Wang Xingyue - Tumblr Posts
Do I know why the ML of The Double is practicing sword fighting shirtless in the rain?
No.
Do I actually care about knowing the reason?
Also no.
The Double 墨雨云间 (2024) Dir. Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, Ma Shi Ge – Ep. 17
Duke Su longing for our FL while practicing swordplay in the rain shirtless is literally what the romance genre was invented for.
AAAAAA!
Meanwhile Li is also thinking of him. In a rose bath. This is SO gloriously extra!
YOU ARE TELLING ME THIS SAD PUPPY AND SULKY CAT ARE THE SAME PERSON???
Wang Xingyue for Men’s Uno China, June 2024
Someone will escort me.
THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (2024)
he is SO pretty
I find him pretty.
Story of Kunning Palace Ep. 14: Redemption in life
Jian Xuening: Between my past self and present self, who do you think is better? Xie Wei: Be it the past or the present, it is all you. You're the one and only Miss Ning'er. Besides, the present exists because of the past. Just face it as is. But if we have to make it clear, I think if the present Ning'er knows what she wants, she will be well. And she'll be even better in the future.
Kyaaaa, the scream that just came out of me. This scene from Episode 14 solidified for me why Xie Wei is Jiang Xuening's endgame. Although Zhang Zhe is dreamy and represents the virtuous life Xuening regrets not pursuing as empress, it is ultimately Xie Wei who complements her character. Xuening's story arc isn't just about becoming a better person but also about recognizing that she has always had goodness in her and that goodness makes her life worth just as much as someone like Zhang Zhe. And it is Xie Wei who reminds her of this. She is an "unrefined jade", someone who can choose a more righteous path than the one she started on.
Xuening gave up her life for Zhang Zhe to make amends but also because she idolizes him. In a way, she sees him as more than just a man; he's the embodiment of what is good in the world--the opposite of how she sees her past self.
What I find interesting about their interactions are the small ways she tries to mold herself to fit Zhang Zhe's preferences. (I laughed when her voiceover at the antique shop admitted she didn't know anything about antiques but she would learn for him. Girl, same.) They don't have the fragile but freeing honesty Xie Wei and her have slowly cultivated, and I have a feeling her approach will become exhausting in the long run.
In contrast, Xie Wei argues that she has always had a choice to be a better person because she fundamentally is a good person. Despite being brash and cunning, Xuening is also tenacious, brave, and even kind (all of which Xie Wei recognized when they first met years ago). It is only in life not death that there is the possibility of redemption; she just needs to seek it.
And he sees her.
Truly sees her.
(I have to hand it to Zhang Linghe. These scenes are some of the best acting he's done in years.)
In every timeline, he has watched (over) her and recognized her for her, whether that was by
Calling her Ning'er because of the three words in her name, only "Ning" is her name alone. I think this is particularly poignant given his own estrangement from his family. When they first met, she was still a normal village girl who hadn't officially joined the Jiang family while he had long forsaken his father's name. "Ning'er" is intimate, thoughtful, and honors that shared history;
Apologizing for his anger after assuming the worst of her scheming (e.g., when she was supposedly endangering Yan Lin);
Bringing her sweets when he saw her other study mates had ignored her, even baking them according to her preferences; or
Appreciating her strategic thinking and offering her guidance despite how her plans might complicate his own.
Both Xuening and Xie Wei are people readers (but completely blind to each other's growing feelings, of course), but Xie Wei also uses those skills to care for Xuening in ways that are meaningful to her. He's not changing himself like Xuening wants to do for Zhang Zhe (i.e., how can I fit myself into his world) but instead offering relief (i.e., how can I make her world better).
I can't wait for her to truly see him back so he can redeem himself.
The Double (Ep. 1): Beauty in death
Since starting The Double, I've mainly been distracted by Wang Xingyue's perfect bone structure and fan work (please let that thing make an appearance in a future bed scene 🙏🏼).
But when my brain cells do decide to kick in, the one thing it keeps returning to is just how beautifully evocative all the death (-related) scenes are.
Many of the scenes use cinematic techniques inspired by horror and fairytales to create a dream-like feeling of loss where we're left overwhelmed by the possibility of it all being real.
But the shot that sticks out most to me has to be this one from Episode 1, when our main character, Xue Fangfei, is found near death after being framed and buried alive by her husband:
The scene is beautifully set.
Large trees line the river, its glassy water lapping at Fangfei's splayed body. She is in the center of the frame, abandoned yet trapped by the decisions made by others. The simple white of her sinking robes connect her to Jiang Li and Tong-er, two women who had been similarly betrayed by loved ones. The shot reminds me of Ophelia, another young woman who had drowned with grief and madness while surrounded by flowers.
But this time, "Ophelia" survives, ready for revenge in the garden of her enemies.
The Double (Ep. 26): A place to rest your head
"Everywhere else is not comfortable, but the place you picked sure is not bad."
Can we just take a moment to gush about THIS scene?
There's so much going on here and it's equal parts delicious and beautiful. Look, the writers and director of The Double don't always get it right, but when they do? Perfection. Fangfei and the Duke might now be one of my fave OTPs ever.
I've said this before but one of my favorite elements of The Double's storytelling is its use of extended metaphor, particularly its use of theater to represent Duke Su's character. Not only does he put on a good show but he also appreciates one. And Fangfei looks like a piece of art he can't help but admire.
Look at how lovingly the camera glides over her to represent his gaze. He could stare at her for hours and never grow bored. It's sexy but also incredibly intimate, especially since there's nothing really else in the frame but their faces. Both might say they lack a home, but it seems like they've been able to carve out a space for only the two of them just fine.
(See all those window and doorway frames within frames--they’re like a cocoon, protecting them from the outside world.)
But unlike Rapist Zhou, Duke Su doesn't want to conquer and possess Fangfei like an object, and you can immediately see him repressing the rage he feels at seeing her bruises in the close-up edit that lasts a beat too long.
It ties back to their earlier conversation about her wanting to switch roles with him and be the player instead of a pawn. He doesn't balk or make fun of her desire to see the world from a more powerful vantage point and instead clarifies whether she'd like him to be her pawn as well.
The fact that he knows what she has suffered at the hands of her ex husband and Rapist Zhou but only asks about what would make her feel empowered? Telling you, the man is trauma-informed. He knows when to ask questions and when to shut up.
And this close-up shot after the camera slowly pans from her bruised wrist to her gently smiling face? This shot made my heart twinge.
That Fangfei felt comfortable enough to come to his home and even rest in his private quarters after almost being assaulted is so incredibly telling. She knows he's gazing at her bruises and she smiles at him because she trusts that he'd never do the same.
I love that his presence gives her space to heal. It's such a marked difference from when they first met in that room.
SIDE NOTE: Whenever she gets to use that fan on him, I will go freaking feral.
Give me what I want, show.
