The Long Ballad (2021)

It really is the romance we've needed.

If there was every a source material that truly deserved an adaption, it would be for the Song of the Long March. Truthfully, although I have my complaints, they don't disappoint with this adaption. It's fairly true to the source material (where the changes are actually beneficial to the story and character development of the other characters). They also chose excellent actors; not exactly the ones I had in my mind, but boy did the embody their characters P E R F E C T L Y. (Dilraba was pretty spot on truthfully. I'dve like to see Kyulkyung try this role. But truthfully, Dilraba 110% fits the bill. I couldn't see it any other way.)
But all of the actors-- they somehow make the characters more lovable then their source material version. The side characters are a bit more memorable, and you grow to be invested in the side stories progressing as well. There's plot twists, and stuff -- but it really helps fill out each character to seem more realistic. I found myself routing for the people I hated the most.
The cast, I can tell immediately -- seem like they'll be dorky and friendly off screens. It's unfortunate that I feel like the chemistry between Dilraba and Leo are a hair too dry for my liking, (i.e. Le Yan and Hao Du seem a bit more clear cut) but truthfully... I don't hate it. It's one of the few times, if not the only time it makes sense that they're not falling into each others arms. They really delivered even more then what I expected of the main characters in a way that makes sense.
Additionally,. their subtle movements, and really minute expressions truly makes it feel like they're living the life of the character. It feels natural; generally speaking, this doesn't feel like a rookie cast. And more importantly, the direction of the show is really on point. It isn't a 100% score in my book, but I think my bar is set a little higher just given my love for the original series as well as having seen some of the other work of the cast.
At Dilraba specifically, to no fault of her own, I found myself comparing her to her previous works where she has a similar estranged character (i.e. The King's Woman), and she hasn't really been able to separate those similar archetypes apart; it's a difficult task, probably impossible even-- but it's my small gripe. She makes Changge seem a bit more bullheaded and warrior-like in comparison to a quiet, chess-sort-of-cunning that I had imagined Changge to be. She grieves, but much more...loudly yet not as deeply....if that makes any sense. If I had to explain it another way, she acts too mature for the role, but contrasts by giving Changge a more childish/unwise? reaction to some things that makes her seem like she's in a different role.
Leo on the other hand makes Sun to be a bit more cool and calculating then I imagined Sun to be (if anything I expected him to have a bigger gap like how Dilraba is), but he really really shows the trust he has in her -- as well as understanding in her then I think the source material could ever get across. He knows what he wants, but he's not possessive, despite being the cold king stereotype. It's really really refreshing to see a male lead like that. I think he shows a really good progression of just being involved on the ride to I'm really just here for my girl Changge. I think this quieter (then the already quiet Sun) version really shows why he's the best of his clan; and it's not just purely on brute strength. *wolf's whistle to the fight scenes they do give him though because ooh weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
Again with all of that said, I really did not hate anything about this show; the whole cast gave it more colour that made it equally if not more enjoyable then reading it. They're purely gripes of a book to adaption watcher.
And even though it's not a one to one adaption, it's not a poorly done spin off either.
It's a good balance of new and respecting the original.; truthfully I think if this was my first historical style show, or if I had not read the series first this would have easily become my favourite series of all time. But since it's not, the least I have to say is this is an A-tier drama with S tier acting, S-tier directing and also most importantly S-tier source material. Please watch it. Also please consider reading the manhua.

I haven't slept yet, (in fact just binged up until episode 33 until my internet went down).. but I'm itching to get back to it. Somehow it brings me back without giving me horrible cliffhangers to hang off of-- which P.S. I'd say is the same level of draw that the manhua gives.

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watch 15 episodes in 2 day!

binge watched this like some addict, and I'm not big into cdrama this year actually.
more like kdrama fans.

I like it because
- the cast is awesome
- Female lead and male lead chemistry is outt of the world
- not big fans of Dilraba, but...in here... she ROCKS!!
- just get to know Leo WU.. and... HE's AMAZING! instantly become his fan of his acting, and his killer look and expression.
- the story... How can someone write like that?
and that of course I discovered.. this drama is from manhwa that received Awards.
- love the supporting cast... Allen Fang, Zhao Lusy...
- I wish it has 100 episodes:)))

anyway, dont set up any expectation, just blend with your sofa, and watch it!
if you enjoy Maiden holmes, Romance of Tiger and Rose, Love by Hypnotic, The romance of Hua Rong,
Peach miles, Sound of the Desert... all that story with intense love, intense feeling, strong acting,

you will even enjoyyy this.

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It’s enjoyable

I’m up to episode 18 of this drama since that’s the latest subbed episode. I’m liking Dilraba’s role here, tougher than her usual beautiful Princess type roles. I like both leads. Their romance is still in its development stages although we as viewers can already tell the ML likes the FL but he has to play his tribe’s rule or she may end up getting a hard time given Sher is so jealous of the ML. Also, the majority of the characters still don’t know he’s a she so the ML has to treat her like that since everything he does is being tightly watched. I also liked the supporting cast- I had wanted the Princess to end up with Huo instead of that other guy (sorry I’m really bad with names so can’t remember the character names). It was obvious to me that guy she likes likes Dilraba’s character which is why I will be rooting for her to end up with that other guy who is cold and seemed very indifferent. I’m enjoying it so far. The plot, I especially like the pacing of the story, so far there have been no dragging episodes or scenes. There’s still a lot of episodes to cover so it would be interesting if they can keep the pacing like it is now. All in all, so far, a big 2 thumbs up for me. ??

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How is this highly rated?

This is actually the worst Chinese drama I've ever seen in my life. Worst acting, worst plot. Which isn't to say that I haven't watched boat loads of other garbage low budget shows, I've seen at least 50+ Chinese dramas, but honestly this one takes the crown.

I have an extremely high tolerance for bad shows as I am mostly watching to improve my Chinese, but I'm not exaggerating even a little bit when I say this is unwatchable.

I mean, I have never written a review before on this site, I've never felt the need, but now- if I can convince even one person, just one person not to watch it, then I'll have considering my contribution to not be in vain.

My suspicion is that this show is highly rated because of die hard fans for the actress and actor who will praise literally anything they do because they find them attractive.

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just another costume drama

I've tried my best to finish this drama to no avail. I gave up after 12 episodes. The cast's acting are actually quite good, especially the two female lead. They have a good chemistry. But a good acting is not enough to carry a drama. The script is not well written. I think the costumes and the styling a bit weird. Storyline a bit draggy and boring. And lots of the character's logic and actions, i'm sorry, are just simply stupid and illogical.This is just another c-drama that captivate the audience with the exceptionally beautiful faces of the main cast and their love story. And i just can't bring my self to continue watching it, nope

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Why people make such a big deal about the main lead age difference is beyond me!! They are great actors & deserve all the praise for their work.

I started watching this series after Love Like The Galaxy. I became a fan of Wu Lei after watching him in Love Like The Galaxy. He is such a mature actor & good at expressing every kind of emotion at such a young age. It's astonishing.

Why were people so disappointed with the parrot scene? I mean not every C-Drama has a proper kissing scene. You can literally count C-Drama, which as a proper kissing scene. If you are so disappointed about not getting a proper kissing scene, then better watch Hollywood, they won't disappoint you, I promise.

Liked the idea of showing the comic illustration in between scenes. A unique & different screenplay. I like the cinematography.

Hated that they used voice over. Why in every Wuxia & Xianxia series has to use voice over. It's irritating.

Loved Li Chang Ge & Ashile Sun first met. It was so simple & casual. No dramatic eye contact, falling & catching nothing, just a simple look at each other. They have such a mature & understanding relationship. They didn't need to express their love for one another, they knew their love for each other. Love that Ashile Sun asked permission for Li Chang Ge's mother to marry her. Loved the scene where Li Chang Ge gets to know that A'Zhun is Tegin. Fall in love with the way Ashile Sun removed his mask with a style. Love their football game.

It was funny to see the scene where Ashile Sun holds Li Le Yan by the knife in her neck, where in Love Like The Galaxy, he is desperate to save her.

Li Le Yan is the opposite of Cheng Shaoshang. She is naive, doesn't know anything, can easily be fooled. But she changed a lot after being missing for a long time. She understood people's suffering & started on a journey to help people. Li Le Yan crying for Xiao Wu & Hao Du, becoming emotional. He fell in love with her after seeing the change in her.

A'Dor & Li Chang Ge's last scene was so emotional. Scene of Ashile Sun's mother dying was very heartbreaking, it was more heartbreaking after seeing Wu Lei's acting. He is phenomenal with his acting skills, he nailed it. The fighting scene he did after his mother's death was nicely choreographed.

Liked the fighting sequence between Li Chang Ge & Situ Lang Lang. It was funny to see Sun & Xu Feng fighting & Qin Lao eating without care & Luo Shi Ba is totally confused.

Surprised to see Du Ru Hui taking Hao Du feeling for Li Le Yan so easily. I thought he would be angry & oppose Hao Du's feelings for her, but he was rather supportive about it, even encouraging Hao Du to pursue her. The scene where Du Ru Hui included Hao Du in his family tree was so touching & moving. unexpected moment.

The look Sun gave to Chan Ge when she looked at him after finding out about the dancers.

The slap that Le Yan gave to Hao Du was unexpected & shocking. But her words were a true slap to him.

Li Chang Ge & Le Yan punishing the crown prince was a treat to watch.

Sun being jealous of Wei Shu Yu & ashamed of losing to him in front of Li Chan Ge is cute.

Sun & She Er have a complex relationship. They were close with each other & were each other's support system, but Ashile Chuobi ruined that relationship & turned it into a rivalry. But they also had love for each other deep down. Their last scene was so touching they come a long way. Their fighting sequence for Le Chang Ge was good.

On the other hand, Le Chang Ge & Le Yan have an awesome relationship. They were always there for each other. Even after Le Chang Ge's parents' death, she never blamed Le Yan nor hated her but always tried to help her.

Sun & Ashile Chuobi have a love-hate relationship. There is a lack of trust between them, but they have love for each other. Ashile Chuobi missed Sun a lot after he left & wanted to see him one last time & make amends with him. Sun also loved & respected him & saved him despite knowing he would be risking his own life.

The back story of Le Chang Ge's mother was heartbreaking.

The way Eagle Division came for Sun rescue & Situ Lang Lang, Xu Feng, Luo Shi Ba, Wei Shu Yu came to help Le Chang Ge shows true friendship.

Mimi Guli 's death was heartbreaking. Till the end she remained a loyal friend of Le Chang Ge & supported her

Love the songs, especially the tune that is played in suspicious or in fighting scenes.

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Riveting, interesting and well executed!

This has blown me away! I really loved the story and I enjoyed the the way they had blended the manhua in. I felt that it dragged a bit towards the end, but that was mostly because Changge seemed to lose her smarts. Her quick wit was a large part of why the show worked. But I think that it is something that unfortunately often happens in dramas, once the FL and ML are established they tend to lean into being taken care of and apparently can’t remember their ingenuity that kept them alive till now ? Be prepared to have your heart broken, but also healed again. 2ML and FL are forever favesz

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Recommended

What can I say. Excellent story line, directing, casting. The characters development are well-done.
None of the 40 episodes is boring. Which is quite an achievement by itself.
No excessive romantic scenes.
Great acting from Dilraba, Leo Wu, Yuning & Zhao Lusi. Even the supporting roles are doing great acting.
Dilraba is so cool as Li Changge.
But the charm of this drama is Leo Wu’s acting. He delivered that maturity aura despite his young age during filming. If I didn’t know his real age, I would have thought that he actually few years older from Dilraba.
The actor who played Khan is exceptional - I pity him, his character is not easy ?. The actress who played Khatun is also excellent.

Worth my time. Recommended.

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Best Chinese Historical Drama

Beautiful story, powerful portrayal of characters, amazing chemistry between leads and soothing music. Rewatched several times and fell in love with it. I really loved everything about this drama.
If you like powerful female protagonists, this is a must watch for you. Dilraba rocked with her portrayal of the FL. Also ML and all other characters have their one of a kind stories. The story flows like river so you won't realize before its over. Also the drama highlighted different aspects of good and bad for peace which was really mature. Surrendering in a war does not mean defeat as long as prosperity and peace can be achieved. This type of people-centric leaders are rare in these type of chinese historical drama. This drama carries a very powerful message. So, I will give it a perfect 10!

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Need to WATCH THE LONG BALLAD!

The story Was really great! I love all the CHARACTERS, the OSTS, Especially the STORY itself.
In the First Episode, we could see that LI CHANG GE ( Princess Yong Ning) ( DILREBA), LI LE YAN (Princess Yong Gan)
( ZHAO LUSI) , ASHILEI SUN (LEO WU), HAO DU ( LIU YU NING), WEI SHU YU (FANG YI LUN). This story is well-known as CHANG GE XING it talks about the life of LI CHANG GE. In the first episode was the soccer fight but in the first round of the game, Wei Shu Yu ( Shu Yu Ge Ge) got injured so in the second round of the game Li Changge become the substitute for Wei Shu Yu. After Winning the game Chang ge go to her second uncle's house and give him the precious dagger. And she returned home to the EAST Palace and meet her mom and dad but her dad got angry because Chang Ge Gave the dagger to the second uncle but not to him. Li Change should be the real crown princess but her family was murdered by her Second Uncle ( Ep 2-3) and she was removed to be the crown princess. Her Cousin LI LE YAN got the title of Crown Princess. In order to know who murdered her family, she will have revenge. She stoled the Crown Prince Stamp. But she didn't know that she would meet Ashilei Sun. Their feeling for each other got deep and deeper.

JUST GO AND WATCH IT TO KNOW THE STORY!!

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