39
164
8
1
1
1
6
1
5
6
2
6
1
1
1
1
4
5
7
Not a fan of storytelling style and uneven screen time distribution
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25
I waited for the hype to die down before watching the much anticipated “Veil of Shadows”. Given this is another Edward Guo production with new crowd favorites Tian Jia Rui and Yan An as the leads, expectations are high. I have to say, I did come in with some pre-conceived criticisms, but I can’t deny I think I enjoy this drama more than “Fangs of Fortune”.
“Veil of Shadows” shares many of my praises and criticisms of “Fangs of Fortune” and even “My Journey to You”. MJTY is darker and more serious, so it might not be fair to compare. As I re-read my own review of FOF (https://kisskh.at/profile/virgievirgie/review/407720), I was nodding my head and saying… yup…same here in this drama.
Plot/Pacing
I like the general plot of “Veil of Shadows”, however, I am not sure if I like the storytelling/execution. This could very much be a ‘me’ problem that I don’t like the style. The drama first confused me, then dumped a lot of info to clarify what happened (often without foreshadowing). I was looking forward to the journeys of Ji Ling (played by Tian Jia Rui) and Wu Shi Guang (played by Joseph Zeng). They should both be main leads, with complementary storylines of their history, romance, development and road to heroism. There’s so much material that should be enough to fill a full 40-ep drama, yet this drama is only 29 episodes long. I wasn’t sure why the drama wasn’t longer and what goes behind the scenes in how screen time is distributed. I was also quite confused in the beginning in the second arc when 3 different parallel storylines were happening in different years. On the other hand, though I really enjoy Ji Ling’s story and his romance with Lu Wu Yi, it’s unfortunate that Wu Shi Guan and Wu Wang Yan got the short end of the stick. Their stories should be just as interesting and compelling, but they were relegated to the bench in the last arc. At the end of the second arc when identity secrets are revealed to the audience, Wu Shi Guang should have increased screen time, especially when his romance also wasn’t as developed in the second arc as the other pair. The pacing of the drama is actually pretty good for the most part. It held my attention throughout and there’s no draggy part. In fact, the last 5 episodes are so packed with plot twists that I felt like I never got a breather. Secrets and schemes were exposed one after another and I hope it actually slows down and gives me time to pause and think.
Characters
First of all, why do they speak so slowly?? LOL... Anyway, I enjoy all the main characters and the main supporting characters. They are all unique in their own way, though a few of them I would like to get to know more on a deeper level. The guest stars in each arc also bring something special to the drama. I especially enjoy seeing Xia Zhi Guang, Fan Shi Qi and a different side of Wang Duo. Compared to “Fangs of Fortune”, the characters in this drama have more close 1-on-1 relationships than team camaraderie. Everyone is lovely and it’s nice to not hate on anyone or find anyone irritating. For a drama like this, you should expect some of your favorites might die. Well, be prepared because they die and don't die, then die and don't die….. Did they really die? LOL
Acting
I think the overall acting of everyone is pretty good. No one really sticks out like a sore thumb. Tian Jia Rui probably has the toughest assignment for his different roles. I do think he is still better as the young and happy Ji Ling, than the more imposing and serious Dragon God. Joseph Zeng is fine but I also don’t think he’s given enough, or challenged enough to do better. Chen Du Ling is fine and definitely better than in “Fangs of Fortune”. I might have to say this might be the best I’ve seen Ju Jing Yi. She always gets a lot of flack for just being pretty, but I do think she finally is given a role that could challenge her and let the audience see she can be more than a pretty face. Yan An still has those mesmerizing eyes, just like when he was in “Fangs of Fortune”. But here, he is given more to work with and to show a more vulnerable side.
Romance
Where should I start with this? I did not buy the romance at all in the first arc and I really dislike Ju Jing Yi’s dubbed voice LOL I don’t feel any romantic chemistry at all. Luckily, things got better in the second arc when each couple had dedicated time to build on chemistry. Ji Ling + Lu Wu Yi have a much better written romance in the second arc inside the mysterious Star Stone. They were adorable together and I had a lot of fun watching them get to know each other, open their hearts and share backstories. I just wish the other couple was given just as much. Wu Shi Guang + Wu Wang Yan romance is more mature and I actually like it more. The time they spent together as Cang Hao and Qing Yi, learning to live together, get to know each other and grow old together is a touching story. But we don’t see many heartwarming moments of them together. Because they need to grow old fast, their timeline moves so much faster than the other couple’s. When this couple is given touching moments, e.g. bracelets and ice embrace or facing the consequences of a secret alliance, Joseph Zeng and Chen Du Ling did a fantastic job with those emotional moments. When romance plays such a big part in the general plot and the last arc, it’s really difficult for me to buy in when I don’t see the development of them falling in love, and even how and when Lu Wu Yi falls madly in love with Ji Ling. “Veil of Shadows” tries to tell me their romances are heartwarming, heartbreaking and can move heaven and earth ... but didn’t quite SHOW me how that all happened, so I can be more invested.
Production
This is without a doubt a high budget production. Did you see all the hairstyles and costumes of every single character? Beautiful! Ok, they could also calm down on the white filter/makeup. I think the team might be a little partial towards Tian Jia Rui and not as much towards Joseph Zeng. If you like CGI and the special effects in big fight scenes, you would not be disappointed. Each battle is exciting, eye-catching and a small production itself. The fight scenes in the first arc had too many slow-mo moves to my liking, but they improved throughout the drama. The cinematography is beautiful but I also find it somewhat pretentious with many shots where the actors are just posing and looking pretty. The OST boasts a cast of big stars. If you could assemble Zhou Shen, Liu Yu Ning, Mao Bu Yi altogether in one album, you know this is going to be an awesome OST. I also like that many actors have their own songs as well. Because there are so many songs in the OST, the drama doesn’t have to play the same song over and over, yet music is played ALL the time. There are times when I just want to hear the dialog, or let the emotions fill the gap, but then music will play. The battle music also feels like video game music, for better or for worse.
Despite my criticism, I did have a good time watching “Veil of Shadows” and enjoyed it slightly more than “Fangs of Fortune”. This is probably due to the fact that romance is so central to the plot compared to FOF. Although I am a big fan of wuxia hard-hitting close combat fight scenes, I can’t deny I also enjoy the big production action scenes and the elaborate use of CGI here. The actors all actually did a really great job in these action scenes. The OST is beautiful and the story is interesting. I just wish I liked the storytelling/execution more, and that screen time is better distributed between the four main leads.
Completed: 4/26/2026 Review #686
I waited for the hype to die down before watching the much anticipated “Veil of Shadows”. Given this is another Edward Guo production with new crowd favorites Tian Jia Rui and Yan An as the leads, expectations are high. I have to say, I did come in with some pre-conceived criticisms, but I can’t deny I think I enjoy this drama more than “Fangs of Fortune”.
“Veil of Shadows” shares many of my praises and criticisms of “Fangs of Fortune” and even “My Journey to You”. MJTY is darker and more serious, so it might not be fair to compare. As I re-read my own review of FOF (https://kisskh.at/profile/virgievirgie/review/407720), I was nodding my head and saying… yup…same here in this drama.
Plot/Pacing
I like the general plot of “Veil of Shadows”, however, I am not sure if I like the storytelling/execution. This could very much be a ‘me’ problem that I don’t like the style. The drama first confused me, then dumped a lot of info to clarify what happened (often without foreshadowing). I was looking forward to the journeys of Ji Ling (played by Tian Jia Rui) and Wu Shi Guang (played by Joseph Zeng). They should both be main leads, with complementary storylines of their history, romance, development and road to heroism. There’s so much material that should be enough to fill a full 40-ep drama, yet this drama is only 29 episodes long. I wasn’t sure why the drama wasn’t longer and what goes behind the scenes in how screen time is distributed. I was also quite confused in the beginning in the second arc when 3 different parallel storylines were happening in different years. On the other hand, though I really enjoy Ji Ling’s story and his romance with Lu Wu Yi, it’s unfortunate that Wu Shi Guan and Wu Wang Yan got the short end of the stick. Their stories should be just as interesting and compelling, but they were relegated to the bench in the last arc. At the end of the second arc when identity secrets are revealed to the audience, Wu Shi Guang should have increased screen time, especially when his romance also wasn’t as developed in the second arc as the other pair. The pacing of the drama is actually pretty good for the most part. It held my attention throughout and there’s no draggy part. In fact, the last 5 episodes are so packed with plot twists that I felt like I never got a breather. Secrets and schemes were exposed one after another and I hope it actually slows down and gives me time to pause and think.
Characters
First of all, why do they speak so slowly?? LOL... Anyway, I enjoy all the main characters and the main supporting characters. They are all unique in their own way, though a few of them I would like to get to know more on a deeper level. The guest stars in each arc also bring something special to the drama. I especially enjoy seeing Xia Zhi Guang, Fan Shi Qi and a different side of Wang Duo. Compared to “Fangs of Fortune”, the characters in this drama have more close 1-on-1 relationships than team camaraderie. Everyone is lovely and it’s nice to not hate on anyone or find anyone irritating. For a drama like this, you should expect some of your favorites might die. Well, be prepared because they die and don't die, then die and don't die….. Did they really die? LOL
Acting
I think the overall acting of everyone is pretty good. No one really sticks out like a sore thumb. Tian Jia Rui probably has the toughest assignment for his different roles. I do think he is still better as the young and happy Ji Ling, than the more imposing and serious Dragon God. Joseph Zeng is fine but I also don’t think he’s given enough, or challenged enough to do better. Chen Du Ling is fine and definitely better than in “Fangs of Fortune”. I might have to say this might be the best I’ve seen Ju Jing Yi. She always gets a lot of flack for just being pretty, but I do think she finally is given a role that could challenge her and let the audience see she can be more than a pretty face. Yan An still has those mesmerizing eyes, just like when he was in “Fangs of Fortune”. But here, he is given more to work with and to show a more vulnerable side.
Romance
Where should I start with this? I did not buy the romance at all in the first arc and I really dislike Ju Jing Yi’s dubbed voice LOL I don’t feel any romantic chemistry at all. Luckily, things got better in the second arc when each couple had dedicated time to build on chemistry. Ji Ling + Lu Wu Yi have a much better written romance in the second arc inside the mysterious Star Stone. They were adorable together and I had a lot of fun watching them get to know each other, open their hearts and share backstories. I just wish the other couple was given just as much. Wu Shi Guang + Wu Wang Yan romance is more mature and I actually like it more. The time they spent together as Cang Hao and Qing Yi, learning to live together, get to know each other and grow old together is a touching story. But we don’t see many heartwarming moments of them together. Because they need to grow old fast, their timeline moves so much faster than the other couple’s. When this couple is given touching moments, e.g. bracelets and ice embrace or facing the consequences of a secret alliance, Joseph Zeng and Chen Du Ling did a fantastic job with those emotional moments. When romance plays such a big part in the general plot and the last arc, it’s really difficult for me to buy in when I don’t see the development of them falling in love, and even how and when Lu Wu Yi falls madly in love with Ji Ling. “Veil of Shadows” tries to tell me their romances are heartwarming, heartbreaking and can move heaven and earth ... but didn’t quite SHOW me how that all happened, so I can be more invested.
Production
This is without a doubt a high budget production. Did you see all the hairstyles and costumes of every single character? Beautiful! Ok, they could also calm down on the white filter/makeup. I think the team might be a little partial towards Tian Jia Rui and not as much towards Joseph Zeng. If you like CGI and the special effects in big fight scenes, you would not be disappointed. Each battle is exciting, eye-catching and a small production itself. The fight scenes in the first arc had too many slow-mo moves to my liking, but they improved throughout the drama. The cinematography is beautiful but I also find it somewhat pretentious with many shots where the actors are just posing and looking pretty. The OST boasts a cast of big stars. If you could assemble Zhou Shen, Liu Yu Ning, Mao Bu Yi altogether in one album, you know this is going to be an awesome OST. I also like that many actors have their own songs as well. Because there are so many songs in the OST, the drama doesn’t have to play the same song over and over, yet music is played ALL the time. There are times when I just want to hear the dialog, or let the emotions fill the gap, but then music will play. The battle music also feels like video game music, for better or for worse.
Despite my criticism, I did have a good time watching “Veil of Shadows” and enjoyed it slightly more than “Fangs of Fortune”. This is probably due to the fact that romance is so central to the plot compared to FOF. Although I am a big fan of wuxia hard-hitting close combat fight scenes, I can’t deny I also enjoy the big production action scenes and the elaborate use of CGI here. The actors all actually did a really great job in these action scenes. The OST is beautiful and the story is interesting. I just wish I liked the storytelling/execution more, and that screen time is better distributed between the four main leads.
Completed: 4/26/2026 Review #686
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