kathleentheturtle

I had saved your post just in case the thread moves at lightning speed, that I would miss it. Thank you for critiquing the drama and calling out the issues despite loving the show. This is what me and a few other girls have talked about in depth as well. The later parts of the drama was super disappointing for me too, especially with how solid the first part was with pacing and tight story telling. I felt the writers (it sounds like there might be several groups or teams) relied too heavily on tropes that ended up causing character inconsistencies and plot holes. It was sad that by the time it was near the end, I fast forwarded and tuned out as well. I hope you're going to copy this review and paste it into the reviews section too so it doesn't get lost in the thread discussion. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

came here to show support. Thank you so much especiallyyy for the last two posts you wrote!

This is a hard question to answer because of the romance component that you love. I too am a romance fan, but I absolutely LOVE this drama despite the little romance in it. To me, it's a solid drama from beginning to end. There is romance, but VERY little that would satisfy you if it's solely a drama you want to watch for a good love story. If you like stories like THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, think of this as a grander scale of the the story with such a brilliant and cunning protagonist and a great ensemble cast.

The drama is a bit slow in the beginning, so I think you must give it until the end of episode 5. If after 5 episodes and you're not drawn to it, it may not be for you. Based on your profile picture, I believe you're a Wu Lei fan, so be prepared to see him as a tween in this drama :D

I wish I could tag all of us. LMAO. I am going to copy what I wrote in a message to Jess and share here too. LOL just for fun.

Part 2 did our girl dirty! There was so much inconsistency with her character and intelligence. She regressed to simply being the damsel in distress. I look back and think of her antics and brightness in her hairstyle that makes her look young too, and then I think of how she changed/grew, which is supposed to be for good, but by the end, a shell, A SHELL, of who she is. She lost her essence and spark that made her her, the girl we love and rooted for.

Lou Ben’s arc felt like we got rammed blind-sided by an American football player. You and I agree that it makes no sense how someone of his calibre and intelligence, having traveled the world, ended up with such a messy and ugly plan in the name of trying to find his footing in the world. With his talent, cunningness, and if willing to work with Zisheng, it would not have taken him long at all to rise through the ranks. That arc was seriously a “wtf” moment.

Speaking about Grandma Cheng, she was sooo out of character towards the end. I can forgive her and Shaosheng’s mom trying to reconcile in jail, but not the later cringy parts where they were sitting with General Cheng as he was recovering after going missing. That scene was absolutely cringey. They could have taken that out to show the scene where Shaosheng finds and reunites with her dad. The show missed a good opportunity right there to give an emotional beat to the relationship between Shaosheng and her dad.

They robbed us of a compelling backstory with 3rd prince and Zisheng too. I love the possibilities of what could have been in delving into their backstory and even going to the present to unravel the friendship and likeness of these two. The last scene made me facepalm because of how 3rd prince looked relieved, totally a dude in distress until Zisheng showed up to save him and the day. I don’t even wanna talk about the entire 4 villains they shoved at us in the very end. How pathetic when and if the last villain that Zisheng killed was the mastermind behind so many of the schemes, they should have done a much better job showing him throughout the drama…At least having Zisheng on his tail. He was forgotten until they decided to call him back for his role.

I agree about the romance having lost most of its magic after the separation took place. Zisheng felt like a completely different person, and people will argue that trauma can do that, but I will say only to an extent. This is the one light and love of his life, and he just fell back and resigned himself to his fate instead of fighting his way through and back to her.

yea, that is true too. There was no way around that, because she was caught between two people she dearly loved.

This is a good angle for me to process but a part of me feels even without the incident, crown prince wouldn't be able to keep his position if ultimately it's for the best interest of the country . Something else would have triggered such an event of the empress being deposed and crown prince being replaced given the people surrounding their families and even consort Yue's. 🤔

What CSS did was also the right thing to do in letting the world know LBY is HWS by unveiling the secret. But what a web of complications in trying to unravel all our thoughts and feelings behind the characters and their motives.

This is so insightful from you and your sister. It feels like the drama could have utilized so much of the source material while not compromising his character. -_-

I am going to message you my response soon. I know the disappointment is resounding for us. :(

LOL, friend, so true! HAHAHA <3

I felt even more so why it was important for her to truly bow out without needing to say that she was grateful to be married to him. Because her heartache and grief was a result of being married to him despite the respect that they have for each other

Sending a hug
to yoi because I understand this personally too, and as someone who is highly sensitive but also working in a psychology field, this is why there's so much emotions I have running through that I just wanna cry at the lost in potential here. Thank goodness for you and your words, lily 💜

She truly does have a way with words.

I wished the adults stepped in during crucial moments like this. I think the empress is so kind, but to a fault, and almost is detrimental at times in being the role model for CSS.

You aren't controversial though. Perhaps in the minority with a sound head on her shoulders. <3 I'll properly comment on your post too because it was just a wonderful post with how you logically break things down, even when it's from the heart. I appreciate this because honestly, we leave so much unspoken and unsaid in general until it's too late, so to see this take, ahh, my heart feels like it beat a bit more calmly.

There are two kind souls, @SpicyLime and @rays, who are updating segments with differences from novel and drama. You can find it in recent discussions or below:

SpicyLime's thread: https://kisskh.at/discussions/love-like-the-galaxy-part-2/78421-time-skip-to-the-ending-recap-spoilers-and-novel-differences

rays' thread: https://kisskh.at/discussions/love-like-the-galaxy-part-2/79287-the-difference-between-drama-and-novel-pre-5-years-separation

can i...give you a hug? Virtual one across the screen because this has captured so much of the things I've been struggling to say. I have a running document that's currently 8K with all my thoughts about the entire series that I am trying to organize. But the latter parts has me so frustrated that I feel so emotionally charged. I've been lucky to have such wonderful discussions with a few drama friends here so I am grateful for that, you included by way of recap comments. Thank you so much, Lily! 😭

I actually struggled with this line, because it seemed to be a contradiction. I don't know if it's a translation issue. But I feel it would have been more powerful almost if she thanked him that despite everything, she was with him in this life and that he treated her well, but that she hopes they won't meet again in the next life unless she could have the same kind of love she yearns and wishes for from him (if she loved him like that and it was unrequited that is).

And all the more reason why I am so mad the drama failed in its execution. If it takes someone who is privy to source material, to have to explain the details, the latter parts of the team did not understand the assignment. :(

And he should have spent the later parts of the drama after they see each other, atoning for and promising that he would make up to her. This isn't even the romanticism in me. It just seems like if you hurt someone so deeply, and you care enough to want to reconcile with the loved one, you can't leave so much words unspoken. I don't like the trope of anyone almost dying to spur any action. :(

This is constantly on my mind too! I wondered if there were several smaller teams that worked on the script with the main scriptwriter and author. Did the first part of the drama start out with the A-Team, and then the latter with its plot holes and inconsistencies including with characters, have the substandard-team?

You could not have said it any better! I am so livid that we were robbed of compelling scenes in their healing when the drama has taken painstaking measures to ensure that we understand the demons LBY has been dealing with all his life. And then to do us dirty with the characterizations and how this was not conveyed in what I feel would have been in character for our leads. I wonder if editing is an issue and even with "re-edits" how much the story could be fluid in the aftermath of the trauma and grief.