Reviews

Good, but easily could have been better.

Oh boy, there's a lot to unpack here, so bear with me.

I'll preface this review by mentioning that I don't typically watch wuxias and don't normally reach for them. I have always wanted to love them because of the commotion they usually cause on the feeds lol. Anyhow, this is the first time that I felt "called" to watch this show and surprisingly stuck around because it was thoroughly enjoyable. At first.

If I were to rate the first half of the series, I would give it an 8.5 at least. The intro is fast-paced, we meet Fang Fei who's framed for seemingly having an affair, thinking she'll find solace from her husband, she's instead taken to be buried alive. Somehow, she survives and meets Jiang Li on the mountain as she's about to drown herself. Jiang Li on the one hand is certainly not in a better position than Fang Fei as she was sent to live in a convent from a young age having been accused of causing her pregnant stepmother to lose the child she was carrying. She suffers at the hands of the mistresses who for one reason or another seem to have it out for her. Still, she stops Fang Fei from *unaliving* herself and begins taking care of her although it ends up costing her her life.

This is when we enter the juicy part where Fang Fei takes on Jiang Li's identity. Up until that point, the writing is quite intricate. There's a motive behind every single one of the FL's actions, she's about one trillion steps ahead of everyone and through her wits, she is able to get the exact outcome she wishes for. With revenge now fueling her will to live, she rebirths into this strong, clever, and capable Jiang Li. She's not afraid to take on a challenge and is set on seeing her revenge through until the very end (even if she needs to sacrifice herself). Seeing such a driven character was so refreshing.

Now, when we meet the members of the Jiang family, the energy becomes increasingly interesting. I loved the diplomatic dynamic between Ji Shuran and JL/FF. The tension was palpable, the stakes were high, and the plot was plotting. The introduction to JL’s family members through Tong (JL’s maid) was a clever touch since we got to learn about who they were at the same time as FF.

Early on, it became very obvious to me that the *real* Jiang Li could never survive the cut-throat atmosphere that is the Jiang family's house. This is because it takes someone with experience, who is shrewd and quick on their toes to deal with the thoughtfully crafted crap that JS comes up with.

I know some people didn’t like the side plots much but I enjoyed them mainly because I love FF and everything that does. She stands for everything I love in female leads. She’s dependable, smart, trustworthy and most importantly she is kind but not soft. She always has her priorities in check and doesn’t need no man… Which is what ends up making her relationship with Xiao Heng/Duke Su so authentic. It is because she chooses to be with him, not because she needs his help or because she’s lonely, but because she loves him. It’s cute. However, XH’s character is all talk and no game (not necessarily as it relates to his relationship with FF but rather as an individual).

The intro to XH’s character makes it seem as though he is this mysterious man who’s always talking about situations as though they were chess matches. It’s cool at first. He’s always composed, level-headed, and seems to always have the upper hand however after a while it becomes difficult to hide the fact that his character lacks depth. The effort that was dedicated to writing the elaborate character of FF was clearly not the same for XH. Heck! His subordinates have more personality than he does. In crucial times, he’s absent which is understandable when they’re showcasing that FF is capable of handling herself. However, when she survives to tell the tale, this man is not all over her, he doesn’t even acknowledge the trauma or the hurt that she’s been through. He’s just out here talking about some “You’re my pawn.” After hearing that phrase a hundred times, it becomes obnoxious. My annoyance reached its peak when Tong died. Mans offered no comfort. He didn’t even talk about it!

Where The Double messed up was in the details. Because the reality is this: you cannot have a thoughtfully crafted character who interacts with characters in a world that is not as carefully crafted. Why? Because it is inconsistent. And there’s nothing worse than inconsistencies in a drama where you have a character as remarkable as FF.

Still, the slow burn between XH and FF was wonderfully done in the first half. Their interactions were few yet very significant because every one of them seemed to further their relationship. When it came down to their chemistry, sparks were FLYING. I mean just take the rain scene in ep. 17 for example. This is the best romantic scene of the year for me, hands down. In the second half, however, those rooting for XH and FF are treated like beggars. Here’s the thing, making a successful slowburn is tricky but a general rule of thumb is that intimacy needs to grow within every scene. The moment there becomes stagnation, the momentum in chemistry is lost and your die-hard shippers end up losing a certain level of interest because they’re not being fed properly. This is exactly what happened for The Double. The remedy to this would have been to have an impactful confession or a steamy kiss because you have to show your audience that their waiting has its perks. We ended up having neither. The confession fell flat to me and their wedding kiss was forgettable. Especially since the camera was all over the place with a veil covering most angles LOL.

OK, now for the second/later half, we hone into the plot a bit deeper where FF is now focused on bringing down the “real” villains in her story, Princess Wanning and Shen Yu Rong as well as the plot around the rebel guy (don’t remember his name) that has more to do with XH and his father’s death. Listen, the issue here entirely has to do with the execution and pacing. The Ji Shuran plot ends in ep 29. So all loose ends must be tied in 11 eps at this point and must cover the relationship between XH and FF + their marriage, the rebellion, Princess Wanning, SYR, as well as the final retribution.

Although they succeeded in fitting most things into the remaining eps, some things obviously felt rushed and the sequence felt off. Putting that final battle where XH has to go to fight off the Dai country peeps in the very last ep is delinquent work. Why the sudden need for this battle?? Had they put it near the middle, they would have had more time to develop this very sudden need for battle. Mind you, we also never see that dumb emperor at work. This was the perfect opportunity to bring him into the picture to settle political matters as he ought to but nope. Battle time it is! Also, bringing this storyline earlier on would have made some things so much more impactful because we would see the aftermath. The death of XH’s subordinates for example. That would have hit so much harder if we had seen him come back from battle having to deal with his losses. This would have opened the door to creating more depth to his character and to see how FF comforts him.

Overall, The Double was a very enjoyable watch. The FL is strong, the ML is dreamy, the supporting cast is great, the villains are decent and the plot is interesting and pretty fast-paced for the most part.

The last things I’ll address:

- Why is XH heading into a serious rebellion with no armour? Especially one that he foresaw?
- Why did XH not have other military corps when he gave the fish to Princess Wanning? Why was he unable to foresee that reinforcement could come late?
- The whole fish object to control the military is juvenile and dumb
- The revenge was unsatisfying
- The reveal of FF’s real identity was unsatisfying
- The extra “ep” was bad
- Needed more of the villains because they were great within themselves. They just didn’t have the chance to shine because of the writing.

Ok, now quick shoutout:
- The star of the show Jiang Jing Rui. Love him through and through and I wished we would have seen an ep when FF showed up for him.
- Ye Shi Jie, certified loverboooyy! Don’t usually love love triangles but would have wanted to see more of him. Overall, I feel like his facial expressions were much better than XH’s. The look of longing and affection for FF was so clear (JJR even pointed this out).
- Wen Ji + Lu Ji
- The cinematography, the costumes (NOT the cakey makeup, however)
- Acting chops: Li Meng, Wu Jin Yan, Liang Yong Qi and Wang Xin Yue. In that order.

Last shoutout to the watchers because y’all made this so much fun!! Especially when there was the infamous candle scene lol!

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I honestly don't know.

I don't know how i even finished this series, when now, i will literally drop a show INSTANTLY if i am not vibing with it. If i think back to the storyline, it seems pretty good on paper. He needs to pay back the "debt" that was left behind by his father and she's the collector, i just think it may have not been executed that good. Or maybe it's just not my taste. I loved the cast and some of the ost, but i found myself waiting for it to be over. Idk maybe i just didn't really click with the story and tbh i barely remember it, even now. I really wished that i had liked it more, but i hope IU does more acting.

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Recommend!

I liked this show A LOT. I loved the main characters, but i found the other side couples annoying. I liked how the show was trying to be relatable and slightly show hoe couples are. I just could not with her friends though. The friend in a relationship was crying 24/7 and i just found it very annoying. And I felt like the whole time the "single" and "cool" friend was being lowkey being exploited as this "easy" girl. I liked the message they were trying to put out about how woman should be respected, but they did it while also not?
Now, the main couple was my fav part. Their plot kept me on my toes, and i was so nervous i almost hated it? I was so stressed wondering what would happen next. I love jung so-min and this show is what really started it for me. she did a great job and this show, even with it's flaws, i really liked it. I loved the ost "feel like falling in love," it was so romantic and catchy. Lastly, (spoiler alert) I liked how they split apart, but ended up missing each other so much at the end. Overall, i recommend, but idk if i would rewatch completely.

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JUST AMAZING

HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST DRAMA IN HISTORY THAT I HAVE EVER LAID MY EYES TO WATCH! I recommend every one watch it. it was pretty good because i watched it when i first started watching dramas. I kinda hate romance shows that mid-way through, end up being a crime investigation. I get it if the show is about crime, but why mix romance and crime EVERY FXCKING TIME. idk i just got tired of it, but this show did a great job and the acting was pretty good from what o remember. I genuinely think they could have not casted any better people, though it's sad the actors behind the scenes. There are also so many ost's that i liked and still listen too today! I wish i could watch it for the first time again. Its cute and mysterious and keeps you on your toes. This is the show where i started to support park bo young! overall i loved it and recommend for new watchers and old too.

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I though it wasn't that bad!

It was good, I watched both seasons, it was a very slow burn, and most don't like that, but i watched it forever ago and i liked it then! I recommend people watch this show, it was my first K-drama and i loved it. I didn't notice much about the music, so thats why i rated it so low. maybe i would need to rewatch it. I do remember thinking the female lead was stunning, so i think they did a great job casting her visually. I can't remember much of the acting, but i don't remember thinking anyone was necessarily annoying. I liked the love triangle and they did a good job with a basic story.

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Poisoned Love (2020) is a nice romantic comedy that can have one laughing at one moment, been annoyed at certain characters sometimes, and it definitely warms your heart as the leading’s couple relationship progresses and they get together. There is a causatory incident for each of the main characters that explains the almost fantastical soothing effect that the leading male has on the female lead that is revealed little by little throughout the drama and it is consider the mysterious aspect of the plot. Although the supporting actors have an important role in the lives of the leading couple and also their own stories and even when their advise was taken into consideration by the male lead and female lead respectively, it is nice to see that the leading couple remained loyal and unwavering toward each other even before they became a couple. Overall, even if the drama is not perfect, it is entertaining and the leading couple has great playful and romantic chemistry with very natural and realistic interactions. Enjoy it!

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The Story Beautifully Writen

The story had nice flow, between ravenge and love story, there also some comedy slip in between.

Xue Fang Fei / Jiang Li - Wu Jin Yan
She took ravenge to whom wronge her. She took her own path, at first she act like nothing to lose cause she tought everything that she care for already gone but when she found out that her father still alive, she show some vulnerability. She start to fall in love with Xiao Heng and found path of ravenge with him.

Duke Su / Xiao Heng - Wang Xing Yue
He is the type of ML character, cold, smart, had power, and handsome. He is person work at shadow, stay on his own principal.


As novel reader :
The drama change some story and blending character such as Prince Cheng with Yin Zhan.
The reason for Duke Su father die because of Yin Zhan. Duke Su mother found out affair between Empress Dowager and Yin Zhan, which they had child named Yin Zhi Li. Duke Su mother eventually die and because of this, her husband trying to find the reason and led to his death.

I actually miss some character that not been potrayed in the drama, like Wen Ren Yao. He is Duke Su friend and had ability to read future, the person that Wen Ren Yao can only read is Duke Su. He saw that Duke Su only had fate with one woman and if this fate failed, he either become monk or devil.

Situ Jiuye in novel is only Duke Su friend and not falling in love with him. She is princess from Molan, she only visited Duke Su house cause Duke Su house had a lot rare plant. She eventually falling in love with Xue Zhao and he follow her to Molan, only came back when Jiang Li giving birth to her daughter, Ji Meng.

Duke Su grandfather
He's relationship with Duke Su actually pretty nice in novel, they lived in the same house, there is some area that free of plant, that area is the place of Duke Su grandfather trained cause if there is some plant around is gonna get cut by his sword. He die when killing Yin Zhan.

Yin Zhi Li
Yin Zhan and Empress Dowager child. Yin Zhan killed his son so he can replace him with Yin Zhi Li. Yin Zhi Li parents plan on treason so he can sit on the throne. He fall in love with Jiang Li, even plan to propose.

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Yang Mi has consistently impressed me in historical dramas, and her performance in this fantasy series is no exception. Thank you, Yang Mi, for your outstanding portrayal in this storyline; I loved it. Her costumes were exquisite and added so much to her character's presence.

Gong Jun, the main lead actor, was exceptionally handsome at 31 and played his role brilliantly. I was rooting for his character throughout, and his journey to find the love of his life kept me captivated. His performance brought many smiles to my face.

All the main actors executed their roles with excellence. The Black Fox character was genuinely terrifying and reminded me of the deceptive people we encounter in real life, often described as wolves in sheep's clothing.

The costumes and headdress jewelry were stunning, enhancing the visual appeal of the series. The concept of the Love Tree was enchanting. I wish I could find one and make a wish or two myself.

A heartfelt thank you to the entire cast and crew for creating such an incredible story.

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Exquisitely enjoyable slow-burn romance

The slow-burn romance was exquisitely enjoyable. I love how the ML quickly became impressed by the FL and trusted all her plans while being ready to lend a helping hand if necessary. They took their time openly expressing their feelings for each other, but WE ALL KNEW (including the side characters who saw them together), and when they eventually got there, it felt so rewarding. I lived for those 5-10 mins of main couple scenes in each episode and have rewatched them multiple times.

Wang Xing Yue was so good as the Male Lead who was economical with his words but conveyed a lot with his gaze and expression. I had seen him in "Amidst a Snowstorm of Love" but had no idea he could be that good!

The overall storyline was good in the sense that it was complex enough to be interesting, but simple enough to follow (I hate overly complex plots in historical dramas, especially when there are too many characters involved and unclear timelines). However, a bit too much screentime was given to the baddies. I get it that they were trying to make sure they were not one-dimensional, but maybe they could have cut down on some of the baddies' plotting to give more scenes to the main leads. I think they really underestimated the draw of the main couple to viewers.

I am not a fan of the last 10-15 mins of the final episode - it felt unecessary and rushed to add on a new final villain when all the previous episodes had been building up to one set of villains.

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