This review may contain spoilers
Mystery Lovers Shouldn't Miss This!
Shadow Detective isn’t the most suspenseful drama of the year, but it’s a surprisingly gripping story with well-developed characters and strong acting. (I attribute this to Wang Xingyue’s soulful portrayal of Guan Cen, but you should know that I’m deeply biased.)
Years ago, Guan Cen’s little sister was kidnapped along with Lu Jialei (the heroine of the story), and he’s been searching for her ever since. With laser focus and a deep obsession, he burns bridges with a ruthless calm that screams tortured hero. While his sister is still missing, a grown-up Lu Jialei, now Lu Yizhen, who escaped her fate years ago, joins the police force and becomes one of the first female detectives in the squad—reporting directly to the quietly simmering Guan Cen.
Lu Yizhen is a bold heroine, thankfully neither coy nor perpetually in distress. She’s a badass that can hold her own physically and intellectually, which is a delight. Her chemistry with Guan Cen is strong (ignore comments that say otherwise). The two of them fit well together, though it’s a slow-burn romance.
This is NOT a romance, though romance-chasers will find more satisfaction in Shadow Detective than they did in The Wanted Detective. It is a detective show—clearly WXY’s preferred genre—and our protagonists grow close over a series of cases that, while not as bizarre as advertised, are still enjoyable to deconstruct. The clues are well-placed and the detectives’ deductions are sound.
This was filmed in 2022/2023 over a short ~50 days on a shoestring budget. As such, it’s a tight, efficient script without bloat (24 30-minute episodes), so you don’t have to wade through eye-rolling antics to get to the finale. This Republican-era Wang Xingyue is impeccably dressed and gorgeous, even though he’s only 20 years old and sometimes, it shows. The supporting characters are great—my favourite is Dr Ding. Everyone should have a friend like Dr Ding. (Lu Yizhen’s roommate, however, is a bit of a drag.) Director Huo is hilarious; the scene where he asks Lu Yizhen if he’s handsome had me laughing out loud. Du Lingfeng is even more suave than Guan Cen, but an ally, not a rival, which in such a tight script, would have been obnoxious.
The show has held up remarkably well considering its budget, though I do have some questions (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD):
1. What happened to Lu Yizhen's parents? They cut her off then completely disappeared from her life. I would have liked to see them at the end when she has a ring on her finger (if you’ve watched the show, you’ll know why).
2. The whole ‘Juggernaut’ thing was possibly the only ‘bloat’ in the show. This remarkable heroine is also a writer in her spare time, and apparently, Guan Cen is one of her biggest fans. But this storyline gets dropped midway through the show and we never hear of it again. I don’t get its relevance to the main arc.
3. Where is Guan Cen’s family??? He’s so despairingly alone in this world.
4. They give the heroine a little too much credit towards the end of the show. She is too self-composed against Sasaki for a rookie detective. Impossible that in her first undercover assignment, she doesn’t put a foot wrong. That said, she grows up over the course of 24 episodes quite nicely.
Shadow Detective is an atmospheric show with a good build up and an emotional ending. If I hadn’t had work, I would have binge-watched it on release. Fortunately, I got a chance to binge-watch it this week. Like any good show in this genre, it keeps you hooked. Niggling issues aside, this is an enjoyable easy-to-consume story with a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it!
Years ago, Guan Cen’s little sister was kidnapped along with Lu Jialei (the heroine of the story), and he’s been searching for her ever since. With laser focus and a deep obsession, he burns bridges with a ruthless calm that screams tortured hero. While his sister is still missing, a grown-up Lu Jialei, now Lu Yizhen, who escaped her fate years ago, joins the police force and becomes one of the first female detectives in the squad—reporting directly to the quietly simmering Guan Cen.
Lu Yizhen is a bold heroine, thankfully neither coy nor perpetually in distress. She’s a badass that can hold her own physically and intellectually, which is a delight. Her chemistry with Guan Cen is strong (ignore comments that say otherwise). The two of them fit well together, though it’s a slow-burn romance.
This is NOT a romance, though romance-chasers will find more satisfaction in Shadow Detective than they did in The Wanted Detective. It is a detective show—clearly WXY’s preferred genre—and our protagonists grow close over a series of cases that, while not as bizarre as advertised, are still enjoyable to deconstruct. The clues are well-placed and the detectives’ deductions are sound.
This was filmed in 2022/2023 over a short ~50 days on a shoestring budget. As such, it’s a tight, efficient script without bloat (24 30-minute episodes), so you don’t have to wade through eye-rolling antics to get to the finale. This Republican-era Wang Xingyue is impeccably dressed and gorgeous, even though he’s only 20 years old and sometimes, it shows. The supporting characters are great—my favourite is Dr Ding. Everyone should have a friend like Dr Ding. (Lu Yizhen’s roommate, however, is a bit of a drag.) Director Huo is hilarious; the scene where he asks Lu Yizhen if he’s handsome had me laughing out loud. Du Lingfeng is even more suave than Guan Cen, but an ally, not a rival, which in such a tight script, would have been obnoxious.
The show has held up remarkably well considering its budget, though I do have some questions (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD):
1. What happened to Lu Yizhen's parents? They cut her off then completely disappeared from her life. I would have liked to see them at the end when she has a ring on her finger (if you’ve watched the show, you’ll know why).
2. The whole ‘Juggernaut’ thing was possibly the only ‘bloat’ in the show. This remarkable heroine is also a writer in her spare time, and apparently, Guan Cen is one of her biggest fans. But this storyline gets dropped midway through the show and we never hear of it again. I don’t get its relevance to the main arc.
3. Where is Guan Cen’s family??? He’s so despairingly alone in this world.
4. They give the heroine a little too much credit towards the end of the show. She is too self-composed against Sasaki for a rookie detective. Impossible that in her first undercover assignment, she doesn’t put a foot wrong. That said, she grows up over the course of 24 episodes quite nicely.
Shadow Detective is an atmospheric show with a good build up and an emotional ending. If I hadn’t had work, I would have binge-watched it on release. Fortunately, I got a chance to binge-watch it this week. Like any good show in this genre, it keeps you hooked. Niggling issues aside, this is an enjoyable easy-to-consume story with a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it!
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