zhao Lusi slays once again
Came for Zhao Lusi's wonderful acting.Stayed for the romance.
It's quite a riveting story.
Cons:
The fourth consort's daughter's husband's nephew's wife, prince of X, and cousin on the maternal side, who is the assistant to the Marquis. That's pretty much one character out of the 50 they reference. Could NOT keep them straight. ERgo, couldn't follow the mystery and deep secret part. Like it anyway but it was exhausting trying to pay attention, stop to google the character names only to come up empty handed. Still enjoyed it.
Note;
These are not discreet war scenes. there is quite a bit of gore. Be prepared if you don't like that stuff.
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Not what I expected (in a good way)
I've never read the original novel, so I thought it's going to be a romance drama between FL & ML with some palace politics here and there. I never imagine that in the 27 episodes, is more about family conflict, FL-ML close interaction (romance) is almost non existent LOL. But what surprised me more, is how much I enjoy this drama. I like how the story focused on the development of the FL and her interaction with her family, the mother-daughter conflict, surprisingly, quite realistic. I love all the elders character, the senior actors are all very good, especially the grandmother, LOL, the grandmother is really something, so funny. I like how the FL slowly learn about relationships and grow to be more mature. Nothing is rushed, just the right pace. The director really make good story flow. Can't wait for the second part of the series.Was this review helpful to you?
Feeling cheerful? Stop it now!
I dropped this show after 3 eps because of the subject material ie child abuse/neglect, made into entertainment because the victim has wit and tenacity.I picked it up again out of solidarity for Zhao Lusi.
She handles this difficult role with depth & credibility, bringing humour & sensitivity.
Sadly, the show is so full of stereotypical back-biting that I can hardly stand it. Not forgetting the usual tropes of spoilt girls expecting to marry whoever they want, and bullying going unpunished with victim blaming and shaming.
The final straw for me, dropping the show now at #22, is the mother. The actress is good & I have seen her in other shows; of course, not every character can be lovable. But it is too hard to believe that a woman who is 1. a capable and battle-hardened general; 2. a loving wife; and 3. a mother to two older boys, can be so flummoxed by raising her daughter as to resort to verbal cruelty every time. I don’t know why people praise this show so much. I can’t stand watching anymore.
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Can't move on
It is one of my hang out with with friends and neighbors to watch all Zhao Lusi's drama. She portrayed her part in this drama amazingly. and all her dramas, I could say that I started being addicted of C-dramas because of her but only her drama that we watch. and take note, we are adults and mothers and we watch as family and as friendly bonding with friends.I see many haters of Zhao Lusi but this makes her loyal fans love her more. She's a versatile actress and beautiful. I could say she's the only Chinese actress whom I like watching.
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Most underwhelming series, after The Story of Minglan
This one and The Story of Minglan, of 2018, have the same original author. However, what a huge difference screenwriters and directors make ... The Story of Minglan was a rich tapestry of characters and story lines that put that production in a class of its own. Superb! 'while this Love like the Galaxy, of 2022, was one is a pain to watch. Other than superb acting, everything was underwhelming. Soooo, so lacking. Sooo, so schematic that it was painful to watch the poor actors delivering so well on skinny characters which had nothing to deliver other than cheesy monologues; horibile sound track, with tunes which sounded like free downloads from the Internet, and the list can go on. I give a ten for perfect make up. And a 20, again, to the wonderful Chinese actos. But other than that: a pain to watch and see what botched job poor screenwriters and directors can do from work originally created by a very good writer.Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece. Period.
I could write so many things about this Cdrama, acting, costumes, sceneries, the amazing storytelling. It make your heart beat like crazy in every single episode, to the point I don't get that its not rated with a 10 ⭐ with white flags already.!!! The only negative is the release of the episodes... so slow, not enough. Leading actors absolutely mesmerising and with a huge chemistry between them. I'm currently in episode 12 and I can tell that my heart will break with this love story before we witness the happy ending of their story. Overall I think its a masterpiece of its kind.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Update: It gets better starting with episode 6. At first, it was bad!
Although, I genuinely like the male lead actor, I was disappointed to see him play the male lead character. To be honest, as of episode 3 I don't think he is doing as good of a job as he did in his prior historical dramas. Not bad, but not great either. I believe this drama would have been better if they casted an actor between the ages of 30-45 (this doesn't mean the character has to be the same age), with phenomenal acting experience in political based historical dramas.While the storyline is good, the script and production is lacking. What I mean is, in episode 1 the male lead and the army won a war and the first thing he does after returning home (well, waiting outside of the gate) was to leave and investigate a case. The political plot in the first 10 episodes, felt rushed, and unrealistic; it was as if they were looking for a way to find a quick way for the female and male lead to link up with one another. Also, there was no significant moment shown to us to explain why the male lead character liked the female lead character.
Next, the female lead characters mom, hadn't seen her daughter since she was a baby, and instead of embracing her with love, she embraced her with rules that could have waited until she started spending good quality time with her daughter. For goodness sake, she heard that her daughter often was starved by her grandmother and aunt. Additionally, at one point, she was left to die outside of their town. The mother's behavior is not endearing but it seems very cold, and harsh. Her character is enough to make me want to drop this drama. I'm hoping that the writer allow her character to develop.
If the script, acting, and mothers' character doesn't improve by episode 6, I'm going to drop this drama! Note: The mom's character doesn't become tolerable until episode 20.
Update:
You will start to like this drama by episode 6. Things definitely make a turn for the better. However, I still don't like the male lead character storyline. It seems unrealistic. Additionally, the actor is overacting.
My favorite episode was episode 15. I hate the political plot because it's not logical nor is it well written. However, the female lead character storyline is pretty good. Additionally, the female lead actress did a phenomenal job acting, as well as the actor who plays Yao. Kudos!
I'm currently watching episode 21, and when I see the male lead character, I sigh due to disappointment. UGHHHHH WHYYYYY I don't know if it is because of his character, or the actor, or both! Btw, who else is sobbing after watching episode 21? Where's my tissue? Also, episode 24 (towards the end) is the only time that I liked the male lead actor and character in this drama. Unfortunately, the mom in this drama reminds me of the relationship that I had with my mom. My mom has narcissistic personality disorder, and used to belittle me in front of others. So the end of episode 24, definitely was a trigger.
After watching episode 25, I realized that part 1 was focused on the female leads family and part 2 will be focused on the male leads family, and their marriage. I LOVE how the male lead rides (supports) the female lead at Yao's wedding (the end of episode 25). By episode 26, I finally start liking the male lead character (although, I think the actor could have done a better job acting).
The flashbacks at the end of episode 27 was much needed (I forgot how much the leads interacted with one another), and was a perfect way to end season 1. After watching episode 27, I raised my rating from 8.0 to 8.5.
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This is the best drama I have watched in a while!
I am only on episode 12 and will allow that I am checking two or three times daily for previews or further episodes. It is that good. It has everything. A very good story line, a female lead who is more than 2 dimensional and men who are also more sensitive than usual. It has humor, which makes some of the harder themes bearable. The secondary women are also interesting. The mother is a hard ass, not lambastic at all. (The Grandmother and one aunt fill that role..neither will appear in any further episodes as their roles where filling in the backstory. ) The cousin is a wet noodle but good hearted, I think it is the third aunt who plays the role of a kind hearted mother figure to the MF. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that all the main women in this show dominate the screen and is worth watching if for no other reason than that. I am not good at writing reviews, but this show is so good it is a shame no one has done so as yet.Was this review helpful to you?
Family rivalry
I was very excited to start a new ZLS drama since I really liked WRTW, but this one was different... It starts off really slow with the romance. I mean like I'm half way throughout the first part of the drama and I do not see any feelings between the leads. I also do not get how the male lead has feelings for the female lead without interactions. It just seems a bit unrealistic. The drama is actually more focused on family matters than actual romance or at least for what I can see. I feel like there is a lack of suspense as there is any major plot change yet. Despite watching through half of the first part of the drama, I felt like there was not much going on besides family problems. After all the wait, it was a bit of a dissapointment for me. Overall, not the most interesting!Was this review helpful to you?
just gets better
story - to sum it up, the female lead was neglected throughout her child and became rebellious as a result. she loves to play tricks on the people she dislike, but she still has a heart of gold. from what I’ve seen so far, she begins to quickly adapt to a series of tragedies relating to death and war, which is obviously quite shocking and difficult for a young girl. general ling, the male lead, is a stoic character who shows small hints of emotions but never truly opens up (yet). less than 25% of the show has aired but im sure this story has immersed many viewers.acting/cast - zhao lusi and wulei are young but talented actors. from past films and shows, they’ve displayed a wide range of characters, which is why i knew the acting was going to be top notch. you can quickly sympathize with shaoshang, the female lead, because lusi portrays her sheltered but adventurous character well. since the show hasn’t reached the climax yet, we’ve seen only hints of general ling’s character. however, it becomes apparent that he is slowly opening up to be more than just the cold faced general he’s seen as. many of the comedic moments are carried by the side characters, the expressions in this show just add an entire level of comedy. maybe im sensitive but some of the scenes where the side characters cause misunderstandings and hurt everyone really brings me to tears as well. only 12 episodes in and im attached to all the characters <3
music - i would honestly rate the music a 10/10 but at the moment the show hasn’t reached the climax yet, meaning how the rest of the ost fits the show is unknown. music changes the mood of the show really fast. for a show that has a twist of comedy but also some heart-wrenching scenes, the music is really well-made. i know this show will make me bawl like a baby bc the ending song is so beautifully tragic. looking forward to the rest of the ost as the drama continues airing!
rewatch value - this rating is quite random and technically incorrect since the show is still airing, but it’s based off a prediction. the comedic and lighthearted scenes make you easily attached to the story and the cast, but never forget the first rule of historical cdramas: “if it has over 40 episodes, it will rip your heart to shreds”. you can tell that this show isn’t going to be 100% comedic and the cast has carried out each genre very well. 10/10 for rewatching plot and cute interactions but points deducted bc this drama will most likely make me cry for days straight.
overall - my rating numbers: “10 10 8 8” seem quite simplistic mainly because I’ve never been able to use numbers well to measure a show’s greatness. words do the trick! 12 episodes and im hooked. i usually drop shows not even past the first episode because after watching masterpieces like love and redemption, ashes of love, not many dramas can build up angst properly while still being entertaining. i have great expectations for this drama and so far, they haven’t been let down. to those who can’t stand slowburns: with a great cast and plot, all pain and waiting is worth it! 10/10 recommend. my review after the dramas finished airing is most likely gonna be mainly me sobbing and crying over the tragic moments (56 episode drama definitely means there’s gonna be angst)
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So-so Big Budget Historical Soap Opera with 大木头
It's a so -so story with a big focus on slice of life and family dynamics. It isn't very plot driven, mostly revolves around family issues and romance. The FL has been neglected by her parents due to their responsibilities for the kingdom as military officials which required them to leave their home. The FL is treated poorly by her grandmother and extended family while her parents are away. She is smart and has a strong personality which is great especially when it comes to standing up against people who are bullies. At times I found it to be too impulsive, abrasive, and overdone. I understand it is a part of the story and the novel as the FL is supposed to be fairly young but it was too much at times and it was grating. Her parents played their roles beautifully. The general is stuck between his daughter, wife, and mother; it makes a man want to run and hide from all the drama but the general handles it deftly and with humor. The wife has also been a part of the military campaigns with her husband so she is strong willed and feisty. She clashes with the FL repeatedly and at times is pretty harsh with her treatment of her daughter to rein in her behavior.The ML was pretty wooden and stiff in his acting abilities, not sure who takes the Big Wooden (大木头) Acting Award for 2022 but he's a top runner for it. His role is to be the good looking stiff cold general ML who keeps saving the FL and has lovey dovey puppy eyes only for her. He was slightly better in his acting in The Long Ballad but he had more chemistry with this FL than the FL in The Long Ballad.
The FL acting is good and she plays the character well. There were repeated references to the FL's extraordinary beauty in the show, from a male perspective I would say she's cute girl next door in terms of looks but not an extraordinary beauty. When the series pushes that narrative to tell you versus to show you, it demonstrates a lack of proper story telling and heavy handed tactics.
Didn't really like the instalove thing with the male suitors, it was too quick with how the ML falls in love with her. Even the SMLs had this instalove thing going with the FL. They meet her for the first time, she solves some puzzle, and BIM BAM BOOM I'm so in love with her and ready to devote myself wholeheartedly? There is a love triangle and reverse harem with her three suitors, it isn't over the top which is good, not big on the love tri and quad thing.
At times it was slow and tested my patience but its watchable for most of the characters. Its a big budget series so the settings, historical costumes, production, editing, and cinematography are excellent.
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Wow, one of the best last few years
This is very similar to Sword Snow Stride in terms of story telling and character development but the BIGGEST thing it's so much better than Sword Snow Stride is NO SLOW MOTION. So so much better without those slow motion scenes.I would rate this one over Sword Snow Stride. Much better character development and story telling. I really like the female lead so much. FINALLY a show worthy of Zhao Lusi. She is one of my favorite actresses but I cannot finish any of her last several titles because the shows were so boring and silly. This show finally is able to utilize her talents to the fullest. Love her so much as an actress. One of the funniest actresses but when it comes to serious scenes, she's equal to the task. One of my favorite scenes is her in that cooking comedy where she yells outside the door of the rich guy at the hotel to introduce herself. That is pure comedy genius... alas, show was such a disappointment and I could not finish it.
I am on episode 12 and this is so good. It gets really good after episode 6. I finished Dream of Splendor and while I liked that one, this is so much better. It is so hard to miss a single episode here. No wasted fillers and everything moves quickly. No long winded conversations that go nowhere. No stupid silly music effects like some other shows to show comedy.
I only wish I could binge all the episodes now!
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