Joy of Life (2019) - CAST & CHARACTERS
There are quite a lot of characters in this ensemble cast and it can get confusing, so below are some quick intros for the main cast and some of the more prominently featured side characters. Feel free to keep this cheat sheet handy as you watch the show!
Recaps
Episodes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
MAIN SHOW PAGE
Top left: Zhang Ruoyun as Fan Xian. As our main protagonist, Fan Xian is the illegitimate son of the Count of Sinan whose mother died under mysterious circumstances shortly after he was born. Raised in the small town of Danzhou, he comes back into the capital of Jingdu with an impending marriage arrangement into the royal family. Our hero starts off wanting to live a simple life, but circumstances put him right in the middle of a political struggle and leads him to uncover the secrets of his past. To get him through this, he can only rely on his quick wit and the modern knowledge he was born with.
Top center: Li Qin as Lin Wan’er, the illegitimate daughter of the Elder Princess and the Prime Minister. Sick from a young age, she grew up sheltered outside of the palace and meets Fan Xian by accident before finding out that they’re already arranged to marry.
Top right: Chen Daoming as the Emperor of Qing, a ruthless and cunning ruler who rose to power after the fall of Eastern Jin. He’s one whose true motivations and thoughts are impossible to determine and will eventually become Fan Xian’s biggest challenge. The actor himself is the biggest name in this ensemble cast and is consider one of the top actors in China. His last major role prior to Joy of Life was in 2014, so this being his “comeback” project brought even more anticipation to the show.
Middle left: Wu Gang as Chen Pingping. Being the head of the Bureau of Inspection and Control which oversees all investigations within Qing and holds a vast network of spies, he naturally has eyes and ears on everything.
Middle center: Li Xiaoran as Li Yunrui, the Elder Princess, a status equivalent to that of the Emperor’s sister even though they aren’t related by blood. She controls the Internal Treasury which oversees all the commodities and finances of Qing.
Middle right: Yu Rongguang as Xiao En. Originally a martial arts hero and military leader from the neighboring state of Northern Qi, he has been sitting captive for the past 16 years within the deepest recesses of the Bureau of Inspection and Control.
Bottom left: Xin Zhilei as Haitang Duoduo. A disciple of the grandmaster of Northern Qi, she’s a trusted advisor to the Emperor of Qi and a martial arts master in her own right.
Bottom center: Li Chun as Si Lili. A famously beautiful courtesan of Qing who’s known for rebuffing all her male admirers. She naturally has her own hidden motives for why she’s in Qing in the first place.
Bottom right: Song Yi as Fan Ruoruo. Fan Xian’s younger half sister, and daughter to the Count of Sinan and his first wife. She’s fiercely loyal to Fan Xian and known within the capital of Jingdu as an intellectual beauty.
Top left: Liu Hua as Fei Jie. The Head of the Third Division of the Bureau of Inspection and Control, which is the division responsible for researching, creating, and using poisons. Naturally, he’s a master of poisons himself and took on Fan Xian as his only disciple when the latter was a child.
Top center: Tian Yu as Wang Qinian. An officer in the Bureau of Inspection and Control and a master of stealth. His biggest loves in life are his wife, his daughter, and money. Eventually he becomes a trusted companion of Fan Xian.
Top right: Wang Yang as Teng Zijing. An assassin from the Bureau of Inspection and Control, he becomes Fan Xian’s closest friend and seeks to reunite with his family after being unjustly sent to prison.
Middle left: Yu Xiaowei as Shen Zhong. The commander of the guards of Northern Qi who is loyal only to the Empress Dowager of Qi. A man known for his cunning mind and callous methods, his patriotism means he will stop at nothing to protect his country.
Middle center: Guo Qilin as Fan Sizhe. Fan Xian’s younger half-brother and son to the Count of Sinan and his second wife. On the surface a bumbling, good-for-nothing noble, he actually has quite a knack for finances and business.
Middle right: Gao Shuguang as Fan Jian. The Count of Sinan as well as the Vice-Minister of Revenue for Qing. A stoic but righteous man, he deeply cares for Fan Xian and his family.
Bottom left: Li Qiang as Yan Ruohai. The Head of the Fourth Division of the Bureau of Inspection and Control, the division responsible for all affairs outside of the capital city. The father of Yan Bingyun, he harbours a grudge for his son being sent as a spy to Northern Qi.
Bottom center: Chang Cheng as Guo Youzhi, the Prime Minister of Qing and father to Lin Wan’er.
Bottom right: Hai Yitian as Zhu Ge. The Head of the First Division of the Bureau of Inspection and Control, the division responsible for all affairs within the capital city.
Top left: Xiao Zhan as Yan Bingyun, the son of Yan Ruohai. As a punishment for false orders sent down to his subordinate, he was sent to Northern Qi and eventually captured as a spy there.
Top center: Tong Mengshi as Wu Zhu. A blind servant to Fan Xian’s mother, and a man of few words, his martial arts ability rivals that of the grandmasters. After the passing of Fan Xian’s mother, he rescues infant Fan Xian and brings him to Danzhou, teaching him martial arts as he grows up.
Top right: Liu Duanduan as Li Chengze. The Second Prince of Qing, and a rival to the First Prince for the succession of the throne.
Middle left: Zhang Haowei as Li Chenggan. The First Prince of Qing, and a rival to the Second Prince for the succession of the throne.
Middle center: Li Shen as Gao Da, head guard for the Fan household who accompanies Fan Xian for his trip to Northern Qi.
Middle right: Liu Rennan as Li Hongchen. The son of the Prince of Jing, making him the nephew of the Emperor, and a close friend of the Second Prince.
Bottom left: Han Jiuruo as Ye Ling’er. The daughter of the Head Guard of Jingdu, a martial arts enthusiast, and a close friend to Lin Wan’er
Bottom center: Liu Meitong as Emperor of Qi. A newly crowned emperor who is in the midst of a power struggle with the Empress Dowager of Qi to be the true ruler of the country.
Bottom right: Li Zifeng as Yan Xiaoyi. A Ninth-Grade martial arts master of the bow and arrow, he is fiercely loyal to the Elder Princess.