Being completely unbiased from my adoration of the TGCF novel and all of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s works, I still have to say that this is the most visually beautiful manhua I’ve ever laid my eyes upon.
This adaptation of Tian Guan Ci Fu has so far followed the original work very accurately. We follow Xie Lian - a fallen god now reduced to collecting scraps - as he ascends to the heavens for a third time and meets a mysterious ghost king who terrifies the heavens and goes by the name Hua Cheng.
You can read this manhua perfectly without having read the novel, however, I will point out that it can get a bit confusing at times if you have no relation to the whole story. Though, it is 100% the best adaptation of TGCF if you don’t feel like reading a 700k word novel ;)
The world of TGCF is rich and interesting, and we meet many lovable characters along the way, who all have their own individual stories that twist together in a loop of fate. There is great humor, adoring personalities, and tragic backstories (later on too, my most favorite arc in all of fiction!!). The world building of most Xianxia works is always a joy to explore, and the genre has been visually represented in TGCF better than I’ve ever seen before.
As mentioned the art is gorgeous, and that’s where one tiny con also comes into play; it takes a while for chapters to come out. Given the length of TGCF I do wonder if they will ever manage to adapt the entire story, and if so, in just how many years we see the final chapter released. However, the wait is absolutely worth it and I can’t appraise STARember enough for the consistent quality. Every panel is colored and rendered to perfection, and as an old TGCF fan, seeing the story be brought to life in the form of such ethereal art could not make me happier.
As of writing this review, the story of this manhua has only progressed to the Ghost City arc. But if it upholds the adaptation accuracy, you will learn that TGCF at its core is a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL, story. One of fate, love, loneliness and loyalty. I pray that the manhua will not stray away from the blessing that is the relationship between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. I have never experienced a fictional relationship between two characters pierce my heart as hard as theirs. Their love is sad, tragic, yearnful, and so so pure. A soulmate bond I think everyone deserves to witness. So far there has been no censorship, so I have very high hopes!!
The Tian Guan Ci Fu manhua is definitely a must read. The art alone is worth your time, and if you also find the story interesting and want a clearer picture, I can’t stress it enough; read the novel!! It’s amazing!
