Drama info:
Title: Joy of Life (Season 1)
Chinese title: 慶餘年 (第一季) /庆余年 (第一季)
(Eng translation: "Celebrating the remaining years") Episodes: 46
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Mystery, Political, Wuxia, Romance
Screenwriter: Wang Juan 王倦
Director: Sun Hao 孫皓
Original network: IQiyi, Tencent
Release date: 26 Nov 2019
Airing schedule: 26 Nov 2019 - 1 Jan 2020
Synopsis:
Fan Xian is born in the empire of Southern Qing, but inexplicably has memories from the 21st century. He is raised in the small coastal town of Dan Zhou by his Grandmother, where he is taught the art of poison and medicine by his mentor Fei Jie and martial arts by his late mother's blind bodyguard, Wu Zhu. Fan Xian's mother, Ye Qing Mei, was once a celebrated inventor and the founder of the Overwatch Council (Southern Qing's spy network) and the Treasury Department, but was killed shortly after Fan Xian's birth.
After Fan Xian survives an assassination attempt, he ventures to the Capital to investigate who wants his life and to learn about his late mother and his mysterious past.
All Fan Xian wants is to enjoy a leisurely life. But something occurs that shakes him from his complacency and fundamentally changes his outlook. Hard pressed to remain unentangled in the power struggles between two Princes, Fan Xian must rely on his native cunning and 21st century smarts (as well as a number of assists from powerful parties) to stay one step ahead. He makes a name for himself in the Capital, including as a 'god of poetry' and also falls in love with his 'chicken leg lady' Lin Wan Er, and she with him.
Sent to head a diplomatic envoy to Northern Qi at the behest of the Qing Emperor, Fan Xian gets closer and closer to unveiling conspiracies past and present, and is exposed to greater danger than ever before...
Main cast/characters
Zhang Ruo Yun(張若昀) as Fan Xian范閒/范闲
Han Hao Lin(韓昊霖) as young Fan Xian范閒/范闲
Li Qin (李沁) as Lin Wan'er 林婉兒
Chen Dao Ming (陳道明) as Qing Emperor 慶帝
Wu Gang (吳剛) as Chen Ping Ping 陳萍萍
Wang Yang (王陽) as Teng Zi Jing 滕梓荊
Gao Shu Guang (高曙光) as Fan Jian范建
Song Yi (宋軼) as Fan Ruo Ruo 范若若
Guo Qi Lin (郭麒麟) as Fan Si Zhe范思轍
Tong Meng Shi (佟夢實) as Wu Zhu五竹
Li Xiao Ran (李小冉) as Princess Royal 長公主 Li Yun Rei 李雲睿
Zhang Hao Wei (張昊唯) as Crown Prince Li Cheng Qian 李承虔
Liu Duan Duan (劉端端) as 2nd Prince Li Cheng Ze李承澤
Xin Zhi Lei (辛芷蕾) as Haitong Dou Dou海棠朵朵
Trailer:
First thoughts
🐼: Technically, these are not first thoughts as I first watched Season 1, Joy of Life (2019) back when it first aired. But if you have not yet watched this yet you are in for a treat! It is one of the best c-dramas I have ever watched, headlined by the incomparable Zhang Ruo Yun as the male lead, alongside an ensemble cast of lao xi gu老戲骨 veteran actors, and screen written by Wang Juan.
Now that Season 2 is slated for a 16 May 2024 premiere, it's a good time to watch (or re-watch) Season 1.
In fact, I love this one so much, I am doing my own re-watch in readiness for Season 2, and I also plan to do Episode Recaps! Snarky asides in green and occasional geeky footnotes on poetry references, here I come 😅
👉 Episode recaps < watch this space 👀>
Final review to follow 👉< watch this space 👀>
