The Notebook

I just finished watching the first few episodes of Lord of the Mysteries, and I have only one word to describe it: masterpiece. I'm giving it a full 10/10 rating because this donghua (Chinese animation) delivers something fresh, deep, and mysterious that I've never seen before in any other anime or donghua. Even though I'm still a little confused about certain parts - especially Klein vs the Clown - I'm loving every moment of it.

The story takes place in a dark, mysterious world full of steampunk technology, magic, secret organizations, and higher powers. It feels like a mix of Sherlock Holmes, Lovecraftian horror, and fantasy with Chinese storytelling style. The world-building is deep, complex, and rich in detail - and you can feel that from the very first episode.

Our main character, Klein Moretti, dies suddenly and wakes up in his own body again, but something is very different. It's later revealed that he has entered a world where "Beyonders" exist - people who gain supernatural powers by drinking magical potions and climbing mysterious "Pathways." That alone sounds wild, but then we get to the confusing (but interesting!) part: Klein becomes a "Clown."

At first, I was seriously confused. Was the Clown an enemy? A fake identity? A personality change? But after a bit more watching, I understood that "Clown" is actually a rank or "Sequence" in the Fool Pathway. So when Klein drinks the Clown potion, he literally becomes a Clown-class Beyonder. It has nothing to do with being funny or wearing makeup - it's about controlling emotions, keeping balance, and hiding your true self. That cleared up a lot, but I'm still curious to know how deep this rabbit hole goes. And that's the beauty of it - the show keeps you thinking.

The animation is absolutely stunning. The visual design is clean, smooth, and cinematic. The background art gives off a Victorian London vibe, with foggy streets, candlelit rooms, and grand buildings. The animation blends 2D and 3D very well, especially during action scenes or when Klein activates his powers. You can tell the production team really put their heart into this.

And of course, let's not forget - Lord of the Mysteries is a Chinese donghua, not Japanese anime. The original voice acting is in Mandarin, and the actors do a great job bringing these characters to life. Klein's voice has a calm but mysterious feel, which fits perfectly. The soundtrack is also amazing - dark, suspenseful, and elegant. It makes every scene more powerful without being too loud.

Another thing I appreciate is how the story doesn't explain everything right away. It respects the audience. It gives small clues piece by piece, making you think and pay attention. I'm still learning how the world works - what is the gray fog space? Who are the other tarot card members? Who or what is "The Fool"? But I trust the answers will come, and I'm excited to find out.

Overall, Lord of the Mysteries is one of the most intelligent and visually beautiful series I've seen this year. It mixes mystery, fantasy, and dark adventure in a way that few stories can. If you enjoy deep storytelling and you don't mind being a little confused at first, this show is perfect for you.

Rating: 10/10 - I'm still confused, but I love it.

Okay this is probably the best out of all episodes the pacing was slower and the dialogue were really great and the mc monologue was really fantastic we now got a hint of his feeling and his personality which am glad each character seems to be mysterious (but of course is called Lotm) the don't seem like npc and the don't feel like background character the all have there own unique ability even the guys we met I really thought the were gonna die in the first episode because anime does that now for some reason, but I like that there showed their strengths, but one think in this series am fascinated about is the power system it seemed simple at first listen but once you think about you also wonder what's the difference between 5 to 4 what's the drawbacks but am wish the will explain that in future episodes this episode was Freaking amazing and am glued as always another visual stunning episode aswell Damn Gachiakuta was my most anticipated anime I was planning on watching just one episode of this series and giving up but I did not expect it too be this good.

Episode 3 of the Lord of the Mysteries donghua was absolutely stunning! The animation quality was even better than before, and the atmosphere captured the eerie, mysterious tone of the novel perfectly. Klein's expressions, and the voice acting all came together so well. I loved the way they handled the fight scenes-it felt intense and immersive. The soundtrack added so much tension, and the transitions were smooth. I can already tell this adaptation is going to be something truly special. I'm completely hooked! Very action packed and good combat choeography . Definetely looking forward to this show.

It's sad that how many people hate this amazing anime for no reason. The episode has gotten so much 1,2 star review even before anime episode release. This anime needs support not hate . People like these are what making anime community so toxic. I hope admin see this review and fix those review. So people don't miss on this amazing story. Now, for people who are giving bad reviews for not understanding. I want to say that please wait till ep 13. If you still didn't understand then you have every right to rate it low. This is a mystery anime . It can't show you everything on first 2 episodes. Thank you .

The pacing is much better and flows more naturally than the first two episodes. I'm giving all three 9/10 because I want them all to be better, but I like this episode more than the other ones.

The visuals are not as crazy as the previous episodes either but the fight scenes are stellar. It's also a bit more grounded and easier to follow.

For the flaws: Klein's reaction to some characters feels a little inconsistent or unnatural considering what happened in the previous episodes. Some of them can be improved by just a few lines of inner monologues. Hopefully the requirement to crunch scenes in certain episodes will cease to be a problem for the writing in the future.