Daomu Biji Zhi Qinling Shen Shu

As far as Daomu Biji adaptations go, this wasn't the worst, but it definitely wasn't the best either. When I started this, I basically knew everything that would happen since I've seen every live action of this series so far.

I gotta say that there were many differences between what happened in the live action and in this one. I found this really lacking the emotional impact that The Lost Tomb 2 had and it made this very underwhelming.

Some of the more noticeable differences were the lack of Wang Pangzi and Ah Ning, along with Zhang Qiling’s short screen time.

Overall, the animation was good and it ... made this more enjoyable.

I was curious why there's not many reviews yet despite hearing that the novel being a beloved works by many. So i tried watching it and ended up making my first review to support this animation. 10/10 recommended to watch even if you haven't read the novel like me.

It has great pacing and engaging eps that sometimes end with sitting-on-the-edge-of-a-chair-cliffhanger. I especially like that the plot connects all the mysterious things at the end of it all. The characters personality is showed well with their expression and interaction, in fact they have their own twist if you can see the hints showed in each ... eps. I love that this works aside from thrilling adventure and action you expected from the synopsis, also can show a moment filled with complicated emotions like sadness, despair, and kindness when you didn't expect it.

As a stand alone animation it already did a fantastic job of showing the characters and a glimpse of the massive universe Daomu Biji series can be. If the goal is to attract new fans to be interested in the novel then i must say it's a success for me. As this animation is adapted from the third book of the novel, it surprisingly did a great job despite skipping two books. In fact I somewhat understand why it choose the third book to be adapted because it can focus on introducing Wu Xie and Daomu Biji universe without compressing too much materials in one season. Even if you don't read the novel you can still understand the story and be impressed in it. It makes me definitely interested for book one and two to be adapted well.

If I must said what I dont like is that sometimes the subtitles can be confusing but it not that bad that i can't understand it. Its just doesn't flow that well i guess? The characters, visuals, sounds and expression offset that problem. Other than that its that some detail might seems forgotten in the grand scheme of things, but if I think back the plot holes is actually "explained" tough not explicitly stated by the characters, it just means you need to watch it carefully. And I think that the one that's still a mystery is probably explained more in the novel.

This show is about two grave robbers who search for an impossibly large tomb from a lost civilization. It's an adaptation of one of the stories in Daomu Biji, a famous web novel series. As someone who never read the original novels, I found this show to be thrilling and immersive. Its pacing is tight, and tension often runs high as the characters slowly uncover the mystery behind the tomb. The tone is quite dark and gritty, so expect the story to be serious, especially since the characters are all adults. There are some moments of humor, though; while they mostly seem to serve character ... interactions, one hilarious sequence shows a character hallucinating about monkeys wielding machine guns. Wild.

I really like how the show doesn't explain every detail. Some moments are more subtle and left for the viewer to figure out. This is good if you don't want exposition shoved down your throat, but it can also be problematic when you happen to miss a detail. An example: when the main character enters an underground passage, he sets the timer on his watch. At first, it's unclear why he does this. Soon, he's being chased by vengeful zombies who very nearly capture him. But suddenly, the timer sets off its alarm, causing the character to snap back to reality and realize that he was just hallucinating. This entire scene is silent, except for the alarm. If the character had explained out loud what he was doing, the suspense would be lost. By doing this, the show effectively presents a pivotal moment and reveals the character's cautiousness.

Nevertheless, there are some minor details that aren't explained. While the mystery behind the tomb isn't fully explored, it isn't a big issue. It's the stuff like the hallucinations about people pointing at the main character and the weird voices on the walkie talkie that should have been explained better. I suspect they are fully explained in the original novels, but this adaptation just forgot to include them.

I also want to mention that the background art is insanely detailed. Many of the landscape shots look like real paintings. The motion of characters and the paths of objects look realistic. On the other hand, the frame rates are inconsistent from time to time, and there is some noticeable CGI.

Overall, if you are interested in a grave robbing adventure with maybe some plot twists along the way, be sure to consider watching this.

Adjusted score: 7 / 10. Personal score: 6 / 10.