Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2

I love everything about this drama!

It's been a while since I've seen a good drama. Usually, every drama I've seen is pretty much the same storyline and plot. I'm glad I've found this drama. It maybe a slow burn type but it has its own style to it that makes it a masterpiece. Male lead is a really handsome man, he's not pretty flower boy type that I've seen in most chinese dramas. I seen the bts clips this man has pour his heart out to bring his character to life. I seen so many dramas in the past years and I'm very impressed with this actor work. I love everything about this drama, the actors, actresses, and crew team. They all poured their hearts out to make such a wonderful series.

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Rapid Regression in Character Development and Overworshipping of Certain Characters

Edited my rating and changed it from 2 to 1 because I'm fed up with insane fans who keep harassing me when they can't deal with difference in opinions. If you guys think that bullying people just because they dislike something you idolise so they would give in to you and cushion your fannies, you're in for a rude shock. Grow up and talk like a proper and decent person instead of lashing out. Raise your damn emotional quotient too while you're at it, if it's at all possible at your age.

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I wrote a review for Part 1 where I mentioned that, while I wasn't too enamoured with the story, I didn't think it was too bad. So I started Part 2 with the anticipation of growth and development across the main characters. However, I'm already halfway through Part 2 with just 14 episodes left and what I'm feeling right now is a ball of rage in the pit of my stomach.

I think the actress, Zhao Lu Si, is decent. Fresh from watching Who Rules The World, I was eager to watch her perform on screen again. However, it's the character of Niao Niao that I have problems with. Yes, it was repeatedly drilled into us, the viewers - that Niao Niao had been a much neglected child. She wasn't taught proper courtesy, she couldn't read at the level most girls of her social standing and family background could, and at her age, her penmanship was non-existent. Her code of conduct and sheer disrespect towards all the elders was abysmal. And because of this, we should be lenient with our judgement of her at all times. The elders were all terrible people anyways! I was fine with this -- at first. I get it completely. But to have her shortcomings in education define her character each and every time she has done something wrong, it became exhausting, and too much of a convenient excuse to dismiss her unlikable flaws. She was constantly portrayed as a martyr who could do no wrong. All of that is not just ridiculous, it's bad writing. And this was exactly what happened in Part 2 of this series.

I hate that the writing exerts that a 15-year old girl, with so much potential in her, does not need to change in any capacity, and that she doesn't need to grow or make herself better. She's just the way she is. She could just resort to petty tricks each time she was bullied - and this bullying happens A LOT. She's bullied for no other reason other than the fact that she received less education, and everyone else was jealous of her - even though he received less education. Make it make sense. In the meantime, she just wanted to get married! Even though she's immature, she should just do what she wants! So, just sit around and wait for someone like Zi Sheng to come and love her fully and unconditionally. All I can say is, it's a terrible story that sends horrible messages to all adolescent girls everywhere.

Part 2 is basically a continuation of the victimisation and martyrism of Niao Niao's character. This time, the victimisation continued not at her family home, but at the Imperial Palace, where Zi Sheng lived. The princesses were portrayed as dumb, uncultured, jealous broads next to Niao Niao. They targeted and bullied her relentlessly, yet when the opportunity came for Niao Niao to speak up about her grievances to Zi Sheng, she didn't say anything. It was beyond my comprehension that an outspoken girl like her who had constantly reminded everyone how blunt and outspoken she was, couldn't tell him what happened. She was perfectly alright with verbalising the injustices she suffered at home to her parents, but she couldn't do it now. The only reason I could come up with is that the author loved to victimise Niao Niao and took away her agency at that moment so that Zi Sheng could find out for himself just how much suffering she was going through and love her even more! So what's the point of all that suffering? It's all short-term and provided no basis for character growth. It's all a pity-party so that Zi Sheng could give her doeful looks when he realised just how much of a martyr his gurl was. LMAO. There was no personal growth and character development coming from the pain. Your prince will gallop to you on his stallion and show those bitches who is boss!

Seriously. Niao Niao repeatedly insisted she couldn't change her personality. She is who she is. "I was like this when you met me, I'm Cheng Shao Shang!" she declared to Zi Sheng. And yet when the Empress chided her for the very same mistake Zi Sheng got mad at her for, when the Empress told her that not confiding in the people close to her and taking matters into her own hands could end up distancing them, her response was, "I wish someone told me about this earlier."

My reaction to that was, LOL what?! Blaming others again instead of taking responsibility for once, aren't we? Would she have listened if someone told her "earlier"? She wouldn't. She would just say indignantly, "You keep telling me this and that, you keep telling me not to do this and that, you keep lecturing me, but is this really for my own good? I'm Cheng Shao Shang and I can't change!" She was unreceptive to advice. And yet she says this now.

I'll say this - Cheng Shao Shang is an unlikable, immature brat and an unlikable self-insert "Mary Sue" of the author.

I have been super patient and waited to see how the palace conspiracy would unfold since Episode 3 in Part 1, and now we're almost at the end of this dreadful drama, Niao Niao's family was suddenly implicated in the conspiracy and branded as rebels. I'm thoroughly amazed that the author had managed to victimise her main female character to such an extent. And yet again the suffering the author inflicted on Niao Niao up until now brought little to no character development. This overt martyrism is honestly disgusting and makes me retch.

Let's be real. What's the point of Niao Niao's stay at the palace? She was supposed to take lessons from the Empress, so she could learn about becoming a proper wife for Zi Sheng - kind of like a finishing school for noble ladies. That was the premise given to us. But as I continued to watch this whole mess, I realised that going to the palace and learning from the Empress is a fake out. The author's real intention was so that Niao Niao could be hurled into the royal family's politics and drama, so she could be bullied by everyone who automatically is jealous of her. These evil little bitches jealous of her would be dished back their own deserts, of course, and the three guys would just fall more in love with her. Tadaa, perfect setup to be made into a lovable victim. Let the martyring commence!

Why do I say there are no character improvement? Because it's a fact. There are very few scenes of Niao Niao achieving self-improvement. You get scenes of the Empress and the Emperor automatically loving whatever she cooked and baked, and automatically loving whatever BS that came tumbling out of her mouth. It doesn't matter how childish her lines were, everyone falls over themselves to praise her for her "insight" and "purity of mind". Give me a break. Niao Niao also thought she had the duty and holy right for some reason. She lectures everyone on life's grand lessons, including the emperor! And they should listen to her! (Refer to Crown Prince and Crown Princess Arc) but Niao Niao is born perfect in every way, you see, despite ~some~ flaws. Zi Sheng so said this. She's the best!! Despite never taking the time to understand what she's really like as a person. Nevermind, she doesn't need to listen to anyone. Everyone else is wrong to lecture her. She should just be ~~~~herself~~~~

What about Zi Sheng, the male lead of this show? Zi Sheng's characterisation also irritated me to high heavens. He was made out to be the perfect guy in every way. He's an accomplished general at the tender age of 21. He gives commands to guys triple his age, and he tortures and kills them because they deserved it. No one complained how he killed a guy in prison and used an excuse to cover up the crime.

His flaws were characterised as endearing by the author. For example? He laughed like a strangled duck. He couldn't tell a joke. He yelled at Niao Niao every single time she did something he didn't like - and the reason? He's only yelling because he loves her! He doesn't want her to get in danger! Every single time. Also, he gave in to his wild impulses to punish others in acts of transgression, angering the Emperor - usually because of his desire to avenge Niao Niao. All these traits weren't even flaws. Is he a Gary Stu? Zi Sheng is depicted as the perfect fantasy boyfriend who is all around handsome and could do no wrong. He's such an obvious fantasy of the author for her self-insert. He's boring.

There is also something I need to say about the characterisation of Niao Niao's mother. At the start of Part 2, it looked as if Yuan Yi and Niao Niao were on the road to reconciliation. Her mother was displaying a change of heart in some scenes, like when she started to show motherly care for Niao Niao by bringing her a blanket on a cold night, and when she defended Niao Niao at Lou Yao's family residence to break off the unfavourable engagement (end of Part 1). She was also feeling lonely after Niao Niao moved to the palace, and looked distinctively sad when the bridal jewellery she picked for Niao Niao were overlooked in favour of the Empress' choices. Then the accusation of rebellion happened. Mother Niao Niao was carted off to prison, and Niao Niao declared she wanted to follow suit, as well. The reaction was a swift slap to Niao Niao's face. Like, was that even necessary!? Couldn't she have communicated with her daughter properly?! What was that slap for? I was flabbergasted. No doubt, the slap was most likely used to arouse further sympathy from the viewers for Niao Niao.

I have no more hopes for the rest of this drama. That was the last straw of victimization I could take. An accusation of rebellion against the crown is the biggest stroke the author could deal and victimise Niao Niao. Love Like the Galaxy is not revolutionary. It's been quite a while since I've seen such an archetypal writing that portrays a martyr-like, annoying, "mary-sue" heroine with her equally annoying, boring, cardboard cut-out fiance. Easily the worst drama I've watched in 2022. In fact, it's the worst drama I've watched in a few years.



Edit: Nevermind, just read a summary of the novel and the actual full novel seems to be far worse and more convoluted (yet managed to maximise its use of all available tropes) than the drama itself.

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As expected from the makers of The Story of Minglan

Wu Lei smashed it out of the park with his portrayal of Ling/Huo Buyi. He acted so well, when his face was full of confidence, those eyes were so full of pain and vulnerability. The scene at the Ling banquet was just wow… the cinematography alone is worth an ovation. Of course, his prowess at stunt work and radiating the murderous aura required to play a general who’s seen much blood shed, truly added depth to his character. His physique looked very on point as well.

Zhao Lusi has improved LOADS! I was fully emerged into her pain, her abandonment issues, her laughter and joy, her tears and sorrow, her dreams and hopes. She looked so pretty too in the latter half of drama, with her whole being alternatively radiating joy and grief. It’s like from the moment she truly fell in love with Ling/Huo Buyi, she truly came into her womanhood, full of confidence that she’s good enough, that she’s cherished unlike in her previous relationship experience with her family and Lou Yao.

All of the actors have done really well, especially the Emperor, Empress Xuan, and Consort Yue. They were so good, it was a treat watching them on screen. Empress Xuan in particular looked and acted exactly like the”Mother of an Empire” should act.

I loved the plot points touched upon in the drama in addition to the love and character growth of the ML & FL, including the establishing of a new dynasty and how precarious its foundation is in the first generations, becoming a royal overnight and all of its consequences for the people involved both internal and external, the Officials’ ambition and the lengths to which they’re prepared to go to achieve their goals, no matter the collateral damage. It was truly great.

Rated 10/10, will definitely be watching it again.

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Full of Surprises!

Watch this because of Zhao LuSi, and was hook after part 1. Not conventional FL, instead her flaws were fully presented in the series. Similarly the ML’s character is also not perfect. However their growth became significant as the revenge plot unveil. The
Second part shown how FL’s perseverance in finding her love for ML again and reconciling what they had left off or never broken bond for each other. Surprised by some of the twists in the plot, the great acting and the whole filming sequences, plus the high production value.

The whole team deserved a good rating.

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Best historical drama 2022

The social issues brought up in this drama is very relatable. Aside from the rushed final 5 episodes, I find the pacing, and story building from the start, very comfortable. The details in background sound and arrangement of music score are very nice. Most cast are perfect for their character. I love the senior casts, and very delighted by the performance of the younger generation, and especially the leads. This might be the best portrayal by Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi as of now. I love the dynamic of the emperor and both wives, the empress and Shaoshang and emperor and Zisheng. I find the flaws of the characters compliment their strength. I just wish they could release a director's cut version, so that we get a smoother ending.

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The journey of a strong FL

My thoughts on both Part 1&2 (*minor spoilers*):

This is probably the best written cdramas I have ever watched. Usually no matter the genre (except thrillers maybe) cdramas tend to follow a formula, and that's not bad- it just depends on whether the writer can pull it off or not. But this- this is so different from most other dramas with so much meaning infused into it. It's very character driven but at the same time has an overarching plot and sub plots that grab the viewers.

First of all the FL is intelligent, self reliant and witty. With these 3 traits alone she is written better than most cdrama FLs who are always tripping over themselves. But (and despite being bubbly) she is not an overly positive person- and this is truly what set her apart and also made her so relatable. Even though as an audience member you can see she's overly cynical and very bitter despite things not always being as bad as they seem . But you can still completely relate to her. And then the character development she goes through is so perfectly written you literally see her growing into this graceful intelligent but still wilful lady on screen. And honestly no one could have pulled off so many character traits and still be loveable throughout apart from Lu Si.

And then there's the ML who Leo has played so incredibly well. I mean he just was phenomenal- being both a scary (at times psycho) general to a soft spoken love fool. His character's story arc into becoming a more understanding person was also written very well. I would only complain that the kiss scenes were a little too stiff but the main leads have so much chemistry anyway that it doesn't matter too much.

The rest of the cast was incredible. I both was annoyed with and understood the mom, I could see her pov esp after the bridge incident. When the bridge incident happened even I thought this could have had someone killed all because of her recklessness. Then there was the Emperor and his two Empresses - incredibly written again. I have never seen a relationship like that portrayed between two women married to the same man. Both were so different but strong in their own way. And then the emperor himself being the biggest shipper of the main leads - comedic gold. Even the grandmother developed as a character. That's how well written the side characters were.

I would say most of the villains in the drama were a little one dimensional but there were so many there was understandably little time really to flesh each one out. Plus most of them got swift retribution so it was satisfying to watch nonetheless.

The overall plot was great and I was hooked from the beginning - I never wanted to stop watching. Until the last 5 eps there was not a single frame wasted. It was shot and directed so well. The cinematography was so great. The fights scenes were really well choreographed and actually interesting to watch because they didn't drag on for ages. Everything was so well balanced from the director and editors it was a joy to watch.

But the last 5 episodes did disappoint me and made me drop this from a perfect 10 to a 9. After all that incredible writing, and being so different from the usual drama tropes, it felt like the writers copped out. I actually felt a little betrayed by what happens to the story in the last 5 eps. Which is such a shame because the 5 episodes before that, the previous 5 eps were probably the best episodes in this drama. I wish the writers had gone a different route or just not dragged things on for so long. I went from never wanting the drama to end to skipping parts to let it end. So imo they really messed up the ending.

Overall though- this is still an incredible watch, highly recommend it. It deserves all the praise and high ratings its gotten.

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With all the hype that it's surrounded by, LLTG has a distressingly underwhelming storyline

This being my second historical c-drama, I so regret being cross about Who Rules The World - it was a masterpiece really, especially after watching this.
(This is a collective review for both the parts)

I initially thought that this drama would be better than WRTW because of the ratings and reviews on MDL, so maybe it was just because I went in with high expectations, but boy was it annoying. All characters were ridiculously one dimensional ESPECIALLY THE LEADS:

1. The plot - The drama was divided into 2 parts - the first one focused on how the leads were being and, the second part was about how the leads were continuing to be stubborn. There was so much forced angst in this drama to balance out there being no real plot. Everyone was scheming against everyone but no one was getting anywhere. The ML was all calculative about his revenge for 20 years and then suddenly he turns batshit and goes on a killing spree. There is absolutely no excuse for the ML not telling the FL the truth except for continuing the story because frankly the writers had no real idea about how to separate the leads so they just went with this. The funny thing is, I never felt the story was dragging, I was waiting for it to start.

2. The characters - No depth in any character, everyone is one dimensional and dumb. Everyone has one and only one facial expression which they are going to be loyal to throughout the drama. The only characters I actually managed to like were the King's childhood friend wife - Heng and the FL's dad.

3. The leads - They were annoying, the both of them. They continuously made questionable decisions and refused to change. The female lead in the first initial episodes was gearing up to be an interesting character with room for a great character arc but she honestly ended up really disappointing. Same with the ML. The thing is, a lot of their behaviour- being selfish, indecisive, immature - it is all justified when you look at their ages but if you want the viewers to disregard the age factor(she is 15, he is 21) because of it being set in a historic premise, then maybe do a better job with the characters because I just felt majorly uncomfortable throughout most of the drama. The FL continuously whined about 'being her own person' and 'not needing anyone to protect her' which is great and all except she had to be saved like every two minutes. She supposedly became 'mature' after that five year lapse but I could not see much change except that she just became quiet. Honestly, I don't think most dramas are very great at doing character arcs.

4. The actors - The acting felt... underwhelming. I have seen Lusi in previous dramas and honestly think that this was one of her worse performances. Though I mostly blame this on the character and the story itself - there wasn't much room for acting, but seeing the same expression on her face the entire time didn't really help. Plus the whole 'age' thing was really rubbing me off anyway, so whenever she cried (and she cried a lot) she'd remind me of a child and I would feel awkward. This was my first time watching Leo Wu and though I wasn't really drawn to his character or his acting, he really did well in emotional and physically taxing scenes especially considering how narrow of a range his character leaves to express emotions.

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Waited months for this to air only to finish it in days

First!! Review! Of 2022!! I started writing this as I inched closer to the finale, determined to keep the show alive even after it ends. Reviews serve as a constant reminder (to myself) of these masterpieces. I might be biased towards the main leads - love them both! but LLTG truly burst into 2022 and stole the show with it’s well paced storyline, character development and casting. It’s so hard to find a cdrama of such caliber.

I felt that the first couple of episodes were slow but I now look back on those eps with much fondness. After all, you can only show character development by contrasting the before/after and I get that the initial build up in part 1 was necessary but it’s part 2 > 1 for me. The plot really only thickens in part 2.

LLTG is one of those rare historical pieces that prove a show can still be good with a harmonious harem and strong familial bonds. None of that scheming bs, the revenge plot was clear cut but still threw in some surprises here and there. Antagonists were kept to a minimum which was much appreciated, that allowed us viewers to properly focus on the characters that matter.

The only qualm I have is that the show lacks an iconic song. Why can’t we get a liang liang equivalent?

I liked Leo Wu in Long Ballad but I love him here. I’ve come to the conclusion he suits historical pieces (ZLS as well) can’t wait to see more of his works!

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ALL TIME FAVORITE CHINESE DRAMA

I don’t even know where to start!!!!!

The story line was amazing! I loved how they are able to incorporate the seriousness of the plot and also add some little funny scenes that wasn’t cheesy at all. The amount of romance scenes was perfect and I for once was more interested in the story line than just the romance. By the end of this story, we were able to see everything come to an end and a new beginning for everyone. After watching how much Chong Shao Shang and Ling BuYi have gone through, I totally understand their choices and understand how bloodshed could not have been forsaken in the end. Their choices were justified and in the end they learned to trust one another and once again reunite and figure out their love for each other.

The acting and the cast was phenomenal!!! First of all, I watched this because of Wu Lei and Zhao Lu Si. They are young actors with so much talent and potential it was just amazing! They portrayed their characters so well, especially Wu Lei. His character has gone through so much and it takes a LOT to be able to portray such a dark and vengeful character but also be able to show his soft and loving side to those he love. His portrayal was truly a masterpiece and really shows his potential. Alongside with the main characters, I LOVED the king, he was soooo funny and serious. He was truly a great king and his love for Zi Sheng was shown so well and I loved the fact that he would not let his court side people tell him not to let Zi Sheng and Shao Shang marry. The queen was another loved character of mine, she has such a beautiful soul and is so caring to Shao Shang. She was able to provide some motherly warmth to Shao Shang, which she never got when she was young. I also need to give credit to consort Yue, she was spectacular. She was unlike all those jealous consorts in other dramas. She considered the whole picture and was not greedy. She wasn’t selfish for her daughter instead she was equal and played fair. She was such a strong character and one of my top favorites in this drama. I could continue even more about the cast, they all deserve praise for their amazing performances and hard work they put in to produce such an amazing 2022 film.

The music in this drama was 100/10, it fit the mood and tone perfectly. I loved how it was more instrumental because that really made this drama different compared to all the other historical costume dramas I have seen in the past.

I will definitely be rewatching this and I recommend this to those who love Chinese historical costume dramas. You also must be okay with a lot of action, bloodshed, and back stabbing scenes. This drama Carrie’s both seriousness and lovely romantic scenes. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!!!!

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Best Emperor ever

I started watching the drama because of the high reviews. Now i am grouping part 1 and part 2 together. Part one dragged. We got to episode 10 and I persevered. We got to episode 16 and I deceided to drop, how can we be halfway through and the female lead still doesnt like the male ( yes I am mainly here for the romance. At this point I did not know there was a part two). I came back after a few weeks simply because I wasnt ready to invest in another drama and at this point I knew the characters in this one. Got to 19 and decided to drop again. Came back to the reviews and found out there was a part two and a lot of comments that things pick up in part two. Skipped to episode 27 so I could jump to part two. Things between the leads finaly picked up. The drama was still dragging. Decided to give up for good at episodes 40. I would not have bothered to write i review but I wanted to give kudos to the emperor's character. He was hilarious and honestly what kept me watching. I also liked the relationship between the empress and consort. It was refreshing to see a portrayal of two women married ro the same man and not scheming against each other. So yes, my review is to praise the side characters.

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Plot holes

Before I start - let me say that Zhao Lusi and Leo Wu make an awesome pair and I definitely will look forward to their future collaborative ventures.

The drama overall was poorly edited, had inconsistencies, and lacked logic. The cinematography/Direction was awesome. Now for the rant -

The king greatly favored the ML character (Ling Buiyi) and treated him as his son. Had Ling Buiyi informed the King about his real identity and the person who killed his family and clan, there is no way the king would not have supported him in his quest for revenge. Moreover, Liang Buiyi himself revealed to the King in the last episode that he had so much power that he could easily usurp the Crown Prince. Why did Ling Buiyi decide to avenge without informing anyone and choose to abandon his relationship with FL (Shaoshang/Niao Niao)? This in itself was the biggest plot hole in the drama.

The main characters had very good chemistry, but this was not properly explored in the drama. I thought Shaoshang forgiving Ling Buiyi was rushed and almost emotionally forced - she was too upset over the fact that he did not survive the fire. There was angst in their separation, but I felt that Ling Buiyi did not make any attempt to regain her trust. This meant that even though he was dishonest in their relationship, he was still forgiven without any effort on his part to forge and build trust.

Too much screen time was given to the actress playing Empress Xan - the scene where she requests the king to depose her, and her death scene was exhausting to watch - the scenes should have been cut short to less than 5 minutes instead of almost 30 minutes of airtime.

Ling Buiyi literally falls from the cliff edge and STILL survives and lives to see another day. How? Magical wings...I mean strings?? A pregnant woman (He Zhao Jun) in labor falls almost 10 feet below - no harm to either her or the baby. It felt like I was watching an old irrational movie.

The story dragged in part 2 - Unnecessary plots such as Lou Ben's crime and subsequent death and the last episode where Shaoshang saves the Guo village - she would not have survived had her family not come to save her. By the way, how did they know that she needed help??

Why they had to show that Shao Shang gives up her family/friends for 5 years and lives a secluded life with the ex-Empress? Her character was that of a strong woman who never backs off from a challenge that life throws at her. I hated to see her mellowed and lifeless. To top it off, wasn't 5 years of separation way too long?

Throughout the drama, Shao Shang's character is that of a smart, intelligent woman but after 5 years of living a lonely life, she loses all her senses and brain cells - she travels with Luo Jitong and Lady Lou on 2 separate occasions even though she knew that one lied about her relationship with Ling Buiyi and the other bullied her in the past.

Last episode - I would have preferred if the drama had ended at episode 51. However, in order that Shao Shang forgives Buyi, there were unnecessary last-moment illogical tracks. Not to mention, the main characters gazing at the stars and gushing long boring dialogues made the last couple of minutes a drag. There was no display of passion when they meet again after 5 years of separation.

On the acting front, they could have got some good actor playing the role of Lou Yao (the actor looked like a kid who is obsessed with his teacher), the Actor playing Crown Prince Yuan - whether it was the actor or the character, he was irritating to watch - no personality at all - maybe it was intentional, but I did not like both the actors and hence skipped through their scenes. Many did not like the character Yuan Shen as he was the third wheel - I thought the actor played his role well. I read some comments on the ML having a blank expression throughout - I agree he does carry deadpan expressions in a few scenes, but I believe he made up for the shortfall with his body language. Kudos...for such a young lad, he sure has a bright future and time for improvement.

I would have normally given an overall rating of 5 or less. The only reason I scored it 6 was because of the main leads.

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