mimi0108

The rise of the phoenixes is a mature and political drama while Love Like the Galaxy is a coming of age story, a romance and adventure drama.
The romance is very withdrawn in TROP (even if it exists) and it's quite dark and tragic even if there are some funny moments. And the last twenty episodes are completely botched (LLTG isn't finished yet but I'm sure the ending will be more satisfying and successful). It's definitely not the same feeling.
Edit: TROP is a drama to see for the quality of its production if you accept having a bitter taste and being dissatisfied at the end.

She only gets engaged because someone she loves is dying and wants to see her married first, even though that person was hoping for CSS to get engaged to LBY. She chooses YS only because he is the only volunteer (all others refuse either because they know she belongs to LBY or because YS is a filthy selfish manipulator who spreads bad rumors about her so that no one comes forward.

I think LBY was too reasonable and considered in the beginning of the drama. Then, the pain of missing his chance the first time, the fact CSS's reputation was damaged after the engagement broke down, the fact he knew she wanted to run away from her family and seeing CSS almost get disfigured by the princesses pushes him not to waste a second, not realizing he's making a decision for two.

LBY has, I think, acted both out of impulse, out of a desire for protection, and out of possessiveness. His love for her is genuine and CSS needed to hear what he thought. But the way he did it turned out not to be right. First of all, he hasn't spoken with CSS before. He literally puts her up against the wall without necessarily knowing what she thinks of him and if she agrees to marry him. Then, unaware of how much her parents would disapprove, he created a situation who nearly endangered her entire clan. He made the decision for CSS and for her family which is not correct and displeases those concerned. LBY realizes only at the end that CSS reluctantly agrees and his proposal turns into a nightmare. He hoped to protect and show his love to the girl he desires. Instead, his proposal caused CSS's humiliation and she agrees to marry him only to save her family while upsetting them. It's the worst case scenario for him.

I think and hope she will confront him about it later. LBY intimidates and frightens her on many levels (both as a bloody military man who is cold and not very talkative, and as an impressive man looking at her with love and attraction). What he has done, deciding for himself their future life, only solidifies her impression of him. And I can't wait to see how she handles this imposed husband and how he manages to win the heart of this wild cat.

You only mentioned historical dramas so I guess that's what you're looking for now.
I recommend The Long Ballad (the two leads of Love Like the Galaxy play ML and SFL), it's a very good drama of adventures, coming of age story, friendships and romances.
The Story of Yanxi is also a top notch production but it's a harem drama so it's quite toxic, sad and tragic (btw, it has been removed from Chinese platforms following new regulations) but the FL is incredible, smart, cunning, bold, strong.

Here are dramas with less good production (and writing) but there are elements that are very interesting and entertaining so if you want to try:
- The Imperial Doctress
- The Prince of Lang Ling
- Legend of the Dragon Pearl

He didn't kiss in TLB, we have a parrot kiss instead haha.
And yeah, it'll be his first drama with an actual kiss. And his first work with kisses and very romantic scenes (he had one kiss in a movie, that's all).

Yes, they tend to either round up (say 20 years instead of 17, for example) or round down (10 years instead of 15). It is sometimes complicated to know precisely if a proper date is not given.

It was decided the dramas broadcast shouldn't exceed 40 episodes. Result, either the channels only make 40 episodes for their drama or they cut the drama into several parts to be able to have more episodes.
That's why Love Like the Galaxy has 2 parts (27 and 29 episodes).

Yu Chen is 21 in the drama. As for LBY we don't know. He seems a bit older than YC, the emperor said he raised LBY since he's 10. We know the massacre of the Huo clan happened 15years ago and LBY returned to the capital 1 year later. So he must have 24.
But in the novel, he's in fact 21 even if everyone think he's 24. So we'll see if the drama will follow the novel on this matter.

He's really, really toxic and I'm hoping he either gets better or someone finally tells him his truths and makes him pay for his attitude a little bit.
He acts like a stalker to a 15-year-old girl. He belittles her, humiliates her and annoys her every second. He doesn't respect CSS opinions, nor her personality. He doesn't even try to understand her, judges her badly and wants to remodel her into the woman he wants without worrying about her.
He is hypocritical, intrusive, pushy and a liar. To CSS suitors he says bad things about her, to CSS he says bad things about her suitors, to parents he says LY distracts CSS to separate them in their studies and so on.
He respects no one, is rude and perverse. He's the worse.

Really? I asked the question Yesterday and people told me he was secretly listening to the people in the pagoda and wasn't part of the conspiracy.
Do you know when we'll learn he was there?

Yeah it was so great to have him shut her off.
From a military point of view, LBY is higher in rank than the mother, he is her superior so he can silence her.
From a social point of view, he is noble, descended from two great families and has all the nobility titles of the Huo clan.
From a etiquette point of view, he is the Emperor's adopted son, feasting at a banquet of the royal family of which he is a member while she is only a modest guest.

I also think that's how it's going to be.
The next 3 episodes are going to be the acceptance of her engagement and convincing CSS she is not doomed to a forced marriage but that she can love her husband. Part 1 will surely end with her fully accepting LBY.
And part 2 will open with them getting to know each other and preparing for their wedding before the revenge.

It is said he disappeared for 1 year after the Huo clan massacre. So if we assume he was adopted by the emperor immediately upon his return, that is 14 years old = he is 24 years old.
So yes, he is much older than her. Afterwards, personally, I gave him 22 years old (I saw him a little older than YS).

Given the popularity of this drama, it would be a marketing error to have a delay between the two parts. But, obviously, if there are reasons beyond the channel's control, it's possible.
But I sincerely hope not.

Yes.
I think he doesn't know for sure why the parents want to reject this marriage, but he clearly understood that putting their daughter down was the way to do it. I think he also understood that was the life CSS led in her family (a mother who belittles her, humiliates her and tells her she is worthless). That's why the Emperor is so pissed off. His subject rejects a marriage he proposed (either because he doesn't want his adopted son as a son-in-law, which is an insult to the emperor, or because they really think their daughter is worthless, which is outrageous from a family point of view).

I'd like to applaud the Emperor for immediately seeing through the mother's BS. No child is as terrible as she says, let alone a child whose character he has been able to judge and who, when asked if her mother is telling the truth, politely replies, with a hurt voice, that it is right. A child such as the mother described would not have reacted thus.
And the look of disgust and anger the emperor throws at the mother after CSS's answer expresses all that. He sees CSS is hurt and broken by an unworthy mother and his look means "look at what you are doing to your child while this one doesn't fight back and, on the contrary, has lost her self-esteem so much that she believes in your words."

Oh, I like that better, thanks!

Apparently LBY was with the two men in the pagoda plotting to overthrow the Crown Prince, that's why he got there so quickly (because he was chasing the person listening to them until he realized it was CSS) and why he isn't curious about what she heard (because he knows very well what it was) but wants her to keep the secret.
Is it true ? If so, do you think the drama follows the same path as the book?

Question about episode 22, for those who have read the book:

The mother has passed the point of no return. It is impossible to overcome this. What the mother did in episode 24 is literally the end of their mother/daughter bond.
By her words, she signed the social death of her daughter (who would invite her if, in front of the royal family, she says her daughter is rude, useless and unworthy), the impossibility of CSS to marry (after such humiliation and the end of her reputation, no one would marry her if she hadn't accepted LBY) and could have simply signed her death (suicide because of a tarnished reputation was commonplace at the time).
On top of that, the mom hurt her child by showing she has no esteem, respect or love for her.