Joy of Life is a 46 episodes of Chinese drama which is adapted by Mao Ni‘s Chinese novel Joy of Life. The drama tells a story of the modern people, who travels to ancient. But all of the people of the city wants to kill him. The Chinese drama is starred by Zhang Ruo Yun, Li Qin and Chen Dao Ming.
Synopsis
Synopsis is the soul of dramas. If the story isn’t interesting, people will just drop it. I have to say I never saw such great story before, except Joy of Life.
Fan Xian is an illegitimate child of financial minister Fan Jian, and he is thrown to Dan State when he is a kid. The only person on his side is his younger sister Fan Ruo Ruo. But Old Madam sends Ruo Ruo away. The steward Mr. Zhou unites the killer Teng Zi Jing to kill Fan Xian. But Fan Xian catches Zi Jing, and Zi Jing confesses about Mr. Zhou.
Fan Xian returns home, and Old Madam catches Mr. Zhou. Fan Xian learns that his step mom Jin Ru Yu wants to kill her, and he decides to go to the capital to look into it.
Fan Xian arrives in the capital, and he is taken to the Qing Temple. He falls for the girl who takes a chicken leg. But Fan Xian asks Fan Xian to marry the daughter of Prime Minister, Lin Wan Er. Fan Xian is against it because he loves the chicken leg girl.
Fan Xian finds out that the one who wants to kill him isn’t Jin Ru Yu but the Elder Princess Li Yun Rui. She does it for the ownership of the inner bank. Because Lin Wan Er is her daughter, and she will lose the ownership if Fan Xian marries Wan Er.
Cast
Joy of Life is with great cast, and their acting skills are stunned, no matter the main leads or the support roles. They bring a great Chinese drama for us at the end of 2019.
Fan Xian (Zhang Ruo Yun)
He doesn’t know why people want to kill him when he just intends to live well, until he sees the stele his mom Ye Qing Mei left. He knows that he is the son of Qing Emperor, and Qing Emperor killed his wife for the power.
Zhang Ruo Yun’s dramas: Insects Awaken, The Evolution of Our Love, Novoland: The Castle in the Sky.
Most of the dramas Zhang Ruo Yun starred weren’t famous. But I’m stunned by his his acting skill, especially when he is with Wayne Wang and Guo Qi Lin.
The fans wished Xiao Zhan to replace Zhang Ruo Yun because Xiao Zhan’s role Wei Wu Xian on Chinese drama The Untamed.
Lin Wan Er (Li Qin)
She worries about Fan Xian’s morality when she knows that she is going to marry him. So she asks her best friend Ye Lin Er to look into her.
Li Qin’s acting skill is never being questioned, and I’m lost when she smiles, although Mao Ni wanted Ariel Lin to star Lin Wan Er.
Li Qin’s dramas: Fights Break Sphere: Season 1, Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, Princess Agents.
Li Qin starred many famous Chinese dramas, and the main role Yuan Chun on Princess Agents gave me a big impression.
Li Qin starred The Song of Glory in 2020.
Qing Emperor (Chen Dao Ming)
He is always on Fan Xian’s side when Elder Princess and Crown Prince want to do something bad on Fan Xian. People may think he wants to compensate as a father. You’re wrong. Qing Emperor just uses Fan Xian to find the enemies of the nation.
Chen Dao Ming is known as the acting master in China. Each role he plays are stunned.
Chen Dao Ming’s dramas: The First Half of My Life and Kang Xi Dynasty.
As he is the master, so he rarely stares drama.
Si Li Li (Frida Li)
She is the beauty of Qing State, and many people want her to be their girlfriend. But she is actually the assassin of Bei Qi. Her goal is to kill Fan Xian.
Frida Li shows great acting skill on Joy of Life, especially her crying scene.
Frida Li’s dramas: Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace and Bu Liang Ren: Season 2
Frida Li plays the role Consort Ling Wei Yan Wan on Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, and the role is against Zhou Xun‘s role Ru Yu.
Hai Tang Duo Duo (Xin Zhi Lei)
She shows up when Fan Xian tries to kill Xiao En, and she avoids Fan Xian’s knife with her light art.
Xin Zhi Lei plays tough and evil woman on most of Chinese dramas, and she plays Mei Su Sha on Fights Break Sphere: Season 1. But this time, she plays a student of Ku Ke master.
Xin Zhi Lei’s dramas: Candle in the Tomb: The Wrath of Time, Fights Break Sphere: Season 1, Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, Mr. Right, Over the Sea I Come to You.
Fan Ruo Ruo (Song Yi)
She is the younger sister who always trusts Fan Xian. But she always bullies Fan Si Zhe.
Song Yi plays the role Yu Man Li with Hu Ge on the drama The Disguiser.
Song Yi’s dramas: The Listener, Dagger Mastery, Entrepreneurial Age, Love In Han Yuan.
Teng Zi Jing (Wayne Wang)
He is sent to kill Fan Xian, but becomes the friend of him. He is with resentment to the gentle and simple. Nobody cares for him, except Fan Xian.
Wayne Wang’s dramas: Insects Awaken, Youth Fight, Prince Coffee Lab, Twenties Once Again.
Yan Bing Yun (Xiao Zhan)
He is Teng Zi Jing’s leader, and he wants to kill Fan Xian for taking revenge. But Fei Jie stops him as he has a mission going to North State.
Xiao Zhan plays the role Wei Wu Xian (Wei Ying) on Chinese drama The Untamed with Wang Yi Bo. He is a hot Chinese actor and singer.
Xiao Zhan’s dramas: Douluo Continent, Mirror Twin Cities, The Wolf, The Oath of Love, The Untamed, Fights Break Sphere: Season 1, Oh! My Emperor: Season Two, Oh! My Emperor: Season One.
Ye Lin Er (Han Jiu Nuo)
She is best friend of Lin Wan Er, and she fights for her back when Lin Wan Er gets bullied. But she is silent when she knows Lin Wan Er’s brother Lin Gong wants to kill Fan Xian.
Han Jiu Nuo plays the role Qu Wan Wan with Gina Jin on Mengfei Comes Across.
Han Jiu Nuo’s dramas: Palace Step By Step To Fade, Skate Into Love, Joy of Life, Mengfei Comes Across.
Zhu Ge (Hai Yi Tian)
He works for Cheng Ping Ping, but he is actually the spy of Elder Princess (Li Xiao Ran). He is killed by Hong Si Xiang (Du Yu Ming). Qing Emperor cannot stand Elder Princess’s betraying, and he exiles her.
Hai Yi Tian plays the role Crown Prince on The Rise of Phoenixes with Chen Kun and Ni Ni.
Hai Yi Tian’s dramas: The Rise of Phoenixes, Memories of Peking, Investiture of the Gods, Bureau of Transformer, The Warring States Period.
Miss Shen (Dai Wen Wen)
Dai Wen Wen plays the role Sun Ya Li with Sophie Zhang on Princess Silver.
Dai Wen Wen’s dramas: Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2, Princess Silver, Emperors and Me, The Rise of Phoenixes, The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
Zhan Dou Dou (Liu Mei Tong)
She is the Empress of North Qi, and she falls for Fan Xian. But she marries Si Li Li.
Liu Mei Tong plays the role Na Lan Yan Ran on Fights Break Sphere: Season 1 with Leo Wu.
Liu Mei Tong’s dramas: Douluo Continent, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Fights Break Sphere: Season 1, Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace.
The Difference Between Drama and Novel
The novel of Joy of Life is a tragedy, and many people will die on it. But the drama is very different. The beginning is comedy. I laugh many time by the role of Qi Nian and Si Zhe. Qing Emperor is also very funny.
The screenwriter says that he doesn’t want to bring too many pains to people, so he added many elements to the drama.
Unlike other Korean historical dramas which the role has to obey the rule of the world, such as The Crowned Clown, The Tale of Nokdu, The Last Empress.
Joy of Life brings us the new concept that the role can change the rule of world.
Fan Xian tells Fan Jian to apologize to Si Zhe after he wronged him. Because he is with the concept of modern people, and tries to change the concept of ancient people. But son must obey dad, and dad is always right in historical world. So Fan Jian says that he never heard that dad should apologize to son.
The drama also contains science fiction element. There is a sniper in Joy of Life. The stuff is left by Ye Qing Mei, and Fan Xian will use it to kill Qing Emperor. Because Qing Emperor is too tough, and nobody can hurt him.
Fan Xian’s uncle Wu Zhu is a robot, and his eyes can emit laser. It breaks the balance of the world, so Wu Zhu rarely helps Fan Xian.
Recaps
Stills
All in all, Joy of Life is a great Chinese drama you should watch. Because it contains luxurious cast, interesting story, comedy and science fiction elements. You can see what Fan Xian gets in the trap and plot and how he fights it back in the help of his friends.