Douluo Continent (2021)

Charming unlike any other

Tang San is a perfect role model. I read a helpful review that this is good for the whole family. I agree. What I like about this drama is that it holds dear the parent-child bond and the bond between friends and brother/sister-in-arms. There is a clear storyline of having a moral compass, a good heart. So many feel-good moments. It's not fair to compare this to say Nirvana in Fire, which is considered a masterpiece. This one has its own charm.

Every one of the characters, other than Tang San, when introduced, had personality flaws that bothered me, but soon I was rooting and cheering for them individually and as a team. Lots of rewatchable scenes. Good casting, good acting as well. Xiao Zhan did a great job portraying Tang San as the filial son, a pure heart. There is also plenty of action and adventure.

I've recommended this to a few, and they come back to me that they love it. My other half right away started binging it. I agreed with him that the Duoluo Continent does have a great "anime" feel to it.

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Bit off more then he could chew...

This is my honest review.

I'm going to start by saying this series gets a 7/10 from me and it's 100% on the screenwriter. Maybe it's because I'm used to American blockbusters, maybe it's because I have friends that are screenwriters in Hollywood whose work I've read and given critique on, maybe it's because I'm a professional writer/editor myself and have written scripts and novels over the years, or maybe it's all of the above. Fact remains, this screenwriter bit off more then he could chew and it fell short and I'm just a drama/lead actor fan; never read the novel nor am I into donghua. Though it's not even close to a comparison, Lord of the Rings: first film alone had 3 screenwriters. Maybe it was the arrogance of the screenwriter but he or the director or the production company should have brought more people to help him. There was simply no way for him to be able to take this project and do it justice himself. It is impossible given its size. I know there are people scoring full 10s and more power to them but with all of my experience in this and as mentioned above, this is an honest review that will get constructive criticism.

Under no circumstances can or should DC be compared to his other works simply because it's completely different. With the amount of CGI and other visual effects, it lands in a category of its own. Let me make myself clear, DC is not a bad series, especially for those of us that don't know its history; it's just not a powerful transition from 2D to 3D live action. One thing that is a faux pas for writers and screenwriters; it should not take 13 plus episodes/chapters to introduce main or supporting characters. If there is a concrete lead, that lead should always be around enough to remind the audience of who the individual is.

We were working with 40 episodes, 35 minutes long each (not counting credits) for part 1. I get it, you want to introduce everyone and set up their backstories. Very feasible but you're neglecting the reason the story exists; lead character must grow and evolve too. Between episodes 6-13 there was almost no plot cohesion. It was a roller coaster ride of let's randomly bring more people into the mix while running around doing tasks that don't have a meaning.

Furthermore, those episodes and some additional ones should have been called "The boring nonsense of OuSiKe and Rong Rong." Out of the 7 devils the screenwriter/director/producer made him look like Betty Crocker and his constant artsy fartsy monologues of Mr. Motor Mouth were enough to give most a splitting headache. Personally if he had signed with Prince ugly Eyebrows, left ShiLanKe and opened a theatre academy, I would have been thrilled. Again, I'm not blaming the actor for this as he was acting out the script. His character was the most lackluster and worthless out of the entire bunch. When he and Rong Rong would whine, it sounded like '90s dial up internet gone haywire. I fast forwarded a lot of their scenes as they added no value to the story.

It felt sad that so much good material was wasted. The battles lasted maximum 5 minutes while the conversations and needless explanations took the rest of the time. Growth of characters requires them doing things; just like the saying goes "actions speak louder then words", just dialogue will not evolve a character. Even without the background of the novel, I could tell the evolution of some characters and total standstills of others.

So many anticlimactic scenes and music. The OST's were gorgeous but towards the end were chucked randomly into parts of the episodes that didn't require them. The entire time the 7devils were in MSH towards the end didn't even seem like part of this series. Most were out playing Sherlock Holmes on separate mysteries trying to solve puzzles and save the ultimate villain who already knew everything that was going on. It seemed that the screenwriter ran out of material (shocking) and had to stretch to make it 40 episodes with a lot of nonsense. For 5 episodes, I felt like I was in the game of "Clue". It was a shoddy patchwork job that deserved way better; the actors taking on these roles and the audience deserved better.

I've mentioned some actors above and I'll continue speaking about them in their character sense again (I'll speak about the actual actors later if necessary). Mu Bai who started out as bossy and a total turn off, evolved into a mature and well prepared captain. Same goes for Zhu Zhu Qing, though from the 7 devils other then Tang San, she was my 2nd favorite because of her fierceness and I liked her character's growth. Master and Headmaster along with Ma Hong Jun were also heavily favored because of their comedic reprieve and growth.

I must say episode 40 left me scratching my head but not at the cliffhanger which was expected and yet even that fell flat. There was no great battle for the championship nor a fight between Papa Tang and the Pope. The finale battle was really one dude spouting arrogant nonsense who still got his butt kicked, and the way too obvious revelation of XW being a soul beastie with a side order of Papa Tang smacking the Pope around with his hammer, twice. Tang San trying to protect XW per usual was obvious but his serious lack of surprise about her identity and his proclamation (if the subs were on point) that she was his love or lover were misplaced because it was never shown before. Even in the most dense of moments he never uttered anything save she was his younger sister. Another point off from the script, massive disconnect. I can point out many points of disconnect within the script and this show but then I'd be writing this for days.

There were many people who didn't like XW's character; personally I felt very neutral towards her. She had her good attributes (she always had TS' back, could kick some serious butt in a fight, never backed down, was willing to do whatever it took to get stronger) and she had her weaknesses (sometimes too clingy, didn't understand the simplest things, a bit too bouncy for my taste). Again most of her lackluster traits are attributed to the script because what she read, she did. Episode 39 where she and TS are in the soul beast dungeon and she basically all but said who she was and Tang San was still somewhat clueless babbling theories; really that's like scriptwriting 101 and our pal screenwriter failed. Why wait? Especially when you're not going to make it into like an abracadabra super reveal anyways? Defies logical writing and progression.

Lastly for characters and actors, I want to speak on Tang San and Xiao Zhan. It's because of Xiao Zhan (not a solo fan; multi here) that I watched this. Is his performance Oscar worthy? No. But it was the only thing with a few other characters that kept me coming back every evening for my VIP. I loved his character. Even when it was at a standstill due to the introduction of others. He put everything he knew into it and I give him praise for that. The stunts, both on wires and without were wonderful. For him, I will absolutely watch part 2 (though hopefully it won't take multiple years to get there).

I also hope--because they took such a long time to introduce the other characters--they won't throw them away in part 2. And that they follow the novel a lot closer into the second part. Nothing will ever be 100% adaptable anywhere but it should at least come to some version of close.

Lastly, I want to thank the visual effects department and CGI crew for their hard work because they truly did a fantastic job on all of their parts. My favorite part will forever be the dreamscape or interspace that TS' mother created for him. It was truly beautiful and magical. I know this international team worked hard on all of their scenes and they should not be forgotten as neither should the crew who worked in lord knows what kind of conditions and how many hours. So hats off to them. Thank you Douluo Continent for the teamwork because it does make the dream work and I'll see you all again hopefully in Part 2!

P.S. Please add at least 2 more experienced screenwriters. Much appreciated!

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Depends on whether you have seen the Anime version or not...

I waited expectantly for this TV series as I'm up to date with the Anime version. I even watched it without subs as I could understand mandarin (but not fully).

While I knew that it won't be able to fully adapt the story to the anime version, I was rather disappointed with the ending.

I could accept the change in ages (young XW & TS) and that the time at Shrek School was the most compelling to the story line. Even the changes to include a mystery of the feng duoluo behind Cang Hui was intriguing and not found in the anime; kept me interested to skip the subs.

However, the last episode was rather disappointing. I know that we cannot compare the fight sequences with those in the anime but too many are stationary and not doing anything during the battle. Also, both Oskar & Rong Rong were used sparingly with only 2 actions in most fight sequences - use stick to release smoke, throw incendiary balls and ignite them. Oskar & RR's special abilities were seldom used to the point where they could just sit out the fight.

Then, the many feng douluos that fight with Bibi Dong at the end were dispatched with just a wave away and fell into a goop of liquid. One would expect after seeing the feng douluos as being badasses, that they would at lease put up a fight.

Finally, the biggest gripe was when Tang Hao appears and throws his hammer at BBD....and cut, they are out of the battle and TS, XW & TH are talking...huh? What happened? This cliff hanger is nothing short of lazy editing with no payoff for the audience. It might be due to budget constraints!

If they had ended Season 1 with Tang Hao escaping with XW & TS while the others all pledge to go their separate ways and return & meet after 5 years (as in the anime), I think most of the viewers would still want to see more, find out about the story and still get a pay off that Shrek School won and got some prizes (bones of soul animals). Unfortunately, they missed an opportunity.

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Beautiful drama with good technology

Happy to see an actor who is involved in creating magic. Got involved with actors acting and the story line. Over all a great experience. The emotions of the indivisual actors were good. Very happy with the graphics used.
Happy with the coustumes and the backgrounds used. A lot of hard work put togeather with the technical and non-technical team . The actors fif a great job. Please do waych the dram. In The beginning of the story the hero looked so beautiful and innocent. He took care of his father the emotions he had when he left his father for the studies. The problems he faced in his first school. The way he met his master. The intro of the female character which is very bubbly. The process of acquring his first soul ring his fight with the human headed spider every thing was pitcherised so well. The way how he entered his second school. The process of making friends and practing the skills the guidence of his master the way of enterining the star forest. Acquring his third soul ring then travelling with the school family to a new world wanted to meet his father.
Tang sane knowing about his mother after saving the girl by transfering the blood. Beinging minuse to posion. Mother's emotion towards son. Trying to make him strong and advising to be away from revenge. The back ground was very beautiful. Over all a good experience watching a chinese drama. I like the actor. Kodous to the actor and his acting skills having a beautiful smile attracting every one with his modesty and behaviour.

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Great storyline + CGI with ugly BGM

I love this series. I haven't read the novel nor watch the anime tho. But the storyline here is great and very neat. It emphasizes on how the team is built (not mainly emphasize on how the process of levelling up). There is no romantic scene that looks forced too (i used to think this series will be a heavy romantic but it turns out there is no cringe scene at all!!). The CGI is the best part, it looks very smooth and the actors + actress did the CGI scenes very well!! I always curious how they manage to act with something unreal lmaooo OVERALL, it's 1000/10 recommended!!!

Update: The story goes well till the last episode, but ngl the BGM is kinda ugly, sometimes it is just not matching the scene's atmosphere. I hope they will fix it for the next season.

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lighthearted hero live-action drama

I had not read the novel and have not watch the anime - the only thing I knew about this series was based on the previews - and it isn't what I expected. But considering this is a lunch-time tv show, it makes sense.

What I didn't expect:
- how much humor is in this show - I somehow walked into this thinking it's a fighting drama, but it's half comedy. The goofballness of it actually took a minute to get used to, but once I did, it was something I look forward to. The 7 monsters just feels like little trouble-making monsters to me. So cute!
- not as much fight scene as I expected - but I read somewhere that some of more bloody scene had to be cut to get on TV (unsure if there is truth to it, but there are some places where I feel like there is an obvious cut-away - namely a practice fight with the phoenix against the helpers).
- xz is the clear lead, but I grown to care about the ensemble. I don't usually care about the "side characters".
- at the same time, I wish for more character development. Each ep is only about 30min (because it's on TV and has to account for commercial time???). I think each ep can use extra 15 min, and that'd help
- I half thought I would find the FL to be too cute, but actually I find the cuteness fitting of a bunny character. I liked her.
- costume - how many change of clothes did xz have? I liked them all.
- the positive values the show try to teach - I guess that's how it ends up on CCTV...
- I do think the editing favor these moments of teaching vs story / plot... (I chalk it up to the price of being on CCTV. if this is only an online drama, i think it'd be differently edited... but I guess I have to support shows trying to get a wider audience......)
- the trailer made me think this is a xianxia/wuxia shows - but it's much more contemporary than I anticipated, which I enjoy***

What I expected:
- I watched this show because of xz, and he didn't disappoint
- I don't know what's the online grip about the FX. It looks so pretty. I want to go to the secret garden

What I hoped and didn't get:
- While I haven't read the novel or watch the anime, so I don't care how strong ts is supposed to be. But he has his hammer spirit, and clearly someone special. I was very much waiting for that one moment where he comes to that full power (even if it's not as powerful as the novel version, within the limit of the tv version). He kinda sorta does at the last ep (which I do enjoy that last ep), it's still lacking. It isn't his hammer that won the fight, it's FL - which may play well into the partnership / lover thread but I really want ts to have that winning moment. (I guess they're saving something for s2...)
- There are definitely choppy plots. I assume it's due to editing / censorship, etc. It's not so much that I can't enjoy the story, but clearly the story can be better developed.

Bottom line: A lighthearted hero drama - it's not so light that it's without substance. It's not so heavy that you feel like to you need to take a moment to absorb it all. It's one of those shows that feels like it's good for the family - there is something for everyone, young or old.

***edit: since I'm experiencing withdrawal from the 7 monsters, I started binging the donghua (which I had planned to do knowing I'd likely have such withdrawal). I must place the caution here that this drama draws from the source materials, but don't compare. For whatever reasons (market, audience, rules, "wholesomeness"), you see clear inspirations but you won't see the same things at all. I enjoy the donghua. I enjoy the live-action. But each really should be viewed on its own merit. It also explains why it's more contemporary than I anticipated - the source material is very contemporary!

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Fun, cute characters, above-average cultivation drama. Terrible adaptation.

I came to this drama as a fan both the screenwriter Wang Juan (his previous work Joy of Life is in my top 2-3 favorite dramas) and the Douluo Dalu novel. However, I recognize that novels and dramas are two fundamentally different mediums and that it would like be impossible to faithfully adapt the novel into a visual medium, especially given China's copyright laws. I will try to give my thoughts on the drama on its own merits and leave the comparisons to last.

The good:
- The core cast (Shrek seven devils and teachers) play quite well together and they're really fun to watch. The scenes of teambuilding and the students just hanging out were probably my favorites from the whole drama and I'd honestly watch a slice of life drama with them just hanging out and bickering

- On a related note, the acting in general is good. Nobody was terrible although performances all around were a bit flat. Some people have objections to the FL's acting, I didn't mind it and found her cute.

- The CGI is good, especially for a c-drama. The show is very effects-heavy and fortunately most of the time the effects aren't bad enough to be distracting and occasionally the effects look really good (spirit rings being an example)

The mediocre:
- Fights were kind of boring in general. There were 2 good group fights but a lot of the minor fights featured most of the fighters standing there looking dumb while the fight happened around them. Also, there wasn't much strategizing, fights tended to be decided based on power.

- Plot was ok but really didn't give me much suspense or pathos. I mostly kept watching because hanging out with the Shrek seven devils is fun, not because I was dying to find out what was going to happen next. The overall plot felt very messy as well, the core question that the writer posed turned out to not matter at all and new questions were raised in the last episode.

The bad:
- The music was very random and didn't help build suspense or emotion generally. I think this was a big reason why the plot didn't click with me, the soundtrack really doesn't give much feels.

- Skips and does poorly soooo many characters/moments/plot points from the novel (more on this later)

Overall thoughts:
- As far as cultivation dramas go there are definitely worse. I'd give the drama an 8/10 as a standalone drama
- However, as a fan of the source material, I can't help but conclude that the screenwriter had no interest or appreciation for the novel, because very few of the interesting characters and plot points in the source material are preserved. 4/10 adaptation

Average 6/10

Comparison to the source material:

- Most obvious point is obviously that the character of the protagonist is very different. Novel Tang San is a strategist and inflappable due to his prior life. Drama Tang San is a normal young man as the drama couldn't show transmigration.

- The thing is that this may have actually been an opportunity, not a problem. Having Tang San start out innocent and wide-eyed allowed the chance for him to have a full character arc in a hero's journey type plot where he develops from his baseline into a character more similar to novel Tang San, smart and steady. This does not happen. Tang San is written very inconsistently and his character is poorly defined, even by the end.

- Related to this, one of Tang San's core skills, making hidden weapons is largely excised from the script. It's still present in some capacity but it is no longer focused on and barely even relevant to the plot, showing up in only 1 fight.

- So many funny and/or interesting characters were glossed over or cut entirely. Obviously can't show everything but seems like they went a bit far in culling characters. For instance, in the novel Shrek Academy has multiple teachers and Fei Lan De is just the principal. In the drama he appears to be the only paid employee of the school. Budgetary constraints? Maybe.

- Most of the fight strategizing is cut out. This is a minor point as I think it would be very difficult to translate fight strategizing into a drama.

- Worst for me is just an overall loss of hype. There are a lot of climactic moments in the novel that illicit a sense of awe or fear. The drama does an exceptionally bad job at translating these. Nobody in this drama has the sense of power or danger that they should have. Nothing feels like it has stakes. The villains don't feel dangerous.

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Interesting and enjoyable

I never read the anime so I'm basing all I say on the series itself. It has been highly anticipated given that it was Xiao Zhan's next biggest tv series and he didn't disappoint. I think with the character he had and the storyline, he couldn't have done any better. That being said, I felt the character of Tang San was underdeveloped. For the most part, his ability to fight in the battles is greatly undermined by his inherit abilities. Yet, he is special in that he was able to kill soul beasts beyond his ability to absorb soul rings but the effects of the magic is hardly noticeable.

He makes up for it in his intelligence which is often the deciding factor in a battle. That being said, I found the storyline at times sway too much into the side characters leaving TS's development just enough to keep the story running. I did find the episodes increasingly more interesting as the plot thickens. I expected more unity when it came to those battle scenes with 7 distinctive soul masters. 40 episodes didn't really do it justice. I felt if it made about 5-10 episodes, more character development can be focused on.

There was clearly a deep history of TS's master that was largely unexplored. His character seem very interesting but extremely underdeveloped.

Overall, I felt the storyline could have been much better but a focus on 7 characters can be hard within a 40 episode storyline so it was enough as a taste. If they make another season, these issues can be explored but otherwise, if left like this (it would be very disappointing). I hate how this genre often leaves cliffhangers but no new seasons to complete it. The worst has been Fight Breaks Sphere which is similar to Douluo Continent when you are talking about a coming of age hero with the backdrop of a family secret. That cliffhanger still has me grinding my teeth as I enjoyed it so much but got no closure.

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Don't expect, just enjoy the ride

Unlike most of Xiao Zhan fans, Douluo Continent has never been my most anticipated dramas out of his. I went into this drama not knowing anything about the story nor the cast except Xiao Zhan himself and Xuan Yi from WJSN.

STORY:
The story is a regular fantasy tale about a hero who goes on a journey to self-discovery and meeting friends and foes along the way. I feel the drama was too short and I couldn't properly ever understand the lore in it. Seems like a lot of it was either edited out or just not included in the script. That is obvious as the source material seems to be a novel which might hold more answers to my questions. It was a decent story with a nice male protagonist but the script could have been better. The starting was nice, a strong middle and a dissatisfying end.

CHARACTERS:
Tang San was a cool guy but I felt like we never really saw the full potential of his powers or character. I should have enjoyed his character more but something felt flat till towards the end. But he was likable guy enough. My only complaint is Xiao Wu. She was cute in the beginning and I can handle cutesy Cdrama female leads but she remained too juvenile till the end. I would have liked to see more development from her. She was good at fighting and a loyal friend/sister to Tang San which I appreciated- they had a genuinely deep bond. My other favourites were the Master and the Headmaster. They were both quite nice but the Master was bit know-it-all at times.

ROMANCE:
I was never invested in it in spite of the small hints they kept dropping all along. For me, I liked Tang San- Xiao Wu more as siblings or just good friends. The romance territory was just unnecessary and I am glad it wasn't the main focus. The friendships were much more interesting. Not to mention - the ending kiss was just forgettable as heck.

ACTING:
Xiao Zhan is mighty himself- a very beautiful person and a good actor. At times I was in awe of his beauty, but a better hairstyle would have made more difference to his visuals. I feel his performance here lacked compared to The Untamed. Don't get me wrong- it was still very good but maybe just not the best role as he has already acted in a masterpiece in his career, which is hard to beat. Xuan Yi was fine and I was skeptical of her playing a dumb character because she is actually a funny and witty person in real life but she did quite decently in this drama. I feel like the story's development and plots didn't leave her with much to show. I've missed Calvin Chen and he is still likable as ever (them abs!). The rest of the cast was also fine and I didn't feel like there was any miscasting.

OST:
I like Xiao Zhan's songs. The OST is good.

OVERALL:
I've heard about most novel and anime fans hating it so maybe it isn't really a good adaptation. The story is incomplete, often times fun but more times draggy or confusing. In spite of that this is a decent drama on its own. The cast and the CGI really enhance the viewing experience of its otherwise low/cheap-looking sets and costumes. Looking at it now seems like something we'll probably never see Xiao Zhan again in because he's a top star now, but even here his passion for acting has always been evident.

I recommend to watch this drama if you're into fantasy and adventure. Other than that this drama doesn't offer much, but at least I don't regret watching it.

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Fab cast plus great plot setting

Quite a bit of difference from the anime version. Never read the novel however it can be told that the screen writer has invested a lot of energy in establishing the douluo world setting and pacing the story to just the right level.

Great casting as well. As the leading role Xiao Zhan has pulled off a great job in demonstrating the growth of a hero besides his astonishing good looking. All other supporting roles are quite likeable especially the Soul gurus and ‘senior’ ones.

The visual effects are quite impressive given it’s a 40 episode series, which has added another watchable point on top of the martial soul world.

Very much looking forward to see the last episode of the first season as by the looks of it the story might end at a very surprising point, which is what the screenwriter quite fondly in doing in the past - like the end of season 1 of Qing Yu Nian.

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