The Double

meh start, meh story

only started watching this drama because of the edits I've been seeing on tiktok for this drama but I'm not sure wether to continue this drama or not. hear me out, I was hooked on the episode where ML stepped in for FL to continue the drinking game with the general BUT.. it literally fell short next episode, as if nothing had happened earlier on. I've seen many dramas with similar plots like this, FL gets trauma and wants to get stronger, then coincidentally meet a cold Duke /Emperor/Idk ( As long as they have high ranks ) Then, in the end they slowly fall in love. I didn't had anything against this drama except for the fact that the teasing seemed so invisible and light. In order to attract an audience especially ppl in their youth (13-21) most dramas have these scenes included but for some reason it just feels like nothing. Because FL is so strong (?), independent, perfect, she doesn't have much challenges ( so far ) and is able to solve any challenges that is in her way without much complicity. AND.. apparently the teasing and joking doesn't affect her either, her expressions are always so dull, stale or just slightly angry ( glare, stare, blank ) like what?! After the rain scene I was shooked and thought I might give this drama a second chance, but damn they just returned to their usual lives and ML just flirts. That's it.

Sorry not sorry, but if you're into those dull and boring kinda dramas I'd recommend this for you because this just ain't it. The only thing keeping me going is the antagonists, they seem pretty evil and dumb/stupid which is why im staying, to see their downfall. The wanning princess has potential to be a real villian and I'm interested for what she'll do in future. I can already predict that when she meets her downfall, there's going to be someone helping her and thus it will lead to angst
or miscommunication or problems in between MLs relationship in general Boring show, predictable style type of drama, NEXT PLEASE.

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Non mantiene fino in fondo quello che promette nei primi episodi

Era cominciato molto bene, ma purtroppo si è perso un po' lungo il cammino. Le prime puntate sono state entusiasmanti e più o meno si è mantenuto un ottimo livello fin verso la metà. Poi però hanno cominciato ad accumularsi le situazioni simili, del tipo che l'eroina in realtà non riesce a combinare un accidente da sola se non approfittando del nome della famiglia di adozione e soprattutto approfittandosi svergognatamente del ML. Se non ci fosse lui a proteggerla, non passerebbe la boa delle cinque puntate. La sua identità poi è un tipico segreto di pulcinella che alla fine diventa anche un po' stucchevole.
Più che altro specialmente verso la fine si accumulano le situazioni e le soluzioni inverosimili, per cui occorre veramente scollegare il cervello per godersi gli ottimi costumi, le ambientazioni, l'ottima colonna sonora, la splendida cinematografia e soprattutto la stellare interpretazione di molti degli attori.
Se alcuni dei personaggi secondari, particolarmente i malvagi Li e la principessa, sono terribilmente sopra le righe, posso solo applaudire all'interpretazione dei personaggi principali.
Sarà che ultimamente mi sono dedicata a opere più brevi, ma le ultime 10 puntate le ho seguite proprio per forza di inerzia, e sono arrivata alla fine con gratitudine perché cominciavo essere stufa e non desideravo altro che arrivare al finale per chiudere la questione e potermi dedicare ad altro. 40 puntate da 50 minuti sono veramente troppe, o almeno lo sono sembrate a me.
Più che altro, specialmente negli ultimi episodi, si ha una sgradevole impressione di eccesso di drammatizzazione, inutile e fastidioso.
La tensione fra i due protagonisti principali è palpabile, ma la parte romantica viene mantenuta ai minimi livelli, con ben poca interazione fra i due e forse soltanto due baci in tutta la serie. Molti hanno rimarcato durante tutta la durata del drama la grande diversità nell'età dei due attori principali: lui è molto più giovane di lei e nonostante appaia maturo purtroppo la differenza si vede e infastidisce un po'. Non si tratta di essere prevenuti nei confronti di un'attrice non più giovanissima, ma di rilevare il vezzo che hanno spesso queste produzioni, in cui fanno interpretare a persone più che trentenni le parti di adolescenti. È inutile girarci intorno, stona. E resta il fatto che l'attrice protagonista, probabilmente proprio perché ha sulle spalle molti anni di mestiere, ha fatto un lavoro egregio, con risultati che probabilmente una ragazzina non avrebbe potuto raggiungere. La maestria ha bisogno di anni per maturare di cui non si scappa quasi mai.
Un drama comunque più che apprezzabile, ben sopra la media,, ma con una serie di difetti e che comunque un po' rallenta e un po' sbraca nel finale.
Peccato, avrebbe potuto essere un capolavoro e invece deve accontentarsi di essere semplicemente un ottimo titolo.

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Fresh and High Quality

To keep it short, the second chance revenge plot may be overused in Chinese dramas yet its adaptation and interpretation in this one is definitely fresh!

The story and execution all are very clean, well written, and well paced. This drama really keeps me at the edge of my seat. Not to mention the superb acting of the cast. They were all made for their respective roles. I want to give a special mention to Meng Li. She was amazing in bringing the villainous Princess Wan Ning to life. I have to say that it would be great if we can see more action scenes of Xiao Heng. I also like to thank the producers and writers for giving us that one special episode! It really gave me the closure I need, which is something does not happen so often in the world of Chinese dramas.

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Perhaps the Best Wuxia of 2024.

Wow what an amazing wuxia drama-- loved how it was on Netflix and I really took my time with it, trying not to rush through it too fast. The last three episodes were really so heavy but I think everything (besides our two sidekicks dying at the last minute-- like WHY) was executed really well.

Shen Yurong and Wanning had such a complex relationship and character development. I really love when dramas show perspectives from the villains because the empathy we start to feel has our emotions all crazy.
~~With ShenYurong, it doesn't really make sense that he was capable of giving everything up for XueFangFei when it was him who literally buried her alive, after knocking her out with a shovel. But I guess that was his arc-- his realization of his love for her and his decision to not make the same mistake again. Again, he is a perfect example of someone blinded by toxic love, who uses "love" as the reasoning for every evil doing. And then in the end takes his own life rather than facing the consequences.
~~Princess Wanning seemed like just a selfish princess who had no empathy for others, but her character became interesting when we saw her struggles from her previous forced marriage, with the SA and forced miscarriage. Though that doesn't really justify someone to use violence and threats with power, I think I personally learned to sympathize with her-- especially when she died. A part of her probably knew that the man she loved didn't love her back, and her making ShenYurong stab her seemed kind of like a "you may want me dead but you killed me with your own hands so you'll never be able to forget me". Gotta give her props though-- accepting her fate in the end but refusing to die in anybody else's hands but hers shows her stubbornness in the highest until the end.

Our main couple was phenomenal.
~~XueFangFei was a bit easy to read, as her eyes gave away her emotions, but her way of executing her plans and avenging JiangLi little by little was refreshing to see especially with her outsmarting everyone. She had to balance keeping her identity a secret, fixing the wrongdoings against JiangLi, redeeming her Xue family, outsmarting all the villains. She must've been so exhausted, but at least she had someone going through just as much.
~~Duke Su was always confident and his growing affection for her was so sweet, albeit we could've used some more expression (though I just found out he is 12 years younger! so makes sense I guess). I love how they always trusted each other, each one willing to sacrifice themself but also trusting the other to carry out their plan without too much interference. He is officially on my top five Chinese actors list now, hope to see more of him!

Side characters like the friend group, JiangLi's father/grandmother, even Consort Li were all so well thought-out. The friend group was sadly not as big of a role after she won the Annual Exam, but the fact that they supported her til the end was so heartwarming. YeShiJie in particular had so little scenes, though I thought they would show more of his planning for the final battle and his interactions with DukeSu. Papa Jiang knew of his daughter's death already but when they actually talk it out loudly and he still accepts XueFangFei as her replacement, I was so sad. His love for someone he thought was his daughter he could make amends with, along with his love for his biological daughter whom he never got to see again, was portrayed so well but I'm glad he's alive at least (and Grandma). Consort Li was a bit harder to read, and I was surprised she actually loved the Emperor to the point where she'd be willing to give up her life for him. I remember being confused in the beginning because she looked old enough to be his mother.

The flow of the story was pretty structured, which helped so I don't get bored over one issue prevalent and stretched out for too long. Now time to watch the special!

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What do you prefer? Style or substance

Within minutes of watching this show you should realise that this is a different beast from the usual idol costume dramas. There is a rawness and stylistic flair that is missing from many mainstream productions. This drama does not hold back on challenging themes. Confronting acts are on full display and it made no apologies.

This is a double-edged sword. No doubt the director has an unique style. Some scenes are rigged for maximum visual impact. There are bold contrasting colours, dramatic weather effects, poetic imageries and big close-ups of the leads. Get used to it.

This can be polarising. You will either be hooked by impactful scenes or be put off by the over-the-top theatrics. This show is not about finding a comfortable middle ground. For me, it was quite a ride and I was loving it! To be fair, the story does settle into a more comfortable pace towards the middle of the run.

I won't lie, the storyline is fundamentally tropey. The overarching A-plot is a classic revenge tale with a side order of the Cinderella trope and an extra large helping of palace intrigue. The writer is clever enough to mix up the plots and kept the pace fast so that we have little time to examine the plot holes. The production team is also a daft hand in hitting us in the feels which further distracts us.

It is obvious that the show is being manipulative. So much of the pain and suffering is purely there to pull at our heartstrings and to remind us that no character is safe from harm. Even a well-loved character can be killed off to get a rise out of us. It works but it is exhausting.

To wit, the FL is in no position to fight back at the start of the show. We watch and cheer on the FL as she gains strength, made new friends and plan the ultimate revenge. It is very gratifying to watch and there are certainly many bittersweet moments.

This is further aided and abetted by the ML. He might be in his early 20's but he acted well beyond his age. I am most impressed by him. I can't fault the pairing of our leads either. There is always tension between them, but it is the delicious kind. You know they are attracted to each other, but they must play by the rules. Their interactions will get the heart fluttering. While sparks fly between them, there is not a lot of actual skinship until the end of the show. It is poor reward for fans who are shipping the OTP hard.

A fundamental problem with this type of drama is that it is usually fanciful. The FL was a meek wife one minute and the next moment she is full of fight and steely determination. There are also conflicting views on societal values such as a woman's reputation. We must switch off our analytical mind to truly enjoy this show. There are just too many lucky escapes and fortuitous coincidences. It keeps us in our happy place, but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. It is very entertaining but a pair of industrial strength rose tinted glasses helps.

Speaking of the ending, it is both satisfying and ambiguous. All the antagonists got their just deserts. The OTP is allowed moments of bliss but then the production team went gaga on us.

It would have been a no-brainer for the story to end on a high. I'd paid to see the OTP ride off into a glorious sunset to live happily ever after. They have certainly earned it. So why was the ML shipped off to the furthest corner of the kingdom to fight a never-ending war? cliché? Yes. Dramatic? Yes. Necessary? NO!

This is not helped by the last scenes of the show which is beautifully staged but so ambiguous. Is it a dream sequence?

Acting wise, it is fairly solid but there are moments when it feels like characters changed tracks as the script shifted in a different direction but the subtle change was not communicated to the audience. The impact is not significant but can be a little disconcerting.

Overall, I enjoyed the show very much. It is impactful and engaging. The production team certainly knows how to keep our attention even if the plot itself might not stand up to close scrutiny. Some might find it too stylistic, shallow and tropey. It will be a love/hate thing. Caveat emptor, my friends.

*** SPOILER ***
There is a 5 mins postscript ep that confirmed a HEA ending but why is that even necessary?

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Started off so strong..

I was in a C-Drama slump for a while but was recommended this drama by a friend and C-Ent. News sites so decided to give it a shot.

First off, this drama started off very strong and promising. I binged the first 12 episodes within 24hrs. But then it slowly started to fall apart. The plot seemed to drag around the middle. For example, the school competition and the categories they were competing in seemed silly. I then found out the producers changed the competition from the novel. I found myself FF through most of the middle until the trial for the FL’s father. After that the politics and plot became repetitive again. Biggest let down had to be the ending. I went on the hunt for the novel ending just to get closure because WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! And WHY was it necessary?! Even ep. 40.5 couldn’t quell my displeasure.

Now for the pros, the slow burn romance was enjoyable. I did like that it was made clear the romance would be secondary to the plot. The main lead’s mutual respect for one another and their mutual level of intellect made me root for them. I also enjoyed the women empowerment message of this drama. Especially Jiang Li’s conversation with Ruoyao. Even the stepmother’s relationship with her sister (Consort Li) was touching. I felt the women and their relationship with each other were all written very well.

Would I watch this again, probably not but I’m glad I checked it out. The drama made me want to real novel it is based on.

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Good premise, but overrated.

I'm gonna be honest. I don't really know how this got such a high rating. I think this one is overrated imo.

First things first, I think episode 1 was good, not until they introduced Jiangli and her maid. There's just no way that they are introducing two characters that just mogs the main character and make her look like the side character instead. I think it was bad casting tbh, original Jiangli and Tong er is just way too pretty.

But the main thing that I really don't like about this drama is the writing/script. This drama had such bad and unnatural dialogues, it was making me cringe by what I'm reading the whole time. The premise of this show was so good as well but the writing just ruined it.

I think the best part of this drama is definitely the Princess Wanning and Jiang Ruo Yao's arcs. I can't really comment on the other parts as the bad writing puts me off every time. The production was good tho.

I honestly think people only gave this a high rating because the main actress played the main character in Story of Yanxi palace which was a really good show and a very popular one.

Overall, a 6.5 and that's me being tempered.

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perfect story ..great acting .. wasted chemistry

let me begin of i didn't like:
- lack of intimacy .. its dry like a stone in the desert..
- the over pushing of the ex-husband character (i think the actor hold something against the producers) .
- the father must be punished too.

Other than that i enjoyed every minute of this drama. it has the perfect blend of satisfying revenge plot ..great chemistry and perfect acting. And i think their decision of not making it transmigration but impersonation story is a master stroke.. and they done it splendidly.

now i just wish the producers make the princess story .. her story was very compelling and angsty but of course they must add redemption and true love arc to it (with the same actress she was alluring).. and i cant wait to see it ..

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Flawless Fusion of Compelling Narrative, Emotional Resonance, and Visual Splendor

The most compelling aspect of this drama is that it never loses its focus from episode 1 to 40. The sub-plots support the main plot, and nothing feels out of place, keeping the audience hooked the entire time.

Every single character is spectacularly written, and the sisterhood is the best thing about this drama. I cried buckets over the strong bond between the girls, which was absolutely perfect. I cried every time someone died, and I can't express how incredible the writing of the female lead and the male lead was. The romance is written with just the right touch, not rushing the characters into a relationship too soon, given the female lead's traumatic past and the male lead's personality. Instead, it keeps the audience engaged until the end, as their story is the last knot to be untied. The chemistry between the leads was spot-on because they were each other's perfect intellectual equivalent, and it was an unbelievable treat for the eyes.

The female lead is one of the strongest characters I have ever seen in a drama. What makes her even more remarkable is that she isn't a transmigrated character or someone from another era; she is a genuine product of her time, embodying the knowledge, struggles, and essence of the period she lives in. This authenticity adds depth to her character and makes her a perfect representation of a strong woman in her era.

The cinematography is undoubtedly the best I have seen in any Chinese period drama in a long time, if not ever. And the writing!!! I honestly remember moments when I eventually got a bit bored with dramas like Love Like the Galaxy, even though I would still rate them 10/10 today because LLTG was that good. However, this drama was just perfect.

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Surprising dose of wit and humor in a clever revenge story

The Double was one of the top hits of 2024. Everyone was raving. I was afraid it would be really dark, since it is a revenge story, but I ended up surprised by its excellent sense of humor. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a lighthearted story, but it’s definitely got some really funny bits.

The dialogue between the ML and FL is particularly clever and witty, and really fun to watch while you gush over them. There is a lot of wordplay and elegant speech, so unfortunately much of it is lost in translation. The language is also on the fancier side, making it harder to pick up if your Chinese isn’t as good (like mine). But translation aside, I think some of it is also hidden meanings. A lot of the dialogue felt like it had some double or triple meanings, and I felt a little dumb as I struggled to follow it all.

Both the FL and ML in this show are really admirable. I’ll refer to the FL as Xue Fang Fei (XFF), though she goes by a few things. She is brilliant, eloquent, and has her head screwed on straight. Her schemes are complicated and clever, and although she can’t control everything, she thinks quickly and always pulls through (some plot armor doesn’t hurt). There were definitely some really sad parts in the story, but I felt comforted knowing that my girl XFF would take revenge on those who deserved it.

XFF shows some strong emotions- not a robot- but she never behaves stupidly. Although the revenge is hers to take, she still acts with compassion, so I had no hesitancies about supporting her 100%. She pretty much just stands up for justice. Any of her enemies that I felt bad for, she seemed to feel a little bad for also.

I also like that she has random moments of being carefree and cheerful, reminding us that she was once a normal person and can still feel joy. Not like some archetype of a femme fatale.

For the ML… I feel like a lot of MLs are written to be as attractive as possible, like they are always handsome, smart, good fighters, supportive of FL, etc. But they really outdid themselves here- this one is a total dreamboat. Xiao Heng is lethal, capable, and composed, a mastermind playing chess (it’s a theme… XFF is smart; she won’t get used against her will).

I’m convinced that a lot of this show’s popularity is due to Xiao Heng fangirls obsessing over him. I totally get it, but also… why bother? Someone like this is way out of my league.

But you know who’s in his league? Xue Fang Fei. So while the two of them are not relatable to average mortals like me, they are such a great match, making it a delight to watch their interactions. They’re not mushy, they have some great banter and a mutual respect, and they are actually good enough for each other.

The side characters showed a lot of promise, but ultimately I was a bit disappointed. There were so many characters I’d liked to see more of- for instance, her pack of four friends- but they mostly just disappeared beyond their story arc. Even recurring characters, like the Ji boys, don’t get much development for themselves. It’s a shame that they made such likeable side characters, only to deny them any extensive stories of their own.

The villains is where I think they put more effort into making multidimensional characters- for better or for worse. It creates some complicated feelings. I personally liked this, although I wouldn’t say it made me feel good. It’s a little spoiler-y so I’ll hide my rant at the end of this review.

As an aside, this emperor is refreshing. He’s young and a real friend to our ML; even more, he’s playing politics like everyone else rather than just wielding a lot of power. This makes him a more sympathetic character than most emperors.

Plot-wise, in addition to the ongoing saga of injustice and revenge, this show relies a lot on squeal-worthy interactions between the ML and FL. These fade a bit in the last quarter or so, and the show gets darker. Like so many other shows, I enjoyed this one a little less as it was approaching its end, but the effect was not as pronounced as some others.

Acting-wise, this cast did well. Wu Jinyan looks a bit older, I think it is hard because a lot of other actors are younger. But she did well- so many lines to memorize! I also don’t think her styling was the greatest- she looks prettier as herself- but the end result was as they said in the show, “not bad looking and your own unique look”.

Many other actors did well too, but I think Wang Xingyue as Xiao Heng stood out. He is a young actor and his career is on the rise after this. He has great facial microexpressions. He also has great presence, and he does this kind of confident, commanding character well. And he did his own voice- that sexy drawl is his own! He could probably work on swordfighting a little, it wasn’t as clean and crisp as I expected.

Stylistically, the director liked to shoot close-ups of peoples’ talking heads with a sort of fisheye lens look. At first I thought he was trying to capture a certain feeling, like the viewer is a little disoriented or the person is too close to their face… but it happened so often, I think it was just director’s style. Personally I wasn’t a fan, but I got used to it.

There are also some plotholes… too many coincidences… I don’t know why I bother mentioning it; it’s every show.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





I had read some other reviews which warned me I might want to ignore the second half of the last episode. But I figured it couldn’t be that bad, since there is also a 5 min special showing them happily married afterwards.

Well, the reviews were right. The ending is really wtf, like big things happening out of nowhere. The new conflict introduced was only peripherally related to the other 39.5 episodes, but it had big consequence for our beloved characters.

In the book, it’s an entire story arc, much better developed and with a better outcome. I don’t know why the show thought it was a good idea to cram it into 30 min. But on top of this, they seemed to also really want an open ending, so they forced one. IMO, it wasn’t even so much an open ending as it was incredibly confusing and leaning towards sad.

Then, for whatever reason, they tried to backpedal with a Happily Ever After special that completely doesn’t explain how we got there from the ending.

This is one of the worst endings I’ve seen, so I decided to ignore it. I read some summaries of the book ending (and am reading the book now) and will stick with that.

While I’m here, I’ll just rant a bit more about the villains. This show really spun things around in circles. I started out feeling sorry for Shen Yurong, but he kept making so many bad decisions. XFF is fair; she understood he had no choice about some things, but pointed out that he did for others. Although I disliked him by the end, I still appreciate that he is this sort of realistic character- not inherently bad, just made some bad choices that led to more bad choices.

On the other hand… both major female villains, Ji Shuran and Wanning, started out as classical archetype evil characters, not very interesting. I was ready to just hate them 100%. But this turned around too. It was an interesting choice to make them both victims of men… they made choices too, of course, a sad backstory doesn’t absolve them, but I still sympathized.

Wanning’s story in particular hit me hard. Her theme song fits so well, with its major-minor key changes. Although I’m always on XFF’s side, and Wanning was a real psychopath, I still felt that trick with the drug was pretty cruel.

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