Xing han can lan

Definitely, this costume drama is the best drama I have seen so far. The story is great! Director Fei did an amazing job. In addition, I would like to thank the people responsible for selecting the cast for this drama. Both the male and female lead (Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi) did a fantastic job and was able to deliver the best of the characters they portray. The supporting actors and actresses also contributed significantly - it did not even make me feel that they are just support roles. The soundtrack is also perfect - everything about this drama is just done so well. I highly recommend this drama - if you love costume drama, you will LOVE this one. Great story; prepare to laugh and cry. I have been rewatching this drama; I missed the characters and I hope that Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi will have another chance to have another drama. I became a fan after watching. I hope they win the awards for best actor and actress; even best director. They deserve it 😊

Solid production about feisty Cheng Shaoshang (Zhao Lusi) who was left to the care of an unloving grandmother by her warrior parents for 10 years while they had been serving the country. She encounters young general Ling Buyi (Leo Wu) who had witnessed his clan being eradicated 15 years ago. The dream husband of every girl in the capital city, Ling Buyi sets his sights on uncouth and uneducated Shaoshang. Their love would be challenged by his thirst for revenge and her childhood scar of feeling abandoned by her parents.

The story is compelling and the acting, especially of Zhao Lusi, is remarkable. However, the pace in the last few episodes got so draggy I dozed off several times.

Another thing that dampened my initial enthusiasm for this drama was the female lead's irrational tendency to hold on to grudges. She had a hard time forgiving her parents for leaving her with her grandmother even after it was explained why they did so. She also had a hard time forgiving Ling Buyi for abandoning her even when he did it to protect her. I found it hard to fully warm up to such a spiteful female lead. This drama could have wrapped up sooner had she just learned to forgive but the writers seemed to have used that nasty trait of hers to keep dragging the drama out.

One more thing that took points off this drama was Lin Buyi's obsession for revenge. I'm so done with this trope. It was shocking how many people he had to kill just to finally get to his main target. By doing so, he just doomed his future. If any of those people he killed had relatives as obsessive as he was, he and Shaoshang wouldn't be as peaceful and happy in the future as the ending suggested.

Whoever wrote this story deserves all the accolades because this series upended most of the tropes that I dislike in C dramas and made something so refreshing and compulsively watchable. Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi were spectacular and the other actors played their roles skillfully from the first episode until the last, I was glued to my screen. I love this and I honestly don't think there's any series that even comes close to its brilliance. It's a must-watch if you like the interplay of comedy, action, and family drama. Perfection!

(Cheng Shao Shang (Zhao Lu Si) is a young woman who was forced to grow up alone after most of her family had to leave to fight in a bloody war. As a result, she has grown up alone, in an unforgiving environment, and has become tough and resourceful - but also stubborn and untrusting. She finds it hard to see the good in people and assumes that everyone she meets is trying to get the better of her. She fends for herself in a town populated by people like her, who have been left behind by the war.

One day, a talented, powerful, and highly influential general named Ling Bu Yi (Leo Wu) comes to the town - and falls in love with her at first sight. He resolves to marry her, even though it will cause him no end of problems if he decides to pursue this union. She also warns him that she doesn't trust him and that her stubborn personality might not be suitable for the wife of a general. But Ling Bu Yi also has deep secrets, and there are facts about his true identity that even he does not know. Slowly, they begin to trust one another a little more - and start to investigate the truth about Ling Bu Yi's early childhood, family, and real identity...

This drama was based on a novel by the author Guan Xin Ze Luan. "Love Like the Galaxy" is a 2022 Chinese drama series that was directed by Fei Zhen Xiang.)

In my opinion, this historical costume drama has it all: comedy, fighting scenes, childhood trauma, slow burning romance, beautiful cinematography, great OST and amazing cast. Every single actor suits the character portrayed in the novel. The evolution of main couple is extremely well done, from cold selfish untrustfull youth, these damaged souls learn to trust and love each other. Their microexpressions, the slightest look will change according to the plot. It may seem like a slow start the first 5 eps, but is necessary to build the background of the characters, so you can understand why / how their teens years shaped their mind.

It is an unusual drama, since both ML and FL are flawed, but this is what makes it unforgettable. Special thanks to Director Fei who researched and prepared each detail of the drama ( see youtube), and special kudos for actress Zhao Lusi and actor Wu Lei, both in their early 20's, for a magnificent performance that made our 2022 summer ungorgettable !

I compare all Chinese historical dramas to the Rise of Phoenixes, which I consider one of the best dramas ever done. This one actually competes well with Phoenixes!

The story, characters and casting are all great, and I shouldn't leave out the cinematography.

Zhao Lusi is spectacular as Shao Shang, the very outspoken heroine who holds her own in a male-centered universe. And Wu Lei as her main love interest is sometimes terrifyingly focused on revenge and killing. They do a believable job of convincing the viewers that their love is possible and real, but tragic in so many ways.

Other actors are well cast, too, and provide great performances.

All in all, a really good drama and well worth watching. I will say that the very last episodes dragged on a bit, but I was so involved in the story by then that I watched all.