Love Like the Galaxy: Part 1

A solid “A” drama

It’s been awhile since I watched a historical c-drama. I’m happy that I got back to the genre with Love Like the Galaxy.

It’s a delightful drama with all the usual tropes. The “tropiness” however did not grate on my nerves. That’s mostly because the characters grew consistently from the beginning to the end. All these usual tropes were organic parts of the story. They did not seem contrived and created just because. I guess I’m one of the jaded ones. The tropes do not give me the feels anymore. Most of the times they seem as interesting as a shoe polish. I was pleasantly surprised by this drama.

All except one thing - the way most of the eligible young ladies are jealous of Niao Niao. And the script constantly pulls them down to elevate Niao Niao. Even a simple dance performance by the princess fails because the group falls on each other. Because why? She did not practice enough? That’s lazy writing. It’s low-key misogynistic. I’m not going to cry anti-feminism. I’m watching the dramas for entertainment and not enlightenment. But the young women in the show are petty and frankly plain dumb. Their diatribes against Niao Niao seem like proverbial red flags to the bull. They at times are added only for Ling buyi to come to spectacular rescues of Niao Niao. They are so petty, that it’s not even funny. That was the one trope that had me RME. It was alright the first time, not the second or the third or the tenth time.

Anyhoo. That one thing aside, this drama was a delight to watch. I love how all the characters are superbly imperfect. There is no shining halo behind a single character. Even the epitome of the kindness Empress, fails to raise her daughter well. The kind and adorable Emperor is oblivious to his Empress’s pain. Zisheng and Shaoshang are imperfect enough for them to grow and evolve. Really good stuff.

Zhao Lusi, IMO, was perfectly cast for this role. She really portrayed that stubborn, independent yet vulnerable Niao Niao in all her glory. Niao Niao wants to be acknowledged for herself, not just a fiancée of so and so. She yearns for parents’ love yet at the same time she doesn’t mope and drown in self pity for the lack of it. She is loyal to those who show her kindness but not blind to overlook their wrongdoings. I loved how she is practical during her first betrothal to know that it is not a love match and is ok with it. She is not entering it blindly. Zhao Lusi faithfully portrayed all those qualities that make Niao Niao a fascinating main lead. I am thankful beyond anything to not have her talk in fake baby tones. Brownie points from me. ;D

Leo Wu as Ling Buyi nailed it too. The way this stoic general softens when he catches her glimpses is fascinating to watch. He also has his own story line. He does not become a love puppy even after their confession. He maintains his personality. That credit goes to the story but also to Leo Wu for portraying these traits the way he does.. IMO his performance is a step ahead of Zhao Lusi. One shout out to the fight scenes, especially the one at the gate. It was fantastically shot. It shows how tactical his mind is. It shows his awareness of his surroundings even in the midst of his fight. Again good stuff.

All the supporting characters and the cast selected to play them made this drama what it was for me. It’d be a stupidly long review if I were to go in details for the, may be some other time.

All in all, I loved it. Give it a try if you haven’t already.

Oh and PS; may be extra point to the chemistry between our ML and FL. To use the cliched adjective, it’s sizzling.

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Roller coaster ride and not much going on.

Is it too late to write a review?

This is a drama that gives out a roller coaster ride of emotions, not much fluff since I understand this is only part 1 of the whole story.

Anyhow, I was crying buckets at the first few episodes because of the relationship the FL has to her family. How can they be so cruel specially her mother?! (It's a good thing I watched Hidden Love first since I don't know if I'll get over her treatment to the FL in this drama). It gets a little bit light when the brothers arrived and the FL develop friends. Laughing out loud because of their antics and playfulness, I just love her relationship with her father, two brothers, cousin, and her best friend.

And then comes our ML, he's just too rigid and stoic for my liking, and I remember skipping this drama for a long time because of him. Sorry. Anyway, he didn't showed much emotion all throughout part 1. But I saw a glimpse of their chemistry during the scene where FL was helping him take the arrow out from his body, it was a little bit hooowwwt *wink*!!! So I'll reserve my final judgement until I finish the whole drama.

I just don't understand why they have to drag the part when FL got engaged to another guy, why, oh why it took so many episodes? The other guy didn't offer much to the whole story anyway, and because of this I found myself skipping a lot of scene. When they officially break the engagement, it's just a few more episode until the finish of part 1. Bleeh. And then immediately the ML swoop in, do they need a buffer before they start the official love story?! I honestly don't know.

One thing I really like is ZLS, she's really good here. She doesn't need to say anything, her pitiful looks is enough and my tears are flowing. OMG

This part is a solid 8 for me because of the emotions I felt while watching the first half of the part 1. I found myself anticipating the next episode even though there isn't much happening, I guess it's a good thing, right?

Now I'm off to watch second part.

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???

Ling Bu Yi, le fils adoptif de l'empereur Wen et un général talentueux et impitoyable de l'armée des armures noires, était en mission personnelle pour découvrir des vérités cachées sur le passé, qui avaient conduit au massacre d'une ville entière et de son clan quand il a rencontré Cheng Shao Shang lors d'une mission pour appréhender un fugitif dans un village rural. Le jeune Cheng Shao Shang avait été laissé pour compteparce que ses parents étaient partis combattre à la guerre. Négligée et sans instruction, elle avait été une épine dans le pied de sa tante et de sa grand-mère jusqu'au retour inattendu de ses parents après de nombreuses années passées au front. Ayant toujours manqué d'une famille aimante, Shao Shang avait hâte de retrouver ses parents, mais les nombreuses années de séparation ont inévitablement conduit à une certaine séparation. Shao Shang, cependant, est imperturbable et déterminée à vivre pour elle-même, et sa nature indisciplinée et audacieuse, ainsi que son esprit vif, commencent à attirer l'attention de pas mal de personnes dans la capitale, dont Ling Bu Yi. (Source : kisskh) ~~ Adapté du roman "Xing Han Can Lan, Xing Shen Zhi Zai" (星汉灿烂, 幸甚至哉) de Guan Xin Ze Luan (关心则乱).

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THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH PARTS 1 & 2.

Such an entertaining drama, no less expected from one of the rising actors in China, Zhao Lu Si who chooses good scripts. Her portrayal of a smart but unruly young woman is a hoot, as she captured the interests of many highly eligible young men, including the icy, cold General Ling Bu Yi. Because of her antics, Shao Shang managed to irate many of the ladies that have been vying for Bu Yi's attention for years, as well many of her elders who thought they can undermine Shao Shang's "lowly" position in the society, despite being the youngest daughter of a general.

Though her father dotes on Shao Shang, perhaps feeling guilty for the years of abandonment, her mother, on the other hand, is very strict on her daughter, leaving the latter to think that she was unloved. For her part, Shao Shang does absolutely nothing to make up for loss time as she still held a grudge for the neglect and had become wary of anybody who shows her affection. Bu Yi is the same, as he plots and plans his revenge upon the death of his clan, even at the expense of others.

I loved the intricacy of the narrative and the political/familial/societal drama is riveting, aided by a talented ensemble and diverse characters. I also liked the show's attempt at humor, for example, Shao Shang's dad, the King and Bu Yi's sidekick serving as comedic relief. For all the people in the court that are conniving and greedy for power, I appreciated the fact the the Queen and the King's consort (mistress) get along well and respectful of each other.

The only drawback in this drama is that there are some instances where, to me, the happy ending seems forced and neatly tied in a bow. I would have been fine with Bu Yi's death, as it was for me, so farfetched that he managed to survive despite the dangers befalling him. Also for me was Shao Shang's self-righteousness and how she treated Bu Yi. Her character development seemed weak for me, and sometimes wished she was her bright, spritely self like she was in the beginning. Otherwise, a very good drama.

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Very unique plot

Starting off, I'll just say that I've never watched a series where FL actually associates so closely to another guy - LuoYao. It was a very very adorable relationship and I even got confused momentarily to whom the ML was. But it was interesting how this prior relationship actually means something to the plot, and not just a simple stepping stone to FL and ML's relationship.

I love the exploration of family dynamics. Mostly seen through the family interaction of FL with her long-lost parents, it's interesting how its often a lot more difficult to maintain a good relationship within a family, but even so, they still love each other greatly. Family interaction is less seen in part 2, with more of the politics going on, so I quite treasure the scenes which explore FL's relationship with her family members.

Another thing I really liked, was how this was one of the rare series where the Monarchy wasn't trashy and stupid. The King was incredibly wise, and took care of his children, and especially so for LingBuYi. The Queen and the Royal Consort are both noble women, and they do not act stupidly like many royalties in other series like to. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said by the prince and princess, but then again, it wouldn't make sense if all the royalties had really acted as their noble title suggests.

FL and ML's relationship develops more in the latter half, as FL used to harbour suspicion towards ML, and did not like him due to his nature of being a war general. Personally, I did not think they're relationship got off to a great start, with both ML and FL having quite conflicting personalities. But I look forward to its development in Part 2.

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Stunning Visuals, Weak Plot, Strong Cast – Wu Lei Steals the Show

With high expectations set by the stellar cast and glowing reviews, I was disappointed that this show didn't fully live up to its potential. However, there were some bright spots. Wu Lei's performance during emotional scenes was outstanding, and Zhao Lusi's more nuanced character was a pleasant surprise compared to her previous roles. The supporting cast, including familiar faces like Wang Zhuo Cheng, was a delight and brought charm to an otherwise predictable story.

The plot, unfortunately, felt simplistic and often dragged. With only a few truly exciting moments across 56 episodes, much of the story lacked tension, and the heavy use of 'plot armor' for the main characters made the stakes feel low. The first half leaned too much into comedy, with the grandmother's departure being a relief. The betrayals were predictable, and the so-called 'twists' rarely packed a punch, either revealed too early or centered on minor characters.

Despite this, some characters stood out. Lou Yao’s development was a highlight, and the comedic duo of A'Qi and A'Fei provided some genuinely funny moments. While it was never in doubt who would win Cheng Shaoshang's hand, Yuan Shanjian’s disappointing arc felt like a missed opportunity.

Visually, the cinematography is stunning, and the music enhances the emotional beats, but the uninspired plot drags the show down. Overall, it's worth watching for Wu Lei’s incredible acting—but just once.

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Zhao Lusi is exceptional and phenominal

Love Like The Galaxy is giving us different emotions. FL x ML are perfect for this drama and the story is a roller coaster ride. Zhao Lusi is giving us the best of her. Leo Wu is dashing and perfect for this role, they are perfect for this drama. im excited to watch every episode and it's just getting better everytime. im glad it has season 2, ZL is the best, a talented young lady..i fell inlove with her and her acting the first time i watched her drama. Im looking forward for every episode everyday..Episode 8 gave me so much happiness and laughter. CSS was hilarious..her antics gets me everytime. She's smart and clever lady perfect for Ling Buyi who's serious and strict. im excited for their upcoming sweet interactions. thankful for all people who made this drama possible. Enjoy watching..this is the best.

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Love like the galaxy superhit great to watching!

Based on novel the drama very interesting with perfect casting by two leads superpower natural young actor and actress..their acting superbs, zhao lusi as usual give extraordinary performance with great facial expressions and continuos her chemistry with Leo wu Ling buyi..
I believe the name nao nao (shaoshang)& general ling buyi their epic of love romance and the family background within their greater experience and exposure will leave the best and long term effection to audience..the story itself really great with combination the greatest work form director screenwriter plus all great and familyhood from other casting so it really give u feel u watch drama with the big n lovely family ..also the cinematography and screen it’s really excellent within unexceptional give u impact like watching romantic movies with family theme and two powerful leads ..wow that’s the feel..really recommended 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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