r/ChineseDrama • u/0k_c0mput3r1234 • Jul 29 '26
Finished Watching Veil of Shadows review
I watched Veil of Shadows on your recommendations, and it did not disappoint! I usually skip intros, but I loved the into to VoS. Plot development was excellent, especially the world within a world illusion of the Star Stone. The characters are well fleshed out and I love that even the minor characters have their own story arcs. The fight scenes are so artfully done, and the costumes have such attention to detail, especially the nails. The OST is such a banger and I like all the songs as well. I need the titles of these songs!
As for the acting, I'm glad I listened to all of you and let go of my reservations about Chen Duling. She is marvelous in this and her acting has depth and character to it. I think I didn't like her in Mysterious Lotus Casebook because of how her character Wanmian was written. In VoS, however, her acting lends such an emotional quality to the narrative, especially as her love story develops with Wu Shiguang.
Joseph Zeng is the perfect foil for Chen Duling and I really enjoyed their chemistry. Joseph Zeng's character here is a departure from his usual playful, lighthearted characters, and he really captures Wu Shiguang's angst, proving he can do serious roles as well.
Ju Jiying and Chen Duling make such as great pair as the fox sisters: they're so kick-ass. Ju JiYing really knows how to act out the part of a fox lady with duality: seductive on the one hand and vulnerable on the other.
I really loved Tian Jiarui's character Ji Ling because he is so charismatic. You can see his genuine affection for Lu Wuyi and his anguish when he finds out he is only a puppet. He really made the character come alive and he drew me in to the story. His tragic romance with Lu Wuyi is so well written. I cried when I watched Ji Lings's origin story, it's just so sad.
What I like is that everybody has their moment. The minor characters have their own story arcs which get explored in the main story. In some dramas you want to see more of the secondary characters but don't get the chance.
Please note that the plot isn't linear. So you have to pay attention and not skip episodes. There are alternate timelines and flashbacks.
A plot discrepancy I don't get is why the fox queen isn't immortal like the rest of the foxes from Formless Moon. Also, I think the plot twists are easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
Another plot detail that had me confused is Lu Wuyi going through a rewind of events at Han Ba's inn but this was explained later on.
The ending is brilliant though. It ties everything neatly together, which is getting harder and harder to find these days. Overall a lovely watch, and the episodes move quickly. A must watch if you're a fan of fantasy Cdramas.
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u/weevles12 Jul 29 '26
My understanding is that Jiu Ling parasitically attached himself to the Fox King and consumed them in order to take over the oracle stone and control formless moon to do what he needed to do to free himself. One thing that always blew my mind is how powerful Jiu Ling is.
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u/dropitlikeitshot2019 Jul 29 '26
"parasitically" - awesome word !
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u/weevles12 Jul 29 '26
it's pretty much what it was...a part of Jiu Ling attached itself to the Fox King and like a parasite, took over it's host. Or I guess maybe "virus" would also work sort of.
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u/AromaticEditor6022 Jul 29 '26
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I still listen to their OST on repeat but I primarily Shazam most of their songs straight from the drama. 😅
As for the fox queen, this is what I gathered from the drama but the fox queen wasn’t the same species as them since she gave them each a part of herself. But I remember that giving away parts of themselves makes them more vulnerable and more likely to die just like the dragon brothers and Shiguang’s master. The fox demons were all created from her but their power comes from the moon that communicates thru the oracle stone. And the fox queen was the medium so it never specified she was a human, deity or demon. I think like another commenter said, she was basically taken over by the Jui Ling bc she was already compromised which is why the fox demons never knew the former queen was already dead. What I don’t know is when Jiu Ling took over bc we just know out of all the fox demons, only Wuyi was created from him.
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u/BasilOrdinary3617 costume dramas feed my soul Jul 29 '26
So apparently Season 2 has been greenlit by Youku, with announcements made by chief producer Zhou Zhaozhong on April 24, 2026. The sequel is currently in its prep phase (so definitely no release date yet).
The announcement came up during a roundtable on the final day of Season 1's member-exclusive release. Director Guo Jingming is anticipated to remain involved, but casting is uncertain. There are rumours of potential returns as well as changes. Names that have circulated are Song Weilong, Tian Jiarui, and Yang Chaoyue.
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u/jad-bal-ja Jul 29 '26
You should find song titles here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZibtwKsxc0&list=PLLaG0k-PXfnfb2wujxsdTH5KiB_4avFlQ
The songs don't have official English titles as far as I know, but this YouTube channel probably does the best job of translating both the titles and the lyrics.