Love Like The Galaxy is the tale of two scarred people.

Chen Shao Shang was left behind as infant by her general parents and was subsequently mistreated by her aunt and grandmother. As for Ling Buyi, he's the nephew of the late and famed hero General Huo, and was brought up by his mentally ill mother.

While CSS is criticised by all for being unladylike, scheming and uneducated ; LBY is the most sought-after bachelor of the capital because of his achievements in the army and his close and intimate relationship with the ruling emperor.



THE STORY

I had previously watched and loved The Story of Ming Lan which was penned by the same author for several reasons: first, because it was an epic (and ironically, realistic) love and family story within a typical Song household; and second, because it was the right mix of slice-of-life, romance and political themes in an historical drama. Well, in Love Like The Galaxy, it was once again the perfect balance between these different genres. One could easily sense it was the work of the same author but each of those stories still holds their own essence.

It was a well-woven tale in which we saw the characters grow and change over time.

It was all magnified by the work of the director who gave us great visuals. It was grand when it needed to be, poetic when it needed to be and melancholic when it needed to be.
Additionally, the fight scenes were so well choreographed and filmed that it reinforced the fact that LBY was the capable and gifted general we were told he was ; CSS was so magnificent in her various attires that we understood why she said to be this great beauty.

On the characters now.

THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR DYNAMICS

CSS reminded me of Antigone who is someone wants everything in full without compromising on anything. In Jean Anouilh's play, Antigone tells her uncle something like this "I want everything, now and in full, otherwise I'll forsake it" [approximative translation]

CSS is someone who is convinced her life is cursed. She wants to live her life on her own terms, unrestrained and without compromising on anything.

Despite her being uneducated, she's smart and mature because of the life she was made to live due to her aunt's mistreatment.

I love smart characters especially when we witness how smart and wise they are by their actions and thought process. And in regards to CSS, I have to admit that I just loved how vindictive she was and how she always gave it back.

As for LBY, I must say that I was enamored with his character from the get go because I love powerful and smart male leads. But in his case, I also loved how we were shown his dark side at times. It was an aspect of his personality everyone was aware of and which gained him the reputation of being a sinister and ruthless general.
His character could seem one dimensional at first glance, but he had many layers that were peeled along the way and which let us see what and who he really was what actually deep down.
I so loved the contrast that was shown with his character : sweet when he was with CSS and cruel when he dealt with his opponents.


The two leads were alike and different in so many ways and it's why theirs wasn't a relationship that formed straight away and why it was so fulfilling to watch their relationship evolved and strengthen along the way.
The actors suited each other so well and they managed to bring out the chemistry of the characters on screen. We could feel the attraction and love between them and understand why they were each other's endgame.


Indeed, both CSS and LBY were both alphas in their society and thus attracted the attention of many admirers. CSS's other suitors' characterization (which isn't a surprise as it was also the case in The Story Of Ming Lan) was well done as they didn't solely exist because of their relationship/infatuation with the FL and each of them had their own strengths and weaknesses which made their relationship with CSS special. One could understand the relationships that developed.


Overall, I would strongly recommend this drama as it's a real page turner. It's an easy watch as one wants to see what will happen next. It's not a predictable story and furthermore, it's well-written and the characters are endearing.

I recommend this drama to those who love inner court dramas like The Story of Ming Lan and The Sword and The Brocade ; smart heroines like the two precited dramas, The Story of Yanxi Palace and The Court Lady ; sassy heroines like The Story of Yanxi Palace and My Sassy Princess ; dark heros like Goodbye, My Princess