What is it, in summary?: A lot of people are returning from war: Ling Buyi, a young but accomplished general, the parents of Cheng Shaoshang, who has spent her life so far neglected and in conflict with the grandmother and aunt tasked with taking care of her while her parents and siblings were at war. They intersect briefly at the start, and Ling Buyi falls instantly in love. What follows are difficult domestic conflicts at the Cheng house, so many pranks and schemes and shenanigans, a series of mysteries including and often revolving around an ever-deepening intrigue involving Ling Buyi's past and desire for revenge, and through it all a sweeping romance (with some hiccups, including a frankly devastating breakup).
What do you love about it?: There's just so much here? Gremlin protagonist with her interest in engineering and architecture, always curious and observant; revenge boy love interest who feels so deeply but is comically unable to behave like a normal human being. The two non-endgame suitors, a good good boy who finds purpose while falling for Cheng Shaoshang and a not-so-good boy who has lots of fun sharp mirrors to Cheng Shaoshang in his determined loneliness, even if I do not always like what he is doing.
The romance is just. Two lonely people with very different experiences and often wants, but there's something in them that matches all the same, and they find a way to be the people they need to be for each other. Also they both have soooo many feelings. Much angst. 10/10. And I really like the physicality of it, too; often very tender, but with moments of playfulness and playfulness that goes smoldering fast (see image above) and actually a comical amount of Cheng Shaoshang getting literally swept off her feet.
Also: so so many different kinds of relationships between the women in the show. Catty! Supportive when you'd think they would be catty! Hate their guts, but stand up for them when they've been wronged! Two very different mother figures for the protagonist: things with her actual mother will always be spiky and they will both always be getting things wrong with each other, no matter the love/longing; and a warm and supportive relationship with the empress that helps Cheng Shaoshang reach for some of the potential out of her grasp. And they take so many routes to navigating the roles laid out for them.
I'm also really into the many small mysteries that play out over a few episodes each. Just, so much neat setup and payoff and liberal use of the web of social connections and agendas around whatever the mystery is.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Cheng Shaoshang/Ling Buyi, sure, but also I'm extremely intrigued by Cheng Shaoshang/Ling Buyi/Yuan Shen (the "not-so-good boy" mentioned above). Casefic. Ling Buyi character study/backstory moments. Cheng Shaoshang making good on one of the jokey references she makes to marrying a female friend. Something warm and friendship-y. New heights of gremlinry.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Ha. Probably not? There's a lot of it and it all kind of builds.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Fair amount of violence including some goopy wounds and strong implications of worse gore, corporal punishment and neglect from caretakers, some extremely weird power dynamics when a guy who's in love with the protagonist gets himself hired as her teacher while she's getting engaged to another dude and he's vocally sour about it, suicide (side characters, but onscreen). Probably other things I'm missing but that gives you the tone at least.
星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy
Title: 星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy
Media: TV show
Approx length: 56 episodes, 40-50 minutes each
Where to find it: Available to stream on Viki
What is it, in summary?: A lot of people are returning from war: Ling Buyi, a young but accomplished general, the parents of Cheng Shaoshang, who has spent her life so far neglected and in conflict with the grandmother and aunt tasked with taking care of her while her parents and siblings were at war. They intersect briefly at the start, and Ling Buyi falls instantly in love. What follows are difficult domestic conflicts at the Cheng house, so many pranks and schemes and shenanigans, a series of mysteries including and often revolving around an ever-deepening intrigue involving Ling Buyi's past and desire for revenge, and through it all a sweeping romance (with some hiccups, including a frankly devastating breakup).
What do you love about it?: There's just so much here? Gremlin protagonist with her interest in engineering and architecture, always curious and observant; revenge boy love interest who feels so deeply but is comically unable to behave like a normal human being. The two non-endgame suitors, a good good boy who finds purpose while falling for Cheng Shaoshang and a not-so-good boy who has lots of fun sharp mirrors to Cheng Shaoshang in his determined loneliness, even if I do not always like what he is doing.
The romance is just. Two lonely people with very different experiences and often wants, but there's something in them that matches all the same, and they find a way to be the people they need to be for each other. Also they both have soooo many feelings. Much angst. 10/10. And I really like the physicality of it, too; often very tender, but with moments of playfulness and playfulness that goes smoldering fast (see image above) and actually a comical amount of Cheng Shaoshang getting literally swept off her feet.
Also: so so many different kinds of relationships between the women in the show. Catty! Supportive when you'd think they would be catty! Hate their guts, but stand up for them when they've been wronged! Two very different mother figures for the protagonist: things with her actual mother will always be spiky and they will both always be getting things wrong with each other, no matter the love/longing; and a warm and supportive relationship with the empress that helps Cheng Shaoshang reach for some of the potential out of her grasp. And they take so many routes to navigating the roles laid out for them.
I'm also really into the many small mysteries that play out over a few episodes each. Just, so much neat setup and payoff and liberal use of the web of social connections and agendas around whatever the mystery is.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Cheng Shaoshang/Ling Buyi, sure, but also I'm extremely intrigued by Cheng Shaoshang/Ling Buyi/Yuan Shen (the "not-so-good boy" mentioned above). Casefic. Ling Buyi character study/backstory moments. Cheng Shaoshang making good on one of the jokey references she makes to marrying a female friend. Something warm and friendship-y. New heights of gremlinry.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Ha. Probably not? There's a lot of it and it all kind of builds.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Fair amount of violence including some goopy wounds and strong implications of worse gore, corporal punishment and neglect from caretakers, some extremely weird power dynamics when a guy who's in love with the protagonist gets himself hired as her teacher while she's getting engaged to another dude and he's vocally sour about it, suicide (side characters, but onscreen). Probably other things I'm missing but that gives you the tone at least.