Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2

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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Got tired of it. A part 1 would have been enough

I have a live/hate relationship with this drama. All the actors (except Leo Wu to me) acted really well and I cried and laughed mostly with Shaoshang’s adventures and along her roller coaster’s emotions.
Now …. This drama is really well rated, but I’ll go against the trend. I appreciated the Part 1, with the same screenwriter than Rose of Phoenixes, it made a lot of promises and you can enjoy the complex plot, the stories within the story, and the dialogues.
The Part 2 is unnecessary long. 29 episodes, when the first 21 episodes are just a repetition of the same feelings already explained between the 2 main characters “I trusted you, but you don’t” and vice versa, the hatred in Ling Buyi’s heart and his revenge that fuels the main storyline is dragging (example with Shaoshang’s father missing and accused of stealing copper, it took 2 episodes that were completely unnecessary to the whole story). Furthermore, i started to grow tired of Leo Wu’s acting that was lacking to me; he only shows 2 & half emotion the whole 56 episodes; anger / sadness that looks like anger and cute love.
Finally, I’m not happy with how the culprit of the Gu city plot was revealed. Ling Buyi actually knew all along that it was his uncle (as when he was a child he witnessed him killing his father, Li and even hanged his own son on the city wall). We thought that all these episodes, he was looking for clues, etc, when he just went to kill him and could have talked to his majesty who always defend his father, general Huo.
That fast forwarded moments of each secondary characters in episode 52, the whole episode 53 with Luo being a sudden enemy. Then, episode 54 it’s Lou Li but it’s wang yanji (wife of Lou Ben) is “resurrected”…. to get her revenge out of nowhere. All these stretched scenarios are built just for the 2 main characters to get close again …

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Something so pure it melted my heart

This series absolutely broke me and put me back together over and over again. I honestly don't watch Cdramas a lot because of the amount of episodes, but I decided to give this a try after watching Love Between Fairy and Devil. I also saw how high the ratings for both parts were and I'm glad I watched them. And a clip on Youtube of when Shaoshang meets the Emperor and Empress.

Part one was slow and steady, which I liked. It gave you a nice foundation in which to introduce Shaoshang and the abuse she went through with her grandmother and aunt. I liked the humor and the portrayal of Shaoshang having to depend on herself, which is the way she learned growing up was how she can survive in the world. Her mother's coldness hides the true mother she wishes to be is one of the most heartbreaking things to watch. I like how family orientated this drama was. All of the scenes between Shaoshang and Buyi were just great honestly. It was nice to see slowly how Shaoshang warmed up to him.

Part two was where it really was at. The humor from Emperor Wen was golden. It was interesting to see an outsider become almost a golden child of the emperor and empress in hopes that she would learn and get married to Buyi. Shen'an being the mom that Shaoshang longed for made everything worth it almost. And when Yuanyi finally confessed and apologized to Shaoshang near the end was heart breaking. Figuring out that Buyi was not a Ling was the twist that maybe other figured out earlier on, but after the almond cakes, I knew immediately what his goal was. Buyi's story in all of this was a masterpiece in itself. He especially needed those 5 years to reflect on his broken promise he made to Shaoshang. It was just all the more sad in that scene where Buyi tells her that he will live a good life and they part ways. She wanted to run to him, but let it go. I wanted her to run to him so badly.

I wish we could've seen a short afterward of them married with children of their own, but the ending was nice as it was too.
(Sorry if this is too crazy I'm writing this right after I finished it, and it's almost 6 AM lol)

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And Thus, a Classic Drama is created.

And Thus, a Classic Drama is created.

With all the hype and positive reviews and with an A list cast for this drama, I had very high expectations. And all of my expectations were met. For a 56 episode drama, I could have watched 20 – 30 more episodes, it was just that good. I didn’t even fast forward once and that says a lot for a 56 episode C drama!

The BEST part of the drama for me, besides the amazing casting, is the character building. The script is the heart of the show and if it wasn’t for the beautiful dialogue and relationship building screen play, I’m not sure how it would have hold my interest so much.

The costumes, hair and makeup were amazing. I love the styles of the dresses, it was just beautiful and so different. I loved the long hair and elegant hair pieces. Even the ML costumes were great and they kept his look very plain to match his personality.

The star of the show are the main leads. As much as everyone loves ML, Leo Wu (I loved him in The Long Ballad too!), my favorite by far is Zhao Lu Si. I loved her in Who Rules the World and almost any drama she is in. I love her range of emotions, how she can play a rom-com or a melodrama. She can be sweet and naïve to fierce and mature. I also love that the leads are close to age. Since both are very young, 22 and 23, they usually star in roles with older actors, so it’s nice to see them equally matched in physical appearance to age and acting ability.

The drama has many story arcs and even though you watch it for the romance between the leads, you start to get sucked into all the side plots and side stories. It’s just that good. I really enjoyed watching the FL and the mom conflict. It kept my interest and as much as you want to side with one person, you see both sides. Again, another thing that is great about the drama is you see both sides and it’s hard to see who is truly right.

The pacing is pretty much on point with the drama.

Overall, there is no comparison to this drama. It has a strong FL that is independent, smart (street smart), beautiful and goes through a lot of hardships and struggles. Sometimes she saves herself and sometimes the ML saves her, but regardless, it’s always a learning lesson for her. You have the ML with a bitter past and yes Leo is very good in playing the stoic, cruel lead, I did enjoy is humorous moments (and he does have them!).

The chemistry between the leads is very good and probably the driving force of the drama. I wouldn’t say this drama has too much politics, just the right amount to keep you hooked and interested. Don’t go into this drama expecting typical misunderstanding troupes, it’s all about relationship building, resolving conflict and the characters are always weighing the pros and cons to any decisions.

Love like the Galaxy is different, beautiful and it’s a drama you could watch again and again. I know I wil!

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Unrealistic degree of female empowerment

Yes, this had excellent production, and Leo Wu did a fantastic job in his conflicted and complex role. I was super excited to see these two actors together as leads, BUT the show got just ridiculous with the over-the-top female empowerment theme. I've seen other C-dramas with smart, capable women in a historical context that were realistic about what they could and couldn't do in that time period and you really respected them (as did their men), but this just got ridiculous. The people who took orders from her and apologized to her would never have done so in reality, and it was just so unbelievable that it kind of ruined it for me.

Not to mention, the show is promoted as a romance but the second season is a bunch of palace drama and then our FL trying to convince us she don't need no man. I've seen Lusi in other shows and I like her, but she had no romantic expressiveness at all, while Leo Wu was rocking the puppy dog eyes. Also, I get that this was kind of a coming-of-age story but our FL never really outgrew her childish demands to be indulged by everyone. She becomes less joyful and vivacious over time due to her wounds and losses, but she learns little about extending grace to imperfect people, even those who love her. Her stubbornness and coldness as the season wore on made me lose any compassion I'd once felt for her difficult background. IDK why people are raving about this so much... go watch Yanxi Palace or Sword and Brocade for a decent palace romance with a smart FL. Or watch Who Rules the World or The Blue Whisper for a 2022 decent epic.

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Angst, and More Angst and Crazies

I had major second and third male lead syndrome.

I really hated the male lead character. He really does not deserve the female lead. I don't know why everyone loves this couple.

His actions were despicable. WHY doesn't he tell the emperor what he found, and instead hunted for the murderer on his own, when the emperor throughout this whole drama has been acting like a father to him?

I can see that he holds things in, if he does not trust the emperor. But after he found out who was behind it all and all the conspiracies, why does he take justice in his own hands and commits murder?

And....there really was no repercussions for his actions.

We had way too many episodes of the couple being angsty and honestly I think she can do much better. Fine if she doesn't like Yuan and also says she wants to live a fulfilling life and invent things, wtf doesn't she follow through and do that, instead of hiding herself in this "cold palace" - she's not even the empress' child?

The characters motivations don't even make sense.

Towards the end, I find myself glazing over the character's actions because I don't understand any of it. Also, the ML has a huge protagonist halo. It seems to be impossible to kill him. Also, just how many crazy people are on this show??

Anyways, I ship the FL with Yuan, A'yao or she can just remain solo, but I really don't think she should marry Zi Sheng, who acts deranged quite a few times in this drama.

As for the acting, Wu Lei needs to work on his "intimidating" facial expressions. I think he was overacting in those scenes. Everyone else was fine.

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Spectacular Cinematography, Some Amazing Scenes and Star Power Ruined by Heavy Handed Moralistic Treatment . .

Can we talk about this ending? I want my hours back.

The first half of part 2 gets more violent and cinematic more Godfather or Infernal Affairs or Oldboy than a romantic drama. There's highly interesting framed scenes, and you often feel the visceral thrill of violence and revenge as Ling Bu Yi pursues his goals.

Where is Shao Shang in all this? Struggling. Realizing that she may be living her worst nightmare and desperately trying to stop it. This completely undermines the whole premise of Shao Shang as some sort of equal partner to Ling Bu Yi and robs her of her charisma. It does, however, create adrenaline and drama and compulsive watching, and there are some excellent plot twists.

Then the drama completely flips for last half . . . just a terrible horrible last ending

All the strategy, all the planning, all the intelligence drops out of the plot. Rescue scenes are repeated - Shao Shang is under threat in the exact same way as she has before. She always stumbles into a situation, bravely tries and fails to get out of it on her own, and then gets rescued. The rescue scenes just get more unhinged, and unrealistic and flat out nonsense each time. Just the browbeating lesson that Shao Shang is VERY SILLY TO THINK SHE CAN MAKE IT WITHOUT LING BU YI.

And then it just . . . . ends. With them all just staring at the sky - no last words of poetry, or aching love, or triumphant end nothing. . . Some might say the implication is they are all stars in the galaxy together now - all the family including Ling Bu Yi - no longer one moon or sun pulling the focus - but that is not said - or illustrated in any real way - I'm just making that up.

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Leo Wu was allowed to show more acting range in the second half but it really feels like he has only a few switches, bad ass killer, face twisted in remorse/sadness, and eager puppy. Zaho Lu Si was given very little to work with in the second half. Their kiss at the end was one of the worst chemistry kisses I've ever seen.

ALSO huge credit to Li Yun Rui as Yuan Shen | Yuan Shan Jian. He absolutely stole the show and the producers kept cutting his plot lines and not knowing what to do with him. He was highly charismatic and just kind of left to hang around and show how he couldn't do rescues like Ling Bu Yi (indeed he had to endure being rescued by Ling Bu Yi himself).

Music still has that one excellent piece of instrumental that is wistful and sad. Could potentially watch some individual scenes, but the rest I want to burn. I want my hours back.

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I grade on other criteria:

Themes: 5.0
Be honest with your partner and trust them to support you in supporting the state. In times of turmoil, devoting your life to the state and the people is the most rewarding thing you can do. Who wants some foppish thinker, or kind obedient boy, when you could marry a highly intense, compulsive liar, military man who can rescue you?

Character Growth: 7.5
Ling Bu Yi suffers the humiliation of realizing and despair of making a life changing error and it makes him become a bit more flexible and human. Shao Shang becomes almost frozen - the vibrancy gone.

The most touching character growth (more in the next bit) was Shao Shang's mother.

Complex women: 9.0 (A highlight!)
Shao Shang, her mother and her cousin have a really interesting well explored relationship on the dangers of favoritism and rewarding obedience. The only time I was touched to tears was when Shao Shang's mother realizes that the very things she was trying to suppress and beat out of Shao Shang, were what made Shao Shang special - and she wishes she could take months of undermining her. Also the frank exploration of difficult relationships between the grandmother (mother in law) and the other women in the family and how difficult the grandmother could be in her worship of her sons was excellent to see as well.
There was also Shao Shang's healing relationship with the Empress. How both Shao Shang and the Empress got to attempt the mother daughter relationship anew and how it healed them both.
Shao Shang also starts relating to her cousin better and makes strong female friendships.

I'd really like to give a 10 except the amount of jealous, delusional, back-stabby minor characters was really abnormally high and started to detract from the rest.

Cinematography and Production Values: 8.0
Cinematography was extremely strong, especially in fight scenes, certain wide and tracking shots. Some of the best larger battle scenes/fight scenes I've seen in dramas. Lots of production value was put into the fight scenes generally. Costuming and other sets were a bit subpar in comparis.

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Award deserving drama; both addictive and extremely satisfying

So many have written extensively about the overwhelming qualities of this drama that I will try not to repeat here what has been well stated before.

I love everything about LLTG, it was so enthralling that I was rewatching while it progressed with what felt like snail pace because of the excruciating four days lull between new episodes release. So I could only go back and rewatch, or go to watch BTS scenes, interviews, read what came up in the discussion sites, rejoice with all lovers of LLTG when it went beyond the 6 billion views mark and check with satisfaction when it reached five weeks running topping charts. Going on to probably an additional 6 weeks rule there.

I have no understanding and little tolerance for those who attempt to bring it down. What evil pleasure do they derive from their sneers? Most of those dropped off, say they, in the first episodes. How that qualifies to give a review is beyond me : my view is, if I am not satisfied with a drama, then I move on and won't attempt to review it, or stick with it to the bitter end and try to analyze logically what put me off for the entire length or majority (like Love in flames of war, which I positively detest after a growing discontent during and after watching it, no matter how talented the ML is, there, which I admit). Do the detractors belong to a specific hate group targeting the FL ? Who can hate Zhao Lusi ?

Zhao Lusi has a very special voice, not lovely but memorable : she can sing as she demonstrated in other dramas and on stage for other songs, although here, she only did so in BTS scenes, when relaxing with the crew. Her instrument is the guzheng, but the flute theme that she acts in, for a couple of scenes, is really lovely. She is small, but can appear towering, a seasoned actress who brings humor to most of the roles she performed in, here as well although through flashes since the character she plays is not supposed to be funny, but growing through pain and hurdles and overcoming desperation. Shaoshang is now accepting to put her intelligence not only to design machines and traps, but also to study more attentively the "books", culture and behavior expected at court. To me, she has grown into one of the best actresses in C dramaland, and this role is her best to date, as witness her lovely interaction with the impressive Wu Lei, who I now view as a new god of the screen.

He can ride, do swordplay, do stunts and martial arts (I'm sure Jackie Chan approves of him), he studied seriously to do some scenes requiring for instance convincing plucking on the guqin, instead of the haphazard dusting off the strings that most other actors resort to, he can swim, he can dance tango (there's a wonderfully surprising and endearing scene when he mixes dance with self defense), his shy kisses are perhaps few and not the open mouth tongue-devouring Hollywood style that some romance addicts crave, but since this is set in ancient dynasty, around a courtship between a girl who's had little education and feels defensive and self conscious, and a ruthless young man who is shouldering a crushing secret, the sizzling gazes he bestows on her are largely sufficient for the romance. He can look seductive and amorous with smooth movements and sizzling eye contact with his intended to which he restrains kisses that "should be reserved for after the marriage", rigid and daunting like a warrior prince, inscrutable like a seasoned court official used to not disclosing his plans, or mad with hatred and bulging veins, or crushed by the realization that whatever he does he will experience loss,.. Even if I have not heard him sing, Wu Lei's mellow voice (nobody is dubbed in this drama) is honey to my ears.

And the hugs. Oh the recurring ones with the "bie pa wo lai le" (don't be afraid, I'm here) that peppered the first part. Which cannot be separated from the "second part" : this is a continuous story, and the artificial division should be done away with.
This second part deals with the court drama and the revenge. It is darker than the beginning, but tension never lets off, and what had felt like a drama ever climbing new heights in every new episode continues here, exploring the hidden sides of the hero and his to-be bride. Now it is her who appears as the warrior, with him resting his head on her shoulder while they are hunted to perhaps doom and death. It is a rollercoaster of emotions and scenes, with subplots that tie in seamlessly within the greater one : the exchange of the tiger seals and the murder mystery are schemes within schemes. Yet the action is still peppered with the signature comedic moments that relieve stress. The humor is manifold, there is some for every taste, from almost slapstick with the grandma who still clings to "her dowries" when led to prison, to more subtle moments between the different characters, such as the mirror behavior scenes played at times by general Cheng and his wife, or other ones. Every member of the cast is memorable and has put thought into their acting, with excellent guiding from director Fei.

The cinematography is still off the charts, with stunning views of the galaxy, of the blood painted paper windows etc.

Well, I thought I had nothing to add, but here I am, humming the theme songs, eager to finish this review to go rewatch for umpteenth time. Yes, this one is on my best of list for 2022 and perhaps more. I thought I would not rave more than I did for the one that also stands out as number one for me, but in a different genre : RESET. But I did, and LLTG qualifies in several genres to boot, so really if it does not get one or several awards, I'll be disappointed.
I wonder if I'll be thrilled as much as I still am by this one, when I eventually move on to other dramas that are promised in the near future or be carried away by the CGI in one that lis currently vaunted... But artistically, can CGI be compared to the genuine cinematographic skills demonstrated in LLTG? Here I go again, wondering how long I will time loop with LLTG ! XD lol

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The Best among the rest for 2022!

Love like the Galaxy was based on a Chinese novel but it is not what attracted me to this drama. I’m a longtime Lusi watcher, so I will watch anything that she is in and was looking forward to this drama after WRTW. I was also excited to see how she will fair with Wu Lei. But I didn’t expect how much I would love this series beyond Lusi. The production, casts, storyline and even the director made me love this drama even more. And I can even say that this community is the best and it was wonderful to find people with the same passion as me.

I also am a binge marathon watcher, in which I never watch a drama until it finishes airing. However, this drama caught my eye and I could never look back. Each character was meticulously written and each episode is never wasted. Issues within the episodes are solved then and there and plots are not lost in translation. I also loved that you can relate somewhat, somehow to any of their experiences and feel for them, and why they act a certain way. This is one of those dramas that you will not skip any scenes and will see something new when you go rewatch the series.

Of course, the main characters Shao Shang and Ling Buyi take the main plot, but you will fall in love with the people around them (the Cheng family, the Wans, the people in the palace, etc). What I enjoyed most about this series is that the character’s decisions are valid and not mind-bogglingly stupid. The flaws are there and the characters are developed well. I definitely have my favorites like the Wendi and Consort Yue, Shao Shang, etc. but you will still like the other characters in their own way.

The music is also beautiful, and it grows in you that I have it on my playlist now. I could repeat it over and over. The ending ost is so rich and haunting that it lingers in your mind after you've watched the episode.

I'm so thankful for this drama and I guarantee that you will not regret starting this series! And now I'm sad that it's over. T___T. Don't forget your tissues and towels or even your buckets! This is one of those dramas that you will enjoy watching and even hope for 100 episodes and even more! Thank you director Fei for Love Like the Galaxy! ❤️❤️

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ONE OF THE BEST CHINESE DRAMA 2022

I've been on mydramalist for quite a while, but this is my first time writing a review, and i'm going to write it as honestly as how i feel.

Love Like The Galaxy is a very good drama❤️🎇✨, and actually i'm gonna go with 9.8/10 for this (cause this is a slow-burned romance drama, i would give another 0.2 points if only they gave more of scene between Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang like how the novel was written, maybe not all of them but i think it's way better if they added that, because i think there are some of crucial part in the novel -but did not make it into the drama- which in my opinion is quite important for build-up their relationship). And also more scenes for Shaoshang's twins, Cheng Shaogong, because when i read the novel i felt like he is also one of the important character, maybe in the same level like A Yao and Yuan Shen...but anyway i still like this drama as the way it is^^ :)))

Honestly i've seen historical-romance Chinese dramas very often, but for some reason this one really gives a different impression than all the dramas i've seen before and obviously it's in a good way✨

Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi's acting is really good, their chemistry is unquestionable😍. This CP is probably one of the most compatible with each other. The drama storyline is also easy to understand. Their OST is also great to listen to...... and +1 point, i'm glad they don't do dubbing that often, because their natural voice is already good.

Overall, this drama is WORTH TO WATCH! They also deserves an award!!! Very recommended drama!

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