Xian Ni

As someone who is reading the original chinese novel alongside the donghua adaptation, I can say that the adaptation decisions are actually an improvement. Yes a lot of cultivation details are condensed and it may feel like the pacing is slightly fast, but you have to remember this is a 2k+ chapter novel being summarized in 76 episodes. Not to criticize the novel but I would say that it would verge on tedious if the donghua did in fact keep every single detail for the visual format. The donghua also adds a lot more emotional value to certain key scenes and fleshed out some of ... the more critical side characters. Otherwise, most of the important plot points have been adapted, although some plot points slightly rearranged for better flow in the donghua (but it does not impact the overall plot and usually makes for more impactful visual experience).

Positives:
-Visuals: The modelling of the ML and FL certainly got a large portion of the budget but important side characters do also have good looking & unique models...lots of eye candy here especially the ML (trust the process, he gets a lot of different looks) ;) Overall visuals are beautiful, animation is actually much better and smoother than a lot of other donghua.
-Background music: Quite fitting for the battle scenes, there is an insert song 神临 in episode 36 that is particularly epic and satisfying.
-Voice acting: Nothing to complain about with the voice acting, it is what you expect. ML is voiced by 史泽鲲 (Jin Zixuan in MDZS, Kong Xuan in Tianbao)
-Plot: (This is not a criticism of the donghua itself, since it follows the novel, but will be more useful for people are watching this without prior knowledge.) As someone who does not enjoy stories that revolve around sappy romance subplots and annoying FLs, this is very very satisfying so far. The ML has good character development, he has backbone and knows what he wants.

Negatives:
-There are some concepts that are not really explained in terms of cultivation (particularly what 极境 is and the significance, sorry I'm not sure what the english translation uses since I'm watching/reading in the original chinese).

An early review, but this show is a total disappointment for me.
Going in with no information on the source material has been a pretty miserable experience.

The visuals are fine. The animations are fine.

The story is not. The pacing is not. The characters are not.

You are constantly starved of any sort of meaningful character development, fights feel meaningless & there's no plot ever being developed. There is barely any context as to what the main character is trying to do at any given time, or what happened between time skips. You are constantly asking who these random characters who look identical to eachother are.

The official? ... subtitles seem to be machine translated & also ignore on screen text.

Only reason I'm not giving it a fully negative review is because it has okay visuals & I think some people just want to watch the main character kill people occasionally & that's enough for them. Or maybe people familiar with the original novel want to watch it & perhaps it's good for that.

Xian Ni is an unfortunate example of a poorly executed adaptation. I see that newcomers aren’t prepared for the neutering about to take place but be prepared to be amazed!

The animation in Xian Ni is disappointing and disgusting. The quality is subpar, and the 3D animation feels clunky and unpolished, the CG looks bought and paid for by the asset. It's a far cry from what fans of the web novel should expect, and it will detract significantly from your viewing experience. If the animation doesn’t leave you debilitated and crying ‘uncle’, the story will! 1/10

The voice acting lacks the emotional depth and nuance needed ... to bring the characters to life. It feels flat and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the characters or become invested in their journeys. Wang Lin barely has any lines and the grim atmosphere that Xian Ni is famous for has been replaced with a highfalutin musical number and bright imagery.
The music is equally unimpressive, failing to enhance the atmosphere or complement the narration or combat scenes. Compared to other anime, the soundtrack feels inadequate and doesn't leave a lasting impression; the opening and ending songs are decently palatable but haven’t left an impression on me. There is NO Japanese dub available and there will probably never be, which is a big minus. 1/10

The story is another needlessly propagated issue! The intricate cultivation system, which is a significant aspect of the web novel, is entirely skipped over! These elements are crucial to the story's depth and appeal. This omission left the storyline feeling hollow and disconnected from its source material. Numerous chapters are crammed into single, rushed episodes, resulting in a disjointed and confusing narrative. The web novel of Xian Ni is known for its detailed world-building and complex cultivation system; “was” I should say, prior to the massacre. The censorship, a big issue with Chinese publishers, diluted the original content, making it unrecognizable to fans of the novel. 1/10

Fortunately, Xian Ni fails to deliver a quality adaptation of the web novel or even provide enough originality to stand on its own like the original Fullmetal Alchemist. Its animation, voice acting, and music are all subpar, and the storyline is butchered beyond recognition. My advice? Don’t even bother touching this adaptation and read the web novel instead. The novel offers a far richer, more immersive experience that the anime simply cannot match. 1/10