Photos from the filming opening ceremony for JOL 2 on May 10, 2023 at Xiangyang Movie and TV City. Enjoy!!

 Arbaz Akhtar:

How many eps in season 2?

JOL2 & JOL3 each has "30 planned episodes" but interestingly enough JOL1 also had "30 planned episodes" but the final episode count was 46. It is common for the "planned episodes" to not reflect the actual amount of episodes released for a series. The only concern I have is since JOL1 was released, China created a policy that NO DRAMA can have more than 40 episodes!! Thus, I'm guessing for JOL2 & JOL3 they'll most likely do 40 episodes each. This is concerning cause JOL2 and JOL3 actually has a lot more content to cover than JOL1 which already has 46 episodes. I really hope they consider releasing JOL2 and JOL3 in parts (like JOL2 part 1, JOL2 part 2, JOL 3 part 1, JOL3 part 2) so they can get more episodes to cover everything but not sure if this will happen or not. 

Go here to watch the special video for JOL2 film opening ceremony: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ys4y1D78k/?t=46.9

This is what they are showing/talking about in the 1 minute 47 second video (my translation):

00:00 - 00:10 - JOL 1/2/3 Screenwriter Wang Juan [with a lot of hair loss LOL due to maybe writing JOL :) ] is seen coming to his computer to work on the script for JOL2. 

00:11 - 00:31 - We see Wang Juan has been working on the script since 2020 - January. The text shows the months (Jan-Dec) roll by from 2020 to 2021, 2022, 2023 and stops on May 2023. We see the camera zoom into Wang Juan's computer screen that shows the text "JOL2" and underneath in smaller text "episode 1."

00:32 - 00:37 - We hear a voice calling our ML "小范大人" (which means Your Honor Little Fan) two times telling him to "wake up" (it's also said two times). i'm suspecting it's Wang Qi Nian who is calling him since he calls him that the most. 

00:38 - 1:00  - The next thing you know, the camera pans to our Director and the crew looking at the camera (and at our ML) who says "You're awake? Do you know how long you have been laying there (referring to the last scene that was recorded for JOL1 that ends with our ML being stabbed and coming down onto the floor laying/collapsing)?" The Director says "Come here...give a greeting." We hear our ML say "okay!"

1:00 - 1:07 - We see the camera panning over and the director gives the cue to turn on the fan. The director then says to our ML "Okay, get ready." 

1:08 - 1:13- We see our ML get ready by breathing and touching his clothes. The Director says "Turn on camera, ready, set, begin!"

1:14 - 1:23 - Fan Xian gives his greeting! He is back! 

1:24 - 1:48 - We fast forward to the JOL2 film opening ceremony where there are red cloths covering the two cameras. We see a huge JOL2 background backdrop with the signature "ML hand" on the puzzle and a whole bunch of characters on the poster. The red clothes are unveiled to mark the beginning of filming and we see quite a few incense has been lite already. We see the main cast & crew, each with a shovel, scoop up dirt. We see a quick pan of the cast and crew and then finally a large group photo with everyone in it. The camera zooms out and see in large yellow text "We're here to fill the holes now (aka the holes that were left after JOL1 finished)!" We see the JOL2 icon being shown along with it's regular slogan "余年有幸 與君再相逢" which means "We are lucky/blessed in these remaining years to see you (us audience) again."

Turn Off Rolling Comments: Note, if you do not want video watcher comments to roll across the video as you watch it, find the small TV icon right under the video playback bar that has the word 彈 with a blue checkmark inside of it and click it once so it turns from a blue checkmark to a black "zero tolerance ("O" with a slash through it)" sign to turn the "rolling watcher comments" off. TV icon with the word 彈 with a blue checkmark inside of it is set as default so you need to manually turn it off to stop the rolling comments. To make sure to locate it, look right under the video playback bar. It's in between the video playback bar and the row where you can "like" the video, "star" it to save it to one's bilibili account, and forward it to someone else. 

Thank you very much for the translation of the vidéo! 

It's getting real now. Hopefully soon...

you all nearly made me cry with joy, i am sooooo excited and i really thought it wasnt gonna come and started reading the book, (will still finish though). Tong meng shi is coming back as Uncle Wu, yay!!!

 imagine:

you all nearly made me cry with joy, i am sooooo excited and i really thought it wasnt gonna come and started reading the book, (will still finish though). Tong meng shi is coming back as Uncle Wu, yay!!!

Gosh this makes me so happy when I heard he might not be returning I was so upset 😭

 sjadvocate:

JOL2 & JOL3 each has "30 planned episodes" but interestingly enough JOL1 also had "30 planned episodes" but the final episode count was 46. It is common for the "planned episodes" to not reflect the actual amount of episodes released for a series. The only concern I have is since JOL1 was released, China created a policy that NO DRAMA can have more than 40 episodes!! Thus, I'm guessing for JOL2 & JOL3 they'll most likely do 40 episodes each. This is concerning cause JOL2 and JOL3 actually has a lot more content to cover than JOL1 which already has 46 episodes. I really hope they consider releasing JOL2 and JOL3 in parts (like JOL2 part 1, JOL2 part 2, JOL 3 part 1, JOL3 part 2) so they can get more episodes to cover everything but not sure if this will happen or not. 

That would be awesome I don't mind waiting three months between each part, they should just give us the full script without any cut and we will wait, we're faithful fans of this masterpiece :)

Thank you for this good news!  I see our ML had lost weight!

Guys, no lie when I watched that trailer earlier in the week I teared up when I saw ZRY's face at the end of the video. Thank you to @sjadvocate for holding us down and talking us off the ledge with facts and correct information during this wait. You're really the MVP of JOL! 🤗

 sjadvocate:

JOL2 & JOL3 each has "30 planned episodes" but interestingly enough JOL1 also had "30 planned episodes" but the final episode count was 46. It is common for the "planned episodes" to not reflect the actual amount of episodes released for a series. The only concern I have is since JOL1 was released, China created a policy that NO DRAMA can have more than 40 episodes!! Thus, I'm guessing for JOL2 & JOL3 they'll most likely do 40 episodes each. This is concerning cause JOL2 and JOL3 actually has a lot more content to cover than JOL1 which already has 46 episodes. I really hope they consider releasing JOL2 and JOL3 in parts (like JOL2 part 1, JOL2 part 2, JOL 3 part 1, JOL3 part 2) so they can get more episodes to cover everything but not sure if this will happen or not. 

I hope both seasons will be able to have 52 or 56 or 58 or 62 format episodes 

 Arbaz Akhtar:

I hope both seasons will be able to have 52 or 56 or 58 or 62 format episodes 

Series length can only be 40 episodes now as per China's new policy, if they are going to split them up they have to wait at least 3 months before airing the next part

Who will Yan Bing Yun be instead of Xiao Zhan?

 Erin:

Series length can only be 40 episodes now as per China's new policy, if they are going to split them up they have to wait at least 3 months before airing the next part

I can wait lol it's just 3 months instead of 3 years I would prefer both seasons to have 40+40 eps divided in parts

 New Dawn:

That would be awesome I don't mind waiting three months between each part, they should just give us the full script without any cut and we will wait, we're faithful fans of this masterpiece :)

Agreed!