Recently, the mainland Chinese historical drama “Joy of Life” season two (referred to as “Joy of Life 2”) has begun airing and has gained immense popularity. However, some netizens have noticed several bloopers in the show. One of the most glaring mistakes was when veteran actor Chen Daoming, playing the role of the “Emperor Qing,” was captured on camera running while wearing sneakers. The sneakers, being modern footwear, appearing in a historical drama, created a sense of discordance among viewers.
Even though “Joy of Life 2” has been generating high levels of interest since its premiere, the quality of the series has faced criticism. Apart from discontinuities in the plot and subpar acting performances by some actors, netizens have also pointed out various bloopers throughout the show: sneakers, tattoos, electrical towers, and modern-day tiles cropping up frequently. This has sparked discussions among viewers.
On May 17, a netizen posted screenshots and videos of Chen Daoming, who plays the character “Emperor Qing,” running in “Joy of Life 2.” It was clear that Chen Daoming, clad in ancient costume, was wearing a pair of modern sneakers, in a scene where the Emperor Qing, upon learning about Fan Xian’s “faked death,” ran emotionally, caught on camera wearing sneakers. Some netizens pointed at the screen, exclaiming, “In episode 1 of season 2 of ‘Joy of Life’ at 6 minutes and 42 seconds, did anyone notice that the Emperor Qing ran out wearing sneakers, it’s hard to tell the brand.”
Despite the blooper, some netizens came to Chen Daoming’s defense, mentioning that he is already 69 years old and was wearing sneakers intended for elderly people in real life. For safety reasons during filming, wearing such shoes may not pose a significant issue. Some people humorously linked the sneakers to the storyline, suggesting that they were a gift from the character “Yan Qingmei” to “Emperor Qing.”
Moreover, the door that Chen Daoming runs through also puzzled many viewers. Initially, the door seemed to open automatically from the outside, but through a gap in the door, a rope could be seen pulling it open, making the blooper quite obvious. Normally, a servant should manually open the door, rather than using a rope to open it, and it was visible in the footage that someone was hiding behind the door and moving it.
Subsequently, the waiter pouring water was wearing a large gold watch, and the Empress Dowager sported a large gold tooth. Additionally, Liu Duanduan, portraying the “Second Prince,” was found in a blooper in the first episode. In the scene that aired, the “Second Prince” had a tattoo on his right hand, leading to netizens jokingly calling him the “fashionable Second Prince.” However, the shot of the tattoo was inconsistent; in one scene, the tattoo disappeared completely when his arm was raised, only appearing when it was lowered, creating a continuous blooper.
Bloopers in “Joy of Life 2” are not limited to the main episodes but also extend to promotional photos and trailers. In the initial release of promotional photos, netizens noticed an electrical tower by the roadside directly in the frame, clearly not matching the historical era. Furthermore, in the trailer, there was a scene where a staircase special effect revealed a flaw, with the side of the stairs adorned with modern tiles.
These bloopers have become the subject of jokes and sarcasm among netizens, with comments like “poor craftsmanship” and “no escape for the reputation, sequels often fall short of the first season’s quality.”