I watched Dream of Eternity (the other Netflix Yin Yang Master film) and this one back to back in the same week. I know nothing about the source material but was attracted by excellent trailers and intriguing summaries. Coming from someone who has barely a passing awareness of the Onmyoji universe and no particular preference in terms of actors, I can tell you that the two were on equal footing as far as quality and watchability.

It does confuse me just a little that this one isn't as well-loved as Dream of Eternity, but for anyone wondering what the major differences are between the two -- and whether or not those differences amount to one or the other being better -- let me help a little.

Dream of Eternity (the other Yin Yang Master film with Deng Lun), is a very quintessentially Chinese story. The feel of the magic, the harsh golden chill of the capital, the Chinese humor and the almost obtuse but elegant storytelling that includes metaphysical and even existential themes, are all more familiar to someone who is accustomed to heavy Chinese fantasy. As such, the story can't help but feel a little richer. Too, the development of the relationship between Qingming and Boya is a major part of the what moves the plot forward.

This one, the Yin Yang Master, had a similar feel to an American blockbuster as far as pacing and storytelling. The story feels more approachable to someone who is unaccustomed to (or not particularly a fan of) those very particular Chinese types of fantasy. Nevertheless, it still has a rich, unique fantasy feel, made even more immersive by a broader bit of world-building. (Dream of Eternity has an almost claustrophobic sense of isolation as the heroes worked in close quarters and in a limited amount of time to solve the problem). It feels more like an adventure and less like an urgent detective mystery.

The story for this one focused more on Qingming's relationships with human beings in general and the people who used to be his friends in particular. Boya is a major character, but his interaction with Qingming is limited, but important. Boya, in a sense, develops independently. And this development affects his opinion of Qingming and his decision to help him or not.

In Dream of Eternity, the demons (not a very accurate translation, I'm afraid, but probably no better English word exists) feel more like human weapons, like the allies you can choose in complex rpgs. They are well-developed, fully-fleshed and wonderful.

In Yin Yang Master the demons exist in many varieties. The more human but powerful, the truly grotesque monsters, and the very cute little creatures, of whom Qingming has adopted several. This variety lends a kind of comic book feel to the story that was lovely. And the cute little creatures really were a very wonderful bonus -- their urgent pantomiming to Qingming when they were trying to deliver information was so delightful.

In both films you have outstanding special effects, wildly impressive fight scenes with a cool Chinese sorcerer's flair, and very good acting from all involved. Dream of Eternity also had that heady, moody Chinese storytelling feel to it. While Yin Yang Master accomplished broad worldbuilding and an epic sense of adventure.

Dream of Eternity sometimes felt too melodramatic (a trait I actually liked, so not an issue for me), while there was a candy sweetness to the overall feel of Yin Yang Master. But Chen Kun, with his characteristic dangerous severity, cut the sugar enough to balance the whole thing.

The takeaway here is that they were equally good films. But they were quite different. It's better to go into both without expecting anything in particular and then let the film be what it is.

As far as this one in particular: the story was very good -- if quite straightforward -- the monsters were unique, the sweet little creatures were too cute for words, and the interplay and development between the wide assortment of characters was very satisfying, if not as deep as it could have been. But the film had no apparent aim for depth, which made it work so well. The over-the-top visuals and almost absurd cute creature antics would have made a profoundly deep and heavy story feel a little odd. As it was, the balance was just right.

All in all, an excellent film. A less challenging watch than Dream of Eternity, but in a good way. I highly recommend them both. But I feel like this one needs more champions.