[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Joy of Life 庆余年

[40somethingahjumma]

I'm beginning to think that Fan Xian's mum must have been one quite remarkable woman to have attracted so many male admirers that are now bending over backwards to protect her son.  The stele does go some way in supporting that she was very revolutionary in her thinking although the foundations for having those thoughts aren't clear to me. The idea of universal human rights which FX adheres to and espouses isn't particularly rooted in Chinese philosophy. 

 

What was also interesting is how the show demonstrated how FX, although the hero of the piece, isn't right about everything all of the time. Even though we (in the 21st century) would agree with him about Teng Zijing's value as a human being, it begged the question of Lin Gong's right to a fair trial. Is he not a man too... with a brother, a sister and a father? Do we care about human rights only if the person we seek vengeance for is a friend or family member. It's not so easy, is it... the whole business of vengeance. Ruo Ruo was right... there are ramifications that affect FX personally ie his relationship with Wan'er. Wuzhu was right too. FX was racked full of doubts about doing such a thing. He was telling TZJ to keep calm but he didn't take his own advice. There is a price for holding on to universal human rights in a place like Jingdu for which the concept is entirely foreign. He can't be too cavalier about what goes on in the centre of political power.

 

Another matter of interest: I was fascinated by the emperor's reaction to FX on meeting him for the first time. He was watching him from around the room like a young lady in a contract marriage curiously wondering what the young man she was going to marry was like. Also interesting was how he allowed FX to take so many liberties in that first encounter. (Yes, I pretty much guessed their connection early on) The emperor seems to particularly like people who are bold in front of him. He's rather flamboyant himself... making appearances in his dressing gown.

 

21 hours ago, epinklyn said:

 

I hate Li Qin when she was in Princess Agent because of her role of course LOL, so i dont have any feeling for her at first, but she really adorable as LWE, how can we not love her? Honest pure and kind, she really nailed it.

 

Zhang RuoYun, ahhh speechless, i keep rewatching all his clips from tv show, movie, and series, because of his great act n his voices! I also find he has a good personality as well, oh no i am starting to fangirling him LOL.

 

I always thought LQ was a good actress even in PA. But yes, this is a completely different role for her here.

 

Do you like detective dramas? You should watch ZRY in Dr Qin S1 with Li Xian. It can be a bit gruesome (probably not for the faint of heart) but he was pretty good in it. He has a knack for playing intelligent men. 

 

20 hours ago, pad-hari said:

 

@40somethingahjumma, awww, you r here.  This drama is so good with the mix of hilarious political vendetta and FX wittiness and not to forget his fangirls.  Hehe. I like him more with Haitang duoduo, the saintess.  They r cute. Finally, one thing ZRY,  my new find in c dramaland.  Wow!!!! What an actor, he is!!!!!!

 

I haven't come across her yet. But I think Wan'er is a good person for him in that she is someone who is outside of all the political wheeling and dealing. It brings out a different side to him that he doesn't often show. What really sold me was when he went to see her after TZJ's death and he just let it all out. And she was able to identify why TZJ was willing to die for him just from hearing his story. They are similar in very many ways and she's a refuge from the storms. 

 

23 hours ago, skibbies said:

@40somethingahjumma Princess Bride is a great comparison! It's just so much fun. 

 

 

I was thinking when I first saw Cheng Jushu or whatever it is... "Oh wow... they even have a giant in this show as well."

[tothestars]

45 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

Do you like detective dramas? You should watch ZRY in Dr Qin S1 with Li Xian. It can be a bit gruesome (probably not for the faint of heart) but he was pretty good in it. He has a knack for playing intelligent men. 

 

Of course i have watched it LOL, while i keep rewatching JoL, i also searching ZRY's other drama n movies hahaha, so happy that Dr. Qin is available in engsub, but too bad not available for Sparrow and Awakening of Insect. I also have watched Evolution of Our Love. He really can be anyone... Wow.

 

Yeah he has a knack for playing intelligent man, of course because he is also a smart man, i watched him solving the mystery in who is the murderer and the key man, he is a smart man.

[tothestars]

52 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

What was also interesting is how the show demonstrated how FX, although the hero of the piece, isn't right about everything all of the time. Even though we (in the 21st century) would agree with him about Teng Zijing's value as a human being, it begged the question of Lin Gong's right to a fair trial. Is he not a man too... with a brother, a sister and a father? Do we care about human rights only if the person we seek vengeance for is a friend or family member. It's not so easy, is it... the whole business of vengeance. Ruo Ruo was right... there are ramifications that affect FX personally ie his relationship with Wan'er. Wuzhu was right too. FX was racked full of doubts about doing such a thing. He was telling TZJ to keep calm but he didn't take his own advice. There is a price for holding on to universal human rights in a place like Jingdu for which the concept is entirely foreign. He can't be too cavalier about what goes on in the centre of political power.

 

Well said, i guess from FX's expression when he killed Cheng JuShu in front of TZJ's son (well his back literally), and listen to CJS short story about his friendship with TZJ's son, i believe it breaks his heart. CJS is still an ordinary man despite his ugly persona, who craving for love and care from anyone, ironically he always become a killing machine. And eventually goes as well when FX met Lin DaBao, Lin Gong's big brother, i believe in that moment, FX felt guilty for trying to kill Lin Gong. That emotional feeling full of rage for the death of TZJ is gone in a second. Like you said, he didnt take his own advice. But that is human after all.

 

59 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

I haven't come across her yet. But I think Wan'er is a good person for him in that she is someone who is outside of all the political wheeling and dealing. It brings out a different side to him that he doesn't often show. What really sold me was when he went to see her after TZJ's death and he just let it all out. And she was able to identify why TZJ was willing to die for him just from hearing his story. They are similar in very many ways and she's a refuge from the storms. 

 

This is one of my many fave scenes, just a simple act of wan er, listening to TZJ's story and identify how TZJ have acknowledged FX as his family, is so touching...

[tothestars]

Happy CNY!

 

[Scandias]

Looks like the next episode of Who's the Murderer feature Zhang Ruoyun and Xiao Zhan 

The cutest Joy of Life reference

 

Rewatching the drama...

Does anyone know whether Lord Shadow/影子 is a name (therefore he should be Yingzi), or it's a nickname?

 

 

[MaySenpai33]

20 hours ago, Scandias said:

Looks like the next episode of Who's the Murderer feature Zhang Ruoyun and Xiao Zhan 

The cutest Joy of Life reference

 

Rewatching the drama...

Does anyone know whether Lord Shadow/影子 is a name (therefore he should be Yingzi), or it's a nickname?

 

 

Spoiler

It is a nickname. He has a real identity but it will be very much later on into the story that you will find out. At least, in the novel it was revealed much later who he really was. I can spoil it if you want to know. 

 

[Scandias]

@MaySenpai33, you are really my saviour, thank you!  

For now I'm enough with this knowledge. But if any more questions would arise, could I please write to you directly? Or it is better to use this thread?

[MaySenpai33]

9 hours ago, Scandias said:

@MaySenpai33, you are really my saviour, thank you!  

For now I'm enough with this knowledge. But if any more questions would arise, could I please write to you directly? Or it is better to use this thread?

I don’t use this site much so I just have a habit of checking threads here and there. Just post here and I will add a spoiler tag so anyone with the same question can spoil themselves if they wish. Cheers! 

[MaySenpai33]

Also this isn’t actually a spoiler of the drama as we already know what happened but

Spoiler

Teng Zijing never dies in the novel lol. He actually just got a broken leg instead. It’s more of a plot difference. I guess they wanted us to sympathize in the drama more. In the novel, it was two other bodyguards who died instead and they were loyal to FX from the beginning. Teng Zijing actually became a crippled servant of the Fan family along with his wife and they both survive until the end of the novel. So that’s a neat bit. 

 

[dzareth]

@MaySenpai33, can you share the bit about FX's mom's death? Was she poisoned, tricked etc? Did she know who killed her or was she aware of who is plotting against her? 

[MaySenpai33]

3 hours ago, dzareth said:

@MaySenpai33, can you share the bit about FX's mom's death? Was she poisoned, tricked etc? Did she know who killed her or was she aware of who is plotting against her? 

 

FX’s mom’e death:

Spoiler

To be honest, I don’t know how different the drama will be. But in the novel, FX’s mom was killed by the plotting of the emperor. He knew that the empress dowager and the empress (mother of crown prince) hated Ye Qingmei and his motivation to kill her was to stabilize power. The big taboo that Ye Qingmei did was on the stone tablet outside of the overwatch council. If you remember in the drama where FX read out her ‘goal’ of the world. There was actually a missing line that the emperor removed, ‘I wish everyone to become a king of their own land and govern their own lives’ or something like that. But of course that’s a big no-no to the views of that time and the empress dowager and emperor both did not agree. 

 

So basically there are two major military families in the story. There is a Qin family and the Ye family (not Ye Qingmei’s Ye). At the time of her death, the emperor purposely worked together with the temple (as I mentioned in a previous spoiler) and ordered both Chen pingping and Fan jian out of the capital city on orders. At the same time, the temple distracted Wu Zhu. And the emperor was also out on the battlefield somewhere himself with the Ye army.

 

This left the empress, empress dowager, and the Qin army (who knew what the emperor wanted) to ‘get rid of’ Ye Qingmei. Basically after she gave birth to FX, the Qin army came and killed her off on the empress dowager’s orders (but the emperor knew his mom wanted to kill her and let it happen). And then the emperor was still very emotionally hurt it happened since he still loved Ye Qingmei. So the emperor, Chen pingping and Fan jian pretty much slaughtered all of the empress and empress dowager’s entire clan and only left them alive lol. 

 

Chen pingping and Fan jian were actually suspicious of each other on why the woman of their hearts died, but they eventually guessed the emperor had something to do with it after all. No details were given on how she exactly died but we can assume it’s from a sword. She also died as a ‘rebel’ because of the empress dowager and they had to continue that as an excuse for her death since the mom had such a big influence on society and people would question her death if it wasn’t for a big reason. 

 

I immediately disliked the emperor after this...because not only did he purposely plot the opportunity for her to be killed, he also felt anger AT HIS OWN PLOTTING and punished his mom and wife (mother of the crown prince) for fulfilling his plans lmao. He wanted to get rid of Ye Qingmei AND the powers of the dowager and empress to secure his own power. 

 

[Sobayaki]

I'm only on episode 30 but I'm kind of amazed how good this story is so far and how likeable pretty much all of the characters are. There's not one character that I hate because they're all so well-rounded and each has a reason for their actions and ambitions. I was floored by episode 28's revelation. Does anyone have any insight and how it compares to the novel version?

 

Spoiler

I always thought the novel's story was that the main character died in modern times and traveled to the past to relive his life. The drama was altered because time travel is banned so it became the main character in modern times writing a story about himself being born in the past but with knowledge and memory about modern times. 

 

But episode 28 revealed that the earth went through an ice age and humans died out. The current generation of humans are "new" and a few like FX's mom are remnants of the previous generation of humans. Does anyone know if this is the same premise in the novel? This is so interesting to me! I hope they expand more on this in the drama but I'm worried how they're going to do that since they had to censor out some modern weapon in episode 28...

 

[tothestars]

7 hours ago, Sobayaki said:

Does anyone have any insight and how it compares to the novel version?

 

You can read @MaySenpai33 spoiler on the novel few posts above, they are very very detailed... Read on your own risk LOL

[tothestars]

20 hours ago, MaySenpai33 said:

FX’s mom’e death

 

Omg, that is why when i randomly read the novel, i came to the section where...

 

Spoiler

FX and the emperor are fighting, appearently FX want to kill the emperor, but ended heavily injured. That time i wonder why FX wants to kill his own father? I thought i would be a nice reunion between father and son (since i dont read the novel thoroughly...) But now, hell yeah, the emperor really a pyscho yes!

 

[tothestars]

I just read chapter 691, CPP was executed... I cant help crying, FX is trying so hard to save him but too late...  somehow i can imagine how the drama would be like... 

 

Spoiler

With a slap, Fan Xian's feel finally landed on the wet little stage. However, he had paid a great price. The injuries in his body exploded forth ferociously. He spat out a mouthful of blood. He paid it no attention. He just stared dazedly at the old man on the scaffolding who had suffered countless cuts and was exposed before the eyes of the people and endlessly humiliated.

With just a glance, Fan Xian knew that he had come too late. He could not make him live on. His dry lips rose slightly. He wanted to say something but could not say anything.

The autumn rain fell and swept across the bodies of the two people on the wooden stage. All around, there was a death-like silence. All of the imperial soldiers, Internal Court aces, and the powerful Ascetic Monks from the Qing Temple surrounded the wooden stage tightly. Suppressed by the valiant killing intent and desperation that Fan Xian demonstrated earlier, all of their bodies were rather rigid. No one could take a step.

Fan Xian moved forward with great difficulty. He pulled off the ropes and held Chen Pingping's thin body in his arms. Taking off his filthy and tattered black Overwatch Council robe, he placed it over his body.

With great difficulty, Chen Pingping opened his eyes. His old, murky, and disorientated eyes flashed with a very pure light. The old man was like a child huddled in Fan Xian's embrace. It was as if he was slightly afraid of the cold.

"I came back too late," Fan Xian said hoarsely. He held the thin body and felt the old man's warmth slowly seep away. His heart was filled, as never before, with a sense of failure, hopelessness, and pain.

 

-----------

 

Chapter 692: Sending of CPP

 

The old man had experienced countless bitterness in his life. He had been crippled for half his life. The life force in his body had long been exhausted. When he was being cut, each stroke of the knife had, other than pain, produced very little blood. After the torment of so many cuts, the blood still pooled endlessly. It soaked through the black Overwatch Council robe Fan Xian had thrown over his body. It was slightly sticky, hot, and burning to the touch.

In the autumn rain, Fan Xian gently held his thin body, terrified of hurting him more. He held tightly to his icy hands, terrified he would just go like this.

"If you didn't want to come back, who could have made you? Why did you delay me in Dongyi for so long?" Fan Xian said in a low and raspy voice. His dry lips had turned white in the rain. The skin was peeling slightly. He looked very pitiful. "For whom have I been so busy these years for? Worked hard for? Was it not so that you old folks could leave Jingdou and live good lives? I've always done my best…"

"You know that I know everything." Fan Xian's head dropped even lower, resting gently against the old man's wrinkled face. His body swayed gently in the rain like he was coaxing the old man in his arms to sleep.

The old man's hand suddenly tightened forcefully around Fan Xian's. Even with all the strength in his body, he couldn't tighten his hand. Perhaps he was reluctant to let go of something or was afraid of something. In this rain and wind-filled day and on the water and blood-soaked ground, he wanted to hold something.

Like a knife slowly tearing through his heart, Fan Xian, cold and terrified, watched the old man in his arms. He knew he couldn't hold on anymore. He unconsciously tightened his hand to the point that his fingers began to turn white and he felt a faint pain.

 

[40somethingahjumma]

LOL. This show is all kinds crazy brilliant. Even with all the humour, it's one of the most serious and well-thought dramas I've seen. Usually C dramas rely on slapstick to get the humour going but this one is on an entirely different level. It's such a clever show with such a well-rounded cast of characters. I love it so much. I love ZRY too much. He's absolutely pitch-perfect.

 

One of my favourite things about this show are the father-figures in Fan Xian's life. I don't think it's a big secret who FX's birth father is but I think it's really sweet that men like Chen Ping Ping, Fei Jie, Wuzhu, richard simmons Minister Fan and even his father-in-law are mentoring him, giving him advice. The emperor too... in a backhanded sort of way. Right now of course I'm very partial to this relationship with Chen Ping Ping... the Walsingham of Qing.  I wouldn't be surprised if FX is being groomed for the top job in some fashion.

 

More than his intelligence, to me FX's greatest asset, his true genius is his quirky charm and ability to make people like him. In a place where people form connections largely for self-interest, it must be rare to meet a man who is genuinely interested in the people around him especially those who are weak and are at the fringes. The people around him become fiercely protective of him because there is something authentic about the way he behaves. He's an all round good natured lad unless of course you're trying to destroy him.

 

Wan'er has a simple but I think, ultimately correct view of things. She generally surprises me as well as not really being your typical love interest for the male lead. I enjoy how the show uses her as a confidante of the male lead not just someone he is "fated" to be with or has to spend time falling in love with over the course of the story. It is unusual in that regard. Her suffering has matured her in so far as she is able to see what is essentially important. Despite being cloistered and ill for most of her short life, there's an old, wise soul lurking inside of her. Her responses to the Princess Royal's (Li Yunrui's) proclamations are absolutely spot on. She didn't ask for her mother to make those kinds of sacrifices to protect her from the eye of the storm. She certainly didn't ask her mother to play the kind of palace politics that would endanger all of them. All she wanted was a relationship with her mother. Also crucial to Wan'er's self-awareness is FX's treatment of her from the start. He's opened up the outside world to her and injected hope into her otherwise dreary existence.

 

On some level I accept that the Princess Royal as an extremely clever woman who acts in desperation. I still think she's a little unhinged but I don't hate her. But there's no sympathy from me because she's a grown woman who knows how to play the game with all the rest of them and she's prepared to go all the way with it. It's a high stakes game were they're gambling with their very lives and that of others. She can say she's doing things for Wan'er but of course, Wan'er isn't buying it. It is interesting that even if Wan'er seems weak, it took a great deal of strength and courage to stand up to her mother, advocating for her own right to choose her path even if it leads to death. What does she have to lose? Before FX arrived, she was marked for inevitable death anyway. At least the quality of her existence has changed. Longevity was always luxury in her case.

 

Even her suspicious father can see that FX is different in how he treats the normally ostracized Dabao.

 

I think the drama demonstrates that there are many ways to gain power. It echoes what Shakespeare wrote in Twelfth Night. "Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them." I think all three insights are probably true of FX. But in the case of amassing power, one can do it through talent, manipulating the weaknesses of others, gaining victory power plays, cultivating key relationships and good o'l reliable murder. 

 

Before the revelations in Episode 28, I had been wondering whether there was a sci-fi element to it. Especially with regards to Wuzhu. There's something robotic about him that made my head go that way. Although I wasn't thinking along the Planet of the Apes line. I toyed with the idea of some kind of Matrix setup. It is fascinating... and I do buy it on some level that regression can occur after a major apocalyptic event. But whether societies have to go through a particular evolutionary trajectory is certainly up for debate given the diverse history of humans on the planet.

 

FX's drunken poetry recitation reminded me once again of how great Tang and Song poetry is. The choice of wording, rhythm... etc. Breath-taking.

The charge of plagiarism was a fascinating inclusion in the drama as a means of discrediting FX's reputation. But is it plagiarism if no one has ever heard it before or knows where it comes from?

 

 

 

[dzareth]

@MaySenpai33, do spoil me about lord shadow. Did FJ really unmasked him in the book? Does he goes around unmasked in his real identity?

 

Which side of the fence do the divisions of CPP's organisation stand at?

[caranita]

I can probably never write an indepth and thoughtful observation of Joy of Life like @40somethingahjumma (I remember loving your thoughts on some other shows here as well, like the HSDS 2019 and LOCH 2017), but here I'd like to share a blog on this lovely drama:

 

https://atouchofdrama.wordpress.com/2020/01/29/thoughts-on-joy-of-life/#more-3587

 

Enjoy!

[tothestars]

Fanmade video: The story of Ye QingMei.

 

Starring:

Ye QingMei - Sandrine Pinna (Once upon a time in Ling Jian Mountain)

Young Emperor - Zhang RuoYun (Novoland the Castle in the Sky)

Fan Jian - Liu HaoRan (Novoland Eagle Flag)

Chen PingPing - Xu Kai (the Legends)

 

https://video.h5.weibo.cn/1034:4466523381628975/4466525525908764

 

 

Credit as tagged.

[abyssal]

The novel and the drama are fairly different in how they characterise people, so far I've only read till the place where the drama stops-ish. For one, Fan Xian is far more likeable in the drama, and that's such a big thing that I don't think I will read on further. I'll wait two years for a sequel and hope that the adaptation continues to write Fan Xian as an ultimately good person, despite his flaws. It's a great weakness we have in our heroes. We want him to be good, it's easier to root for him that way - even though we know real humans are much more like the novel characterisation.

 

Things like, let him be good, don't let him die, please let his Shifu be okay, no don't hurt Teng Zi Jun's child. Things like do punish that Yan-boy.

 

Honestly, the most dislikable person in the drama is the singlemindedly brainwashed Xiao Zhan character. I know he's been brought up brainwashed, but seriously. Not to mention the fact that his devotion allows for his own desires, but he uses the greater good to explain away his movements when we can hear his thoughts. In this sense, Yan-boy will never be able to reach what Chen Ping Ping has done. With the way that the first season of Qing Yu Nian ended, I really really have a burning desire to slap Xiao Zhan's character.

 

Many reviewers have mentioned the problems with hypocrisy, and I think that's one very long thread that all the characters except perhaps Ruoruo have. Still, we're quite okay with Fan Xian's occasional blip in a moral compass, because he's generally aligned like a chaotic-good. He's shifting more though, and it will suck when he eventually breaks Wan'er's heart. Before that, I think I'd rather stop, sometimes we need to kill our own heroes.

 

I know the drama can't leave the novel too far, if not there will be critics who condemn the deviation. But maybe one day the dramas can be considered better, an improvement on the novel. It's going to be a long wait, but if the novel is going to end up with

Spoiler

uh a harem plus no good end CPP

then t.t I cannot take it. I will feel terrible because I know Wan'er will let it happen and be happy because she one-sidedly still loves Fan Xian. And what, I'm still reeling from CCP's semi (okay who am I kidding) - betrayal. Still, we can see the drama going near there. The lines drawn were not clear enough for us to rule it out.

 

Usually I like the twists and turns but the ones here have only made me really sad(?), especially since Fan Xian got pummelled by the multifold betrayals. What a series. Now years to wait and time to go seek maybe something a bit more sweet. I will totally rewatch the first forty episodes, helpfully editing out Yan-boy.