Starring Yi Yangqianxi and Lei Jiayin, new streaming series The Longest Day In Chang'an has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises for fans of TV dramas this summer. Its intense story and well-designed costumes and scenery have captured the attention of viewers, earning it high marks on review platforms.
The Chinese name of the drama is Chang'an 12 Shichen. Each episode covers half a shichen, or one hour of time, telling the story in "real time". The show takes place during the Shangyuan Festival in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty and what is now Xi'an. The story follows Zhang Xiaojing, who has been sentenced to death. Before his execution(死刑), he is appointed by Li Bi, the young chief of the intelligence department, to stop a group of foreign terrorists called the Wolves Squad and protect Chang'an.
One of the main attractions of the show has been its recreation and presentation of the ancient city of Chang'an. To give viewers the feeling that they are traveling in the city, the show's director Cao Dun has been making use of single shot scenes that show off what the crowded market would have been like during the Lantern Festival in Chang'an. The cast(演员) has also been a major draw. They have been an irreplaceable part of the drama. These experienced actors are the foundation for the drama.
The drama takes license with history to introduce important plot elements, such as watch towers in the city that are manned by sharpshooters who can hit any target in their range. The production team even came up with a detailed secret communication system that these watch towers use to communicate with each other. Another innovation(革新) is the use on screen notes to explain terms that audiences would be unfamiliar with. Such as the term bu liang ren (Lit: not good person), which audiences may mistakenly think refers to a villain in the show. An explanation appears on screen to tell the audience that bu liang ren are specialists trained to catch bad guys. It's really helpful.
