Tian Guan Cifu

A wonderful masterpiece. There is nothing about this donghua that isn't gorgeous. The animation, the music, the pacing, the voice acting, the characterization. Every episode manages to surprise and captivate me in an entirely new way. It has already made me emotional so many times, and I know that the story is still just starting. Definitely a must-watch. It's such an honor that we get to delight ourselves with a production as wonderful as this one, of so much quality and made with so much love.

10/10 in every aspect. Don't miss out on this one. It is without doubt one of the most beautiful ... productions I've ever had the chance to watch. And only three episodes are out! I can't wait for the rest. I know it will be even better.

It's the review no one waited for me to write but I'm doing it anyway!

As a semi-fan of mxtx, I came in with high hopes.
I was first exposed to MXTX books after I watched MDZS. Same writer.

I should preface this by saying I have not read TCGF or any MXTX books (to the fullest at least).
I hope to come in this with an unbiased opinion and just come in how the average viewer may come in and see this: not having read the books or any prior knowledge of this series or the society as a whole regarding "cultivation".
(I say this because I myself have ... very little knowledge how that fanciful world works well)
The translation I watched was by Funimation.

Upon first glance: (I am 10/11 episodes in)

ART:
It's stunning art work. The opening is stunning in its graphics and work of art. I applaud the artists who worked on this.
When it comes to the overall animation though, that's where it behind to lacks.
Some episodes you may begin to notice an odd mouth movement with no words being said, or the odd position of how their hair is moving versus how the wind is blowing. It'd odd but it it happens more than one watcher could stand to bare.
This is disappointing as well. It's disappointing because of how GORGEOUS the artwork is. Even while animated poorly they are gorgeous while doing it.

SOUND:
The sound is standard. Nothing great but not terrible. Sound track is fine as well.

CHARACTERS:
Some characters are interesting. I wish was more given about the characters. Since MXTX books are remarkably long, the story probably gets revealed the more you read. Unfortunately, you can not know much about these characters UNLESS it is more than 11 episodes. 11 episodes is not enough to cover the epic proportions she has written.
What you see about the characters, they appear to be strong and worth of their own merit. Both of the two main male protagonists are interesting. I just wish we were given more.

STORY:
The story. So disjointed. So random. So odd?
Once again, since her stories are typically 100+ chapters long, this can NOT be summed up in 11 episodes. This adds to the oddness in how they are writing these episodes. I feel sometimes things are thrown in or the story is hard to follow. The subtitles move QUICK. I am unsure if that is due to Chinese dubbing or due to subtleties in the Chinese language. Due to this, you find yourself going back, asking fellow viewers what is going on, or even if you understand something correctly. (I had this same issue with MDZS, though I found it less jarring in TGCF)

Overall:
It was fine. It wasn't something I would write home about. I will probably watch a second season. I just wished it was executed better.

SHOULD ALSO NOTE:
Each episode is more like 15 minutes? The tedious op's and ed's give you actually about 15 min of story. The last 5min of the episode is almost ALWAYS some kinda of arts or craft chibi show?
They have the characters as chibis talking about something in China. (And Funimation doesn't even translate this... they just leave it attached to the show and that is it. So you can watch it... but it has no subtitles)

Mean score:
6.6

I rounded down to 6 because the story and art really hinder it.

Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official's Blessing) is an absolute masterpiece. Not only is it sticking true to the novel but the art style is also absolutely stunning. You can tell the animators and those working on this appreciated the novel and are truly bringing the author's words to life. I have read the novel but I won't spoil it. However, I will say I am beyond happy they will be sticking with the ending and the character's relationships as they were in the novel. I hope more people find this and love it as I do and I hope the entire book gets to ... be recreated in this beautiful donghua!

The production and animation quality is stellar, if not for some underwhelming character designs (*cough* Hua Cheng *cough*). The pace and writing, on the other hand, is a glaring issue with this adaptation.

The original TGCF book is one of my favourite pieces of fiction ever, by far the best romance story I've ever read, and I was a bit underwhelmed with this. The pacing was very strange, making the story's opening even more scattered than it was in the book (which is by far the weakest arc already). I haven't read the first arc in a long time, and even watching the donghua, I ... had a very hard time understanding what was happening. I think it should have been rewritten to be clearer and more engaging for the viewers, because we don't have the book narration to guide us through some plot beats. Xie Lian was handled extremely well in this adaptation, but all the other character introductions were lacklustre. They had a golden opportunity to expand on this world and go all out with these unforgettable characters, but the opportunity was wasted and instead, they wasted too much time on the Peis in my opinion.

Secondly, the music was very nice but equally as distracting, cutting the tension of moments and just breaking the flow of the scenes. The fight scenes were quite good, but their weird placement caused a very bad flow as well. Every piece of action was slowed down suddenly for exposition, misplaced flashbacks, and scene transitions that weren't executed well.

Finally, I was extremely underwhelmed by this version of Hua Cheng. They were able to do wonderfully with characters like Xie Lian and Banyu, but not the main love interest. For a character with such a huge presence, charisma, and notoriety, they weren't able to emphasise any of it. He's a ghost whose name causes Gods to shit their pants, and instead every time he was mentioned in this version, it felt like passing gossip. His design was more on the basic side, which is a capital crime considering how he's depicted in original art and in the manhua. I don't understand why they made him shorter, or why he looks like a black-haired version of Mu Qing's "subordinate", and why the stupid braid was THAT stupid, but I'm just nit-picking now.

Overall, definitely a decent adaptation, but I hope they rework the script for season 2 to make it more digestible. Also, Hua Cheng doesn't look bad in the trailers, so I'm excited about that.

Since it has many positive reviews, I was curious to see what the story was about, and to be honest I was rather dissapointed. There were a few good points that are worth noting, but I grew so bored that I had to quit watching after only 5 episodes despite my best efforts.
The first arc I watched is based around one main "mystery" that the protagonist needs to investigate around. There is a list of elements I personally disliked from the five episodes I watched, so I've made a list of the positive and negative points of the series from my perspective:

The negative points:
- ... The plot is kind of confusing from the very beginning: the protagonnist makes his third "ascencion into Heaven" without any of the process being shown or explained to the viewer.
- The characters are extremely bland, at least from the 5 episodes I watched: the protagonnist ist just there to fulfill his mission, AKA the plot without showing us much about his personnal traits. We only know that he wants to repay the debt he caused during his ascension, but other than that... What are his objectives in life? what does he like, dislike, what is he afraid of? Since this is the adaptation of a popular novel, I'm sure that it is well detailed in the book, but not all viewers have read the book, and the show doesn't do a great job at introducing us the characters.
- It is extremely slow paced: I personally don't mind slow paced shows if it allows the story to focus of character growth or interesting world-building, but that wasn't the case here, so it bored me even more.
- This is a mystery investigation springled with some magic, but the scenes that were supposed to be scary didn't affect me the least, for I felt no emotional impact from them.
- The main antagonnist from the first arc has a rather stereotipical backstory and motivation: basically, that person was hurt before and decides to take revenge on innocent people. Well, it is more detailed than that, but I don't want to spoil too much.
- The character design is a bit generic: while the art was very pretty and detailed, the main characters all have similar faces, making it difficult to differenciate them.
- There are almost no explanations about the magic system: while soft magic systems can be great to add mystery, when magic take such a big part in fights and in the world, explaining a couple of rules of the magic system would've been great.

However, it is important to note the positive points, which helped save the rating I give this series:
- The art is really beautiful, especially in the opening and ending.
- The soundtracks are nice.
- The voice actors do a decent job.
- The fights scenes are decently animated, although there is nothing special.

To sum up, how I graded this series:

- Story: 03/10 there was some effort for the plot in the first arc, but it was boringly presented and resolved.
- Art: 07/10 this was really the positive point of this series, many scenes were really beautifully made with virbrant and harmonious colors.
- Sound: 07/10 the songs were nice to listen to.
- Character: 03/10 unfortunately, there wasn't one character I was invested in.
- Enjoyment: 04/10 as I said, because of the slow paced story and the bland characters, the enjoyment was rather low.
- Overall: 05/10 despite the little positive points I mentionned, this is really an average story for me, with nothing horrendously bad, but nothing really good either.

5 episodes in and I am brought to tears at how beautiful this donghua is.

As a die-hard fan of the book, like many others, I was anticipating this drama so much and with the anticipation was some concern and even a bit of fear at how this show might turn out. The book is amazing, so naturally one would expect the donghua to live up to the book and promote it.

(I am someone who keeps repeating 'do not have expectations or you might just get disappointed' like a mantra)

And I must say, so far, the animation, editing, sound, script, everything has exceeded the ... little expectations I had by a lot. Even to this day, one month after the first episode has aired, I go back to rewatch the first episode because it is just THAT beautiful!

Till now, the donghua has stayed true to the book in almost all aspects, changing the original story by very little. The novel, as most of you might know, is Shounen Ai, and as to how they'll progress and incorporate this genre in the show still remains a mystery. But so far, the emotions conveyed by the characters are so well done that I wouldn't mind it much if they censor the romance and just add undertones... but of course, I'll hope and pray they follow the original plot.

I cannot recommend this anime enough. I completed the novel series in just 4 days (I really slept only 4 hours a night just to stay up reading), caught up on the manhua (the art is STUNNING) and was blessed with an anime soon after. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical/romance/action animes.

The story and characters are so beautifully written that I was reeling from feeling so many things a god 3 months after completing the novel. Just the things the MCs go through, the pain, and struggle, the tears, are all absolutely heart-wrenching. It is so surreal to see these characters ... animated because I can see so many things that I might've missed/overlooked in the books. I have no words for how amazing the novel was, and how well the art and soundtrack are. I have high hopes and I'm very looking forward to how the rest of the anime will be carried about.

So far feels like a Chinese Demon Slayer with a far better main character, a more talkative demon buddy, and a historical lean into taoism and mythology that fascinates me. Nice to have a watchable Chinese Anime to make me feel like I am catching words like "no", "have", and "ghost" as the dialogue itself goes completely over my head and I slow fail at learning Chinese from apps on my phone.

As a story, I expect it to improve over time - there is a strong feeling of "something there" and the key dynamics between characters introduced are quite good. I'm just not that interested ... in watching the romance brewing between our male leads, a completely hypocritical position as I would EAT IT UP if it was either male/female or female/female and rave about how sweet and natural the bond between these two characters is. Add to that these guys both look like the kind of cross dresser that you find out about the hard way, and I'm just in the wrong demographic. Judge for yourself. I get the same feeling from other stuff like Cross Ange and High School of the Dead - the fanservice just takes a big bite out of the overall quality.

The art style is a good fit for the show, the background art is compelling - there is something impressive and unique happening with how the environment is depicted that I can't quite describe. Composition? Wish I was more literate with the concepts at play, but in general the show progresses through different settings quite quickly on account of the fast travel Heaven's Officials are capable of between heaven and the mortal realm, and the possibility of entering "the upside-down" ghost world when in the mortal realm. The animation is smooth and fluid, and abilities/3D renders are blended well into the 2D stuff - it has that extra level of quality required to work and achieve more than a 2D-only equivalent could at times.

I love the novel, and the animation it's just as perfect as the novel, i love it so much.
The development of the history can be just compared with the four seasons on a year. It has everything, it's a beautiful history ....

The voice actors fit so perfect in the characters, and the animation is on point.

I can say this is my favorite history of MXTX

I think that the feelings are expressed so well, you can feel them while you look at the characters, their fears, their pain, their love

Xie lian Is an incredible character and they made him so cute and ... funny, but at the same time he is so capable. It's a piece of art.

MUST say this first but if you're homophobic even the slightest bit, I won't recommend this. Now, it is soft BL and does contain references of it being there, however it shouldn't affect your overall watching experience and if you think about it, just think of it as them being super friendly as they aren't in an intimate relationship yet.

Now onto what I think. (I've been meaning to write this for a long time but just never had the time to so here I am with a very late review...)
I freakin' love this anime!! My rating says otherwise only because I am craving for more. ... Clearly this season left me a good amount of questions such as how Xian Le became a lowly ranked individual when he was once a god, despite that we do witness for a couple short seconds of how much he was loved when he was a god. So I am hoping that the 2nd season will reveal the history a little more (and 2nd season is ongoing as I am writing this which I cannot wait to binge watch!)

I totally did not know what to expect when I first began but just wanted to watch it out of curiosity. For example, my first soft BL was Mo Dao Du Shi. However, I was a little disappointed...I don't know whether the story was not captivating enough or what, but it left me a confusing impression towards the very end. Then I came across Tian Guan Ci Fu. Not knowing at all whether this will leave the same impression or not, I continued to watch. Till the last episode, I was in love. In love with the story; the characters; the music; the animation. Practically everything. I've rewatched this probably 3 times now and it will be the fourth time once I begin the completed 2nd season.
I was truly captivated by the main characters and was quite interested in their history and background. There's so much more to them than meets the eye and I hope to see further development in the story (and not going to lie, our two boy's relationship).

Just an extra little note for myself I want to leave behind *slight SPOILER*:
MY HEART BROKE WHEN HUA CHEN SAID HE WAS UGLY! WHEN WE GOT HIS FACE REVEAL AT THE END, I PROMISE I WENT NUTS AND KEPT COMPLAINING HOW THIS GUY IS FUDGING BEAUTIFUL!! (Then again, this man is in love so~) I EVEN THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I WISH THERE WAS A GUY THIS GOOD-LOOKING IRL TOO! HOW MUCH I WANTED TO DIVE INTO THE ANIME ITSELF TO SAY AND SLAP HIS HANDSOME SMUG FACE THAT HE'S FREAKIN' GORGEOUS AND HE SHOULD BE MORE CONFIDENT IN FRONT OF THE PERSON HE LOVES!! (But apparently he's well aware of his good looks...then again, him showing such a docile side to himself is very cute...)

I really enjoyed this show. I haven't read the light novel but intend to because I think the light novel will have much more to offer in terms of lore and story telling. My main issues were with the subtitles as there were errors or badly placed.

Story: 8 - Definitely a slow burn. There were some points I was a little lost, this may be due to issues with the subtitles. It was gripping. Iwant to know more about the characters and the history of the characters.

Art: 9 - Beauitful. Though my one issue was how the corpse brides looked, it wasn't good ... but it isn't enough to take away a paoint because everything else was amazing. I am guessing they wanted to put more of the budget into more important scenes.

Sound: 9- It was okay, I think because I am used to watching japanese anime the voice acting felt flat but it didn't really take away from the show. The Opening and ending were also lovely.

Enjoyment:10- I binge watched this. I needed to know what would happened and some scenes just had me gushing. I really like the MC he seems to be a rather complex character and I want to know more about him and San lang.

Translation: 6- I watched the sub on crunchyroll and it was inconsistent and had some spelling errors. Was also difficult to follow the names of people because the subtitles were inconsistent. Apparently the Netflix translation is better.

Overall: 9

Watching an anime in chinese was honestly tougher than I thought... It was at times hard to follow because of it's speed so I especially recommend watching it for your own understanding

now

Story: The first episodes had some pretty high pace which I'm absolutely not oppossed to - but my problem with TGCF was that it did not use it's limited time that well. Usually the first episode(s) is/are there to introduce the characters, explore the mechanics or explain the world they were in. While TCGF introduced us (a bit) to our protagonist Lian Xie it did not do that as well in the ... other criterias I've mentioned - as an example I would've liked to know the structures of "heaven" or it's relationship to the mortal realm - I think that alone would've made things clearer. Same as the role of our protagonists whose goals or place I still don't really get. This is for sure the biggest problem with the show because the lack of information makes it often hard to follow... especially because it feels like this show has a lot to tell

Also what happened to the ghosts...? Like they were there for a bit and then disappeard completely LIKE WHERE DID THEY GO

Later when things slow down and we mostly follow Lian and Hua (who just appeared all the sudden) around it becomes way better as their relationship is the best part of the show so while I wrote more about the negative stuff this part overshadows it (for the most part at least)!

Characters: FIRSTLY lets talk about Yao Fu and Qing Mu and how their only characteristic is that they are strong and always easy to provoke... maybe it's just not my thing but that type of humor was for sure the most annoying part the show. And while that alone wouldn't be that bad them interrupting important scenes like personal dialog between Lian and Hua made them for a good part of the show insufferable.

Idk this "GRRR I'M SO MAD AND I WILL BEAT YOU UP" thing is pretty cheesy no?

but now to the good stuff: Lian is a pretty compelling protagonist who is soft spoken, strong, intelligent and overall just pretty pleasent to watch. He not only makes the viewers interested in him because of his mysteries but also has the best dialog. For Hua Chen I have similar feelings as he is this seemingly all knowing dude that just randomly appears to have a massive crush on Lian... Sometimes their romantic teasing is a bit cliche but their dialog makes up for it - also hope he doesn't just become the cliche protective bf

Art: It's good! Not anything mega special but the designs are pretty and the animation is fine. It's not as colorful as I expected but that also sets a certain tone

Sound: As with the art the music isn't anything mindblowing - but it is perfectly fitting for the chinese themes of the show... but as a little complaint - what are these "DUMP" sounds everytime something dramatic happened that made me cringe a bit lol

Fazit: Story is pretty messy but it's worth to watch for our main boys. But god damn proper world building would've been soooooo good

Sience my first language is not English, there may be some mistakes in this review.

So, my journey with this donghua started when I saw drawing of the main pair on Instagram. I thought they looked great together and was curious where these characters came from. Unfortunately, the hashtags didn't help me find the source material (because I'm stupid) and I forgot what I saw for a while. And then a video with this couple appeared in my recommendations on YouTube! I watched it, looked at the comments and finally found out that they're from the Chinese animation Tian Guan Ci Fu! So I quickly started ... watching.

Yes, my first attempt at this donghua was blind. I didn't really know what was going on and I was lost in names, especially being completely unfamiliar to the Chinese language. However, it didn't change the fact that I ate the whole series like a hungry animal and I really, really liked it. So I decided to read the novel to find out what will happen next. And then my life changed forever...

Story: 10

So yes, I am well aware that this donghua is not perfect and has its flaws, as well as the novel. But well... I can't help but be a hopeless romantic and the whole story is just wonderful to me. Lots of people who watched MDZS came here for something similar, but the fact is, they won't find it here. Of course, a lot of things happen and the plot is divided into arcs, but romance is a big part of the story nonetheless. I would even say that this is by far the most romantic of the MXTX's novels.

It is true that the animation just touched the tip of the iceberg that is the whole story. Therefore, for people who are unfamiliar with the source, everything that happens seems pointless and actually nothing is happening there. No wonder, as this is literally the very beginning. Fortunately, the second season has already been confirmed, so hopefully it'll be a bit longer than the first.

Art: 9

The styling was... clean. This is probably the best word I can describe it. I have the most to write about character design and animation. The characters are drawn in a way that I like a lot so I have nothing to complain about. Honestly, I like donghua's character designs more than manhua's (even if the manhua is a real work of art). San Lang especially looks wonderful. As for animation, it has its ups and downs. Overall it's good, but in some scenes the quality drops a lot, not to mention the moments when 3D is used...

Sound: 10

It was absolutely breathtaking. Opening and ending were beautiful, both in terms of music and grafic. They also perfectly matched the tone in which the story is kept. The most memorable, however, is the song from the end of the first episode - One Flower One Sword. I literally listened to it in a loop for days.

Character: 10

Well... someone wrote it before, but yeah - San Lang is Mary Sue. You can see it, hear it and feel it. And usually something like that bothers me, but in this case... I couldn't care less. Really. It didn't bother me for a moment, and it didn't stop me from loving him with all my heart. This only proves my theory that any pattern can be pleasant if solved in a thoughtful and enjoyable way.

I like Xie Lian a lot too. He is the type of character who only wants to do good things and protect those who cannot protect themselves, but is punished by the world at every turn. At the same time, he is not as pure and spotless as it may seem. This adds a lot of depth to his character.

I also liked Shi Qingxuan and, in the later development of the story, also Mu Qing and Fang Xien. But I don't want to go into details to avoid possible spoilers.

Enjoyment: 10

Before reading the novel, I very enjoyed it and even though I was confused, it didn't take away any fun. But it was only when I watched it again after reading the source that I could fully appreciate how the creators perfectly portrayed the atmosphere and characters. Honestly, the second time I watched, I cried half the time, alternating between sadness and joy.

Overall: 10

I'll end this review only with the words: love it. I'm in love with this story and can't wait to watch its sequel.

It's an absolute masterpiece of an adaptation.

I fell in love with the novel earlier this year and upon finishing, I've spent countless hours rereading it. Then I heard that the donghua adaptation was dropping this year and I honestly got so excited. Finally, the first two episodes dropped on Halloween and my god, it definitely went beyond all my expectations.

The voice acting is on point (no disconnect between what you would picture while reading the novel and what you actually get), the animation is incredibly smooth (especially during the swordfight scenes and when they animate their robes getting blown by the wind), the art is ... absolutely gorgeous, the musical scores will make you want to cry, and speaking as someone who's read the novel too many times to count, the story is going to absolutely blow you away (the donghua adaptation has been incredibly faithful to the novel). The donghua perfectly incorporates humor with mystery, to the point where I'd find myself laughing at some joke that was made one second, and getting absolutely absorbed in the plot the next.

100/10 recommend this donghua to everyone, please give it a chance and if you're interested in knowing more, there is a manhua that is a bit more ahead, and a novel that is completed (with the English translation fully done as well).

I found out this is another one of my favorite authors works so i was curious and watched it ,and i didn't regret it. The story is unique, very original ,just love it. At 1st i didnt know about the plot of this donghua but i fell in love with it just from watching one episode.

Well, since i love spoilers so i tried looking it up on the internet and it was seriously
awesome. Trust me , u should watched it . Even though it's a china's anime it has it's own charm please don't compare it with japanese anime. Everything exists because someone ... likes it.

It's nice to see the animators trying to get around China's censorship issues around gay relationships. San Lang is just like a pining puppy trying to get Dianxia's attention and Dianxia is just being his nice awkward self. Glad to see a soft side to San Lang that is not showed completely in the manhua. Great show, would recommend, the 20 minutes flash by in a second. I would recommend checking out the manhua first if you want to get a full scope of what is happening.



One thing I can only hope is that San Lang's 'other side' gets adapted properly and shows the ... clear difference between the two.

MXTX is really a great author who makes likeable and non-likable characters with great backstory. If you like this anime, you might also like Mo Dao Zu Shi, Scum Villain's Self Saving System, and Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun. (Last one as far as I know is not written by MXTX but the rest are.)

I've heard a lot of good things about TGCF, but I never got myself to watch it until now. From what I know, there's a novel, webcomic, and the animation (or the donghua). I feel like donghua is getting more and more popular, and so I watched it because my experience with donghua's are always great. -- If you were a fan of the novel, or know the full story, I definitely thing you would've enjoyed the animation to its fullest potential. Seeing your novel come to life is always very exciting. But without any background or prior knowledge, at times I got very confused, ... but honestly the art and music are so captivating I really enjoyed watching it. I'm very excited for the next season to come.

In the continuation of never ending quest to watching everything animated that is written by Mo Xian Tong Xiu we come to Tian Guan Ci Fu or Heaven's Official Blessing, the third novel. The first is Scumbag System and the second is the much beloved Mo Dau Zu Shi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation better known by it's live action name, The Untamed.

Story - 8

Story wise, this is not as gripping as the beginning of Scumbag System or Mo Dau Zu Shi. It starts with a god on his THIRD Ascension to Heaven, being sent back to Earth to investigate strange occurrences. The God's history is slowly ... revealed throughout the series, in multiple flashbacks. It is part of an overall, larger, multi layered mystery where the first pay off is in Episode 13, the Season 1 special. It's interesting enough to get the viewer engaged, but those not familiar with Chinese history or mythology may be confused by many of the concepts in this story.

Art - 10

What can I say except it is gorgeously animated. Everything is on point. The "Ribbon" weapon looks and moves like an animate ribbon. The martial arts is well depicted. The clothing is beautiful and the characters are good looking, even better than I pictured. In the ED, there is one particular part where the light passes over the umbrella and you see the silhouette of 2 figures ... that is just *chef's kiss* perfection.

Sound

By far the weakest part of the series. The ED is memorable and both are animated well but the sound is not outstanding for a series of this caliber. This needed some kind of "hook" like the flute song in Mo Dau Zu Shi, or some memorable love theme to elevate this to the next level.

Character

Wow, the 2 main leads are fully fleshed out and fantastic. I love them both. I'm not even very mad about the other frustrating, meddling, bureaucratic, back stabbing gods as they make us root for the main characters even more.

Enjoyment

This was a very enjoyable watch that I binged over several days. If you're a fan of historical epic fantasy with a touch of understated friendship, that we can watch slowly evolve into a romance, this is the series for you. It is beautiful, and has a multi layered mystery story attached to it, where bits of a larger conspiracy are revealed as time goes on.

I'm not one for long reviews, so yes, this review will be short and to the point.

For me this anime is amazing. The plot is one of mystery suspense adventure and fantasy. It is very intriguing and will engage and keep you guessing. (its not like some other anime where the plot just drags on and is very flat.) It will make you want to binge all episodes in one sitting.

The art I love; it's amazing and breathtakingly beautiful.

The characters are all very likeable. I find the lead to be adorable haha.
There are flares of 'shounen-ai' feels inthis (which I personally LOVE) but it's ... not like too heavy-handed to the point where if you don't like 'shounen-ai' you wouldn't like it.

So all in all I highly recommend this anime to all fans that like a good interesting mysterious suspenseful adventure fantasy storyline with good acting, nice characters, and beautiful art. :)

I'm obviously biased but anyways here's my extremely short review. This donghua healed something in me istg. Everyone needs Hualian in their lives. Now I'm a huge Tgcf fan, at this point I've consumed every single media related to it and Mdzs. Imo if you love this, you should definitely give the novel a try because it's just incredible.

Now coming back to the actual donghua, the animation, as well as the music, is outstanding, I loved it. The story arc isn't my absolute fav since we're stuck in the Ban Yue arc for the 2974382 time but it's still pretty good.

It was just ... a good time and overall I enjoyed it a lot!