Yuan Long 3rd Season

Yuan Long was originally a novel, but this donghua has deviated so much it is no longer an adaptation. Therefore, I will not treat it as such, instead I will make some remarks at the end about some changes.This review turned into a half-rant too, so be warned.

General Plot: After the end of S2, Wang Sheng was chased out of Wuyou City after having killed on its premises despite . He is now headed to the royal capitol. Along the way, is ambushed and brought into an illusionary world built on his memories, essentially returning him to the modern world. Because of this, we find ... out there were some machinations 300 years ago by the Lin Xiu, the girl with the phoenix spirit. And so Wang Sheng slowly begins to explore the world and discover connections between this cultivation world and the modern world he is from.

The plot of this season is really weird. It very loosely connects to any of the previous seasons at all. Like I said in my opening, this story is no longer an adaptation, having gone totally off the rails. The connection to the modern world basically kills the remaining minuscule 0.0001% chance there was of steering the plot back to being an adaptation. There are so many things that get "retconned" because of revelations this season. Cultivation no longer matters since even though Wang Sheng can kill Dai WuJi, a rank 8 despite being a rank 3, because Dai Xiao (the new mastermind antagonist) can kill 10 Dai WuJi despite being rank 1. Now, there was apparently a bunker will tons of guns found in the past? This season continues to follow the trend of fights/action and modern arms show off first, story/plot and characters can be warped to fit that. Spirits can be easily traded? Then why didn't Qiang Wei use that to fix the issue where she accidentally took the family head's spirit? There are also so many instances of fighting or showing off that didn't need to happen, but did anyway, just for the sake of "cramming in some more action" or showing off. There is also some plot about how spirits might actually be parasites? And what is up with all the "bets". It's over the top ridiculous how many there are. Are they supposed to establish the main villain Dai Xiao as smart? It got annoying how many times this happened in this season. The finale tried to retcon stuff and explain everything wit some flashbacks, but it seems forced to try to justify all the changes. There are just too many logical inconsistencies to be fixed. Then the final fight has so many asspull plot armor "psychs" that it's unreal, just to make sure no one dies and there can be a cliffhanger into the next season.

The characters, especially the girls, are of course back in this season; can't leave out any beautiful women huh? I won't talk too much about them, but they are all basically present, along with a few new ones (I guess?). Wang Sheng especially, feels egregious; he feels like an NPC or a stand-in character to that the reader (or viewer) projects as when following a VN. He's just following along some set plan path all arranged by Lin Xiu/royal family because they knew he would one day arrive and he is apparently also the key to everything? He barely even has any original thoughts himself now.

The animation quality and character models are good, I guess. The environments and animations are beautiful, smooth and appealing, but that is really this donghua's only redeeming quality. This is the one thing remaining in this donghua that has any value. However, while the fights/action was quite good in the previous seasons, the quality has not kept up in this one. The fights are quite stale and have weak impact, especially when compared to similar budget donghua being released in 2022 and 2023.

There is also the possible political propoganda that I cannot possibly ignore. While I don't like to delve into this topic, the whole discussion about how spirits creates an inherently unequal world, and the "modern world" has everyone as equal. Sounds alot like capitalism vs communism debate. Dai Xiao and Song Ming apparently want to overwrite the "cultivation world" with the "modern world" illusion world they say from Wang Sheng's memories, then take control over it, much like the final state of a socialist society/government. They plan to do that rewriting by userping the mission that was given to Wang Sheng? So many things don't even make sense anymore when viewing the story as a whole (all 3 seasons). This storyline would have worked better if it was perhaps its own thing instead of piggybacking off of another work as an adaptation.

To be completely honest, I have reached a point where I could care less about this "adaptation" or work. Part of Yuan Long's problems probably stem from the fact that they keep switching directors each season. They really lack direction. How hard is it to adapt from an original work and fix possible plot holes? Did they have to use an IP's name to build up hype? The only remaining good thing about this is its high quality animation, but that starts to wear out now that new works are catching up in quality (compared to previous low budget stuff). I'll be completely honest, I will probably only continue to watch this because of A Qi, who has been a favorite of mine from the manhua (because of her design) and novel. I'm just curious what will happen to her. Everything else can take a hike. (Or maybe I'll just look only for compilations with her instead of suffering through the season/episodes).

"Adaptation" Remarks:
-I guess Mei'er has finally made her appearance, though she's now a lonely remnant royalty vs her inital merchant background (later found out be be a princess who was lost during an earlier coup). She now feels like the executor of Lin Xiu's plans and doesn't really have any personality. She's also very absent in most of the donghua. They basically co-opted her from the source because of her possible fans and so shoehorned her in "to build hype".
-Garbage competition that apparently doesn't even have any meaning, it just shows off the modified modern arms that Wang Sheng has and to cram in more action. Forced conflict for no reason. Misplaced and garbage comedy.
-What's this modern world connection? Was it necessary to even introduce any of the modern world stuff? Is this inception?

Carp Reborn has always been a captivating series for me, blending a Chinese mystical and cultivation theme with modern tech, also with engaging characters, and intricate storytelling. The first two seasons set a high standard with their enchanting world of traditional Chinese folklore, cultivation, and modern weapons, making each episode a must-watch. However, the third season takes a radical turn that, unfortunately, feels like a significant misstep.

In this season, Carp Reborn abandons the path established in its predecessors, veering into a new direction that feels disjointed and out of place. The series attempts to merge the ancient, mystical world with modern technology and contemporary themes ... more than required, and this innovation ends up feeling awkward and forced. The narrative is plagued by loose connections and plot holes, making the storyline feel scattered and confusing compared to the coherent tales of the first two seasons.

The shift from the mystical ambiance that defined the series to a more artificial modern setting disrupts the charm that made "Carp Reborn" enjoyable. Additionally, the introduction of a new antagonist is abrupt and poorly developed, lacking the depth and motivation that made previous villains engaging.

Despite these issues, the animation and sound design in the third season are as impressive as ever. The visual quality remains stunning, and the soundtrack enhances the viewing experience. However, these strengths are overshadowed by a disappointing storyline.

Overall, while the third season of Carp Reborn maintains high production values, its narrative shortcomings and thematic shift make it a letdown for fans who loved the first two seasons.