Shi Huang Zhi Shen

Demons referred to as "evil spawns" appear near people who gain a bad reputation for their evil actions; Such people are referred to as "Villains." Wu Minglu, a delinquent student known for his bad behavior in school and his community, has accumulated bad karma and is assigned to Supervisor Lian En as a Villain. Lian En's goal is to work with Wu Minglu to complete good deeds and reduce his risk level, preventing evil spawn from appearing in the world. How does their journey turn out in the end?

Story & Character: 4/10
God of Deception starts off appealing with a relentless main character forced to work ... with a role model to reform his bad behavior or suffer a terrible fate. The story develops well in terms of world-building, starting on a smaller scale and progressively expanding. However, it lacks suspenseful action and drama. Many action sequences involve characters fighting as proxies from other factions, which feel unimportant to the overall story. The mystery behind certain characters is a decent inclusion, but the execution and reveal feel weak due to a lack of intense build-up, relying mostly on flashbacks. The reveal event itself ends up being a flashback, which is a lazy method of storytelling. Finally, the story tries to incorporate conflict between multiple factions, making the conclusion feel half-baked due to loose ends and plot holes.

Character development is weak, aligning with the plot's deficiencies. Mysterious characters are present, but some characters do not develop at all and instead devolve as the series progresses. Characters come and go arbitrarily, and random new characters appear, making the focus shift too jarringly. The antagonists lack impact, failing to create emotional investment. Many questions about Lian En and the organization backing him remain unanswered after the first few episodes. Despite these issues, the dynamic between Lian En and Wu Minglu is enjoyable. Their relationship feels organic and grows stronger when either is in trouble, although their development and depth are not particularly favorable.

Art & Sound: 4/10
The art is noticeably weak compared to other 2D anime released in the same time period. The animation consistency is poor and deteriorates in the latter half of the series. The art style stays consistent, but some characters, like Lian En, look very disproportionate from different angles. However, the exaggerated character emotions add to the comedy in the series which was a good addition.

The sound design is below average. The voice acting for many main characters feels amateurish, with expressions like screaming or loud dialogue sounding forced. The music and sound effects are unremarkable. However, the unfiltered dialogue helps emphasize the characters' extremely righteous or cunning personas.

Overall & Enjoyment: 4/10
If this series had focused on a smaller character set along with a smaller world and plot scope, it would have been a more enjoyable and impactful watch. However, it tried to be ambitious with a vast array of characters who disappear after their usefulness and a world that includes two cities, one of which is introduced too late in the story. Overall, I enjoyed the ideas behind Shi Huang Zhi Shen, but the execution was severely lacking.