The Double

"Double heart heart to the handsome Duke"

My greatest escape after I watched the goodbye my princess. This is not just a drama to me..The purpose was to watch it in order to forget,but as the drama progressed I couldn't stop.But don't forget to carry ur brain cells with you,the two main characters loved to investigate like Sherlock. Sometimes,I got left behind,maybe I have low brain power or I was just enticed and focused on the handsome investigator (Duke Su) and not on the investigation.

Duke Su nailed my heart, I mean nailed his character.Love the nonchalant emotions..the matured love. The both the same level of quirkyness and affection.The mutual understanding of their feelings to each other hayst..love love

The romantic scenes were common,but I don't know how the two main characters made the ordinary scenes an extraordinary one..It was heart melting. The charisma of the Duke,the angst ,the sharp gaze,the calm face,okay the everything. It is hard to look away when the handsome duke is on the scene,but if you look at him for too long you would get drowned.Jiang Li's pain ughh,only a heartless human couldn't feel it. I was devastated watching her painful scene.

But the other irrelevant characters had more screen time than Duke Su. I mean hellow he is the male lead,but as I calculated it, during the 20 early episodes I only saw him,either, in the last part or first part,and then pshaw!! The psycho Wanning again. Or I am just obsessed with him that's why I feel like he had few scenes. But truth to be told,due to some irrelevant scenes of minor characters,some big moments of the two main characters were not being emphasized.

Duke Su's clothing,I honestly don't know if the costumes are all beautiful,or he was just good on wearing it,I mean he is dashingly handsome,whatever colors and styles he wore there,be it violet,red,black,and when he wore the warrior clothes,nahh kill me,he is one of the most beautiful soldiers I have ever seen in historical Chinese drama. One thing I noticed again,observed the way he walked,he wore the traditional Chinese shoes like loafers. He is damn cool...

Would I rewatch it again? absolutely there is no doubt,even during the time I was watching it I still kept replaying Duke Su's scene. I love all his sarcastic and poetic dialogue.

In C-drama revenge is everything. There were tragic endings on some valuable characters,and the ending, of Duke Su and Li, I was expecting a hug, but only a horse running,but as long as the Duke is alive,I will let myself be satisfied with the ending. I know he is alive,he was the one who was riding the horse,wearing his favorite red attire...

Lessons:
A sad fact, when the powerful one targets you the only way to escape is to challenge death and if u r not brave enough you will become their toys but like the message of the Female mc,she talked about heaven,that somehow there is a Big one up there who can manage the injustice and all our affairs.

Revenge is just unending battle for the restless soul. It is an expensive word that you need to pay, along the way while seeking it you will lose something or someone or worst you will lose urself.

Power is unending rat race...speaking of rat ..the most iconic funny scene of the two lead characters was the rat scene.

The thought that the world turned against you,but as the mc sooth revenge she found out,that she didn't lost her world,she just lost the wrong man.

Read More

Dead Yet Alive, Alive Yet Dead

I was introduced to this drama by a fellow dramalist member and I must say that it is a wonderful recommendation! I love this drama! I wanted to give it a 10/10 actually but I think some minor issues with it took away 1 point.

What I Loved A Whole Bunch:
- The leads and (essentially) the entire cast were pretty amazing. They performed their roles well. Superb acting.
- The plot was intriguing and suspenseful. I was riveted and wanted to know more.
- The ML and FL were well cast. They played their roles well and had chemistry. It was pleasant and sweet to watch how their romance blossomed. I liked how sincere they were to each other and how ML expressed his jealousy and love for FL outright. No guessing games here which, to me, was great.
- There were several outstanding scenes — the scene in which FL played the guqin; how the people of Huaixiang came forward to help Magistrate Xue despite their fears; the sorrowful deaths of ML’s guards.
- The OST was lovely.

What I Didn’t Like a Wee Bit:
- There was a lot of bloodshed especially towards the end.
- Princess Wanning was princess with a bipolar disorder IMO. She toyed with people and that was hateful to me. After watching what she had to endure in Dai Country, I get why she turned out this way but I felt that she had a choice not to be thus ruthless. It was shocking to see that she killed her father. She was ‘cray cray’ from being abused and toyed with and she perpetuated what she had gone through. This was wrong.
- The very sad deaths of both ML’s best guards. I was shocked that they died in episode 40 (last episode). Why?! Oh, my heart. I guess drama wanted us to know that people die in wars.
- So many villains like the Li family and Prince Cheng and Ji Shuran and more … who had no qualms in killing others to protect themselves and to get ahead. The lack of morals is dumbfounding! (I know it’s show/ drama and such characters are needed… just saying…)
- The ending was a little frustrating because it wasn’t the kind of happy ending that I hoped for given that things seemed to be looking up for ML and FL in the end. Episode 40 was hard to get through. I had to watch the special episode - I hope I found the right one to watch - to get proper closure.

Nonetheless, this drama is top-notch and I highly recommend it! <3

Pls watch it! It’s great! Awesome production with fantastic cast, interesting plot and lovely music. <3 I know that I will be rewatching some scenes for sure! <3

Read More

To Leave A Trail For Future Revenge Dramas

THE DOUBLE is WORTH all the hate, anger, tears, love, and time you will devote. Pinky swear.

I saw the first episode on YouTube as a pastime while having dinner. The opening scene where Xue Fang Fei in red, slowly running, enticed me. The way the camera slows down and she looks back was truly gripping. Then, she learned of her husband's betrayal. This was not just any betrayal. Her husband loved her very much, but he was unable to avert the circumstances, so he succumbed to cowardice. When I realized this was a revenge story to this extreme, I knew I wanted to watch it until the end. I've been wanting to watch one after I read The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort which led me to read Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. Then, I learned this is from the book Marriage of the Di Daughter. According to the book, it was a reincarnation, however, reincarnation stories are not allowed to air in China, so they had to change it. So, then, it turned out like Princess Weiyoung. Nevertheless, I was after the watching the book on screen part, so I continued.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
This movie is revolutionary when it comes to cinematography. The angles it offers to the audience give a really fresh perspective. From the opening scene to the part where Duke Su breaks the door and the umbrella raises to reveal his face, the slow motions in between, the fight scenes, and especially the use of close-ups to reveal every character's emotions were all on point. It's about time we put some more creativity into the mix.

CAST / CHARACTERS
I'm not very fond of the main leads tbh. I got bored in Yanxi Palace, so, I didn't finish. Don't even mention WXY!!!!! His horrible character in One and Only stuck to me and I hated it. So, them together got me meeehhhhh. But, I guess they did justice to their characters. It's good it's not focused so much on the romance part or it will be cringe. Anyway, I'll talk about the characters more than the cast.
1. JIANG LI: She reminds us that sometimes we have to crawl from hell before we can bring out the best in ourselves. As Xue Fang Fei, she had an angelic, almost perfect, character. As Jiang Li, she turned out almost the opposite. I mean, the hole here would be obvious that it took too long for her real identity to be exposed especially when she returned to and from Huaixiang. My favorite part would be that she embraced Jiang Li's family as her own, especially her father, and he embraced her as his Jiang Li.
2. DUKE SU: He is supposed to be perfect in skill, looks, and cunning, but has faced injustice in his family (just like all of them). His quest to find justice for his father's death added depth to his character and to the plot's roundness. He was not just there to assist the female lead, he also needed her at some point. He had an infallible character. He had to be, otherwise, he won't fit the Chinese standard of male lead hahahaha.
3. SHEN YURONG: Let's talk about tragic. Yes, that is him. Every time this man appeared, and he looked into the camera with red dead eyes, I flinch. I feel his love for his lost wife through the screen. The rage, the regret, and the longing all hurt. I know it would be terrible to choose him again after he didn't grab the chance to change but there's a small what if inside me. Liang Yong Qi, the actor, had a splendid performance. He was perfectly blank most times, but when he's angry, he is amazing, especially when he calls Wanning or Xue Fang Fei. Although I did not read the book, I think this drama made better alterations with the characters. I predict I would hate Shen Yurong so much in the book, but, in this drama, no I couldn't.
4. WANNING: Speak of terrible and she appears. She was twisted right from the onset. The more twisted she was, the greater was her retribution. Just like all villains, she had a tragic backstory. There was a point of sympathy on her character. She couldn't be totally blamed for how she turned out to be. The most scarring scheme done to her, however, was the fake pregnancy part. She deserved better. cryyyyy! But then again, it was her karma.

PLOT
The plot is something within my expectations. Jiang Li having an evil stepmother, stupid stepsisters, perfect mother, good maternal family background, and the schemes were all familiar. I badly wanted to watch what I read come to play, and it didn't disappoint me. Although I almost got disappointed when the marriage talks for Jiang Li and Shen Yurong and Duke Su and Juiyue were tossed in the mix. Thank goodness, they didn't last too long on that. Also, I admit I forwarded a few scenes which were unnecessary.
As for the ending, I expected this to end happily because both characters were too cunning. They already exposed their plans to subdue the rebellion 5 episodes before the ending. As for the REAL ending, I was only ever disappointed that Xiao Heng's right and left hand men died during the battle. C'mon. That battle was even unnecessary. I expected that we won't be indulged in an ending too detailed because this is C-drama, but, the poetic portrayal of the ending for Jiang Li and Xiao Heng was a cinematic treat. We always have to fill in the gaps.
I stayed up until 3 am for two nights for this hahaha. I think that explains why this is worth it.

MUSIC
Ohhhhhhh. Ohhhhhhhh!!!!! This is my favorite part. I need help looking for a copy of "Spring Fading Into White Blossoms" - the one Jiang Li performed during the exam. It sums up Shen Yurong and her's past love. All the sorrow and love were poured into the melody. My heart feels chills every time. It breaks my heart. Listening to it as we speak. Gonna have to keep playing the list for a while now. All the other songs were quite sad as well. They accompanied the story loyally.

OVERALL, this drama is highly recommendable!!! If you like revenge stories, this is THE ONE. It has a strong cinematic impact and a polished ensemble. If you are after the sounds like I am, try its soulful taste. If you're after strong female leads, Jiang Li x Xue Fang Fei won't disappoint.

Kudos to the whole production team.

PS. Crossing my fingers for The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort and Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage to be filmed as well. Huhu. Do reply if you feel the same. :)

Read More

So beautful

So i just finished The Double and damn, this is very good! Many people already said it on their reviews but i will said it too: The story is almost perfect, very well written, and perfectly played by Wu Jin Yan (the FL), some episodes i almost cried. The whole cast is good but Wu Jin Yan perfectly embodies her character and her desire for revenge.

The Double is a drama who you can't forget, especially one moment : If you want to spoil yourself just a little bit, type in youtube "The Double drama zither" and watch how with such power, the actress manages to convey her emotions!

Read More

Everything was Good until .....

I enjoyed watching this drama so much, the story the development, not get bored for 1 min .
but I am disturbed or rather say disappointed by ending.

the side actor lu ji and wen ji did not have to die, and the bitter sweet open ending is also not needed when whole drama was so good..

so yeah, except for the last 15-20mins whole drama was 9/10 for me..

I am simp for happy ending dramas, so yeah this one left me with unsettled feeling about rewatching it again.

they gave a bonus epilogue, but it was filler.

according to me, the whole epilogue felt like it was a dream sequence of both leads, coz duke su couldn't survive. and it was their future dream to live with each other, and have kids

so I was not happy with the epilogue too, coz it doesn't sit right with ending.

Read More

A perfect slow burn

The plot here is something I'm sure we've all seen before — it's a typical revenge + political intrigue type story. But between this and The Prisoner of Beauty, I'm loving our new female leads that aren't physical fighters but are intelligent, brilliant strategists. Jiang Li is a fantastic main character to follow; I really liked how multi-layered the story here is and how she is the main driver of her own story. While I LOVED the romance here, it was wonderful to see the ML be supportive while the FL got to make the plans and carry them out.

With that being said, I also really liked the romance; this is always what I wanted from a slow burn: two characters who fall in love over a long period of time based on mutual support and care as they each work towards their own goals. It was actually great that romance wasn't the main arc here, and it made for very consistent tone throughout all 40 episodes. One complaint I have with some long historical c-dramas are that the first half is very light-hearted and romance-focused. while the second half becomes really dark and angsty once the main plot is addressed. This drama did not have that issue, which was refreshing.

There are some plot points that you'll have to suspend your disbelief for. Imagine how speechless when this show suddenly used the hyper-realistic masks from PLL. For the most part, though, I didn't have an issue with anything.

With that being said, my one complaint (and probably one that many people agree with) is probably the last episode/the ending. It had the perfect ending but tacks on a few more scenes that try to add some more darkness and angst to the story, but it only feels confusing because we didn't explore any of the plot points around it. In my head, that part doesn't exist, and without it, this was a fabulous show.

Read More

I've seen several clips of this show which drawn my attention to start watching it. It was a little worth it, the story and the acting skills is what impressed me the most. The story starts off pretty basic and has the simple plot of using another identity to get revenge. But little does the audience know that the plot is headed near the middle of the drama.

I started watching this show believing that it was going to be all about revenge and betrayal. However it sort of leads into a new story with a rebellion which I was totally unprepared for.

Again the acting in the show was done very well. Wang Xingyue did a great job playing his role, while Wu Jinyan gave off Wei Yingluo vibes again. Even Wanning was a character that I hated and loved at the same time.

My biggest issue with the show was either the original novel or the script. In one scene where Waning was questioning Jiang Li's identity, Jiang Li never denied that she wasn't Xue Fangfei. This scene made me really upset, because if you have a hidden identity and you don't want others to figure it out, you should deny it. Instead of saying why she isn't Xue Fangfei, she lists reasons why the real Jiang Li wasn't killed by her. Just based off these reasons, it would've already made me question her identity if I was a court official. Another thing I would like to point out is that Jiang Li gets too emotional when it comes to her family. I understand that her family is suffering but it also makes this entire scheme of hers easilyy seen through.

Read More

A drama with incredible revenge plot and complex characters.

When I read the synopsis of this drama, it didn't seem to appealing to me but watching the first episode definitely caught my attention. It was dark, it was intense, and whoa.. what an opening to a drama! Definitely did not regret continuing to watch every single episodes as it aired!

To me, what really sets this drama apart from others is the three dimensional characters, including the antagonists. Each and every important character in this drama has a background story. In the beginning, you really need to keep an open mind, and be empathetic instead of being so biased and narrow-minded. Many viewers may just be here for the slow-burn romance, but I like watching dramas with characters that are complex. And honestly, I talked about the villains more than the protagonists with my friends because it was just so fun to break down and learn about their psyche and why they're acting the way they are. I was rooting for the protagonists don't get me wrong. But the villains were just so intriguing! Of course, I hated some of them but in the end, we understand why they were like that.

I think the most appalling thing that I read in the comments is what the Princess had to go through vs Xue Fang Fei. It's almost very stupid for people to compare and think one is worse than the other. And one deserves more love than the other.
Both of them went through traumatic experiences, and they are validated! The way they act upon really differs, and you can't deny there are people who would become evil because of their environment and the way they were raised. All the villains in this drama turned out the way they are because of their past experience, the environment, and whoever influenced them.
There's even some steady character growth for an antagonist and I loved this drama for it.

Xue Fang Fei is an incredibly intelligent woman in this drama, yes she stole the identity of a dead girl (Jiang Li) but she has empathy. She's doing it for both of them. She honors the identity she has stolen, unlike other dramas where the protagonist just steals the indentity and not even think about it. Xue Fang Fei not only gave justice to Jiang Li but also revenge. Of course, that wasn't the only revenge she has done. In the process of fighting for justice of her own, she has found someone who knew her identity all along. Someone who respects her and truly cares for her.

This someone is Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng is a mysterious guy who is always there to save Fang Fei's life. But he's also quite observant, calculative, and of course powerful. We don't really know his real plan until the end, and honestly if people want to compare him with Fang Fei's ex and why he did the deed in the begining. It's best to understand who has nearly everything and connections, and who doesn't especially in historical China.


The acting overall in this drama was incredible; ablet sometimes I wonder why there wasn't any tears in some actors while they're crying. I have seen a few of Wu Jinyan dramas and I feel like she is the same? Just great acting; nothing to mind blowing for me though. A sfor the main actor, Wang Xing Yue, I've only seen one of his dramas but it wasn't enought o dicpher if he's has improved or not. In this drama, he's most acting with his eyes, micro expressions which I quite like as well.
Notable mention is CHEN QIAO EN! OH MY GOD! I've been watching her act since I was little, she's one of my favorite actresses EVER. Just when I tbought she couldn't get any better, she proved me wrong! HER MICROEXPRESSIONS AS A VILLAIN!! HELLO? Those psychopathetic smiles and I was getting goosebumps cause of her. BRAVO!

Needless to say, it was an an amazing drama. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy watching schemes, revenge plots, second chance of life, and slow-burn romance.

Read More

Didnt like female lead

This show was great and the story line was great but the female lead was such a MISS. She was supposedly replacing the identity of a girl who was around 18 years old or so and yet somehow no one noticed she looked like she was in her THIRTIES??? how is that even possible? I watched for Wang Xing Yue and hes the only reason i kept watching. All of his scenes were captivating and although hes not strikingly handsome, the way he talks and his facial expressions give him a 10/10 his acting was off the charts! When he would say her name it was breathtaking! But she was just not a good fit for this role especially since they were trying to say she was so gorgeous even more beautiful than her younger sister who actually WAS gorgeous. Idk if the director was blind or what but nothing about her casting made sense. They needed to have chosen a 10 year younger actress to play this role. This and maybe one other drama ive watched have me so puzzled about why they chose the lead. Typically the casting is perfect on these dramas so i dont know where this went wrong. That was my main complaint about this show.

Read More

Very entertaining

The only real issue I had with this series was the lack of physical transformation for the protagonist; the fact that her appearance remained virtually unchanged from before the calamity to after felt like a missed opportunity, which slightly brought down the plot's score for me. Everything else, however, is absolute perfection. It’s never dull or tedious; instead, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, moving you to tears of frustration while offering genuine moments of joy as the story unfolds. When you factor in the incredible performances by two of my favorite actors, I really have no choice but to highly recommend it.

Read More