#jol1

[avornalino]

mornings on a private island are the best mornings :)

[beebeesiims]

face card never declines in this house pt. 3

[dangermousie]

Are you saying the drama I dumped because it was nonstop wacky comedy with no stakes or danger and a ML who kept goofing ended its run with him mass guillotining people?!?

WHAT

(I actually might go back and watch it now.)

I finally had time to catch up on Guardians of the Dafeng and I feel the need to vent.

I've liked it since the beginning and so far it's been great. It combined comedy with action, a bit of romance and a bit of awful crimes being punished.

But the worst crime by FAR was shown in episode 36 in the worst way possible. A whole city of almost 400000 people slaughtered. It had the potential to be awful and make me bawl my eyes out. Instead I kept fast-forwarding through it because the execution was so boring and performative. I don't get it. They did an excellent job in previous episodes when tackling corruption and injustice and how Xu Qi An reacts to it. He should've lost his mind with rage and horror. That would be in character and, to be fair, they did try to show it but it was too restrained (my complaint against Dylan) and too focused on how righteous and heroic he is, especially with his repetitive speech about how the duke deserves punishment (my main complaint, and it's the writer and director I blame for this). It made it cheap and distracted from the horror of it all. The officials crying in horror and grief was also overdone and the battle against the Kui was a joke, only there to make Xu Qi An even more heroic singlehandedly defeating an entire army. They should have focused only on the city.

The only part of episode 36 I liked at all was the segment about our wayward guardians and their adventure trying and failing to avenge their friend lol.

Oh! And Xu Qi An telling the duke (who justified his butchery by calling the people he killed "mere ants") that he is also an ant. That whole scene would have been so much better if instead of Xu Qi An giving a boring repetitive speech, he let the duke do his evil monologue, called him an ant and killed him. That's totally in character for him too! As we saw in previous episodes, he's cheerful and opportunistic and also willing to swallow his anger at being looked down on and oppressed for his and his people's sake but when he sees injustice he can't accept it and goes all quiet and wrathful. That's the Xu Qi An we were given for 35 episodes. That's what I wanted here too.

All this being said, I'm halfway through episode 37 and it's great so far! I wasn't sure how they'd handle the emperor but I'm loving it. He hears of his brother's crimes and is more angry about the duke being dead than the whole city being exterminated. And the way they're pressuring him to actually acknowledge his brother's crimes and actually siding with Xu Qi An who at this point doesn't seem to give a fuck anymore. I'm almost afraid to keep watching because it's so great and what if they try to make the emperor sympathetic? Though probably not. They've given plenty of hints he's a monster so far and seem to be anti-royalty (or at least anti emperor and brother).

[dilirebas]

My review of Joy of Life 2

The much-anticipated sequel to Joy of Life finally had its broadcast this year, and it picked up exactly where the first series left off. When Fan Xian returns to Southern Qing after a successful trip to Northern Qi, he immediately faces an assassination attempt by the Second Prince. Although he survives, this is just the beginning of the challenges and dangers that await him.

I really think, perhaps controversially, that the second series is even better than the first!

JoL2 has all the humour and warmth of JoL2 (seriously, it's still so funny), but it also has a darker overall tone. Fan Xian's experiences have shown us that this is an uglier and more dangerous world than we had originally thought. Characters are showing their true colours as their plans and motivations unravel.

We also see an angrier and less trusting Fan Xian. Not everything goes his way anymore. We realize that there are characters who can outwit him, and there are characters that have something to teach him. But that's what I find so exciting about JoL2 -- these newfound challenges raise the stakes and allow Fan Xian to grow as a character.

And at the heart of these challenges lies the fact that Fan Xian is a hopeful and principled person who can't ignore his vision for a fairer and better world. There are easier paths available to him but he refuses to give into his cynical surroundings.

It's true that JoL2 has a bit of a slow start. I'd say the pace and excitement picks up again towards the end of episode 3. But 3 slower episodes on the front end really isn't much to complain about. Remember that JoL1 had a slow start too, but those episodes served a purpose and they were 100% worth watching.

There are characters from JoL1 that will leave an even deeper impression on you in JoL2. For me, one of those characters was Lin Ruofu, and another one was the Crown Prince - for very different reasons. And, of course, the Emperor.

There are also new characters who are loveable and hilarious, including the Grand Princess of Northern Qi, the Eldest Prince of Southern Qing, and Deng Ziyue.

The cast chemistry in JoL2 is so good, you guys!! There are scenes where the actors' rhythms and energies come together so perfectly (whether it's comedic timing or dramatic buildup) and you just want to watch them over and over again.

I also think Zhang Ruoyun has improved as an actor. I know his original Fan Xian was already beloved and critically acclaimed, but he has continued to mature as an actor in the past few years. This time around, his performance as Fan Xian is simultaneously more explosive and more nuanced. There's much more happening in the details of his acting now.

To me, Li Qin as Lin Wan'er felt a bit like a weak link in a sea of outstanding performances. Compared to some of the others, she just felt less natural in her character. She's an excellent actress so this probably just isn't her best, and she still has several scenes where she makes a strong impression.

It took me a while to get used to the recasting of Yan Bingyun. I understand why it happened (Xiao Zhan's career skyrocketed after he filmed JoL1) but the new actor (Wu Xingjian) took a different approach that I didn't think was an upgrade. The new Yan Bingyun feels like a flatter and more transparent character, but that does also make sense in a way. In any case, Wu Xingjian still delivered in key scenes.

Through the lens of history (if you can call the setting history?), this drama touches on a range of themes and topics that remain relevant today. Fan Xian is not a saint but he's an admirable character by the standards of any society and he's the type of hero that every society needs.

If you've made it to this point in the review without having watched JoL1: I think you do need to watch the first series for the second series to make sense. But both series are amazing (like I truly believe they are among the best of the best of cdramas) and it will absolutely be worth your time. Run, don't walk!

[dangermousie]

This scene was AMAZING and Zhang Ruoyun is on fire.

He's always been an impeccable actor and he was incredible in JoL1, but somehow, improbably, he's even better in the second season.

[harocat]

Dramas I watched this year ranked from fave to least fave, purely on quality as opposed to level of investment:

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

The Double

Lost You Forever S2

Fangs of Fortune

Sword and Fairy

Burning Flames

In Blossom

White Cat Legend

Meet You at the Blossom

Melody of Golden Age

Snowfall

Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact

Honestly 6-10 are essentially tied, and there’s a large gap between ten and eleven.

Unfinished or dropped: Dashing Youth (may finish when I get a chance), Shenli (likely dropped), Kill Me Love Me (dropped), Follow Your Heart (dropped), The Mutations (dropped), Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (may try again), Hard to Find (probably dropped).

Watched from previous years: Under the Skin, I am Nobody, Nirvana in Fire (currently watching)

Watching right now: Blossom, Guardians of the Dafeng.

Plan on watching in the future: 19th Floor, Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, Riverside Code, Joy of Life 2 (once I finish JOL1), maybe The Spirealm.

[erizosan1]

Strangely enough i like jol 2 even more than jol1. This is almost unprecedented for me to like second season more than the first. But it's so so goooood and I'm enjoying every scene so far. I only hope that they will keep this up

[gege]

I have a question about JOL2. Does Yan Bingyun have a big role in it? Because I liked season 1 and am kind of interested in season 2. But I watched season 1 for Xiao Zhan. And I liked him in it. And I'm really hesitant about season 2 because somebody else as YBY feels so fundamentally wrong to me. And I've heard that the new guy is good in the role, that's not the issue, it's just that he's not Xiao Zhan. But maybe it won't bother me so much if he has fairly little screen time.

Hi! Sorry it took a bit of time to reply to this!

My advice is to ask yourself would you still enjoy watching JOL1 if someone else had played Yan Bingyun, because if the answer is no then it's probably not worth you investing your time, regardless of how big the role is. YBY doesn't have a massive role in this season either, the difference in screen time between the two seasons is probably neglegible. Honestly I had so much fun watching both seasons so I would recommend it to most, and I also only watched the first season because Xiao Zhan. Wu Xingjian does a great job and within the first episode I'd already got used to the change.

If you've seen XZ's other dramas you'll probably recognise WXJ from Sunshine By Your Side, if it helps to see a familiar face. Plus, if you're watching just for the actors, this has such an incredible cast even in the smaller support roles. Liu Duanduan's performance as Li Chengze alone is worth the watch!

(∩^o^)⊃━☆

[365daysofdread]

Two steps forward, etc. (at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CokryX-Jol1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tatkhonik-blog]

Palakar stages ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’ today

Palakar stages ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’ today

Palakar stages ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’ today

Theatre troupe Palakar will bring their play ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’, produced based on Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Chinnapatra’, on stage today at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segun Bagicha in the capital. The play is scripted by Syed Shamsul Haq and directed by Ataur Rahman.

Tagore is the protagonist of the play…

[avornalino]

no that's not a typo, she really did make 12k from a bake sale

[beebeesiims]

willow jade’s morning routine: poop, cereal, then a song.

[beebeesiims]

went out and took family pictures!

[beebeesiims]

this moment brought to you by @kashisun & unprotected sex.

[avornalino]

rosalie and her date, davion, actually hit it off so well there might be a second date 👀

[avornalino]

its wedding time!!! rosalie and davion are planning on having theirs in beautiful tartosa and are staying in a gorgeous house on its own private island! how romantic... <3