The Long Ballad (2021)

The Long Ballad is an EPIC and ARTISTIC tale of growth and finding one's own path.

The Long Ballad is by far the best Chinese drama I have ever watched. It has everything I could hope for in a good drama, and had even went beyond my expectations.

The actors and actresses were well chosen and were literally made for their roles. There wasn't a single person who I felt could've been played by another actor/actress. The characterization of every character is exceptional, and each character have their own flaws and strengths making them very 3 dimensional and well written. In a way, I found myself unable to truly hate anyone in the drama, even the villains themselves. Each character has a back story or reason as to why they chose the path that they did. The pacing was, and there wasn't a single filler episode. I felt like the last episode was a bit rushed, but I will be discussing that later on.

I have been a long time fan of Dilireba, and this role is her best one yet. She has truly improved from her past dramas and had brought Li Chang Ge to life. Chang Ge is a character that I adore greatly and will forever remain as one of my most favorite female leads. Her journey to find her Tao is so touching, and inspirational that it had made me feel for her so much, as well as wanting to find my own Tao. The people she encounters on her journey all played a purpose in helping her find her Tao. Each one taught her something different that she could look back and learn from. Raba's acting as Chang Ge was so amazing, and I absolutely loved her crying scenes. Episodes 14 and 15 especially were her greatest performances throughout the drama in my opinion. Those were also the saddest episodes and had literally left me with no tears left to cry.

Wu Lei as Ashile Sun, is the best choice anyone can make in finding an actor to perfectly portray this amazing character. Despite the doubts surrounding his ability to play such a manly and fierce character because of his age and appearance, Wu Lei had definitely proven to the world that he was born to act. The way he portrays his emotions even just by his eyes is such a sight to see, he really knows how to bring Ashile Sun's character to life and make us all fall in love with him. This character is definitely my most favorite male lead out of all the dramas I have ever watched. The most memorable scenes of Wu Lei's performance for me would have to be the scene where he drank the wine after deciding to let Chang Ge stay with the Wolf Division, along with the scene where he got on his knees for his mother. Both scenes included so much emotion and heartbreak despite having very little words uttered. Wu Lei had portrayed them exceptionally, and might I say even better than some veteran actors could've. This MAN is really going far in his career.

Next up is Liu Yuning as Hao Du. I like him a lot and his acting is great, although I can't say the same for his character. I was truly not fond of Hao Du at first and even hated him at one point for his obsession with killing Chang Ge. But, as the drama went on, Yuning's portrayal of Hao Du was so good that I ended up falling for him and all his flaws as well. Liu Yuning brings a touch of vulnerability in Hao Du by just the emotion in his eyes. His struggle in trying to do the right thing by his heart versus wanting to not disappoint his father, was so wonderfully portrayed by Yuning. His love for Leyan is also so pure that I want to protect him from the heartbreak I knew he was bound to face. A plot whole that I found was how and when Hao Du had fallen for Leyan. It felt as if he had fallen for her out of nowhere. One moment he was obsessed with Chang Ge and the next he was traveling day and night to find Leyan. Where did his love start? How did it start?

Then we have our second female lead, Zhao Lusi as Leyan. I like her. Although I do wish that her character wasn't written in as it adds nothing to the main plot, and takes away parts of Chang Ge's story from the manhua, it wasn't all too bad. Her type of character is typically the type that I hate in dramas. I prefer the strong badass lead like Chang Ge. However, Zhao Lusi's portrayal of Leyan was pretty good. I enjoyed her character growth although it was predictable and followed typical drama cliches. The way that she went from a timid and naive princess into a strong-willed and capable one who cares for her people was so portrayed pretty well, however. Although she can't fight or can plan out battle strategies like Chang Ge, her own strengths was still able to make her stand out as a character. I liked her compassion for others, and genuinely kind heart that had eventually warmed the hearts of everyone she encounters. Zhao Lusi like everyone else was perfect for her role, and I enjoyed watching her.

Lastly, we have Alen Fang as Wei Shuyu. No joke, I literally almost forgot about his character while writing this review. I only remembered once I had neared the end LOL. No hate to the actor, because I loved his acting and portrayal of the character with what he was given. The character itself was pretty much useless for most of the drama. I felt like while everyone was contributing to the plot and had character growth, Shuyu was just there and remained the same throughout. He did have some character growth towards the end tho, and eventually realized the mistakes in his past choices. But besides that, that was pretty much it. I appreciate Alen Fang, and wished he would've gotten the chance to show more of his ability.

Okay, now let me talk about GeSun and their dynamic which is one of the most healthiest relationships I have ever seen portrayed in a drama. They both love and respect each other, and instead of holding each other back, they support and understand one another's goals and path. They see each other as equals and would do anything to protect each other even at the cost of their own lives. There is no toxicity, roundabout misunderstanding, jealous second leads that make you want to rip your hair out, or the typical noble idiocy trope that most dramas love doing. This is a mature relationship that makes you route for the more you see them interact and fall for each other. It's a slow burn romance that allows you to understand from both leads' perspectives and how they grew to respect and fall for one another. It's the type of love that doesn't need kissing or make out scenes to see the yearning, love, and care that the two leads have for each other. (Even though I say this, I'm still mad that there was not a single kiss scene for our main couple :,() Wu Lei and Dilireba's chemistry was off the charts both on screen and off screen! I loved their dynamic and how well they get along with each other. Wu Lei is my most favorite Male Lead for Raba and I love how gentlemanly and protective he is towards her in real life. He just seems to match her energy and quirkiness and adds in some of his own that most of her past co-stars weren't able to do. Not only is he an amazing actor, he is also a genuinely great person from what I've seen! I really hope I will be able to see these two reunite in another drama one day :,)

Now we have HaoYan, the typical cold bodyguard falls for cute, innocent princess trope. Despite the few plot holes and clicheness of it all, I still enjoyed this couple. They also had great chemistry from the little interactions they had and are visually attractive together. I understand that the writers were trying to show Leyan coming to a realization that the person she truly loves, the one who had always been there for her and protected her was Hao Du. However, the execution of it all was lacking and seemed as if she had just fallen for Hao Du when she couldn't have Shuyu. Up until the duel for her hand in marriage, Leyan was still hoping for Shuyu to step up and fight for her. Not once did she think of Hao Du. Because of this, it made it seem as if he was just a second option to her. After they got together though, despite the ambiguity of it all, the two were a sweet and adorable pair. What I also liked, was how selfless Hao Du was in his love. He was willing to do anything for Leyan's happiness even at the cost of his own. The scene where he was willing to fight for her despite knowing that she might not return his affections was just so touching and beautiful, and perfectly conveys his love for her.

And of course we have Mujin and Mimi, our tragic lovebirds. I absolutely loved these two as a couple and was really hoping for their happy ending. But if one of our couples were going to have a tragic ending, I'd prefer it to be them instead of our two main couples... okay maybe I might think about sacrificing Haoyan's happy ending for Mijin's lol. Mujin and Mimi also had great chemistry and I adored the love that they had which had surpassed Mimi's hate for the Ashile Tribe. Their build up from enemies to lovers was great and I enjoyed their constant bickering. Honestly speaking tho, if someone close to Chang Ge was supposed to die, I'd prefer it to be Wei Shuyu instead of Mimi. Again, no hate to the actor, it's just he really in my opinion didn't provide anything to the plot, and I wouldn't have been as sad to see him go. I also felt like his death would've created a bigger impact for his character. However, that is also just my opinion.

Another couple were my two awkward puppies, Xu Feng and Shiba. These two are downright ADORABLE and I loved all their scenes together. Their interactions were small but also sweet and lovely.

Not only were the romantic relationships amazingly portrayed, there were other relationships on the drama that were just as complex and touching. There was Chang Ge's love/hate relationship with her uncle and his unconditional love for her. Chang Ge's mentorship with A'duo who became a little brother figure to her. Leyan's sibling relationship with with Xiao Wu, and her sisterhood with the clothing ladies. Ashile Sun's brotherhood with the precious boys of his Eagle Division. The complex brotherhood between Ashile Sun and She'er. Chang Ge's friendship with Mimi. Another one that I absolutely adored was little Yuan's adoration for Sun and Chang Ge.

The soundtrack also plays a huge role in the extraordinariness of this drama. Every song has been on my playlist on repeat since they have been released. I don't think there was ever a drama where I absolutely enjoyed every single song. And when I say I love the soundtrack, I mean it. I played it in the shower, on my car drives, I set it as my ringtone, and alarm... I was literally obsessed haha. The bgm was no joke either. It was so epic and moving and were weaved very beautifully into the scenes. I loved every single one and had also added them to my playlist :)

The wardrobe was beautiful, especially Ashile Sun's luscious and gorgeous long, wavy hair. Cinematography was also amazing. One of my favorite scenes would have to be the scene where Chang Ge walks out of the gates to meet Ashlie Sun for the first time. The music just made the scene so epic yet melancholic at the same time. The fight scenes were beautifully executed, along with the cuju match from episode 1. The animations were a cool addition to the drama, although some parts were a bit funny and awkward to watch.

The only thing I was a bit disappointed by was the last episode. I kinda expected something a bit more epic? The final scene of Chang Ge and Ashile Sun would've been satisfactory if only they hadn't spoiled it earlier on. With the epic ness of this drama, I just felt like it was a bit underwhelming. Also towards the last few episodes, Chang Ge and A'Sun were separated until the last two, which broke my heart cause I was really hoping for more scenes of them together. Besides these minor issues, there is nothing else for me to nitpick about the drama. Overall it was an enjoyable watch that left me yearning for more each week. I was also able to meet some really amazing people on this forum and have enjoyed going through the journey with them.

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