Douluo Continent (2021)

Brilliant show and a fantastic first season

(NB. I have never read the novel or seen any of the anime adaptation so my review is based solely on this live-action adaptation.)

I have *just* finished watching the entire season and I am just blown away. I mean, where to begin? The story is just beautiful and even more beautifully realized visually. (The SFX are really spectacular without falling into the Hollywood trap of being overwhelming and chaotic.) But most importantly, the character building, the growth of our seven heroes and, of course, the arc of 唐三 and 小舞 is just really fantastic and satisfying.

肖战 is, of course, more than capable of shouldering the responsibilities of being the lead but his portrayal as really top-notch here. (And I say this as a die-hard fan of 《陈情令》where his portrayal of 魏无羡 is just peerless.) His nuances and range has grown tremendously and I can’t wait to see what his future work brings. 吴宣仪’s portrayal of 小舞 is equally nuanced and sensitive. Her innocence and fierce loyalty are endearing and the reason for why she is the way she is becomes clear as the series progresses with hints being dropped all the way from the first episode before she even appears. And a special shout out to all the supporting cast for being a fantastic ensemble, whether it’s the 史兰客 team (both students and teachers) or the various Soul Masters or, really, even the most minor of characters. It really is such a richly fleshed-out world on all fronts.

Kudos, also, to the show’s writer who, in consultation with the author, brilliantly charts the course of the various character developments so that they always stay in the forefront of things even amidst the visual feasts, the unfolding of the in-universe mythology, and all the dramatic turns and twists.

I honestly don’t know if a second season is going to be in the works but it is so clear that this season was written *as* an expository season with its unanswered questions and unresolved threads. So please bear this in mind while you’re watching it.

Two things I want to address:

- The score/music is wonderful! I am a professional musician and I am ACUTELY attuned to the soundtrack of anything I am watching, whether I like it or not. And it is absolutely fantastic! There are specific motifs and pieces that are written for specific moods or characters or situations and they capture them very well. Every scene’s emotional impact is immediately enhanced by its particular score at any particular juncture. Kudos to the composer(s).

I honestly don’t know what ANY of the complaints are with the score but I can honestly say that this is one of the best TV series soundtracks I have heard. (And I have heard/seen plenty.) Do not let *any* of the negative reviews affect you.

- The ending is BRILLIANT. I won’t spoil it for anyone but I will say that it is not what you might be expecting in terms of fireworks on the surface but it is very deep, very personal, and very much in keeping with the writer’s vision for this series. As I have said before, there are definitely lots of open-ended plot points and questions, all of which point to another season. And if there isn’t a second season, well... you can still fully enjoy the great journey which this series takes you right up to the very end.

I am re-watching the whole season now to catch anything that I might have missed the first time around.

GO WATCH THIS SHOW NOW. It is THAT good.

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Fun but Predictable

I've watched this mostly for Xiao Zhan. I am a fan of his and the poster looked so pretty.

I also really like the screen writer, as he is the writer for my favourite cdrama, Joy of Life.

This drama is what I expected to be. It's fun, full of adventures. However, I find the plot very predictable. It's not terrible, just predictable. I'm a huge fan of fantasy novels and anime. Even though I have not read the novel or the donghua for this, I find that the plot twists aren't really twists for me.

It was great until around Ep. 30 ish? then I felt that it started to drag and then I started to watch this in speed around ep. 35 onwards.

I still find it very good, but I feel like it could have been better. I will probably check out the donghua and see what the difference is.

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Special effects, fantasy and fairytale

This is a fantasy story set in a place called Douluo Continent. Here each martial art expert has a personal ability called martial spirit which enables them to display special powers. The story is more in the genre of Harry Porter although the story and setting are entirely different. I think this drama would appeal to the young adults and children as it has a fairytale setting and is filled with special effects and actions.

The backdrop is that of an academy struggling to survive financially while it takes in some of the most outstanding martial students and trains them to become masters. They are invited to a competition hosted by the continent's most powerful martial spirit academy. Conspiracies loom and hidden secrets are brought to light.

Like a lot of dramas, there is a mystery leading you on. It is quite clear from early in the drama that there are hidden secrets that the lead characters set out to investigate, so there is not much twists in the story.

Xiao Zhan is the main lead and his fans are likely thrilled. His acting is superb but I think it is still short of his performance in the Untamed which is a tough record to beat.

If you are into action oriented fantasy and fairytale, this is an excellent drama to spend your spare time on.

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Cringe. I’m embarrassed for Xiao Zhan

Whoever wrote the script is an amateur and should forever be banned from writing another one. Watching this was like watching paint dry. The characters were so corny, yes, even the main hero seemed like every other “blessed child” who suddenly acquire powers with which only them can fight the evil of the land. ??

Plot aside, the wardrobe, props, and cinematography were equally amateurish. I mean everything was just so poorly done. The women wore one outfit for most of the episodes. The camera angles were limited to one or at most two cameras. The situational props were abysmal. Mostly, the drama felt and looked like a low budget production that spent most of their money on a big name actor and then scrimped on everything else.

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WATCH THIS EVEN IF YOU ARE KIND OF CONFUSED AT THE START, YOU WILL GET THE HANG OF IT!!

I am someone who watched this drama without reading the book or watching the donghua, and I guess you could say maybe the first 3(?) episodes are quite confusing because it starts right in the middle of a scene and you have no idea as to what is happening, but as you continue on you will start to get the hang of watching it. Probably by the time I got to episode 6 I kind of understood all the terms. So I definitely recommend you watch it even if you haven't seen the donghua or read the books cause it is definitely worthwhile.

To be honest the only reason I started watching this drama was because of Xiao Zhan (of course) but even though I didn't get the beginning I was watching how Xiao Zhan acted and it was top notch perfect bro. His acting has definitely improved from The Untamed (although his acting was amazingly good in that drama he has made improvements in his acting), but I love that his acting is so realistic and I did a bit of research of course before I started watching this to know what I was getting myself into, Tang San is meant to be a 16 year old boy and Xiao Zhan acts Tang San and his age perfectly, well we all know though, Xiao Zhan's real character is just like Tang San (hehe).

Now as for Wu Xuan Yi I honestly didn't expect her to act very well since she is quite a rookie actor (this is her first drama role) which surprised me as she didn't do bad as I thought. Actually I thought her acting was actually quite good just there is definitely room for improvement.

As for music, I honestly haven't listened much to the songs yet but the starting song sounds pretty good and I like it yeah.. ahaha.

So overall 1000% recommend even if you don't get it CONTINUE THE STORY!! :)

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Brilliant, fantastic and family-friendly drama

I watched this drama first time as I’ve always admired the leading role Sean Xiao’s acting ability in other dramas. To be honest, my expectations were not very high as I know it is not easy to bring the fantasy world in the novel to this drama, which will definitely be restricted by a lot of limitations.

However after watching the drama it did make me a Douluo continent fan. Many kudos to Sean Xiao, he gave a vivid account of Tang San’s grow, change and progress of becoming a great soul master. Also thanks the rest of the roles and crew in this drama for their great work. The cast is outstanding, the special effects are amazing, I enjoyed each episode immensely and seems exploring a wonderful and fantastic Douluo world with Tang San and his friends.

It is good for children of all ages. It tells not only about diligence, determination, bravery and good versus evil, but also family, friendship and sincerity. Really love it.

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Must Watch Series

First of all, kudos for Xiao Zhan and the DC team. XZ nailed the role Tang San perfectly. I really love the way he protects his loved ones . I admire his integrity in principle although sometimes it's way too much, still the reason why i like his character the most . The other casts shined on their own way. I love Xiao Wu's innocence and her impulsiveness is way too cute. I felt the strong chemistry and tension between Dai My Bai and Zhu Zhu Qing. I love how their relationship mature throughout the series and how their little actions affect one other ?, same as the cute tandem of Ning Rong Rong and Ou Si Ke. I like how Liu Runnan portrayed his character that it makes me laugh about his craziness and funny jokes at the same time feeling a bit blue on his childhood experience. Oww, I pity Ma Hong Jun being the third wheel just like his master ? sorry Hong Jun.. but the thing I liked the most on his character is the way he treats Tang San, like seeing him as his older brother sometimes father. He is so innocent and cute when talking about money and business with Lander, they are indeed the same! Lastly the character that also got my attention is Tang San's master, whohooo! At first, I thought he have a serious character but as the story grows, I find him so funny specially those awkward moments with-??? Hoping for season 2 (but please with the same casts) because there are many questions left unanswered. Even though I don't watch the anime version, I still enjoyed the story very much ?. Recommend this one!

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Love it!!!

This has a unique way of presenting the little things. The sceneries are so perfect! I love the CGI throughout the drama. All cast members put their best and it helps to flow the storyline throughout the series.

The two main lead's acting is undoubtfully superb. Though I haven't seen the Anime version I love the way they have adapted into the teledrama. Especially emotions and facial expressions are too sharp and done well. And this is a family teledrama where we use to watch together. My kids are eagerly waiting for the next episode.

They really like the flight scenes and CGI. Once you started to follow this it's hard to get out of it. You will stick it forever!!

My favorite scene throughout this drama is XZ crying scene in Infront of his Mom. His acting skills are versatile. I used to rewatch it many times. Overall music is good and the opening song is encouraging and charm.

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