Veil of Shadows Ends Run with Low 5.2 Douban Ratings Continuing Director Guo Jing Ming’s String of Visual Over Substance Dramas
Another April 2026 premiered C-drama wrapped its run this week with xianxia Veil of Shadows heading into forgettable projects territory after it’s airing. The Youku produced drama starred Ju Jing Yi and Chen Du Ling as co-female leads with Zeng Shun Xi and Tian Jia Rui as the male leads, and off the bat there is like not a single lead I like so this was a skippable drama for me. But it turns out for a lot more viewers as the drama got very low ratings and buzz, probably lower than director and writer Guo Jing Ming‘s last drama Fangs of Fortune. The Douban ratings are also quite low with 5.2, and honestly other than My Journey to You I haven’t like a single thing Guo Jing Ming has done, and a lot of it is his propensity for style over substance when paired with actors or actresses he wants to push who are just uninspiring for me. Case in point his latest muse Tian Jia Rui, who in three dramas did okay with his first one and has since been so unappealing to me. The trying to make him “happen” is probably why he’s not “happening” since it feels so forced. With that said, Guo Jing Ming’s next drama Hidden Shadows with Wang Chu Ran and Li Hong Yi is still one I’m interested in since I like the leads there.
Another failed attempt to make TJR ‘happen’.
GJM is the ONLY director on my blacklist along quite a few actors that I don’t consider watchable. Such an accomplishment! lol
I tried to watch My Journey to You through the end many times but all failed. Even Zhang Linghe can’t keep me stick to the plot slow as molasses. lol. For Story of Kunning Palace, I found Bai Lu’s monotonous acting unbearable, but the interesting story hooked me. SoKP is still a decent drama in that sense. While the acting in MJtY is fine except for the creeping 2nd FL whose face was a dead giveaway, like she was wearing a “spy” nametag lol, the plot is all flash and no cash. I still have no clues what points GJM tried to make after 11 eps. I’ll book tickets for American Ballet Theater if I expect to see beautiful choreography. lol. I want a plot. Why showcase elegant martial arts if the narrative remains hollow? The technical skill doesn’t make up for the empty plot.
Well, it’s a typical GJM drama, similar to a very long photos shoot of good looking people in a variety of costumes and scenarios.
Nonetheless, there are currently rumours that there will be a second season. Why on earth would anyone waste money on this?
I am really not fond of GJM… his dramas really dont appeal to me.
I’m the opposite of you. I like all the leads (except Tian Jiarui) but had to drop the drama in the 2nd half after it became a TJR one-man show. He looks like a rat; probably the 2nd ugliest actor in C-ent right after Liu Yuning. Being an interesting side character suits him best because I remember his role as the younger brother in Fangs of Fortune, but he has 0 aura as the male lead.
Actually, I liked the lead actors especially Tian Jiarui who played two different parts. the plot and especially the ending were too confusing for my taste.
It was a good drama, and all the leads did well. The hate toward Tian Jiarui on this site is so unnecessary.