Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2 (2022)

Summary in few sentences

I cried rivers, I laughed tons. I've skipped some lengthy shots, I had my guts clench in anxiety. Overall it was so brilianty done it made me feel...

The acting was... really good, you could believe they were immersed in characters and knew them. and the music made it even more believable. Nice usage of Chinese ancient music yet epic modern when needed.

Just warning it's lengthy. If you don't have time don't start it because it's made a way that wants you to watch it all at once :)
And second warning. if you are sensitive, perceiving bring a box of tissues. I really cried a lot. Sometimes out of happiness, sometimes out of sorrow.

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The most beautiful storyline

At first when my sister suggested this show to me, i was skeptical because i’ve seen some bad chinese historical dramas so didn’t want to give it a go initially. HOWEVER, I still went on mainly due to the beautiful casts of this show. I was surprised by the first episode, didn’t know 44minutes could flew by so fast.

Storyline:
I can say that LLTG storyline is not boring at all though there are still some cringe worthy moments, but still bearable. At first, i was definitely confused by the political shits that was happening but as the episode goes on, it cleared my doubt and i can reason with Ling Buyi/Huo Wushang’s actions. Believe me, each episode is interesting as they slowly uncover all the bad deeds that it will make u curious for the next episode so 56 episodes wont be such a drag for u.

Cast:
Honestly, remarkable cast. I can’t say more because just by watching and observing all the emotions they put in, a masterpiece is born. Wu Lei was good at keeping a straight and frowny face and omg when he gets mad, it’s HOT. Rosy who portrayed as Shaoshang was so bubbly and cheerful yet she’s a woman who is not scared of bullies and instead fight for her own rights, a true definition of women empowerment. It was truly relatable when she’s also someone who keeps everything inside her heart till it was too much for her to handle therefore, burst into tears infront of her fiance. Not gonna lie, the bullies were so good at acting i legit felt like i wanna punch them. All in all, there’s no bad actor in this show and this show will surely make u cry a river.

But if there’s one thing i want it to be better; uhm kissing scenes wise i would love it if it’s not just them putting their lips together but showing a good kiss considering how much angst moments they’ve been through. Second, personally the ending was alittle underwhelming since we couldn’t see their wedding though they did say they gonna get married but i still want to see it!!! However, everyone got their own happy ever after i guess so all’s good.

I strongly recommend people to watch this show! It’s a comedy + full of angsty moments where u gotta get ur popcorn ready and be comfortable at ur own seat. Oh not to forget, the Emperor and Ah Fei were the true comedians in this show with our little Shaoshang :) i’ve found gold so let’s all be happy and watch this comedy x historical show to boost ur happiness!

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Amazing finish. Fantastic Series

Hi all, apologies for a late review, I actually have finished this quite a while ago but too many things going on.

Story: Carrying on from Season 1, this is an amazing story with plot twists and turns, its amazing how they have built the suspense of the story right up to the crucial points and just went you believe its over, guess what more comes your way. The ML/FL relationship dynamics is done really well. I would love to see ML/FL be in a modern series one day as I believe the chemistry is amazing.

Acting: Amazing chemistry all around, great acting from not just the ML/FL, everyone involved played their parts well, the villain's and other side characters played their parts amazingly.

Music: Same as season 1 no changes there

Rewatch: Absolutely without a doubt. I think I have watched this series in total approx 3 times now and some selected episodes a few more times as trying to understand the dialogue more as I rely on subs to understand what is happening. Overall a fantastic series and cannot wait for more like this in the future.

Overall: Amazing series, definitely one of the best series in 2022 by far.

Cheers,

Shing

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Just Watch It, Trust Me!

Love Like Galaxy
This series is just one hell of a masterpiece. Legit will hook you till the end. This drama made me laugh, cry, and swoon and just made me feel so much emotion. The acting and the way the plot was written are just top-notch. Shout-out to the writers, they really did a fantastic job. Also, I love the way the action scenes are executed. Like I've seen some cdramas with obvious CGI, so this one's are such a treat for my eyes. I love the good old physical action scenes with gore stuff, hehehe.

I legit never skipped an episode because there's no over the top draggy arc. I'm really fussy when I watch a series, I tend to just usually skim through some scenes if I find them redundant and draggy to the obvious point of just making the series longer. However, with this one, the love story of the main lead is perfectly written and interlaced with all the happenings of the series. There's no all of a sudden sub-plot out of nowhere. The disappearance and reappearance of characters are justified, and their thoughts that lead them to do certain actions are perfectly executed, too.

Trust me with this, all of the actors are phenomenal. They gave one hell of justice to the characters they portrayed. Aside from the chemistry with the main couple, this drama is full of chemistry with other actors, too. It showed all sorts of love like platonic, family, love for a country, friendship, and even deep passion for achieving one's goal!

Lemme just tell you my faves pair-ups:
Qiqi and Shaoshang??? Chaotic! The 2 cutie loyal bodyguards stressing about Ling Buyi's Love Life??? Cuties, but def a massive headache, too! Yuan Shen and Ling Buyi ganging up on Lou Yao??? Chef's Kiss! EMPEROR AND THE TWO EMPRESS??? Iconic! GRANDMA CHENG AND HER BETROTHAL GIFTS??? Immaculate! Emperor stressing about Ling Buyi's love life (again)??? WILL NEVER NOT BE FUNNY!

Zhao Lusi will never fail to get me to start to watch her dramas. So far, this is my 6th series of hers. (whether or not I've watched those series from beginning to end is a discussion for another time, all I can say is I've religiously watched 4 out of 6 of her series from start to end) She's just so talented and will always have a chemistry with her co-actors. With this series, Zhao Lusi yet again delivered. She perfectly executed her role of Cheng Shaoshang. The playful and cute acting of hers will never fail to give me uwu she's just genuinely adorable. I don't find her acting as an immature kid and playful character, annoying or cringy at all. And trust me when I say she can be with anyone. Her chemistry with those 3 boys is just amazing! Damn I think she can be shipped with a wall, and I'll still swoon.

Leo Wu just captured my eye with his role in this series. Fyi, I watched him for the first time with this series, and I'm hooked. (Spoilers) The way his eyes change to a complete madman when he tortured Prince Yong and Marquis Ling are just crazy and his fighting scenes damn he hottie. I got chills watching those scenes. It gave me the anti-hero/psycho man vibe, and instead of being turned off, I actually love his character more. His character as Ling Buyi is so complex and yet well-written. I love how he stayed true to himself and was still goal-driven despite the consequences. His love for Shaoshang didn't change his aspirations, and that just didn't even disappoint me for one bit, I think it's really attractive. I love a goal driven man. (Nvm, the fact that I bawled my eyes during that cliff scene)

I super love how the love story of Shaoshang and Ling Buyi was a slow burn. Well I guess more on Niao Niao part but it actually made sense given her personality and girl even had a previous fiancee (though I think it's more platonic the way it ended scarred her still.) And damn I'm whipped for a simp man aka General Ling. I just love how he's just been there since day 1 for her??? Like when he backed out when she was already betrothed but still went out of his way to give her a comfortable life like (SPOILER) when he requested the Emperor to acknowledge Shaoshang to not be looked down on by his rival's family??? Damn son I need you in my life! And when he got his chance, he immediately grabbed it and worked his way to enter Shaoshang's heart. Boi was so patient and understanding. Never once did he use the guilt tripping card on Niao Niao to earn her affection. If not for the chubby right-hand man of his, Niao Niao would never know man's sacrifices. Although he did really make a big mistake of underestimating Shaoshang's love for him. I know he doesn't want Shaoshang and her family to suffer but our girl did try her best too, to communicate that she is willing to go to hell with him no matter what and make sacrifices too.

I think the time skip was necessary since Shaoshang needs the time to grow up and discover herself. I understand her with that decision, too. Like gurl legit builds high walls to defend her heart but Ling Buyi was persistent (I ain't complain abt that)… A lot of dramas for her to finally understand how to love and trust Ling Buyi…A lot of self-realization to finally accept that being one minded with future husband doesn't mean she's restricted of freedom…She actually grew up a lot and learned so much, she listened to all the advice about love just to be left once again when she tried her best. That's just sad knowing her background and insecurities. That's legit her childhood trauma all over again. The only difference is this time. She did her best to make him stay with her and begged not to be abandoned. So yeah, all I want to say is back off haters! Those dumb ppl who hate on my poor baby girl saying her decision to break off isn't necessary. Just don't understand her character at all.

Anyways, moving on. The comedic scenes in this series are very much appreciated and are very needed since I've started episode 1. The first few episodes got me hooked cause of Shaohang antics and the drama of her family just made me howl in laughter. It well-balanced the amount of tears I've shed when I watched how the relationship between Shaoshang and her mother started. Mommy issues just never fail to make my heartache, maybe since it strikes close to home.
Cheng grandma, General Cheng, Cheng Bros, Qiqi, 15 years old mischievous Shaoshang, Concubine Yu, and of course my ult fave the Emperor just never fails to throw me into fits of laughter.

The emperor is such a mood and will never not be funny. His bickering scenes with Concubine Yue just stole the scenes every time. Massive respect, too, for Concubine Yue. She's such a badass character and in a way similar to Shaoshang, seeing an actually contented and chill Concubine is so refreshing. Anyways, back to the emperor cause he deserves a whole novel. I just want to know his reaction to our main couple all the time. He's so invested in them more than running the country, and honestly, who can blame him??? I badly love how he just overreacts to anything related to Ling Buyi, and that's just gold since Ling Buyi deserves all the love he can get. (Spoilers) Although, I have the same sentiment as the Emperor. He deserved to be there at their wedding , but him making a whole tantrum about missing it is also such a golden moment.

The only thing I kinda wish this series explored more is showing Shaoshang's intelligence and talents and how it can actually help the new Empire they're building. And of course, I NEED A DAMN SCENE OF THEM, HAPPILY MARRIED!!! I felt so robbed with that one. Like, I don't mind that there are times that I want to nudge their head to give me a cute kiss scene, but I can guess I can still live with it. But omg, they dare not to give me a grand wedding scene! Like after all those preparations, struggles, and time wasted!!!!! Emperor, please make a decree of their wedding so you and I can witness it!!!

So yeah, I guess that's all. I don't really want to occupy the whole comment section, so all I can say is watch this masterpiece and see for yourself!
Final Verdict/Rank: Beloved Series, Ultimate Favourite (Worthy to Rewatch for nth times)

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DON'T BE AFRAID... HURT ME MORE!

The second part is where things go downhill... I know Ling Buyi and Shaoshang's relationship wouldn't go as smoothly but I didn't expect their story would hurt me this much. The development of their relationship was incredibly well-written. They went step by step from getting to know each other's traits, meeting their family, solving problems, and even chasing out problem makers from the palace together.

Shaoshang's character development was one of the things I liked the most about this drama, I cried a lot watching her grow from a silly troublemaker to a virtuous lady that solves problems. Although we were driven away from our beloved characters from part one (A-yao, Shaoshang's family, Qiqi, etc), we were also introduced to the Crown Family which has diverse personalities--but the Empress and Consort Yue are two amazing characters you wouldn't able to hate! They both played a great role in Shaoshang's fate. What was quite surprising for me was how doting the Emperor was to Shaoshang. It was really unbelievable for a ruler to be that kind and supportive of someone outside the crown family, but thanks to that oddity, our Shaoshang was able to achieve most of her dreams. Honestly, there are so many good things about this drama that I couldn't mention one by one.

The drama has many positive aspects, but I also love the angst. I love Ling Buyi was the key to the twist. His background was known very well to the world but in fact, there were things that kept hidden for his own good. What I hate--but I also love--was the miscommunication between the two leads who just happened to warm up to each other. This part really drove me crazy, I was in a painful state about whether to continue the remaining episodes or not. But as the story goes on, it brought them to a brighter end. The last episode gave me shivers... it was really the best closing for this drama!!

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By far the best drama this year!

This is a must watch! Excellent excellent in every way.

The story/plot is excellent and not too tropey. The pacing is excellent! Every scene has its purpose and there are no fillers. I haven't fast forwarded even one scene. I've actually gone back to rewatch scenes if I look away to do something. I usually watch dramas in the background while doing chores but this drama is so good, I actually save it for times I can solely focus on it! Acting is excellent all around from the leads, to the supporting characters. Chemistry between Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei is off the charts! They are so compatible in acting, looks and age! Every scene they have together is special. Cinematography is excellent! This director is so good at making each shot purposeful. The music is perfectly enhances the mood of scenes without being a distraction. The characters (even the side characters) are all very well written and so many are likeable even with their flaws.

Must watch!

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Definitely the better half

OVERALL
This review is for the drama overall, though I will say a few things about part 2 specifically. In general, it's well worth the watch, though it's definitely NOT a perfect drama. Watch it if 1) you're looking for cute, PG-rated romance, 2) you like historical dramas with serious vibes but also the occasional fun scenes, 3) you want to see some adventure and political intrigue. Reconsider if 1) you're looking for a mature love story with lots of skinship, 2) you hate draggy and repetitive plot elements.

THE STORY
I honestly feel like Love Like the Galaxy has a bit of an identity crisis. It wants to be a light, fluffy idol romance, but it also wants to be a deep, heavy historical. The result? It ends up failing both and being stuck in between. The romance is okay but not swoon-worthy because the drama does not spend enough time on it so the intensity of the leads' love is unconvincing. The political intrigues and adventures are okay but not super engaging because the drama does not spend enough time on them and most of them feel random. Don't get me wrong, I binged the start of this drama and died weekly as I waited for the remaining episodes. The drama's good. But all the time, I just kind of felt like it could have been better?

The best of Love Like the Galaxy is the cinematography (mature vibes of sets and filters), the super fun and wholesome royal trio (emperor-empress-concubine), and a few attempts at breaking the mold (eg. unconventional second male leads, mother-daughter relationship growth). The main leads have depth, each with traumas to overcome, so it's also easy to like and care for them. Their love story is a slow burn, which is more realistic and totally my style. The conflicts (at least, between the leads) are also real and atypical. And in Part 2, the stakes keep on getting higher, with more danger and more adventures, which makes the plot thrilling.

But...

The drama has too many unnecessary characters and scenes. After watching it all the way to the end, there are SO many parts focusing on secondary characters that I feel could have been cut and replaced by more of the main leads together or more political intrigue (especially in Part 1). The drama also has too many parts that are essentially the same (eg. how many crazy, psychopathic women do you need in one drama? how many times is are the main leads going to struggle over the same problem?). And as if that wasn't enough, Love Like the Galaxy is FILLED with slow-mo, often for no reason haha It gets really frustrating because they could have better used their time. It's just lazy writing, really. Oh, and I also wasn't a fan of the way the romantic scenes were put together in this drama. Many turned out too cringe, it was like watching a Disney film haha

THE ACTING
I will start by saying I like Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi. I do. And now I will say that, in all honesty, I was not impressed by Leo's acting. I still like him though; he's young, he'll probably get better. With Zhao Lusi the opposite happened. I thought she was okay after seeing her in Long Ballad and Romance of Tiger and Rose, but I was surprised by how good she was with emotional scenes in Part 2. I really hope to see her in more strong and serious roles because she definitely has potential for more than the ditsy/funny roles she usually plays. Imo, Leo and Lusi did not have great chemistry together, but I think they did the job nicely. The rest of the cast was good enough, especially the older cast. Loved my royal trio!

THE MUSIC
I loved the instrumental tracks (they sometimes reminded me of Nirvana in Fire and Story of Minglan)! I just hated how cringe the BGM got whenever you had a romantic scene.

REWATCH VALUE
High. I'll rewatch for sure, but with some skipping!

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Nothing progressed from part 1

I've wrote my review for part 1 and was expecting a lot more in terms of character development in the later half but... none. We are already left with about 10 episodes or so, i wouldn't be expecting the show to have huge turns, even so it will be too late. First off, i really like ZLS as an actress, but her character as Niao Niao is beyond annoying and boring. As much as we do not see her growth in part 1, she became to more self conflicting in the 2nd part. For how much she always wanted "peace", she clearly does not bring any peace around her for the mess she created. But ofcourse with the addition of those jealous and mean princesses around to bring her down. She is also not smart enough to clear her own mess. We see ML being hero to save her from the shit hole only to get scolded by her when asked to refrain herself. Here, we see how her character self conflicted with what she wanted. I get where Niao Niao is coming from, i really get it but it's time to move on and see her grow from there, why are we still stucked at this. Moving on to romance, it's very promising to see her realise what is love but nope. Her sudden realisation that she love ML didn't make me feel anything.. it felt as though she said it just because the ML love her. Chemistry isn't great either; i choose to believe that it's their character that is playing a part not their acting. I am starting to get really bored.. and have to FF a lot, however there are still other interesting characters to watch (other than MLFL).

EDIT: i cannot believe the most development i see in this whole show is actually Lou Yao and his wife. In the first half, the show spent quite a number of episodes on Lou Yao and FL which seems to be unnecessary.. now that i finished it. It made no impact on FL or the entire story. Up till the very end, i still couldn't feel ML's character at all.

In conclusion, i was expecting a lot more from part 1 but i am disappointed to see Niao Niao still the same, and it sucks because the whole show's main focus IS Niao Niao. Even ML doesn't have as much scenes/story time as her. Honestly her role at Who Rules The World is so much better.

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I'm biased, so Imma say its basically perfect.

Everything about this drama is on another level.
Writing, cinematography, costumes, plot, acting, action, and supporting characters?!?!
It was all so enjoyable. I inhaled the show like oxygen and finished 56 episode in 4 days.
For ONCE I didn't feel as if it were dragging and would have liked it to be longer so we could get more of a "fairy tale" ending, but its still fine.

The only bad points are repetitive plot points, and the show never really making you fear that anything bad will happen? Its hard to explain but when you see how the emperor acts youll know.

Its SO refreshing! Its also strange.

This couple and story has me in a chokehold and I don't wanna leave it behind.

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Something new

This drama truly has been one of a kind. Though I have seen very good historical c-dramas before, 'Love like the Galaxy' stands out.

The direction and music score in this drama were so beautiful, it took my breath away. Both beautifully highlighted the characters and the actors portraying them, making their talent shine. I especially loved the emotionally charged scenes such as Zhisheng's revenge and the Empress last moment. It's the first time I have seen editing like that in a c-drama. It almost felt like I was watching an musical, how gracefully it all was shown.

Lusi I've always loved, while Leo's acting has gotten even more solid after I last saw him in 'The Long Ballad'. I am deeply impressed by his talent and range while portraying this character . Best actor award, I do believe he truly deserves it.
ShaoShang and Zhisheng's confessions and kiss at the end, felt like a modern wedding with personal vows. Her smiling at her parent after the kiss and the rest of the family coming out, felt like a celebration after they've officially become husband and wife. It's so heartwarming to see these two lonely children, finally being surrounded with people who love them. To me, it was a perfect ending.

I commend the director, the actors and the entire production for creating such a masterpiece. Every little detail was done absolute to perfection. Though I do have minor criticisms, this drama was perfect. I see this drama going down in the books for sure!

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Epic, phenomenal, excellent drama. ❤️ Leo Wu

The drama is phenomenal every artistes did awesome job, love the addition of some comedy scenes in the drama. I don’t know if everyone that enjoy this drama have finish or not so I’m not gonna say who is in it or what they said but the ending well before the ending those two scenes were 😁 it was really funny just writing this I’m laughing 😁. Leo Wu portrayed lingbuyi / ling zisheng Perfectly 100% ❤️ his acting skills went above and beyond even higher then his supporting role in nirvana in fire he did awesome in that role too this drama is one of my favourites is a classic to me. He surprised with this role I was scare of him a couple of times(his glare, how he kills/torture his enemies in the prison, his present for the fifth princess was …..) ( he is so cruel to his enemies, show emotions only to css, and only smiles when he is with css). I enjoy watching all the cast, zisheng’s two subordinates were a delightful to watch ah fei is funny.

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