I’m traveling, so I’m just going to answer one part of your question. The tree isn’t a pear tree, but Wintersweet…
Yes! I, too, liked that it was not a typical ending. For me, it was also a real, happy ending and not a dream. When SYR had XH cornered, XFF came to XH on a white horse and told him she would not abandon him. In the ending, it was XH coming to her on a white horse because he doesn’t want to abandon her, either. He came back as promised…and of course I also like and believe what @Regina de Sá and @TaliaToo explained above.
I liked how good this drama was at showing us the two leads actually flirting. So many dramas either go heavy…
Yes! And not only were they functional, they were intelligent and level-headed. They felt attracted to each other, but respected that they both had goals they needed to achieve, so didn't just act on their feelings impulsively nor had issues with miscommunication nor silly misunderstandings.
The Double is nominated for Best OTT Original at the 2024 Asia Contents Awards, congratulations!https://www.globalottawards.org/eng/addon/10000001/page.asp?page_num=6079
Iit does. I can’t decide whether I like the English or the Chinese title better because they both fit so well!
oh, so the titles are quite different in English and Chinese. I didn't know the Chinese title was Inky Rain Amidst Clouds. thanks for clarifying! and yes, i remember your post on the ink stains! thanks!
Iit does. I can’t decide whether I like the English or the Chinese title better because they both fit so well!
oh, so the titles are quite different in English and Chinese. I didn't know the Chinese title was Inky Rain Amidst Clouds. thanks for clarifying! and yes, i remember your post on the ink stains! thanks!
I'm liking it but why is the editing so stupid sometimes? Like they put so much effort into this beautiful cinematography…
i didn't like it at first, too, as it seemed too jarring...but it grew on me. likely because i thought the actors/actresses were beautiful and I couldn't get enough of their faces, especially Duke Su. lol. but seriously, i do think they chose great actors/actresses for this drama. if they were just pretty faces that didn’t convey emotional depth, i don’t think the closeups would have pulled me into the drama as much as they did. that said, there are some nice body scenes of Duke Su as well. ☺️ but that's just me. lol.
I finally broke away from Double Obsession and found a drama I didn't drop! So as not to be O/T, I posted about…
will need to check out your post! i just started Dashing Youth because a purely romantic drama won't suffice after experiencing The Double. it will take me a while...
The scene where Shen jumped from the wall as A Li walked away was stunning. Haunting but beautifully done. I won't…
yes, beautifully haunting...he died a "broken" man...literally and figuratively. and what makes it worse, is that in the brief moment after his fall, he looks at her, waiting for her to look back, but she doesn't.
Hi, MariaEduarda. The impression you have, many have had. First of all, there is ep 40.5, showing the married…
I agree. For me, the journey, i.e., the entire drama was great and hence the destination, i.e., ending be it sad or happy, didn't detract from the story/drama as a whole.
However, I did think the ending was a happy one based on my understanding of the characters and themes developed throughout.
- XFF, the Emperor, Jiu Yue have come to Duke Su's aid in the past because they love him as a lover, as a brother, with unrequited love, respectively. Hence, even though he's losing from the battle scene, I doubt XFF/the Emperor/Jiu Yue didn't know what was going on and just did nothing. From the time XFF was watering the little tree to the time it was quite mature and blossoming meant that it was a long time in between, so a lot could have happened. By the same token, Duke Su doesn't want to leave XFF, so fights to survive and return to her as he promised (and he also promised to return Wen Ji/Lu Ji back to their home).
- mirror theme: Begins with death 1) XFF running away from SYR, 2) XFF "killed" by SYR, literally and figuratively, i.e., she as a smart, talented woman died by SYR's suffocation or by sacrificing herself for his scholarly pursuits, 3) burial during a dark, stormy night, 4) both SYR/XFF wearing white soiled clothes, 5) death of SYR/XFF love and Ends with 1) XFF/Duke Su running towards each other, 2) XFF living due to Duke Su's help, his acceptance of her true self, as a smart, talented, capable woman - his equal, 3) the tree XFF/Duke Su planted as a sign of their love - living, growing, strong, 4) both XFF/Duke Su wearing clean, red clothes, 5) healthy, thriving love between XFF/Duke Su.
- poetic justice: Vice is punished when SYR/Princess WN/Prince Chen lose everything (power/love/life) for their evil plotting and deeds, while Virtue is rewarded when XFF/Duke Su gain everything (power/family/friends/love/happiness).
So for me, I view the ending, as is, as a happy one and not a sad one. And even if I'm wrong and the director/screenwriter intended the ending to be sad, I'd still love the drama despite the sad ending.
I also saw the 40.5 special episode and though I thought it was cute and funny, the style was very different from the main drama. For me it was a dessert I didn't really need (but still enjoyed eating it cuz it was offered) because I was already full from the exceptional meal.
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check out the analysis of this rain scene by @TaliaToo here: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/di-jia-qian-jin/126863-main-couple-scenes-clever-dialogues-and-relationship-progression?pid=3090913&page=2#p3090913
However, I did think the ending was a happy one based on my understanding of the characters and themes developed throughout.
- XFF, the Emperor, Jiu Yue have come to Duke Su's aid in the past because they love him as a lover, as a brother, with unrequited love, respectively. Hence, even though he's losing from the battle scene, I doubt XFF/the Emperor/Jiu Yue didn't know what was going on and just did nothing. From the time XFF was watering the little tree to the time it was quite mature and blossoming meant that it was a long time in between, so a lot could have happened. By the same token, Duke Su doesn't want to leave XFF, so fights to survive and return to her as he promised (and he also promised to return Wen Ji/Lu Ji back to their home).
- mirror theme:
Begins with death 1) XFF running away from SYR, 2) XFF "killed" by SYR, literally and figuratively, i.e., she as a smart, talented woman died by SYR's suffocation or by sacrificing herself for his scholarly pursuits, 3) burial during a dark, stormy night, 4) both SYR/XFF wearing white soiled clothes, 5) death of SYR/XFF love and
Ends with 1) XFF/Duke Su running towards each other, 2) XFF living due to Duke Su's help, his acceptance of her true self, as a smart, talented, capable woman - his equal, 3) the tree XFF/Duke Su planted as a sign of their love - living, growing, strong, 4) both XFF/Duke Su wearing clean, red clothes, 5) healthy, thriving love between XFF/Duke Su.
- poetic justice:
Vice is punished when SYR/Princess WN/Prince Chen lose everything (power/love/life) for their evil plotting and deeds, while
Virtue is rewarded when XFF/Duke Su gain everything (power/family/friends/love/happiness).
So for me, I view the ending, as is, as a happy one and not a sad one. And even if I'm wrong and the director/screenwriter intended the ending to be sad, I'd still love the drama despite the sad ending.
I also saw the 40.5 special episode and though I thought it was cute and funny, the style was very different from the main drama. For me it was a dessert I didn't really need (but still enjoyed eating it cuz it was offered) because I was already full from the exceptional meal.