Ode to Joy () is a 2016 Chinese television series jointly produced by Shandong Television Media Group and Daylight Entertainment Television Ltd. It is based on the same title novel by A Nai. The first season of the drama aired from 18 April to 10 May 2016.
The second season of the drama aired from 11 May to 10 June 2017. The 3rd and 4th season were released in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The main characters and their actors have been changed from Season 3.
Synopsis The series is about five modern women who live on the 22nd floor of an apartment complex called "Ode to Joy" in Shanghai. Each with their unique personality and lifestyle, the five women have different backgrounds, including their age, social status, personality and careers. Their relationships were initially rocky, but eventually they became good friends and neighbours. Together, they navigate their career and love lives, solving problems and growing more resilient.
Seasons
Cast Main ActressRoleAppearance Description12 Liu Tao Andy colspan="2" 31 years old; a Wall Street executive who returns to China in search of her long-lost brother. Despite her intelligence, Andy is not good at dealing with relationships. Her lonely childhood as an orphan and battle with a hereditary mental disorder fills her life with worry.Jiang Xin Fan Shengmei colspan="2" 30 years old; a senior HR executive at a foreign company. She is resourceful, worldly and kind-hearted. Facing constant extortion from her financially strained family, Fan Shengmei puts great importance on money and superficial needs whilst battling her insecurities.Wang Ziwen Qu Xiaoxiao colspan="2" 24 years old; daughter of a rich businessman. She is honest, sassy and fierce. Despite being raised in a complex family. Qu Xiaoxiao is caring, she is a rose with thorns, making people love her and hate her at the same time. Yang Zi Qiu Yingying colspan="2" 23 years old; a regular employee who comes to Shanghai from a small city to seek better endeavours. She is straightforward and simple, but she also has a bad temper. Her impulsiveness gets hers into sticky situations. Qiao Xin Guan Juner colspan="2" 22 years old; an intern at a global top 500 company who strives to catch up with her fellow peers due to her inferior educational background. Coming from an academic family, she is quiet, introverted and gentle. As she enters the workplace and meets different people, Guan Juner starts to question her identity and aspirations.
Supporting ActorRoleAppearance Description12 Zu Feng Qi Dian Guest A shrewd and capable CEO who builds his career from scratch. He is cautious and on-guard of the people around him. He is long-time online friends with Andy, and is also her first love. However, he made a mistake trying to resolve her personal problems that their relationship ends up falling apart. Wang Kai Zhao Qiping colspan="2" A chief physician at a renowned hospital known for his exemplary educational background and immaculate work attitude. When he is off-work, he displays his charismatic and flirtatious nature. He has an on-and-off relationship with Qu Xiaoxiao until he realizes they want to be exclusive. Jin Dong Tan Zongming Guest A legendary figure in Shanghai's business world. Andy's boss and long-time friend who truly cares for her and helps her find her brother. Yang Shuo Bao Yifan Guest A second generation rich heir and vice president of his family's company. Though he may seem frivolous on the outside, he is earnest and persistent, both in work and love. He later becomes Andy's second boyfriend. Zhang Lu Wang Baichuan colspan="2" A hardworking businessman who founded a start-up. He has had a crush on Shengmei since their university days, and when he hears that she is still single, he decides to pursue her. He is someone willing to go the extra mile for love, but Fan Shengmei's relentless demands make him feel inadequate. Wu Haochen Ying Qin Guest A hardworking and simple man who works as an IT employee. He comes from the same hometown as Qiu Yingying, and later becomes her boyfriend. However, his traditional view towards relationships put their romance in peril once he finds out that Yingying isn't a virgin.Deng Lun Xie Tong A rising musician in his early twenties. He was expelled from his highschool in his teenage years and as a result he never went to University and is uneducated. He meets Guan Ju'er after a misunderstanding between him and Yingying. He later becomes Guan Juner's boyfriend.
Extended Family members
ActorRoleAppearance Description12 Su Shenghua He Yunli Guest Andy's grandfather who passes away. Ding Yongdai Wei Guoqiang Regular Andy's father. Dai Meihong Andy's mother Guest Shi Yunpeng Xiao Ming Regular An dy's brother who suffers from a mental disorder.Zhang Naihua Fan Shengmei's father Regular He was diagnosed with a sickness and as a result Fan Shengmei had to sell her brother's house. Kang Junzhi Fan Shengmei's mother Regular She is always biased towards Fan Shengmei's brother thus always begging Fan Shengmei to help her brother and his wife.Yue Yang Fan Shengying Regular He is a Fan Shengmei's brother who is a troublemaker who ownes money to a lot of people. He is constantly asking for money from his sister. Zhao Qianzi Fan Shengmei's sister-in-law Regular Fan Shengying's wifeYang Yicheng Lei Lei Regular Fan Shengmei's nephew and Fan Shengying's son. Wang Yongquan Qu Xiaoxiao's father Regular A rich business man. He and his wife disagree on matters regarding money. Mu Liyan Qu Xiaoxiao's mother Regular She is a straightforward women who cares and looks out for her daughter. Guo Xiaoran Qu Lianjie Regular Qu Xiaoxiao's older half-brother. A rich man with many relationships including Fan Shengmei. Feng Hui Qiu Yingying's father Regular Yan Jingyao Qiu Yingying's mother Regular Tan Xihe Guan Juner's father Regular Liu Mintao Guan Juner's mother Regular She is always advising her daughter to look for a boyfriend and openly discusses the disadvantages Guan Juner and Xie Tong's relationship have after figuring out he did not go to University. Chang Chen-kuang Bao Yifan's father Regular Juan Zi Bao Yifan's mother Regular She disapproved of Andy and Bao Yifan's relationship at first but has a change of heart after she was admitted to the hospital. Chen Jin Zhao Qiping's mother Regular Cai Gang Wang Baichuan's father Regular Li Xiaoyan Wang Baichuan's mother Regular She disapproves of Fan Shengmei and Wang Baichuan's relationship due to Fan Shengmei's complicated family matters and believed she would be a burden to her son. Cao Yi Ying Qin's father Regular Yang Kun Ying Qin's mother Regular She originally disapproved of Qiu Yingying and Ying Qin's relationship, but approves it after an incident with Yin Qin's ex-fiancée.
Others
ActorRoleAppearance Description12 Zhang Xiaoqian Yao Bin Regular Qu Xiaoxiao's good friend. A rich boy who loves to party.Wang Wenshi Lan Lan Regular One of Qu Xiaoxiao's entourage. Hu Yijing Kong Kong Regular One of Qu Xiaoxiao's entourage. Chen Muyang Chief Bai Guest Qiu Yingying's deceiving ex-boyfriend and colleague. He planned on playing Qiu Yingying and tried to falsely report Fan Shengmei to the police for destroying his property. He also tried to prevent Yingying from working correctly at the office, they both eventually get laid off after Yingying exposes his misdeeds. He does encounter her again when they were both looking for jobs, but her slaps her and storms off and she publicly accused him of being evil. Yu Wentong Yan Luming Guest Tan Zongming's good friend. Wang Hong Lin Jing Regular Guan Juner's senior and pursuer.Liu Lin Xiu Yuan Regular Hospital director who helps take care of Xiao Ming.Li Kewei Liu Siming Regular An Di's employee. A careless and scatter-brained man who focuses more on investing in stocks than on work. Li Shuai Guan Dayu Regular An Di's employee. Yuan Yuan Zhang Lili Regular An Di's employee. Sui Yumeng Mi Xue'er Regular Guan Juner's fellow intern. Zhu Mengyao Xiao Ye Regular Guan Juner's fellow intern.Li Xueting Ah Guan Nan Guest Qu Xiaoxiao's former classmate. She wanted to seduce Qi Dian, and was jealous of his relationship with An Di thus she framed An Di to be a third party. She was eventually exposed and was threatened to publicly apologize by Qu Xiaoxiao.Wei Wei Xiao Nan Guest A debtor who extorted hospital bills from Fan Shengmei. Johnny Chen Chen Jiakang Guest Fan Shengmei's admirer. Jin Zehao Shu Zhan Guest Guan Juner's matchmaking partner.Lu Ling Mrs. Wei Guest Wei Guoqiang's wife. She accused An Di of having an affair with her husband due to being unaware that An Di was her husband's daughter and slapped An Di as well as contact Bao Yifan's mom to further push An Di in a corner.
Soundtrack Season One Title Singer "说不出口" (Can't Say It Aloud) Liu Tao "灰姑娘" (Cinderella) Jiang Xin "我要你" (I Want You) Wang Ziwen "开的比花香" (More Fragrant Than Flowers) Yang Zi "破茧" (Breaking out of the Cocoon) Bridgette Qiao "陪你左右" (Staying By Your Side) Zu Feng "空气" (Air) Zu Feng "你我" (You and Me) Yang Shuo "爱情这样开始" (Love Begins Like This) Zhang Jiang "欢乐颂" (Ode to Joy) Zhang Jiang "繁星" (Array of Stars) Zhang Jiang "总有幸福在等你" (There Will Be Happiness Waiting for You) Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen, Yang Zi, Bridgette Qiao
Season Two Title Singer Notes"我们“ (Us) Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen, Yang Zi, Bridgette Qiao Theme song"家的滋味" (The Feeling of Home) Liu Tao An Di's theme song "遇到爱“ (Meeting Love) Liu Tao An Di's theme song"不怕一个人" (Not Afraid to be Alone) Jiang Xin Fan Shengmei's theme song "我管可爱你管帅" (I'm Cute, You're Handsome) Wang Ziwen Qu Xiaoxiao's theme song "蚯蚓" (Earthworm) Yang Zi Qiu Yingying's theme song"想做你的瘋女孩" (I Want To Be Your Crazy Girl)Bridgette QiaoGuan Ju'er's theme song"吻你之时别再躲" (Don't Hide When I Kiss You) Yang ShuoBao Yifan's theme song "愛我所愛" (Love What I Love)Deng Lun Xie Tong's theme song "咖哩咖哩" (Curry Curry)Milk Coffee"天已黑" (Night Has Fallen) Aska Yang "天已黑" (Night Has Fallen) Deng Lun & Li Yang Version 2 "音樂帶我解脫" (Music Brings Me Relief) Xu Hebin "只要你一個" (I Only Want You) Dongdong Dong "逆光飛翔" (Fly Against the Light)Xu Hebin "錯愛" (Wrong Love)Quan Zhendong"錯過" (Let Slip) Su Lisheng
Reception Critical reception After airing, Ode to Joy received positive reviews from critics. People's Daily considered the series as a "new style of modern drama" which caters to women.人民日报海外版：《欢乐颂》为都市剧的创新探路 People's Daily May 8, 2016 The series has also been praised for breaking away from the cookie-cutter nature of TV dramas that often feature a pure and kind-hearted Cinderella-like figure as its protagonist; and for injecting a new lease of life into the domestic TV drama industry. Hailed as China's answer to Sex and the City, the drama has been praised for its realistic story and characters which viewers were able to empathize with. Sohu commented that Ode to Joy reveals the hardships that exist underneath the surface of shiny metro life, while also exploring different social rungs. Another success factor was due to its high production quality which showcases China's modern developments.
Conversely, the series has also been criticized for encouraging the worship of wealth and leading audiences to become immersed in a world of pure illusion. The second season of the drama was also criticized for its repetitive plot, merely having a rating of 5.3 on Douban. Additionally, it was further panned for its materialist message. The series has also caused heated discussion about "virgin obsession" on social media platforms.
Commercial reception Ode to Joy is a hit with both domestic and overseas viewers. The first season of the drama has over 18.3 billion views as of December 2016, becoming the most watched contemporary drama in China, before being surpassed by Love O2O. The total number of views on YouTube also reached over 50 million, surpassing the record previously set by Nirvana in Fire and Princess Agents.