Well written, great acting, awesome plots and smarts. Highly recommended. I binge-watched this for a couple of days.
17 Reviews
BEST Chinese drama ever
samjobai6 August 2019
Consider it as the Chinese version of GOT . The epic background stories, excellent acting,directing,scene,and of course the wonderful sound track.
Though it's a little difficult to understand the old Chinese language for modern Chinese people, Netflix could do a good job in the translation.
Pretty amazing...
chilicheeze12 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The whole show is 50 or so episodes running around 40-40 min each. The story starts off a bit complicated but quickly picks up pace. The costumes, armor, weapons, sets are beautiful and in 100"s of unique variations. Especially cool is the clever middle-ages "high tech" setup the royal investigators use. Using ancuent chinese tech to generate clues for crimes, the team cranks out database queries, employs 3D mapping,, sends in SWAT teams, uses encrypted comms and other cool retro-trch toys. The show is well paced and a ton of fun.
Absolute Stunning
ellie52192 July 2019
Ma Boyong No.1!
flypig-130 July 2019
The author of the original novel is the best novelist (maybe one of the best if you want to nitpick) and the show kept all its spirit and visualized all the elements from Chinese culture in a splendid way! Bravo! (It's not a paid endorsement.)
Best chinese series ever
adagencyotr2 August 2019
A Stunning Achievement
bingelife29 May 2020
This an epic 48 episode movie. Story, dialog, cinematography, action sequences, music, intensity, costume, set design, explosions, suspense, drama, acting, character development, all on a stunning level like you have never seen before.
The Chang'an in poet Lee Bai's poems are presented so beautifully on screen here. It's like a time-machine that takes you back to this ancient world to experience all the beauty, culture, joy, sadness, loyalty, and betrayal it has to offer with its heroes, villains, and the in-betweens.
Zhang Xiaojing is a real Tang Dynasty superhero in recorded history. The actor who portrayed him went through major changes from his usual image and style and spent long hours training in combat for the show and did an incredible job.
Those chase/combat scenes intertwined with the outdoors Chang'an Idols showdown were absolutely amazing. The humbling and self-reflecting moments with the emperor were also some of my favorites parts of the story.
When the show is over I felt like I woke up from a beautiful and adventurous dream and yearning to go back to experience it all again.
The Chang'an in poet Lee Bai's poems are presented so beautifully on screen here. It's like a time-machine that takes you back to this ancient world to experience all the beauty, culture, joy, sadness, loyalty, and betrayal it has to offer with its heroes, villains, and the in-betweens.
Zhang Xiaojing is a real Tang Dynasty superhero in recorded history. The actor who portrayed him went through major changes from his usual image and style and spent long hours training in combat for the show and did an incredible job.
Those chase/combat scenes intertwined with the outdoors Chang'an Idols showdown were absolutely amazing. The humbling and self-reflecting moments with the emperor were also some of my favorites parts of the story.
When the show is over I felt like I woke up from a beautiful and adventurous dream and yearning to go back to experience it all again.
Water flows in to flow out
saintmalkavian13 February 2024
A high-quality series with dynamic scenes, action in almost every episode and no wire fu. Chang'an life, architecture, and crowd scenes are well covered. I can't comment on the historical accuracy, but the attention to detail seems more thorough than in other Chinese series I've watched.
The show has many pros and the script is not one of them. The plot twists are predictable. They focus on the main character until the last episodes, where the focus shifts towards the secondary characters. As a result, it is not clear who to feel for and why.
It is commendable that there is no division into good and evil. However, there are so many characters and not one of them opens up completely. They try to use flashbacks, but it doesn't work well: here are some tough guys today, and here's a five-minute dive into the past. Now I know them well enough to drop a tear! It would be easier to sympathize with Zhang Xiaojing if he was the main character in more than just the first 2/3 of the series.
The last 1/3 of the script seems to have been censored and rewritten due to some political reasons. The conversations in favor of the poor look ridiculous. Officials lecturing the emperor in the presence of the crowd, seriously?
In short, the series raises the quality standards for subsequent shows. It's nice to watch and never gets boring. Personally, I won't watch it again: it doesn't evoke any deep emotions because of the flaws mentioned above.
The show has many pros and the script is not one of them. The plot twists are predictable. They focus on the main character until the last episodes, where the focus shifts towards the secondary characters. As a result, it is not clear who to feel for and why.
It is commendable that there is no division into good and evil. However, there are so many characters and not one of them opens up completely. They try to use flashbacks, but it doesn't work well: here are some tough guys today, and here's a five-minute dive into the past. Now I know them well enough to drop a tear! It would be easier to sympathize with Zhang Xiaojing if he was the main character in more than just the first 2/3 of the series.
The last 1/3 of the script seems to have been censored and rewritten due to some political reasons. The conversations in favor of the poor look ridiculous. Officials lecturing the emperor in the presence of the crowd, seriously?
In short, the series raises the quality standards for subsequent shows. It's nice to watch and never gets boring. Personally, I won't watch it again: it doesn't evoke any deep emotions because of the flaws mentioned above.
a towering achievement
myriamlenys5 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The beautiful city of Chang'an prepares for a festival. Much to his own surprise, a convict on death row is released in order to foil an imminent terror attack. It is not entirely clear why he was chosen for the job, but his name popped up in the database of an ambitious new intelligence agency. The man, a former police detective, is willing to give it the old college try, not because he is especially fond of authorities but because he fears for the safety of his fellow citizens. Meanwhile things have been heating up on the political front. The long-simmering feud between three major actors (the emperor, the crown prince and the emperor's most powerful minister) is finally reaching boiling point. There are people lying, scheming and conspiring all over the place...
"The longest day in Chang'an" is a violent thriller/action series set in classical China. From a visual standpoint, "The longest day" is notable for its beauty and its meticulous recreation of the Tang era. The noble city of Chang'an is resurrected in all its varied, multicolored glory, complete with shops, mansions and temples. Foreign merchants bring in goods on camelback ; fleet-footed messagers adorned with feathers carry news through busy markets ; envoys gossip during an imperial feast ; courtiers potter around in hothouses, tending to their orchids. The dark underbelly of the city is not forgotten : while happy citizens don their finest attire in order to admire the illuminated decorations, thousands of dispossessed have-nots scramble for survival amidst squalor and crime.
As if all this were not enough, the series even creates a fictional tower, to wit a giant "lantern" built for the emperor. It's a marvellously inventive creation, part machine, part work of art.
The degree of technical expertise on display is almost frightening. The same goes for the degree of perfectionism. One can but hope that the various sets, costumes and props made for the series will be used for educational purposes or re-utilized for other movies and series. Otherwise it would constitute a giant waste of effort and resources.
From a narrative viewpoint, "The longest day" deals with themes like the long-term damages caused by war, the cost of social injustice and the conflict between innovation and rigidity. The plot is quite intricate, like one of these carved ivory balls-within-balls to be found in palaces and musea. Consequently the viewer needs to pay close attention. Otherwise he is sure to get lost, especially during the second half of the series, when ever more guards, soldiers and watchmen fight or threaten each other. ("So why is the guy in the helmet shouting at the guy in a breastplate ? I thought they were both working for the same dude wearing a leopard skin ? And why is that, dunno, sergeant beating up an imperial guard, if it is an imperial guard ?")
Although "The longest day" contains a hefty dose of violence and cruelty, it can be very funny. It certainly boasts the funniest pig-related joke ever. ("Are you trying to steal our pig ?") To the person who thought up that joke : sir or madam, I salute you !
The acting is quite good, with particular praise to the spell-binding performance given by Lei Jiayin as our hero/antihero protagonist. If the role does not turn him into a megastar, then there is no justice in this world.
So far I've been praising the series, I hope rightly. However, I was somewhat disappointed by the final episodes, which felt like an anticlimax. I was also disappointed by the final reveal with regard to the evil mastermind's motive and identity. We, the viewers, are supposed to believe that the evil mastermind was a genius capable of analyzing and predicting even the most complicated chain of events. So why wasn't he capable of predicting the notable lack of enthusiasm with which his grand plan would be received ? Besides, the mastermind had set in motion a messy dynamic which could easily have seen him maimed or killed. Any random chicken pecking in a barnyard could have told him that you can't pursue your life's ambitions if you're dead...
"The longest day in Chang'an" is a violent thriller/action series set in classical China. From a visual standpoint, "The longest day" is notable for its beauty and its meticulous recreation of the Tang era. The noble city of Chang'an is resurrected in all its varied, multicolored glory, complete with shops, mansions and temples. Foreign merchants bring in goods on camelback ; fleet-footed messagers adorned with feathers carry news through busy markets ; envoys gossip during an imperial feast ; courtiers potter around in hothouses, tending to their orchids. The dark underbelly of the city is not forgotten : while happy citizens don their finest attire in order to admire the illuminated decorations, thousands of dispossessed have-nots scramble for survival amidst squalor and crime.
As if all this were not enough, the series even creates a fictional tower, to wit a giant "lantern" built for the emperor. It's a marvellously inventive creation, part machine, part work of art.
The degree of technical expertise on display is almost frightening. The same goes for the degree of perfectionism. One can but hope that the various sets, costumes and props made for the series will be used for educational purposes or re-utilized for other movies and series. Otherwise it would constitute a giant waste of effort and resources.
From a narrative viewpoint, "The longest day" deals with themes like the long-term damages caused by war, the cost of social injustice and the conflict between innovation and rigidity. The plot is quite intricate, like one of these carved ivory balls-within-balls to be found in palaces and musea. Consequently the viewer needs to pay close attention. Otherwise he is sure to get lost, especially during the second half of the series, when ever more guards, soldiers and watchmen fight or threaten each other. ("So why is the guy in the helmet shouting at the guy in a breastplate ? I thought they were both working for the same dude wearing a leopard skin ? And why is that, dunno, sergeant beating up an imperial guard, if it is an imperial guard ?")
Although "The longest day" contains a hefty dose of violence and cruelty, it can be very funny. It certainly boasts the funniest pig-related joke ever. ("Are you trying to steal our pig ?") To the person who thought up that joke : sir or madam, I salute you !
The acting is quite good, with particular praise to the spell-binding performance given by Lei Jiayin as our hero/antihero protagonist. If the role does not turn him into a megastar, then there is no justice in this world.
So far I've been praising the series, I hope rightly. However, I was somewhat disappointed by the final episodes, which felt like an anticlimax. I was also disappointed by the final reveal with regard to the evil mastermind's motive and identity. We, the viewers, are supposed to believe that the evil mastermind was a genius capable of analyzing and predicting even the most complicated chain of events. So why wasn't he capable of predicting the notable lack of enthusiasm with which his grand plan would be received ? Besides, the mastermind had set in motion a messy dynamic which could easily have seen him maimed or killed. Any random chicken pecking in a barnyard could have told him that you can't pursue your life's ambitions if you're dead...
This show deserves 9.0 on IMDB
sean-983261 August 2020
The first 5 EPs seem a bit slow but it gets better and better. The best Chinese series ever. Great sound tracks, beautiful costume and most importantly, the love for ordinary people, which is rare in TV shows from the western world.
Long and unnecessary...
ukidding12 September 2019
Had high hopes for this drama, but nothing but disappointments. Good cinematography thus the two stars, yet a lacking story and bad main actors... Dragging a one episode storyline for 20 episodes with no real developments. Show is like putting icing on a poop cake... the core is total trash.
It is a rare good TV play
jianghongyi9 February 2020
It's likely to make the list of China's best dramas of 2019, and the best costume drama I've seen so far. This drama is superior to other dramas in terms of historical reducibility, shooting effect and plot. The play pays great attention to the costumes and language of the Tang dynasty, which greatly restores the cultural features of that time. This drama also has a very good shooting effect, especially in each episode of the TV before and after the two clips, are worth recalling. In terms of plot, foreshadowing is very well designed. I did not understand many of the plots, but with the help of some auxiliary means, I understood a little. At first I didn't think it was a good show because I couldn't understand what it was about, but then I got more and more absorbed in it, and I was deeply attracted by it, and many of the episodes were memorable. But some of the details may need a second view to understand. I think it is one of the few costume dramas with high scores in China in recent years. The humanity, court, all corners of the country and common people are vividly portrayed, some of which make people feel deeply afraid to look straight at. Maybe this is the social appearance of that time. The final open ending buried a deep foreshadowing. I wish the show had a second season. I think the end song is also very good, and it is not fixed, which is also very attractive to me. The show was very creative and opened my eyes. It let me know that a day in Chang 'an can be made into 48 episodes. All in all, I hope the Chinese film industry can produce more good dramas like The longest Day In Chang 'an.
One of the greatest Chinese series ever
appdatasoftware25 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Its a beautiful drama that starts off complicated but then throughout the drama when more is revealed about the main character and his past, the more the story makes sense. The acting by the actors are great but sometimes the translation can be a bit hard to understand. Btw Jiayin Lei did a great job of covering his actual goofy personality.
Spoiler alert: there is a very unexpected plot twist at the end.
Spoiler alert: there is a very unexpected plot twist at the end.
Cliff hanging suspense mind blowing mise en scene
hippopod18 February 2022
Cliff hanging suspense until you found out the enemy is nothing you could imagined. The cinematography alone proves it a movie instead of TV drama. Let alone the mise en scene, wat! A recreation of one of greatest ancient city ever built? The city ChangAn had direct influence on the construction of Kyoto, Japan. To witness a replica of ChangAn is a blessing! Hidden under the splendid glamour is the wave of darkness that eventually swollen the empire. Tang dynasty has been the pinnacle of Asian civilization in all aspects especially of art, culture and tradition. This movie crew must have taken year long research at the museums to make everything convincing.
A Big Step for Chinese Drama but not quite there yet
ayihuh14 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography and set designs but it was a struggle to watch the entire show with Jackson Yee's constant frowning and unbearable underbite lisp. the show would have been solid if they replaced him but good thing he goes away later
Male lead was disappointing
Bibiliography18 September 2022
This plot had many contrivances. I watched it on Youtube and the most interesting thing was the progressively sharp decline of views from 2.7m views of the first episode to less than 90,000 by the last episode. What that tells me is that regardless of the quality of production and the caliber of actors, if a story fails to move the audience it might as well have remained untold. Who does one root for in a story where none has the sympathy of the audience? The core of the plot was to save the city of Changan yet it never gave us a chance to even get a glimpse of the people or even a reason why we should root for our male lead played by Lei Jiayin who, by the way, looked terrible and acted like a rookie. The producers/directors should have chosen Zhou Yiwei- who is a phenomenal actor- instead of Lei Jia Yin.
At no time did I believe that Zhang Xiaojing as a character was intelligent enough to solve a high-risk case in less than 24 hrs when he had previously been captured and imprisoned for years. I mean, come on, I'm willing to suspend disbelief for only so long.
At no time did I believe that Zhang Xiaojing as a character was intelligent enough to solve a high-risk case in less than 24 hrs when he had previously been captured and imprisoned for years. I mean, come on, I'm willing to suspend disbelief for only so long.
Terrible subtitles
marcusscrowley21 April 2020
I have just finished watching episode 1 and won't be watching any more. The whole thing looks gorgeous and is full of promising characters - it even has camels! But the English subtitles are so wooden that the whole thing made little sense. It wasn't helped by a unrealistic plot involving a manacled prisoner mumbling every so often through his lanky hair. Perhaps it's a blast if you speak Mandarin, though, based on the earlier reviews here!
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