The Double

Typical revenge drama but very enjoyable!

The recycled revenge drama script continues to be the trend. It's one of the better ones though at as the production quality is very nice. It gives off a darker vibe with vibrant colors. Make up / costume design especially unique. Lots more dark reds right down to the makeup & wardrobe of the ML. Compared to a similar drama like Story of Kunning Palace I think this drama did a better job in terms of storytelling, casting, & production. So even if the script is nothing new, and lots of unbelievable scenes, it's still a great watch!

FL/ML pairing works nicely IMO. Both are equally mysterious and calculating. The acting's convincing especially the FL's crying scenes.
FL : I am not familiar with her prior works, but dancer background brings that special grace that non dancer background actors can't fake.
ML: I watched some of his prior works and he can act but in terms of characters, this character is the most interesting thus far
Killer Ex husband: His acting is outstanding. Character is more complex than the ML.

Slow romance:
Their encounters were not overly forced, and the development of the relationship is slowly brewing which I am enjoying. Ep 9 on the leads finally starts to have more interactions. The chemistry becomes more evident in ep 11!

Ending..... UGHHHH honestly the last episode was NOT needed. Did they REALLY need to send ML away for yet another battle? Really could've ended before that.

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A solid tale of revenge and new beginnings

~~~~ Contains very light spoilers, so read at your own risk ~~~~

Another great Chinese drama of 2024 for the books. I contemplated giving it a nine, but there were some parts that I found slow or I found myself more on my phone than actually paying attention. Despite this, I was emotionally invested in the characters and never thought that they hung up on one conflict for too long. Towards the end, I was afraid there was too much to resolve in a short amount of time, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it wrapped up. However, I didn't particularly like the slightly ambiguous ending with the couple.

Pros:
~ Chemistry: The slow-burn romance between the main characters was so fun and interesting to watch. Although it may have been a bit too slow in some aspects. But the main focus of the show was not really the romance, but the mystery and the revenge. I strongly disagree with those who said there was no chemistry, I felt it right from the start and it even got better later on. The physical tension between them hit all the right notes.

~ The hidden identity: The plotline involving the female lead's hidden identity was particularly my favorite part of the story. I do think the resolution for this part was a bit lackluster considering it was the main point of the show. I was expecting a bigger reaction then she got, such as getting in trouble by the king for lying to him or her family getting angry with her. But I was always on the edge of my seat whenever her identity was about to be revealed and when she interacted with her ex-husband.

~ Fight scenes. I was impressed by how well the fight sequences were done. It looked real especially during the war and final episodes. The only minor flaw was the blood, which sometimes dyed the characters' skin and clothing pink, but the blood splattering effects were super cool.

~ Music. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Chenle in the ending song but the opening was pretty to listen too also. No surprise because Chinese OST’s are almost always amazing.

~ Angst. I enjoy angst, and this drama was heavy on it. It was portrayed well, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. At times, it was a bit too dramatic and extra. The drama could pass as a soap-opera, especially in the beginning. Another problem was that Jiang Li was killed off so soon she barely interacted with the FL. Her reaction to Jiang Li's death and how much she cried for her in the future was not very realistic.


Cons:
~ Missed chances. When it came to the romance, there were times when I felt the writers missed out on some cute interactions or tropes. Sometimes I thought something would happen between them and then I would be disappointed that it didn't happen. It might be because of Duke Su's personality, as he's more of an observer than a doer, but still, there were so many opportunities for them to interact in a more physical sense rather than just staring at each other for hours.

~ The trauma dumping. I found it annoying how often the female lead cried and repeatedly shared her story of betrayal. Despite being highly intelligent, there were moments when she seemed helpless and whiney. Her personality seemed to change at moments like that. An example would be when Duke Su shared his story about how his dad might have been killed unjustly, and instead of cheering him up or something, she tried to one up his trauma by ranting about hers… At least it felt like that to me.

~ Fillers. Fillers are destined to be in a drama with such lengths, but I lost interest during her trip to her family and the mother with her shenanigans. Also on that note what’s with everyone going crazy whenever something happens to them? Three different people went off the rails… Anyway, The first and last 10 episodes definitely improved my overall rating, I was so excited for the drama after watching the first episode.


I recommend this drama for those who enjoy angst and a very slow-burn romance. The cast and acting were outstanding. The plot had its flaws but it was enjoyable for the most part.

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And maybe I'll pretend I never saw the end(last 2 eps) !

A note to myself - enjoy while it lasts ...not everything has to have a perfect ending !

So the much awaited journey comes to an end and it was pretty much a train wreck but as much as I loved this show, that deeply it has inflicted upon me that endings are often not that beautiful as the journey ! This review is for those who appreciate a critical examination of art, even if it means challenging their favorites. For those who might struggle with differing viewpoints, perhaps a lighter genre would be more enjoyable right now.

So the show is about the most illogical things of all time - someone pretending to be someone else for revenge and that too in front of a whole fucking town and they buy it ! and so will you ! I promise you will !
As nonsensical as it sounds that's what it is -- but let me sing to the glory of this show -

Top notch Aesthetics that scream oh you need to stare at it again ! - How they use clothes - they have given a new meaning to it and it's no more just props it's got life !
The amazing portrayal of women -- oh man the cameraman gave them wings !!
Chemistry that gives you butterflies ! -they stare at each other and you go crazy toppling and turning on your bed !
Villains that make you loathe them - curse them you'll wany to kill them without a thought -- but they have great backstories and motivations for the things they did - disgustingly good as can be said.
The characters the props - you'll love everything about it down to the details - as we take up on each and everything one by one you'll love it more with each ep until you won't be able to forgive the makers for what they do to you --

Let's talk about our very hot "ALL TALK NO SHOW" most charming gege who loves "side eyes" and "taking a seat" every time we fucking hope for him to flip a fan at the very least but i think fan was just the most charming prop who's master never got around delivering to his potential !
Look first thing he waited till the water went above the head and when my patience was taking last breaths -- our poison princess fought better than Duke Su! (yes I said it ) !
I mean what was that fight even (with king's brother)- like for a min atleast I wanted to see that strong man I had been dreaming of - ERROR 404 - NOT FOUND !

My dearest assistants of duke su I am sorry the writers and makers did that to you ! you two deserve all my love for never disappointing me... man I am so mad to even feel bad -- they were too good to just die of random arrows ! Imma pretend they still alive and they be asking - my lord are you going to or should i do it !

i mean to think about it SYR and XFF spend more time together than Duke Su and Li or should say XFF spends more time in SYR's arms in the last eps than duke su in all the eps combined ! SFUODSBLBVJNDFLXN!
and that candle light kiss -- oh my out of the world cinematography I love how you make me hate a candle!

And don't remind me of that king pls - what in the tomfoolery was that person - to protect him who does nothing exactly in the show we have so many people sacrificing ! I mean that consort li has a better role than him and for fucks sake she did die amazingly oh brave women !
and not to mention even the maids and gardener's have more role than him - i wanted to say curtains too but then you'd just say I was being mean and wouldn't believe me !

Lets talk about the best of the lot -- Wanning there you girl - you shattered my heart into pieces you deserved every bit of torture but it was not for you to die like this and make me love you ! - the best end served !

Now my girl A Li - my double edged sword my heart breaks for everything you have suffered and I am so proud of everything you have done -- tho your humor was not my taste but your strategy was until you began your patriotic speech in the middle of a war ! making the show all more miserable ! - I love how you think of JL and the dead girl pops up from her grave I believe you even then but you tell me how am I to buy it that you shoot SYR twice in front of a whole army that is under SYR's command who's job is to protect him -? i mean that's what I think the seal means - or was i just delusional ?

Let me not go around rubbing salt on your wounds with poor Tong Er dying to serve no purpose and that absolute insane of dance , what was that even... not to mention they don't even look at the direction of voice coming from - let alone how they mimic a kid and the way to find if a person is possessed or not is a debate between that person and that monk !

ps . If I have to go on nitpicking on everything in the name of logic I should stfu and not watch dramas - there, said it for you. !

but again as much as I love how wanning's arc ended ..I hate how other characters were treated -And the thing is that the deeds of the dead are not going to speak from the grave ...why was anything not handled officially but then again the king was for tomfoolery !

and tho I hate to admit I must say ---
I LOVED IT TO EVERY BIT DOWN !

AND I HOPE A LOT MORE DRAMAS LIKE THIS ARE MADE !!!

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Beautiful production!

This story was told very well from beginning to end. With the high production value, beautiful cinematography, OST and acting. This one will go down as one of the best of 2024.

The Bad

Not many negatives about this drama for me. I would only point out that there are some things that don’t necessarily follow logic and realism especially when it came to her family ignoring her identity but it’s a CDrama, I find most CDramas don’t follow logic and realism so it doesn’t lose many points with me. Also sometimes I didn’t like the constant close shots, it was a little over done, a few here and there would have sufficed.

The Good

The plot was well balanced with action, treachery, plotting, scheming, revenge, justice, and love. Everything was wrapped up nicely with a bow. All the highs and lows were satisfying and portrayed very well throughout. I also enjoyed each character throughout this story. The acting and portrayal of the 3 dimensional complex, morally gray characters makes this drama stand out from others. This drama was a slow burn but so much was happening that it didn’t matter. Plus the desire and passion the two main characters had for each other was done so well. Great on screen chemistry. I loved that they gave a proper end to their romance.

I highly recommend this drama. It may not be for everyone if you aren’t into slow burns but the revenge story definitely makes up for it.

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REVENGE. When you see Wu Jin Yan, in a historical C-Drama, you know it's a must click and see!

You cannot go wrong with our FL in a revenge drama. It's been her forte ever since Yanxi's Palace. This is a great drama. 100% engrossing, from the very gut wrenching opening scenes. I saw red, I wanted BLOOD! lol.

I binged the 27 episodes on DC nonstop. Our FL & ML chemistry is off the charts as they become entertwined in solving plots and exacting the sweetest most SATISFYING revenge, on seriously twisted and evil people. The supporting cast are top notch, expect the best acting from our anti-heroes. and the slight bit of slapstick humour will roll right off you. As for the story, there are many but all are related, the most significant, and overarching one being, the plot to overthrow the king, though it only simmers in the background of a lot of other riveting stories for almost 16 episodes, be careful to pay attention to it. We are well into the 20s before that sinister plot begins moving forward at a lively pace, while still being orbited by the other swirling stories.

There is romance but our female lead is very strong (without being obnoxious) and a perfect match for our riveting, very masculin hero to the rescue. Yes, cliché, just the way we love em (and not the way we don't)! there will be lots of curiously right-on-time, rescuing. The romance of the main characters, is well paced and doesn't drown out our other plots, in fact it just creeps up in you and settled in, while they accomplish thier separate goals together. Wu Jin Yan has matured in the romance department as well. She wasn't as good with working that romantic energy and her kissing scenes before. You can tell she worked on it. She is far more comfortable now, and it shows here. Sparks do fly!

BUT again, the level satisfaction you will get from the pay-back for unconsciounable teeth clenching evils, will have you releasing built up tension over and over.

What else can you ask, from a revenge drama? Nothing. This is a 10 for me based soley of the 27 of the 40 episodes I've seen so far. Whether it drags later, I don't even care, when it's more than half done and it's this kind of good, it's a 10.

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The Double - A Drama that Hits the Bullseye

The Double is a drama that serves up a delightful concoction of all my favorite elements. This show is like a rare gem, combining various ingredients in a way that's hard to match.

Now, let's talk about the male lead. I have a weakness for those competent, smart, and drop-dead gorgeous guys who are as cold as ice but secretly hold a soft spot for the female lead. While I wouldn't mind a bit of an age gap (mature men have that irresistible charm, you know), Wang Xing Yue nailed his character with style and finesse.

I can't stand weak and helpless female characters but hold onto your hats because our female lead is a force to be reckoned with. The chemistry between the two leads is simply electric and gives off major "Love Like the Galaxy" vibes. The male lead is like a hawk, constantly watching over her and ready to swoop in for protection. Although I wish there were more scenes between them at the beginning, the few they share are nothing short of mesmerizing and keep me hooked.

Let's not forget the conniving and scheming female characters. Oh, how satisfying it is to have someone to despise! But what makes it even better is that we don't have to wait for ages to see them get their just desserts. Our female lead is no pushover; she's sharp as a tack and skillfully navigates their malevolence, emerging unscathed.

Now, here's a tiny gripe our female lead was once married to a despicable character. It's a shame, especially considering she was genuinely in love with him before his betrayal. Personally, I prefer my main leads to be each other's firsts, but hey, you can't have it all, can you?

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honestly, people hyped it up too much, and for me it wasn't that good. there was very little romance, which is not a problem, but i felt so ashamed watching some of the "romantic" scenes, i mean, they were both adults fighting against the most powerfull people but there was still some childsh scenes sometimes :(
it makes me sad because i really wanted to enjoy it, the premise was so good! but i couldn't care about for most of the characters, and those who were nice to watch had little screen time compared to others, and in the end some of them turned out to be irrelevant.
i didn't like the bonus episode as well, made me cringe because it didn't seem like a continuation of the drama, it was out of place

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Strong start, weakened by excessive tears and superficial storytelling

This was a super easy drama to get into because you have the intelligent and strongwilled protagonist being framed for having an affair before she is swiftly "saved" by her righteous husband only to then be murdered by him. We then learn it's him and his family who orchestrated the whole thing! So does one need anything more but to get stuck into our popcorn and watch the unravelling of events where we get to see the FL return from the dead with a new identity seeking revenge not only for herself, but for the identity that she has claimed? Two is better than one!

Ignoring certain unrealistic or illogical happenings at the start, this drama was captivating enough to continue because the story and direction kept us engrossed. You have the ex-husband who's being kept prisoner by a princess whose chronic obsession with him renders him a puppet to be used and abused by her both mentally and physically. Witnessing such a miserable existence of the ex-husband, coupled with the peculiar/deranged personality of the princess really made this unique drama set-up, an oddly satisfying watch.
The excitement surrounding FL Xue FangFei revealing hee face to her murderers at an important event also kept me on my toes wondering, what next??

So with the characters nicely set up, we are rooting for FL, and although I find the ML a little A4, at the very least he's not annoying, nor is he hard to look at, so I'm thinking, not bad Youku, you may have a big hit with this dark horse!

However.... the weaknesses of the story slowly start to emerge due to the poor directing of Yuzheng. Firstly, we see FL and her maid crying more than necessary and during scenes where tears were not required to convey the feelings of the characters. At one point I felt like the director had a fetish for beautiful tears streaming down pretty actors' faces. But I can overlook the insistence of the director instructing the actors "cry here, and cry again there", because in his mind he believes that's how the audience will believe these actors have acting talent.

Things start to seriously get wonky once the FL and ML get drunk one night and FL decides to let ML know she is physically attracted to him. Oh boy... where do I begin to vent my frustrations with the many problems of this particular scene???

You have just been betrayed and killed and buried alive by your husband not long ago, in addition to finding out that your dad and brother have also been killed by him or the person behind him, and yet you can quickly transition to flirting with another guy? Is she out of her mind? I understand that one can still develop feelings for a person even if one has been wronged, but the way in which one moves on, and the type of trauma suffered should be a factor in how one moves on. It was as if she had never been murdered, and she's now got herself a handsome new suitor that she's excited about... Would one not be a little jaded to say the least? And how can one fathom even entertaining the idea so soon after experiencing such a stomach-churning experience? I mean we know its still in her mind since theres no shortage of them replaying the scene of her being hit over the head with a shovel multiple times. I think its fine to like the ML, but it's weird how they are portraying the attraction. Her behaviour and thought process doesnt seem to fit in with the rest of the story and the time the story is set.

We then get a much slower pacing of the drama which detracts from the enjoyability of the drama since it was the fast pace and tightly packed story that held our utmost interest at the start.

We get an early boring arc of her cousins family being targeted, before they show FL seeking justice for her real dad which was the most poorly delivered part of the drama because they tried so hard to make it tug at the heartstrings which then led it to produce the opposite effect. There was a lot of overacting and plenty of contrived scenes which detracted from the overall emotional portrayal that one would expect from such a storyline.

The other problem aside from the weirdly developing romance, incessant tears, and lack of subtlety of the injustice done to FLs real dad, is the fact that the duke is always solving all the problems. We need more scenes where he doesnt just appear out of nowhere to save the day. If so, then why do we need FL to have any intelligence at all? The worst scene so far is when Jiang Lis dad stands in front of FL to save her from being killed, and instead of focusing on this touching moment, the limelight is given AGAIN to ML for saving the day with his fan... But he has done it a million times before, and it wasnt even a difficult save, so why not put the focus back on the actual dad and his moment of standing up to the bully and protecting her daughter??

I'm going to continue watching this for the exhusband and craycray Princess Wanning because their characters are the most intriguing and its a treat to see the tortured soul witness a live version of his dead wife coming to life to torment him whether intentionally or unintentionally. In terms of the main romance, and even the upcoming story development, I don't have much expectations.

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My first thought “Damn Awesome”

so I was in a drama slump and like I was eternally bored, so I just decided to watch it as it just randomly popped up… And Thank all gods that it popped up or else I would’ve missed this masterpiece.

Right from the first moment it hooked me and I was like wow! that’s intense. I thought wait I came here for a romance what is this?? thank god it is!!

The acting is amazing! The sound track- breathtaking! And finally the cinomatography- chefs kiss! Just looking at it it’s obvious that it’s a high budget drama! And the director cares literally cares for the drama! Perfection!

If I you don’t get hooked by the intense fast paced plot, you get an amazing story, you get life like characters, you get brilliant absolutely brilliant cinematography! and most of all you get great Soundtrack!!

May lord bless the one who decided to make it!

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