A large cascading branch in bonsai is not better the longer it is; the technique must be mastered

This juniper bonsai was made by a very famous bonsai master in California, USA, named Shig Miya. It is a high-air-layered seedling, and the only branch on top was also grafted on. All the other original branches were made into deadwood, presumably having died naturally. The deadwood carving on the trunk strives to imitate the effect of long-term decay and insect damage. And this large cascading branch is very long, as long as the entire tree, and it took a lot of effort to create.

Later it was bought by a client of this bonsai artist, and after the purchase the two of them, after a brief discussion, felt that this cascading branch was too long and could not bring out the characteristics of this piece of deadwood, so they cut it shorter. After a year of care it then became the effect shown in the picture below.

Personally, I think that after pruning it is better than before; this kind of treatment makes the foliage appear fuller, unlike the previous slender look. The three branches extending to the left, partly hidden and partly visible, really show the characteristics of the deadwood to the greatest extent.