Veil of Shadows

Make sure you have tissues nearby, because this drama will make you cry non-stop.

This drama really made me want to cry 😭. What I love most is how the mystery unfolds bit by bit in every episode, instead of saving everything for the final part. The storytelling is beautifully structured, the CGI is impressive, and the costumes are absolutely stunning.

One scene that really stayed with me is when Wuyi says, “Don’t cry, don’t be sad. Awu will always be with you.” I loved it so much that I ended up memorizing the line in Mandarin.

As for the romance, I didn’t find the relationship between Jiling and Wuyi cringe or cheesy at all it felt genuinely sweet. Meanwhile, the relationship between Wangyuan and Shi Guang feels more mature. It’s like they still have that youthful love, but with the emotional depth of adults. It’s a bit hard to describe, but it feels more grounded and real.

And speaking of Wangyan, she really feels like the eldest sister who carries a heavy responsibility, silently holding everything together even when she’s completely broken inside.

Also… why is the villain so hard to defeat? 😂 It’s like she/he die, come back, die again, and then come back again. Usually in cdramas, the villain is defeated once and that’s it.

In the final episode, I actually felt bad for Lijie, especially when he was searching for Jiling. As for the ending, I think it was quite satisfying a happy ending for me, even though I know some people found it sad. Yes, their memories were erased, but it still felt reasonable. So many people had already died fighting the villain, and Wuyi was never meant to survive until the end anyway. Compared to living on while remembering all that pain or losing memories, but some of them are still alive. I think the ending made sense.

Anyway, Jiling and Wuyi have become one of my favorite couples. They’ve gone through so much suffering together. Wuyi went through countless time loops just to save Jiling, and as for Jiling… no words could ever fully capture the depth of his pain, his love, and everything he’s going through.😭

Long story short, they faced countless hardships, but their relationship only grew stronger over time. I’m honestly so grateful they finally got their own ending after everything they went through even if it’s in a different universe.

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A beautiful love story wrapped in layers upon layers of deception, sacrifice & soul-crushing angst.

Veil of Shadows delivers far more than just a typical romance or fantasy drama. Like many of the same genre, at its heart, it’s both a love story and save-the-world story, but what truly sets it apart for me is the constant uncertainty. For much of the journey, you’re left questioning everyone: Who is truly the hero, and who is the villain? Are the supposed heroes secretly manipulating everything from the shadows, or are the antagonists simply misunderstood? That constant uncertainty made the story incredibly engaging because I never fully knew who to trust or root for.

The romance is one of the strongest parts of the story. Here, love is defined by sacrifice, and characters are willing to defy fate, the world, and even their own inner struggles to protect the one they cherish. It’s tragic, but also deeply moving.

The characters are another major strength. With two deceptive nine-tailed foxes (Lu WuYi and Wu Wang Yan), a demon hunter who may actually be a demon or even a dragon deity (Wu Shi Guang), Ji Ling whose identity keeps changing throughout the story, and Li Jie, a demon hunter with mysterious and questionable past, there is always something new to question. Their identities and motivations are layered, and I loved constantly guessing and second-guessing who they really were. Despite all the deception, their relationships with each other are touching, and some of the best moments are when they come together and work as a team.

The acting was also impressive. TJR and JJY especially stood out to me as Lu Wuyi and Ji Ling. The way they portrayed yearning, heartbreak, loneliness, and every emotion in between was absolutely beautiful to watch. They brought so much depth and feeling to their characters that it was impossible not to be moved by them. A lot of the cast also had the challenge of playing multiple roles, especially TJR and Yan An, and they handled it incredibly well. What I loved most was how clearly distinct each version of their characters felt. Through their expressions, body language, and overall energy, you could immediately tell who they were portraying at any given moment. Each role felt like a completely different person, which made the performances even more impressive. Overall, the entire cast did a fantastic job.

Visually, this drama is absolutely s t u n n i n g. Like other GJM works, it's full of beautiful costumes, gorgeous cinematography, attractive and beautiful actors, and high production value. Every scene feels carefully made, and it’s truly a feast for the eyes.

The music is also amazing. Emotional, beautiful, and perfectly matched to the story, it adds so much depth to every important moment, heightening every heartbreaking, suspenseful, and triumphant sequence.

And of course, angst! Endless, delicious, devastating angst. If emotional suffering, yearning, sacrifice, and heartbreak are your thing, this story absolutely delivers!!!

The ending was satisfying; happy enough, yet touched with a bittersweet note that made the sacrifices feel meaningful.

My main criticism lies with the villain. While the heroes and morally gray characters are fascinatingly complex, the primary antagonist feels comparatively one dimensional. I tend to prefer villains shaped by circumstance or tragedy, but here the central evil is more of a mythological force driven simply by destruction, despair, and misery. While effective as a threat, it lacks the emotional nuance that makes antagonists truly unforgettable.

Overall, this is a visually stunning, emotionally devastating fantasy romance that thrives on deception, layered identities, and sacrificial love. It keeps you emotionally invested from beginning to end, and if you enjoy complex and ambiguous characters and stories full of mystery and angst, this is definitely worth watching.

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I LOVEEEEE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DRAMA SO MUCH ?❤️

Completed 29/29 ; my personal rating (100/10)

no regrets watching it while it was ongoing! It’s so goooooooddd!!! There’s a plot twist in almost every episode, which keeps it exciting, fast-paced, and never boring. It’s a total emotional rollercoaster, and you honestly won’t be able to guess the plot unless you watch it all the way to the end.
The plot can be confusing at first, and you really have to think it through, but just keep watching and it’ll start to make sense. Stressful, but in the best way possible and seriously addictive!

I was bawling my eyes out from episode 22 all the way to 29 😭 The cinematography, CGI, OSTs, chemistry and visuals were all so good too. The CGI was beautifully done, the OST hits so hard, and the visuals are just stunning!!

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Beautifully told EPIC love story & a master of complex Plot♡

Ever find a drama who grabs both your heart & brain at the sametime & fully occupied both till the end? I just did with VOS & that's what makes this drama so special.

It does take 7 ep for me to get hooked (coz their 6 ep is more an introductory) but when it does, I'm getting my mind blown left & right with the plot & how beautifully told they are.
However it does require 100% attention coz there are so many details, puzzles to be put together, the plot is complex, convulated but really intriguing to work out your brain more than your exams 😂.

But they're more than just that, the doom's fated couple who defies heaven & earth just to be together making me cry for days. Two lonely souls who find similarity in eachother & feel connected with, eventually become eachother's anchor and safe heaven yet destined to be seperate forever really breaks my heart.
This drama is center about love, whether it's between lovers, brothers, sisters, buddies, all kind of beings to even alien beings, things they value & their own burden.
GJM really did a great job in capturing everything, writing such an epic beautifully told love story, mystery, convulated plot altogether & give a satisfying ending in all of that. That alone deserve a 10/10 for me.
They're not without its flaw (esp in regards to dragon's son deity) but I think what matters most is how they make me feel throughout the drama. And don't let me even talk about the acting, TJR & JJY here really outdid themselves & giving an astonishing performance, handsdown.

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A tagic yet a beautifull story

it's over.. finally over ... the story come to an end.. and its a happy ending for me .. a tragic yet beautiful story .. a meeting and separation .. willingness and obsession .. between love and hate ... all beautifully summarized .. ups and downs like an epic story that will always be remembered .. and i will always remember how i felt that was tossed and turned .. there were laughter and tears that i shed .. but unfortunately my heart is not that strong to watch it again anytime soon .. maybe someday ...

i give the biggest applause to all the cast in this drama .. their acting is very good and will make you carried away .. in it there are several story units that i think are not inferior to the main plot .. but honestly in some plots there are still some that feel empty .. and ohh the cgi in this drama is very good and the action scenes are also very cool .. this is what makes me always watch gjm's drama ..

for you my dear tian jiarui, in this drama your acting is getting more mature and good ... some the characters you portrayed are so different from each other.. and to my beloved Chang Huasen who guest played Hanba/Yanbi, great job!

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Shadows that need a light to give them shape.

☑️ The plot for the first 10 episodes: 6.5-7/10.
🔸️Just so and so. I mostly used 2x speed during my watching.

✅️ The plot for the last 19 episodes: 8- 8.5/10.
🔸️It took me 10 episodes for me to fully engage with the plot.
🔸️I enjoyed the story better when our leads were trapped in the Star Stone's illusion. I liked Wu Shi Guang and Wu Wang Yan's story more than the main couple's. Their story gave me feelings the main couple hadn't. The chemistry & the spark between the two were electric. The couple exuded a more mature vibe, and their love developed so naturally that it was believable and tugged at my heartstrings.
🔸️Lu Wu Yi's and Ji Ling's story was just okay to me. Their scenes that made me feel the most were when Lu Wu Yi went back 150 years in the past for Ji Ling. What happened there… was truly heart-wrenching. Poor Ji Ling and Lu Wu Yi. Till now, I still remember the pain from those episodes 😭😭.
🔸️The flow of the story in the last 1/3rd was quite complex and confusing because the past revelations were done bit by bit. We went back and forth from the past (50 years, 150 years, 1000 years) to the present; many things were hard to understand. I felt so dumb while watching 😂. Of course, you won't be as confused when the puzzle of the story is completed later. You just got to be patient...

✅️ The acting: 8-8.5/10.
🔸️I enjoyed Joseph Zeng's, Chen Du Ling's, and Tian Jia Rui's acting the most. Since Feud, I liked Joseph Zeng's acting . I have no more doubt about Chen Du Ling's acting after watching her in The Glory and now, this drama. Tian Ji Rui did not impress in MJTY and FOF, but here, he slayed his roles as Ji Ling and Dragon Deity. My opinion of Ju Jing Yi's acting is the same. It is still 50:50. Sometimes I feel her character, but sometimes, not.

✅️ Cinematography, Costumes, OST: 8.5-10/10.
🔸️Knowing this director, you would instantly know the aesthetic would be spectacular 🤌, even prior to your watching.
🔸️The OST took me a while to get used to, but most of them were pleasant to listen to. My favorite: Time Woven in Mist by Xin Liu (Wu Shi Guang + Wu Wang Yan's theme song)

Others:

I can't help but compare this drama with Fangs of Fortune. The latter left a bad taste in my mouth even after nearly 2 years post-watching. It made me doubt this director, Edward Guo. So I didn't place high expectations when I started in this drama. I was ready to drop this at any time. But man, I was glad I was wrong. I enjoyed this drama more than I expected to.

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Skillful Storytelling. Mesmerizing Visuals. But Logic Breaks in the Final Episode.

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My score journey

∘ after 15 ep = 8.5
∘ nearing toward ep 20 = 9
∘ ep 22-28 = 9.5
∘ after ep 29 = 9

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I’m completely hooked for the first 24 episodes before the fast campaign was released. At that point, I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went all in in one go.

I am mind-blown at every turn of events. Every episode surprises me. I can’t guess ahead. It’s the only Chinese drama in a long time that I almost never fast-forward. Instead, I keep rewinding again and again. The story is solid, most of the logic is tight, the story unfolding is skillful, the acting is mesmerizing, all the dialogues are worth listening to, and the visuals are breathtaking!

But what a pity, the director disappointed me a bit right at the very end. This already happened once when I watched "The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity" from the same director/writer, where something fell apart at the end. And with this drama, he repeats it again (full complaint with spoiler alert at the bottom).

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🍅 Visualization - Cinematography

The composition in each frame is beautiful - real food for the eyes. The camera work is well designed. There are so many camera techniques used to drive the story’s dynamics. I can see how everything is well thought, well designed before execution.

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🍅 Visualization - Choreography

The characters’ movements are heavily choreographed and executed with visionary eyes. This shows how thoughtful the behind-the-scenes team is. They maximize every technique, even the beauty of the actors’ movements, to deliver each scene with maximum impact.

The choreography of the nine-tailed fox sisters is especially alluring. Both of the sisters feel totally out of this world. They’re captivating to watch, and just by watching them, I was pulled into their demonic spell.

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🍅 Story

The story keeps surprising me. Just when I think there’s nothing new left, it goes beyond what I could think of - again and again.

There’s always something new to discover. Things keep moving forward. Nothing feels repetitive. The pacing is tight - nothing drags, nothing slows down.

I can clearly see the writer/director’s complex mind and his ability to keep up with it. He doesn’t miss most of the points he sets up and comes back to resolve them.

But it’s a pity - he drops that momentum right at the last episode (more complaints at the bottom).

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🍅 Character Design

There are many interesting characters being introduced throughout the story. While their roles vary in weight, no one feels like filler.

Even small roles are introduced at the right time, with clear identity and purpose. Every character feels fully realized, which strengthens the whole story.

Another strong point is that this story doesn’t follow the typical two-lead structure. Most dramas stick to one main couple, making it easier for the audience to invest emotionally.

But this breaks that pattern. It presents two equally weighted couples - and it works! I’m fully drawn into all of them without feeling overwhelmed or diluted.

However, one character feels a bit off. When Su Jian / Mu Long appears, her character breaks the tone of the story. I get that the actress became popular for how her character in "My Journey to You" broke conventions, but here it feels like a copy-paste. It feels repetitive, uncreative and out of place.

I can understand the intention to add some color to the last demon subplot (there are 4 background stories for 4 demons, and this is the last one, so I get that the writer might be running out of ideas at this point), but since she only appears briefly, it lacks consistency and ends up being the only hole in an elegant cloth. Nonetheless, this is still considered a minor hole that I’m ok overlooking.

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🍅 Casting - or maybe Directing

The two nine-tailed fox sisters are perfectly cast. Their presence carries strong emotional and visual weight. They really sell the otherworldly feeling.

The voice of the younger fox sister also sounds very surreal to me. It's suitable for her nine-tailed fox demon role. I didn’t think it was her original voice at first and thought they sought out a voice actress to make the character sound like that, but it’s actually her own voice.

I also like Ji Ling / Chi Wen a lot. The actor still has room to improve, but he fits the naive, child-like nature well without going overboard.

Even the supporting cast is strong. The first supporting character who appears deserves special praise. The male nine-tailed fox makes a strong first impression. He sets the audience’s high expectations for side characters' role and performance right from the start. As a result, it sets the tone for the drama and the standard for all the side characters that follow.

I’m not sure if this is great casting or strong directing - probably both.

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🍅 Acting

The romantic vibes between the older fox sister and her partner don’t feel authentic, though. I don’t feel any romantic love there. In their love scenes, it feels like they’re just following basic acting techniques rather than acting from inner feeling.

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🍅 Music

I’m especially fond of their instrumental background music. It’s very well designed and composed - not just there to fill silence. The music fits the meaning of the scenes and enhances the intended atmosphere making emotions clearer and stronger.

And there are so many soundtrack pieces - both instrumental and lyrical. They have enough choices to not feel repetitive like "Pursuit of Jade", which relies heavily on one main song.

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🍅 Director/Writer

He has a very distinct signature style. His storytelling is layered and complex but not messy.

His vision is on another level, and he can turn his imagination into something tangible on screen. His stories unfold in unexpected ways, constantly pulling viewers deeper into his carefully constructed world.


╔════════════════════════════╗
ㅤㅤㅤㅤComplaint for the Last Episode
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ════════════
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ * Spoiler Section *
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🍋 Core Issue: The ending breaks too many established rules.

🍋 Questions from the last episode (based on the remarks mentioned along the events in the new time/space, as shown below this question section) :

▶ Question #1
Why the hell Li Jie doesn't seem to know Ji Ling?? So Ji Ling doesn’t exist in Shilin Sect in the new time/space or what? Then who the hell is the dragon deity from 100 years ago when Wu Shiguang hadn’t even been born yet? Chi Wen? Then who the hell suppressed the original body of Jiu Ying with his spine?? Nobody??

▶ Question #2
If there is no Ji Ling at Shilin Sect, Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother) wouldn’t have that obsession after death to set Ji Ling free and protect him. Then how the hell was Li Jie born??

▶ Question #3
Li Jie doesn’t seem to know Ji Ling, but there seems to be a Ji Ling somewhere in the world since he hears a voice in his heart telling him to go find someone whose name or whereabouts he doesn’t even know. So what the hell could the background story be here that aligns with Li Jie’s origin if it isn’t tied to Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother)’s obsession after death?? I think there’s none!

▶ Question #4
How the hell do Ji Ling and Lu Wuyi turn into humans with no past memories? They haven’t died. They basically just travel through time and even seem to handpick the time/space they want to live in at the end, so they haven’t died or reincarnated from being demons. So how?? Like, how the hell?? And why?? Why no memories??

▶ Question #5
And why, why Wu Shiguang still has his memory from the original time/space when Li Jie and the demon hunter don't? In the new time/space, Ji Ling is supposed to be the only one who has the whole memory from the original time/space.

▶ Question #6
In the new time/space, Wu Shiguang doesn’t earn the six petals on his forehead, which means he doesn’t turn into a true dragon. So how does he become a dragon deity?

▶ Question #7
And to become a true dragon, he has to earn four dragon powers to activate his scales, horns, claws and eyes. If there’s no Ji Ling at Shilin Sect to prepare these dragon powers for Wu Shiguang, then it’s natural that Wu Shiguang can’t become a true dragon.

▶ Question #8
Why the hell did the writer let Jiu Ying’s spirit energy fragments go into the time travel with no follow-up story??? WHY THE HELL??? They could’ve just let Jiu Ying completely die with no trace, but WHY THIS?!! Are they going to make a sequel to this drama or what??


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🍋 Sequence of Events in the New Time/Space

(1) 150 years ago
- Yuan Xizai died
- Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother) met and imprisoned Ji Ling the fox
- Ji Ling swallowed dragon scale
- Ji Ling became the Dragon Deity
- Chi Wen left to press down the original body of Jiu Ying

(2) 100 years ago
- Wu Shiguang was born
- Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother) supposedly died around this time according to human life span
- Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother) was devoured by the Butterfly Twin Demons
- Born Yuan Wuhuo, the Butterfly Demon
- Born Li Jie who went to stay at Shilin Sect
▶ Li Jie supposedly met Ji Ling ─── (Question #1 & 2 & 3)

(3) 50 years ago
- the Flood Dragon's Massacre happened
- Wu Shiguang thought Shilin Sect killed his tribe and hated dragons
- Formless Moon Sect's members reborned
▶ Lu Wuyi was born ─── (Question #4)
▶ Ji Ling from the future killed Jiu Ying, the Fox Queen ─── (Question #4)
▶ Ji Ling brough Lu Wuyi away - no one in the world of this new time/space got to know her ─── (Question #4)
- at Shilin Sect, Ji Ling was still the dragon deity developing Ji Can, the Loneliness Demon, in his heart
- Li Jie was the commander at Shilin Sect

(4) Present
- Wu Shiguang supposedly went to Shilin Sect and found out the truth about who actually killed his tribe
- Wu Shiguang doesn't have to kill Jiu Ying (the Fox Queen) anymore
- Wu Shiguang still had to kill Chi Wen to kill the original body of Jiu Ying
▶ Wu Shiguang had to become a true dragon to kill Chi Wen ─── (Question #6 & 7)
▶ Wu Shiguang had no petal on his forehead ─── (Question #6 & 7)
- Wu Shiguang went to meet Wu Wangyan at Formless Moon Sect
- Wu Wangyan had no memory about Wu Shiguang
- Ji Ling was supposed to died from being devoured by Ji Can from extreme loneliness
- You Chi became the commander at Shilin Sect
- Yuan Wuhuo (the Butterfly Demon) supposedly died since the reason for his existence (obsession to kill and set Ji Ling free) vanished
- Li Jie actually supposedly died since the reason for his existence (obsession to protect Ji Ling) vanished
▶ Li Jie, instead, didn't seem to ever know Ji Ling. He said he always heard a voice in his mind to find a person whom he didn't know the name or his whereabout ─── (Question #1 & 2 & 3)
- Li Jie reached three-petal level
- Li Jie wanted to set off on a journey to find the reason for his existence.
▶ in the parallel time/space Ji Ling and Lu Wuyi were humans living in the same village, but didn't have memory about each other when they were demons ─── (Question #4)


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🍋 Other Remaining Questions Condensed around the End:

▶ Q8 ▶ How does the dragon ring that is supposed to be with Wu Shiguang end up back with Ji Ling when Ji Ling comes back to life???

▶ Q9 ▶ Who’s the owner of the 2nd Ji Can? Since the person has to have a dragon scale in their body, Yuan Wuhuo (the big brother) wouldn’t be the one. Chi Wen is on a supreme, real god tier, not a weak demon pretending to be a deity like Ji Ling, so he doesn’t seem to have one either.
≫≫ I think it's unnecessary to mention the 2nd Ji Can. In the whole drama, if we just focus on the only Ji Can in Ji Ling's heart, there wouldn’t be this loophole.

▶ Q10 ▶ Why does Lu Wuyi have to look exactly like Di Zhu?
≫≫ Again, I think it’s unnecessary to mention that Lu Wuyi’s appearance is exactly the same as Di Zhu’s. There’s no need to mention this at all.

▶ Q11 ▶ Jiu Ying seems to be the owner of the illusion between Lu Wuyi and Ji Ling in the star stone. The logic is that it’s an illusion drawn from the memory of someone who has also entered the star stone, but that person can’t be his own past self. Then who is the person Jiu Ying becomes in the illusion? Not the snake, right? Since the snake was Jiu Ying’s past self.

▶ Q12 ▶ Is the owner of Li Jie’s illusion in the star stone Yuan Wuhuo (the Butterfly Demon version)? But the owner of the illusion can’t be the past self and has to be someone else as an observer. So why does the butterfly demon become himself in the big brother version in the illusion? Or are they considered different people? But then there wouldn’t be an owner of the memory in the illusion, and that illusion couldn’t be shown.

▶ Q13 ▶ The male nine-tailed fox demon’s original form is female. In his male form, does that count as using a spell? But if he uses a spell, the frozen curse should follow to kill him. So how can he remain in male form without the curse chasing him?

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Worth the wait!!

I have been waiting for this drama cuz of Jiarui, Yan-an, and Duling after FOF, but everyone was just so good with their characters that I feel in love with it. I really enjoyed every bit of it, and it was worth all the wait!! It's literally a masterpiece for me like pls everything was mind-blowing, and just literally wow!! "Ruirui" had me giggling as "Ji Ling", but he made me cry too like please I love his tiny face, and adorable smile so much!!

(ps: recently lost interest in costume dramas, so I was literally skipping all new ones no matter how much I looked forward to it earlier, but this one brought my Xianxia and Wuxia heart back to life, keke)

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Actually worth the hype!

A demon hunter, two cunning nine-tailed fox sisters and an innocent-looking priest accompanied by a disciple of the Shilin Sect find themselves thrown together as they all try to find the fox demon Xiao Wei who is causing havoc. All with their own purposes in mind, everyone wants to catch the demon first.
What they uncover tho, is far beyond just catching a demon. From here on, the drama evolves into a tale of loneliness, battle against destiny and love that’ll break your heart.

The story is fully packed. There is no time to breathe and no time to get bored. There is always something happening. Each episode ends on a small cliffhanger, making you unable to stop watching and making you want to hit the next-episode-button one after another. First you want to know how they’ll catch the fox demon, then you also wanna see the butterfly demon. Then you wonder who the MLs actually are, and finally start asking yourself what the hell is even going on here. And this continues on. There is less talk and more action or discovery. It was complex. You were always fooled, making you question if the intentions of the characters were good or bad throughout more than half of the series. A lot of back and forth and confusion through time travel and unchronological reveals. All of that was so much input, I already forgot about some parts. I SO love stories like that, haha. They had many stories to tell - and in my opinion there was still room for a lot more.

Given the premise, when I started the drama I thought Shiguang would be the main character. Looking at the poster and the first few episodes, I believed both couples' stories would be treated equally. And I also thought the drama would be mostly about them all forming a friendship and hunting evil demons together. But nope. None of that.

But these are things I actually missed in this drama. Ji Ling and Wuyis story was awesome - a masterpiece - a 10 outta 10. I loved Ji Lings tragic and lonely story so damn much. Those two were the real MCs of this drama. And I can’t complain. What I complain about is, that Shiguang and WanYangs story wasn’t given the same attention and lovingly execution. They put all their heart into Ji Ling and WuYi - their story got all the emotions: be it sadness, heartbreak, longing, falling in love - you name it. You could always feel it and follow their development. But Shiguangs and Wangyans story totally fell short. I know their story isn’t as dramatic - but there was a lot of potential for a better execution. Their story began so good. I loved them together during the Xiao Wei case. Then there was a pause and their romance only started inside the stone illusion - which is ok. But I could not feel their love at all. Why did they fall in love? Because they were trapped in the roles of a married couple? That’s also okay, but then show it please. I found the scenes of them way too few and the timeskips way too big to actually feel their developing feelings. It felt like from one episode to the next they suddenly became a loving couple.

While I’m at it: the characters were amazing. Ji Ling anyways - his character had a long very sad story and was super complex. Wuyi totally owned up to her title as the female lead. She was sweet but not innocent. She was strong enough to stand on her own and was not dependent. She could be cunning but was overall just kind and broken. Not child-like, not annoying, not weak. She too is a 10/10.
WangYans character started out good too. She was quieter and a bit plainer tho. Like I already said, I found it sad that they didn’t have as much screentime as WuYi and that they didn’t make more out of her story. I loved her strong bond with her sister. I just wonder, why in the last few episodes, she behaved weirdly differently. When Wuyi was shattered because Ji Ling seemed to have died for good, I would have expected Wanyan to immediately go to her, hug her and cry with her. Instead they were separated for long because her and Shiguang went to the dragon valley alone. And when she was back she was just like “come back to moon sect, we are there for you” and then left again without looking back. Hm. This didn't fit her character from the first half.

And lastly Shiguang, who I am the most disappointed in. As I stated, I thought he would be the main character, as he was the one becoming the new (and only!) Dragon Deity. But he had the least screentime. I loved him during the Xiao Wei case.. but then his character suddenly got weaker. I hated him in the stone illusion. He knew very well that it was just an illusion of the past and it would bring them absolutely nothing being there. The real world needed them. But instead of searching for the star stone, he played house in there for over 10 years. I mean, I understand he was emotional because the illusion was part of his own story. But it made him look incredibly weak and useless. Outside in the real world Bai Ze was risking his life to prolong their time in the illusion so they would have time to get out. And Shiguang? Happily played house? I’m sorry but I hoped he would be more of a fighter.

I also absolutely loved the side characters btw. Everyone was interesting and literally deserves their own 30 episode drama. Weasel demon You Chi, Li Jie and Wu Huo especially, but also the 4 demons connected to the dragon deity's ring. And of course not to forget Tian Di and the star stone origin.

The production crew put a lot of effort in cinematography and costumes. They all looked amazing, the make-up stunning, the special effects incredible. Especially the foxes. The scene of Shiguang destroying the last piece of oracle stone was a feast to the eyes. The only flaws in this drama were the fox-heads and Ji Lings fox tail. In the state of semi-transformation, for a few seconds in one of the earlier episodes, the nine tailed foxes had human-bodies and fox-heads. The fox heads were not animated and looked like they were bought straight from temu. Ji Lings fox tail and ears were also not animated and looked exactly like what they were: a plastic tail stuffed into his trousers lmao. Those two things - as small as they were and as short as they were on screen - stood out SO much because everything else was high quality. The animated foxes, Jiu Yings demon power, the fire swords, Ji Lings wings at the end - everything a sight to behold. And then there was the fox tail from temu lol. And it's a pity. I don’t know why they didn't animate them. The budget wasn’t enough for this little detail?

Let me move on to the supposed highlight of the series. When Shiguang actually became the dragon. And here I got the impression the production team actually hated Shiguang lol. All the talk about dragon claws, dragon eyes and dragon horns…. he got the horns. And that was it. No colorful eyes like the demons. No claws. No special attire. Just the horns. He didn’t even transform into a dragon, he just had a fire dragon as special attack (why does this sound like pokemon lol). He didn't even manage to kill the villain alone, at the end it was still Ji Ling saving the day. Everyone taught Ji Ling how to be the fake dragon deity, but no one taught the real one how to be the dragon deity xD.

But! One thing which was 100% flawless was the OST and BGM. They were so POWERFUL. Usually I don’t even notice the BGM much. But here everything slayed. The OST was incredibly beautiful. Always fitting the scene and creating the right mood. My favorites are “Jade Sleep”, “Not Suffering” and “Innocent as a fox”, but the others were also great. This is also the first drama in which I was amazed by the BGM. And by “the BGM was powerful” I mean: it made battle scenes appear epic. It made mysterious scenes eerie even. It made emotional scenes hurt 10 times more.

Other stuff I enjoyed:
-I liked how the antagonist wasn't defeated easily
-I liked the bromance between Ji Ling and Li Jie, Shiguang and You Chi and the sismance between Wangyan and Wuyi
-The acting of the whole cast was awesome

Other stuff I would have wished for:
I would have loved more demon hunting like in the first few episodes. In general I would have loved seeing more demons or people. For a demon/deity world, that was really sparse. The story was tightly knitted around the main characters and their little circle. They didn't come across many other (less to no important) people or demons. And I wished for more bonding within the group. They concentrated mostly on the couples, but I wish we would have seen everyone becoming family. Like… wouldn't you naturally want to be on good terms with the sister of your gf? Did Shiguang and Wuyi even had ONE conversation at all? Or: Li Jie and Wuyi were the closest people to Ji Ling, but they both mourned on their own, Li Jie did not even tell Wuyi about the dragon heart. Hm.

At the very end, the loneliest soul must be Li Jie after all. The couples would be together somehow in one world or another. But Li Jie is about to search for someone who might not even exist in this world. Now that is real tragedy lol. No really, I’m glad the couples can meet again in some life… but I’m sad about all the people that won’t meet again.

I know this sounds like I nitpick a lot. But I’m complaining on a high level here. Most of my criticism aren't things that made the drama bad, but things that would have made it even better. All in all there would have been only one solution: more episodes. I wouldn't have minded 20 more episodes if they would have taken more time for a better execution of the 2nd couple etc.

Overall, I really loved this drama a lot. You have to know, I dropped SO MANY popular and hyped dramas, some fan-favorites etc. But this is the first full-length C-drama after quite a while that kept me interested from start to finish. Very intriguing and captivating.

I enjoyed it! Thanks! ;3

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The best storyline lots of mysteries and the visuals were amazing

One of the best drama that I have ever watched from the episode one. It was like really hooking.There were a lot of mystery.And when they ended into the starstone illusion, there were also surprising facts about the background. He might look confusing at first but You will get it as the stories go on there were also a pleasing beautiful ending as well. The last 3 episode was really hooking and amazing. There were emotional scenes.I was crying when watching episode twenty eight and twenty nine. But after all the mess, everything will be said. The time will be rewinder, and every characters come back to life ❤️

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