I'm often late to the party because I like to be careful when choosing dramas to watch, but I just had to write a review on this drama that was by far the best 2021 Chinese drama for me (that pushed Word of Honor (山河令) one place down, oops!).

Story
I personally enjoy historical + wuxia dramas, and this was a relatively good mix that had lots of action and didn't focus too much on political discussions unlike drams such as Yanxi Palace (延禧宫). I saw many reviews commenting that the plot may be cliche, but I concur otherwise. Predictable as it is, the storyline is unique and refreshing (e.g. the King's support for Chang Ge, the advisors' patriotism for the country). Moreover, the plot was easy to follow such that you can focus on the characters, which is great for viewers like me who don't like to be muddled by the 101 things that are going on.

Initially the vibe from episode 1-2 seemed similar to Princess Agents (楚乔传) and I was expecting to feel that emptiness and heartache I felt when watching the drama then. Fortunately, the plot didn't focus too much on the "revenge" notion, and while characters seem to be able to get over deaths pretty quickly, I saw it as a trade-off for the plot to move on. That being said, the death scenes definitely did make me cry and hey- that's got to do with the amazing actors as well!

One more note - on the part of romance, there were lots of cute pairings, but neither was it the main plot of this drama, nor was it cringe in any aspects. Very well-balanced.

Acting/Cast
Any bird egg fans (鸟蛋 - Chang Ge x Ashina Sun fans)? Seeing how much the actors have improved since a few years back (I watch Dilraba in Eternal Love (三生三世十里桃花) and Sweet Dreams (一千零一夜), Wu Lei in Fights Break Sphere (斗破苍穹) which I dropped mid-way), I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment for them - they are definitely hardoworking actors, and I am glad that their effort has paid off! Acting was great, especially the emotions that they convey through their eyes...

As much as I try to think from another perspective, I simply disagree with critics on their acting. Indeed, I can concede that one or two parts were awkward and did not fit the emotions of the story then, but it could possibly be due to the time of filming (some later scenes were filmed earlier). But regardless, this was definitely not an issue at all for me! Side leads were great as well, and there were lots of veteran actors that made the entire drama a +++!

Music
Is there anything more that needs to be said? The first time I heard the ending song, I was sure this drama was going to be great (and yes, I'm glad I was right)!! Best OSTs of 2021, really.

The sound effects throughout the drama was well thought through too. There is a YouTube documentary video on the making of the OSTs and sound effects which really showed the intention to deviate from typical historical dramas that makes it even more worth watching :)

The Long Ballad is a story of female empowerment, with a well-balanced plot that captivated me from the start to the end. It may be slightly long for those who don't like long dramas, but it's definitely worth watching (just watch the first episode first! If you like it, that's the kind of standard you can hold the rest of the drama up to :) ).

Have fun!!