Battle of Changsha = an Underrated Masterpiece
What an incredible drama.This show, you guys. This show is something else. Such an incredible drama, one of the best I've seen. It has history, romance, slice of life, comedy, family, and deep connections to the characters. It is truly rare to find a drama where you care about all the characters, want to see their life/future/outcomes, and you feel such an attachment to them.
More people need to watch this drama. I was hooked within the first 5 minutes and finished it within a few days. It is on the shorter side for a cdrama, 32 episodes. I can't rave about it enough and now I don't know what to watch next. It is by the makers of Story of Ming Lan so I should've expected it to be this good.
Everyone in this drama is perfect in their role; they embody the person, it feels like it's really them and not actors putting on a role. The twins felt like real siblings, I'd believe they were twins in real life from their connection! Junsha played the lovable brother-in-law and stole my heart. Truly will miss these characters.
I already intend to rewatch, maybe just the first 20 episodes tho so I don't fall into a deep depression (lol) the funny dialogue/moments are worth the rewatch for sure
**no filler, all fast-paced plot/action/contributory dialogue**
It kinda gave me the kdrama Mr. Sunshine vibes with the humor/historical/war
Overall, Battle of Changsha made me laugh out loud, cry, and I just loved all the characters. They felt like family.
All episodes are here, you'll be hooked in the first 15 minutes, I tell you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3tszvh3gBE&list=PLvf4fZgfbz554wKUffK2qqKc4IX3CGKln&index=1
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Historical drama wasn't my cup of tea but after watching Battle of Changsha, I started liking historical drama and considered checking another good historical drama.
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yang zi and ren cheng wei
this drama is just so much more, no words can describe how iam loving this drama. tbh, i thought it was gonna be a war theme based drama with the 2 main leads focuses like how they able to overcome their love in the middle of the war. but its not!! it was definitely not!!tbh, its shocking me that this war theme drama is not as depressed (even tho it is esp at the end), what i mean is, they mixed everything. slice of life-family-comedy and obv romance.
if i were to grade the character, xue junshan is obv my fav, at 1st i thought he is gonna be that cruel brother in law, but he is not. he love his family, his nephew, his son and wife. he may act like a gangster, but his heart is pure gold. ren cheng wei nailed this character.
second one, Yang zi takes the cake. her potrayal as xianxiang is just amazing. people maybe annoyed at 1st with the twins antiques (iam not, i love these two trouble maker since 1st episode, they making the show interesting for me), you could literally see her character develpment throughout the episodes. from this little brat to a nurse and to a mom. a very memorable scene of her definitely when she cried at the end, i cry with her too T.T
the story and the cast acting is really great, there is literally no one lacking, the music is not really important tbh, none really memorable, as for the rewatch value, altho this is such a great drama, fun and most of it a slice of life, but its still sad and depressed.
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A masterfully crafted tragedy that will squeeze your tear ducts dry
What is war? I have never understood what war really was and what it can do to humanity until this 24-hr marathon. A tale told from the perspective of a very ordinary family, it detailed every phase that they went through during this difficult time and the bits and pieces of tragedy that slowly changed them.Let me start with the heart and soul of the show, the person who left the deepest impression, the cause of my sobs and howls, the nation's brother-in-law, Jun Shan. The first time I met him, he was a shady and corrupt official who talked disrespectfully to elders which put him on my disdainful character list from the start. But over time, I saw how he truly cared and provided for his family, how deeply he loved his wife, and the efforts he did to secure a better life for his extended family. On that night when Changsha was ablaze yet, he kept saving people disregarding his own safety, I totally forgave him for being corrupt. Jun Shan was charming and had strong leadership skills. When he was deployed to the frontline, he skillfully defeated enemies one after the other with his quick wits, smarts and tricks. As he always says, he's very lucky because he can survive anything, and I had hoped for it as well. When tragedy befell his family because of petty jealousy, that was the first time I felt indescribable anguish. I bawled and roared and cursed at no one in particular for not even sparing a little child. That scene when he held his wife and said he did very bad things that's why his bad karma was received by his son made me hate on the gods who did such calculation. For protecting the people of Changsha, he fought day and night at the frontline, saving hundreds, thousands of lives. Was that not enough to balance the scale? I cried injustice. At that time, I was very sure that he would never be able to forgive himself in this lifetime, and that he would probably wish to die on the battlefield hoping to protect what he wasn't able to. And boy, I was right. He was valiant. He was brave. He was a hero. He was someone I have truly admired and respected. I will always miss the carefree smile on his face even when he was at death's door.
As for the rest of the characters, they didn't have much impact on me. I had a love-hate relationship with the family in the first few episodes of the show. I didn't like how the family spoiled the twins that they overlooked all the mischievous things they had done. Sure, they appeared to have been angry and tried to beat them, but they were all for shows, just trying to scare the children. The father was useless, as he's supposed to be the head of the family, yet it was Jun Shan who held them together. He disdained Jun Shan for being a dirty cop, yet he relied on him for everything. He prided himself on being an intellectual, but so what? Can that feed his family? I pretty much labeled him as a hypocrite. But, his last sacrifice for his loyalty to his morals and beliefs was moving and poignant. As an intellectual who loved operas, he used the most appropriate way to demonstrate that he too, can die for his country with no regrets, that he's not in any way inferior to the soldiers who died on the battlefield.
I don't want to say more for the rest of the characters because I felt they weren't as interesting as Jun Shan, nor have the most moving end like the father, so I'll skip those altogether. I don't understand why Battle of Changsha wasn't in any of the Chinese drama recommendations I have seen (and I have seen plenty). This was the most riveting historical show I have seen. It was full of tragedy, yet I could not look away. The reunion at the end and the fact that one family was intact after the war did not give any relief to the anguish I have gone through watching the entire show. I would watch this again, but I have to wait a few years at most when I have recovered from the loss of those people I have learned to love and considered my family.
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A brilliant gem
Honestly, it feels like this drama is underrated and deserves so much more attention, because it is quite simply - brilliant. The characters. The story. It's masterfully portrayed.Wasn't quite sure what to expect going into it but by the middle it was clear that Battle of Changsha will leave a deep impression and it most certainly did.
It is by no means a light watch, yet manages to bring in humour. At a certain point it becomes unbearably heavy and you truly start to feel the consequences of war and it's impact on the simple citizens. You feel for them, you live with them.
I rarely cry, but this made me cry several times, so be warned, prepare the tissues.
The story may seem simple enough - we follow the Hu family during a time of war.
But...it is not so simple as that.
I'm really having trouble describing just how...emotional it is.
The writer, director and cast truly manage to bring you in into the story - they've done a spectacular job.
The characters are so well written...they truly have depth. They feel real.
Battle of Changsha is one of the rare dramas where the whole story is carried by the characters, their relationships and their growth alone.
It does not focus on the war or how one might expect the Japanese to be the evil ones in this case, that's no the point of the drama - the point is how a family lives through it all. War is no black and white.
I've seen Yang Zi and Wallace Huo in other dramas and knew they'd do good, but their characters here...I truly do believe this might very well be their best work. It certainly is in my eyes.
Individually - their character growth is a thing to behold, both actors were amazing in their portrayals.
And together - one might think the age difference is too big for the actors, but for their characters it's perfect - as the characters slowly change and romance starts to grow and you see the relationship start to form for the characters and naturally develop - it's a lovely thing to watch.
You no longer see the actors, you forget the age gap, you simply see the characters they are and rejoice in their relationship.
Once the story starts to hit heavy I'd advise taking a little break and watch something else that is more light and then come back. Battle of Changsha is not the kind of drama that can be easily marathoned. It really brings out the feelings.
All in all, I say this is a must watch:
The story is fantasticaly written.
The characters are flesh & blood - they have their faults, they're human and you know it's real.
The actors have outdone themselves - all of the cast were truly amazing.
The music fit the mood and while not exceedingly memorable, knew which strings to pick to get the desired emotion. Or at times, silence was all it took.
Re-watch value...only reason I give it an 8 is because this is no easy re-watch material, it needs time to settle down and then may watch again for sure.
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I go to the battlefield not to die, but to live. The life of the family. The life of the country.
Battle of Changsha is a drama which follows the Second Sino- Japanese War, seen through the eyes of the Hu family. Considering that it was a war themed drama, I had my limited expectations from it. But this show surprised me, and in a really good way. When I started this, I was honestly ready for a grim and melancholic atmosphere considering the times. But the moment it starts and we are introduced to the characters, I knew I was in for a ride.Talking about the story first, it's brilliantly written. The writer is seriously a genius for including comedy in the plot which made the show much more interesting to watch and also the way the romance was handled. Considering that the show had a really heavy theme, the humour ensured that the viewers were not bored and actually made the story more devastating when the seriousness kicks in the later episodes. The Romance- I just loved it. I might be a bit biased because I love the hate-to-love trope, but it was so perfectly handled that I had no complaints at all. It was portrayed in such a subtle way that it does not feels out of the place and follows a really natural course. I was honestly anticipating it so much and was so happy and giddy to see the love finally surface. Other themes like family bonds, friendship, patriotism are also prevalent throughout and add so much depth to the plot.
I loved all the characters. They were some of the most realistic bunch of characters I have witnessed. I started with not liking any of them, including all the leads. But the character development is so solid here that by the end, there was not a single character I wanted to say goodbye to. Let's talk about everyone's favourite- Xue Junshan. He was the life and soul of the show. He first gives off really bad vibes due to his bossy attitude towards the family and his shady business as the security officer. But as we see more of him, his real character is revealed which is of a loving husband, a doting father, a responsible son-in-law and most importantly, a good person who just wants to live a decent life with his family. Gu Qingming was my other favourite one. He starts off as a serious, no- nonsense military officer but his continuous encounters with the Hu family brings out more of him and his values and principles are appreciated. And his bromance with Junshan is definitely to look out for. Talking about character development, the ones who grew the most were definitely the twins. They are first introduced as a bunch of useless spoiled brats who only know how to make trouble and commit mischief. But the situation and the people around them help them grow and understand the heaviness and urgency of the times. Both Xiangxiang and Xiaoman mature as they witness the war, while giving us a really precious sibling relationship. Even the side characters like Xiuxiu, Grandma, Jinfeng, Xiao Di and many more are a very integral part of the story and make it more authentic.
The best part of the drama for me was that it was shown through the perspective of a family who are the common people of the society. Cause it is after all the people who are most affected by war and lose a lot in the process. It made the show much more genuine and real, without making it feel too political and heavy.
It is a story of a family living through the turbulent times of the war. The story of how the war affected them and their lives. How the war is the most evil of all and destroys everything. It is story of hope that better days will come for the country and its people. And most importantly, why family and country are the only things that remain and can never be forgotten.
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The Painful Reality of War
I just finished watching The Rebel (https://mydramalist.com/55281-the-rebel) and got hooked up with the China Post Imperialism Historical War Story and then I found this series “Battle of Changsha” (2014). It casts Yang Zi and Wallace Huo.I googled Battle of Changsha to know more about its history. There are 4 major battles in Changsha where China soldier defending the city and repelling Japanese army. The story sets during the Second Sino-Japanese ware between 1937-1945 in Changsha.
The drama tells a story of Hu Xiang Xiang played by Yang Zi, a young high school student with her twin brother Hu Xioman and their extended 4 generations of Hu family with lots of family members during the Second Sino-Japanese war between 1937-1945 in one of the China’s foothold city Changsha. Xiang Xiang met with Gu Qing Ming played by Wallace Huo, a soldier wannabe who aspire to defend his country and to fight battle in the frontline but objected by his Gu family due to his status from prominent influential family background and as a single heir of this family. His father is afraid that their Gu Family line will stop if Gu Qing Ming killed in war.
They both met in an awkward situation and creates misunderstanding between both due to different family status and point of views. But somehow, their path keep intertwined where Gu Qing Ming always comes to the rescue of this young naïve Xiang Xiang. During the story, they manage to put aside their differences and start having affection one to another which escalates to a more serious relationship.
This drama not purely a romantic drama, it is more a family drama. The story revolves on the Hu family with so many members and each has their own story which blend in to make the Hu family as the center of the story in the whole drama. Each member has its own story to tell, has its own pain and sorrow, has its own cheer and laughter.
When watching the series, to me it was flawless for a TV series: from the storyline, the setting, the war scene, special effects, acting, the costume, props, etc. It was really engaging to watch because all of it looks so real. I really like when it combined a documentary film then transform it to the drama scene. The transition is superb that make this story looks even more realistic.
It was so real so you will be carried away into the story and want to know what will happen next. From the historical standpoint, you will be intrigued to at least want to know more about the real story/history behind it.
It was so real that you will feel the fear of war, that war can turn your feeling upside down, the pain of loosing someone, how your family is torn apart due to war. So real that you can feel the heroism, the patriotism, and the eagerness to repel invaders.
You will be shown on how war can bring you from a naïve 16–17-year kids and forced them to grow up beyond their age. They are just children, who are playful, not thinking of any danger, speaks up their mind due to having good education and rank at school. They have never experience war before so they still don't understand the fear of it. Imagine yourself in that age in that era. The war changes them, when the blood spills in front of your face it definitely changed your mindset.
The story also tells you on relationship of each family member, how they view each other, how they want to protect each other, how they care each other to survive during this period.
The story shows you the painful reality of war in a realistic way.
In conclusion, I have no regret spending hour of watching these 32 episodes drama.
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Family value comes above all!!
Where to even begin, my heart is full and broken at the same time. It took me two try’s to finish this drama not because I disliked. First off I’m actually a-lazy subtitle reader and I’m not a fan of war dramas at all so it didn’t interest me in the beginning plus Battle of Changsha is a 2014 drama so I didn’t expect a lot out of it. I only came across this drama because my first C drama that I fell I love with is Ashes of Love and I fell in love with Yang Zi. After that drama I searched for other productions she’s in and came across this drama. I choose to see watch this drama over her other ones because it had great reviews. Once I really took the time to read the subtitles I was hooked. I binged watchers 32 episode in 3 days. Let’s talk about the cast, Yang Zi as Hu Xiangxiang capture my fandom more after watching. I can not believe she was only 21 at the time. Her acting was so good in this drama I cried every time she cried her emotions made me felt like I was part of it all. Wallace Huo as Gu Qingming first off is so perfect and handsome, second off I was so impressed by his acting and I have never seen any of his dramas. However it’s just not the main CP that made this drama so great, it is also all the supporting cast. The brother in law is my next memorable character following the whole Hu’s family. Bravos to the cast, crew, director and everyone else involved. This drama deserves so much more recognition!!!Was this review helpful to you?
The best Chinese war drama I had watched.
I do not usually watch dramas of the second world war as they are too painful. I watched this drama because I was mesmerised by Wallace Huo and the drama was very well rated. I must say it is a very well produced drama. Wallace Huo had very good chemistry with the lady counterparts in the dramas he had acted. He was terrific in the Journey of Flower and Chinese Paladin 3 which I had watched as well.The plot and character development was fantastic. We see the different facets of the characters - the rascal died a hero, the immature grew up, etc.
The fire of ChangSha happened but ChangSha never fell into the hands of the Japs - but I can condone the inaccuracy. :) Some of the running and shooting scenes were not realistic although that of the war looks pretty well filmed.
Probably after watching this, I am not going to buy Japanese products as far as I can for a long while, in addition to not buying American products - half of Americans voted for Trump.
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Beautiful drama but not for the faint-hearted
Battle of Changsha is a very excellent drama depicting the human sufferings and struggles for survival during wartime. It took me years before I watched this drama because I knew this kind of story was heavily tragic but I'm glad I took the chance. It is beautifully written and well-acted. My favorite characters are Xue Jun Shan and Mr. Wang.Rewatchability: this drama deserves its high Douban rating; however, I do not have the courage to watch it again because the real-life tragedy is too much for my mental health.
P.S. If your nation has never been invaded by the Japanese, you won't really understand how this affected me as a Filipino.
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Very emotional drama
Obviously the story is connected with the fight for freedom. Why people feel fun to rule other people . Why they feel content to hurt others,to snatch other land ,why they are not happy to have what they have . I watched many movies as well as drama about struggle for freedom. And felt all the time very bad to see the sufferings ,losses and sacrifices. After so many years of slavery ,the independence we get ,we should all respect it as well as cherish it . And swear to motherland ,never never and never again allowed anyone to Destroy and snatch this beautiful land ...I like the drama as well as acting of the actors,touched my heart and make me emotional specially the last scene when she lost her closeones .
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Story: it’s great there’s no unnecessary scenes and every single character had a story/meaning. I also love the growth of the twins at first they were really funny but bratty and then they had to grow up and face the harsh reality of war. This story broke my heart so many times but also is so funny at the same time. I knew war was a scary and damaging but this really opened my eyes.
Oh the acting in here is great nothing felt forced or overdone. Also can I say how much I love Yang Zi and Wallace Huo like I’m a big fan of them hence I wat he’s this but they really outdid all their other shows with the performance here.
Great music.
Totally totally recommend everyone’s to watch this amazing phenomenal show called Battle of Changsha. Definitely a 10\10.
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