✔️ 2022-05-15 13:30:56 – Paris/France.
Although we talk about anime all the time, Japan is not the only Asian country with a very active anime industry and every year we get more series from Korea and China. Precisely from the latter came "The Blessing of the Officer of Heaven"a donghua (animation made in China) based on the light novels by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and made from Bilibili and Funimation.
Mythology, romance and spectacular animation
The first season of "The Blessing of the Officer of Heaven" landed on Netflix in 2021 and consists of 12 chapters and a small special which serves as an epilogue to this first arc of the plot. In total, it does not reach five hours because they are very short chapters, and since the whole story has continuity and the plot turns with each new episode, It's perfect for hooking up.
This animated series immerses us a little more in Chinese mythology and the belief that the heavens are organized in a somewhat bureaucratic way and that there are different gods who are in charge of different domains. One of these celestial court officers is XieLianthe former prince of Xian Le Kingdom.
The prince was much loved by his subjects and ascended to heaven at a very young age, although he was unfortunately sent back to the mortal world. His second ascent didn't last long and earned him outcast and loser status…so when 800 years later he returns to the air for the third time, none of his colleagues take him too seriously.
In an attempt to repay his debts, Xie Lian accepts a mission to investigate the disappearance of many marriageable girls, only to soon discover that he has also come to the attention of hua chenga powerful ghost king much feared in the kingdom of heaven.
'The heavenly officer's blessing' is posed as a mystery series with certain touches of thriller and fantasy, where Xie Lian and his companions must solve various investigations. In addition to teasing the intrigues and secrecy of heavenly officials, this donghua also raises a romance full of alchemy which ends up hooking you permanently to the story.
Let's see, if an explicit gay romance is expected in a Chinese animated series given the country's censorship, I'm going to hit you with the jug of cold water that we're not going to get it. And yet 'The blessing of the officer of heaven' goes to great lengths to explain to you the nature of the romantic relationship between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng treat it like a tension-laden period drama romance (with slow motion and intense close-ups).
And yet, the anime series manages to balance moments of romance with those of mystery and fantasy action very wellbecause it also has its good dose of confrontations against ghosts and all kinds of creatures in which it even becomes somewhat explicit and raw.
It can be a bit tricky at first to get into the plot of "The Heavenly Official's Blessing," especially if what you're expecting is a regular anime. The narrative pacing is somewhat different (and even frustrating) and the presentation of the characters somewhat chaotic, especially in the early chapters where it feels like we have to figure out who's who.
These small problems are solved little by little thanks to flashbacks, where they show us a bit more of Xie Lian's past in the mortal realm and where we realize that some things aren't what they seem (and that the prince isn't as nerdy as we might assume despite his incredible kindness). ). Thus, and as we move forward with the main plot, the various storylines that the series raises and It allows us to understand a little better the puzzle of the complicated life of its protagonist.
All this mixed with beautiful visual style, especially with beautiful painted backgrounds, character design, and detailed aesthetics. Yes, it has many working animation moments and nothing else, but it leaves us with some very powerful action scenes. Not only that, but the more contemplative moments are also very careful to put more emphasis on the emotions of the characters, which together leaves us one of the most beautiful series that can be seen on the platform.
As of now on Netflix, the series is only available in Mandarin with subtitles and there is no news of a dub in sight, but if you are not afraid of subtitled series titled, it is worth trying and enjoying its story. It has already been confirmed that the second season is in production so yes "The Blessing of the Officer of Heaven" leaves you wanting more, the next batch of chapters should arrive at the end of the year.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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