next episode. all the characters in this were amazing. They’re acting were top-notch I have followed them, hoping to see more of them and other series. I fell in love with everyone of them. I absolutely love love this series. The plot in the story was in such amazing details. This is probably one of the top five of my series. I watched that I absolutely will watch over and over again.

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MUST WATCH

War series but not dark at all. the mood is lighten by the main and support roles. All characters was given a room to grow and mature into their characters. All characters that has enough screen time and speaking lines are completely NOT one-dimensional. They have their own history, personality, shortcomings and chance to show their other side. This is the only Chinese series I've watched where mostly all actors has exemplary acting from support roles, to villains, to extras. That's very good casting.
(FL) Li Changge has superhero complex. Story was set in a time where woman has no voice. Male leaders having found out that she's a woman was in awe instead of taking offense. I kept waiting for a rumour that she's a witch because of her prowess, but there's none.
(ML) Ashile Sun is asexual then turned obsessed with the female lead. If you're in for romance, you'll absolutely love that. Modern day weirdo but if you're into that, go for it.
The main female and male lead has no real kissing scene where the other 10 couples have--even birds have their own spotlight! The inadequacy of the intimacy between the FL and ML are very well-compensated by the passionate interaction of the support roles.
Failed to showcase the masculinity and savagery of Mongol tribes. It also fell short if it wants to go political. Nevertheless, all loop holes were connected, all scenes has a clear direction and purpose. Will keep you tuned in because this series is very rich in content.
Good soundtrack and sound effects.

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A Rollercoaster of Emotions with a Few Bumps

The Long Ballad is a captivating blend os action, politics, and romance that will keep you kooked. The sets, costumes, and fight scenes are beautifully choreographed, and the chemistery between the leads is undeniable. The female protagonist is a refreshing departure from the typical damsel in distress, showcasing her intelligence and strategic lind.
While some episodes may drag and the romance occasionally takes a backseat to the political intrigue, the overall experience is enjoyable. The finale, unfortunately, feels a bit rushed.
If you historical dramas with well-developed characters and don't mind a slower pace, this drama is worth checking out. It's not perfect, but it offers a nice balance of action and emotion.

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Je n’avais entendu que des éloges sur ce drama et je comprends pourquoi !

Les premiers épisodes m’ont fait un peu douter : le jeu des acteurs me laissait dubitative, l’intrigue semblait peu claire, mais les bons retours que j’ai pu avoir m’ont poussé à continuer et au final, j’ai enchaîné les quarante-neuf épisodes en un rien de temps.

L’intrigue est séquencée en plusieurs partie, c’est rythmé, pleins de retournement et de moments poignants.

L’écriture des personnages féminins est vraiment intéressante avec, d’un côté, Li Changge qui a reçu une éducation particulière pour une princesse, puis de l’autre, Li Leyan dont le personnage évolue sacrément. L’actrice l’interprétant est bluffante dans son rôle.

D’ailleurs, petit faible pour le couple secondaire, vraiment trop mimis.

Je ne donne « que » quatre étoiles parce que je dois avouer que le rythme retombe un peu par moment et que le dénouement sur les derniers épisodes joue sur des facilités, notamment au niveau des personnages de Young Khan et de Mimi Gulli…

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More action and growing, than romance – loved it for that.

Given the fact, it's a story based on manhua, it has its own rights on how to tell the story. On top of that, compared to the original manhua I really loved the job crew did on giving the characters more depth and explaining the story in more logic way.


Plot: 9
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★★★★★ Main idea:
--> Very strong, intriguing and well thought out.
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★★★☆☆ Logic:
--> Plot sort of makes sense, but especially in the second half there are many unreasonable and annoying twists that disturb the overall impression from the story. It lost the continuity, the original plot was somewhat forgotten and there started to be too many other new short plots and characters, which made me lose my focus and get a bit bored.
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★★★★★ Pace:
--> Although I would personally end the story somewhere halfway through and considered it perfect, the story has so many great characters, one simply seeks to stay with them a little longer, even if the plot loses its pace.
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★★★★★ Impression:
--> Still can't stop thinking about it.
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★★★★★ Skip rate:
--> Didn't skip anything, on the contrary, it made me watch it twice in a row.
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★★★★★ Annoying factors:
--> The annoyance is well balanced with fascination, so it’s fair and square not to reduce any points.


Characters: 9,5
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★★★★★ Lead 1 - Ashile Sun:
--> Ashile Sun is a textbook example of a typical hero – clever, patient, loyal, cunning, great fighter, always survives, always outsmarts the opponent, lenient, strong and protective… He is so annoyingly flawless it would make one sick. And yet, precisely this type of non-existent perfection is why we watch romance dramas.
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★★★☆☆ Lead 2 - Li Changge:
--> I loved this strong-minded, brave and cunning girl in the first half of the series. And yet I got a bit annoyed by her in the second half, hating her constantly running around doing whatever she liked with zero consideration of the aftermath.
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★★★★★ Overacting:
--> Kind of cute or absent.
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★★★★★ Acting:
--> Actors are great, very talented.
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★★★★★ Annoyance level:
--> Not annoyed at all. There are plenty of excellently profiled characters, even some minor side characters have well thought out personalities, which completes the overall atmosphere.


Background: 10
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★★★★★ Soundtrack:
--> Absolutely loved it.
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★★★★★ Visuals (camera, scenery, visual effects, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it. Some scenes are drawn and presented as the actual manhua, and it was splendid. Other than that, there were many impressive fighting scenes, completing the great impression.
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★★★★★ Wardrobe (costumes, hairstyles, makeup, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it.


Rewatch value: 10
I assess this value based on impression, skip rate, annoyance level and overall preference.


Final verdict: 9,5
I actually think the drama is way too much better than the original and I was really impressed. I am willing to forgive all queerness and imperfections, since there were many other factors making up for it.

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The most underated chinese drama

First of all the main character is pretty and she looks good in the drama. The storyline was so good. Dilireba sacrifice herself fitting in custome that suit with the original comics, that get some bad review on weibo. She even cut off some of her eyebrown to pair this character. In this drama, change is bringing live to reallife by her amazing acting skill. Her acting skill are superior which can makes me cry over her.

ROMANCE:
Romances are slow burns but they are built from the first episode and were really wonderful! The main couple spoiled us with beautiful scenes and incredible dialogue throughout the drama.


OST:
It is certainly one of the most beautiful OST there is. All the songs fit wonderfully into the drama

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