Edit: Good enough to enjoy this comedic drama. Don't judge a book by it's cover. ~

This is the first time that I wrote a review here in MDL so if this didn't go well, please forgive me. I give this drama a try because I'm in the mood of light-hearted dramas where the male lead fall in love with the so-called 'uglier' identity (idk the exact term for that, sorry) of the female lead like True Beauty and Accidentally In Love.

Plot: 8/10 - I enjoyed the show. I like that the development in relationship of the main couple is slowly processed, not really fast-paced. I had a roller-coaster ride in almost every episodes. However, there's some unnecessary scenes which just made the drama a bit longer, though I managed to watch everything as I'm not a fan of skipping scenes. There are some kind of flaws regarding with the plot, and there are some times that I'm against to what the writer wanted the characters to do. Still love the ending and satisfied with it though, but the kiss is...

( I saw a lot of people who's bothered about the tag "blackface" before (which is removed now) that made others think negatively of this drama. Some are against that tag because they said it sounds like having western-centric mind and white-supremacy something, while some people are not because they said that female lead just did that to disguise herself and blackface is not a bad thing. As for me, no one is wrong. It's just how they see, understand, or how they gave meaning to that word, so let's try to understand and respect each other's point of view. )

Acting/Cast: 9/10 - This is the first time that Namfah became the main lead of a drama, but so far I liked her acting here! She performed her two characters well. August's acting was fine too. I love how she react every time he'll flirt with her lmao, and I love their chemistry too. I just don't like how the main lead tease the female lead so much before, to the point that I'm the one who feel like crying for her and not her herself (which is reasonable). And there's some part where some of the casts are a bit overacted or lacks a bit emotion in a particular scene. I also love all of the supporting characters, this drama is more fun and entertaining with them. Also the antagonist Khun Rika did a great job as well for making us hate her 'til the end but love her behind the scenes.

Music: 8/10 - Nothing to say much, Yak Ja Roo by Ice Thamonwan and Kho Chuea Chai Dtua Eng by August Vachiravit were nice.

Rewatch Value: 7/10 - As I've watched every episode of this drama like 4-5 times already while it's airing and after it finished airing, so I don't know if I'm going to watch it again. But I guess it will still be as enjoyable as before if you re-watch it.

Overall, it's fun watching this drama. I enjoyed the whole month of watching this and it somehow helped me to relieve stress. I got more friends while watching this drama and interacting with them, and they all enjoyed this too! Give it a try and see if it has the charm that's up to your cup of tea too.

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A love that naturally bloomed after an open conversation and small interactions.

After waiting for years for the drama to air, finally it arrived! Though at first when I read the synopsis, I thought that the plot doesn't really have something to offer, but I still wanted to check it out not just because of the leads but also the original and alternative titles of this drama caught my eye. I started with not really high expectations, but ended up loving it so much! Unsurprisingly, it wasn't perfect and I wish they did better on writing the other characters. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the whole drama and my March was less boring thanks to this.

I love how the story and relationship progression of the leads eventuate, it was really well-written and the heart-fluttering moments made me crave for more. The way the FL and ML slowly opened up to each other is truly one of the biggest assets this drama has, and the Little Theater (the short ending clips on almost every episode) made the show so much better and realistic. That’s one of what I’m looking forward to the most in TOOL - I'm amazed with the idea of adding something like that the first time I’ve seen it.

Like what I’ve said before, the leads are like open books. They show a wide-range of emotions, thanks to the cast's acting, that's why we can easily tell what they are feeling - especially the ML. I'm so satisfied to see that Gu Wei isn’t the type who tends to be one-dimensional when they portray an aloof character. Xiao Zhan definitely gave life to his character, he has shown his complexity in a natural way, has great micro-expressions and delivery of emotions. Meanwhile, Lin Zhi Xiao is a person who can get nosy at times but she’s optimistic and sweet who tries her best to handle a difficult situation. She’s emotional that's why her feelings were more visible - which is opposite from the ML who hides his emotions, though his soft and caring side was very exposed with his actions lol. They got a lot of comfort and encouragement from each other which led to them having mutual understanding despite the different professionalism and age gap. Watching them grow closer naturally made the chemistry get stronger and stronger.

There are just some side characters who’ll give a problem to the main leads instead of helping them solve their conflicts, which can really just get frustrating at times so I feel like they were unnecessary - but the main couple did their part so well, they outlined the bare essentials of the story nicely that I can willingly ignore the dissatisfaction I might have because of these characters. Zhi Xiao's parents were great though, they showed a realistic portrayal of a parent's way of thinking.

As for the OSTs, of course they were so good! Hearing Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi’s voices every time before the drama starts is so pleasant to hear, and the ending OST that Xiao Zhan sang described Gu Wei’s feelings and thoughts well about Lin Zhi Xiao in the drama. I can listen to any of the songs in loops, whatever mood I’m in. Overall, it was a pleasant watch and GuLin CP surely became one of my favorite couples.

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Even if people are powerless, justice always prevails unjustness.

The Double (墨雨云间) is a compelling tale that revolves around Xue Fang Fei, who was buried alive by her own husband but miraculously survives, and Xiao Heng, who investigates to unveil the corruption in the imperial court. Together, they embarked on a journey of revenge in the rightful/moralistic way and uphold justice to avenge their loved ones and protect the people.

The main story's pacing is well-balanced, it did not start off too soon and ended too late which makes sense because of specific circumstances, and the side stories were explored and wrapped up just in time. The drama also have fascinating cinematography, clever dialogues, and well-matched OSTs. The production team also gave attention and put effort even to the smallest details. It kept me on my seat as I got invested right from the beginning 'til the end. It was also too unpredictable, I enjoyed the twists and turns which made me and most of the viewers patiently wait on how the story will unravel.

I love how The Double stayed true to what it promised (the synopsis), and never took a 180° when the romance partakes the plot (unlike other revenge dramas), showing its consistency.

While the drama is executed almost perfectly, flaws are still inevitable. I could scarcely fathom some things about the plot, like how she dug herself out of her own grave and teleport beside the river, or how the people she convinced to speak up for her father did not agree at night, but suddenly all of them agreed the day after. I think it would be best to think that everything in this drama does not have to be taken under realistic circumstances, but rather on the creative writing style and entertainment value. Moreover, it would be better if the ending was also wrapped up better. Even if I am used to rushed endings, I still had high hopes in this drama, which therefore made me feel quite a sense of incompleteness (and the extra episode still was not able to fill in the gap in me). However, I can overlook the minor flaws because of how well this drama has been made. I am satisfied with the overall outcome!

The cast did exceptionally well in portraying their well-crafted characters. Wang Xing Yue undoubtedly excelled in portraying Duke Su / Xiao Heng, from his glare and stance to his bearing and articulation, perfectly delineating the ruthless (who uses others as a pawn) yet humane side (who cares for the well-being of the people) of his character. On the other hand, Wu Jin Yan's performance as Xue Fang Fei / Jiang Li is truly remarkable. Her facial expressions, especially her eyes, conveys diverse emotions which shows how her character was grappling with conflicting emotions inside while restraining herself to be overwhelmed by abhorrence. Liang Yong Qi as Shen Yu Rong and Li Meng as Princess Wan Ning also have impressive wide range of emotions in depicting the different sides of their multi-faceted characters. They managed to evoke mixed emotions within the audience and feel what their characters feel (without necessarily feel pity to them). Chen Xin Hai as Ye Shi Jie is an intelligent and righteous character, though his character was not much explored in the drama as much as the first four that I mentioned above.

The characters, especially the protagonists and antagonists, were three-dimensional and each have their own complexities. They were intelligently created and explored in-depth. Their backstories are also well-built, allowing us to understand the motivations behind the decisions and choices that they made, making us either sympathize with them or not. Even some supporting characters have their own related arcs that were not related to the main plot but surely worth it to see.

I love the supporting characters who served as the great support systems of the leads, whom they went through the mill with. These includes XFF's friends Jiang Jing Rui and Liu Xiu (together with Ye Shi Jie), and XH's comrades Wen Ji, Lu Ji, Situ Jiu Ye and Emperor Zhao Ye, who surely made them feel the true essence of companionship.

One of the most substantial part of this show, in my opinion, was how the leads' relationship gradually developed. Their bond went through many stages, from being a pawn and a master, to being a secret holder and a secret keeper, to being allies who have each other's back, forming a sacred bond that transcended the mundane. Also, their fervent and palpable chemistry had us giggling and tickling as they flirt in their own poetic ways. As a couple, I also love how they are on equal footing — they trust and respect each other as individuals, which is crystal clear in the drama. Their slow-burn romance has a perfect blend of all its ingredients, just up to my taste.

All in all, it was a well-written drama that is worth it to give a try, then see for yourself whether it is up to your taste or not.

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