Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2

this just in: zhao lusi hospitalised with severe backpains from carrying the entire cdrama industry

I make it no secret that ZLS is my favourite actress and i always watch every drama that she's in; I find a lot with her dramas she will always be its main saving grace that will make watching anything bearable.

I did not have to worry about that in this case.

PREMISE:
Cheng Shaosheng has grown up without a mother or father - they aren't dead, they just kind of, accidentally, maybe on purpose abandoned her and left her in the care of her abusive aunt and grandmother. Now that her parents are back, her mother is adamant on teaching her daughter how to be a proper lady.

Not exactly easy when you suddenly walk into your daughter's life fifteen years after abandoning her and are like "yeah, i'm gonna be a mother now".

Intricately woven through the story is SS connections to other characters; first is the seemingly cold and meticulous Ling Buyi - a general who has made a name for himself both on and off the battlefield as a fierce warrior and cunning war hero. His morals trump his feelings and often acts on what he believes is right, not what the law or his emperor say. Then Yuan Shanjian - a scholar who is well known in the capital for his brilliance and also his snide personality. His intelligence gives him this lofty air, but also this disconnect from being able to connect with people and his own emotions. Finally, baby boy Lou Yao - gentle, sweet, gullible but kind and genuinely a good person. He isn't stupid by any means, but naive and led by his feelings and his heart in the face of all reason.

While there are many, /many/ storylines in this drama, its main focal point is SS and LBY and their romance, the trials and tribulations that come with it and eventually overcoming all hurdles to be together.

OVERARCHING THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS DRAMA:
As stated in the beginning, I started this drama knowing nothing save for ZLS being in it and that was enough to sell me on it. This drama does have a more "rom-com"-esque feel about it the first ten episodes, but it never fully drops the comedy entirely; there are still funny scenes and I find most of them surround the palace life which is SUCH a breath of fresh air considering palace life is always shown as being dark, cruel and unliveable. Many stories and characters are connected to one another; characters you think are gone are not actually gone and come back, backstories of forgotten encounters, you name it. There wasn't really one constant flow of a main storyline save for the romance, but rather different ones being picked up, carried out and finished with and i am glad that we didn't get a constant storyline dragged out for a total of 56 episodes.

I will state that the show really shone and bumped itself up into a 9 star rating with the last ten episodes; LBY's own storyline, now that i reflect on it, had been peppered in so silently and subtly throughout the show once it was revealed i had to pause and be like "HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THAT OH MY GOD?!". The last ten episodes are honestly the BEST episodes out of the entire drama; that isn't to say the remaining previous ones are bad or boring, they were a delight and i enjoyed them greatly, but episode 46 onwards really just sucks you into the drama in a way that it wasn't able to before.

But what really made the show, was its characters.

THE CHARACTERS:
Cheng Shaosheng is a beautifully tragic yet also someone who has an indomitable human spirit. She's quite innocent and naive to begin with, playful, wilful and has learned to look out for herself since her paternal grandmother and her aunt have been abusive to her since being abandoned by her parents as a baby when they went out to fight their emperor's wars. This is an extremely important part to both the story and to SS character; without having ever felt loved or experienced kindness, SS is incredibly insecure. She chases after love yet is also afraid of it too. She wants it, but is scared that once she has it, she'll be abandoned like how her parents abandoned her. It's not that she believes she doesn't deserve love, it's just she believes she is simply unlucky that love is something that will always be unattainable to her in this life - because if even her own parents could abandon her, how could anyone else decide to stick around?

Because of a lack of any parental love or guidance and a formal education, SS isn't exactly the typical noble lady. She's crass, rude, arrogant, stubborn, informal and acts on her own accord without regard for other people. I don't see these as bad qualities, in fact i would say that these traits are foundations for her own growth and therefore are impossible to hate because she never crosses that line of being detestable or selfish. She's learning her way around this new world that was previously closed off to her and she approaches it like an excited child, but learns as much as there is good in the world, most of it is off limits due to her gender.

One important aspect that is consistently hammered in is that SS has learned to put and love herself first, but she still feels empty; one of the most important things to SS character is her endless desire to gain her mother's approval. I never really understood WHY Yuanyi was so harsh on her daughter; i know it said it was because she wanted her daughter to become a proper lady, but... it just never made sense. Yuanyi is a general's wife and also fought alongside him on the battlefield; if anything, she goes against what a noble lady should be. She continuously shuts down her daughter's desperate attempts to form a bond with her, tears down her self esteem and self worth so much so that SS internalises all of this and it results in her reiterating her mother's cruel and harsh words time and time again every time someone praises her or is kind to her.

That is why I first want to talk about her relationship to Empress Xuan before I talk about any other relationship in the show.

Maybe it's my own personal projection, but I saw a lot of myself in SS throughout the entirety of their relationship. EX is a mother who is not close to her children, be it because of propriety and rules of palace life, or because she recognises that they are cruel and shallow and do not care for their mother as they should. EX suffers with the realisation that she is not truly loved by anyone, though care as they might and her predicament is exactly like SS, which results in honestly the most heart wrenching and beautiful depictions of a mother-daughter relationship I've ever seen.

In EX, SS finds the mother she should have gotten and always deserved; the empress always empathises with SS, she reminds her of her better qualities instead of her worse ones, she's kind and caring, understanding and always quick to help SS with problems she doesn't understand, such as marriage and being filial. You can really see how much SS yearns for EX to be her mother and even despite not being biologically related, EX actually DOES become her mother, just as SS becomes her daughter. For EX, SS is the daughter she always should have had; SS is kind and attentive, she tries to make the empress happy with even the smallest of things, she seeks her wisdom and her advice and cares for her above all others, even LBY. In the midst of everyone scheming and these two women having little control over their fate, they find comfort and love where they never found it before. It's honestly got me emotion writing this because as little time as they got, the fact they got any time at all was a blessing enough.

Personally, my interpretation, is that the rift between Yuanyi and SS never fully heals once YY realises that SS has chosen EX over her and she recognises that another woman has taken her place as SS's mother. SS might now accept her mother's affections as YY might now decide to give them to her, but there's this sense that they will never have that mother and daughter bond that SS always wanted and YY was too late to give.

The importance of family/found family is also shown through LBY and his own arc.

Ling Buyi is presented as this archetypical main male lead character who is feared, cold and calculating but he's never really actually cruel; he has his own ambitions and his own view of what justice is and should be, and he does a lot to achieve this and I never found myself really disagreeing with him or being against his actions because the show took great lengths to get the audience to understand and empathise with him, which I found impossible not to do so. Like SS, LBY is unsure of how to love and be loved, therefore he stumbles a lot when he's pursuing SS; for most of it, he keeps his feelings silent because of missed opportunities that arise that prevent him from telling her his feelings and also would not be beneficial for him to tell her his feelings for her. In my own interpretation, I don't think LBY fully understood the scope of his feelings until a sudden snap realisation; he knew he cared for her, but it wasn't an instant love at first sight for SS, but rather a curiosity that stemmed into caring for her before making way for love.

I want to talk about LBY character first before his relationship with SS; as I stated before, the last ten episodes of the show are honestly the peak of the show. Before episode 46, I wasn't sure how I felt Leo Wu/LBY as a main character; i definitely didn't dislike him by any means. I think he did perfectly with the role that he was given considering LBY characterisation - someone who was suffering with major trauma and PTSD who learned to shut his emotions off from the world and himself, therefore not leaving Leo Wu much to work with outside of the many heart fluttering moments he has w SS during their honeymoon period.

However, once episode 46 hit I honestly can say I was completely and utterly blown away by LBY character arc in a sense that I've not felt since I watched the red wedding in game of thrones.

LBY is a deeply traumatised person who never got the chance to heal and recover and internalised all that he suffered until he met his breaking point. Episode 48 of this show is one of the best pieces of media that I have ever watched and Leo Wu put his entire Wussy into it. You could see every single thought and feeling coursing through LBY - the realisation that he finally achieved all that he wanted, and how empty it felt now that he had it. Watching him break into tears before laughing, switching from completely breaking down to an empty realisation that all that he did meant nothing, brokenly laughing at how many years he wasted and that it didn't fill that void as he thought it would. I remember watching that entire episode completely stunned by the performance given by Leo Wu, showing how LBY was simply an act to cover up the man he truly was - a man who lost everything and now the only thing keeping him going left him more empty than ever before. All his suffering and he received no solace in the end and ended up ruining his own chance at happiness and at a normal life. I literally cannot encapsulate the emotions that ran through me watching that scene of LBY finally confronting his demons, his past and the reason behind it all because there are no words to fathom my thoughts into writing at it all.

From that point on, LBY becomes this ghost of the man he was; you can sense the difference in his demeanour from who he was before and who he became, how empty he is once he realised that vengeance did not put old ghosts to rest and now he has to live the rest of his life with regrets, compared to before where it was only fuelled with rage. He becomes despondent, unattached, a shell who cares not if he lives or dies. It's truly heartbreaking because at the same time you can understand WHY he did it, you can empathise with him while also wondering why he couldn't just move on.

This leads to the problem that I have with SS and LBY relationship.

Before I talk about anything else, I want to talk about my problem with how SS, as much as she says she understands, isn't really capable of it, and it's down to her own trauma that prevents her from doing so. Considering what LBY was forced to go through especially at a young age, a lot of the time it's SS asking him to forget the past and choose the future with her while not understanding the immense amount of suffering and trauma that he has been struggling with since being forced to witness a genocide as a child. This stems from the difference in their traumas: SS begs LBY to let go of the past not because she knows it hurts him, but because she wants him to choose her, to love her, to not abandon her as her parents did, whereas LBY is unable to fulfil that because of the trauma he was forced to undergo and believing that only when he achieves justice that he will be able to give himself to SS wholeheartedly without forcing the burden of his own demons onto her. As much as SS states she does understand, I don't think she truly does because her own trauma makes her incapable of it since she is still stuck in that mindset that if she isn't number one in someone's heart, it means that she is not in their heart at all.

But I truly feel like their relationship was all the better for all that they went through; learning to trust one another and be open with one another, accepting the parts of each other that they believed unacceptable before. SS is terrified that once married, she will lose her identity as her own being and simply become LBY's wife, but he constantly reiterates to her that it will never happen and that he would never want to take away her freedom and her identity. SS constantly tries to make sure LBY understands she will not leave his side (until breaking point but let's ignore that) and she accepts every part of him, going with him to see his mother, comforting him when he feels helpless, defending him when everyone keeps saying he's cold and cruel. LBY fell first and he fell harder, but that doesn't diminish the scope of SS's own feelings - she loves him truly and deeply, to the point she would join him in the afterlife than be without him, but she never lets her love erase her own self of being and identity and LBY never makes her do so. The respect that they have for one another goes beyond what I've seen in other drama couples, and it was slowly built up over time and I have a feeling will last forever.

One other important aspect I want to talk about is the palace life and the relationship between Empress Xuan, Emperor Wen and Consort Yue Fei. Whereas other dramas might pit the two women against one another (the latter is the childhood sweetheart and first wife of the Emperor and the former is his official wife), there's nothing like that in this show. In fact, I honestly have to say all three people were the least toxic characters in the entire show. While EW and YF are childhood sweethearts, they are never cruel or callous the EX; EW is kind and caring to EX, but we know he does not love her in the way she wants, while YF continuously sees EX as a friend and even as a sister. True, EX is an outlier, watching YF and EW be in love and act like teenagers, but they actively never exclude her. They both deeply respect EX and care for her, even if they are unaware that their actions make EX feel alienated.

Also, I just want to say i love Emperor Wen. Like, i think he might be my favourite character. While he does provide the bulk of the comic relief towards the latter half of the show, he's not a comedic character; he sees LBY as his own son, only wants what's best for him and to live a happy and normal life, protecting him as much as he can without making him untouchable, acting as a doting father to LBY without letting LBY walk all over him. we stan Emperor Wen in this household.

There are a lot more characters I could write about such as the other two male love interests, but I don't really have many thoughts on them that are important in this review.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
This show took me the better part of a week to finish and I have no regrets. Everything about this show was simply sublime, the pacing, the romance, everything. I don't know if I will rewatch it simply because I have the attention span of a goldfish and 56 episodes was a LOT to watch for me to begin with, hence why it took me so long to finish (hence the 8.5 rewatch value).

OTHER COMMENTS:
- the cinematography, acting and soundtrack in this show was fantastic and once again I round back to episode 48 which is where this show really, and I mean really, became a masterpiece. That episode is one of the best episodes of any show that I have ever watched. The acting from Leo Wu was PHENOMENAL, I am expecting that man to win a lot of awards for this episode alone. The music score and switching the scenes back from LBY and SS trying on her wedding dress honestly tore my heart into pieces. Even if the show was terrible (which is absolutely wasnt) this episode and the following episodes would have entirely made up for the rest of the show.
- personally, I'm glad they dropped most of the comedic element of the show after the first ten episodes. It was nice to have it peppered in throughout, but not have it constantly.
- The editing and VFX for this show was AMAZING; there are so many beautiful shots in this show that doesn't look cheap and tacky with the use of CGI. It's honestly the best use of CGI and VFX that I've seen any drama, but specifically a cdrama, ever use.
- The production and sets were also so aesthetically beautiful, god everything about this show was BEAUTIFUL to look at.
- episode 48? episode 48.

CONCLUSION:
The cast better invest in massive bags because they're all going to be walking away with all of the awards this season.

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Best series of 2022! Watch at your discretion

Viewers please beware, don’t let anyone insult your intelligence. As with any Asian dramas, to be invested is to watch with positive mindset. This series plot is not geared mainly to same old fluffy romance. The plot is deep, therefore the first 4 episodes depicts characterization of further character developments not just for the leads but the side characters as well. As a quick summary this is about 2 ppl who had broken youth, met by fate and cos of love as deep as the galaxy became whole again.
This is a dream team ensemble, great acting by everyone, genius director, excellent cinematography, writing, musical score, the best novel adaptation and so on. It depicts one of the greatest romance, revenge, thrilling action scenes, redemption and second chances! And serious tone complemented by great humor. You get to experience mix emotions of pain, sadness, joy, laughter almost simultaneously.
Here I guarantee you will not be disappointed..enjoy!
The best of WL and ZLS I’ve seen …

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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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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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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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Why so overrated?!

I hardly write a review for dramas that I am not interested in rewatching. But, I am just surprised how many reviews were rated 10s and very few (like me) who were disappointed. There were a couple of touching scenes but then the story went nowhere with that touching/sad feeling built up from the very beginning. I found myself disappointed again and again. The scene where he was about to die and jumped/flew off the cliff...I was like "OH NOOO" and then he survived (in a not very realistic way). I was expecting the FL to shed tears and care for him once she found out that he did not die...but then, she stood outside and said "him and I are no longer together..." I was like: "Where is this going, MY GOODNESS!!!" She was angry that he chose to die or revenge and that she wasn't his first priority but...this ML loved her so much and had always protected her with no hesitation... I am so confused where the story was going... They separated for 5 years and I was waiting for that touching scene to come back to me again...but then, nothing. He sacrificed himself and then FL regretted and said I have forgiven you already...Then he appeared out of nowhere and then back together... Mmmhh... I don't know why everything seemed so disconnected where I just can't feel the emotional part of the story... In the end, all I felt was "I guess that's the ending?! What was the story about again?" Part 1 is pretty entertaining but Part 2 is kinda boring I think...Still worth watching...the ML is really, really cute!! Just don't expect too much from the last 4-5 episodes...

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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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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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