Charlie C

I was also interested in "Generation to Generation" but decided against it. Thanks for the forewarning haha.
If visual is part of your consideration, I think the make-up and costume for the ML in "Ashes to Crown" will work for you too.

I looked at your watch list. I think this series will do fine for you, given you kind of enjoy "Generation to Generation" and other similar series.
The first couple of episodes didn't do much for me. Maybe watch the first 4-5 episodes? Cause that what did for me.
Tbh, the plot if pretty thin and childish. The characterisation can be delusional. But the chemistry among the actors is good. The lead couple is the definition of no-personal-space romance.
Also, not all highly rated series are good watch. Gotta try it and see for yourself.

Hallo, it's been a while. If you're still interested in any of the topics regarding "The Long Ballad", I only want to share. Recently, I watched "A Splendid Match". There was a shirtless, bandaging scene of Ci Sha. It struck me how that might have been a better physicality for Ashina Sun, imo.

My impression with Ci Sha was that he is buff. Actually buff, not the lean type like most popular Chinese actors or Wu Lei (I don't think Ci Sha can be considered popular here). So I looked into it. Turned out, he actually slimmed down for the role in "A Splendid Match".

I'm not saying anything else fits the image of Sun from the manga, just that shirtless scene. It seems more believable that he is a seasoned warrior. Helps also that Ci Sha is well-versed in horse-back riding and choreographed fight scenes with his martial art background, which are also in full-display in that series.

Check it out if you find this interesting. Cheers.

Agree with you and above comments. They should have made a romantic series instead of this pretentious and laughable court fight. Alas, I ignored all that because they actually have good chemistry or the production did a good job.

If you decide to watch "A Splendid Match", I think, you'll add it here too.

What an interesting list you created.

So many were drunk lol. It reminds me of a saying about alcohol lending love-confession power. Your descriptions are to-the-point.

Yes. I'm a sucker for comedy. So begrudgingly, I watch it till the very end despite the gradual, even exasperating, stupidisation of the plot lines, characters, not to mention certain propaganda.
I think the many characters in this series somewhat work. It lessens the boredom with the main couple, yet isn't too distracting.

I read parts of Deng Kai's interview with Vogue China the other day. Even the actor said to call the police if anyone faces someone like his character in real life.

Recently I realised that Qi Min is one of the many characters that benefit from their visual appeals. It's honestly a trope (whether said character is good or evil). Really good films or series (production as a whole) utilise none of such but the actors themselves. At the same time, I hope this helps certain actors gaining traction and get to do and leverage their skills more.

What a fun review! Thank you, you made me laugh quite a bit haha.

The problem with this and many other female-centric Chinese dramas is that most male characters are simps. They are unreasonably obsessed with the female characters. Their brains cannot function otherwise. Sadly, it dumbs down not only the drama itself but also the viewers. Nevertheless... a lot of people watch/like this type.

Just swap him with any character a specific viewer deems unattractive and we'll see...

"The Long Ballad" really met its intended audience in you. All the positivity and beauties that are beyond the looks of it are clearly appreciated by you in this review.
I agree with you on how Chang Ge and Sun's relationship - built on friendship and trust through a lot of trials, ups and downs - is such a highlight of this story and their developments. In real life, this type of relationships is proper strong and healthy. It's good exposures for young, impressionable viewers. May they stick with this rather than many of the outrageous, delusional ones.

Firstly, thank you for sharing. I simply wanted to record my viewing experience and thoughts here. I didn't expect for any comment as this series is around 5 years old. It's nice to hear from someone who cares about this series and know the manhua :D

I agree with you that fans of the manhua might have difficult times with this drama, evidently many Douban reviewers. Truthfully, I don't think I'm a diehard fan. I read the manhua many years ago, long before the drama, and had strong impressions with it. However, when I watched for three separate occasions/years, my memory of the manhua wasn't as prominent. I recently re-read it and was clearer on how this adaptation is... an adaptation of its own. A lot of changes were made and they tried their best to link them together to make a more-or-less cohesive story. Still, the concurrent storylines never help, but distract.

My third time, I actually tried to look at it as its own rather than an adaptation. I believe, viewers without prior knowledge of the source materials might enjoy it much more. But the jumble-mumble storylines still took my attention away, making me impatient, frustrated. Even on its own, many of the points in my review stands: how irritating Chang Ge's characterisation is, how that in turn affects the dynamic and relationship between her and Sun, how Yong An and Hao Du's arcs derails the main stories of Chang Ge and Sun, even Muji and Mimi's stories too.

I also agree with you how it's very difficult to achieve the looks and feels in a comic adaptation. But I think, I would mind none of that if the story were better. I have my doubt about Dilireba. But Wu Lei, I think he can deliver, he only needs good materials.

I can't really think of a live-action adaptation from Asian comics that is good. Many raved about "One Piece" but I haven't seen it, even though I do follow the manga. On the other hand, Western comic movies are pretty good, in my opinion. They take the source materials and give different spins that befit the stories that they craft. It's not exactly a live-action, but I am a fan of "Spider-Verse". I read the comic, it was good. But the animated film elevated it to a whole new level. I plan to watch "The Penguin" because I heard good things about it and I have read "The Long Halloween". I feel that, generally, Batman adaptations are pretty on-point. Not the exact storylines, but the creativity and the fresh takes that are the adaptations are satisfactory and exciting.
What I mean to say is, I don't mind if changes are made, as long as the story and storytelling are good. Ah, I just remember watching "F4: Thailand" recently. That was a refreshing and well-made adaptation! It modernised, even upgraded, "Hana Yori Dango".

To be honest, I don't have anyone in mind when it comes to who should play who. I never even expected "Chang Ge Xing" to get a live-action and only learned about it some time after it was fully released haha. What's most important to me remains: a good story. Let's start from there. And with a production team of people who believe in that story, who want to make it happen to the best of their potentials, I think it can happen.
I understand there are a lot of stakes and conflicting interests in the film-making industry in China. "The Long Ballad" might have tried to make the most of it. Dilireba and Wu Lei might have given their all to their roles. And I will continue to hope for good, quality Chinese series because there are potentials and there have been some really outstanding ones.

As for Wu Lei's wig, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" haha. It's a good thing that he received much love and positivity from the viewers like yourself. I must say, among the commericial actors, he is definitely one of the very few with proper acting chops.

I was curious about this and finally decided to watch, but couldn't get into. After reading your review, I knew for sure, this wasn't my cup of tea. Your piece is so well-written. Thank you.