Review for Part 1 + Part 2:

When 'Love like the Galaxy' was announced, I thought it was one of the coolest Cdramaland pairings ever. I was not wrong here at all. Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei are the best possible actors for their roles in the drama.

Owing to the new rules on restriction on number of episodes for airing dramas, I thought this drama would be split randomly. However I was wrong and it does seem like two different seasons of a larger narrative.

PLOT:
I would argue that the drama is more centered on the FL rather than the supporting characters or even the ML. We literally see Niao Niao from her younger, isolated days to her journey in life. This drama reads more like a character sketch and the events that unfold are plot devices leading to the growth of the character. Of course, there's family, friends, betrayal, lessons, mistakes, love and all of that along the way. This drama is really about a modern-thinking woman trapped in the ancient patriarchal society which was an interesting perspective.

CHARACTERS:
Niao Niao was not the kind of FL I usually like. She's incredibly flawed and yet I couldn't help but root for her despite her shortcomings as I, as a viewer, knew that she isn't a bad person deep down. She was more selfish than I could count and was definitely dealing with trust issues stemming from her childhood hardships and abandonment. Her parents loved her but her relationship with them was so strained. I loved the conflicts between her and her mother but the Season 2 plot focused on other aspects.

I loved the ML owing to the amazing performance from Wu Lei. I sympathized with him and he also frustrated me like Niao Niao at times. However the bond they had with each other was lovely and very realistic.

Among the supporting characters my favourites were Niao Niao's father, her siblings, the Emperor and his wives and a few others. S2 is largely amazing owing to the Emperor whereas S1 was more fun due to Niao Niao's smart wits. Her smartness stays constant and I loved that she never wanted to be rescued by a man and instead preferred to look out for herself.

ROMANCE:
While I expected some epic romance, this is a wholesome drama and mixed with many genres. Romance is not the key focus but a somewhat important one in Niao Niao's journey to maturity and womanhood.

With whatever little Wu Lei and Lu Si had to make it work, they absolutely rocked it. They literally seem like a perfect match which I never would have imagined! Their BTS were too cute and I hope to see them reunite once more.

WHAT WORKED BEST:
-Solid writing, great cinematography and the big budget in the drama were very evident
-It's got one of the best acting I've ever witnessed by such a large cast in a Cdrama
-Amazing leads!!

WHAT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER:
-The ending : it was okay but it was the biggest flaw of the drama
-More skinship : I'm a sucker for WL-LS pairing and some more lovey-dovey moments would have been great

OVERALL:
It took me a while to finish it and I admit to skipping couple of plots but it was one of the best dramas I've watched till date and arguably the best of 2022 among all Asian dramas.