“Obsession is a fire you can’t contain; it devours every thought until only they remain.”

Years ago, when I watched the web movie “A Round Trip to Love”, I was stunned by the main lead’s bizarre obsession. A decade has passed since then and Lan Lin’s iconic danmei novel was reinterpreted with a twist. Dubbed as “Double Helix”, the new live-action adaptation lives up to the reputation of its predecessor; it is rustic, off-the-charts addictive and more detailed. The movie adaptation was rather rushed, but the remake digs into the gradual transformation undergone by both protagonists in their decade-long journey. It is angsty, unbelievably painful yet inarguably realistic. It perseveres in the restrictions faced by the LGBTQ community, the taboo and stigma that follows them everywhere, the restraints that are placed on individuals belonging to the community and societal prejudices. It transverses the journey of the main leads from the time they first fell in love, to being separated twice and their final reconciliation!!

The Romance That Still Went Wrong

Human nature is fickle, and sometimes we forget, that love can instantly turn into an obsession. Lu Feng (Ayden Sng), a wealthy young heir, falls for his gentle classmate, Cheng Yi Chen’s (Lu Si Tong) in college. Their solemn budding romance is shattered when Lu Feng’s rival tries to assault Cheng Yi Chen. To protect Cheng Yi Chen, Lu Feng beats him up badly. To protect Lu Feng, his rich father pays a hefty sum to the victim and sends him abroad against his wishes. On the other hand, Cheng Yi Chen is forced to transfer schools. Both are unable to contact each other and suspicions grow as Lu Feng’s family sows discord. Years later, the couple reunite in a twist of events when Yi Chen realises his new boss is Lu Feng. Years of separation have turned Lu Feng into a bitter man and initially, they don’t get along. But slowly, as their misunderstandings are cleared, our happy couple reconcile. Unfortunately, disaster strikes twice and Yi Chen’s mother learns about their reunion. She forces Yi Chen to get married to his classmate, Zhou Lan (Li Ke Yi). Fearing rejection, Yi Chen accepts her decision and marries Zhou Lan. Years later, they get divorced, and Yi Chen returns to his hometown. He seeks out Lu Feng, who is now a budding businessman. On seeing Yi Chen, Lu Feng’s obsessive tendencies are triggered, and he confines Yi Chen at his house. The fight continues as Lu Feng belittles Yi Chen’s existence and often forcibly has sex with him. Yi Chen has a mental breakdown until Zhou Lan comes searching for him. In the ensuing chaos, she fires a shot at Lu Feng and Yi Chen protects him. Lu Feng tries to undermine his dormant insecurity which turns into mental sickness. He is hospitalized, and Yi Chen remains beside him throughout this period. In the end, they reconcile after almost a decade of painful separation and reconciliation!!

Final Impressions

“Double Helix” beautifully fleshed out Lu Feng’s struggles as he battles loneliness and anxiety while Yi Chen’s inherent weaknesses are laid bare!!

Lu Feng has deep-bred obsessions, his entire world revolves around Yi Chen. So when you remove Yi Chen from the equation, he mostly reacts with anger. Singaporean actor Ayden Sng does an impressive job of portraying Lu Feng’s high-strung emotions. It isn’t easy playing a toxic character like that. It must have indeed taken a toll on his mental health, but it is obvious he gave it his all. Lu Si Tong has to play a character who has to suppress his own feelings and is afraid of parental rejection. Lu Feng is certainly not a sympathetic character, his profound sense of loss turns him into a toxic individual, and it is quite difficult to forgive his travesties. The secondary couple, played by Qin Lang (Fa Xuan Ge) and Yi Chen (He Jia Shu) have an underrated romance that is nontoxic. I spend a lot of time cursing the main protagonist’s foolish choices, so that means this show was successful in grabbing my attention from start to finish!!

Rating- 4 out of 5

Streaming on- Gagaoolala/ Viki/ Viu