This review may contain spoilers
hats off of shaoshang
Love Like the Galaxy đâ¨
Completed Love Like the Galaxyâa drama I literally started because ChatGPT told me the FL was âme-coded.â đ An illiterate, lunatic, mischievous, sucker-for-love, always-misunderstood girl⌠yep. Apparently she is me. And honestly, I am her. đ That was the first reason I started watching this drama.
The first 30 episodes were SO slow. I was genuinely bored out of my mind, especially during the first 10 episodes. For the first half, I kept wondering when something major was actually going to happen. But Iâm SO glad I didnât drop it, because somewhere along the way I became completely attached to the story even tho love story ain't my thing . If I had dropped it, I definitely would have regretted it.
I understand that the first 30 episodes were important for showing Shaoshangâs circumstances, her childhood, her family dynamics, and how she became the person she was. But I honestly donât think all of that needed 30 episodes. Almost everything major happened within the last 12 episodes. I wouldnât exactly call the ending rushed, but the happy moments definitely felt rushed while the sad moments were HUGE. The five-year separation especially felt like a tiny entry in a diary when I really wanted to see more of what happened during those years. We could actually get more of general huo buyi fighting scene in the north western border!
The plot also felt a little stretched because of the way the villains kept appearing one after another. First it was the ladies who bullied Shaoshang, then Lady Ruan, then another villain, then another misunderstanding⌠it sometimes felt like whenever one problem was solved, another villain simply popped up to replace it. There were even times when there wasnât really a villain, just misunderstandings. đ So yes, I definitely felt the story could have been tighter.
BUT despite all that, I became very attached to these characters.
Ling Buyiâs character was absolutely fantastic. His tragic past, emotional complexity, intelligence, ruthlessness, and the way he loved Shaoshang made him such an interesting character to watch. Special mention to Leo Wu because he absolutely ATE this role. And Shaoshangâoh damn. Her character development was excellent. She was charismatic, unfiltered, mischievous, intelligent, and so unique for her era. Her relationship with Ling Buyi made sense according to the plot, although personally, I wasnât completely sold on their chemistry. I understood their relationship more than I felt it.
Shaoshangâs development was also a little sad for me because I felt like she slowly lost some of her original spark. I understood why she changed , maturity was needed and why everything she went through affected her, but I still missed that chaotic, fearless version of her from the beginning.
Zisheng was played by Leo Wu, Niaoniao by Zhao Lusi, and Yuan Shen by Li Yunruiâand honestly, these casting choices were JACKPOT. đŻ The cast was absolutely perfect.
My favourite side character was Wan Qiqi. BEST WINGWOMAN EVER. đâ¤ď¸ I loved her so much.
I also really loved the royal family. The Emperor, Empress, and Consort Yue had such an interesting dynamic. Honestly, a surprisingly good royal family with very low cortisol levels. đ The Emperor was an ABSOLUTE DIVA and I loved it. đŞ˝
The Empress and Shaoshangâs relationship was one of my favourite parts of the drama. Their time together in the palace, Shaoshang studying, making mechanisms, making wine and sweets for the Empress⌠I loved all of it. The Empress sometimes felt more like Shaoshangâs mother than her actual mother did. đĽš
Shaoshangâs relationship with her own mother was definitely love-hate for me. I understood that their equation was complicated, but sometimes her mother overcompensated for Yangyang so much that it genuinely pissed me off. At the same time, I loved how the Cheng family eventually stood up for Shaoshang. Her parents, brothers, and everyone else fought for her when it mattered. And Shaoshangâs mother really had SOME MOVES. đ đĄď¸
Some of my favourite moments were the palace scenes, Shaoshangâs mechanisms and inventions, the bridge-fall scene at the Wan residence and that whole sweet chaotic revenge, and especially the scene where Ling Buyi saved Shaoshang when she was being bullied in the palace.
And then there was THAT whole Huo family revenge arc.
When Ling Buyi took revenge for the Huo family by killing Ling Yi, Shaoshang was there, and the red-and-black clothing was so significant because the next day was supposed to be their marriage. And then Ling Buyi sacrificed himself, pushing Shaoshang above the cliff while falling down himself to save her. I LOVED that episode. đ
I also loved the second-last and last episodes, especially when Ling Buyi trusted Shaoshang enough to leave her to take care of Huo County. The final episode was genuinely satisfying. Everyone was doing somethingâthe parents were fighting for their daughter, Shaoshang was protecting the people of the village, Ling Buyi was fighting the traitors, and every member of the family had a role to play. It felt good to finally see everyone fighting for something together. Except the 3rd Prince who just stood in his armour and did nothing.
The story actually hit me quite deeply, and I canât completely explain why. There was something about these complicated, tragic characters and everything they went through that stayed with me.
I also loved how the idea of the galaxy, stars, and the world kept coming back throughout the story. Tho It was the title; the references kept revolving around the characters and their relationship, and I really liked that.
The visuals weren't really HUGE but pretty, and the CGI was actually really good. The carriage accident and the cliff scenes were especially well done. I just wish we had gotten more of General Huo Buyi fighting in the northwest because that five-year version of him was LOOKING ABSOLUTELY KILLING. đđĽ
Though I have to say, some of the survival scenes were way too impossible. Ling Buyi survived THREE major accidents that no normal man should realistically survive, and he also saved Shaoshang multiple times in situations where I was just likeâNO WAY. đ At some point, I had to stop questioning the physics of the drama. đ It became a little too extreme for me.
One detail I absolutely loved was the visual parallel between the beginning and the end. The first time Ling Buyi saw Shaoshang, she was wearing a red dress with a pink cloak, and in the last episode she wore a pink dress with a red cloak. That reversal was such a beautiful little full-circle detail. đ¸. Also the fact that the string that shaoshang used to save ling buyi,he kept it for 6 yrs ..the whole time , very heart warming!
And yes, the ending healed me. đ After all those impossible situations, misunderstandings, tragedies, separations, and villains popping up one after another, getting a HAPPY ENDING actually felt GOOD.
So overall, I enjoyed this drama much more in the latter halfâwhat many people consider the second season. The beginning tested my patience HARD, but Iâm genuinely glad I stayed.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
Would I rewatch it? Probably not. đ
Did it make me emotionally attached despite all my complaints? Absolutely.
And apparently Shaoshang is me-coded, so I guess I had to finish it. đ
7/10 âđ
Apparently she is me.
And I am her. đ
#LoveLikeTheGalaxy
Completed Love Like the Galaxyâa drama I literally started because ChatGPT told me the FL was âme-coded.â đ An illiterate, lunatic, mischievous, sucker-for-love, always-misunderstood girl⌠yep. Apparently she is me. And honestly, I am her. đ That was the first reason I started watching this drama.
The first 30 episodes were SO slow. I was genuinely bored out of my mind, especially during the first 10 episodes. For the first half, I kept wondering when something major was actually going to happen. But Iâm SO glad I didnât drop it, because somewhere along the way I became completely attached to the story even tho love story ain't my thing . If I had dropped it, I definitely would have regretted it.
I understand that the first 30 episodes were important for showing Shaoshangâs circumstances, her childhood, her family dynamics, and how she became the person she was. But I honestly donât think all of that needed 30 episodes. Almost everything major happened within the last 12 episodes. I wouldnât exactly call the ending rushed, but the happy moments definitely felt rushed while the sad moments were HUGE. The five-year separation especially felt like a tiny entry in a diary when I really wanted to see more of what happened during those years. We could actually get more of general huo buyi fighting scene in the north western border!
The plot also felt a little stretched because of the way the villains kept appearing one after another. First it was the ladies who bullied Shaoshang, then Lady Ruan, then another villain, then another misunderstanding⌠it sometimes felt like whenever one problem was solved, another villain simply popped up to replace it. There were even times when there wasnât really a villain, just misunderstandings. đ So yes, I definitely felt the story could have been tighter.
BUT despite all that, I became very attached to these characters.
Ling Buyiâs character was absolutely fantastic. His tragic past, emotional complexity, intelligence, ruthlessness, and the way he loved Shaoshang made him such an interesting character to watch. Special mention to Leo Wu because he absolutely ATE this role. And Shaoshangâoh damn. Her character development was excellent. She was charismatic, unfiltered, mischievous, intelligent, and so unique for her era. Her relationship with Ling Buyi made sense according to the plot, although personally, I wasnât completely sold on their chemistry. I understood their relationship more than I felt it.
Shaoshangâs development was also a little sad for me because I felt like she slowly lost some of her original spark. I understood why she changed , maturity was needed and why everything she went through affected her, but I still missed that chaotic, fearless version of her from the beginning.
Zisheng was played by Leo Wu, Niaoniao by Zhao Lusi, and Yuan Shen by Li Yunruiâand honestly, these casting choices were JACKPOT. đŻ The cast was absolutely perfect.
My favourite side character was Wan Qiqi. BEST WINGWOMAN EVER. đâ¤ď¸ I loved her so much.
I also really loved the royal family. The Emperor, Empress, and Consort Yue had such an interesting dynamic. Honestly, a surprisingly good royal family with very low cortisol levels. đ The Emperor was an ABSOLUTE DIVA and I loved it. đŞ˝
The Empress and Shaoshangâs relationship was one of my favourite parts of the drama. Their time together in the palace, Shaoshang studying, making mechanisms, making wine and sweets for the Empress⌠I loved all of it. The Empress sometimes felt more like Shaoshangâs mother than her actual mother did. đĽš
Shaoshangâs relationship with her own mother was definitely love-hate for me. I understood that their equation was complicated, but sometimes her mother overcompensated for Yangyang so much that it genuinely pissed me off. At the same time, I loved how the Cheng family eventually stood up for Shaoshang. Her parents, brothers, and everyone else fought for her when it mattered. And Shaoshangâs mother really had SOME MOVES. đ đĄď¸
Some of my favourite moments were the palace scenes, Shaoshangâs mechanisms and inventions, the bridge-fall scene at the Wan residence and that whole sweet chaotic revenge, and especially the scene where Ling Buyi saved Shaoshang when she was being bullied in the palace.
And then there was THAT whole Huo family revenge arc.
When Ling Buyi took revenge for the Huo family by killing Ling Yi, Shaoshang was there, and the red-and-black clothing was so significant because the next day was supposed to be their marriage. And then Ling Buyi sacrificed himself, pushing Shaoshang above the cliff while falling down himself to save her. I LOVED that episode. đ
I also loved the second-last and last episodes, especially when Ling Buyi trusted Shaoshang enough to leave her to take care of Huo County. The final episode was genuinely satisfying. Everyone was doing somethingâthe parents were fighting for their daughter, Shaoshang was protecting the people of the village, Ling Buyi was fighting the traitors, and every member of the family had a role to play. It felt good to finally see everyone fighting for something together. Except the 3rd Prince who just stood in his armour and did nothing.
The story actually hit me quite deeply, and I canât completely explain why. There was something about these complicated, tragic characters and everything they went through that stayed with me.
I also loved how the idea of the galaxy, stars, and the world kept coming back throughout the story. Tho It was the title; the references kept revolving around the characters and their relationship, and I really liked that.
The visuals weren't really HUGE but pretty, and the CGI was actually really good. The carriage accident and the cliff scenes were especially well done. I just wish we had gotten more of General Huo Buyi fighting in the northwest because that five-year version of him was LOOKING ABSOLUTELY KILLING. đđĽ
Though I have to say, some of the survival scenes were way too impossible. Ling Buyi survived THREE major accidents that no normal man should realistically survive, and he also saved Shaoshang multiple times in situations where I was just likeâNO WAY. đ At some point, I had to stop questioning the physics of the drama. đ It became a little too extreme for me.
One detail I absolutely loved was the visual parallel between the beginning and the end. The first time Ling Buyi saw Shaoshang, she was wearing a red dress with a pink cloak, and in the last episode she wore a pink dress with a red cloak. That reversal was such a beautiful little full-circle detail. đ¸. Also the fact that the string that shaoshang used to save ling buyi,he kept it for 6 yrs ..the whole time , very heart warming!
And yes, the ending healed me. đ After all those impossible situations, misunderstandings, tragedies, separations, and villains popping up one after another, getting a HAPPY ENDING actually felt GOOD.
So overall, I enjoyed this drama much more in the latter halfâwhat many people consider the second season. The beginning tested my patience HARD, but Iâm genuinely glad I stayed.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
Would I rewatch it? Probably not. đ
Did it make me emotionally attached despite all my complaints? Absolutely.
And apparently Shaoshang is me-coded, so I guess I had to finish it. đ
7/10 âđ
Apparently she is me.
And I am her. đ
#LoveLikeTheGalaxy
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