Okay, so I've given the show a shot, and am pleasantly surprised. I had mentioned the other day in the comments that this genre wasn't really my favorite for various reasons, but I've finished episode 5 and so far none of my major issues with XianXia(shout out to Nina for helping me understand the different genres) productions has come up.
The color grading is natural and people have individual skin tones that don't look overblown(whitewashed by lighting/post production editing). The sets are mostly practical and feel grounded in a real world rather than a floating space rock in rainbow nothingness. The skies have depth and texture to them; properly conveying tension within action scenes. They also utilize atmosphere(light smoke to give depth within a camera. Trust that without it shots feel "off".) The make-up isn't too over the top for the main leads & the hair is dynamic and changes from time to time.
There was a lot of exposition to get through in that first episode but they kept it interesting. Their use of montage to show her growing up in the village was top tier. The animation to live-action intro was interesting and well done.
The cinematography is thoughtful, but not overdone. Sometimes this genre has very over exaggerated zoom ins on characters as they squint at something. This one doesn't do that. Because they are using the same studio that everyone and their mother uses I can say with certainty that the set dressers have done amazing work. The places feel lived in and cared for. There are no large empty rooms that cheapen the look. There is practical use of sunlight for a lot of scenes, so snaps for that. They are following action film rules which is nice. Pretty much, when they cut from one shot to another during a fight, the action is taking place in the same point within the frame and not jumping around. They linger on expressions/moments to convey internal emotions. The camera angles make moments feel intimate instead of making it feel like two actors on a large set.
Overall I'm enjoying the show. The production has done an amazing job grounding the fantastical elements with real world objects and practical effects. The visual effects aren't the very best I've ever seen, but for a tv show...they are some of the best.
I should try and sleep so I can attempt to finish this before work tomorrow. Will I sleep though....no because I have a million chores to finish. I don't want to adult right now.
I like how her Sister-in-Law give her a golden stick to beat the hell out of her own trashy family. It's just…
The women in the palace really do mirror the Li family. But unlike the Li family, they are trapped in a gilded cage forced to share their loved one with others. They use their power wisely.
Anyone else get the impression Yang Xian isn't as worldly as his reputation implies? He seemed extremely shy all of a sudden for someone who was known to visit bars with "entertainment", when his wife was on top of him.
Also, he 100% was about to reprimand the maid for touching him inappropriately before Le Shan swooped in. Same with his "friends" taking shit behind her & her family's back.
I like that WinWin uses subtle changes in his face when she's not looking at him. He softens his expression. I'm starting to wonder if Yang Xian saw their mother somewhere & decided he wanted her as a mother-in-law, cause he for sure loves her maternal treatment. He lost the true maternal love when his sister married into the palace. & add the layer of his most beloved sister being married as a consort(noble concubine), that must have hurt his young pride. It warped his understanding of love. His mother is money hungry, father is power hungry, friends are all brown nosing frat boys, & the servants seem to be jockeying for a higher position in the household by tempting him. Dude's been dodging landmines his whole life.
I just really need to know what he would have done with her if he hadn't ended up with the drugged cup. Would he have played like she did, or would have actually taken away her consent & completed the wedding night? Imma need them to circle back to this topic at some point.
Tian Tian is acting circles around the whole damn cast. Can't wait to see her work when she gets to her mid 20s & 30s. She already chooses interesting characters, so when she starts to play more mature roles it's going to be a site to see. (The more experienced actors have some of their best work in their late 20s early 30s.)
It wasn't just a horde of children that stripped him. There were adults there too. And he's drunk at the wedding.…
they keep reiterating that he has no martial skills in episode 30....i am confusion. I'm hoping that he really does have hidden skills but as we go on im like...wait is he really just a layabout? WinWin is doing a really good job portraying his softern side for her behind her back. Honestl, I think I want his character to be a talented martial artist because of WinWin's dance training/skills.
It's my day off I was bored so I went through the whole cast list on my phone & typed it into my laptop. I thought it would be like max 10(cause I had clocked them), but didn't think we would have hit that level of double digits. & if they weren't in The Double about an equal amount were in Story of Kunning Palace.
Reading the comments I can tell who's looked at the poster for the show & who definitely didn't enhance the poster for the show. Like some people are genuinely surprised that Yang Xian is 5th brother-in-law. Also, as someone who is frustrated with Netflix's lack of translating the title cards for all the characters, use Google Lens on your phone to translate the name/title on screen. If there is dialog happen at the same time a title is up on screen they won't translate WHO the person on screen is. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
According to the previews, I think there is more to this bridal sedan switcheroo.I can see Leshan slapping this…
I love that we are already, like, yeah pookie would never hit a man for no reason. (seriously I need Yang Xian to be a secret good guy, because Le Shan deserves the world)
I feel like drama deviated from where it started. It was such a humorous and light hearted drama. But now, all…
1st, 3rd & 4th all had a solid 9 episodes where they are the main leads. 2nd couple has really only ever been supporting imo. The first few episodes are establishing the Li family dynamic. I think the last 9 episodes will have more Li family interactions than the middle portion.
Things I need to see from Yang Xian to forgive him for his shown behavior.
I need to understand better why he is so flippant with marriage. Is he purposely trying to marry from the merchant class to piss off his father? Was his half brother treated better than him? Was their emotional or physical abuse from someone in his family? Did he know something about He Guang Yuan that the Li family didn't uncover prior to Le Shan's engagement?
I need him to not just be a spoiled little rich kid with frat-boy coding.
I need the arrogance and pettiness to be the outer shell of his personality, not the core of it.
I need him to stick up for Le Shan.
He is calculating like the other husbands...he's too skilled with weapons and fighting to not be able to overcome a horde of small children or his very small wife. Aka we have never seen him hit a small child or a woman(yet), when he easily could have. Lets all be real with ourselves...do we really think Le Shan is actually able to hold him hostage without his consent? He looks almost amused by her candlestick hold-up. Yes she's a strong girl boss, but he practically an assassin.
The women in the palace seem to mirror the Li women, so I'm curious to see if she will also be similar.
They will, but I think that because they give her a hard time, that is what will make Yang Xian open up to her more. I'm thinking he doesn't like his father for one reason or another, & that dynamic plays a large role in his current personality/decision making. The only time his eyes ever softened with regards to Le Shan is when his hunting buddies start to taunt her. He thought he was teasing, but hearing his words doubled back at her gave him pause. It's like a speck of glitter in a poop pale...the smallest of glimmers of a real emotion.
The women in the palace seem to mirror the Li women, so I'm curious to see if she will also be similar.
Mirror meaning have similar personalities to the Li women. One consort was scheming like 3rd sister & snuck in the skirt for the Emperor to read. The Empress Dowager is calm & intelligent like 1st sister.
So far they have been loyal to women/mothers. & pretty much done a lap around the Emperor to do it.
2 
The color grading is natural and people have individual skin tones that don't look overblown(whitewashed by lighting/post production editing). The sets are mostly practical and feel grounded in a real world rather than a floating space rock in rainbow nothingness. The skies have depth and texture to them; properly conveying tension within action scenes. They also utilize atmosphere(light smoke to give depth within a camera. Trust that without it shots feel "off".)
The make-up isn't too over the top for the main leads & the hair is dynamic and changes from time to time.
There was a lot of exposition to get through in that first episode but they kept it interesting. Their use of montage to show her growing up in the village was top tier. The animation to live-action intro was interesting and well done.
The cinematography is thoughtful, but not overdone. Sometimes this genre has very over exaggerated zoom ins on characters as they squint at something. This one doesn't do that. Because they are using the same studio that everyone and their mother uses I can say with certainty that the set dressers have done amazing work. The places feel lived in and cared for. There are no large empty rooms that cheapen the look. There is practical use of sunlight for a lot of scenes, so snaps for that. They are following action film rules which is nice. Pretty much, when they cut from one shot to another during a fight, the action is taking place in the same point within the frame and not jumping around. They linger on expressions/moments to convey internal emotions. The camera angles make moments feel intimate instead of making it feel like two actors on a large set.
Overall I'm enjoying the show. The production has done an amazing job grounding the fantastical elements with real world objects and practical effects. The visual effects aren't the very best I've ever seen, but for a tv show...they are some of the best.
I think I'll continue watching.
Also, he 100% was about to reprimand the maid for touching him inappropriately before Le Shan swooped in. Same with his "friends" taking shit behind her & her family's back.
I like that WinWin uses subtle changes in his face when she's not looking at him. He softens his expression. I'm starting to wonder if Yang Xian saw their mother somewhere & decided he wanted her as a mother-in-law, cause he for sure loves her maternal treatment. He lost the true maternal love when his sister married into the palace. & add the layer of his most beloved sister being married as a consort(noble concubine), that must have hurt his young pride. It warped his understanding of love. His mother is money hungry, father is power hungry, friends are all brown nosing frat boys, & the servants seem to be jockeying for a higher position in the household by tempting him. Dude's been dodging landmines his whole life.
I just really need to know what he would have done with her if he hadn't ended up with the drugged cup. Would he have played like she did, or would have actually taken away her consent & completed the wedding night? Imma need them to circle back to this topic at some point.
Tian Tian is acting circles around the whole damn cast. Can't wait to see her work when she gets to her mid 20s & 30s. She already chooses interesting characters, so when she starts to play more mature roles it's going to be a site to see. (The more experienced actors have some of their best work in their late 20s early 30s.)
Also, as someone who is frustrated with Netflix's lack of translating the title cards for all the characters, use Google Lens on your phone to translate the name/title on screen. If there is dialog happen at the same time a title is up on screen they won't translate WHO the person on screen is. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
I need to understand better why he is so flippant with marriage. Is he purposely trying to marry from the merchant class to piss off his father? Was his half brother treated better than him? Was their emotional or physical abuse from someone in his family? Did he know something about He Guang Yuan that the Li family didn't uncover prior to Le Shan's engagement?
I need him to not just be a spoiled little rich kid with frat-boy coding.
I need the arrogance and pettiness to be the outer shell of his personality, not the core of it.
I need him to stick up for Le Shan.
He is calculating like the other husbands...he's too skilled with weapons and fighting to not be able to overcome a horde of small children or his very small wife. Aka we have never seen him hit a small child or a woman(yet), when he easily could have. Lets all be real with ourselves...do we really think Le Shan is actually able to hold him hostage without his consent? He looks almost amused by her candlestick hold-up. Yes she's a strong girl boss, but he practically an assassin.
The only time his eyes ever softened with regards to Le Shan is when his hunting buddies start to taunt her. He thought he was teasing, but hearing his words doubled back at her gave him pause. It's like a speck of glitter in a poop pale...the smallest of glimmers of a real emotion.
One consort was scheming like 3rd sister & snuck in the skirt for the Emperor to read.
The Empress Dowager is calm & intelligent like 1st sister.
So far they have been loyal to women/mothers. & pretty much done a lap around the Emperor to do it.
1. Liu Xie Ning, plays Shou Hua in Perfect Match, and Jiang Ruo Yao in The Double.
2. Wang Xing Yue, plays Chai An in Perfect Match, and Duke Su in The Double.
3. Liang Yong Qi, plays Zhen Hui Zhao in Perfect Match and Shen Yu Rong in The Double.
4. Zhao Qing, plays Chun Lai in Perfect Match, and Situ Jiu Yue in The Double.
5. Pan You Cheng, plays Qing Shi in Perfect Match, and Wen Ji in The Double.
6. Zhang Ding Han, plays Mrs. Yu in Perfect Match, and Lu Shi in The Double.
7. Richard Dong, plays Qaio Du in Perfect Match, and Mr. Qin in The Double.
8. Meng En, plays Zhe Cong in Perfect Match, and Tang Fan in The Double.
9. Zhang Zheng Yang, plays Yu Zhui Yi in Perfect Match, and Li Zhong Nan in The Double.
10. Li Qian Yi plays Zheng Su E in Perfect Match, and Aunt Hu in The Double.
11. Tan Jian Chang, plays Cui Wei Zhi in Perfect Match, and Mr. Qin's Father in The Double.
12. Ye Si Tong, plays Liu Ba Niang in Perfect Match, played Bai Xue in The Double.
13. Guan Yun Peng, plays Zhang Jin Lue in Perfect Match, and Zhao Qi in The Double.
14. Zhao Jia Min, plays Qiu Gui Niang in Perfect Match. She played Liu Xu in The Double.
15. Roy Wang, plays Yang Shu Sheng in Perfect Match, and Li Jin in The Double.
16. Sarita Sun, plays Yang Zhu Niang in Perfect Match, and Consort Li in The Double.
17. Dong Chun Hui, plays Jiang Chao Zong in Perfect match, and Ye Ming Yu in The Double.