STORY 8/10
The story is set in, imo, a very interesting world; a fantasy world built on ancient Chinese culture. It is refreshing for once to see a fantasy without elves and princesses, where magic is called cultivation and involves talismans and flying swords. The story revolves around three cultivators, Wei WuXian (WWX), Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng and takes place in their youth - the entire season is actually a flashback that explains the events that led to WWX becoming the evil cultivator known as the Yiling Patriach. The first episode is a bit confusing since it's the only ep that takes place in "present day", but apart from that the plot is very comprehensible, neatly paced and every episode seems relevant. (Compared to the novel they've changed some things, but that actually helps making the plot easier to understand). The season consist of different smaller arcs, where the first are used to establish the characters and their bonds. Around ep. 10 things start to get truly interesting, and I'm pretty sure everyone would feel something watching ep 12. In general the story is interesting, moves forward with loads of action and is at the same time able to introduce emotional moments.
SOUND 8/10
Sound is something I definitely had to get used to since they speak Chinese and the tone of the language is very different from Japanese. I'll confidently say it takes around 5 eps to get used to, but once I did, I really starting appreciating the fine work the VA's were doing. I especially like WWX (captures his teasing tone perfectly) and Jiang Cheng (splendid during the emotional breakdowns). The OSTs are also good, and they blend traditional Chinese music into them beautifully. I'll have to agree with others writing that they overuse music and ruin some moments a bit with it, but in general sound is good.
ART 9/10
If this is not one of the most gorgeous series you've seen in a long time, I'd like to know what you're watching. Honestly the art is breathtaking. So much that I would replay scene during the first ep just to stare at my screen as the animation unfolded. Characters are cleanly drawn, detailed and consistent. Hairstrands, clothing folds, jewellery, they pay attention to everything. The animation is fluid and the use of CGI is in general very succesful. Some of the best I've seen. There are a few scenes where the CGI looks unnatural and this drags the score down a bit. The most amazing thing is the backgrounds. They are out of this world. You could sit and look at each one for minutes, that's how pretty they are. This is a show you could watch for art alone and I don't think the quality drops throughout the show.
CHARACTER 8/10
The characters are hard to keep track of because of their identical clothing (if they're from the same sect) and their long and unfamiliar names. Probably you won't remember many side characters, so I'll stick to mains. The three are a very varied cast, their personalities completely different from each other's. Jiang Cheng is a hotheaded but good boy and definitely the more realistic of the three. He is not a hero. He gets angry for unreasonable things, he gets jealous and he has a hard time forgiving. This makes him a perfect contrast to the two others that can be described as heroes. Lan WangJi is a quiet boy that follows rules and is properly schooled. Everything he does, he does flawlessly. He seems cold, but is actually very emotional. This is why he has such a great dynamic with WWX, a mischievous trickster that likes to laze around but still manages to be good at everything (honestly I understand Jiang Cheng). WWX is also a good person that would always do the just, he just has his own way of doing things. To us modern people, he is probably the most reasonable and likeable of them. The show is also largely carried by having WWX as an MC, since he's so likeable. The side characters include a variety of personalities that compliment the mains nicely. Some of them you will grow attached too, others will leave no impression.
ENJOYMENT 8/10
I think I explained myself clearly in the introduction, but as a summary: MDZS is a series with beautiful animation and an interesting plot that is executed neatly. I would recommend it to everyone.
OVERALL 8/10
Watch it, either for the feast of the eyes or for the captivating story (or both).
