whoissilmoy

On Douban Yu Zheng is referred to as a crook

It is general knowledge that Yu Zheng does not care about his actors

I believe Yu Zheng would purposely do this.

to give a sense of awe and mystery

The director for Winter Begonia also directed Arsenal Military Academy and The Story of Yanxi Palace, all successful dramas.

The actress pictured is Wu Jinyan. She was brilliant in Arsenal Military Academy which was a Republican era drama. She played Jiang Li's brother's girlfriend in this drama, The Double.

I doubt WJY and WXY will pair up again.

Yong Qi is a newcomer

he's remarkable to graduate from college at 18

This director likes dark stuff so he focused on the villains

On Douban c netizens are cursing him for choosing art over logic. Here on MDL, some think the success had nothing to do with the director. Filmmaking often involves a delicate balance between artistic expression and logical storytelling. This is the first time this new director has made a drama that is not a slapstick comedy so you might say The Double is his first real drama. He is more of a creative artist which I think was more of a strength than weakness for this drama anyway. Therefore, this drama is not perfect either. But to say the director has nothing to do with its success is nonsense.

Why do people badmouth a new director when the drama is a success?
What if this drama had been directed by Yu Zheng's usual directors Bai Yun Mo and Guo Hao who directed Court Lady, Royal Feast, Delicacies Destiny, and Scent of Time. Would this drama have had the same mood as those dramas? YES. Both the leads here were involved in those Yu Zheng dramas and never made a breakthrough.

I never thought it was open ended until I read the comments here, then I started to doubt, but now it's clear to me, I need to watch this drama from lens of a fairytale, not logic.

yes and it's the director's way of telling the audience, everything will be fine now

the camera showed the pendant hanging from his mouth to hanging from his horse racing toward her. how clear is that?

You and I have similar tastes. I like the idea of visual metaphors when she played the guqin. The producer didn't spend the money. If the CGI is better, I'm sure the visual metaphors will evoke more emotions. This director is more of an artist. He approaches things from artist mindset and likes eerie things. He used cost-effective techniques to enhance the mood, otherwise, it would have been quite flat. If I don't count his first drama which was whacky, then The Double was really his first drama.

This director has an artistic flair. I'm not good with symbolism but I'm sure those who get it will understand why the horse is white, what it may represent, why the outfit is red, etc. There's no logic here, it's symbolism.

Chinese dramas can't hire hundreds of extras. Depending on the budget, they can only have few. Those few represent a lot more men. I'm convinced he came out alive because I look at it through the lens of a fairytale storytelling, not logic.

c netizens don't trust whatever he says

There is romance but only two kiss scenes.

Yes, a drama can be profoundly romantic without relying on explicit kiss scenes. The emotional bond, chemistry, subtle gestures, unspoken feelings, and strong storytelling all contribute to evoking those heartfelt emotions and are more powerful than physical kissing, creating a lasting impression.