Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2 (2022)

Cede un po' negli ultimi episodi, ma in generale magnifico

Le mie recensioni non sono mai professionali, perché non ho alcuna esperienza nel mondo dello spettacolo. Posso solo dire cosa mi piace e cosa no, e qui di cose da farmi piacere ne ho trovate tante. Tante, ma non tutte.
Premesso che si tratta di una chiacchierata per l’intero drama, senza distinguere tra prima e seconda stagione, la prima cosa che salta agli occhi è la perizia artistica del comparto tecnico. Dalle curatissime ambientazioni, ai costumi, alle acconciature, passando per le luci, le inquadrature, gli stacchi, le transizioni, la qualità dei combattimenti, le acrobazie (spesso eseguite dagli attori principali, non da stunt!), tutto grida qualità di massimo livello. Tanto di cappello al comparto tecnico/registico che ci ha regalato cotanta gioia per gli occhi.
Altrettanta, se non di più, è la gioia per l’interpretazione che il cast ha saputo dare. L’intero cast è stato splendidamente scelto e diretto, e ha recitato per la massima parte in modo mirabile, dalle comparse ai protagonisti principali. L’unico difetto che ho potuto trovare, a livello di recitazione, è stato in alcune scene di pianto a occhi asciutti. Ma anche lì, sarebbe bastato mettere due goccine prima del cambio di inquadratura, come probabilmente è stato fatto per altri, quindi è veramente colpa dell’attrice?
Zhao Lusi sta crescendo bene. La adoro e sono abituata a vederla in parti brillanti, in cui veramente eccelle, e inizialmente pareva fosse così anche qui. E invece, che attrice drammatica! E’ riuscita a consegnare alle emozioni del pubblico un personaggio complesso e contraddittorio, depresso e ribelle, affamato d’amore e orgoglioso, intelligente e ingenuo, vendicativo e affettuoso. Non dimentichiamo che ha solo 23 anni.
Ma chi veramente mi ha rubato il fiato è Leo Wu. Sono ormai lontani i tempi di Nirvana in fire, quando già interpretava Fei Liu in maniera eccellente. Per forza: questo ragazzo di soli 22 anni recita almeno da quando ne aveva 7, una filmografia impressionante già alla sua giovanissima età. E si vede, eccome! In questo drama è riuscito a esprimersi a un livello che non avrei mai potuto nemmeno immaginare, nemmeno dopo averlo amato in The long ballad. Siamo veramente oltre, le microespressioni di Leo sono qualcosa di sublime. La devozione, la furia, la disperazione, lo squilibrio che riesce ad esprimere anche solo con gli occhi sono da manuale e oltre, perché sono filtrati dalla sua personalità e dal suo mobilissimo viso. Un viso che, diciamocelo, non ha una bellezza classica, ma che proprio per questo manifesta una virilità e un fascino duraturi e profondi. Aggiungiamoci un corpo statuario e chiudiamo il cerchio. L’unico appunto che posso fare a Leo è il suo modo di camminare un po’ teso. Ma vogliamo parlare della fisicità delle sue acrobazie?
La performance degli attori, splendidamente costumata, ambientata e diretta, è ancor più accentuata da un commento musicale incredibile. Già The long ballad aveva una serie di melodie e canzoni fuori dell’ordinario, ma qui, pur senza avere Charlie Zhou Shen, troviamo tutta una serie di musiche di sottofondo che fanno a gara nel sottolineare le scene più pregnanti del drama. E ce ne sono a iosa.
Finiti gli apprezzamenti entusiastici, occorre rimarcare come Love like the galaxy sia un drama che si focalizza, almeno in parte, sul passaggio dall’infanzia all’età adulta, con la presa di coscienza del fatto che esista un mondo al di fuori della nostra personalissima percezione del nostro ego. Comprendere le motivazioni di chi ci sta di fronte è fondamentale per capire noi stessi, anche se queste motivazioni sono tenute nascoste o espresse nel modo più sbagliato.
In quest’ottica, il personaggio di Cheng Shaoshang ha bisogno di gran parte dei 56 episodi per crescere e superare i danni apportati alla sua psiche da un’infanzia in cui fu trascurata e lasciata a se stessa a crescere come un’erbaccia. E’ vero, commette spesso gli stessi errori, è orgogliosa e difficile al perdono, ma non si può mettere in relazione la sua età anagrafica (all’inizio ha 15 anni) rispetto alle sue coetanee, che sono state seguite ed educate. Poi, se vogliamo fare un confronto, buona parte di quelle signorine di buona famiglia è cresciuta molto peggio di lei. Certo, bisogna prendere come atto di fede che possa permettersi di fare il predicozzo a tutti senza mai subirne le conseguenze. E’ sempre dappertutto più del prezzemolo e, diciamocelo, il prezzemolo non sta bene proprio con tutto.
Curioso che, secondo il libro da cui è tratta la storia, Cheng Shaoshang sarebbe una ragazza moderna la cui anima viene trasportata nella protagonista quando, all’inizio, è malata/morente nella capanna lontano da casa. Gli aneliti di libertà e autodeterminazione che prova e le sue competenze tecniche sarebbero in quel caso molto più spiegabili rispetto a quello che si vede nel drama, con buona pace di tutti i commentatori misogini. Chissà perché hanno completamente cassato il lato isekai di questa storia.
Zisheng è un personaggio molto tormentato. La sua infanzia più che difficile l’ha reso una macchina da guerra e da vendetta, pur senza cancellare del tutto il suo lato romantico. L’amore per Cheng Shaoshang gli mette un po’ i bastoni fra le ruote, lo svolgersi delle vicende lo costringe a scelte quasi impossibili, per cui oltre a essere incolpato da tutti si autoflagella. Ma la sua lealtà e il suo amore sono incrollabili, un uomo veramente tutto d’un pezzo.
Chi mi ha davvero stupito è la famiglia imperiale, molto rilassata e per certi versi giocosa, rispetto a tante altre già viste in altri lavori, una famiglia in cui, contrariamente al solito, c’è amore e rispetto. Inaudito.
Sappiamo che il focus di questa produzione non sono le grandi imprese guerriere anche perché le battaglie che ci vengono presentate sono in realtà poco più di scaramucce. Ben poche volte ci viene presentato un vero esercito, molto più spesso ci si scontra fra drappelli di opposte fazioni. I combattimenti sono però molto ben coreografati. Ma ancor più bello è quello, fondamentale, che non ci mostrano: quando Zisheng parte per la tangente e si abbandona al massacro, ci viene mostrata una gran parete illuminata dietro cui ombre scure si muovono e schizzano sangue sulle finestre di carta bianca, col solo commento musicale. Da togliere il fiato.
Mi è difficile assegnare un voto a questo drama, perché l’ultima dozzina di puntate è stata piuttosto deludente. Per certi versi, si sono avvertiti pesanti tagli e salti di scene, per cui alcune cose, che sarebbe stato auspicabile vedere, ci vengono raccontate con poche parole di dialogo fra i personaggi. Ci mettono, per così dire, davanti ai fatti compiuti. D’altro canto, altre vicende e situazioni vengono trascinate fin troppo. Ci sono un paio di circostanze in cui si impreca sulla stupidità dei personaggi, situazioni pericolose facilmente evitabili, lunghissimi discorsoni di buoni e cattivi sull’orlo del baratro (sì, anche qui ci sono i soliti dirupi) e, soprattutto, l’estrema stupidità di un guerriero che rimane a guardare con le mani in mano una persona disarmata che sta per dare fuoco a tutto, assieme ad altre persone, anche loro immobili ad aspettare cosa?
D’accordo, sono i soliti risvolti “dramatici” che però, in una produzione per altri versi così grandiosamente curata, stonano e spiccano ancora di più. Aggiungiamoci che, dopo diverse scene piuttosto lente, non abbiamo neppure la grazia di vedere un matrimonio, ma ci limitiamo a sospirare tutti in fila guardando le stelle, e non si può fare a meno, come spettatori, di sentirsi un po’ ingannati. Presi in giro.
Era così anche nel libro originale? Chissà. Ma, visto che hanno cambiato così tante cose, potevano darci almeno la soddisfazione. Parere personale.

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Oltre alla storia anche la fotografia, la regia e i costumi sono da 10

Non può che essere un 10 già solo per la storia, ma anche e sopratutto per la fotografia, la regia e i costumi. Una serie storica da vedere assolutamente anche per chi come me non è appassionato di queste serie. Le ottime recensioni mi avevano convinta a vederlo e già dai primi minuti ho capito che era un livello sopra alle altre. La storia è intrigante dall'inizio alla fine (stonano solo alcuni momenti dove sono andati troppo veloci) non ci si annoia. I personaggi sia principali che secondari sono tutti interessanti e gli attori molto bravi. La storia romantica è carina e da il giusto apporto alla parte storica e di azione con qualche battaglia, insomma un mix perfetto da non perdere

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Probably best historical drama in 2022

After enjoying Who Rules The World ( first / only Cdrama to enter Netflix Top 100), I searched similar costume dramas with the same leads, and this is how I stumbled upon Love Like The Galaxy.
I believe from all I've seen, this is the best wuxia of 2022 - in a galaxy of dramas, this one shines the brightest !
Story - epic, based on the novel Splendid Stars
Cinematography - spectacular, and note that some of the images you will think are CGI are actually real ! For instance, the fire at the Lantern festival - they built the restaurant frame and burned it..
Director Fei's attention ti details of the era, from costume, to different hair style girls/ ladies, up to the small pieces placed on the floor to hold the mats - it's amazing !
Casting - perfect ! I can not say there is any actor evrn lowest support role, that does not fit the character described in the novel.
OST matching the atmosphere of the drama, has just been released on youtubd fir your listening pleasure..add ti it the flute songs played by the FL.
Acting - best performance award goes to Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi, who succeeded in portraying very complex characters. From microexressions to grand fighting scenes, from stunts performed by themselves to riding horses, they did it without fail - and they are in their early 20's !
Their characters are totally original for Cdrama - both are " damaged" from tgeir childhood and had to rely on themselves, ehich made them smart, cunning, secretive, untrustfull and revengefull. Kindness from others is always viewed with suspicion in the beginning, but their heart is in the right place, discerning right from wrong, irrespective of being family or strangers, they don't condone injustice and betrayal from anyone.
In the midst of rebellion, war, palace fights, family disasters, these two learn to trust and love each oth - their romance is slow burn, but it sets the screen on fire !
The side characters are well developed, bringing both comic relief ( in good taste) like her village grandmother and his sidekicks, tragedy and even misstreatement from her mother ( tough love?!), the array of emotions in each episode range from tears to angst, hate, frustration, pity, laugh until you tear again.
Rewatching value - 10 ! I already rewatched the first season, even changed the setting fir lower speed, because are so many magic moments I might miss while reading the subtitles.

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one of my favorite cdrama

I started to watching this because of Zhao Lusi, the amount of episode made me hesitant to watch. However i ended up loving it.

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From the beginning there's Cheng Shaoshang with her abandonment issue, her only-depend-on-myself attitude, and how she always on her wits to fight back anyone who bully her or people around her.
Her issues were believable and i could relate to her sometimes. I love that her attitude changed little by little to portray her growth.

I also noticed Shaoshang's Mom growth. She was really harsh at first and motivate Shaoshang by always comparing her to the 'perfect' cousin. Then her slowly realizing the good in her daughter.

The portrayal of the Cheng family were great.
They're mostly funny, especially the Grandma, who has downry addiction, and Shaogong, who loves to do divination.

Ling Buyi story was quite a plot twist for me, that i don't know how to explain about it without spoiling everything.

The romance started real slow, but had great build up. I really enjoy watching how litle by little their love for each other grow.
How 2 people with their own issues tried and failed to understand each other, how they got to overcome their differences. Their struggles & the damage were realistic. But they could added a bit more build up to the relationship and a bit more intimate scenes. ZLS and WL have good chemistry.

I really like Emperor Wen, it's funny how he always urge LBY to get married. There's also the lovable Empress Xuan and straightforward Consort Yue. It's my first time seeing such healthy relationship between Empress and Consort.

Side characters like, Yuan Shanjian, Lou Yao, Wan Qiqi, Qiu Fei and Qiu Qi were a good addition to the story.

For others the political side of the story could felt boring and repetitive, but for me it was easy to understand and i like it.

I can't forget the fact that the pacing in the first half were too slow. There's too many side characters that showed up, forgotten, or suddenly moved to the next stage of their lives. And the amount of wicked woman are just ridiculous.


The acting were great! Everyone did they roles perfectly.
When Ling Buyi in a bad mood he scared me out. Sometimes even when he's happy he creeps me out too. WL's acting is spot on, he did good job as LBY.
I'm used with ZLS doing funny/cute roles all the time. It surprised me seeing how good she is in the emotional scene. Also I'm really amazed with Xu Jiao, i can't believe she was the same kid in CJ7. Versatile actresses indeed.

Other thing I love is the cinematography/VFX. They indeed give a lot effort in it. It's just very screenshot worthy. I feel like i took screenshots of the scenery in every episode. However there's too many scenes were in slo-mo, probably for dramatic effects, which gets me frustrated at times. They could've cut it and use the screentime for something else.

Both intro and outro didn't include spoilers like how way cdramas usually are.
The music used were good, my favorite is the outro song and the flute instrumental.

It might be a bit of a long drama, but I'd definitely rewatching this.

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With all being said, Love Like The Galaxy is not the perfect drama. But watching the whole thing was a great journey. I couldn't count how many times i go from laughing, crying, squealing, angered, then laughing, crying again and again. This is now one of my favorite cdrama. I'm gonna miss it so much.


I'd recommend this if you like historical drama that has a lot of funny moments and slow burn romance.

✧

It's a long and full of grammatical error review, but thank you for reading (◍•ᴗ•◍)

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Birds of a feather.

The second part of Love Like the Galaxy 月升沧海 (The Moon Rises over the Ocean) is shades darker as Cheng Shaoshang struggles to open her heart and mind while Ling Buyi's secrets and inner demons are revealed. Their romance plays out in the bosom of the royal family, where Shaoshang blossoms under Empress Xuan's affection and tutelage. This subjects our golden couple to much envy and political intrigue.

Shaoshang of Part 1 is disappointingly over empathetic and likeable. Shaoshang of Part 2 is immature and frustrating to the point of being dislikeable, This is exactly how she is meant to be depicted and the portrayal I was waiting for. So I must applaud Zhao Lusi for so daringly rendering Shaoshang as a difficult, often petty, unforgiving, vengeful child woman who wallows most unbecomingly in self pity. As an unloved child, Shaoshang is terrified of love. While she tries to figure out what she wants in a partner, she puts up all kinds of walls and clings to any excuse to not allow Ling Buyi in. She is her own worst enemy, fighting happiness every step of the way. Ling Buyi's infinite patience and indulgence of her is so hot anyone else would have succumbed to raging hormones in short order. Not Shaoshang though. She knows her worth and digs in her heels to demand to be an equal partner in every sense and meaning of that term. While highly usual for a woman of that time, it resonates with modern audiences for obvious reasons.

There aren't really good villains in this drama. That is because Ling Buyi is such a chilling character that he is already as close to a villain as can be. He is a man with a secret, one whose entire raison détre is to uncover the master mind behind the Gu City massacre and to avenge the Huo clan. He did not expect to fall for anyone and certainly not Shaoshang. He meant it when he said they were on different paths. On many occasions he merely eases her way with the intent of letting her go but never quite succeeds. He loves her selflessly and indulges her worst instincts, especially her vengefulness. Hence Yuan Shen's blinding epiphany that Buyi and Shaoshang are birds of a feather. They are rebellious and vengeful eye for an eye kind of people who can't tell the difference between a chicken and a duck. They are also at surface cold, unforgiving even selfish but in truth feel deeply. I find Wu Lei's acting in Part 2 more natural and compelling. He is such a patient, warm and tender person but only for Shaoshang. This is utterly different from the cold-hearted, calculating general who is a borderline psychopathic killer to his enemies. Wu Lei's combat scenes are simply the best. The aesthetic camera angles and gorgeous choreography brilliantly captures his stunning athleticism and graphic, muscular, ferocity that is capable of mowing down an entire battalion.

For me, Empress Xuan is the true hero of this story. As much as I enjoyed Buyi and Shaoshang's journey, it is her story and that of Wen-di and Consort Yue that I find so much more complex and moving. Told with epigrammatic dark humor that dulls the edges of their pain and sacrifice, they are nonetheless imprisoned by values that are bigger than themselves. While Consort Yue lashes out with wit and acerbity, Empress Xuan suffers in dignified silence. Do not be angry with Shaoshang for finding it so difficult to forgive Buyi. Although his cause is just and the outcome serves the greater good, it cost Empress Xuan everything. Shaoshang's first unselfish, grown up act is to accompany her, to atone for what Buyi did and for how she unknowingly helped him. That is what devastates her as much as Buyi reneging on his promise to her. Buyi knows and understands this. Without Empress Xuan's forgiveness and generosity of spirit, they may not have found a way to forgive themselves and each other. Her love is truly like the galaxy in its vastness and selflessness. The galaxy owes it to her to make sure she and Wen-di do not meet again.

In terms of storytelling, very much like Part 1, Part 2 wastes too much time on too many delusional love sick women who conspire against the lovers. This comes at the cost of the storytelling. which towards the end suffers from heavy cuts and sloppy editing. As a result, characters like Lou Ben and Tian Shuo are not properly fleshed out and I did not feel that invested in either the Peng Kun or Guo Village arcs, which feel rushed. When they could have simply omitted both the Fifth Princess and Luo Ji Tong's arcs which were superfluous to the plot. It also underscores how nasty, dumb and divorced from reality the vast majority of the women in this drama are. I really do not like this type of misogynistic and cynical depiction of womenkind. Even though the ending is very satisfying, especially when it comes to the character stories, the unfolding of the plot which we waited way too long for is not well done. Considering the stunning production values, it is a shame if they do not go back and re-edit it with some of the cut footage into a Director's Cut.

All things considered, I enjoyed this beautifully written drama immensely. I find Part 2 slightly better than Part 1 and am pleased to rate the drama in its entirety and Part 2 on a standalone basis a 9.0, better than my 8.5 rating for Part 1 by itself.

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The story within the story.

I love this show for the way it’s written and shown. I believe in all the dramas I’ve seen, this is one where it really gives us thorough background of the characters so it’s a well woven story of the people in it. It’s so well acted, yes I’ll get to the leads but all the others are doing a marvelous job in their own parts. I’m specifically shouting out the elders and much appreciation to their work. The leads have a great future in their industry as I can only see their skills as getting better.

This story has everything from power struggles not just in crown but each involved families in its surroundings. I can see the well plan of details as well as story as it keeps us in all states of emotions. Yup, well balanced. I look forward to upcoming episodes but also with the foreboding notion it will come to an end. A very well written, directed, and casted production I’m thoroughly enjoying.

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Ugh

After plumbing the depths of my brain in search of a suitable word to express my “enjoyment” – or lack thereof – of this drama, ugh is all I could come up with.
Now, before I start my very long rant, a clarification is needed: this is about the second part of the drama, that is from episode 28 to 56. I thought the first was lovely and captivating, so full of promises it made the wreck that followed so much more painful to endure.

Truth be told, a few hints of puzzling directing and editing extravaganzas were given away in the earlier episodes: perhaps I should have doubted my choice when, 5 minutes into the very first episode, our dark hero is given a cloak to wear, he puts it on with whooshing grandeur, only to mount his horse the next second without it! It gave me such a delicious Doctor Strange vibe, with a flying cloak coming and going at its own accord.
Or I should have sensed looming trouble by the 5th time our hero – yes, he again – stood there like a war totem staring in the distance with fixed gaze. Please do not go micro-expressions on me: when something moved, it was clearly from the very natural and irrepressible need of the actor to blink, now and then.

That Ling Bu Yi was in fact a Marvel character under Han dynasty disguise, became more and more evident as the show progressed, what with slow motion sequences of him swirling Niao Niao around (but still staring in the distance) or appearing out of thin air with black guards in tow to save the day and the girl, not to mention surviving the most improbable wounds/falls/cataclysm etc. His acting improves in later episodes, as though he really started to feel his character, instead of just acting it which, as I’ll mention later, didn’t help the mess this plot became.

But, as I said, the story was still to unfold and held lots of promises. Then Part 2 came.
Another reviewer here said perhaps they employed 2 teams for this script and its mise-en-scène, and I second this theory. The A-team was responsible for Part 1 and a few scenes of 2 but then went on a holiday, on strike or sick-leave and left everything else in the hands of a trainee who didn’t know what to do with it.

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Niao Niao.
We spent 27 episodes learning that this poor girl has been abandoned at birth in the unfriendly arms of the silliest grandmother ever created and an avid aunt. She had to fend for herself all her 15 years of age and grew up to be unpolished but independent, cunning and extremely intelligent. So much so, that when we are repeatedly introduced with other daughters, all of them born and raised the “proper way” and all of them, invariably, bitchy – with two lonely exceptions – I couldn’t help but deduce that if you want a child to grow up well, you need to abandon her, neglect her, starve her and slap her. The authors spent so much energy at creating a galaxy of female villains, young and old, that any analysis on the family dynamics that made Part 1 so intriguing flew out of the window. Was it a way to make Niao Niao shine by contrast? If so, shame on the author, for that’s a dirty trick indeed.

At first she is the epitome of an emancipated and courageous free-thinker, which gives out the false impression this drama were a celebration of female spirit; alas, there are so many quacking, quarrelling, cruel and jealous women around her that she ends up being the odd one out, hence defeating the object. To make matters worse, Shao Sheng herself slowly grows to become irritating and eventually insufferable.
When we finally come to Niao Niao realizing she wants to marry Doctor Strange… sorry, I mean Ling Bu Yi, I did ask myself why. Why? Trumpets…. Because he saved her several times! We know it because her “epiphany” consists on a series of flashbacks all involving him swooping her in his arms like the macho he is to prevent her from being hurt or killed. And yet she clearly and repeatedly stated she didn’t want to be treated like a damsel in distress. We all know he fell in love at first… hand, but I honestly still don’t know why and when Niao Niao fell in love with him. If her motivation were escaping her mother’s overbearing disapproval, then she chose the wrong environment to move to, something her mother and even Yuan Shen tried repeatedly to make her understand, of course to no avail.

Possibly realizing the direction the show was (not) taking, the authors saw it fit to morph Miao Miao (no typo) into the most annoying know-it-all busybody in imperial China. I spent all the early to middle part of this Part 2 expecting her to pop up at every imperial council, palace banquet, chamber, garden gathering, private conversation to speak her mind on the subject and endlessly preach: and I was never disappointed, cause so she did! To further complicate my personal sense of propriety, nobody in the whole imperial court had anything to object to whatever she did or said – except of course the villains, whose sole scope of existence is to annoy Shao Shang and, by default, Super Ling. We know nothing of these villains’ story or upbringing, for all we know they too went through some sort of trauma, the same we are supposed to use to justify our main leads shortcomings. This dichotomy in treatment permeates the whole drama, depriving it of logic and ethic.

The whole palace part was a snoring fest for me, because at that point the format was repetitive and predictable. I am well aware this is fiction, but the idea that an Emperor of China spends all his waking hours, and some sleep I suppose, playing paranymph to his beloved Zisheng is ludicrous. Is he a nice character? No doubt, but isn’t he supposed to also lead a country in his free time? Doesn’t he have other children? Furthermore, everything about his grand schemes of having Shao Shang and Bu Yi “find each other” are comical, rendering the few heart-wrenching scenes bizarre and filled with shall I laugh or cry dilemma. He basically ruins the party by being the party’s buffoon.

And what happened to the pace? I distinctly remember often having a hard time following the subs in part one, so fast they were. Once in the Palace, dialogues became sooooo slow, at times they uttered one word a minute. The whole Empress arc was kind of painful to watch and tedious to read, and I breathed in relief whenever the Consort come into the picture. My watching became a series of: “here we go again!”, “let’s ff this”, “please come to the point”, “you already said that” and, of course, “ugh”.

The love story is the one which paid the highest price in all this, because it too became repetitive, lacklustre and now and then saccharine. How many times can we have these two standing there gazing in each other’s eyes? How many combinations of words can be used to say the same thing?
him - Trust me, I don’t want to control you
her – Don’t patronize me. I am who I am
me – Give me my 40+ hours back
It was incredibly anti-climactic from some beautiful scenes they gifted us with in Part 1. They had a deeper chemistry when they were separated than when they were together, like two positive poles that repel one another. Even their touches, kisses included, looked forced.

Then, suddenly the drama takes a U-turn and becomes gory, melo-tragic, messed up and slightly disturbing. Everyone talks about death, litres of blood are shed and the moral compass becomes so blurred I couldn’t empathize with any of the character. In fact, I started loathing them, mostly our main leads, who at this point I’ll call Brangelina, or Mr and Mrs Smith. “Let’s go save the galaxy, my love, but before that let us bite our arms and do some amusing slaying, just as long as we do it together!” Ling Bu Yi shows his true colours, and they aren’t the shades I like at all. It didn’t help that we have Miao Miao go from “I need no man” to “I can’t live without this man” passing by “You’re all bitches because you don’t respect your men” and other equally contradictory and preposterous statements.

The acting changed too in this Part 2. I’ve already mentioned Leo Wu’s improvement; ironically, his better acting came in pair with Zhao Lu Si losing spark and believability. She was marvellous as a rebel teenager, well blending insecurity and stubbornness; not so as a woman crazily in love. He aced the besotted glance, while she just looked at him as though she was reading a recipe in slow motion – granted, we were told she was a prodigy at everything except reading. I don’t even know what the heck she expected of this guy, at some point I thought she was more blood-thirsty than him and was miffed because he didn’t invite her to the murder fest. Her idea of being equal to her man consisted of becoming LIKE him and do everything together, even those things she had no knowledge, training or experience of. Equally important does not mean being the same. To put it simply, I never bought their galactic love, neither in words, nor in deeds or stance. By the end I felt something akin to aversion for them, both as individuals as well as a pair.

Re-watch? Thank you, but no thank you. The highlights of the drama to me were Shao Shang’s mother, the Emperor’s Consort and the Cheng family as a whole. I would gladly watch a spin off solely focused on them and a love story between Yuan Shen and whomever – except Miao Miao, obviously, who by now will be busy creating an efficient torture device for her deranged man to use.

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Love Among the Vast Galaxy of Stars

Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2, or Yue Sheng Cang Hai (月升沧海), is the continuation of the first part of the drama, Xing Han Can Lan (星汉灿烂), with a bit more of a political twist to it. The titles of these two parts are simply gorgeous, as they relate to the shining stars and vast waters of the sea. To be completely honest, I did not even plan to watch Love Like the Galaxy, not expecting the plot to be so gripping, the character development to be so well-rounded. With many veteran actors in this drama, the characters were brought to life, with bright smiles as well as tears to be shed.

“If the husband is the sun that brightens the road for thousands of Li way, then the wife would be the star, the brilliant galaxy. The sun, the moon and the galaxy neither is superior or inferior, they’re indispensable. We can only create a world by coexisting."

STORY- 8.5
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While the first part of the drama was focused on Cheng Shaoshang’s journey of getting to know her family members, the second part also highlights Ling Buyi’s path to seeking revenge, with bits of political strife among officials as well. One could perhaps use the term “Star-crossed lovers” on Cheng Shaoshang and Ling Buyi. Although loving and caring towards one another, it was clear that the two did not truly come to understand each other fully in Part 1 of the drama, and Part 2 witnesses the two gaining the full trust of each other and walking towards the frontlines as a duo, and not one person trying to protect the other.

Again, I write that the second part does include more political scenes, which do affect the couple’s relationship. The audience also learns more about Ling Buyi’s past and the path he has decided to take for the future. Being the sole living descendant of the Huo Family other than his mother, he is forced to choose who to protect. Both Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang grew up with minimal love, learning that they had only themselves to rely on. This caused both of them to grow up to become strong-willed people who were determined to do whatever their heart was set on. This, however, also meant that it took much longer for both of them to start trusting other people, and their frustrating stubbornness sometimes caused what you could call unnecessary arguments. The drama undoubtedly has some of the most heartbreaking scenes that were filmed in the most beautiful way, prompting the audience to rewatch specific scenes over and over again.

If you’ve already watched the first part, you probably won’t be able to list many common drama tropes that show up in Love Like the Galaxy, because simply, the director was smart enough to avoid these annoying tropes. No second lead causing unnecessary misunderstandings, no close friend turning evil, and even no fighting in the emperor’s harem. The relationship between Empress Xuan and Consort Yue is so pure and loving. Even if the two did not have many direct interactions, their dialogues are one of the most heart-warming scenes in this drama. Xuan Shen An lived a life of longing, longing for true love, longing for a life without high authoritative power. Unlike other empresses, she isn’t a haughty, all-above woman. Instead, she only hopes for her children to live a happy and free-spirited life, unlike her, bound inside the imperial palace, knowing that Emperor Wen loved another, Consort Yue. But even so, this didn’t hurt the two women’s strong relationship. They treated each other as true sisters, with no scheming and hatred.

The last few episodes were a bit of a drag, with the precedented time skip, but the separation was executed strongly, even with just actions and no dialogue. The last arc, which was about Shaoshang and Zisheng getting back together, was edited a bit messily, putting some more focus on unprecedented side characters. Apparently, 10 episodes were edited out of the series, resulting in the rushness. This was a bit unfortunate as the audience wasn't looking forward to the multiple Ling Buyi-Comes-to-Shaoshang's-Rescue-Again scenes as much as the scenes that focused on the couple's relationship, which was overshadowed by schemes and headstrog leads.

However, even with the numerous tense scenes in Part 2, some comedic scenes were added here and there for bits of laughter. Emperor Wen wins Funniest Man in a Historical Cdrama, no joke. He cared for Ling Buyi as if he was his own son, and was probably the couple’s best matchmaker. It was beautiful how the emperor and his two wives stood up for Zisheng and Shaoshang, as if they were their own children. Empress Xuan was Shaoshang’s quiet resort, her paradise.

CAST - 10
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Again, LLTG is filled with experienced actors, many well-acclaimed in mainland China. The eye candy is a plus, but the emotional expressions on every single one of the actors’ faces were astonishing. Each tear fell at the perfect time, each smile crooked at an angle. Leo Wu’s face was truly terrifying at times, showing the revenge he had to take, his hatred toward those that killed his uncle and the rest of the Huo Family. Zhao Lusi’s Cheng Shaoshang started off as a hyper and chirpy girl, and if you’ve watched a few of her other dramas, is a role that she shines in. However, this girl became a quiet and virtuous young woman as time grew by, and Zhao Lusi brought this time and the experiences that Shaoshang faced to life.

Rather than saying the character development was the most amazing, the development between character relationships was even more phenomenal. More than half of the Part 1 of LLTG had a Xiao Yuanyi that the audience strongly disliked. She was portrayed as a heartless mother who only knew of military punishment, and frankly, this description is not very wrong. However, her estranged relationship with her daughter slowly thawed as she started to show love and care physically, and not just inside of herself. Xiao Yuanyi slowly learned what it meant to have a daughter, and how to truly care for her. This is only one detail of the strong Cheng Family. There is not a single person in the family that does not care for Shaoshang’s well-being, and her parents, siblings, cousin, and even grandmother were always ready to step in front of her, to protect her. In the direst times, even the shy Yang Yang looked the opposing official in the eye, ready to fight.

No team of actors could have executed each scene as intricately as this team did. The audience could feel the heartwrenching pain, not only for the leads but for the supporting characters as well. Each supporting character had their own story, no matter loving or evil. With lovable characters came jealous figures and power-hungry villains.

PRODUCTION- 10
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Although not a formal MDL review category, LLTG’s production is worth mentioning. Each scene is set at a thought-provoking angle, from the bird-eye view of a lone carriage among the grand walls of the palace to the ancient curtains that basked in gentle candlelight. Even the opening to each episode showed figurine scenes of the drama, instrumental and mysterious. As simple as the costumes seemed at first, clothing colors were chosen with care, ranging from mahogany reds to soft cerulean blues. The earrings were studded with one of two beads that highlighted the beauty of the actresses’ faces. The hairstylist also did a good job of putting the long hairs up in a regal way, but also with a simple air to them. The costumes seemed much simpler than in other dramas at first, but the gentle patterns and colors were unique to every character. Although it is important to ask if Wang Ling was wearing the same purple dress the whole time. Perhaps it would of been better to give the supporting characters some wardrobe changes as well.

Another point was the terms in this drama, which I’ve never heard in other historical dramas due to different time periods. Instead of Jie Jie (姐姐), for example, older sister was called A’Zi (阿姊), and mother and father were called A’Mu and A’Fu, different from other traditional callings such as the much more common Mu Qing (母亲) and Fu Qing (父亲).

MUSIC - 9.0
LLTG has three sung OSTs (two of them were special to the two parts), as well as a few theme songs played with traditional Chinese instruments for a few characters. The OSTs were sung with emotion and feeling, prompting the listener to close their eyes and enjoy the tender melodies. As beautiful as they were, it would have been to have a few more supplemental OSTs to enhance the drama atmosphere.

The OSTs are a beautiful treat, though:
Love Like the Galaxy (星汉灿烂) - Sung by Shan Yi Chun
Song of Strings (弦歌) - Sung by Ayanga
Sigh of Starry River (星河叹) - Isabelle Huang

Overall, Part 2 has nicely wrapped up the historical series, with a gripping plot and lovable characters, both leading and supporting. Character relationship in Love Like the Galaxy is one of the most precious and unique parts of the drama, showing every kind of love, and not just romantic. Through interactions and experiences, Cheng Shaoshang has finally come to accept her position in the world, and Ling Buyi has come to trust Shaoshang as not just the person he loves, but as her own separate person.

“I know it’s her with just one glance, it’ll be her this lifetime, this century.”

Leggi di Più

Uneven pacing, rushed story, and a fizzled out romance really disappointed me

SPOILERS....



Overall, I was very disappointed with part 2: They had some amazing scenes: Pretty much all of the emperor, empress, consort Yue, and 3rd prince scenes were awesome!

I also loved the arc where CSS, YSJ, and 3rd prince team up to help exonerate LBY. Those episodes were amazing and the FL was consistently smart again during this period. I remember saying to my sister, "we're back with part 1 FL and why couldn't she have been more like this for the entirety of part 2?"

But the arcs after this were almost all terribly rushed and edited. The Lou Ben arc in particular was a complete disaster! Probably the worst edited scenes in this entire drama...the events just happened because the writers said so. More attention and care to the script was needed to come up with a reasonable explanation for why Lou Ben acted in that manner. Someone of his talents and patience wouldn't have committed those acts without something happening that's life threatening to his loved ones. And if he had this dark/twisted/"ambition over everything" side, the drama should have revealed it to us.

And don't even get me started with the most retarded scene of all: The LJT carriage scene where CSS, despite not trusting her, still rides with her alone and ends up almost killed had LBY not come to her rescue. That scene was horrendously written and it makes CSS seem extremely dumb since she clearly doesn't trust LJT, yet chooses to be alone with her anyway without any protection. Like, huh? I thought LBY taught you some moves and if you're unable to even handle a physically weak female, how were you able to lead soldiers and protect villages? Again, this scene was nothing more than a cheap way to make LBY look heroic and to hasten CSS's eventual forgiveness.

Which leads me to the other retarded scene where CSS repeats her mistake: Despite being suspicious of Lou Li (Lou Yao's stupid cousin) and having never gotten along with her, she chooses to go with her alone anyway without any guards (she could have taken any of the dozens that were behind her). Why do the drama creators constantly have the FL purposely placing herself in danger when she had no reason to do so? Why does she constantly go off to dangerous places alone despite knowing she lacks martial arts skills? And what was the point of her previously asking LBY to teach her self defense skills if she never intends on using them in crucial situations?

Not only that, shortly after arriving at the Lou residence, she's constantly eyeing Lou Li with suspicion and wouldn't even drink the soup laced with poison. Yet she still does nothing but roll with whatever Lou Li wants, ending up trapped with YSS and ZJ. The idea that a braindead girl like Lou Li could have successfully lured one of the smartest drama FLs is so laughable and ridiculous -we have truly hit the bottom of the barrel.

If the director needed to get the FL into the trap to continue the story, he could have done so without sacrificing all her brain cells. Seriously, the FL's character in the later episodes of part 2 was so inconsistent, constantly vacillating between brilliance and retardation, that it gave me whiplash. The drama successfully turned her into a walking plot device, being whatever the plot point demands her to be.

The subsequent underground reveal was also rushed: I tried to hold back my laughter when LBY just came leaping down when the last time we saw him, he was still outside and didn't even mention the Lou residence. It's like entire scenes were skipped just to get to the showdowns more quickly.

I also really hated using LBY's near death to force CSS into finally forgiving him: It was done really badly and felt cheap. The drama writers fit his whole regretful speech and near death experience all in one rushed scene to reconcile the leads. I felt nothing as I couldn't even take his near death seriously: LBY was able to take down dozens of guards with only a few followers, yet couldn't even handle a frail woman holding onto his leg? He does nothing to shake her off and only stares up at CSS, waiting to die and see her reaction. It seems the drama creators wanted to make that scene touching, but instead, it felt so unbelievable and laughable. Once again, horrible writing and execution.

The drama writers pretty much went with my worst nightmare: Using lame near-death experiences as a shortcut to speed up the leads' reconciliation. This is pretty much the least satisfying and cheapest way to force a forgiveness in any romance. And it's definitely not enough for our leads' specific situation: LBY abandons CSS when she's already a character with trust issues due to being abandoned by her parents for 10+ years. This is not something she can get over after two near death situations (not to mention they're two of the worst written/executed scenes in the drama).

Overall, the pacing in part 2 was uneven (certain scenes stretched too long while others were too short) and certain arcs like Lou Ben, Cheng family calamity, and the last few episodes all felt rushed and sloppily written. It's like the drama creators ran out of time and decided to just give us all the payoffs without the proper setups, which effectively made everything feel unearned.

I also hated all the whitewashing: No way would grandmother Cheng ever say that she'll save all her treasures to use on CSS (completely out of character). The mother trying to reconcile with CSS also felt forced and shoehorned in just because the writers wanted to tie everything up with a neat bow. If the writers intended on making everyone regret their actions, they would have had to put in a lot more character work and heartfelt interactions to make it convincing. But what we ended up getting felt completely half baked and unbelievable.

Yet, even with all the writing inconsistencies and uneven pacing, I still could have been satisfied had the drama creators continued to deliver on the romance.

Unfortunately, the romance later on was too passive and subdued for me, kind of boring. After five years, I wanted to see LBY really fight to get his girl back, but instead, he stayed too passive and never lost control. That's just not exciting nor is it true to his character.

He's somebody who lost his whole clan as a kid and found it extremely hard to connect/fall in love with anyone. Thus, once he finally found the love of his life, he tends to be extremely possessive and protective. No way would he remain this subdued after five years of being without his girl.

In the novel, as soon as he's anywhere near the FL, he loses control and would end up going after her. That's the LBY I know and love. Not this passive guy that's content to never make a move unless she wants him to...LBY was never the type of guy to watch from afar and keep waiting. He could delude himself into thinking he'd be able to "do the right thing" by letting CSS go only if she's not in his vicinity. But as soon as she comes into his sight, all hell would break lose and he won't be able to stay away from her. Such is CSS's effect on him.

Now, that version of LBY would have been really exciting to watch: Somebody who's very human and unable to contain himself after being starved of CSS for 5 long years. No way would he be as controlled as he was in the drama. Come on drama creators, where's the passion and desperation?!! Where's the emotional catharsis?!!!

The fighting/clawing and emotional groveling scenes from the book where LBY pleads with CSS to not be so cruel to him would have stimulated the romance like nothing else. It also would have given the actors more to work with and we could have gotten some truly emotional/angsty scenes from them, making full use of their chemistry! I wanted to see WL and ZLS go all out with their acting.

Instead, the drama creators made all their subsequent interactions too tame/subdued, effectively devoid of any tension. The romance simply fizzled out completely for me by the end. I couldn't believe how bored and checked out I was in their final scene together (felt long and stretched out too).

That last sequence showcasing everyone all happy/giddy felt more like fanservice and it just kept on meandering. I could have used another follow-up scene of the 3rd prince and LBY after their touching battle scenes.

In closing, I felt part 1 was much stronger than part 2 in terms of storytelling and quality of script. Even though the love story wasn't heavily underway and there were less intense plot points, the actual slice of life story presented was much better told. Other than a few minor quibbles (FL mother's repetitive criticisms, some unreasonable amplifying of bitch drama, and the FL's love revelation), I found the overall pacing and storytelling of part 1 to be pretty even and smooth. There weren't any arcs and story events I found to be sloppily executed or confusing. The FL's characterization was also much more consistent, unlike part 2, where she's smart one moment and foolish/sloppy the next. Altogether, much more care was taken when filming and writing part 1.

I'll still give the overall drama an 8.5/10 (very generous rating mainly due to my HUGE bias) due to the storytelling in part 1, our favorite royal trio/3rd prince esp. in part 2, the intense LBY trial in part 2, and how invested I became by its world and characters. I also loved the initial tension and buildup of the leads' romance up until the manor massacre.

Leggi di Più

Perfect combination of script, director, and actors - Comprehensive ongoing review

Well ... I am not going to say that I wasn't disappointed with the ending. I was hoping for a wedding. However, it ended like a Disney movie without any surprise.
I also felt disappointed that the last 6 episodes spent too much time on a repetitive theme: revenge. First, CSS was kidnapped by an obsessed woman. Then the revenge again with Yao's sister-in-law.
I also felt disappointed with the way YS went out without any emotional scene from the book.

In any case, the director did well in most of the parts but the ending could have been a little better.

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Once in a while, Chinese drama delivers a high-quality production with some artful direction, entertaining script/humor, and solid acting.
The 2nd part of the drama is about how the romance between LBY and CSS will develop to a climax: they will separate and reunite after 5 years. Questions that will be answered: Why do they break up? Why does she become engaged to a YS? Will she forgive him? If so, why?
While the first part of the drama is lighthearted, the second part will propel the characters to new heights: deeper love, revenge, separation, and redemption. It will be an entertaining ride. I hope the script will not deviate so much from the novel.

DIRECTOR:
The director of this drama is probably one of the best. He delivers high-quality cinematography and shows the interaction between the characters to create an entertaining drama. This drama is basically family oriented. It's difficult to make it entertaining. But it delivers!

SCRIPT:
The script is almost better than the novel. There are a few changes but overall the changes are for the better. Comic relief moments are appropriately inserted.

CHEMISTRY:
All the MLs have chemistry with ZLS. The looks (eyes) between them and her show how much they like her. This drama would not have been what it is without ZLS. She carries the show, acting like 15 years old girl convincingly.

ENDING:
Happy Ending in the Novel. They didn't get married only talked about it in the epilogue. No actual ceremony. Let's hope the drama will script it in.

EPISODE REVIEW:
49- CSS raced to be with LBY despite his not telling her the truth. She confronts him. He has to take revenge before he marries otherwise he would implicate her family.
48- LBY revealed his identity to his enemy and killed his "father" who is really his uncle. He swapped identity with his cousin.
47 - LBY's mom died
41-42 episodes mark the beginning of the revenge arc.
41 has a lot of romance. LBY volunteered to go to battle against a defector. CSS makes outfits for him.
42 while LBY & CCS's father heads out to battle, CSS's father was accused of treason. The whole family is imprisoned while waiting for the case to be solved.

39-40 The murder case of the Crown Prince's ex-fiance's husband...

37-38 The Queen's birthday banquet

35-36
Mostly, these episodes continued the romance and added more intensity to the conflict between the 5th Princess and CSS. It's a peaceful time during which CSS planned the banquet for the Empress and showcased her talent. Because of the banquet, her family misses her. LBY came to bring her belongings to the Palace so she won't become homesick.
These episodes show a gradual progression of their relationship after the engagement party.

33-34
These 2 episodes are more balanced in terms of Palace drama and romance. So much happened in ep 34: the first kiss, the engagement party, the abolishment of 2 scheming ladies (the king's aunt and the stepmom).
Moments I especially loved:
1) the humor in ep 34 ... so funny and gratifying to finally see the bad people being effectively dealt with
2) the cinematography: the camera looks directly down at CSS's face as she thought about CSS while discussing her feelings with her friends in 33, the heads of the empress and the aunt as they confront each other, and the men waiting around as spectators while the women came up with the solution.
3) a fresh take on Palace drama: both the empress and the consort work together to maintain harmony. You always see the opposite case because it's more dramatic. Here, it's just as dramatic ... and funny at the same time.


31-32
Not too many romantic moments here. These two episodes develop the characterizations and conflicts of the main players in the palace: the polarization of the two personalities of the 3rd prince vs. the Crown Prince, who doesn't have the personality to be in politics or rule the country. He is too soft-hearted.
The episodes also show the lovers in conflict: LBY doesn't tell CSS all the details so CSS doesn't know any politics in the palace; she blindly follows her independent thinking as she often did except now the stakes are much higher.
The Palace drama is slowly heading toward more and more conflicts to a resolution that necessitates the removal of the Crown Prince. The good thing is there are no absolute bad people: one prince is more suitable for ruling the country. The other is just as happy to not be a King!

29-30
I normally don't like Palace drama because it's full of cliches and catfights. There is some of that here. But the difference is that it is seen through the eyes of a 15-years-old girl who has no power to intervene, and yet she did. She herself will navigate this perilous journey through the palace life and triumph. Here she will learn to adapt and distinguish between good and evil. What makes these palace drama stories different is that they are not ridiculous caricatures! The evil people are curbed appropriately. The royal parents don't allow their kids to go wild: they punish them.

In these 2 episodes, we saw the difference between Consort Yue and the Empress: the former is strong and decisive while the latter has a soft heart. Likewise, the difference between their sons: the Crown Prince, who caters to useless people to keep the peace, while the Third Prince, who like his mom, speaks out.

Romantic scenes:
1) the stars in the sky and CSS is the brightest star of them all in LBY's eyes.
2) the first innocent kiss on the forehead and she felt giddy
3) CSS is starting to feel loyalty and love for her fiance

28
Love doesn't conquer all ... Adjustments and compromises are required. I find this scenario to be very realistic. Romantic love is balanced with conflicts and character development. I like how smoothly the script transitions the story to the Palace.

Leggi di Più

Best historical C-drama in 2022

This is so far the best historical drama that I watched (repeatedly hahaha). I love both the main leads. Zhao Lu Si as beautiful and clever Cheng Shao Sang really bring the story life and close to our heart. This girl show how powerful and independent a woman can be eventhough raised in difficult situation during war time. Being pulled in to the royals power struggling by her beloved one The Charismatic and Powerful General Ling Bu Yi played by Leo Wu, Our little cute heroine show bravery, integrity and we can see how her character develop during the series.

I need to give my big applause also to Leo Wu (Wu Lei) who portray General Ling Bu Yi. Not just handsome, his acting is superb. If you see how clear his facial expressions portraying how General Ling Bu Yi felt in each episodes, his 110% effort in the fighting scenes, this prove Leo Wu is an A class actor in such a young age. General Ling Bu Yi who have conflicted heart between love and revenge, this character I think will always be a legend in C-Drama until many years to come.

Standing ovation also for Director Fei who have succesfully direct this wonderful drama. Romance, Family Issues, Betrayal, Royals Feud, and Wars are all nicely wrapped in smooth story telling and beautiful scenes. Selection of the casts is also superb, each casts really played well like melodius ensemble that compliment each others. This is the first long drama (56 episodes) that I watch continously without skipping ! And I even repeat again some episodes to appreciate the dialog.

Watching this drama starting my shallow obsession to watch C Drama again 😁hahaha… . I am now a confirmed fans of Zhao Lu Si 💜. All of her drama are already kept in my play list.. Plus I ship this WULU CP 💜💚 so hard ! I would love to see them again together in the next drama. 💚💜

Leggi di Più

Phenomenal! Zhao Lusi & Wu Lei Rock!

月升沧海 (Love Like the Galaxy Part 2) is the continuation of 星汉灿烂 (Love Like the Galaxy Part 1). Therefore, viewers must watch Part 1 first before watching this Part 2. Adapted from a novel, the background is set in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD) during the reign of Emperor Guangwu (r. 25–57 AD) (this is not explicitly stated, and the names have been altered). Like Emperor Guangwu, the Emperor in this story is also a founding emperor who does not kill and is benevolent to his subjects. Some of the events taken place in the royal palace are written based on the actual historical events, and many of the characters are based on actual historical figures.

My review here combines Part 1 and Part 2, giving my verdict for the overall drama.

In the novel, a girl time-travels back to ancient time and into Ling Shaoshang’s body. After 23 chapters later, then only Ling Buyi appears. In the drama version, Ling Buyi aka Ling Zhisheng (Wu Lei) appears in the opening scene of the first episode. According to readers, the story is beautiful but extremely slow burning. I can see that in the drama: for the first 25 episodes of Part 1, the main couple is still at odds with each other though Ling Buyi has already fallen head over heels in love with Cheng Shaoshang aka Niao Niao (Zhao Lusi) because she is so different from all the girls he knows.

Ling Buyi, a dark character with a secretive background and few words, is cold and expressionless. Inside, he is full of anger and vengeance, seeking justice against those who had caused the death of the entire population, including his family, of a city he used to live in. He was adopted by the Emperor and treated like a prince. As a fearsome warrior and a powerful general that everyone respects and fears, he is the most eligible bachelor every girl in town covets, but his eyes on none as he despises those pretentious, bitchy, bratty, and unlikable girls, until he meets Cheng Shaoshang.

Wu Lei grows rapidly from the adolescent in Nirvana in Fire to a man with chiseled good look. His acting skills have also improved markedly by the years and in dramas he acts. Here as the 21 years old Ling Buyi, Wu Lei fits into the description of the character near perfection. Though at times he looks a bit stiff trying to walk like a commanding general, his subtle facial expressions are done very convincingly especially when he transforms from a cold character to a soft and caring character while gazing into his love. He looks emotionless but when he turns to look at her, his face softens, his eyes exude love and care. Despite being a military man, he’s gentle, caring and attends to details. It’s really hilarious to see how a formidable general who would find excuses so that he could stay close to the one he loves in secret. Wu Lei is spot on. I have thoroughly enjoyed all his scenes and wanted more.

Cheng Shaoshang is an unconventional girl. Left to fend for herself since she was born, she becomes very strong and fearless. She has a sharp tongue and is quick witted. She would hit back whenever she is being hit. Her motto is “an eye for an eye”. I love this character to bits, probably because deep inside me, I wish I could live as such a character, punching back whenever being punched, with no regrets nor fears; I have always taken such characters as my role model, to the horrors of many.

For me, this is probably Zhao Lusi’s best acting thus far as the 15-year-old Cheng Shaoshang. Her mischievous behavior to take revenge against whoever wrongs her is fun to watch and satisfying. Her rebuttals and unforgiving tongue make the viewers love her and so does Ling Buyi. I love Zhao Lusi’s innocent look, the huffs and puffs she makes when she clumsily climbs onto the horse or up the ladder over the wall, and her sweet smile beams like a blooming flower. Zhao Lusi is simply amazing, and her acting skills have improved leaps and bounds since the first time I watched her.

The writers have brilliantly brought out the personalities of the Empress and the Consort through their conversations with the Emperor, contrasting their characters, setting the stage for eventual development. Consort Yue is upstanding and badass, and denounces even her own children if they don’t get in line, whereas the Empress is soft-hearted and forgiving, even to those undeserving ones, which are depicted vividly in the actions of her own son, the Crown Prince, who is said to take after her.

My Verdict

Not having read the novel when I first watched the trailer, I thought this was a slapstick comedy and another Zhao Lusi’s rom-com. But as I watch the drama, these outrageously funny scenes appropriately fit into the overall story; they are genuinely hilarious and intriguing. I have re-watched those scenes multiple times and each time, I still laugh out loud and relish every moment. Though very comedic and funny, the plot is dark and bloody.

This is a very slow burning story. Despite so, it is not boring as it captures all the details of the events with lighthearted dialogues (most very funny, cute and unexpected), in-depth development of each character, and an appropriate pace in unfolding of the plot. Every action taken by the characters has a purpose that leads to the final consequences. So, nothing is redundant.

The writer has a great sense of humor in telling the story and resolving the conflicts. Insanely exaggerated, all the characters are realistically written. This is perhaps the first drama I watch with so many shameless characters. Grannies and young girls alike, simply throw themselves on the ground to demand their wants like some bratty kids. Greed, selfishness, hatred, indifference, cowardice and evil versus generosity, selflessness, love, compassion, valor and good are all vividly depicted in every character, and their ultimate outcome. With the bad ones being horribly bad, it is satisfying to see their eventual endings and lessons learned.

This drama gives us some of the greatest official sound tracks. The tune, Sigh of the Galaxy (星河叹) (Cheng Shaoshang character song), played by Cheng Shaoshang on the flute is one of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard. It sounds melancholy when she is sad, and it sounds serene when she is out in the beautiful countryside. The other orchestral pieces and songs are equally well composed and performed to greatly enhance the mood of the story.

With Zhao Lusi around, the fun never ends! For romance buffs, this is a must-watch. The chemistry between Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei is simply the best of all the romantic couples I've seen. Unlike most lazy writing with endings where everyone dies, this drama let the bad characters die a slow death, and reward the good guys. Having said that, many of the details have not been properly explained, and towards the later part, many scenes are choppy. This is most likely due to the later editing, trying to fit in the approved length (some say about 10 episodes have been taken out). All in all, the first part (ie. Part 1) is full of details and super slow moving, and the second part (ie. Part 2) is action packed and faster pace. Though it has its flaws, this is still a better drama than many. As of the writing of this review and the drama still airing, it has garnered over 5 billions views already. Everyone seems to be talking about the drama because it is so absorbing.

Brilliant storytelling, great acting, excellent camera work and directing. This is a worthwhile watch, definitely a TWO THUMBS UP!

BRAVO!

Leggi di Più