Oooookay ! Things are getting better ! And I must be the only one who really likes the mother. I mean she's strict,…
"Like" would a little strong for how I feel about the mother. I certainly can understand her perspective and I can see that she genuinely cares about her daughter but honestly she's going about things the wrong way. By trying not to show favouritism to her own daughter, she becomes overly partial to Yangyang. It's becoming absurd to the point that she's not much better than Old Mrs Cheng on that front. Even her sons and the niece can see the injustice of her actions with regards to the whole desk incident.
She's a shrewd woman and she served on the battlefield. She's also right to oppose the match with Lou Yao. She has my respect in that regard.
Lou Yao is as clueless as they come. I'm sure he means well but his application of persistence is just all over the place. He's treating her like they're already a couple. It's one thing to be persistent, it's another to be a nuisance.
To think that Niaoniao playing Florence Nightingale to Ling Buyi could be this intimate and so charged with sexual tension. I never would have thought. Those close-ups are just... *rendered speechless* A part of hell just broke loose and then we have this magical moment between the leads as if there's no else around. It's that line between pleasure and pain that's being straddled by Ling Buyi so beautifully achieved by Wu Lei.
Prince Xiao is right about one thing -- Lou Yao is a dull boy. Sweet and cute but... dull. Total devotion can be attractive though and cover a multitude of sins.
Alright so I have watched both. ADOS is definitively a good production in terms of sets, cinematography, acting,…
Okay so it's not just me who thinks that A Dream of Splendor is a slog. I'm up to Episode 20 now and I have to say most of it has been hard work to get through. On paper it should be the sort of drama that appeals to me but the execution really falls down. The leads are the primary drawcard and while I enjoy their interactions, I'm not that invested in their romance. I don't especially like what they've done with Ouyang Xu either. Like you I don't feel very invested in any of the characters or the messaging for that matter even though I am curious about Gu Qianfan's relationship with his father more than anything else. If the show was more about the two of them, I'd probably buy into it more.
But with Love Like the Galaxy, I was hooked from the first episode. I'm not particularly a fan of either of the leads although I enjoyed The Long Ballad (mostly). It's a joy to watch and doesn't carry the burden that it's trying to do something "important" or "weighty".
I noticed that some people think that the first four episodes are just "family drama". It is that but it's contribution to the overall narrative is far more significant than a bunch of women squabbling for household supremacy. I think what distinguishes this one from the others is the birth mother-daughter dynamic. Even though her parents have returned, not a lot has changed for Niaoniao in terms of her place in the family. She's not a bad kid really and her cynicism wasn't developed overnight but as a result of watching the hypocrisies and machinations of relatives over a decade and a half. It is the Cinderella mythos rejigged to make the mother here the step-mother.
There's no doubt in my mind that the mother here has complex motives here in how she parents Niaoniao. There's a strong element of guilt and she's also driven by a great deal of urgency. She's lost 15 years with her daughter and leaving her behind in the hands of Mdm Ge was something of a disaster. That's why the show spends a lot of time setting up the extended family dynamic. Mdm Ge is not by any stretch of the imagination a good role model. She didn't even treat her own daughter that well. It just so happens that Yang Yang is much more placid takes after her dad. The danger as Mum perceives it is that Mdm Ge was a terrible influence in that household and will continue to be unless she's out of their lives. Getting rid of her was a good move strategically. She is an unrepentant unremorseful materialistic schemer. Mum is genuinely worried that Niaoniao will end up like that woman -- nothing more than a selfish, conniving brat. That is I think her greatest fear. Niaoniao is already past her formative years and reaching a marriageable age. The thought that her daughter will become Mdm Ge II probably terrifies her more than anything. What if she is just a younger version of Mdm Ge and ends up causes havoc for her future in-laws? What if she turns disrespectful and manipulative of her elders? This is what's foremost on her mind. Niaoniao's intelligence is not in question here but her virtue. A child that's been left to her own devices and not given good principles to live by normally leads to all kinds of problems in adulthood.
This isn't necessarily to say that I agree with her parenting methods only that I understand where she's coming from. She's misreading Niaoniao and she's over complicating matters. What Niaoniao lacks is not military training but a little love. When I see a child that cynical, it occurs to me that she has distinct lack of trust not of virtue. It behooves the people that neglected her to try and win back respect not try and impose their will on her by force. She already knows what's right and wrong but she's seen how the adults maneuver social norms to make things suit their own agendas. The hypocrisy and theatrics that she witnessed has made her bitter.
I never expected to like this as much as I do. I was hooked from the first episode and have now watched four in quick succession. I certainly didn't expect to laugh as much as I did in the first couple of episodes with all that "family theatre" -- it was a hoot. Grandma I remember from Ordinary Greatness -- made me laugh here as she did there. I'm also a little surprised by the cynicism of Zhao Lusi character. It's understandable on some level but rather sad in one so young.
I am getting the feeling that this should be binge-watched but it's so good so early on.
This show is a classic case of extremely awful communication between the lead couple. Sure the male lead has the emotional capacity of a pubescent male but the female lead seems to think he should somehow be able to read her mind and know what's going on between the ears just because she's nice to him. An entire romance drama based on this kind of dynamic has got to be ridiculously frustrating. On some level it does reflect on some RL relationships but to write a male lead so completely immature and clueless to this extent shows a serious lack of balance.
It's an interesting premise but the set-up is so clunky and ridiculously elaborate. What is this show trying to be? A rom com or a psychological thriller? Why is the FL doing the work of detectives when she barely rates as a psychologist?
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Really good with high rewatch value. If you like contract marriages, this is a must-watch because the acting in this is top-notch. Wrote a fuller review. Link under spoiler tags.
4 
She's a shrewd woman and she served on the battlefield. She's also right to oppose the match with Lou Yao. She has my respect in that regard.
Lou Yao is as clueless as they come. I'm sure he means well but his application of persistence is just all over the place. He's treating her like they're already a couple. It's one thing to be persistent, it's another to be a nuisance.
A part of hell just broke loose and then we have this magical moment between the leads as if there's no else around. It's that line between pleasure and pain that's being straddled by Ling Buyi so beautifully achieved by Wu Lei.
I really like this director.
Total devotion can be attractive though and cover a multitude of sins.
Like you I don't feel very invested in any of the characters or the messaging for that matter even though I am curious about Gu Qianfan's relationship with his father more than anything else. If the show was more about the two of them, I'd probably buy into it more.
But with Love Like the Galaxy, I was hooked from the first episode. I'm not particularly a fan of either of the leads although I enjoyed The Long Ballad (mostly). It's a joy to watch and doesn't carry the burden that it's trying to do something "important" or "weighty".
There's no doubt in my mind that the mother here has complex motives here in how she parents Niaoniao. There's a strong element of guilt and she's also driven by a great deal of urgency. She's lost 15 years with her daughter and leaving her behind in the hands of Mdm Ge was something of a disaster. That's why the show spends a lot of time setting up the extended family dynamic. Mdm Ge is not by any stretch of the imagination a good role model. She didn't even treat her own daughter that well. It just so happens that Yang Yang is much more placid takes after her dad. The danger as Mum perceives it is that Mdm Ge was a terrible influence in that household and will continue to be unless she's out of their lives. Getting rid of her was a good move strategically. She is an unrepentant unremorseful materialistic schemer. Mum is genuinely worried that Niaoniao will end up like that woman -- nothing more than a selfish, conniving brat. That is I think her greatest fear. Niaoniao is already past her formative years and reaching a marriageable age. The thought that her daughter will become Mdm Ge II probably terrifies her more than anything. What if she is just a younger version of Mdm Ge and ends up causes havoc for her future in-laws? What if she turns disrespectful and manipulative of her elders? This is what's foremost on her mind. Niaoniao's intelligence is not in question here but her virtue. A child that's been left to her own devices and not given good principles to live by normally leads to all kinds of problems in adulthood.
This isn't necessarily to say that I agree with her parenting methods only that I understand where she's coming from. She's misreading Niaoniao and she's over complicating matters. What Niaoniao lacks is not military training but a little love. When I see a child that cynical, it occurs to me that she has distinct lack of trust not of virtue. It behooves the people that neglected her to try and win back respect not try and impose their will on her by force. She already knows what's right and wrong but she's seen how the adults maneuver social norms to make things suit their own agendas. The hypocrisy and theatrics that she witnessed has made her bitter.
I am getting the feeling that this should be binge-watched but it's so good so early on.
Wrote a fuller review. Link under spoiler tags.