The Long Ballad Review

The Long Ballad (长歌行) is a surprisingly great drama to me. I supposed I was expecting something similar from Dilraba Dilmurat after watching her cutesy performance in Eternal Love Of Dream. But her character in this production is far different and she carried that role well. Apart from the actress, there are a few other things that make this drama one of the best that I have watched so far in 2021. The Long Ballad review below will have a bit more details about this historical drama and why I think it is worth your time to give it a go.

My rating: 8.5/10
Episodes: 49
Type: Romance, Historical
Aired: March 2021
Images Credit: Tencent

The Cast Of The Long Ballad

• Dilraba Dilmurat as Li Chang Ge / Princess Yong Ning
• Leo Wu Lei as Ashile Sun / Ah Sun
• Rosy Zhao Lu Si as Li Le Yan / Princess Yong An
• Liu Yu Ning as Hao Du
• Alen Fang Yi Lun as Wei Shu Yu
• Geng Le as Li Shi Min
• Yi Da Qian as Mu Jin
• Cao Xi Yue as Mimi Guli
• Kudousi Jiang Ainiwaer as Ashile She’er
• Jin Song as Yan Li Khan / Great Khan
• Yang Ming Na as Princess Yi Cheng / Khatun
• Liu Hai Kuan as Situ Lang Lang
• Cheng Tai Shen as Du Ru Hui
• Lu Xing Yu as Gongsun Heng
• Wu Chen Xu as Xu Feng
• Liu Chu Xuan as Luo Shi Ba
• Feng Jun Jie as Ah Dou
• He Yu Xiao as Li Cheng Qian
• Yang Jun Cheng as Lei Ming
• Tian Yu Peng as General Li Jing

Main Characters

Li Chang Ge / Princess Yong Ning

Chang Ge is a Tang dynasty princess. Her father is Crown Prince Li Jian Cheng but they do not share a close bond. She is close to her mother, Lady Jin, as well as her uncle, Li Shi Min. Chang Ge is a willful princess who is good in martial arts. She is also a smart tactician with a stubborn and determined personality.

Ashile Sun / Ah Sun

Ah Sun is the leader of the Eagle Division of the Ashile Tribe. He is also the adoptive son of the Great Khan. Ah Sun is a brilliant military commander who is loyal to his adoptive father. He is skillful in martial arts and covert strategies.

Li Le Yan / Princess Yong An

Le Yan is a Tang dynasty princess and Li Shi Min’s daughter. She is also Chang Ge’s cousin sister and best friend. Le Yan is a timid lady who is naive given her sheltered life. But she has a kind and warm heart. She has feelings for Shu Yu.

Hao Du

Hao Du is a commander of the palace guards. He is also the foster son of a high-ranking royal official. Hao Du is obedient and will carry out his foster father’s orders without question. As such, he appears as cold and cruel but has a soft spot for Le Yan.

Wei Shu Yu

Shu Yu is the son of a royal advisor serving under Crown Prince Li Jian Cheng. He is a good man but but does not have the required courage needed during tough times. Shu Yu is Chang Ge and Le Yan’s childhood friend. He has feelings for Chang Ge.

Supporting Characters

Li Shi Min

Shi Min is Crown Prince Li Jian Cheng’s brother and Chang Ge’s second uncle. Le Yan and Cheng Qian is his daughter and son respectively. Shi Min is a capable and responsible man who cares for the people. But he is viewed as a threat by the Crown Prince and they do not get along.

Mu Jin

Mu Jin is Ah Sun’s loyal assistant and good friend. His love interest is Mimi Guli.

Mimi Guli

Mimi is a slave who is sent to Ah Sun’s Eagle Division. She appears as harmless and loyal but has her own agenda.

Ashile She’er

She’er is the nephew of the Great Khan. His mother is the Khatun of the Ashile Tribe. She’er is also the leader of the tribe’s Wolf Division. He is not on good terms with Ah Sun and sees him as his rival although they grew up together like brothers. She’er is in love with Mimi.

Yan Li Khan / Great Khan

Yan Li Khan is the Great Khan of the Ashile Tribe. He is a feared and forceful leader and military commander. He is also a suspicious man who would control his subordinates including his adoptive son, Ah Sun, to ensure the security of his own position.

Princess Yi Cheng / Khatun

Khatun is a princess of the former Sui dynasty who was sent to the Ashile Tribe to be a bride for a marriage alliance. She appears as a weak lady who is often humiliated despite her title. Khatun is also barred by the Great Khan from seeing her son, She’er.

Situ Lang Lang

Situ Lang Lang is a skilled swordsman who takes Chang Ge as his disciple after saving her from her enemies.

Du Ru Hui

Du Ru Hui is Shi Min’s royal advisor. His only interest is to serve and protect Shi Min and the Tang dynasty. Hence, he can be ruthless to ensure Shi Min’s survival. Hao Du is his foster son.

Gongsun Heng

Gongsun Heng is the governor of Shuozhou. He is an upright man who has been managing and protecting the city from harm during turbulent times. He is aided by his loyal assistants, Xu Feng and Senior Qin. Gongsun Heng has a supportive wife and a young daughter, Yuan’er.

Xu Feng

Xu Feng is Gongsun Heng’s assistant and bodyguard. He is loyal to his master.

Luo Shi Ba

Shi Ba is General Luo Yi’s subordinate who is trained to follow orders. Hence, she rarely speaks and is skilled in martial arts. General Luo Yi used to serve the fallen Sui dynasty before switching his loyalty to Crown Prince Li Jian Cheng to become Shi Min’s enemy.

Ah Dou

Ah Dou is an orphan and homeless boy who dreams of becoming a general. He is also Chang Ge’s follower.

Li Cheng Qian

Cheng Qian is Shi Min’s son. He is a mischievous boy who is still immature and prefers play over work.

Lei Ming

Lei Ming is the Khatun’s loyal subordinate from the Sui dynasty and has been serving her for a long time.

General Li Jing

General Li Jing is a renowned military commander who has since retired and has no interest to serve the royal court.

Synopsis

In a power struggle for the throne of the Tang dynasty, Li Shi Min kills Crown Prince Li Jian Cheng and his family. The Crown Prince’s daughter, Chang Ge, has been sent away prior to the massacre and escapes unhurt. But she feels betrayed that her uncle whom she adores and shares a close bond could kill her family, especially her mother. Chang Ge vows revenge. She steals the Crown Prince seal and escapes hoping to seek an opportunity and alliance to avenge her family’s death.

While escaping, she meets Ah Sun who is the leader of the Eagle Division of the Ashile Tribe and strikes up a friendship. Both of them hide their identities from each other but Ah Sun eventually knows who she is. Ah Sun’s adoptive father is the tribe’s Great Khan and rules the grassland. This means the tribe and the Tang dynasty are in opposing camps but this did not stop Ah Sun from developing feelings for Chang Ge.

While Chang Ge hates Shi Min, she is also very clear that she has to protect the interest of the Tang dynasty. She meets Ah Sun again when they fight for control for a city called Shuozhuo and discovers his real identity.

The Long Ballad Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

The Long Ballad has a happy ending. While the main couple is not seen together in the final scene of the last episode, it is clear that Chang Ge is in the grassland with Ah Sun nearby. Ah Sun is presumably still leading his Eagle Division as he sits on his horse in his battle gear. His eagle is flying above and watching over Chang Ge. There is no wedding scene and it is not indicated if they are now married. But Ah Sun has quietly seeked for her hand in marriage in the earlier episode when he laid a proposal letter on Change Ge’s mother’s memorial tablet. When Change Ge sees the letter, she wants to be married to Ah Sun and prays to her late mother for her blessings for the union.

Is Shi Min A Bad Guy For Killing Chang Ge’s Family?

Shi Min is actually a good Emperor when he ascends the throne. He forgives his brother’s loyalists and absorbs the talented ones into his administration. He did kill Chang Ge’s family but his hand was forced. It was either to kill or be killed as Change Ge’s father was making a move on him. Change Ge’s mother, Lady Jin, informed Shi Min about her husband’s plot. She was also worried that Change Ge could be forced into a marriage alliance with the Ashile Tribe.

While Shi Min killed his brother and nephews, he has no intention to kill Lady Jin and Change Ge who had been sent away. Lady Jin was saved by Shi Min in the past and he loved her. He brought her back to the palace but his brother took advantage of her when he was away during a battle. So, Lady Jin ended up as the Crown Prince’s concubine instead.

Lady Jin committed suicide after Shi Min had killed her husband to atone for her betrayal. Before she died, she made Shi Min promised her to let Change Ge to be happy and free. But Change Ge doesn’t know what transpired between them and assumes that Shi Min had killed her mother.

Khatun’s Plan

Khatun’s plan is to revive the fallen Sui dynasty. She was given the princess title to be married off to the Ashile Tribe. She was then passed down from one Great Khan to the next when the leader died. Hence, Khatun was the wife of 4 Great Khans including She’er’s father. She was biding her time to launch an attack against the Tang dynasty and pretended to be weak and useless to lower people’s suspicions against her. Yan Li Khan’s mistress, Lady Jin Se, as well as Mimi Guli are her subordinates. Mimi has to be obedient as her brother, Bu Zhen, is being held hostage.

Khatun had killed She’er’s father to help Yan Li Khan to become the tribe’s leader because the latter has promised to help her to overthrow the Tang dynasty. But she subsequently poisoned Yan Li Khan to take control of the tribe’s affairs. In the end, she is defeated by Ah Sun’s schemings and cooperation with the Tang dynasty. Khatun then commits suicide by burning herself to death.

Le Yan And Hao Du

Le Yan married Hao Du in Episode 47. Although she has feelings for Shu Yu and confesses to him, he only regards her as his sister. But Hao Du genuinely loves her and when he wins the fight against She’er in a contest for her hand in marriage, she realizes how much he means to her. They end up as a happy and loving couple.

The Fate Of Other Characters

Mimi Guli died after being struck by an arrow shot by Lei Ming in Episode 48. She blocked the arrow meant for Chang Ge when they were fighting off Khatun’s soldiers in an effort to save Ah Sun. While Mimi was forced to do Khatun’s bidding to keep her brother safe, she had never betrayed Chang Ge. Lei Ming was then killed by Mu Jin to avenge Mimi’s death.

She’er and Ah Sun made their peace. He is disappointed with his mother who had killed his father and harmed many others including Mimi whom he loves. Ah Sun let She’er leaves with his Wolf Division after Khatun has been defeated.

Du Ru Hui died of illness. Before he died, he formally included Hao Du into his family tree to recognize him as his son. He also witnessed the wedding between Hao Du and Le Yan.

Ah Dou died as he sacrificed himself to keep Shuozhuo safe after being captured by Tu Kashe of the Ashile Tribe’s Bear Division. He was buried as a general as it was his dream to be one. Tu Kashe was later killed by Ah Sun. His plan to eliminate Ah Sun and the Eagle Division on Khatun’s orders backfired and his Bear Division was ambushed instead.

Chang Ge told Shi Ba to go where she wants as she shouldn’t be bound to her. Shi Ba chooses to follow Xu Feng.

Shi Min remains as the Emperor but Chang Ge has warned him that she will be watching his performance as a ruler. He accepted her challenge to be a good Emperor for the people.

The Long Ballad Review – An Addictive Story

First of all, I have not read the comic manhua which this drama is based on and thus, I can’t comment on how well it has stuck to the original storyline. But The Long Ballad is an addictive drama with good pacing to me. I kept clicking one episode after another especially for the first half of the drama as the protagonist’s adventure is a compelling one in her desire for revenge after the killing of her family. The story starts to slow down a little once it hits over 30 episodes but it is hardly a bore as there are things happening throughout with a few interesting twists.

A Common Plot But Well-Executed

Basically, you can say that the revenge storyline is nothing new in historical dramas. What sets The Long Ballad apart from the rest though is its execution. It is written in a way that is easy to follow and fast-paced. It doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary details with long-winded drama unlike And The Winner Is Love. There is hardly any room for self-pity and whining as far as the main characters are concerned. They pick themselves up quickly when the chips are down and their story then moves along before viewers start to feel bored.

The plot is not convoluted or vague like what you would see in Legend Of Fei. It is straightforward but with a good balance between simplicity and anticipation. So, you are likely to chase after each episode as you root for the female lead to escape from her enemies and fulfill her desire for justice for her family. Apart from revenge, The Long Ballad is also a slow burn romance drama. However, if you are expecting a melodramatic love story like The Wolf or passionate romance like Maiden Holmes, then The Long Ballad will fall short.

Hence, there are no hot kisses in the drama as the romance is innocent-like albeit sweet. The love of the leading couple is mainly shown through their trust and support of each other which is not unlike The Sword And The Brocade.

Interesting And Well-Developed Characters

The Long Ballad is a drama with strong female characters who grow as the story progresses. Change Ge starts off as a willful princess who is then obsessed with revenge. But her character changes with her experiences as she realizes the welfare of the people comes before her own agenda. As for Le Yan, she is a timid princess who has no ideals until she learns the hardships the people have to go through everyday.

The screenwriters also didn’t try to make some of the important characters to be perfectly good or evil just like what we have seen in Word Of Honor. There are layers to their personality such as the conflicting emotions in Shi Min and Shu Yu whereby their actions to secure their own interests also bring them regrets and pain. This makes the characters more interesting to watch as they don’t appear as one-dimensional. As a result, it adds a little more flavor to the drama.

Acting

Dilraba Dilmurat carried the role of Change Ge well enough for me. I think it is a drama that depends a lot on her performance due to the nature of the story that puts Chang Ge in the spotlight. Her exotic looks already score some points as it fits a comic manhua character. Being a seasoned actress, she knows how to make the character appears as fiery and determined as well as generate the required chemistry with Leo Wu. Without a lot of kisses and touchy-feely gestures, they can only rely on their facial expressions and body language to convey the romance between them. I think they did manage to create the sparks to get the romance going for the viewers in the drama.

As for Leo Wu, he also impresses me with his role as Ah Sun. He has the aura of a strong military leader with his commanding presence. He displayed the required force and strength of the character which is a nice surprise for a young actor.

I also like Rosy Zhao’s acting in The Long Ballad which is a change from her usual rom-com roles such as Chen Qian Qian in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose. Despite playing the second lead, I think Le Yan is a role that could help her to move away from being stereotyped. In this drama, she has to depict Le Yan as being weak but with an inner strength when the going gets tough. She did that beautifully and gives the character the required grace and fortitude.

My Verdict – Watch!

I would say give The Long Ballad a go because of the captivating storyline. While it has some connections to real historical figures, don’t overthink about the history but simply treat it as a fictional story to be enjoyed. It is based on a comic manhua after all and this is made pretty clear in the drama as some scenes are shown in manhua form to let viewers know what happened.

Thus, if there is one weakness in this production, it is the manhua scenes which make it feels like a cost-cutting measure to me. For example, instead of having an actual war scene, it would be replaced by manhua graphics of the same. It does look weird to me and takes some getting used to. But the upside is this kind of scenes are low in number and they don’t appear in every episode. I guess some viewers will love the transition between the different formats especially if they are manhua fans. Whatever it is, the important thing is the manhua scenes do not really hinder the overall enjoyment of the drama.

For this The Long Ballad review, I would give it a score of 8.5/10. But if you prefer a hot romantic drama or a full-fledged wuxia genre with breathtaking martial arts fighting scenes, then it may be somewhat lacking. Instead, The Long Ballad’s selling point is its good plot that is well-executed. It leaves the impression that the characters and storyline are carefully planned to make viewers automatically invested in the drama. So, put The Long Ballad on your watch list. It is one of the better historical dramas among many.

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