I was so happy when the goddess Wushuang (from A Moment But Forever) was mentioned, because I know this drama is connected to it, (also with Love of Thousand Years), especially with all the talk about humanity evolving through craftsmanship and innovation (artisans and such), and the rivalry between cultivators and human ingenuity with the limits of what mortal artisans and creators could produce or discover (mainly explored in A Moment But Forever). I know the stories are connected, but I haven’t read any of the novels. Could someone tell me more about how they interact? This is probably set after ABF, since we'll have a guest role by Liu Xueyi as Yuan Zhong 🥹
I just started this drama I think I need more time to grow into the FL character. I just realise she was the villain…
She’s actually had plenty of exposure as a female lead, especially in modern romcoms (not minidramas, but also not S-tier productions). I remember one with Z. Tao (My Precious), where she played a kind veterinarian, it was the first time I saw her in that type of role. She was also the villain in The Legend of Fu Yao, which was the first drama where I noticed her. She’s led several suspense and Republican dramas as well so I think it’s less about exposure and more about not landing a breakout hit, basically a matter of luck maybe? I’ve liked her in every role I’ve seen, even as the crazy obsessive villain in MLC 😄😄😄
Just finished watching ep 25, GJM!!!!! WHEN I CATCH YOUUUUUUU!!!! JUST HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT MY BABIES TO SUFFER…
I was literally thinking earlier today about how satisfied Guo Jingming must be, creating a story where he just progressively smashes our hearts with a hammer over and over again. And somehow I still have this innocent, slightly unhinged hope that this will be his first drama with a happy ending 🫠
Can anyone recommend some books(or videos/documentaries) in English that explain Chinese folktales/mythology that…
Director Guo Jingming is very consistent with his own visual style, which draws heavily from traditional Chinese iconography. In his previous drama, Fangs of Fortune, he used the Classic of Mountains and Seas as a reference, which is one of the main sources of Chinese mythology. Since I can see many similar yaoguai (mythical creatures, often shapeshifting spirits) and deities in Veil of Shadows, I think this text could be really helpful for understanding the genre. Given your background in mythology, it would probably be a very interesting read for you.😊 You can easily find it in English because it's such an important and widely studied text. It's usually published as The Classic of Mountains and Seas (or Shan Hai Jing), and there are several translations available.
wow, just wow! 🩷 I came in curious but I’m staying genuinely hyped. This is adapted from the same author as The Story of Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy (my favorite drama), so I already had some expectations for layered relationships, social dynamics and smart, strategic characters. it's even more interesting that I’ve only seen her stories adapted as historical dramas before so seeing her narrative style in a wuxia setting feels really incredible and new! I also like how the large cast helps build the world instead of overwhelming it and the mystery around past grudges and the ML’s identity has me really curious about the future of our leads. and the pacing is reeeally good, feels character-driven, the chemistry is INSANE for me and I’m excited to see where this goes.
I’d recommend not letting the early MDL ratings sway you. They reflect only a very small portion of Western users, and with a drama that still has so few episodes out, they don’t say much. If you’re curious, give it a try!
lol came here to find people who are as excited as me in for this show but I was disappointed! I don’t get how…
I came here for the same reason 😆 This is adapted from the same author as Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy, so the strong focus on family dynamics, social hierarchies, and intelligent, strategic leads feels very intentional (many folks complaining about the excess of characters (?)). It’s a wuxia, and the martial world (jianghu), sect politics and codes of honor are fully part of the narrative. The large cast builds the social world instead of overwhelming it, and I don’t see the editing issues people mention 😭, the pacing feels character-driven and the chemistry is really nice.
guys apparently it’s actually a mini drama (😭), so that might explain the “no major names in the industry” situation, unlike the other adaptations where the MLs are usually big shots. from what I’ve seen it doesn’t look like a prequel or sequel, just same universe vibes. I could be wrong though, so don’t take it as gospel, but maybe don’t set expectations too high just in case. 🙏🏻
why is Cheng Yi dubbed by such an older voice? it doesn’t suit him.
It’s his voice. He even dubbed himself in Mysterious Lotus Casebook. The first time I heard it, I got confused, because in Love and Redemption and several other dramas, he was dubbed by the same voice actor who dubs Vengo Gao as Donghua Dijun and some of Allen Ren’s more intense roles, like in One and Only. This same voice actor even dubbed Ding Yuxi once, in Melody of Golden Age.
Ok, guys, If “there won’t be any kiss scenes” still isn’t enough to convince y’all that this drama is totally safe, let me explain it a bit more, because this whole convo is being shaped by Western assumptions that just don’t match how the Chinese industry works at all.
China is, no joke, one of the strictest places on the planet when it comes to minors in film/TV. The NRTA/SART rules are super rigid. minors can’t film any kind of intimate scene, like, zero. No suggestive touching, no leaning in, nada. No storylines that even hint at adult romance or anything sexual. Every frame with a minor gets checked, rechecked and overchecked
And this isn’t some theory thing. They actually enforce it. China has literally blocked entire dramas, forced full reshoots and refused broadcast rights over tiny details that other countries wouldn’t even notice. Back in 2021–2022, several youth dramas had to redo scenes because like... one shot looked “too close”. Nothing, absolutely nothing, “slips through”.
So if Ai Mi and Neo Hou’s pairing got the green light, it’s because there is zero inappropriate content. No kiss, no half kiss, no “almost there”, no weird touching, no fake chemistry forced through body language. At most we’ll get dramatic acting, symbolic feelings, soft eye contact, and a lot of respectful distance. Basically PG to the bone, as every C-drama with a minor is.
And about that “power dynamic” take... it doesn’t even apply here. These two aren’t dating, they aren’t improvising intimacy, they aren’t being put in private situations. They’re actors doing their jobs on a set full of adults whose literal job is to protect the minor. Ai Mi works under a director, a mandatory minor supervisor, staff everywhere, plus her guardians. The adult actor doesn’t just “decide” anything about how scenes go. The whole environment is structured to keep her safe and respected.
Also, the Chinese industry doesn’t play around. They punish actors, agencies, studios, platforms... Like, everybody. Safety isn’t a “fandom concern", it’s institutional. If the NRTA stamped it as approved, it means the project was reviewed a million times and everything is 100 percent within the rules.
Ai Mi is insanely talented and super well-supported. Acting next to an adult as a pair doesn’t equal “sexualizing a minor”, it means she’s working inside one of the most controlled and monitored entertainment systems in the world.
A lot of the worry people are having comes from Western references, not from how China actually handles productions. Nothing involving a minor airs there unless it’s been supervised down to the last millimeter and kept fully PG.
For those who are worried it might have a terrible ending, I have a theory:
Since it’s a mainland Chinese drama about modern social issues, there’s almost no chance it’ll end badly. Stories involving crime, trauma, or justice must be approved by the censorship bureau, and they always require a positive and law-abiding resolution, the system has to win, justice must be served, and the message has to promote social harmony. So she’ll definitely get justice, and the couple will heal together. It’s basically guaranteed under China’s review policies.
Just to clarify, I don’t know any spoilers or the real ending, I’m just saying this based on how the censorship system works in China. Even if the original story was tragic or ended with injustice, once it goes through censorship, the drama usually changes completely, especially when it portrays contemporary settings or sensitive issues that touch on government responsibility.
I know the stories are connected, but I haven’t read any of the novels. Could someone tell me more about how they interact? This is probably set after ABF, since we'll have a guest role by Liu Xueyi as Yuan Zhong 🥹
And somehow I still have this innocent, slightly unhinged hope that this will be his first drama with a happy ending 🫠
You can easily find it in English because it's such an important and widely studied text. It's usually published as The Classic of Mountains and Seas (or Shan Hai Jing), and there are several translations available.
I came in curious but I’m staying genuinely hyped.
This is adapted from the same author as The Story of Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy (my favorite drama), so I already had some expectations for layered relationships, social dynamics and smart, strategic characters. it's even more interesting that I’ve only seen her stories adapted as historical dramas before so seeing her narrative style in a wuxia setting feels really incredible and new!
I also like how the large cast helps build the world instead of overwhelming it and the mystery around past grudges and the ML’s identity has me really curious about the future of our leads.
and the pacing is reeeally good, feels character-driven, the chemistry is INSANE for me and I’m excited to see where this goes.
I’d recommend not letting the early MDL ratings sway you. They reflect only a very small portion of Western users, and with a drama that still has so few episodes out, they don’t say much. If you’re curious, give it a try!
This is adapted from the same author as Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy, so the strong focus on family dynamics, social hierarchies, and intelligent, strategic leads feels very intentional (many folks complaining about the excess of characters (?)).
It’s a wuxia, and the martial world (jianghu), sect politics and codes of honor are fully part of the narrative.
The large cast builds the social world instead of overwhelming it, and I don’t see the editing issues people mention 😭, the pacing feels character-driven and the chemistry is really nice.
from what I’ve seen it doesn’t look like a prequel or sequel, just same universe vibes.
I could be wrong though, so don’t take it as gospel, but maybe don’t set expectations too high just in case. 🙏🏻
The first time I heard it, I got confused, because in Love and Redemption and several other dramas, he was dubbed by the same voice actor who dubs Vengo Gao as Donghua Dijun and some of Allen Ren’s more intense roles, like in One and Only. This same voice actor even dubbed Ding Yuxi once, in Melody of Golden Age.
China is, no joke, one of the strictest places on the planet when it comes to minors in film/TV. The NRTA/SART rules are super rigid. minors can’t film any kind of intimate scene, like, zero.
No suggestive touching, no leaning in, nada. No storylines that even hint at adult romance or anything sexual. Every frame with a minor gets checked, rechecked and overchecked
And this isn’t some theory thing. They actually enforce it. China has literally blocked entire dramas, forced full reshoots and refused broadcast rights over tiny details that other countries wouldn’t even notice. Back in 2021–2022, several youth dramas had to redo scenes because like... one shot looked “too close”. Nothing, absolutely nothing, “slips through”.
So if Ai Mi and Neo Hou’s pairing got the green light, it’s because there is zero inappropriate content. No kiss, no half kiss, no “almost there”, no weird touching, no fake chemistry forced through body language. At most we’ll get dramatic acting, symbolic feelings, soft eye contact, and a lot of respectful distance. Basically PG to the bone, as every C-drama with a minor is.
And about that “power dynamic” take... it doesn’t even apply here. These two aren’t dating, they aren’t improvising intimacy, they aren’t being put in private situations. They’re actors doing their jobs on a set full of adults whose literal job is to protect the minor. Ai Mi works under a director, a mandatory minor supervisor, staff everywhere, plus her guardians. The adult actor doesn’t just “decide” anything about how scenes go. The whole environment is structured to keep her safe and respected.
Also, the Chinese industry doesn’t play around. They punish actors, agencies, studios, platforms... Like, everybody. Safety isn’t a “fandom concern", it’s institutional. If the NRTA stamped it as approved, it means the project was reviewed a million times and everything is 100 percent within the rules.
Ai Mi is insanely talented and super well-supported. Acting next to an adult as a pair doesn’t equal “sexualizing a minor”, it means she’s working inside one of the most controlled and monitored entertainment systems in the world.
A lot of the worry people are having comes from Western references, not from how China actually handles productions. Nothing involving a minor airs there unless it’s been supervised down to the last millimeter and kept fully PG.
Just to clarify, I don’t know any spoilers or the real ending, I’m just saying this based on how the censorship system works in China. Even if the original story was tragic or ended with injustice, once it goes through censorship, the drama usually changes completely, especially when it portrays contemporary settings or sensitive issues that touch on government responsibility.