Shadow Love

Love story with a happy ending and dash of action

The story wasn't that entertaining but if you want to casually watch something that isn't going to have a lot of twist and turns as most of it is predictable then this is a good casual show.

It was okay in the beginning then in the middle especially around 20-30 it drags on a bit and the last few episodes picked back up and resolve a few. It's probably one of the few shows I've watched where the ending actually was better than the entire show but I guess that's because I like the whole premise of role switch that happened but I won't spoil it.

If you're an action goer there's a dash of fighting not like every episode but Song Yi looks bad ass when she is fighting. For the lovey dove people you'll probably find it drags on too much in the middle like to the point where you just want to scream "MAKE BABIES ALREADY".

It has a lot of flash backs which I hate and I have to 2x that.

Acting was good, not a fan of the most powerful person in the show wearing such a lame costume but otherwise none of the cast I have complaints about their acting abilities.

Music sucked though like the only memorable music and this is the one that goes ohhh ohhh ohhh that's it. Every music in this was ass but the sounds effects were on point.

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Not the Usual Plot: Captivating but Confusing

The Story is a bit confusing and left a 'why' in many scenes. Probably because the novel is actually very long and they tried to fit it into 38 episodes. Some part of past events are told in a short conversation later in the drama.

The story focused on the ML as the ordinary man who forget his past that somewhow turn into a superpower warrior, so there will be just a little portion of Cheng Lei as the Prince. A lot of romantic scene with FL, but lack of chemistry (comparing with other Cheng Lei FL).
CL acting are great as always, but SY wasn't that impressive.
Soundtrack are good. Nothing will goes wrong with Ning Ge as singer.
I continue watching because curious for the revealing moment of ML past. And it happend in a few last episodes.
I like the love story of ML and FL, but I'm not rooting for them. I prefer the 2nd couple , and I actually like the 3rd couple (their sad story make me scream whyyyyy).

warning: If you wish to see Cheng Lei as the ruthless Grand General & Royal Prince Duan Aodeng, you'll be dissapointed.

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Simping for Song Yi and it's worth it

Started this because of Song Yi and yes she slayed it. ML and FL chemistry omg just them staring at each other is so intense. The first part of the story is really good and it makes you keep watching one ep after another, and the middle part really sucks with so many plot twists and unnecessary complicated scenarios. It got better in the ending. I almost crashed out in the last two ep cuz . Thankfully, for the writer's mercy, we have a perfect and gorgeous ending. I almost skipped this drama. Glad that I watched this. Please shoot more quality drama, Song Yi so that i can simp u more T T.

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Don’t let the criticisms stop you from watching this!!!

This was the first show I’ve seen with Song Yi and Ryan Cheng. I was debating watching this as I had seen so much discourse over the FL not being good enough, young enough or not having chemistry with Ryan Cheng and of course, not being anywhere near as good as The Legend of the Female General.

I’m starting to think I was watching a different show to those people because Shadow Love was such a treat to watch; the layered personalities, character development and the emotions that both actors displayed in this show was just wonderful to watch.

This show had me in awe, broke me down and built me back up again. The range of emotions I went through while watching SL was insane. I was glued to my TV any chance I got to watch this. Was it a perfect show? no, but it was close to perfection for me and that’s because of Song Yi and Ryan Chen’s phenomenal acting.

I was sad to see it end, but it ended so beautifully. SL will definitely be up in my top 10 Cdramas!

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do I love u or do I love u

I deliberated between giving this drama 8/10 or 7.5/10. In the end, I gave it 7.5/10.

I felt that the casting was not great. The FL is very feminine and cute in her own way. I watched her in other dramas prior to this and she was cute. However, I felt that she did not suit this drama. She was much much better in “Destined”.

The premise was all right but the mad queen was really one total crazy b*tch. Things were rather interesting at the start and then, things became just slightly frustrating afterwards when ML regained his memory. There was nothing that was a true standout for this drama. It was watchable but nothing too great imo. I did not find the chemistry between the leads “satisfying’ either. It was all just rather lukewarm.

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Awesome Chinese version of superhero costume drama. Song Yi and Ryan Cheng were awesome.

Shadow Love is a Wuxia costume drama starring Song Yi, Ryan Cheng, Bi Wen Jun, and Shi Ge. This is the year for Ryan Cheng. So far, I have enjoyed his acting abilities in the dramas "The Legend of Female General" and "Footprints of Change." He portrayed each character very well, especially in this one, where he was loving, caring, and childlike, possessing a superpower that came to rescue General Zhenbei (played by Song Yi) whenever she was in trouble.

Their on-screen chemistry was cute, and the fighting scenes were awesome. I really enjoyed this drama, and it is refreshing to see; it's like a Chinese version of Superman or Spiderman.

Synopsis: Li Shuang, a female general of Taijin, takes in an amnesiac man she finds by chance and names him Jin An. Jin An accompanies Li Shuang wholeheartedly, and the two secretly fall in love. However, when Jin An remembers that he is actually the prince of an enemy state, the two devoted lovers have no choice but to take up arms against each other. Jin An also has another identity as a supernatural warrior named Xuan Yi Ke, who remembers Li Shuang, loves her unconditionally, and vows to protect her at all costs. Jaded by war, they decide to join forces to resolve the crisis and uphold justice.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 8
2. Script: 7
3. Music/OST: 7
4. Production Quality: 8
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 7
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 8

Overall Rating: 7.5

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wasnt bad until the mid end

The show was going great until around ep 25. At first, it was all nice and lovey and great but then they decided to kill the 2nd couple (qian n the bandit). but before that happened, it already went downhill because like idk, i felt like they gave random ppl more screentime or it was repetitive. for example, when prince li tried to find the crown prince n failed. he tried again n again. I kept going because I wanted to see cheng lei in his dark outfit and role which felt like foreverrr. im not a huge fan of song yi but she is watchable, considering follow your heart. that is where i found my shang bieli! Waiting for lu xin n mo yin get together was such a hope for me but i didnt get to see it cs i dropped it. anyways, 7.5 stars, was great but went downhill around ep 20(20 smth).

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Visual feast with strong leads and engaging plot

Obviously, this is a review for the first 12 episodes, but... this drama honestly blew me away!! And this means something, as I've grown overly impatient and critical of cheaply made Chinese dramas, and I've been dropping many of those I started watching recently. Not only is this a drama for romance fans that fancy a bit of a twist, but also for (super)hero fans, I would say. Cheng Lei is super badass in his role, but so is Song Yi. Best female general I've seen so far. Those who say she constantly needs saving are wrong, and episode 12 proves it without a doubt. Yes, she gets saved by him a lot too, but that is fine, as many of the scenes were created with that intent in mind and include many of his own strategies being used by her, which obviously have him at the centre as the main fighter. Plus, the favour gets returned, and she saves him many times as well.

The acting is great, the side characters are fleshed out and are actually important to the story, the visuals and CGI are STUNNING, and everybody makes well-informed, logical choices, which leaves almost no room for unnecessary drama or plot holes (although the reason why he transformed into a child still needs to be explained BUT it could be argued that he was still recovering from his wounds when he was changing back into a child). Cheng Lei is the highlight of this drama in my eyes. The way he seamlessly transitions between badass fighter and harmless, charming guy is amazing and deserves praise. I'd recommend this drama alone based on that, as it's rare that he gets such a good chance to show his acting range!

If you're a fan of blood pacts/dark magic (vampire style), awesome slow-burn chemistry between the main leads and a solid, intriguing plot- you should check out this drama ASAP!

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Flawless

“Shadow Love” is a beautiful drama. I really liked the charisma of the protagonist after he transformed into the Mask Man. The variety of expressions he portrayed intrigued me so much that I became so drawn to his character that other aspects of the drama mattered less to me. However, I cannot deny that the other actors also gave their best performances, especially Bi Wen Jun as Su Mu Yang, Shi Ce as Lu Xin, Darren Chen as Mo Yin, and, of course, the female protagonist. Additionally, it would have been even better if they had included children, judging by the glimpse shown in the last part of the final episode.

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STELLAR!

Wow just wow. Easily best drama this year ! Strong female lead that is actually strong and competent and doesn't need constant saving , AMAZING chemistry between the leads that comes so natural as if they are meant to be, and the finale being them enemies to lover. This drama is giving everything !! Its a drama i will rematch and rematch in the future. Pleasant surprise and so well excuted my favorite scene is when they part ways due their unavoidable circumstances and i felt every bit of heartbreak in this scene and the ml yearning for the fl . such a great escapism drama

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Solid Acting, Strong Start, But Too Many Cliches and Bad Storytelling

This had a strong start, and made me have a more positive view of Cheng Lei (I am now more inclined to watch anything that he's in), but it got annoying enough that I had to drop it for several reasons:
1. Amnesia for too long
- By the end of episode 23, there is still 0 sign of the ML retrieving any of his memories. Am I really supposed to see all his character development, and all the CP's relationship development, occur while he's living a lie?
2. Too much fluffy, G-rated flirting and cliche romance scenes
- They really put every cliche flirting and dating scene in here - we got festivals, fireworks, shooting stars, embracing under the moon, gifting a hair pin, drunken confessions/kisses, blah blah blah. And when he's not acting jealous or possessive he's always just hugging her - and that's it. Like really?? You are both 2 grown adults in a society where people marry so quickly that they don't even bother to meet face to face before the wedding, and here you are prolonging courtship with no desire to seal the deal? Promise marriage? Make plans for the future? I am unconvinced that you are not a couple 8 year olds in a grown person's body.
3. The "couple gets together just for one of them to die" cliche
- I was honestly pleasantly surprised that Qiao's character got such a quick back story, love confession, and solidified DTR so early on in the series. I should've known that this was only because she needed to be killed off soon as a plot catalyst, so they had to accelerate this couple's timeline for dramatic effect. But this cliche happens far too often, a side character finally finds their OTP, only for them to die right before they can get their happily ever after.
4. Bad guys are just archetypes with no depth/regard for human life + clear disqualifications for becoming monarchs
- The SML's older brother is blatantly evil and unfit to be a prince (or the King, as he is aspiring to be). He literally steps on other humans (even his brother, the Crown Prince) for use as step tools, he openly threatens, harasses, and extorts the FL and others, throwing his weight around and abusing his power. Anyone who actually behaved like that could not expect to become a monarch in China without facing a total mutiny and hostile takeover immediately within the first couple years of their reign. I find this to be the part of Chinese period/costume dramas that are one of their biggest weaknesses - poor, one-dimensional villain writing. Every villain is either cartoonishly evil the whole time, or they are constantly battling between being good or being evil, and that is the only thing keeping them from being so unreasonably evil throughout the whole series. They don't know how to execute a villain who is consistently evil, true to their character, yet subtle about it. Subtle in a way that would still allow them to function and have power in a logical society. An example of this would be the villain in the K-drama "My Love From the Star", the bad guy is bad news from the start - like murderously bad, sociopathically bad - but he doesn't blatantly behave in a way that would make you question how he has any followers, any social power, and is not reasonably detained at all times.
5. SML setup to have a villain arc due to misunderstandings
- I'm dropping it at episode 23 so I don't know if the SML does truly turn bad and partner with the enemy, but the writing is on the wall. Just at the right moment when the SML mistakenly thinks the FL has betrayed him, the enemy propositions him with an offer her can't refuse. I thought they might have actually gone in a good direction with the SML, after seeing him take on the ML as his tutor on "how to be a Crown Prince" and them building a friendship and brotherly bond through that. I hoped that maybe the FL/M/SML could end on friendly terms, supporting each other and having each other's back in this politically scheming world. But of course, in C-dramaland a little misunderstanding, lack of communication, and some exacerbated resentment over not getting the girl you love, is enough fodder to fuel a villain arc that is worse than any other villain we've seen in the story thus far.
6. Unrealistic life of a Female General
- Sure, you can convince me that there may be female militia in this fictionalized yet still highly patriarchal world. But wait, you expect me to believe that they live in a world where there is only one female soldier in the army as far as far as the eye can see, and not only is she not harassed or bullied or unaccepted, but she is elevated to the highest position in the military as the General, every man in the military takes order from her, and there are no complaints but instead undying loyalty and submission? Anomaly of anomalies, how am I supposed to digest this without batting an eye and assume this is normal circumstances and not just plot armor that completely spits in the face of consistency?
7. Choppy editing, and storytelling
- There were several scenes that seemed to come literally out of nowhere with no explanation or context, that had me as a viewer questioning if I accidentally skipped something, or jumped ahead in the episode. One example is when we are in a scene with the FL and ML, and when it ends with just jump to a scene where we are in the military camp and there is a bunch of chaos and running around and a bloodied guy being dragged off after interrogation, and then in the midst of the chaos a few spies sneak into a room to steal a map. And this is so early in the show that you can't immediately recognize the face of the guy being dragged away, or the layout of the military camp, and most of the actors in the scenes are extras, so it has you thinking "where exactly are we, and why did this happen"? Scenes later, you get a flashback of the FL telling her soldiers a master plan she had to trap the spies in her camp by causing fake chaos and asking one of her right hand men to pretend that he was beaten up on suspicion of collusion. But this should not have been shown as a flashback, this scene literally should've jsut taken place before the military camp chaos scene. Because there was no build up to it, it's not like they had been talking about rooting out the spies right before the scene, it was very out of nowhere, and having the plan revealed later added nothing to the plot. It was just bad storytelling and terrible scene transitions. There was another scene later on when the SFL's clinic gets burned down, and she is morning her assistant for a couple episodes, but they cram all of the assistant's scenes into flashbacks at the scene at the fire after he is already dead. The audience had no relationship with him whatsoever but it seemed like the writers realized to late that they needed to give context as to why we should care about his passing, so they crammed every line of dialogue and fond moment with him into all the SFL's memories in a single scene. Overall, the screenwriter does not seem to think through the storytelling cohesively, going from one major plot point to the next without setting up the entire story as a whole to corroborate what's going on at each moment, and the entire production suffers because of it.

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Paper-Thin Fantasy, Endless Abs, Zero Substance

ML is a hero blood-bound puppet who survives thanks to the female lead’s conveniently available veins. Meanwhile, she’s supposedly a general… though you’d never guess it from her flat delivery and total lack of commanding presence.

The plot manages to be both paper-thin stuffed with banal conversations and scenes so empty I fast-forwarded through seven episodes without missing a thing. His bare chest gets more screen time than actual character development.

The romance has no depth. The soundtrack? Dreadful. A lightly dark fantasy is a teen-targeted fanservice parade. I barely survived seven episodes before mercy-dropping it.

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