Shadow Love | Review

A romantasy about two rival generals torn between duty, desire, and an awful lot of bare chests.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Song Yi: Li Shuang

Cheng Lei: Jin An / Duan Ao Deng / Xuan Yi Ke

Bi Wen Jun: Sumu Yang

Director

Deng Ke, Gao Cong Kai

Screenwriter

(Author: Jiu Lu Fei Xian)

Chinese Title

與晉長安

With Jin Chang'an

Genres: Costume Qihuan, Romance, Palace

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2025
Episodes: 38

Jump to Remarks | Remarks | Recs | Comments

Cast

Cheng Lei: Jin An Duan Ao Deng Xuan Yi Ke	Song Yi: Li Shuang
Bi Wen Jun: Sumu Yang	Shi Ce: Lu Xin
Guan Hong: Mo Yin	Ji Xiao Bing: Sumu Li
Ni Da Hong: Emperor Tai Jin	Du Chun: Duan Ao Ze
	Others: Cheng Xiao:
Wu Yu Heng: Li Ting

Romcom/Romance Checklist

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How much of the plot is angst/romance?

0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4.8 / 5

The ML:

Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Tsundere / Falls in Love First / "Reborn" / Noble Idiot / CEO / General

The FL:

Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better than ML / "Reborn" / Noble Idiot / Business-woman

Describe the Relationship (the tropes):

Annoying Love (F/M) Rivals +++ / Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / Harem / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Rebirth / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / School to Adulthood / Star-Crossed Lovers

Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):

Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27  / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31* / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38

# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3

Ending:

Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad / Rushed+++

Remarks

[Drama Info]

This crew is kinda studded.

Directed by Deng Ke and Gao Cong Kai, who collaborated on The Prisoner of Beauty, and so you'll recognize a lot of recurring actors in the supporting cast ~ Deng Ke has also directed hits such as The Legend of ShenLi, My Heroic Husband, and Guardians of the Dafeng, while Gao Cong Kai works include The Sleepless Princess, and Why Women Love.

The drama is adapted from Jiu Lu Fei Xiang’s novel of the same name. She's the author of these xianxias: Love Between Fairy and Devil, The Legend of ShenLi, Back From the Brink, Love You Seven Times, and The Blue Whisper.

Wrapped on September 1, 2024.

[Ending] Happy.

Drama Overview & Review

Cheng Lei's Duan Ao Deng (aka DAD). The merciless general. [Skip »]

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Cheng Lei's Dark-Robed Wanderer (Xuanyike). The blood-sucking, half-naked superhero. [Skip »]

This CGI lol

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Cheng Lei's Jin An. The sweetie. [Skip »]

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Cheng Lei's Romance with Song Yi's Li Shuang. Steadfast love with great personalities from the both of them. The guy's a good hugger, and she fits so well in him. [Skip »]

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Not Cheng Lei. Butler, Cheng Xiao's itty bitty role, Bi Wen Jun, and the mattress. [Skip »]

This angle lol

Cheng Xiao.....

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

[Review & Rating] By cynlynn.

This is a plot-late bloomer. The first half is rough – messy pacing, clunky execution, and nearly a dozen episodes where nothing resembling a plot shows up. With all the transformations and an enemies-to-lovers setup, it should’ve been a blast, but it just wasn’t. By the back half, plot finally plots. But hey, we were starting from a very low point! I went in planning to mock-u-ment, vibe with the action scenes and OST, and check out the chemistry teased in leaks – and to my surprise, I got to do all that and ended up enjoying it more than I expected. Not a total loss, haha.

I’m superficial enough that had they nailed Cheng Lei's transformations, I probably would have loved this more – plot be damned. He swings from ruthless to sweet to hot to warm to ruthless to hot to sweet, and with identities as general, prince, superhero, and village hunk, the stage was perfectly set. Visual execution, unfortunately, was not. CGI was tacky, styling was either overdone or not done (lol. Though if raw chest is your thing, it’s here!). The one thing they nailed is LYN's OST. That said, Cheng Lei’s acting is solid. He sells all his moods convincingly, and the way he hugs is heart-melting. Song Yi fits perfectly in him.

Special shout-out to the action scenes – these are what ultimately kept me going. The logic is poor, the believability low, but they’re exhilarating xD. 

Bonus wins: Song Yi climbs to my neutral list \o/ (bar was very low), and Duan Ao Ze's full-time commitment to his mattress.

Rating: 2/5 ♥

Recommendations

Genre List:

Costume Qihuan

Amnesia	Blood-sucker	Power-up
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