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My Overall Thoughts
they really have captured Love in its many forms, Love between lovers, Love between parents and children, love between siblins, love between ruler and subject, love between employers and emploees, love between general and army, love between society. and they never showed just positive or just negative, they always showed both. we see the realistic situations and feelings between Zisheng and Shaoshang, we see the ridicule from society but also the friendship with qiqi, we see CSS's mother and the difference between strict parenting and loving parenting. and that no child is the same so you cant use one type for all of them. we see how CSS never let her mothers inability to show love to her daughter get in the way of Yang Yang and CSS's sisterly relationship. we all see how the royal children treated CSS and Buyi as outsiders when Shaoshang sat with the emporer and the Empress on her deathbed when no other child of hers or empress yue were allowed. This drama encapsulates the term "you make your own family" as that is exactly what cheng Shaoshang did. she was able to add her birth family to that family, allowing for a happy ending. RIP to the Empress you were the mother Shaoshang needed but not the mother the royal children needed. right person wrong setting!I don't want to rewatch this. i feel like watching this once allowed me to feel the raw emotions from the series,
im not lying when i say i was S O B B I N G at certain points. i think this series is rewatchable but i think watching it once allows us to recognise and absorb the meaning of the series without getting technical. Emporer ate and so did the Empresses i loved their dynamics almost like divine matchmakers.
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Before the last few episodes this was shaping up to be a 10…
I am relatively new to dramas and haven’t seen that many. I fully admit I am most interested in the romance followed by the plot. And for about 50 episodes this was shaping up to be a great one.- Tortured hero check
- Spunky FL check
- Funny side characters check
- Drama check
I could get past the fact that our hero somehow single handledly fought off at least a dozen assassins every time he fought and how he vaulted on to his horse like he had a pogo stick for legs, and I could even get past how he could do all that with an arrow sticking out of his chest for most of one episode. This is not a drama for realism. By the same token, it’s pretty unrealistic that the FL who can barely read would be some kind of math genius and make not only the hero, but the emperor, the empress and the consort all chuckle at how “real” she was. This is secondary to the palace intrigue and romance that is being told to us.
What I can’t get past… spoilers…..
I can’t get past the fact that the FL finds out the ML secret and his plot for his revenge days before their wedding. She confronts him about “do you have anything you want to tell me…” at least 3 times. Once, he declines to tell her and two times they get interrupted but he still leaves her in the dark thinking she is preparing for their wedding. I get the revenge was important to him. I get it was necessary. But it was not necessary to go down the way it did. First, the ML was an eye witness to who the bad guy was and the bad guy’s murder of General Huo. He didn’t need proof. That was proof that he has had since he was 7 years old and yet he has said nothing. Second, the emperor loved him like a son and has already let him get away with a bunch of transgressions by this point. And the emperor was deeply saddened by General Huo’s death so the reason for not cluing the emperor in on his plan escapes me. And third, the fact that he won’t tell the FL, does this knowing she will not marry him, and also spent their entire relationship forcing her to tell him every insult she ever received when he can’t even tell her his real name really cheapened the great love story they were building.
Bottom line: I wanted to love it and there is a lot to love. The actors and the drama are good for the most part. It’s entertaining. But it majorly falls off in the end. And then there is a 5 year jump before the last 2 episodes and you just know the FL will forgive him because he almost dies rescuing her. He does apologize but it’s too little too late for me.
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Beautiful Family Drama
Much of this drama focuses on Cheng Shaoshang as she attempts to navigate her future without compromising her ideals or passions. Zhao Lusi’s performance once again establishes her ability to display a multifaceted character with tons of layers. She was utterly transformative as Shaoshang transitioned from uncouth youth to reserved royalty. Shaoshang is very much defined by her interactions with others. Probably the most interesting relationships outside of her romances is her connection to her mother and the Empress. In one, she finds antagonism and disproval; in another unconditional love and support. That’s not to say both don’t love her, but her relationships are so complex as they encounter her at different stages in her life. I love this detailed look at the many ways family, both the ones we are born into and the ones we choose, make a person change and adapt in extraordinary ways.I thought the show would focus more on the romance, but it truly does not start between the leads until the second half of the series. The first half certainly does an excellent job setting up their future, particularly Ling Buyi’s growing interest and love for Shaoshang. Leo Wu, who plays Ling Buyi, truly has a talent for showing so many emotions with just a glance. Since much of his performance is austere and ridged, his eyes had to do a lot of heavy lifting. He and Lusi had so much tension and chemistry as Buyi and Shaoshang. Once their romance blossoms, it’s hard to look away. That said, I also enjoyed the other short romances she has with Yuan Shen and Lou Yao. While they hold no candle to Buyii, I could certainly see the different facets brought out of her by their characters.
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One of the Best Historical Drama!
This drama is definitely deserving of its high ratings.It's a mix of everything. It's about love, revenge, family, and friendship. One good thing about this drama is that it broke the stereotype of having evil and incompetent emperor and empress that most cdrama I've watched portray. Moreover, there is no jealousy between the empress and the concubine, which I'm very fascinated by. This is definitely a first for that.
The male leads are portrayed very well by the cast and their acting is superb! I've now watched a couple of cdramas by Zhao Lu Si, and I can understand why they're mostly hits! She portrays her characters so well. So excited to see more projects from her. Leo Wu is also a very good actor. And very befitting of his role in this drama because of his manliness. Truly worthy of being a general! The dynamic of the main leads as a couple is also soooo cuuuute! The general is only soft for the female lead. She only has eyes for her from the start and is always there for her to protect her.
I wished that there was a scene of their wedding at the end though. But nonetheless, it was a happy ending so I had to give this drama a perfect 10!
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Wow, lives up to the hype
TLDR: Highly recommended for complex characters, great chemistry between the leads, well-acted, well-directed, epic action scenes.I finished Parts 1 and 2 in 5 days. I was wondering if they would live up to the hype, and I was not disappointed. Part 2 was slightly better than Part 1 for me. I loved everything about it - the epic action scenes, the humor, the angst, and even the sad parts. This was an incredibly well-acted and well-directed series. The leads had incredible chemistry, and the supporting cast did a wonderful job.
Purely good or purely evil characters can often be boring to watch. Imperfect characters on the other hand are more realistic and interesting to me. Niao Niao's Mom, Yuan Yi, is probably one of the more interesting ones to me. Having been manipulated to abandon Niao Niao at birth, she returns to a 15yo that's manipulative, uneducated and stubborn. Frankly, Yuan Yi is at a loss because she has only raised sons and commanded soldiers up to this point. And Niao Niao, having been deprived of family warmth and caring from her grandmother and Second Aunt, was hoping things will be different once she's reunited with her family. She's sorely disappointed. Thankfully, she finds mother figures in Third Aunt and especially in the Empress. And, Niao Niao has her ever-loving father who accepts her for who she is, but is not in charge of her upbringing. I loved their special bond.
Li Bu Yi/Zisheng is an incredibly complex character. He is driven my such a deep purpose that's so ingrained within him, I don't think it can be separated from himself. Usually, each person can say, "I am me. These are my actions. That is my purpose." In Zisheng, these seem to all blend together. Although there's a certain kindness in him, there's also sheer brutality. It was downright scary.
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In anycase big congratulations to our Director Fei and the cinematographer who slayed the shit out of this drama!!!!!!! Never have I seen scenes so well crafted and executed in action sequences and dark shots that looked so bright executed with ease and such style! Bravo ????????
Zhao Lusi what can I say... Baby girl you are a STAR!!!!! Lusi was born to play Cheng Shaoshang, no one else could've done half the job she did. Not Bai Lu, not Dilabra (oh and I love these 2 btw), NO ONE! I felt the innocence, pain, the wanting to be loved, the comedic moments, anger and vengefulness all because Lusi is excellent in her craft! I've been a fan since I hear you and will be a fan for the rest of my life! Please take a bow, you deserve it!
Wu Lei, Leo Wu. I am in awe of him. His performance was a performance of a lifetime!!!! I don't know what dark place he had to go to bring this about, but he did and he did so so well. Leo Wu is in league of his own and needs more recognition!!!! My boy even did is own stunts!!!!! Zisheng as a character is one I'll Revere for the rest of my life as I do Vincenzo. The pain, anguish, cunningness, ruthlessness, yet love, understanding, loyalty this character portrayed will forever remain in my heart. He's flawed, he's broken yet he found love, hope and family amongst the madness. This came across so well because Leo made it so. Sir, please also take a bow, just Wow!
Every single character of the drama was important to the story being told. The entire cast of Love like the Galaxy really was casted with a special eye and the actors acted like their lives depended on it but was done with such ease and finesse. Their performances was phenomenal!!! From the loveliest Empresses to shipper Wendy to Take no crap Consort Yue to guilt ridden mom to nosy Yuan Shannian, to I got your back without any questions Qiqi, to I'll die for you A'Qi and A'Fei every single character made you feel something whether it was love or hate. Every single character we saw was necessary and made the story enjoyable.
I'm going to miss this thread, it's been a pleasure ::far away hugs::! Side note... I just want to say how much I enjoyed watching this drama as it aired. The wait each day felt like forever nut the 3 day wait during the weekends felt like an eternity ???. It was so nice to be able come here to commiserate, swoon over characters, rage about Niao Niao's mom but also to read ideas, share theories and see spoliers ?. Being able to come to mdl really added to my joy of watching Love like the Galaxy that can't be duplicated!
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eh just not rlly good not rlly bad
there are some confusing parts and some boring parts to it. i feel like if I chose again I might not watch this drama. the story line/plot is a little weak and I feel like some of it was a little rushed. tbh its just not that great but not rlly bad either. also the drama is quite dramatic in terms of some scenes and stuff. i think id prob not recommend this drama much, if u don't watch it its good for u and if u do itd be a experience lol idk overall u could prob just skip this . most of the side stories and situation with the fl and her parents is too sad I can never-Was this review helpful to you?
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As it said this drama is slow burn but once you watch it with fully understanding the story is really good follow these excellent Actors, cinematography and visual.ML&FL have very strong chemistry and they really suited for their roles. They portray their roles just right. The only thing made me disappointed is the mother who left her child since she is baby then comeback after over 10 years didn’t show love to her daughter and discipline her in a wrong way!
Overall this drama is the best that I can watch over and over again!
The team of this drama you did a great job thank you for this wonderful work of yours and for sharing to us!
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Part 1 set the bar a little too high
Hmm... As mentioned in the title, Part 1 did set the bar a little too high. There's quite a lot of expectations for Part 2 and to be honest, they didn't do that great of a job for Part 2. So they did a lot of build up on LBY's plot. They kept harping on the baggage that LBY has to carry and the lengths he would go through in order to revenge for his real father and the people who died at Gu City, but the revenge at the end does seem a little underwhelming.Niao Niao's story is quite stable throughout. I like her character - loyal but not foolishly loyal. She stands up for the people she love but when she felt betrayed or abandoned by the people she loved, she is quite decisive when leaving them. It does makes sense the part when Niao Niao left LBY because he didn't trust her enough to share his burdens with her.
Now the part where I feel does not deliver - how hastily everything progressed in the end.
- LBY jumped off the cliff and Niao Niao got sick. All of a sudden it skipped to Niao Niao defending LBY at the palace and everybody seemed to be very confident that he was still alive. Makes sense?
- Only towards the end, they started fanning the story about the previous emperor and the rebellion they were planning. Then the rebellion erupted and ended all in those 1-2 episodes.
- The reunion at the end is also done so abruptly. They didn't get to go through with the marriage in the beginning and their reunion popped up only in the middle of a battle. The end. A little underwhelming, or is it just me?
All in all, I do love the entire plot, looking at Part 1 and Part 2 together. They do need to refine the ending a bit more though. The take off was great but the landing was rough.
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Romance more than politics and war
Part 2 continued from when Niao Niao was betrothed to one of her three admirers, Ling Buyi. She was not happy as the marriage proposal was imposed on her by the emperor through the request of Buyi and she tried to sabotage the engagement. To make matter worse, the step-mother of her fiance had other plans for him. But this fiance had been enchanted by her ever since he first lay eyes on her.As with Niao Niao's mother, BuYi's military background stood in the way of how he related to him and Niao Niao was resentful that she was going to substitute a mother for a militant husband.
Buyi's father was the Marquis ChengYang and Buyi hated him, seemingly because he married the step-mother when Buyi and his mother were missing after the Gu city was massacred. They found themselves back to the capital after a year. But there were more to the story and BuYi had a hidden identity.
BuYi had been investigating the death of his uncle General Huo and the fall of Gu city. In Part 2, the mystery was unraveled and those involved in it was progressively punished but the biggest culprit, as all the evidence leading to him was destroyed. BuYi was left in desperation.
Again twists and turns happened. Five years after BuYi requested for posting to guard the Northern border, Niao Niao found herself considering marriage with Yuan Shen who had been patiently waiting for her.
What I like about Part 2:
- It continued the theme that the righteous won and the wicked were punished.
- So often Chinese dramas supported the unworthy heir because he was the legitimate eldest son - there was this fear of upsetting the Confucious moral ideal of loyalty but not this - the capable one who put in the effort to win eventually won.
What I do not like about Part 2:
- The last few episodes were a drag and a lot of trivia was added to the drama. This drama could have been completed within 50 episodes limit, without dragging Yuan Shen into a marriage consideration. And he could have been happily married to his selected lady.
- Like a lot of Chinese dramas, the ending was awkward. It wanted to give a final twist and it did not achieve that impact.
- I did not really like the way Niao Niao's response to BuYi pushing her away which resulted in a big rift between them. She should understand that he had a need to keep his investigation a secret as any leak could jeopardise his life and he was also trying to keep her family safe. The writer should work on a better reason for the rift.
- I felt sorry for Yuan Shen as I thought he was as worthy of Niao Niao as Buyi. Although much better at looking after his own interest and somewhat scheming, he was more able to understand Niao Niao and accommodate her, initially in a provocative way and later in more gentle way. But unfortunately, Niao Niao could not forget her true love. Hopefully, I had not given too much away with this comment.
- Too much save the damsel in distress by the main lead - should give some chance to the other two admirers to confuse who would eventually end up with her. Also, it was so cliche that he always appeared at the right moment when there was someone else nearer to her.
- The battle scenes were a bit lacklustre as compared to The Rebel Princess and some others.
I rated Part 2 a point less than part 1. Overall the full drama was worth watching if you are into romance story as this drama was more a romantic story - the politics and wars were just the backdrop.
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Splendid Watch!
WOW! What an incredible ride this drama was!This was truly a slice of life drama and the selling point of this drama were the family/character dynamics. I think this is one of the very first dramas where I loved every single character in this drama (even the nasty ones). The emotions and reactions of every character felt so realistic. From Ling Bu Yi and Cheng Shao Shang to Wang Yanji and Lou Ben and even to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, every character had their own struggles and inner demons and everyone's choices defined who they were. No one was overly righteous, nor was anyone evil for the sake of being evil. Even when I didn't agree with a character, I could empathize with them and see why they made the choices they did..even if it was the wrong path to take.
I just adore Zhao Lusi. With every drama she does, she constantly improves her skills and demonstrates how serious she is at furthering her craft. Her portrayal as Cheng Shao Shang harken back to her rom-com days yet also illuminate how much farther she's grown as an actress when working with more serious fare. She does a marvelous job.
I truly believe CSS's greatest characteristic is her openness to learn. Her eyes and ears are always open and she's constantly learning from every experience she goes through. While I absolutely adore CSS, there were times when I felt the writing of her character was inconsistent. There were times when she was so wise and showed such character growth that I couldn't sing enough praises for her character yet at other times I felt it conflicted with her youth and scheming ways. Regardless, she remains one of my favorite female leads in Chinese drama-land.
Wu Lei..goodness. Such talent for such a young man. There were times I felt he was a bit stiff in his portrayal in both acting and posture (seriously, looking at him stand so straight made my back hurt), but it's exceedingly minor compared to how fabulous he was. He has very nuanced expressions that truly brought Ling Bu Yi to life. I'm interested to see how his future projects will go and hope he keeps exploring different genres to keep stretching his acting chops.
I love that LBY is not the typical righteous, just, good-old-fashioned "good" guy that many male leads are. He has so much darkness in him and a cruel streak that makes him terrifying. The fact that he wants vengeance rather than justice already differentiates him from most male leads.
I think one thing the drama was superbly well is how it shows people-people interactions. From the relationships between parents-children, siblings, lovers, enemies, etc, each relationship was well hashed out and made me see glimpses of my own personal relationships. One of these was definitely CSS's relationship with her mother. It definitely felt super relatable to how real-life mothers and daughters often have hard times communicating with each other. Sadly once CSS enters the palace, that relationship is not seen as much which made me sad since neither truly talked and the path to their understanding/reconciliation wasn't seen.
My major complaint is that it was very obvious how CSS and LBY both had female lead and male lead plot armor throughout the drama. LBY gets away with everything because the emperor adores him and CSS receives the same treatment because LBY loves her. It makes them lose credibility to me in terms of their own merit. There were many scenes where LBY and CSS are hashing it out with the "bad" guys and those scenes felt more gratuitous than impactful; mainly because the judges (ie: the Emperor/Empress/Consort Yue) are so blatantly and unapologetically siding with LBY and CSS that the chances of a "fair" outcome isn't possible. It comes off as fair...but if the tables were turned and the bias wasn't towards the ML and FML..then viewers would be up in arms at the favoritism displayed.
If anything, while most dramas suffer from having too many episodes..I think this drama would've benefitted from having more. There were many supporting characters (I'm looking at you guys Wan Qi Qi and Cheng Song) whose stories I wanted to see unfold. I just loved all the characters so much that I wanted to know their daily life adventures and it made me sad to not see any of it.
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He fell first, she fell harder.
Funny Female Lead - checkCold Male Lead but soft inside for the female lead - check
Side characters Depth - check
Character Development - check (THE BEST)
Revenge Plot - Check
Angst - Check (Will burn your hearts in the last 8 chapters)
Death impact - extreme check
Trust & Love - Check check
Romance - *squealing* 10X check
Heaven has its own way, it will never let lovers separate.
I started this one believing in Zhao Lusi and all those reviews and found a treasure for sure. The character development as mentioned above was the BEST part of this drama. We will come a long way from viewing the mischievous 15-year-old troublemaker to seeing her grow into a 20-year-old young lady. The ML though stays the same but with much trust and a lot more conversation skills.
I felt her sadness, rage, issues, and scheming through the screen. The urge to seek revenge from people who did you wrong out of their own insecurities was most of the plotline, and I simply love how every time she gets back at them. It might seem childish to a lot of times but those were a lot satisfying. I might sound wrong, but you will feel it every time you watch it. Her sorrow seeing her mother prefer her cousin every time will stab your heart the same way. The ultimate showdown for me from her mother was when she talked about her daughter in front of the same people who taunted and looked down on her when ML asked for marriage. The feelings were too much to make out how to digest the scene. She was trying to protect her daughter, hurting the same daughter in the worst way possible. The way FL loves everyone despite all this, her way of showing affection is conversation and acceptance and I love it.
His eyes speak more than he does, that's our ML, he gave his heart to her, the first time he saw her and there was no going back. He seems cold and calculated and he IS; just not for the FL though; he turns into this warm and safe place for her that will give you the ultimate butterflies. He was a 10 in all ways possible if only the abandoning didn't subtract his points, but it did. It was nerve-wracking to follow his revenge plot and when he at last loses everything he found, it drove me over the edge.... His decisions over abandoning and revenge seem logical trying to keep her safe, but when things that hurt start making so much sense it hurts worse.
Their love and romance, leave out all those painful moments in the end, they BUILT up one of the healthiest relationships in this drama. The way he has her back every single time, the way she treats him with so much sincerity>>>>. The way she stood by him even when he beat those officers whose daughter bullied her, knowing it was a wrong move. (was a hell lot satisfying). The only concern she had was he was not willing to share his problems or should I say plan of revenge with her. She would have happily stood beside him to let him pave his way through it. Every single viewer knows that.
When people say love is not about rush and adrenaline. It's warm and safe-- their relationship is what they mean.
My ultimate favorite is the emperor. He was such a fanboy of our Zisheng and of course the first and foremost ship leader. The way FL's mom and grandmother's perspective and attitude changed to the end.
The last 8 chapters will make you CRY that's for sure.
Even with tears and so much angst, this drama claimed a very special position called "Close to my heart". I came running to write this review right after completing both the season.
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