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The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Lord of the Mysteries is set to release soon. The webnovel is incredibly popular in China and has a lot of international fame as well. However, the quality of this anime adaptation could very well be the biggest disappointment of this summer.

The adaptation of a novel as complex and intricate is a grand undertaking. The anime will have to cut out and compress a lot of content to fit a volume in a season. Moreover, the greatest strengths of the series may not translate well onto the screen. The nuances in the story could be skipped, stripping the series of its essence.

Lord of the Mysteries Is a Heartbreak in the Making

Lord of the Mysteries (Lotm) is defined by its psychological depth, a lot of internal narration, and detailed world-building. These are elements that are nearly impossible to condense into a visual medium without making compromises.

Anime is often celebrated for its visuals and tenacity. It is a medium that can bring even the most fantastical elements to life. But at the same time, it has created its own space apart from that of Western animation. Recently, some extremely popular donghua have become just as popular, if not more than the traditional anime.

Just like how anime are Japanese animations, donghua are Chinese animations. For the longest of time, donghua have lived in the shadow of anime, at least for international fans. But that will no longer be true, and here is a list of 5 donghua that prove they aren’t inferior to any anime.

5. Scissor Seven couples quirky animation with humor Scissor Seven has comedy and a gripping plot | Credits: Sharefun Studio and Aha Entertainment

Scissor Seven is the type of comedy that people want to watch again and again till they drop. But despite its humor,...

Crunchyroll has an exciting new arrival that will please fans of both mainstream donghua series and boys' love anime. Mo Dao Zu Shi -- also known as The Master of Diabolism or The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation has found a new streaming home 6 years after its initial release in 2018.

Per Crunchyroll, the first two seasons of The Master of Diabolism have become available for streaming on the platform as of Dec. 11, 2024. The Master of Diabolism follows the story of Wei Wuxian, a once-feared and misunderstood cultivator who is resurrected 13 years after his tragic death. Partnering with an old friend, the stoic and righteous Lan Wangji, he embarks on a journey to uncover dark conspiracies while rekindling their deep and complex relationship.

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On August 8, 2023, anime fans were amazed by the stunning trailer of the upcoming Donghua (Chinese adaptation series), Lord of the Mysteries. With each passing year, the industry continues to make a huge impact not only on television but also in movie theaters. Nevertheless, the Summer 2024 anime season has been a standout, introducing viewers to several fresh stories and captivating the hearts of many fans along the way.

While the animation style first got its start in Japan, China has released quite a few anime adaptations in the past years and is planning to do the same in 2025 with a gorgeous new series under the name, Lord of The Mysteries. The trailer features breathtaking animation captivating several viewers for its 2025 release.

Lord of the Mysteries | Credit: B.Cmay Pictures studio

Besides the thrilling trailer and Lord of the Mysteries‘ release date, the production team remains secretive about the anime, keeping fans anticipating.

On August 8, 2023, anime fans were amazed by the stunning trailer of the upcoming Donghua (Chinese adaptation series), Lord of the Mysteries. The anime will be based on the popular Chinese novel, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, available on QiDian. Lord of the Mysteries plot will follow the story of Zhou Mingrui, who gets reincarnated as Klein Moretti on his journey to become a Beyonder.

Lord of the Mysteries | Credit: B.Cmay Pictures studio

Lord of the Mysteries’ trailer features breathtaking animation captivating several viewers for its 2025 release. Besides the thrilling trailer and Lord of the Mysteries‘ release date, the production team remains secretive about the anime, keeping fans anticipating. Despite Lotm‘s animation resembling the high-quality work of Mappa and Ufotable, fans show concerns regarding Donghua’s future success.

Amid Stunning Animation Quality, Concerns Arise for Lord of the Mysteries Donghua’s Future

The B.Cmay Pictures studio will be in charge...

by Antonio Danese

Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù is the pen name of a successful Chinese author of three series of Danmei novels published in 2014: “The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System” (which inspired the animated “Scumbag System” series), “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation” (from which the Netflix series “The Untamed” was based), and “Heaven Official's Blessing”.

“Heaven Official's Blessing” was born as a Chinese web novel belonging to the genres of Xianxia literature. It was released on June 16, 2017, on Jinjiang Literature City (Jjxwc), and an official English translation by Suika & Pengie was published in 2021 by Seven Seas Entertainment with the illustrations of ZeldaCW. Subsequent to the web novel, a manhua adaptation appeared on Bilibili, illustrated by STARember, on October 19, 2019, and in April 2021 the English version was available on Bilibili comics.

Animated by Haoliner Animation and League, the twelve episodes of the first series of the donghua adaptation of “Heaven Official's Blessing” are...

Chinese anime, or donghua, is growing in popularity due to the interest in cultivation-themed stories, with shows like The King's Avatar rivaling Japanese anime. The third season of The King's Avatar is highly anticipated, with a confirmed release date in the fall of 2023 on WeTV. The anime, based on a popular Chinese novel, follows the story of Ye Xiu as he builds his own guild and competes in the championship arc, with fierce competition from other guilds.

Chinese anime, otherwise known as donghua, is becoming increasingly popular these days, thanks to the widespread interest in cultivation-themed stories. In fact, there is a plethora of Chinese anime that even rival Japanese shows, such as Swallowed Star, Throne of Seal, Battle Through The Heavens, Soul Land, and The King's Avatar.

Since the debut of The King's Avatar in 2017, there has been a prequel film, a few special episodes, and a fabulous second season.

In most cases, popular anime series have pre-existing source materials they're adapting, and the vast majority of shows derive from manga. Unfortunately, no matter how good of a job the anime studios do of capturing the magic of the original or even improving upon it with action and sound design, no adaptation can fully encapsulate the vision of its source material.

Related:15 Anime Adaptations That Don't Make Any Sense

That's why exploring the anime's roots might be beneficial for fans to uncover new meanings and better understand their favorite shows. Anime series like Pandora Hearts feel most gratifying after reading the manga they were based on.

Updated on May 13th, 2023, by Maria Remizova: More often than not, anime adaptations don’t have a chance to bring the entirety of their source materials to the screen. In some cases, anime even drastically changes the contents of the manga, urging the audience...

When she isn't writing bestsellers, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, the creator behind Heaven Official's Blessing, has a rather unconventional hobby.

In an interview with Subaru Magazine in November 2022, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu revealed she enjoyed playing with slime during their downtime. Fan LingJing_Love_MXTX (@/LingJing_MXTX) illustrated an adorable fan art of a personification of the Chinese character "Mo," which the creator uses as their icon on Weibo to preserve their anonymity. Using the various strokes of the word, the artist made it seem as though "Mo" was playing with slime and having a delightful time with a pigeon perched on their head.

Related: Heaven Official’s Blessing Fan Art Captures Hua Cheng’s Devotion to Xie Lian

✨スライムを楽しんでいる墨香銅臭先生✨ I heard that MoXiangTongXiu like playing slime！...

Streaming services have been investing heavily in global content production and licensing as American audiences grew more interested in foreign content in recent years. The demand for non-English digital originals grew from 5.9% of the total demand for streaming original shows in the first quarter of 2020 to 8.5% at the end of 2022, according to Parrot Analytics’ data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.

The goal now is to create hit shows that are successful around the world, including in the U.S., with examples like “Money Heist,” “Squid Game” and “Dark.” Although Netflix takes the lead when it comes to non-English content, rivals are trying to catch up.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney announced it would spend up to $9 billion a year on worldwide content for Disney+ by 2024. Meanwhile, HBO Max announced it would produce more than 100 local-language projects for Latin America...

December 2021’s most anticipated fantasy books include the next installments of epic silkpunk and urban fantasy—plus the inspiration for Netflix’s The Untamed! Check out our top picks.

The Veiled Throne by Ken Liu

Type: Novel

Publisher: Saga Press

Release date: Dec. 7

Den of Geek says: Ken Liu’s dynamic silkpunk fantasy series amps up for the quartet’s conclusion next year…

Publisher’s summary: With the invasion of Dara complete, and the Wall of Storms breached, the world has opened to new possibilities for the gods and peoples of both empires as the sweeping saga of the award-winning Dandelion Dynasty continues in this third book of the “magnificent fantasy epic” (NPR).

Princess Théra, once known as Empress Üna of Dara, entrusted the throne to her younger brother in order to journey to Ukyu-Gondé to war with the Lyucu. She has crossed the fabled Wall of Storms with a...

The Untamed, a Chinese web drama starring Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo as cultivator soulmates fighting injustices in a fantasy version of ancient China, broke through to international audiences in 2019 and remains one of the most popular shows in English-speaking transformative fandom two years later. The live-action xianxia series is based on Mo Dao Zu Shi, a very popular web novel written by Chinese author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (Mxtx). Despite the danmei’s many adaptations and international popularity, it is currently not officially available to read in English. Starting in December, that will change. Seven Seas Entertainment—an American publishing company that licenses manga, webcomics, and “light” Japanese novels—announced last week that they will be releasing an official, uncensored English-language translation of Mo Dao Zu Shi, complete with original art, glossary, end notes, and bonus chapters.

The new English-language Mo Dao Zu Shi translation will be published in five volumes,...