Mo Dao Zu Shi: Xian Yun Pian

Arguably one of the best Chinese studios out there, G.CMay Animation, decided to develop a season 2 for Mo Dao Zu shi -also known as Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation-. What they’ve managed to create is an emotional and stunning piece of animation, along the lines set out on the first season.
However, instead of taking the time to unfold the extensive backstory of the characters as they did in the onset of season 1, this time they took the plunge to the action-packed wonderful pace of the end of the 1st season from the very start, making it really enjoyable.

Without changing too much the recipe ... that lead to the success of season 1, Mo Dao Zu shi presents a character-driven story based on a Chinese cultivation world setting with a fair amount of action scenes, Wei Wuxian comedic paintbrushes, and an amazing work in the artistic department; still, a darker tone is set, mainly due to the darkening/despair effect that both the misfortunate events and the demonic arts have in our protagonist.
Besides, the moral conflict WW brings to the table much more complexity and tragedy making the show much more interesting. So, though we are not facing a really complex story, they way things are told and conducted make it a really nice piece of storytelling.

Moreover, though the cast is pretty much the same, we can observe that on season 2, G.CMay Animation steps up in the characterization of both our main cast and the intricacy of the villains/evil, as on season 1 felt kind of cartoonish, given the usual pillory attitude which Wei Wuxian displayed combined with the childish goals –and attitude- our main villain -Weng Chao- had. They have managed to portray much better their feelings, their ambitions, what they seek in life, generating in the viewer different impressions depending on the characters –and their actions/state of mind/circumstances- displayed on screen. Furthermore, the score was absolutely breathtaking and well used during the course of this season, endowing much more emotion to a lot of shots of this anime.

Speaking about visuals, this show continues to do things incredibly well. Striking use of angles, elegant coloring, and smooth shading gave so much detail that even the slightest feeling was portrayed on screen; even conversations felt much more realistic than on your usual anime thanks to the animators work. That being said, this last statement can also be applied to action sequences, as both are amazing –even the use of CGI was nice-. Last but not least, backgrounds, oh backgrounds, what can I say other than what an amazing display of talent it was (again)?

So, to sum up things, season 2 has hands down taken another step forward in its project of making Mo Dao Zu Shi franchise one of the all-time great productions of the Chinese anime industry.

Season 2 doesn't disappoint.This season is just as great as the first one.
I wouldn't give it a 10 but a 9 is definitely appropriate.

Although the main action happens in the present, where WWX and LWJ try to solve the riddle of who the Demonic Ghost Hand belongs to. Some open questions are answered, when snippets of the past are beautifully interwoven with the main narrative. As usual, the fight scenes are great and directed well, while significantly less compared to the first season. The voice acting isn't lacking in any aspect, either. Every character's emotions and nuances to them are conveyed beautifully and the ... soundtracks match perfectly.

So why wouldn't I give it a 10?
Because sometimes the drawing were too rushed, not every scene was as neatly drawn as I expected it to be. I heard their deadline was in April so unfortunately they had to rush a bit.

I’m not very good at expressing my opinions in writing but I felt that I needed to try for this show. I absolutely adore the novel and the 1st season of the donghua (Chinese anime) and I have been obsessed with it since I found the show last October. While this 2nd season is still beautifully animated the characters are still wonderful, the story is sorely lacking and I feel really bad for “anime only” watchers. I don’t know how they followed along with the story as its messy. It’s just difficult to follow the story if you don’t have knowledge from the novel to ... fill the the gaps. The past and the present scenes don’t flow well this season. This could have been prevented if they had had the original 15 episodes to flesh out the story but for some reason they only had 8 episodes to work with. Continuing with talking about it being a shortened season, I felt it was a disservice to the show to put in filler in a season that needed every minute to tell its story. The season felt so rushed and I don’t understand why they put the filler in. I guess I’m just disappointed in this season. It’s not necessarily bad, but it could have been so much better.

Honestly, as a Chinese person, I've never found much draw in period Chinese dramas/animations. I just tend to find the idea of ancient China and notions like sworn brotherhoods over-romanticized... but Mo Dao Zu Shi drew me in easily. The music is fantastic. I don't think I've ever come across any show that made music instruments seem so cool and believable as "weapons". The consistent emphasis on the idea of "cultivation" grounds the possibility that sounds created by instruments can have that power. This "cultivation" affects one's personality, status in society, sense of identity etc. And instruments having powers isn't treated as a whim in ... a overdramatic action packed anime. Not only that, the theme songs and interludes creates the sense of a sweeping romance transcending time.

I have to say, it was a struggle at first to tell the characters apart from each other. Hence the art score rating of 8, although just based on aesthetics and appeal, it certainly deserved a 10. It adds complexity to the task to understanding the layered storyline, when some of the characters in similar clothing also look so similar... buuut, I still gave this show a high overall score of 9 because:

- The two main characters are fantastic. They're layered and flawed and aware of their own flaws. There isn't this tendency for them to be always right just because they are heroes and protagonists. The voice actors are amazingly expressive with a wide range of nuanced emotions.

- The relationship between the main characters are beautiful and believable. They don't suddenly abandon all their duties because now they've found a soulmate that they want to spend their lives with. There are so many hurdles, it almost seems impossible for this relationship to flourish, but it does... and the audience is painfully aware of the cost of that.

- You don't totally have to understand the exact chronological sequence of everything that unfolded to really enjoy this show. It's beautiful, and pacing is great, the character relationships are fascinating and complex. The timelines are still unfolding but it doesn't bother me. I mean it's a reincarnation plot. Even the characters are figuring things out.

Mo Dao Zu Shi S1 did exceptionally well. Therefore, S2 was no exception. Like always, the animation is very good, the story is intriguing as always, and the characters never cease to amaze me, both in a good and bad way.

However, I ended up repeating the first season's mistake: I didn't understand the story again on the first watch again. It's not the donghua's fault as it is on mine, so that's an easy thing to overlook.

Other than that, and the shorter run time, I didn't have any problems with season 2. Overall, Mo Dao Zu Shi S2 is great, but S1 was just slightly ... better. If S2 had around the same number of episodes as S1, I feel like it could've easily been 10/10.

It's all about the anime ok?
I think the anime messed the story up. you would most likely not understand anything because it goes up and forth between the present and the past in ununderstandable way in addition to the misleading drawing (I'm not saying it's not beautiful) they all look like each other and Mo Xuanyu looks exactly the same as wei wuxian. I had to repeat the 1.st 3 episodes of the 1.season many times to get it.
I decided then to read the novel and it was surprisingly amazing and I would likely not understand anything from this season if I didn't do that
the ... real story is perfect I enjoyed every single word of it
the anime is also entertaining but I advice you to read the novel if you want to have the perfect fun

(As of writing this, I have seen 6 episodes of MDZS 2. Will update when all episodes are translated.)

Mo Dao Zu Shi caught my eye when I found out that it was both a BL and a Xianxia; this intrigued me as, while I had read both genres separately, I hadn't yet seen them together. As not an avid anime watcher, the first season of Mo Dao Zu Shi is actually the first donghua I watched- the first season did not disappoint, and I looked forward to the second season to see if the story would continue to be told well.

STORY

After the flashbacks that was ... season one, the story is brought back to the present to tell the current story of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. My main criticism of the second season is the slightly muddled plot. The donghua has added in scenes that weren't told in the original novel, I guess intending to add clarity to the story. While this should be helpful for donghua-only watchers, some few episodes are 'wasted' to do so and personally I think the donghua could've went without a few of those DH-only scenes. The plot of the novel is also not followed strictly: certain events are pushed forward in time and changed significantly, and plot-heavy flashbacks are spread out throughout the episodes, in contrast to the novel which instead tells a lot of the present story before employing the use of flashbacks. I don't necessarily think this is a bad idea, but I feel as if much more of the current timeline could've been told instead of the many flashbacks. Some significant details also would've been better off having been revealed later rather than sooner. Nevertheless, the story is still interesting and thought-provoking; suspense and tension is created well in certain scenes, and the plot is unpredictable and surprising at times.

ART

The art of the second season feels a bit rushed compared to the first season. The fight scenes are fluid and fascinating to watch, and we still get the smooth animations of the movement of strands of hairs, and the picturesque landscapes, yet I think some of the facial expressions could've had more time spent on them, and smaller details could've been added in.


SOUND

I really enjoy how they used the second verse of Zui Meng Qian Chen as the opening to link the first and second season together, and also the past and present lives of Wei Wuxian. The BGM is unusual at times, but compliments the mood and the atmosphere of the current scene well. The voice acting of the main characters gives them a distinguishable voice and adds emotion and depth to their personalities.

CHARACTER

The characters of MDZS are all likeable and more or less realistic. Although so far, there hasn't been a lot of development of the characters in this season, this is probably due to the fact not much of the present has actually been animated yet. Furthermore, small hints have been made of Lan Wangji's yearning for Wei Wuxian, though I doubt their relationship will get developed to more than a bromance, considering China's censorship.

OVERALL

Mo Dao Zu Shi is overall fun to watch and unpredictable: the intricacies of the plot and the interactions of the characters come together to create an interesting story where any watcher will anticipate what will happen next. While I wouldn't call it a work of art because of certain factors, this donghua is still a pleasure to watch.

Thoroughly enjoyed the second season.

I was glad to see more of WWX and LWJ in the present day, although we still saw the scenes from the past that were missed in Season 1, which is great.

Although I wanted to rate it 10 based solely on my enjoyment, I did rate it 9 in the end looking at it from a perspective of someone who only saw anime and nothing else.

As I have read the novel, watched the drama, I did not really get lost in the plot and it was really just going naturally.

However, I did feel like story was a bit quick paced (sadly ... it only had 8 episodes) and it might leave you confused. It did jump back and forth from past and present so this could have also caused a little bit confusion.

I feel like everything that they did discover and will discover in the future (S3) is important to understand for the story. If you never read the novel, you might find yourself lost.

However, it was still very intriguing and I loved every episode.

So, overall : 9

Story: 10 - can't wait for third season
Art: 10 - so so beautiful
Sound: 10 - ^
Character: 10 - we finally get some more depth on some characters. Protect Jin Ling at all costs!
Enjoyment: 10

I do recommend the second season but you might have to re-watch before the third season is out!

In my opinion, the second season of Mo Dao Zu Shi got to be as good as the first, unfortunately it was much short. What bothered me about the first one is that she left many things open, events were very fast (aside from the timeline being a bit confusing). But the second explained them with great mastery. And honestly, it was a very exciting arc! Not only did Wei Xuxian have a tragic end in his other life, but also other characters that I loved very much.

Patriarch Yiling thought that if he used demonic powers to do good, everything would be fine and everything ... would be under control. But that is not what happened. Lan Zhan ~ tried to warn him, but to no avail. Someone very malicious was on the prowl to curse Yiling. And for me, it was a surprise to find out who the Phantom General is! I was really perplexed, because I thought it was the patriarch's corpse.

About adult Jiang Cheng: before I thought than he was a complete imbecile! But it turns out that the reason he became so was not just the extermination caused in his clan. It goes far beyond that. I still don't like him very much, but now I understand his rude behavior.

Huai Sang is beautiful. In fact, all the characters are admirable! They do not need to have colored hair or exotic cuts to be unique. Not to mention that the personality of each one and their facial expressions amaze me. The art - and soundtrack - of this anime is really superb. Aaah, and I loved the second ending!

I could easily give a 9 for this season if it weren't for the strange detachment that the author made with his characters.

Attention, SPOILER: It seems to me that the death of some did not have the impact it should have, and it is strange to think that the younger sister overcame her husband's death so easily.

YOU CAN READ NOW.

Finally, at the end of this season two things became clear: Lan Zhan is really in love with Wei Xuxian (although the damn script makes everything very subliminal) and the sect that makes "snow cuts" will begin to be developed in the next episodes.

See you later! I can't wait for the continuation.

Chinese animation has come a long way these past few years and Mo Dao Zu Shi is a prime example of that.
As someone who is the exact opposite of 'well-versed' in Eastern Fantasy and Xianxia, this series took a little while for me to understand in order to 'get' this big picture of it all.
When I did, though, I was hooked.
Mo Dao Zu Shi boasts an excellent and large cast of characters with intricate personalities that interact with one another in a truly entertaining way. The comedic scenes are just as poignant as the dramatic, and the pacing is quite nice so that ... you don't get emotional whiplash going from one scene to the next. It builds up and crescendoes nicely.
The world-building is an excellent backdrop for the story and is beautifully designed and animated. The intricate buildings of ancient China mixed with mystical fantasy scenery is truly something to behold. Every background in this show looks like a screensaver. Not to mention the action scenes. Wonderfully choreographed, excellently shot, and musically outstanding.

It really is a shame that Chinese censorship laws has put a proverbial leash over the developing relationship between main characters, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, though. Their progression is notable and can easily be interpreted as romantic- as the author intended (and rather explicitly detailed,) in the original novel. But it just isn't the same as having blatant representation. China has a long way to go in that regard.

Despite that one set back, though, this still is a show that is worth watching. The first season felt like a backdrop for what was to come, and season two has been building up to something huge. I'm very excited for season three.

All in all, give Mo Dao Zu Shi a chance. The double names and mythology might be confusing to a western audience- but if you give it time you'll find that it pays off to the highest extent.
If you're a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'll love this more mature take on a similar story.

unbelievably amazing animation and music. so well done so much thought went into the music and the way the characters are portrayed. specifically for wei yings flute and lan zhans guqin.. i watched a short on the creators talking about them specifically and they really blow you away with what they did to create just the perfect sound along with the fantastic animation. i will agree with another review thouhg, if you have not read the novel you may have some trouble following alone. as someone who had already read it, i LOVE this donghua. all the seasons are amazing