KSM4

Fully agree! This drama has absolutely masterful characterization.

Second mini-episode plus reaction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUgVPGODWk&t=2s

Fan Xiao will truly forever breathe manipulation and jealousy :D

The first half is the mini-episode; the second half is a reaction.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back with your opinion; I love this series so much, and since I watched it after most discussions quieted down, I'm excited to know new watchers' thoughts :D I agree, the characters are portrayed very masterfully here. After To My Shore, a lot of other shows feel flat to me now.

The mini-episode is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od0AvWKQzMw&t=3s

To My Shore spoiled me a lot. I had high expectations for Double Helix because of it but walked away extremely disappointed. That show has no depth and no actual romance. The characters don't know a thing about each other, they never shared real, meaningful bonding moments that weren't tied to their alleged relationship. And the overall logic is just... not there. The actors worked hard, but they deserved a much better script.

There are apps that can generate automatic subtitles as long as you find a way to convert DVD content into a downloadable format. I'm using one to watch Chinese audio dramas. Subtitles are not ideal but they are pretty good.

There are crazy people everywhere, it's honestly scary.

He is absolutely timid and spineless. As a fellow fan of Revenged Love and To My Shore, I found him utterly infuriating and disappointing. This series also feels extremely flat and romance- and logic-free in comparison, but a lot of people seem to enjoy it, so maybe you could try a couple of episodes to see if it strikes a chord.

I think that's why I'm so frustrated. This series had so much potential, the actors have such great chemistry, but the writing is just plain bad. Everything is so shallow and illogical and disappointing, it makes zero emotional and psychological sense. Everyone is a caricature here with no real emotional ties and personal logic. It's a total mess.

Omg, I never realized this, it's insane :D

I missed the page with the beautiful special episode! For those wondering if we'll have more: 3 mini-episodes are coming out on the 11th, 14th, and 17th of June.

Omg, yes, absolutely. I kept hoping they'd add more modern twists to it, but nope, didn't happen.

I think it comes down to different perceptions; I was displeased with how the love story progressed from the very first episodes here. I was just hoping it'd get better, but when I realized it won't, I've already watched way too much to give up :D For me, true love is based on mutual understanding and knowledge of each other. I can't recall a single meaningful conversation these two had at any point that wasn't about their relationship. I feel like they are just going from one romantic trope to another without any depth. Entering a relationship, breaking up - but what do they like about each other? What are their likes/dislikes? What are their values? Where are the moments with them sharing their non-romantic turmoil, hopes, dreams together? Without it, I don't feel any substance. They never felt like partners to me, and the fact that they don't seem to know each other even years later cements it in my eyes.

That RL song shook me, too, but the main song that starts from E4 completely destroyed me!

Yes, I agree with this. YS is strong and he gave FX hell for mistreating him, so it feels differently. It's just that, with LF and YC, personally, I feel like a lot was told, but nothing was shown. They had no meaningful discussions, no bright moments that could prove that yes, these two really click, they relate to each other emotionally and psychologically, so I don't buy their relationship. I know we are invited to think they were deeply in love, but their love story through flashbacks didn't convince me, it felt very superficial. The fact that LF doesn't seem to know a thing about YC (truly believing him to be a gold digger!) and YC can't be bothered to apply even 1% of effort to preserve their relationship just solidified this to me.

Fan Xiao did assault You Shulang repeatedly. But I agree that this had serious impacts and he had to let go and change before they could get together again. He truly loved You Shulang, and You Shulang truly loved him; I haven't been getting this from Lu Feng and Yichen at all.

I'd say To My Shore wins. The abuse here is very intricate, very well-shown, and prolonged enough to have a deep psychological impact, which is demonstrated from every painful angle. In Double Helix, everything is pretty superficial, from the relationship to the abuse and its impacts, especially in comparison. Curious what you'll think, though!

Okay, I caught up on the episodes I missed, and at this point, I have to admit that I have no chance at liking this show. I kept hoping to be proven wrong, but the writing is incredibly weak here, in my opinion. It's simply abysmal, none of the conflicts have any logic behind them; the characters refuse to communicate the most basic things and it looks downright absurd.

Most importantly, they just don't love each other. I can tolerate a lot of imperfections if there is a strong emotional connection between the characters, but here, there is nothing like that at all.

If Yichen loved Lu Feng, he would have tried to apply at least 10% of the effort to protect their relationship. There was absolutely no need for him to marry; even if he was hell-bent on pleasing his Mom (and they didn't show that he was a very loving or obedient son prior to that), there were a hundred ways to keep everyone more or less happy. He could make a deal with the girl he married or with someone else and pretend to date her seriously. Considering his mother wouldn't live long, they wouldn't have to keep up the charade for an extended period. This was something he could discuss with Lu Feng in advance, and that's just one basic solution. There are many more. If a person can't be bothered to do even this much, to even discuss it, what love are we talking about?

He wasn't even the one who suggested a divorce after 5 (!!!) years, and he seemed to remember about Lu Feng only after seeing him in the news. Pathetic.

As for Lu Feng, he's obsessed for sure, but he doesn't love Yichen at all. He was never interested in his feelings or thoughts, and he doesn't know him at all. They didn't have even one profound conversation about something; we never saw them exploring the inner worlds of each other. Their connection is extremely superficial, to the point where Lu Feng seriously thinks Yichen has come to him out of greed for money. If he knew him at least a little bit, he would never think that. When you love someone, when you know someone, you have at least a basic idea of what this person is like; Lu Feng doesn't.

There is a lot more to say about it, but I think I've ranted enough. I don't know why this show is so popular, it lacks so many vital things, but of course, to each their own.

I'm glad I'm not alone thinking that! I was complaining a few episodes ago how in a trailer, I'd been impressed by Yichen's dead face because I thought we were in for some very toxic, well-made drama where he would end up feeling completely exhausted and hollowed out. But he's been making that same face nearly from the beginning, which really takes away from its impact. Also, a huge yes, I don't see a single thing apart from maybe physical appearance that Lu Feng would be so attracted to. I really, really hoped he would grow some personality or a spine or anything, so I kept watching, but it didn't happen.