visually gorgeous, but still missing something

Opening this review by saying that I love this director's works and My Journey To You is, to this day, one of my favourite c-dramas ever, so, needless to say, I waited for SO long for this show to finally air. My high expectations basically hit the sky.
The aesthetic, sceneries and cinematography of Fangs of Fortune don't come as a surprise: they are simply gorgeous and I really can't think of other dramas (during this or in the previous years) that are equal to it (except, of course, for this director's other works).
GJM always has a clear and fixed idea of how things should be shot and how they should look and, so far, it's always been consistent. Just one look at one scene and the viewers can immediately tell it's one of his works.
That's what hooked me with MJTY and I was just all too happy seeing it in this drama as well. C-dramas often tend to have... “issues” with the cinematography, the lightning and colouring, the camera work (let alone the CGI), so when it comes to this area, Fangs of Fortune is already a level above the others and it looks professional and eerie in the best possible way.
I admit, the ghostly white powder on the actors' faces always kind of takes me aback, because it's very VERY pale and in certain shots they either look like corpses or, thanks to skin smoothing as well, you can't really see their full expressions, but in this case it fits the tone of the drama and I think a different make-up would look weird and too much in contrast with the dark aesthetic.
Wigs and costumes are of very high quality and the texture, the details (ex. the fish scales in the fish demon's robes) the colours, EVERYTHING, really set them apart and a lot above others costume dramas... costumes.
Every character has its own styling and the outfits and hairstyles really help with making them all the more unique and alive. The stylist department really deserves all the appreciation and an award for their work.
If not for the plot and the characters themselves, I'd recommend this drama just for how good it looks.
(Little parenthesis for the soundtrack: it really works. I read comments where people were not happy with it, back when the show still had to air, but so far so good. Especially the modern song they use during fight scenes. Unexpectedly, it fits with the vibe and choreography of those sequences and it brings them out even more. When I think of the OST, that's the very first song that comes to mind, so it really left a good impression on me).
Now.
Onto the things that still don't sit quite right with me and the reason I scored this one a 7.5 (for now, will most likely change it as I watch more episodes – hopefully).
First of all, especially in the first couple of episodes, the scenes are way too jumpy and “messy”, so much so that I had to replay a couple of parts because I couldn't really understand certain things and the show just lost me. Was it a dream? A memory/flashback? The way it's edited and quickly jumps from A to B back to A is very confusing. They're not smooth cuts.
Granted, it got better in the last episode I watched (ep.5), so it's probably just a problem of the first part and it got fixed as it went on. Again, hopefully.
The second thing is the humour. Most of the times it actually gets a giggle out of me (the actors' comedic timing is always on point and their expressions alone are enough to make the joke work) and it's just in such contrast with the somber scene at play in that moment that it somehow works very well and I can only appreciate it. But some other times... they REALLY play into it, to the point that it feels kinda weird and out of place. Cringe, even. To make an example: the way the young boy, Bai Jiu, keeps screaming or fainting. After a while it gets repetitive, old, and his character doesn't feel real anymore. Hope he'll hit some character growth and won't shout as much. I really liked young master Xue's character in MJTY and, albeit so young, that actor really can play more serious roles.
Humour in this kind of dramas is a fine line to walk and I think, up to this moment, MJTY kept that balance a lot better.
Third thing, which is mainly what caused the 7.5, is something I cannot quite explain with words, but I can't help feeling whenever I'm watching this drama: a sense of emptiness. Of something missing, not being there.
It's really more of a personal feeling, but there are certain scenes where I really can't help but feel like I'm watching something empty, like something should be there, but isn't. Like I'm reading the draft of a book and some paragraphs are still missing or aren't finished yet. Where MJTY felt more organic and grounded, FoF is a lot more staged, a gorgeous cover wrapped around blank pages.
Sometimes it has to do with the scene in general, sometimes with the way it cuts from one shot to the other, the lack of music and overall sound or just the characters. I know they are interacting with each other, but it's as if there's this wall that divides them. One thing that really irks me is how often (especially the villains) they just... stand there and let the main leads finish their thing, whether it's talking among themselves or preparing for action.
It's still the very beginning, though, so it'll probably smooth out and feel more natural and complete with the episodes to come, but right now it all feels too disjointed, especially when the narration clearly slows down or stops altogether to focus on the appearance of the characters or the beauty of a certain shot.
(I know this criticism basically goes against my praises of the aesthetic and cinematography of this director's works, but I can't deny he can be VERY pretentious and all too often puts looks above substance).
I still don't have much to say about the characters themselves, because we still don't know them much yet, but some impressed me more than others and for others I hope they'll grow and get better with time.
I'm very curious about Zhuo Yichen, although Tian Jiarui's performance so far is a little... lukewarm, when compared with the work he did on Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY. I like how Yichen can be both fierce and shy/awkward, but he didn't give much aside for that (so far). I know he's a more than capable actor, so I'm sure the character will grow on me, but right now... not there yet. It probably also depends on the way the make-up and hairstyle always make his expression look very tight, as if he can't move his face much - or just got a face lift. But, aside from that, I'm curious to find out who he really is. I have this headcanon where he is, in fact, a demon, given his blue eyes and his whispery voice (I noticed only demons have it, which is a nice touch and detail) and the constant nightmare of becoming one. I want to see whether I'm right or wrong.
I was pleasantly surprised with two performances so far: Neo Hou and Chen Duling.
I always found Neo Hou's acting to be quite stiff and struggled a lot not to see the actor beneath the character, so I am impressed in the best of ways with this role. He is shining and brings Zhu Yan to life. And although at times the character himself isn't very consistent with the way he acts and reacts, he really works for me and got me hooked from the very beginning. Hope we'll get to see more of his layers, like his darker and more serious and dangerous side, but also his sensible and “sad” personality, because he really wishes to die and I really want to 1) know why and 2) see HOW the actor will showcase this part of the character.
For Chen Duling, I've only seen her in two other works, where she played either a minor role or a supporting role, but in both cases she was nothing but a woman who fell into sadness and depression because of her lost lover, so I was a bit worried about Wen Xiao. But I really love her so far and she's really growing on me. Right now I can easily say she's my favourite among the main roles.
Last but not least, I hope we'll get some proper world building this time around. GJM's works always tend to lack a lot on this department and so far the world of FoF hasn't been fleshed out that much. Granted, I'm only at episode five as I'm writing this review, but I was really confused at the wheres and how much time it takes to move from place x to place y.
I wish they gave us an impression of space and moving spaces like, for example, Mysterious Lotus Casebook did. Its world building isn't much richer and extended, but it has some substance at least and the characters won't just appear back at a certain place (ex. the archives of the bureau) as if through sci-fi teleportation.

I think that's all for now. Might come back to this once the drama is complete.

UPDATED REVIEW WITH FINAL THOUGHTS:

After so long since I'm done with this drama, I still don't fully know and understand how to feel about it – hence why I'm putting an end to this review only now.
I don't think I ever struggled so much with being objective with something I watched before.
I'm usually very critical and strict with dramas, movies and books and I easily draw a line between objectiveness and subjectiveness, but with Fangs of Fortune... a struggle, as I said.
It has many many flaws and the ending was such a complete mess (storytelling wise) that I wouldn't be able to rate it above 5, with all in all a plot without substance – at times non-existent –, repetitive storylines and undercooked villains and worldbuilding . And yet... the hold this drama has on me is still strong and it won't just let me go.
After The Untamed, I had yet to find a drama which would stuck with me long after the epilogue and I wasn't really expecting FoF to be my new “obsession”.
(I loved My Journey to You a lot more and I can easily say it is one of my favourite dramas ever, but it didn't click the same way; after I was done watching it, I didn't interact with the fandom nor looked for edits and other material revolving around it).
The concerns/problems I pointed out when I first wrote this review did not dissipate – in some cases it actually got WORSE –, so I won't waste time in repeating myself.
GJM, I find, tends to repeat the same mistakes in all of his works (especially when it comes to executing the last episodes, pacing and focus are all over the place and the quality and coherence seem to drop) and I don't believe it's ever going to change, at this point.
But I still got one (and a half) new complaint I would like to briefly present, so bear with this review a little longer.
My half complaint is more of a very personal preference and that is: I wish they showed us more of the demon hunting bureau gang bonding and spending time together.
The found family vibes are i m m a c u l a t e, the very highlight of this drama and a breath of fresh air that really sets FoF apart from most of all other series, but they didn't take much time to actually build that friend/family relationship and I think the real reason it worked so well is due more to the actors rather than the writing.
ALL of them were phenomenal in their interpretation of the characters and the chemistry they had with each other all throughout the drama is simply top-notch. BUT if the cast members were not as good at their job and just as close IRL, I doubt the squad friendship would have been as impactful to the viewers.
First of all, they don't spend much time together while on screen and most of their interactions have to do with solving problems and fighting threats (and, even in those cases, they usually go their separate ways or split in two/three groups based on whether they are lead roles or support roles).
I might remember wrong, but I believe we only got one scene where they are all together, just relaxing and being young, and that is during the fire-water dance between Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen. Other than that, we know they are close friends because
a) actors chemistry
b) they keep TELLING us they are friends and family and
c) the very moving and beautiful scenes where two characters are sitting down and going through their emotions, fears, worries and just talking about life.
I love love love the final result (which is the most beautiful and at times chaotic found family one could ever ask for), but I wish the journey had been slower and better paved – perhaps with more solving cases.
More show, less tell, especially while they are becoming friends.
Now, onto the main complaint.
Wen Xiao.
I'll start by saying that, to me at least, it makes sense for her not to fight.
She's a scholar and wasn't born nor raised in a military setting like, for example, the Pei siblings, so her strengths lie somewhere else and I agree with the decision to keep her out of combat and physical scenes – although in the very first episodes she was pretty agile herself and could use her poisoned knife to bring damage and subdue her opponent... but it's also true that the "enemies" became stronger with each episode, so, as I said, her not being a badass warrior makes sense.
She is smart and cunning and her mind and words are her weapons (as showed so many times – just think of how cleverly she dealt with Li Lun's trick questions and how well she understands demons and their behaviours).
Her brain and curiosity, those are her true weapons, not a sword nor arrows, so I really didn't find it weird for her to keep away from big fights.
If she did intervene, she would have probably got herself killed and put others in danger in order to save her reckless a**.
But she was horribly sidelined as a character and that's what I really didn't like seeing. She was so promising at the beginning, but she never really hit a character growth and always felt underdeveloped and focused on, to the point where she spent most of her scenes sitting on the floor and crying. We never really got to know of her past before and after becoming a disciple of the Goddess, how she dealt with her father's death, her new life...
I kind of agree when other fans say she was probably written in the story just to pass censorship, because I can't deny the characters of the two male leads were built with a lot more care and nuance – and had just more screen time and scenes, be it together, solo or with the other members of the bureau.
But I'll end it here, this has gotten too long of a review.

To conclude, Fangs of Fortune is, since episode one, a character-driven drama, so never expect much from the plot (in some episodes there really isn't any at all). But, as long as you realize that, you'll find this a drama worth watching, so I'd still recommend it.
If you prefer dramas with little to no plot or don't mind its lack of substance or want to give it a try despite the former, I'd say go for it, there's a high chance you really won't regret it and will actually fall in love with this one.
The characterization and chemistry of the main leads and friend group are of the best I've seen in a drama so far
the acting never falters and is always the top, from main characters to simple guest roles
the cinematography and the costumes/character designs are nearly incomparable, especially when it comes to the demons
the OST and its lyrics are so good and full of meaning (you'll definitely end up saving at least one in your playlist)
and I could write a whole paragraph about the dialogues of this drama. How deep and with sensible and important messages some of them are, how poetic and well written (and delivered), how impactful and never cringy.

- Mei

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if only it weren't for the romance

I started this drama with no particular expectations, knowing none of the actors nor what the story was about and... I have mixed feelings. Particularly about the romance and the very last, rather rushed and dumb, episodes.
Go East starts strong with a fresh and funny workplace plot and well enough fleshed out characters and it would have soared higher if it didn't fall in the all too used and familiar romantic narration between two leads who share no particular chemistry.
Because, in my opinion, what really set this drama apart from all others aired this year are the platonic and friendly relationships between the characters, how they get together to become one big, chaotic and yet cosy family, and the love route just dragged it down.
If I were to give this drama two separate ratings, it would go like that:

first half: 8.5
The first half of the drama focuses on the Sifang Pavilion and the shenanigans and developing friendships of the people who work there, taking care of hosts and guests from all countries and their (diplomatic) needs. It's all very light, at times silly and above the lines, and every character has just the right comedic timing and expressions to make one, if not laugh out loud, at least giggle a little.
The best relationships (chemistry wise) in this part are the ones between Yuan Mo and Yu De Shui (father-son/partners in crime) and between Yuan Mo and Wang Ku Wu (two opposites who get to know and trust each other with their lives).
We even have some cases that need to be investigated and solved and, although not extremely clever, they were engaging and well written and made me love this drama all the more. Up to this point, I was ready to say Go East was to become one of my favourite shows ever.
But then came the

second half: 6.5 (7 if I REALLY stretch it)
My main problem with this part is how everything - the comedy and satire, the friendship and growing trust between the characters, the role the Sifang Pavilion has in managing the many foreign envoys and investigating "mysteries" - gets diluted and put aside to the benefit of the romance when the romance has no reason to be to begin with.
It just doesn't make sense for Yuan Mo to fall in love so fast (or at all) with A Shu, a young woman who did nothing but complicate his life, bringing him endless trouble and problems, threatened, bullied and poisoned him since their very first meeting and put his life in literal danger by framing him and getting him to prison. She all but invades his home and personal space, throwing away his stuff and planting poisonous flowers and plants all over his garden (and even brings in a snake - which was a very cute snake, I admit, but one Yuan Mo was terrified of), unapologetically helps herself to all his money and gets mad at him when things don't go her way or her - rather hard to achieve - demands are not met.
And he... falls in love with her. Head-over-heels-I-would-die-for-you sort of love. Given their past (and a very recent past at that) I just couldn't understand their romance and that really took me out of the story. I would have perhaps excused it if it were treated as a slow burn, but there's nothing even remotely slow about the way he falls for her.
Does it get better along the way? Yes...? But also not really. I could see she too ends up caring for him a lot, but that didn't refrain her from keep on telling lies and go on quests that put her life in danger (and consequently his and her friends, since they were the ones that always had to save her) nor did she defend him ONCE when her servants bullied and physically beat him for literally no reason. No, at times she even gave the impression of finding these mistreatments funny.
They would have worked a lot better as bickering friends and nothing more, since romantic love really wasn't necessary for the plot to move forward. (But in my opinion the writers should have done a better job with A Shu altogether).
Conversely, I really liked how they slowly built the romance between Wang Kun Wu and Yuchi Hua. It felt more organic, balanced and realistic (plus, absolutely zero toxic behaviours in sight) and it just made a lot more sense than the main couple.

This one issue aside and, as I've already mentioned at the very beginning, a rushed ending where all the villains (major and minor alike) suddenly turned rather dumb and cartoonish when they were depicted as interesting and dangerous up until that moment, I would still recommend this drama, because there is some rather good writing, the jokes and satire never miss, the (non-romantic) chemistry between the actors works and the characters are for the most part memorable and well written individuals, with their own motivations and personalities, dreams and flaws. All in all they all get their arc and character growth and the actors were capable enough to translate that on screen.
I really just wish they'd done a better job with the lead couple.

- Mei

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everybody's dumb

I usually structure my reviews in positive points and negative points, where I try to be as objective and critical as possible, but I don't think I will be able to do just that with this one. No, this one is going to be pure rant and little else.
The disappointment is still too fresh as I'm typing this, but I don't want to wait to cool down before writing, because... I don't want to devote any more of my time to Gyeongseong Creature, honestly.
It's not a terrible show, I would like to make it clear; it has had its good moments and the first episode started strong, promising a thrilling and suspenseful trip in secret government structures and terrifying depictions of human experiments and the horrors of war and enemy occupation, but that didn't actually happen and I find more annoying things than great ones.
Reading the summary, I had expected a completely different plot, but that's on me for creating mental fan fictions before actually watching the thing. For some reason I convinced myself the monster (which had no human past, but came from another dimension) was haunting an abandoned hospital and built my own expectations from there.
But back to the review.
What really gave me the ick with this drama is how absolutely, utterly dumb the characters and the writing are. I will point out a couple of examples to clarify what I mean.
Let's start with the nature of the monster itself.
For 8/9 episodes out of 10 I thought the little germ they found in the glacier caused the mutation, but that bit was actually the humans. The najin solely makes the person an aggressive apex predator whose only want is to attack humans and eat their brains (basically a zombie, but without the rotten skin). They are faster and stronger than a normal human being and can heal from any kind of wound in literal seconds. The only weaknesses: fire and sunlight (but not really).
So why, WHY, even inject that mad scientist formula to begin with? You already have a superhuman, you only need to find a way to tame them. Why turn them into three-meter-tall monsters with tentacles and all of that jazz that you can't even keep in a cage? I understand those doctors are psychos, but they are just creating a problem where there could easily be none.
But I also understand they needed a disgusting monster for this show (it's in the title, after all), so I'll let it pass...
I mean, they could have omitted the part where it's the human-made injection that causes the mutation and blame it all on the najin, but let's not go there.
Other rather dumb behaviours can be found in the prisoners (and I feel bad in saying so, but it has to be said) and our protagonists.
So, you are a prisoner and you know terrible things are going on in the place you are being held in and nobody returns after they are taken from the cell, so explain me why
1) you eat and drink without a second thought the things your psychotic captors are offering you. I know you are likely starving, but you should also have some sort of survival instinct and a lot of trust issues given what you experienced. But, nope, just gulp it all down. The soldiers don't even need to hold you at gunpoint to force you.
2) WHY are you touching the weird spores flying out of the menacing and tightly sealed carriage pushed by soldiers covered HEAD TO TOE in protective suit? I was just about to scream in frustration when I saw that happening.
Now, onto our named characters.
You very secretly get into a dangerous and off-limits enemy base and you don't want them to know you are here. So is it REALLY necessary to kill those (already unconscious and taken care of) guards with a katana? Is it REALLY necessary to swing it freely around and above your head so that the soldiers standing guard in the tower can see what's going on and give the alarm? Don't think so but the writers decided it was, apparently.
At least they are consistent in making the characters dumb, I'll give them that. We got dumb villains, dumb heroes and dumb victims.
This show saving grace could have then been the horror part, but the creature itself lost its impact and horrific nature the moment it was fully and clearly showed. The CGI wasn't even that bad, considering it's for a Netflix k-drama, but I believe showing the monster is a common mistake many horror movies and shows make. After all, what is more terrifying than the unknown?
I only felt some kind of chill and anxiety during the very first episodes, when we still couldn't see the creature, just a confused shape hidden in the shadows and tentacles jumping out of nowhere. My imagination did the rest in creating a scary monster, but the instant they showed THEIR monster... it was all gone. I find it ridiculous more than anything and I even stopped feeling disgusted whenever it sucked brains with its tentacles. Which, admittedly, was the ONLY truly horrifying thing it did as the big bad monster of the show and the only time I looked away from the screen.
I truly believe with a better writing (and a little less wooden-looking FL) this drama would have been great and unforgettable, because the idea was good and the first episode very promising.
Instead we got something unoriginal, poorly executed and with underdeveloped characters. There was no built up to the experiment and the monster (although I liked the fact it was the mother our FL and her father have been looking for for ten years) and we're pushed right into the action minutes after meeting the characters. We don't get to know and care for them nor they get to know and care for each other – the love story between those two makes no sense, because how many interactions did they actually have, besides the ones where they are either fighting or running for their lives?
The more I write, the more frustrated and disappointed I fell, so I'll end it here.
I know I should watch season two to understand what was going on with the very last scenes of the season finale, but right now I really don't care nor feel like wasting any more of my time. In the future, perhaps – or I'll just go read some reviews with spoilers of s2 and spare myself another possible disappointment.

- Mei

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a gem worth discovering

I rarely watch contemporary dramas, but after Go East and Lost You Forever, I now like Tan Jian Ci enough to start his works blindly (plus, I've only ever heard rather good things about this show) and... it did not disappoint. Actually, it exceeded all of my expectations.
Granted, it's not perfect and, albeit they are not exactly issues that will ruin and hinder ones vision of the drama, there ARE certain things I wished were done better or showed more.
But let's go step by step.
What stands out most in this show, and I think it's universally agreed upon, is the role of art and how much room they gave to it. Art IS the protagonist of Under The Skin, a character of its own, even. I loved how they represented it, how gorgeous those drawings and paintings are (some impressed me so much that I still remember them clearly) and the minute attention to each and every detail, stroke and colour they put into it.
Nothing was left to chance and if something did feel rather weird or absurd (ex. the name of the tower perfectly reflecting in the pupil of a woman taking a selfie), it was later on explained and touched upon and actually became evidence to solve a case.
I love when dramas actually have good and solid writing and don't ask the audience to turn off their intelligence to let things slide.
This show, while not being the most aesthetic and with the highest cinematography, still has some rather memorable scenes, especially when it comes to showing us viewers how Shen Yi sees the world through his artist eyes. Those shots were so well done and really stuck with me.
Always speaking of the role of art in this drama, I just loved loved loved how they drew a connection between certain cases and the paintings Shen Yi was discussing with his class. It just gave Under The Skin that touch of something and showed once more the work and attention to detail the writers put into it.
And when it comes to the characters, it's no less well written. Although I did find some lacking with the supporting roles and I wish they weren't just treated as workers in the police bureau (we still don't know much about them, besides their names and roles in the workplace), the two male leads are perfectly fleshed out (albeit little is still known of their private lives too) and so is each protagonist of the case of the day. Some more than others, they are all written as individuals with flaws and motivations, substance and humanity (and all that being human means).
I really appreciated the work they did on Shen Yi and Du Cheng and how they managed to keep a balance with their most "extreme and strong" traits. It would have been all too easy to write them as caricatures instead of individuals, but the writers really did a good job in walking that fine line, making them as real and human as two fictional characters can get.
So Du Cheng isn't just a big man with a strong will that could have so easily turned into an arrogant captain and a bully, but he is dutiful, with a strong sense of justice, he is sensible and kind and deeply cares for the people close to him. Losing his mentor that way killed a part of him and it took him a long time to heal and forgive.
The same way, Shen Yi isn't aloof and inhuman, indifferent and blunt à la Sherlock Holmes or Sheldon Cooper, although he is as sharp and clever as both of them and could have all too easily become another caricature of a person with extremely high IQ, artistic talent and a dark past. He can be weird and a little awkward at times, but he remains approachable and gentle, reasonable and friendly.
To wrap this up, and as already mentioned in the title, Under The Skin is an underrated drama and a gem worth discovering that touches upon humanity and our society and doesn't shy away from depicting and denouncing its ugliest sides.
Highly recommend watching it.

- Mei

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I have double feelings about this one

I'm trying to love The Double, I really am.
With the number of gorgeous TikTok edits and 10 stars reviews on MDL I was submerged with, my expectations for this drama were as high as they can get (plus, I liked Wang Xing Yue and Liu Xie Ning in Story of Kunning Palace enough to give it a try just for the two of them).
However, reality rarely reflects one's expectations and The Double is no exception.
As I'm writing this review, episode 14 is waiting to be watched, so take what comes with a grain of salt (read: my opinion may change as I continue with the show, be it in a good way or for the worse).
Moreover, I'm late to the party and this one has finished airing a while ago, most of what needed to be said has probably been said, so I'll try to keep it short.

Starting with the things I liked –
and, in particular, the very first thing the viewer notices upon starting this drama: its dark aesthetic and vibe.
Being a huge fan of gloomy atmospheres and dark/grunge colour palettes when it comes to historical and fantasy c-dramas, my eyes were heart-shaped since the very first scene.
Mind you, I'm talking about the visuals (colouring and lightning) and not the camera work. The cinematography is, all in all, good (I have seen a lot lot worse), with some rather nice shots, but I can't stand (and I reiterate, I CAN'T STAND) the way the camera zooms in on a character. Sometimes it gets worse: it zooms OUT.
The first couple of times I didn't know what to think of it: I didn't like it, but I found it interesting enough to bear with it. I always appreciate a director's creativity and you don't get many original camera angles and shots in Dramaland lately.
But then it kept happening. And it kept happening. And it kept happening. You get the jest. At a certain point it literally zoomed in on the face of every single character present in that scene.
And don't get me started on how sometimes the camera just focuses on the front of the character talking (or just staring intensely – there are indeed quite a lot of intense gazes in there) while the background is out of focus/foggy, giving the impression that there's nothing behind them, but then the shot changes perspective and it's back to normal. It takes me out of the scene whenever that happens and I can only see the actor and no longer the character. I... really don't like it.
Speaking of being taken out of a scene: the qin competition between Jiang Li and Jiang Ruoyao. Why. WHY.
Admittedly, I would have LOVED that one episode it they had kept it metaphorical, allegorical (what a cool way to show the emotions and power music has), but it was actually happening within the story. People were looking at that... everything. It brought a magic element where magic never was and probably never will be again. And the CGI wasn't even that good, but I digress.
Back to the things I liked.
Always on the visuals department, costumes and hairstyles are very good (especially for the women). I don't know whether they are historically accurate or not (but is the story in itself even historically accurate?), but I really like how they look. And when the melodramatic wind blows hair and fabrics all around, they get all the more gorgeous.
The sets are also nice. Nothing spectacular or memorable, but they do their job and set the right vibe and aesthetic for the scene. The dark filter also helps a lot with the texture and the sense of realness of rooms and backdrops.
With a better camera work, I would have given a solid 9 to the visuals alone.
Acting is also this drama's forte. Granted, some more than others, but right now I find all actors bring at least a certain level of depth to their character and emote the needed emotions when they are needed.
Except (don't come for my throat), our FL, Wu Jin Yan. I'm loving Jiang Li as a character (VERY rare kind of female character in a c-drama, she is). She is cunning, determined, patient and calm, fierce and caring, witty and even a little sassy at times, so character wise, chapeau to her. She's dealing with a huge trauma and she isn't letting it destroy her, instead she's taking her time to cope with it. She's strong and brave, without being the stereotypical badass heroine that can fight a whole army on her own at the cost of her femininity. What's not to love?
But the actress. Admittedly, this is the first time I see one of her works, so perhaps it's really a matter of representing the character (it would make sense and it works well with the type of character Jiang Li is) and not her acting capabilities, but I really struggle with getting any sort of emotion from her. Nothing is going on behind those eyes. It's like they don't even reflect light. Blank, total blank and dead stare – and most of the times her face is just as unnaturally wooden-like.

Now, onto the things I'm really not liking so far –
I never felt so frustrated and annoyed with characters before. I like the acting and there are some great and strong performances in there (ex. Ji Shuran, Princess Wanning, Shen Yurong and nearly all of the older cast – Wang Xing Yue's Duke Su could get an honorable mention, but I haven't seen much of him yet to actually tell for sure), but I'm hating about 90% of the characters.
Why are nearly all of them so hateful and would go to such great lengths to hate and ruin the life of a single individual? Sometimes for no particular nor apparent reason. They just hate Jiang Li and want her reputation ruined and, preferably, to see her dead.
Have they talked to her even once? No.
Do they still lie and try to trick her to bring her down? Oh, yes.
Why is that? No idea. It's just the way it is with those people.
They either hate or love our protagonist endlessly, no in between.
And why is the father so dumb? He's probably the one I am hating the most, because the “villains” at least actively attack Jiang Li and come up with cunning schemes to destroy her – I hate them, but they are interesting! –, but what does he do? Besides believing rumours and supposed scandals about his own daughter? Who isn't even his actual daughter, but he doesn't even realize nor questions HOW MUCH she's changed during those ten years. But what can you expect from a father that believed, no questions asked, that a literal child would try to kill her stepmother and little brother, sent her to the mountains and never visited her once. A child. She was, what, seven at the time?
Jiang Li proved time and time again that she's wrongfully blamed by family and whatnot, but does he take a step back and thinks “maybe this is the case too?”. No, one bad word about her and he immediately believes it.
I can't wait for her to take revenge, because what kind of family.
Another thing that I don't really like is a problem within the plot itself. A sort of plot hole, if you let me. It really is a detail, but its consequences could be huge.
And that is... male and female students teaming up for the exam.
How is that even a thing? How is that even allowed within the society of that fictional world and time? Boys and girls can mix together and work elbow to elbow for a school exam, even ride the same carriage with no servants looking over them, but it's absolutely prohibited for a boy and a girl to stay alone in the same room. Oh, the scandal!
You can see there is a flaw in this logic.
And how come nobody questions Jiang Li for disappearing for a whole night (and I believe it happened twice, actually), when her step mother and sister are literally waiting for the first occasion to ruin her reputation? I hardly believe it's alright for a noble, unmarried lady to spend the night out – and at another man's mansion, no less.
Sometimes this show sets rules in one episode and completely disregards them in the very next, if that's convenient for the plot to move forward.

To wrap this up –
from what I've seen so far, The Double has both merits and flaws (almost in perfect balance, really), so it's still worth a watch, but you'll need a lot of suspension of belief to get through some stuff. And I mean a lot of it.

– Mei

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