Worth the 4.5 Years' Wait? Not...Really...Joy of Life 2 [CC]

My 2nd Channel:

Get 3 Extra Months for Free on An Annual Plan with Express VPN:

AvenueX's Dramaland on Discord:

My Website and shop

Extra Drama Related Videos on Avenue Extra @ Hotpot.TV

Buy me a coffee at

For more stuff on Drama and other fun things:
Instagram
Facebook
Tumblr

｡:.ﾟヽ(*´∀`)ﾉﾟ.:｡

[anara]

I would disagree with the Lin Waner part. From what i remember in season 1, because lin waner's mom and dad were not married, she was never acknowledged as their bio kid. When she was small, she lived with the royal family and then moved to the house she currently lives in and because of her sick health, her food and vistors were confined and limited.

Fan Xian for her is bascially freedom, he went to meet her constantly, got her food restrictions lifted and took her out of the city. Marrying Fan Xian would also mean that she would get to live in the same house as her husband and his family. A husband and family that would acknowledge her as a member. There's also the scene between her and her mother in S1, where lin waner goes ' you don't know what I like, but FX knows what I like' . So it's definitely a choice she is consciously making by putting FX in the center of her life.

In season 1 she was shown to be quite distraught when her elder brother died and almost breaking up with Fan xian over this. But because FX didn't directly kill her elder brother, he was able to sell a half lie to her.
.

[sakurastorm]

There are some moments in JOL2 that makes me think I may like this season better than the first. It is not as bad as you're ranting it out to be. I'm genuinely grateful they didn't change too much on the aesthetics and the costume designs because that would've taken away the whole feel from the first season. And I love the increased melancholic tone to it. Also, sorry not sorry, I'm watching it on D+ so I'm comfortably unrestrained from ads. 😎

[theNfl_Esq]

They caught lightning in a bottle back then. It’s hard to imagine thy can do the same this time. It’s a little slow but better than anything else in a while

[verseJ]

Honestly I have been enjoying immensely and it doesn't feel like 5 years have passed at all.With how much it was hyped, it was inevitable that people were gonna be like oh we don't feel this is living up to the first one because the when expectations become too big and all that. But overall it is a solid show and a very very well made season 2.

Edit: Truly do not get what people are talking about being draggy. May be starting few episodes you can feel so, but the pace has been so good after that like I can't believe we are already at ep 27, things have been moving along.

[jadelynsoriano]

I'm on ep 35 and can't wait to finish it all up so I can watch again. I can see nothing ugly but your criticism. I'm enjoying it like I did on s1. I watched s1 around 4x and I'll definitely watch this s2 again and again.

[carolthomas]

Yes, it lost its steam this season. I binge watched the entire 1st season in 1 week only recently and I started this 2nd season...it is not giving.

[zoltanfabiansk]

This is a ingenious work! Especially implementation of modern era to ancient times. There are only few people on this planet who can really remember their past lives and even more! So I feel this as a reference for that and many more from our current era, so called "modern era"...

[rasamalai]

That was perfectly put! I hope something as awesome as the poetry in the first season happens eventually, and I still watch the videos you made about that now and then! I absolutely would not have been able to understand nor appreciate anything without them! <3
And I also want to see more about the city under the frozen river or lake! That was the real cliffhanger for me!

PS. I didn't remember the "yodeling" on the first season, it rubs me the wrong way, I cringe every time they use it T_T

[gingermintrose]

I have the same passion, giddiness, and unvarnished anticipation about watching season 2 as I did about season 1. Granted, the ending is less dramatic, but I look forward to the next season.

[MsPilgrims]

Currently watching episode 3. I don't know whether I will dislike it. For now imho it's still one of the best dramas out there this year!

[reedmery]

Hello, i wonder if you will make a review about Heroes (天行健)?

[salma]

I sooo enjoy joy of life 2 .. indeed he lost weight but does it really matter! I’m excited with every episode, thinking what is gonna happen later . It’s so good

[abcdefg]

The women's hair ornaments are the one thing that's a bit unreasonable to complain about--all the fashion in the drama is slightly "off" from being truly historically accurate because it's the future. The ornaments look Art Deco or even Modernist, which is a clever, easy, and quick way to convey to the viewer that things aren't as they seem (aka not a normal transmigration plot). You may consider them "ugly" because you don't like Art Deco or Modernist design, but I would argue there's no other art movement that is more visually jarring and different from ancient historical Chinese design that can let the viewer immediately know something is off. Ugliness is subjective, but you can't deny that it's effective visual storytelling, especially since Modernism is still so in vogue in our current times; it's immediately visually recognizable.

[dimphomaseko]

AvenueX review is spot on and I concur with her sentiments

[chucknphilly]

Shocking you don’t like it. Just stop reviewing any idol drama’s it’s obvious you’re biased.

[abdilatifsaid]

15:29 good point, it's basically repetitive plot on different x-ters

[borneoorchid]

Yup, S2 lost its steam. Probably takes a miracle to re-create the suspense & intrigue of S1 after the obstacles faced over the past several years and like what Miss X said, one can’t step into the same river twice. Anyway, though it was yawn-inducing especially in the earlier episodes, I am glad to see those well-loved characters again. Very few dramas achieve a successful encore performance and Chinese dramaland has very little else to offer as options to JOL S2 currently. Still better than many silly stuff that is going on. Anything to take one’s mind off the crazy world outside.😝😅

[sumrllyspecial]

I’ve actually really enjoyed rereading the book. I found an English translation online. Highly recommend. I had no patience at the end of the first season so I found the book and did not regret it.

[ironfro]

At this point, all I'm waiting for is Lost You Forever 2

[jaroslaval]

I lost interest in the first few minutes with person after person wanting to know whether the person survived the cliffhanger. Then the father figuring out so quickly that his son faked his death? Then the joking in the carriage on how they pulled it off? Would one joke about such a thing? Wouldn't there be at least a sigh of relief?!