SerenityShimikaBlack

It's proven by Lilun that just giving your demon power away doesn't make you human. ZYC's physically still a demon. I also figure that ZYC essentially will take on the role that ZYZ played in the Wilderness as the second half of the Bai Ze Token if needed. Wenxiao is spared because of ZYZ's love for her. He took on the poison in her system and also died in her place to save the people. The marks are still on ZYC's neck in the extra episode, which also explicitly states that good or evil is not based on whether one is a human or a demon.
If we're being specific, everyone that died on the team, besides the Ying Lei, were people that had committed wrong in their life - Bai Ju betrayed the team, and Li Lun killed a bunch of people, same with the Qing Geng. Each chose to sacrifice for the greater good of their world whether because they had people they cared about in this world or because they didn't want the bad guy to win matter little. They all chose to put their lives on the line and died a heroes' death.

On one hand I am disturbed by how dark his story is and his horrible treatment of women, but on the other hand I am glad that the author doesn't try to romanticise what it means to be a bandit. It's no wonder in the book he is so traumatised and numb to violence and death. It also makes sense that he is not socially well adjusted. The author from the start, I think, never intended to give Ruo Wen a chance at redemption because with such a sad past, it honestly just sounds like death would be a reprieve from all the horrors he's gone through in his life and it's also what he deserves after everything bad he has done.

her transformation are all different everytime

Thank you and I will after looking through some of your older lists as well

I see. I hesitate cause of the 55 episode count, but I'll definitely try and give it another go.

Awesome I'll definitely have to give that list ago - oooh I forgot about Joy of Life 2, does it end in a cliff hanger like season 1?

Also I love that you have a list called "Drama Drought Survival List" - thanks these lists help a ton!

I remember trying to watch Court Lady, but the FL made me want to throw things at the screen too much so I dropped it only like 8 episodes in. Is the crown prince's story later on? I might give it a go if their's nothing else engaging to watch - currently started Follow Your Heart and I'm just disappointed with it somehow, although I do think I will finish it.
Random thought: SYR role kind reminds me of Xiao Yuan Qi in Nirvana in Fire 2, unfortunately Wu Hao Chen's acting just wasn't compelling/charismatic enough. I think LYQ could have been an epic Xiao Yuan Qi haha
I am definitely feeling the struggle of finding another drama to watch currently. Do you have any more recommendations?

100% agree, YZ's directing may not alway hit the mark every time but in SYR, I do believe, he hit on all the right notes and just brought to life this side character that more often then not would have just been a cardboard cutout character. But I do think he couldn't have done it without LYQ's acting, which literally led us along for a rollercoaster ride; making us question is he good or is he evil; did he love her or not; why choose to murder her; was he merely motivated by cowardice, greed, ambition...; will he choose to do the right thing; ultimately it's the wretched, pitiful, and finally mad SYR that I could not get out of my mind and though I found him disgusting and loathsome at time, in the end like XFF, I could not help but only pity him, even after all the wrong choices he made. SYR's story is what kept this revenge drama from becoming pedantic. I applaud YZ for bring us such a captivating and unconventional character - I only wish he would do this more but I suppose the industries/audience's demand for romance is where the money is unfortunately.

Same. the last 10 episodes or so of this Cheng rebellion arc were not as engaging as I had hoped. Prince Cheng was such a disappointment especially when compared to Wanning. I was honestly continuing to watch more for Liang Yong Qi's scenes (than even the main leads) cause SYR's character progression and mentality were the best I've seen in a while for a morally ambiguous villain, although I have such mixed feelings about his ending. I was also somewhat bored in the middle with the whole stepmother's downfall arc - such a terribly anticlimactic moment and it was so obviously set up with the diviner being her ex.

I agree! My problem with YZ though is not only that he sideline the romance, but in doing so, because he wants to explore so many other themes sometimes in one drama, the storyline itself become compromised and convoluted or just utterly boring. Here, the Double seemed to have largely overcome this weakness of his, mainly because of the acting skills of the main leads, Liang Yong Qi, and Li Meng (to name a few) and partly because the themes explored where much more simple and straight forward. If the actors hadn't brought their best, I can see how this story could have all fallen apart and felt like we were meandering around and end up becoming bored. The last arc being squished into half an episode was just sad (reminded me of the narrator in A Journey to Love, which was horrid but I could forgive it a bit cause it was at least in the middle of the story and could be like a time skip). This tacked on extra episode was unnecessary and such an obvious ploy for money that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

If this is the case, I'm truly even more impressed with WXY and WJY being able to bring the acting that they did to the screen. Without them, the believable progression of the relationship between the Duke and XFF from merely a master-pawn to a mature love with absolute trust/faith in each other would have been completely impossible, especially as we're shown such few scenes of the two together. They're the one's that with their acting made the romance possible at all!

In the drama it's implied that Consort Li is behind the death of Consort Xian who was probably pregnant. Although we're never shown why in the drama, pregnancy is usually the main reason women kill in palace harems especially if the emperor doesn't have heirs - to be the first to give birth to a son would have meant great political advantages for the consort and her family.

Excellent than she can help heal his injuries :)

Maybe she'll be paired with Xue Zhao? I'm kinda hoping for this so that she finally gets over the Duke

I see what you mean. Well of course, the problem is she fell in love with the image of a respected poor scholar to begin with. She never actually knew the real SYR as a person but she saw him as the unattainable and probably the only man (who was intelligent, good looking, and well-tempered) who treated her with respect to her position/person, thus she sought to attain him based purely on her own perceptions. In her crazy mind, she thought that by obtaining and tying to her side, she would be able to achieve the happily ever after life that she 'deserves'. But I think also that after obtaining SYR and coming to know him more (although this is not shown on screen much) she has genuinely grown to love the current morally grey/tainted SYR and because of this sees him as hers to love or dispose with as she pleases (like she mentions in the prison cell, 'I'm not bored...I am the only one who can decide how you die'). Problem is she's forced him to be by her side so the face he presents to her is one intended to please her but not necessarily out of love, like in his relationship with XFF - which is why she's so displease/hurt and lashes out at him in ep 34. She naively thought all it would take to achieve her happily ever after was to find the right man and force him to be with her, unfortunately love doesn't work that way. She has a very twisted perception of love and I honestly hope the drama will fleshed out her background story more so we get to know what makes her tic.

I don't think so cause this scene happens before she trades Xue Zhao for him. If she didn't love him she wouldn't have exchanged a valuable prisoner that she could use against XFF to make her do her bidding to simply save one scholar that has no significant political value. The value of SYR's life is entirely based on Wanning loving him and she absolutely loved the fact that he killed his wife and is no longer as lily white. As she said, "I want to drag him down into the mud so that we can be together." She doesn't care about what he's done and what he wants, she just wants him by her side no matter what.

our FL in ep 32 was like 'you can have my trash ex, Wanning! I don't love him!' - seriously funny how Wanning looks slightly taken aback that XFF doesn't want him or love him- the princess is an utter goner for SYR
Also I can't stop repeatedly rewatching the latest few episodes haha

lol if the door were open the act would have been given away - it's so cute how they've been friends and comrades since they were children.

I'm the same, but have been surprised by a few short dramas that were rather well written.

Lol more drama's I've found on my watched list that are good:

My Journey to You
A Journey to Love
Jun Jiu Ling
Back from the Brink
Love Between a Fairy and a Devil
Legend of Shen Li

Short dramas (if you or anyone else is interested) :
A familiar stranger
An Ancient love Song
The Killer Is Also Romantic
Butterflied Lover

:)



TV dramas/shows I feel have become so much more interesting than movies. Also warning then prepare yourself for the ending in Nirvana in Fire - it's satisfying but sad too

Ooh I forgot my all time favourite although it's more revenged focused than the Double, it's still got probably one of my favourite historical couple ever in it - Nirvana in Fire

Always happy to recommend. 😄 Lol I have more 😅 but I wasn't sure if you like palace dramas or short dramas. I'm a historical romance junky so it's basically my bread and butter