The Long Ballad has a unique storyline with lovable and complex characters. A MUST WATCH.

Story

The drama is an adaptation from a manhua under the same name called Chang Ge Xing, or The Long Ballad. It tells the story of Li Chang Ge, a princess of the Tang Dynasty who had embarked on a journey of self discovery after having everything she knew all collapse right before her. From a journey that started off with only revenge in mind, she slowly learns the meaning of love, friendship, sacrifice, and finding one’s own path in life.

The story telling and pacing for the drama was great, and almost seemingly perfect. It was fast paced, but wasn’t to the point where one becomes confused due to what’s going on. The plot was well executed and the story was well written. There was never a dull moment, and viewers will be at the edge of their seats. The only problem I have with the story is the addition of characters that I thought were unnecessary to the plot. The story is about Li Chang Ge and her journey, yet somehow, the drama included a brand new character as the second female lead who had her own storyline. Her journey and storyline has no correlation with Chang Ge’s and does not move the plot forward in any way. If her character were taken out, the story would still flow just as nicely, not to mention there would be much more time to include and flesh out more details from the original manhua. Leyan’s scenes were quite boring and her romance scenes later on were just as boring and not to mention quite useless and unnecessary. The Crown Prince is also another character that could have gotten less screen time. I understand that he was added because he was an actual historical figure, and it would make sense to include him to show more sides of Li Shimin’s character. However, some of his scenes could also be cut out.

Acting/Casting

This is my first time watching any of these actors and actresses. I am not familiar with their works, but I believe that each one was perfectly casted for their roles.

Dilraba Dilmurat executed her role perfectly, and is the only one who can be Li Chang Ge. She had brought one of my favorite manhua characters to life and had given so much depth to the character than I could have ever imagined. I am not one to believe in fate or destiny, but I do believe that Dilraba was fated to play the role of Li Chang Ge. Not only is the actress of Uygher ethnicity, but her features, most specifically the tear nevus by her eye, makes quite an uncanny resemblance to the manhua Chang Ge. Dilraba’s performance here was without a doubt commendable and captivating. She was able to draw out so many emotions just by her eyes alone. From what I’ve seen, she is a very versatile actress and could portray any emotion flawlessly. Dilraba had made me love Chang Ge more than I thought I could. The Chang Ge from the mahua will always have a special place in my heart, but the drama Chang Ge is just as special to me in her own way.

Next we have Leo Wu as Ashile Sun. Leo is a perfect Ashile Sun. The actor’s age is around 21, which is the same age as the Sun in the manhua. One thing that I was a bit unsure about was the fact that the Sun in the manhua is 5 years older than Chang Ge. However, Leo is a bit younger than Dilraba, so I was unsure whether they would be able to pull it off. Leo had proven me wrong for doubting him. He had done a phenomenal job in the role of Ashile Sun. His portrayal left me in awe, and I am amazed by how talented this actor is at just the age of 21. He had shown me a side of Ashile Sun that I wasn’t able to see in the manhua, and I have grown a deeper respect and admiration for this character. I am amazed by the vulnerability he showed as Ashile Sun, but also by the immense amount of love and respect that he has for Chang Ge. He is a strong and intelligent leader, and Leo Wu exudes the manliness and prowess that is necessary for such a character.

Despite my distaste for the Leyan character, I think that Rosy Zhao did quite a good job in portraying her character. Her acting was commendable in some scenes, most specifically her crying scenes. She is a great crier to put it simply, and had managed to move me in some scenes. One thing that I would like to add is that her eye acting isn’t as great as the other actors. I have read some reviews where many people had said that Leyan had fallen for Hao Du much earlier on, and we can see it from her expressions. However, I could not decipher these emotions that people point out. I don’t know if it’s because the script was written this way, or if Rosy was unable to emote the complex emotions that her character calls for, but besides these details, I quite enjoyed her acting as Leyan. She plays the role of a delicate, innocent princess very well.

Liu Yuning as Hao Du was a pretty good choice. The actor emoted his emotions quite well. Although I would say that I prefer the Hao Du in the manhua much better. The Hao Du from the drama was somewhat comical, seeing that he was obsessed with chasing Chang Ge. I was also a bit confused as to which part he had fallen for Leyan. It appears that he has liked her since episode 1, but yet when she had gone missing, he was more focused on finding Chang Ge than finding the girl he supposedly likes. Despite these inconsistencies, I think that Yuning’s portrayal of someone who held back his emotions quite well. In some scenes, you can really see the inner struggle he had in either following orders or to act according to his emotions.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was incredibly epic. I enjoyed every song and quite surprisingly even the instrumental music. Each song matched well with the scenes they were incorporated in and enhanced the emotions and mood of the scenes. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a soundtrack as much as I have enjoyed this one. Each song is just so different and distinguishable, and sets it apart from other drama soundtracks. The lyrics themselves are equally as moving and poetic.

Overall/Rewatch

The Long Ballad has been an enjoyable watch, and I would absolutely rewatch it. There might be scenes that I will skip, but overall, I believe that rewatching will give me a new perspective each time, as well as allow me to notice certain details I did not during the first watch. It has definitely stolen my heart, despite its flaws, and it saddens me knowing that I will never find another drama with characters as captivating and complex as Li Chang Ge and Ashile Sun.

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