whoissilmoy

The symbolism with pendant told viewer he would return.

Thanks to the director. Go princess Go has same look. This director created male God in this drama.

Those are special metal fans considered danger weapons

The Double is doing extremely well. The MDL rating is 9.0. It broke Youku's record for the most ads in a single episode and is currently Youku's most ads for a drama in 2024 so far. It is only the second drama that both Disney and Netflix picked it up at the same time. The Double is #1 drama three weeks in a row and will probably be #1 again next week, garnering 618 points when most #1 dramas don't get over 600. The Double may well be WXY's breakout role and WJY's comeback role and amazing performances by two supporting actors that one of them got moved to main character.

Her shadow casts cat ears and cat tail larger than life. I like this director use of whimsical visual metaphors. This director has an artistic sensibility that he prioritizes art over logic to add depth and symbolism. His scenes tantalize with imaginative imagery.

These two act and look just like Ji Xing and Han Ting,

https://x.com/i/status/1805101796857119213

he is still uploading. currently uploaded to chapter 42.
https://whimsicalreads.com/series/as-beautiful-as-beijing/

he changed the link and is uploading two chapters a day. Today is up to chapter 42. I hope he uploads the extra chapters. Someone said those were the best ones.

https://whimsicalreads.com/series/as-beautiful-as-beijing/

The so called "minor hair transplant" was super minor because he can't really do it yet. He's just a very honest and transparent person. I read that one shouldn't do any hair transplants until past 30 wait for the recession to settle in. Xu Kai is only 29. Elon Musk old pictures almost bald in the front but after his one and only successful hair transplant decades ago, he has very lush full hair in the front from then on. Hair transplant is nothing fake about it, just move some roots from the back to the front, but it's painful. These actors put their bodies at risk and injury and harm doing costume dramas.
Xu Kai has high end hair, skin, jewelry and clothing endorsements. These companies know what they are doing and vet thoroughly, they know everything about Xu Kai before they give him an endorsement. If he has fake hair or bad hair, he would not be face of so many high-end endorsements.

What about the scene of them sitting together in jail and then appears the young boy beating the drum? There was no cheap CGI but powerful.

I'm watching previews or trailers without subtitles and realized that even if you have no idea what is being said, the visuals strung together are captivating and enthralling to watch.

because the male God Duke dangle the pendant from his mouth and said I promise to return. I just go with the flow of the symbolism. It's telling me that the Duke will be victorious and return.

On Marcus Here! he reported that The Double was #1 again last week for third week in a row. I don't know the points the first week, but second week was 608 I think, and third week increased to 618 points. A lot of dramas get #1 spot but don't go over 600 points. Anything over 600 is exceptional.

it might be the reason that the number of perfect 10's (or 5's in Douban) decreased from 18.1% to 17.5% to 16.7% today, but the overall rating is still 6.8 which is very good score for Douban relatively speaking when compared to many other very popular and very successful dramas have the same score. Typically, a 6.8 is at least 8.5 to 9 on MDL. Audiences seem to want happy endings.

I read that the Double is the second drama in history to be bought by Disney and Netflix (two rivals) at the same time and is a global hit. It also broke the record for Yoku, most ads in a single episode and most ads for a drama so far in 2024. Many ancient idol dramas have contempt in China but not abroad, overseas it is viewed as Chinese style, an “export of aesthetics” of cultural beauty, artistic sensibilities, and Chinese storytelling.

Both Yanxi and The Double has made Yu Zheng a lot of money and both dramas starred Wu Jin Yan. What an amazing comeback for WJY. I read on Douban she went for martial arts training, perhaps for a future role?

absolutely

When a good character dies heroically in a story, it creates a strong emotional impact and makes the moment more memorable. It’s like a powerful scene that stays with us long after the drama ends. When good characters never face any danger or never die, the story can become predictable and less exciting. The element of risk and sacrifice adds depth and keeps us engaged.

I think the beginning was so incredulous, got people hooked and so fast paced, it moved the audience along, but seems the audience prefer an ending grounded in realism, not abstract art.

While many viewers question the logic of the drama’s ending, incredulous that the Duke could have survived the war, I find it interesting that no one seems to question how XFF managed to survive being buried alive at the start of the story. From the outset, it was clear that this storytelling would involve elements of jaw-dropping shock, mesmerizing wonder, and awe-inspiring feats, defying conventional logic. If you want to be entertained, you cannot overanalyze it. The drama has moments of fairytale wonder, implausibility, insurmountable odds, and triumphant resilience—extraordinary feats that challenge the boundaries of possibility.
Also, the eerie and unsettling tone of the drama’s opening scenes serves as a foreboding prelude to the sadistic and intense storytelling that lie ahead. Clearly the audience was warned at the outset of the drama's unconventional storytelling. It’s as if the opening scenes whispered, “Buckle up, for this journey will defy expectations.” The juxtaposition of jaw-dropping feats (extraordinary) and eerie undertones (unsettling) keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, ready for the unexpected twists and turns.

the director is now getting a lot of criticisms now that The Double has finished airing