The drama is adapted from the web novel "Kaleidoscope of Death". The drama is a censored version of the web novel, the romantic relationship between the Male protagonists has been shown as bromance. My review is based solely on the drama version.

The protagonist, Ling Jiu Shi (Huang Jun Jie) an avid gamer and a programmer loves playing virtual online games. One day he gets drawn into a virtual game that is more life-like and the consequences of the game reflect in the real world. When Ling Jiu Shi enters the first gate, he is confused and doesn't know the rules, luckily he meets Ruan Lan Zhu (Xia Zhi Guang) inside who guides him through the 1st gate. Ruan Lan Zhu is a pro, having passed multiple doors previously so as he reveals the rules of the game to Ling Jiu Shi, the viewers also become privy to the information. Ling Jiu Shi and Ruan Lan Zhu team up later to pass the other gates. They have an intense relationship (if it was not a censored work, they would be romantic partners). Ruan Lan Zhu always protects and helps Ling Jiu Shi.

The game has 12 doors and the players have to finish the game once they start it. They cannot quit the game voluntarily. However the game has turned lethal as it is believed to be tampered by the (American) Capitalists. There is a different world inside each door, the players have to find the hidden door and the hidden key to pass the gate, the first person to insert the key gets a valuable clue about their next door. The game has become fatal because there are a number of disclosed and unrevealed taboos and if triggered the player dies. If a player dies inside the game, that person would meet with an accident in a few hours outside the game and would end up dead in the real world too.

Each game highlights unresolved feelings of the characters( NPC, door ghosts and others) that resonate with Ling Jiu Shi's life experience: abandonment, resentment, betrayal, regret, jealousy, greed, selfishness, grief.

Many aspects of Ling Jiu Shi's life bleed into the virtual game making it seems as if the game is somehow connected to him. The presence of a kaliedosope in every door (kaliedoscope had been given by Ling Jiu Shi's father and many memories of kaliedoscope are linked with Ling Jiu Shi's childhood friend Gao Dawei). Broken pieces, when viewed in a Kaliedoscope form a beautiful new picture with every turn of the barrel, similarly life is formed of broken pieces and when these pieces in a form of people and encounters come together, life forms a new memory that leave a unique footprint on the psyche.

Ling Jiu Shi and Ruan Lan Zhu want to find a way to limit the casualties and purify the game. How the experience inside the game changes Ling Jiu Shi? What do they discover at the end? It makes for an entertaining watch.

Overall: Definitely a must watch. As a person who doesn't play online games, the concept was quite unique for me.The twists and turns keeps the viewer invested in the story till the very end.



( More detailed spoilers written below)

:::::::::::::Illusion of Life vs Reality of Death:::::::::
The 11th door literally serves this dilemma on a platter as if it wasn't staring at viewers' faces throughout the series? The whole humanity is still searching for the answer. Is Death the only reality and is Life just a Dream or an Illusion? Many literary works and dramas address this topic.

William Shakespeare in the play 'The Tempest' "We are such stuff as dreams are made of; and our little life is rounded with a sleep...”

Ling Jiu Shi starts to realise the fleeting nature of life and for him as well as many other players, after passing through many doors, life inside the game (virtual reality) feels more real than life outside.

The thin line between reality and illusion blurs because life is temporary and death is inevitable for everyone.

After passing through the 11th door, Ling Jiu Shi discusses the significance of 12 doors with Ruan Lan Zhu. Ling Jiu Shi states the importance of number 12 in most cultures, 12 zodiac signs, 12 hours of day and night, 12 months, 12 negative emotions etc.

According to Chinese Culture 12 negative emotions are Anger, Fear, Sadness, Worry, Anxiety, Grief, Shock, Impatience, Jealousy, Hatred, Regret, Guilt.

As per Ling Jiu Shi, when a player in the game crosses all the doors they encounter all these 12 negative emotions and while finding the key and door they come to terms with them freeing themselves from the burden of that negative emotion. When all 12 negative emotions are shed away from life, a human is on the way to attain salvation.

I believe in the end Ling Jiu Shi attained salvation and immortality by shedding the weight of his mortal body and choosing to live an everlasting life of undying consciousness with people whom he loves. If that is not Heaven, I don't know what is?

::::::::::COMMUNIST PHILOSOPHY :::::::::::::
I feel the drama also brings forth the issue of whom to save in a dire situation? It is deeply rooted in communist philosophy of collective ideals and advocated to sacrifice the welfare of a single person IF it means fulfilling a larger responsibility towards the community. In the drama Ling Jiu Shi experienced a similar situation, in the real world when he had been a student, he had been buried under the wreckage of the secondary earthquake, his good friend Gao Dawei left him under the rubble when he heard cries of help from a group of people. This incident affected Ling Jiu Shi. Hence he always prioritised the wellbeing of Ruan Lan Zhu and his friends over those other unknown players in the virtual world. Ling Jiu Shi's attraction to Ruan Lan Zhu was also strengthened by the fact that Ruan Lan Zhu always valued Ling Jiu Shi's life above anyone else. The series poses a question WHOM WOULD YOU SAVE FIRST?


:::::: Ending that I had presumed::::::

I don't know why but I had presumed the last reveal would be that Gao Dawei had replicated his image in the game as an NPC, Ruan Lan Zhu.

After Ruan Lan Zhu would purify the game, in the real world Long Jiu Shi and Gao Dawei would meet, having reconciled inside the game, they would live happily in the real world.

The drama had always drawn parallels between Gao Dawei and Ruan Lan Zhu. The deep bond Gao Dawei had with Ling Jiu Shi in their formative years, how Gao Dawai was always there to comfort Ling Jiu Shi whenever he was feeling low etc....but the drama went the other way.

Also it is quite interesting that the same actor played the role of Gao Dawei and Ruan Lan Zhu.(As per info given by an MDL member, @Lyson)