Joy of Life: Season 2 (2024)

Chess Game Within Chess Game, Maze-Like Writing, Intricate Plots With Compelling Characters

Finally, after waiting for nearly 5 years, the much-anticipated Joy of Life Season 2 comes with a bang. While the first season basically one of the best written scripts in the past 10 years in Cdramaland, the 2nd season as expected still managed to retain the same quality, vibe and layers with new interesting characters and stories.

Again, the things that made Joy of Life stand out among the sea of Cdramas is the maze-like writing and compelling characters. The depth and layers the script possessed are truly one of the best I've seen in the past years. I love how the writer have trust in the audience to interpret and understand the depth of the script on their own -- without telling us via monologue or dialog between the characters. It was so smartly written, with intricate and complicated plots also with so many layers for every characters. The Emperor's wisdom is the greatest example of this -- there are always layers to his words, not just 2 but sometimes 3 to 4 layers. Take example the lunch meeting between him, Fan Xian and his 4 sons -- the Emperor's always want his government clean as he took pride in them but at the same time, 'You can investigate, but not until it threaten my position and my ego.' -- he likes Fan Xian bold enough to make that accusation regarding 2nd Prince's treason, but at the same time, he throw Fan Xian's batch into the lake to save face towards the 4 of his sons but behind the scenes, he gave Fan Xian the Tiger squad to assist him with the corruption case. He is very calculative with everyone and there is always wisdom in his action -- he gets things done without dirtying his hands. He plans, make use of someone and still get what he wants in the end.

Some people might confuse it with plot holes or out of characters behaviors but when we decipher the scene that happened, it proved how we can’t simply interpret the scenes from the surface only. Like Fan Xian poisoning the 2nd Prince. It is truly deliberately done on purpose to mess with the 2nd Prince -- it wasnt because he is reckless or stupid. Fan Xian wants the 2nd Prince to taste his own medicine as he simply treats the 2nd Prince's life as worthless just like the 2nd Prince's view of everyone else's lives. But look now how his life is in danger, look how he behaves -- scared like everyone's else -- very embarrassing to witness. If Fan Xian really want to kill him, he will not purposely show him the poison and later give him an antidote. This is all part of his mind games. He never intended to kill the 2nd Prince. But, he achieve his purpose which is to send the 2nd Prince a message on how his life, just like everyone else is fleeting and can be gone at any time. This served as a warning to him. Also, this again to highlight that Fan Xian has always been petty with a Slam Dunk reference ''Sorry, my hand slipped'' when he threw the wheelchair to the 2nd Prince -- the pettiness that totally mirrored Rukawa & Sakuragi. XD

Also, how upon rewatching, you discover more thing about existing scenes from before. Like how we can view certain characters differently upon knowing more about them like the 1st Prince for an example. It is after all not about pissing contest against Fan Xian during his entrance to the Capital -- but more towards he wants to test Fan Xian's character as he is the man who is going to marry Wan'er and in charge of Treasury in the future. Then later, his future alliance with Fan Xian comes as no surprise as he is a man with moral and just because of that, he will help Fan Xian with his mission to create a better world for everyone.

Also, the foreshadowing is really strong in this season! Like how Fan Xian check the pulse of Prime Minister and the mirror scene where he checks it again in front of the Emperor. Or the foreshadowing that the Prime Minister keep telling Fan Xian to learn how to be cunning like The Emperor or to never to trust him -- like he predicted Fan Xian will oppose the Emperor in the future. Or First Prince's faceless paintings to Princess Royal's saying 'There is someone who doesn’t appreciate her beauty' -- all these are hints for the coming 3rd season that’s about to come. I love how conversations between the characters are either laced with poisons or secrets and that the ''joy'' of watching of Joy of Life. All the little details in the drama makes the story -- I love to catch all of these as it usually served as hints on which characters we should trust or not. For an example, the way it always emphasis how the 2nd Prince use human as stair when he took the carriage while Fan Xian's Dad, using a normal stool. Also the special feature on Chan Ping Ping's chair -- it shows how he is still after all still guarded against the Emperor. Same with how even before the revelations, I knew it was the Crown Prince who brunt the village down and it wasn’t the 2nd Prince. This is effective storytelling as when you combined all the hints one by one and understood the nature of each character, you know what to expect from them -- like the Crown Prince already show his fangs since the first season and only this season we know how dark he truly is -- probably darker than the 2nd Prince.

I love how 95% of the casts are still the same. And it awe me how they didn’t seemed to age except Zhang Ruoyun did lose a lot of weight from the previous season. And again this season, he returned more kick-ass than before -- Fan Xian is still literally one of the most layered, rich and brilliant character I have encounter in Cdramas. He didn’t lose all the characteristic that made him so spell-bindingly shining -- almost like a sun, in fact, this season he just further confirm why he remain my most favorite fictional character -- with how colorful, how unyielding, how he didn’t seem to care for anything but actually care too much, and how he is very uninterested with the power game, yet very good at playing it. He is like a male lead I always want in my dramas -- the one that I always root since he never ever makes any stupid decisions, like ever. I guess I watched too many dramas with the leads yielding to the bad guys' request when they are put in the corner so Fan Xian, is a refreshing case since you can threat him with his love ones, yet he still won’t follow your requests since he is playing the game better than anyone. I'm so happy that all my favorite veteran actors; The Emperor, Chan Ping Ping, Fan Jian, Prime Minister, Fei Jie all reprising their roles and in this season and we get to see many layers of them even more.

And even the new actors, I actually enjoy them -– it’s actually very rare for me to actually love mostly 95% of the characters in one single drama but how can you not? They are all written with little quirks that makes them interesting like the charismatic 1st Prince, the nervous but funny Beiqi Princess and some small supporting actor such as the 2nd Prince Guard -- on how dumb he looks, and always seemed to judge the Prince and how he is studying for imperial exam. Or the even the new Yan Bingyan -- I adore him. I love how he will always try not to laugh everytime Fan Xian did something funny. And it is the best where he finally let a big smile after being trolled by Fan Xian to pay for the whole breakfast.

And with Joy of Life, I find all the villains fascinating instead of hating them. I don’t root for them, but I like them as characters. I don’t remember I dislike any villains in the drama -- and we have a lot -- actually a lot of really grey characters. There are always endearing part of them and that includes the very hateable character The Royal Princess. But I like her a lot -- there is some wickedness in her that screamed deranged but all hide in this beautiful and alluring façade. Or the 2nd Prince -- how he seemed all unserious and casual but at the same time enigmatic and mysterious.

While I always love Joy of Life for the menacing storylines and their intrigue plots, Fan Xian's family dynamic is still one of my very favorite parts of the story. I love how the writer explored the Fan family dynamics to the fullest this season; his Dad is the one who takes him home and pretends not to care but we all know he cares the most. Then his step-mum, how Fan Xian honoring her during his wedding. Then Ruo Ruo's blind faith on Fan Xian and the ever adorable Fan Sizhe, he has finally grow up! I love the part where he finally gets those words of care from the Dad. What a wholesome family! Then we have Wan'er -- I adore adore Fan Xian and Wan'er's relationship. Wan'er represent the life that Fan Xian really wants and he finds calm and tranquility with her -- something that he didn’t get from anyone else. Reminds us that despite the world might be chaotic for Fan Xian, he can always return home where he can finally let his guard down and trust his family fully.

What made Joy of Life simply brilliant is how both the good and bad guys are EQUALLY intelligent and brilliant. It wasn’t a one-sided battle of wits. It is a chess games within chess games kind of story -- we always thought Fan Xian control his destiny (even when he act in his own free will) but no, all these are calculated as he is simply a chess piece as they predicted all that moves from him -- even the controversial ones. However, I love the very fact that Fan Xian truly live a very fulfilling life with no regrets so it isn’t frustrating to watch or root for him. One thing in dramas that I dislike when characters always holding back and wait for their next life to change their fate but not Fan Xian. He truly lives his life to the fullest and loving all the people in his life at the best of his ability. Thus, even if he dies in the middle, he lived a fulfilling life with no regrets and stay true to his ideals and principles -- the best kind of life -- suit the drama's title to a T.

Lees verder