Un amor como la galaxia (2022)

A breath of fresh air

I'll try to make this as short as possible 😅.

First of all the storyline.... It's new, different and refreshing. I mean I don't think we've seen a Cdrama where the female lead is to have 3 marriage prospects have we?. What makes it more different is how they managed to weave the story and relationships between Cheng shaoshang and her suitors, it was not messy at all. Perfectly written and so far amazingly delivered.

The chemistry between Lusi and Leo Wu is just perfect. I say this because after watching WRTW, I had to go back and rewatch it for 5 times because I couldn't get over YY and Lusi's chemistry there but thanks to LLTG, I can say that I've moved on and my new CP now is produly Lusi and Leo Wu 😂. It's just that good , gives you the right feels. God I think I digress but believe me when I say that the chemistry is so very apt!.

The cinematography is something else, it's breathtaking and so aesthetic. The comedy is something else😂. Hilarious most especially that bridge scene 😂, God my stomach hurt so much from laughing.
I think I have to stop here , I am hopeful while praying that tencent will air the part two without delay cause this is the only Cdrama that keeps me excited and giddy right now.

A must watch!!!

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Roundabout Love Story and Bland Characters

This is a tale about a girl, Cheng Shao Shang (pet name Niao Niao) who was born to parents who were both generals. She was given to her paternal grandmother and aunt (wife of her uncle) to raise as her parents had to depart immediately for war after her birth (she also had an older twin brother). There was no bed-confinement rest for the mother. Her older brothers were taken elsewhere and raised differently, and for Niao Niao, whose vicious aunt wanted nothing more than to present her as an ill-bred child due to no one's fault but the poor girl's "unruly nature", her life growing up was full of loneliness and pain, save for the company of her servant girl. It didn't help that her own grandmother favoured sons and grandsons over daughters and granddaughters, and the result was a young girl who was largely neglected and ill-treated by her own relatives. When her parents returned to her side at the age of 15, she could not read beyond a few Chinese characters because of the poor education she received in her parents' absence.

All this backstory is to emphasise how pitiful Niao Niao is, and I have no doubt that her situation was not uncommon in old China. It is slightly unusual in the sense that Niao Niao was daughter to two generals with good reputation and standing in their county. Anyway, after following her life episode after episode, my displeasure with the characters around her only grew with time. There's not much to say about her vicious aunt - she was taken care of early in the drama, her punishment was swift and timely. Her grandmother, though, was a terrible woman whose childish antics continued to be so dreadful that I stopped taking her seriously.

Niao Niao had a female cousin who was staying with them, Yang Yang. Yang Yang was daughter to the vicious aunt and her meek husband (the second son in the house, Niao Niao's father's younger brother). Now Yang Yang, unlike Niao Niao, was educated and raised properly by her mother's family. She could read and write with utmost fluency and possessed a kind disposition like her father (thankfully she did not take after her bitchy mom). Comparisons entailed after Niao Niao's general mother, Xiao Yuan Yi, showed up after 15 whole years of absence from her own daughter's life.

I absolutely have no soft spot for Niao Niao's mother after watching 14 episodes of this drama. Niao Niao's mother knew that she lacked proper teaching and education for more than 15 years of her young life. Niao Niao is incomparable to Yang Yang, who was taught the proper etiquettes of a well-behaved young woman and had a proper education. Yet somehow, her mother expected Niao Niao to magically grow up well as a respectable lady and be the perfect daughter of her dreams as soon as she returned home from the war after 15 years. It was as if her mother just wanted to reap the benefits without sowing any hard work or love into her child. If I were a mother, the first thing after reuniting with my child is to shower them with love and try to understand them, not demand them to conform to what I want. Throughout the series (so far), her mother thought that discipline was what her own daughter needed, so she meted out punishments for ill behaviour, the most trivial slip of etiquette, childish schemes and pranks. To add insult to Niao Niao's injury, her mother constantly praised Yang Yang and showered her with affection in front of her own daughter. This kind of hurt is unfathomable. I do hope that they could reconcile, because while Niao Niao could be childish and immature, she was after all still a child who was bullied her whole life. Her perspective of the world was skewed by her own terrible experiences and starvation for love, hence she jumped into the first opportunity to get married even though she wasn't that into the guy (Lou Yao) when they met. Her mother did not recognise this - that her own daughter was yearning for more affection.

As for the romance part of this drama - I'm not feeling it too deeply. I just couldn't feel much chemistry between the main leads. There were funny moments and I did howl at some scenes, but something was still missing and I couldn't quite pin my finger on it. I'm not sure if it's Leo Wu's problem to connect with his female leads (all his other dramas with his female leads also felt somewhat flat to me) or if it's because of the way the romance was written in this story. He's only 22 and still growing as an actor, so I really don't have much to complain about him, as he can act pretty okay.

In the drama, he is Ling Bu Yi (courtesy name Zi Sheng). Niao Niao left a deep impression on Zi Sheng the first time they met after she sold out her own grand-uncle (her grandmother's younger brother) for committing a crime. Their subsequent meetings and interactions just weren't real enough or convincing for me, at least. He was also betrothed to Imperial Princess Yu Cheng, but he refused to acquiesce to the betrothal because, in his own words, he didn't want an arranged marriage. He wanted to find someone he really loved, and he wanted someone whom he knew would be the one - at first sight. I'm sorry but it's just so .... childish? There's also flaw in his thinking. He said, "I want the kind of love the moment I see it," but what about the princess? She could very well have thought he too, was the love she wanted the moment she saw him. But love itself is never that simple. It is about mutual acceptance, responsibility and the willingness to commit. I say that, but actually, I don't feel for the princess, she's a spoiled broad. Zi Sheng himself can be hypocritical in his world views, he talked big but he didn't know crap about love. All of Niao Niao's suitors annoy me. The bewildering thing about this story is, all the guys fell too hard and too fast (three of them) for the heroine and Zi Sheng is no exception.

Zi Sheng himself came from a complicated household. His mother lost her mind over an incident, and his biological father seemed like a villain. The emperor adopted Zi Sheng as his own son, was lenient to him and to most of his subjects, even criminals. The writer depicted the emperor as a soft-hearted man, whose actions reflect himself more as a modern family man than a mighty emperor. Zi Sheng could speak without restraint in the emperor's presence, he didn't have to do the things he didn't like to do, and the emperor seemed to care more about Zi Sheng's love life than his career as the general of a dynasty. This was weird, but nevertheless heartwarming, and I would have been more accepting of his portrayal had it not been for the glaring contrast of Niao Niao's strict, severe and unyielding mother. So while all the convoluted plots of stealing armaments from the imperial troops and acts of rebellions were going on in the background, with the main guy Zi Sheng having his hands full trying to close the case (I don't understand why he is also part of the investigation team, wasn't he a general? Why was he also the police?), the main girl was in a hurry to get married so she could finally "be free" from her toxic, unloving family. I just feel it's too much of a roundabout way to tell a love story. I have no interest in the first fiance, Lou Yao or his equally toxic family. I honestly don't understand why would Niao Niao, being as intelligent as she was, wanted to jump from one abusive family to the next. It just doesn't make sense. She wanted freedom, but marrying into Lou Yao's family is anything but obtaining freedom.

Around Episode 20, when Niao Niao was forced to break off her engagement with Lou Yao, she wailed and cried about her "unlucky" fate in the carriage with Zi Sheng. I understand that she simply wanted something that would go her way for once, and that she had never had anyone who showed their love for her like Lou Yao did. She was raised like a frog under a well, so I completely understand her ignorance in the first half of the series. I was eager to see how she would grow. Yet after the arc where she went through a harrowing ordeal chased by a band of deserting soldiers who turned bandits, where she had witnessed so many tragedies and deaths, the thing she said was, "Why am I always the unlucky one?" Like, girl, out of so many things you could have said, you chose the worst thing to say.

The bandit arc in Part 1 was supposed to show how Niao Niao grew as a person after observing how life outside her family home was much complicated and tragic than she assumed her life was in comparison. That was what I thought. But because of what Niao Niao said after all that, I realised I was wrong. That whole arc is nothing but to show us how Niao Niao is really already such a great and wonderful girl, and she doesn't need to change. That her actions in this arc were what made Zi Sheng fall more in love with her, that's it. He saw her being smart, being kind, he saw and heard her play the flute, and his heart ached with deep longing - what with the sombre background music and all - that he couldn't have her because she was engaged. It was a sympathy arc for Zi Sheng.

Personally, I still don't think it's a bad story altogether. I'm still entertained somewhat. But the plot surrounding the royal family and the investigation concerning the stolen troop armaments could have been written better. The romance could have been written better. The main characters annoy me every now and then and there were too many characters who don't really serve much purpose other than being distractions and obstacles between the main two leads. I just don't really like that kind of thing. I want a simple, straightforward story, and if you're also like me in this aspect - you won't find that here. Be prepared to get dragged around watching characters you don't care for, scenes you don't care for, and very few scenes between the two leads. But this is just Part 1, and I'm only finishing it. Honestly, I don't have much hopes for Part 2. But I'll finish that as well.

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Primarily Focused on FL's Storyline

This "2 part" drama, I'm going to review separately on here because I feel part 1 is different from part 2. Watching it solely for Wu Lei as he's one of the people I follow. I love him in these commander roles plus the man can have chemistry with a pet rock at only 22 years old. I never read the source material so I'm sure many of the novel readers will disagree with me and that's ok.

Pros: LBY played by WL never disappointed when he hit the screen for the very short amount of time he was in this part. Not only was he lethal and ruthless but he also knew who he wanted from nearly the first episode and was just bidding his time for the sake of the familial politics working around him. He however was also not without flaws and that showed a lot at the end of part 1. CSS/NN played by ZLS was always on her game though also a flawed character. I really appreciated how smart she was without the need of traditional learning. With so many odds against her, she still not only managed to survive but make something of herself.

Other favorite characters included NN's brothers, third uncle and aunt, LBY's guards, Yang Yang, QiQi, emperor and empress. All were very helpful and caring where most of NN's family fell short. Ah Yao was alright but just a sweet kid and I'm glad he was maneuvered accordingly out of her life. Music, costumes, scenery, and that part of production was quite beautiful and I enjoyed that very much. Also the comedic elements helped move many of the slower scenes along.

Cons: This part of the story was slow; like snail paced slow to the point where it was very draggy. I ffw a lot of NN's family drama in the beginning episodes because it was legit yawnsville. I get that they were trying to show how hard she had it and all but it was just too much. The only bright spots were when LBY came into the picture or she traveled to Hua County. Otherwise, it was all very similar and lackluster.

Really poor characters were all the Princesses especially princess seaweed who's whining just made me want to stuff said seaweed down her throat. All they did was bully NN and with the same old tired crap, like ladies can y'all sing a different tune? You're all boring. Mommy dearest took the cake and the award for worst mother of the year and I couldn't deal with her; dear lord what a horrible woman. I'd say she was the main antagonist of part one. Dad was ok but essentially had no spine. YS aka pompous ass didn't need any scenes. He is a contender for NN's heart but each of his scenes were just of him being an asshat to the woman he liked.

Just a lot of unnecessary tropes and cliches, in this first one. I know all of the meat and potatoes will be in the second one but I do wish that the first part had an even backstory on the ML not just a rinse and repeat of FL's crappy home life dynamic, it would have helped a lot with what's coming and made the first portion more even keeled.

Would I recommend it? It's beautiful and if you're a fan of any of the leads or support and are ok with a really slow start, then sure, I would. Because I'm looking forward to part 2 and what it has to deliver.

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Yuck ? It Sucks!

Everything abt it sucks!
ML - a ruthless general (ruthless! really?). He is worse than a cry baby.
His facial expressions are so baby like! How was he given the role of Ruthless general?
FL - Annoying presumptious girl. She was apparently abandoned by parents and raised by cruel Grandmother & Aunt who did not teach her anything but then suddenly she knows everything from Politics, Military Strategies, Fighting, Healing and you name it!
And Every Male (2nd 3rd ...) Character falls in love with her except those elders and her siblings.
Fckng Annoying.
Just Don't waste your time like i did!
I don't know how it got 9.0 rating.
Or You can just watch some 10-15 episodes, You'll get an idea 🤞

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"If the husband is the sun, the wife is the brilliant galaxy. We create the world by coexisting."

PLOT & CHARACTERS:

This is a coming-of-age story that's like no other. It's an emotional yet enlightening journey into love, parent-child conflict, loyalty and female empowerment as Cheng Shao Shang (CSS) goes through the turbulences in her journey to self discovery and growth. 

Her relationship with Ling Buyi has grown a great deal. I truly love how she's grown from a young lady who knows nothing about love to one that capable of caring for her beloved while still remaining true to herself. She learns how to love, empathise and compromise. She's just as intelligent and headstrong as any man, which is especially rare in such a patriarchal society, but can also be loving and caring towards those who are close to her. 

What surprised me the most is the transition from Part 1 to 2. In Part 1, CSS let her entire existence centred around her mother's neglect and biases, as well as others' condescending attitudes towards her "unconventional" upbringing. However, as we transition to Part 2, she's gained a new confidante and mother figure, Empress Xuan, who gives her the affirmation she needs to keep being herself but also the etiquette and knowledge to survive the dangers in the Palace. The bickering and conflicts in Part 1 now seem so trivial as CSS becomes more mature and determined with her goals to follow and serve the Empress. While Empress Xuan is composed, benevolent and dutiful, which are the social expectations of women in Ancient China, she admires CSS's free spirit and bravery. The two see their desired self and aspirations in each other, creating a very insightful and touching relationship. Consort Yue, Shao Shang's mother and third aunt are also very powerful female characters that are way ahead of their time in different ways. 

Ling Buyi (LBY) is a complex character that really draws you in. He's extremely devoted to CSS and would readily sacrifice his life for her. But when it comes to acting in the nation's interest and his own quest for vengeance, he can't help but forsake CSS's love. Being the Emperor's adopted son and commanding general, he's almost untouchable yet also helpless at bringing justice to his family's massacre. Personally, I love seeing how the rigid general becomes all goofy in front of CSS. And sometimes, their PDA makes me swoon and feel envious at the same time. Emperor Wen is such a good father figure for LBY, more than just out of his brotherhood with the former General Huo. I would say he's the biggest source of comedic relief in the drama. The way he shamelessly dotes on LBY and ships LBY with CSS is hilarious.

CAST & PRODUCTION:

Despite their young age, Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei approach their roles with overwhelming maturity and depth. We used to know Lusi as the playful and funny actress that can liven up any drama she's in, especially rom-coms. Here, she's able to incorporate some of that comedic touch with more articulations. She’s very playful and jovial in beginning, but becomes much more calm and refined towards the end of Part 2. On the other hand, Wu Lei carries out the duality of LBY very well. His stare can be serious in one moment, then melt and become hopelessly smitten with CSS. Wu Lei has the gravitas that gives complexity and charm to his character's portrayal. He’s also extremely skilled in horse riding and action scenes, adding even more intensity to the drama.

When it comes to cinematography, every scene in this drama is truly like a painting that speaks a thousand words. It's majestic but still very much the embodiment of elegance and grace. The costume and hairstyle for each character are vibrant and unique in their own way. I particularly love the layered dresses designed with a trailing tail, lowly tied hair and long earrings which add a certain sense of fluidity and feminity when the characters walk. Ling Buyi's armor is also a glory in itself, imposing and dominating like his own personality. And the "mandarin duck wings" make him look even more dashing. I love how the director is not only very masterful in his craft but also an avid WuLu couple shipper. From the behind-the-scenes, he’s very hands-on in helping the actors bring out the full sensitivity of their characters, ahem… especially the bashful and sweet romance between the 2 leads.

The soundtracks are so beautiful and fitting of the historical period. Splendid Star (星汉灿烂) by Shan Yi Chun is soft and smooth but still carries some intensity and momentum. Star River Sigh (星河叹) by Isabelle Huang is definitely my favourite with its heartbreaking nostalgia and poetic sensibility.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“When I’m with you [CSS], I feel human.” Ling Buyi

“Maybe Shao Shang is not the gentle lady who others prefer. But in my heart, she’s the best woman… in the whole wide world. She is innocent and courageous…. She’s the only one who can walk by my side. I will only marry her in this life.” Ling Buyi

“Although she [CSS] appears cold on the outside, she has always been a very caring person. She can only put her mind at ease, when those she cares about are doing well. That’s why I make sure all of you [CSS’s families and friends] are doing well.” Ling Buyi

"I can brew wine... build a water wheel... build kilns and fire tiles... Whether Ling Buyi is around or not, I'm a lady who lives well... Ling Buyi is the person I love most in this world. But I am nobody but myself." Cheng Shao Shang

“I told Her Majesty that since I engaged to you [LBY], everyone saw me as your fiancee. No one saw me as Cheng Shao Shang anymore. Her Majesty said that I was brought up as an independent lady. I only cared about myself, my personal gains and losses. She said I should try to be more amenable… more flexible." Cheng Shao Shang

"I'm proficient in poetry and classics. You're [CSS] good at building mechanisms. Everyone has something they're good at. You know what others don't. I'll slowly teach you what others know... There's no need to feel inferior. You can lift your head high." Empress Xuan

“When she [CSS] was young and needed to be loved most, she wasn’t loved by her family. If you [LBY] want to love her, you have to make up for her grief. Don’t always make her understand your choice. Only by discussing can you keep walking side-by-side.” Empress Xuan

"Back then, I always hoped she could be more mature. Until today, she has become so composed, as if she was a different person. Recalling old times, she behaved aggressively, always romped around. But it put my mind at ease... Was I mistaken since the beginning?" Cheng Shao Shang's mother

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A Must Watch Series!

ACTORS/ CHARACTERS:

Zhao Lusi never fails to surprise me with her acting skills. If you give her a role, she will definitely give justice to that role. She can act weak or strong, she can be funny or serious. Innocent or smart. Same as her partner Lei Wu. I've watched all his shows too and he really caught my attention too. From Fights Break Sphere until his latest show. I really love how he can portrayed each roles that were given to him. Specially the his character as pwd in Cross Fire. So this show gave us two very good actors without a doubt. Plus other actors that were all good. Specially the emperor, my favorite character in the story. Everyone can fell in love with his character.😄on the opposite my least favorite or I can say most hated character is CSS's Mom.😂 I won't elaborate more so not to give spoilers.😂 most useless character is Yuan Shen. I don't know why his character is still there. 😂 other characters are all good. My world stop when Cheng shao gong (twin of shao shang) met Ban Jia. I thought they will be a pair.😂 But my excitement didn't last for long when Ban Jia saw Yang Yang.

STORY:

I can say that the story isn't perfect but not to the point that it's too bad. Some points why Cheng shao Shang's mom couldn't empathize with her daughter, but can tolerate her mother in law and sister in laws. How she'd believed those superstitious beliefs and leave Shao Shang alone for a long time when she's a very smart general. Others are just minor problems/ flaws. But as a whole, I love how the writer give everyone a good character development. I love how he showed the development of General Ling's feelings for Shao Shang. I love how Shao Shang became a better person. As well as Lou Yao who learned from Shao Shang to be strong.

Part 1 is almost in the end, I hope they will release Part 2 right away so that audiences will not loose the momentum or won't forget the feeling they will leave us in Part 1.

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When it says slow burn, you better believe it!

Am actually writing this review for the first part after i completed watching the whole part 1 and part 2, so might probably mix them up (the rating is for the whole series though. Lol)

Ok first of all. Niao Niao here is barely a 15yo girl who has grown up without any (good) parental figure and was left to her own account to survive. Nevertheless, i spend almost 2/3rd of part 1 really trying to stop myself from not completely disliking (hating is a strong word) Shaoshang’s a-mu. That woman imo is completely ridiculous. I know she loved shaoshang silently (because viewers are shown that) but the way she acts with regards to shaoshang is completely ridiculous! Everyone said she is a just woman, and in trying to treat SS and YY justly, she just appears as a mean mother. And i dont even think she knows the word ‘fair’ well, because the way she coddled YY is basically putting down her own daughter and walk all over her. Lucky YY is a good girl nevertheless, because if any girl else being treated to such a pedestal and being backed up to such a level, it was no wonder if she end up being a villain. All in all, i completely am very much frustrated with Xiao Yuanyi. Lucky SS has her a fu and brothers at her side, or else i might end up more frustrated! Lol

And as I said, when they told you it is slow burn, you better believe it. Lol. The first 10 episodes are so slow I basically just grit my teeth and keep on watching because it’s Wu Lei and Lusi’s drama. Nothing much important happened, and LBY and SS also has minimal interaction together. And i am quite surprised that they spent sooo many episodes on SS and A Yao’s relationship +- courting even though i did appreciate how kind and honest Lao Yao is. My heart hurts when he needs to break up with SS (though at the same time happy because well, this is a chance for the main couple to start shining!).

I like the 2 sidekicks of LBY the most. Lol. Those 2 are such a comedic add ons to LBY’s cold face. Haha. And I also very much appreciate that the emperor and his harem is portrayed as so, it was a fresh breath of air from other emperor and his harem which is full of conniving backstabbing villains from other dramas. I love that the emperor dotes on LBY so much, he was treated almost better than the emperor’s sons themselves. Hahahha. Comedic lighthearted characters aside, this part 1 also has a lot ( and i mean a lotttt) of very annoying screechy characters. Basically all of the ladies (aside from Third Shumu and Qiqi) are annoying little shits and their mothers usually are no better. Sometimes, you just felt like pulling your own hairs watching their petty little conversation/trial of one upping each others, they are just that fickle!

Now, on to the main couple. I love that LBY treated SS so well in silent, it shows how much he loves her to me (as a viewer). But well, if i am SS, i also would not just make my own conclusion that he loves me just like that, without any words at all from him. He never mention that he likes her or at least saying anything towards that before he threatens her that she is agreeing to being his wife if she didnt agree to meet him in the forest during her engagement day to a yao. I was like woahhh where is that coming from? Lol. And yes, he could not completely gave himself towards building a relationship at that time just yet because his revenge is still not paid, so he basically can only let SS pass him by on another man’s arms. Lucky fate has its own plan, and A Yao has to be wedded to someone else, or else LBY will be left licking his own nails with his revenge to accompany him.

The cinematography is really nice i think, especially scenes such as the lantern festival and the place where SS meet LBY at her engagement day. However, i must say that the costumes are less flattery than other dramas’, but i think it is mostly due to the era/dynasty that LLTG is based on, rather than the costumes team itself. I can only see one main design for the costumes, be it the females or the males’ costume and the pastel colour itself doesnt seem so flattering. Usually i can feast my eyes on the costumes while watching chinese dramas, and this handicapped seems quite glaring to me.

OST during part one is basically non existent. I cannot remember much of it if it exists lol.

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MY BEST DRAMA IN 2022

This is my best drama in 2022. Overall in terms of production, story, cinematography, acting/cast, music and sound, all presented by awe artistic arrange embodiment. The combination of various emotional elements is combined to complement each other with the right portion and timing.

WHAT I LIKED – A BRIEF OVERVIEW

1. I felt engaged right away, from 1st episode, the opening of the drama was grand and heroic. The first appearance of ML is breathtaking with excellence authority. Leo Wu Lei is really powerful with his domineering aura as general Ling. His 'wooden' expression is so distinctive and memorable. Reflects a cold and mysterious personal side.
Zhao Lusi looks stunning both in gesture and expression to play the young Cheng Shaoshang with her nonchalant kid attitude, behind it through her courage and ingenuity dare to face the oppression of her grandmother's maid and uncle Dong's tactics fearlessly. Even though I was still in the midst of getting my bearings in terms of who's who. That's pretty impressive.

2. They are put in a lot of detailed effort to make the rendition of this drama world as authentic and true to the times as possible. With a surge of captivating aesthetic beauteous.

3. Our cast serves up lots of very solid performances, and together with the writing, this made the characters feel like real people. Over time, I really felt like I was getting to know these people, and I eventually grew fond of them too.

4. Cheng Shaoshang (Zhao Lusi) is just the kind of underdog heroine that I can get behind, beneath her young age where by of her 2nd aunt's mis-parenting that she doesn't got proper education to understand standard of manners and almost being illiterate, but in naturally she's quick-witted kid with amazing spatially and mathematically logical intelligence, her ability to analyze a person and/or situation is razor sharp. I also like her bravery and determination to fight for her goal. I loved watching her come into her own.

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Emotional ride with a bit of a flat progression.

Saying I am not completely invested in this slow burn romance (it’s so slow one could think it literally backtracks a few times) would be a lie. They got me on their first shared screen time and I did not even mind the fact they barely interact in the first half of part 1 of the show.

Love Like the Galaxy in its part 1 feels a lot like a family slice of life rather than a typical historical romance. The focus is on the main characters as individuals rather than them as a pair and future couple. Especially with Shao Shang, we can observe in detail how she interacts with all members of her family. On the other hand, while we don’t see Bu Yi interact with many people in his circle (except from his 2 loyal companions, who sadly had less and less screen time as drama progressed), the plot focused on the past mystery surrounding his family and tragedy that befell on it.

Here’s the deal though: while I believe they did a close to perfect job with Shao Shang and her side of the story, Bu Yi just felt underdeveloped - both as a character and his storyline. Any questions I might have had regarding the female lead were addressed one way or another, while many times I got so little information about male lead, I was not even sure what to ask - so I slowly completely lost interest in his solo quest for justice.

As for the romance - the sweet agony I felt because of Bu Yi’s pinning was amazing. I love how we didn't really get to see leads interact a lot. That said, just because they didn’t share the screen, does not mean there was no chemistry. They were able to sell the connection even when they were not together. How amazing is that! They influenced each other and slowly depended on each other, even without many interactions.

At some point though it started to feel frustrating. While we saw and understood how Bu Yi’s feelings changed, Shao Shang was an uninterested romantic mystery for way too long. So by the end of part 1, how her feelings and understanding of herself changed felt a little bit rushed. I’m sorry, but if you deliver romance at 0.25x speed, you cannot speed it up with quick 30 seconds flashbacks later on.

Another thing that bothered me pacing wise was the Lou Yao part of the plot. This story was unnecessarily long, when in fact it had little impact on characters. With how little it mattered, how long it took to resolve was surprising and… well, annoying.

On the bright side - I love a lot of the supporting characters. Wan Qi Qi and the emperor are definitely some of the best. Especially with the emperor, he delivers some great humor and comedy bits.

Acting wise - amazing. Not one performance felt flat. Zhao Lu Si can deliver both the carefree and charming, and serious and defeated. Leo Wu was probably born to play in historical romance shows. Huge shoutout to Xu Di - her dramatic performance as Madam Cheng is to die for.

Another good aspect is obviously the scenography, set design, camera work, lighting and all the rest production related things. The show is simply beautiful. Not taking screenshots while watching is a crime.

Overall, a really solid first half, but the true quality and value it has will be known after watching the rest of the show.

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A Love/Hate Letter to Love Like the Galaxy

Dear Show,

Is it cheating if I post the same review for both part 1 and part 2 of LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY? Because to be fair, the drama is one whole story to me.

Gosh, this was one hell of a review to write because of the plethora of emotions I feel. I think it’s probably more fitting to call it a Love-Hate Letter to the drama. Part One (episodes 1-27) is a solid, top-notch 10 for me. 10/10 would recommend as a truly splendid drama. Part Two (episodes 28-56 or 1-29) is an 8.5 from me, which is bias because I think that’s a generous score given all the issues I have with it. This does round the entire drama to be a 9 though. It was soo close to a perfect 10, and that makes me sad that we were so close!

The last time I loved a drama like this was in 2015 with LANG YA BANG/NIRVANA IN FIRE. Seven years later with LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY (LLTG), I was ready to tie it to the brilliance of NIRVANA IN FIRE (NIF). For consolation, I guess it’s the romance version in terms of almost phenomenal execution like NIF, but I’ve pegged it down a few notches because of the drama’s ending. I’ll explain my issues with part 2 much later if you’re curious enough or care to read more.

First, I would also like to point out how significant the two dramas, NIF and LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY (LLTG) tie in for me. Wu Lei played Fei Lu in NIF, an ever loyal and martial arts genius bodyguard to the titular character of Mei Changsu. Mei Changsu was a brilliant strategist and military general whose goal was to exact justice for the wrongs that annihilated his family. Here, Wu Lei comes full circle in being the lead as a revered and intelligent general whose goal is to exact revenge for the demise of his maternal family clan.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Before I dive into details for the rest of my review and ramblings, here’s my non-spoiler review:

As a whole, this is a spectacular, powerhouse of a historical drama with a wonderful romance story. If this is your cup of tea, then I would in this case, 9/10 recommend with a caveat. Historical dramas in my opinion, tend to have little romance, and are often paved with slow burn romances if a love line is there. If you’re just in it for the romance, it may or may not work, depending on your cup of tea or coffee. After all, we all know dramas are so subjective, as such is the case with most things in life.

Zhao Lusi blew me away with her performance. I never really watched any of her previous works only because the story never appealed enough to me. This girl though! She has a knack for delivering the comedic punch from the flicker of her eyes and the expression she is able to capture. We can feel everything on her face even from the tiniest of movements. Yet when she cries, you feel the pure anguish and heartbreak in the way she conveys those. As for Wu Lei, I didn’t care about him before either. I thought he looked good in THE LONG BALLAD, but that was it. In LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY, he didn’t really get comfortable in his role for me until much later, and at times he came off awkward. This kind of worked in his favor though, granted his character was socially awkward at times. The second part of the drama was where I could see his growth as a professional actor in displaying more of his capabilities by bringing a facet of emotions forward through his eyes and lips. A cool tidbit that I also appreciated was the cast dubbed their own voices! That isn’t quite common in Chinese dramas from my understanding, so it was especially great to be able to hear the real voices of Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei as they breathed their characters to life onto the screen.

LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY is the story about our protagonist, Cheng Shaoshang, left behind by her parents who go off to war, only for her to be raised by her awful grandma and 2nd aunt-in-law. Shaoshang grows up resilient, intelligent, with a love of building and understanding mechanisms, and is fiercely independent in having had to survive childhood under awful circumstances. When her parents return home from war, she’s thrust into society and once again, is forced to use her wits to navigate the waters of social and familial norms, etiquette, being filial, and growing into her potential of who she is without losing the essence of what she values and stands for. In the process, she catches the attention of a prominent general, a man named Ling Buyi, who carries with him a deep secret. Having almost lost the chance to pursue Cheng Shaoshang once to her engagement with another man, General Ling Buyi seizes a rare moment and strategizes his way to win her love before she slips from him once more. Their slow-burn romance with the various encounters that build up to show how our male lead falls for our heroine is beautiful.

Look, your girl here has never loved an OTP (one true pairing) as much from a Chinese drama until now. Their chemistry together was simply mesmerizing. Upon finishing the drama now, the hill I will choose to die on is the one where no one else can play the respective roles of Cheng Shaoshang and Ling Buyi the way Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei perfected them.

56 episodes is a major commitment. For some people, time is of the essence where you don’t have enough time in the days or weeks to give to watching dramas, so maybe you’re like me, and you have to choose wisely where you’ll exert your energy. Or if you’re like me, highly judgmental of shows and can drop them like hot potatoes…don’t drop the gem of this one! These dramas are like unicorns, spotted only once every blue moon. Am I right or am I right?

The show picks up momentum at the 6th episode. If after 6 episodes and you find yourself struggling, it might not be for you. However, I truly recommend coming in with an abundance of patience if you’re curious as to why the drama soared to such popularity and buzz in the time it was broadcasted, as I humbly believe the payoff is worth it. I absolutely adored the pacing of the drama, because at the core, it is a story woven by complicated family dynamics backed an equally compelling cast of supporting characters, a slice-of-life, a well-constructed historical but immersive world, found family, surviving in the face of trauma and loss, finding and understanding different forms of love, and a coming-of-age in wisdom, resiliency, and healing. Almost every single character was tailored for their role. Actually, it’s probably the other way around, that the actors and actresses created their roles to be so memorable, I don’t think anyone else could have fit into the shoes of any of these characters. There is phenomenal chemistry not just between our OTP, but throughout the relationships of each character towards one another. If you ever take a step back, you realize that many of these characters would be compelling enough to be the protagonist in their own story.

I loved so many things about the drama. There are wonderful, but heartbreaking narratives of how one can never feel like they’re enough for their parents, no matter what they do or don’t. The complex family dynamics is such a telling story in many Asian households. The protagonist’s view throughout the story of relying on only yourself to get through, because it’s how she’s survived, to the evolution in understanding of finding a way to live a well-meaningful life, even if one didn’t get married, is possible. Yes, it’s against the grain, but the touch on this was nice, and I wish this idealism was something they showed in part 2 of the series. I am all for female empowerment, and how lovely it would have been to see if one chooses to get married, it’s because they want to, not because it’s the expectation to do so. Despite many issues in the later part of the series, one major thing I loved about the drama is the love story between our leads that started off beautifully and will stay with me for the most part. There was something so magical in the way that slow-burn romance had unfolded. It’s a trope that I carry close to my heart.

Part 2 was a turbulent ride, with higher stakes and greater danger at play, and yet it missed the mark on multiple occasions in comparison to part 1. We really be treading rough waters out here in the final stretch of the drama.

Currently, I have a love-hate relationship with this drama. It is the first time I feel so sad and bitter about what could have been, otherwise I wouldn’t have spent such an invested amount of time writing out something so long that encompasses my emotions. I am still scarred from the later parts that I’ve not gone back to rewatch scenes the way I constantly did for part 1 and a huge chunk of part 2 from episodes 28-41.

There are major character inconsistencies throughout and plot holes, GALORE. Shaoshang is shown throughout part 1 to be bold but stands up for herself and is intelligent. Under pressure or on the spot, she flourishes and is quick on her feet. Part 2 was as if there were two different teams writing her character, the A-Team, and the draft-zero team. They dumbed her down, when there was never a need to in the first place. I don’t even want to count through the number of times she needed rescuing and was held at knifepoint. She went from someone so intelligent to regressing here and there in part 2. Not to mention, the sheer number of villains the drama shoved onto our screens near the end of the drama. Characters just seem to be popping out of nowhere. Some scenes dragged on for no reason in trying to gain sympathy, but I felt it was already a botched job. Then other scenes where they should have fleshed things out were sloppily shoved down our throats in an attempt for us to care. It was too little, too late.

Something about the romance and magic of the love story was also lost towards the end of the drama for me. I understand the situations the characters had to go through, but seeing that it was how their love was tested, the way the characters lacked growth from the experience was such a let-down. The show could have done some deep dive into important relationships like friendships between the characters and their growth and healing from trauma. The drama had so much they could have worked with, but instead relied heavily on cheap tropes at the end. There was no set up so the payoff meant nothing. I fast forwarded through a chunk of the ending at times. All the buildup only for this to fizzle out. It hurts, I tell ya!

Let’s go back to the other wonderful things about this drama, so I can momentarily forget the aftertaste of sand still lingering. The production crew and backers of this drama is grand on all fronts. Whoever is also behind the editing of the weekly trailers has also outdone themselves too. Each of the trailers released gives just enough to anticipate and have the audience guessing wildly as they await the release, only to still save all the best moments for within the story itself. There is a talented ensemble cast, show-stopping action sequences, synced musical scores in the first half, flawless comedic timing, and extensive, sweeping cinematography from costume, set of to the world around them for what appears to be inspiration from the Han Dynasty. They really rolled out the big-guns with production on all fronts for this drama. If we believe in drama gods, this production crew from the staff, director, screenwriter, to the cast members, hit the jackpot. The universe conspired to put this team together, and because the drama gods smiled down on this one, we’re so blessed.

I remember even within the first shot where they introduced Ling Buyi, you knew he was a revered and great general...and without a doubt, the male lead of the show. The way the production team filmed the magnitude of the soldiers under General Ling Buyi’s command and the sweeping camera angle as he put on a black and red cape gifted to him for his accomplishment by the emperor, it gives one an inkling of how splendid this story could be. From the costumes to the set, to the cinematography with the perfect camera angles of its inhabitants, to the landscapes and architecture used, I knew we would be in for a rare treat.

That’s it for my spoiler-free review.

(If you'd like to read my super long essay about the drama where I write more on the things I loved and hated about the drama, you can find it at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1czlgKAZpBndsV3JcIyNFm8fdqKBuccFz/)

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Most satisfying drama or series I have ever watched. First drama I ever gave an 10/10.

Just finished with Part 2.

I normally watch only Wuxia/Material Arts/Action focused shows. I also don´t like comedy and almost wouldn´t have watched it because of the silly trailer!
But OMG am I glad I did! Best character writing, directing and acting I have seen... maybe ever!
I really have never seen a Chinese drama with so much depth. The characters felt so real.
And the overall writing was also really good. After the two first episodes only a few more where a bit hard to get through (By comparison = most other Chinese dramas of this length would have been better with 10 or 20 episodes less - not so with this one!).
The humor at the beginning (first 3 or 4 episodes) was sometimes more annoying/exhausting than funny, but it develops a lot and in retrospect I wouldn´t change anything about it.

It really can´t be compared to any other dramas (Disclaimer: haven't watched The Story of Ming Lan) but if I had too: Nirvan In Fires story and character writing was similarly sophisticated. But while Nirvana in Fire (1) gave me chills with it´s political plot, Love LIke the Galaxy`s specialty are the beautiful sentimental moments, the character growth, the beautiful romantic scenes, the joyful momentsand yea the heartbreaking moments too. It´s one of the most realistic feeling historical shows, but unlike with The Red Sleeve it won`t leave you depressed!

Only slight con: The soundtracks for 2 or 3 scenes where weird and didn´t fit at all. + The translation on YouTube isn´t that great in the beginning and they muted and switched out a few soundtracks there, for copyright reasons. We only watched the first and last couple of episodes on YouTube but for the most part we watched on DramaNice.

P/s: First Asian drama I watched with my Mom and I couldn´t have picked a better one.

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