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IMDbPro

Lord of Mysteries

Original title: Guimi Zhi Zhu
  • TV Series
  • 2025–
IMDb RATING
8.7/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
122
18
Lord of Mysteries (2025)
Hand-Drawn AnimationSupernatural FantasySuspense MysteryActionAdventureAnimationDramaFantasyMysteryThriller

In the fogs of history and darkness, who was whispering? When the gray fog falls, who is whispering in the ear. The light still shines, the mystery has never been far away.In the fogs of history and darkness, who was whispering? When the gray fog falls, who is whispering in the ear. The light still shines, the mystery has never been far away.In the fogs of history and darkness, who was whispering? When the gray fog falls, who is whispering in the ear. The light still shines, the mystery has never been far away.

  • Creator
    • Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
  • Stars
    • Joshua Waters
    • Yang Kaiqi
    • Daniel Van Thomas
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.7/10
    8.9K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    122
    18
    • Creator
      • Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
    • Stars
      • Joshua Waters
      • Yang Kaiqi
      • Daniel Van Thomas
    • 205User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Episodes13

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season2025

    Photos71

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    + 67
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    Top cast16

    Edit
    Joshua Waters
    • Klein Moretti
    • 2025
    Yang Kaiqi
    • Klein Moretti
    • 2025
    Daniel Van Thomas
    Daniel Van Thomas
    • Alger Wilson
    • 2025
    Blake McNamara
    Blake McNamara
    • Frye…
    • 2025
    Lei Wu
    Lei Wu
    • 2025
    Titus Jin
    • 2025
    Marisa Duran
    Marisa Duran
    • Selena Wood
    • 2025
    Bradley Gareth
    Bradley Gareth
    • Emperor Roselle Gustav
    • 2025
    Aiden Call
    Aiden Call
    • Additional Voices
    • 2025
    Sean Letourneau
    • Hanass Vincent
    • 2025
    Bryan Massey
    Bryan Massey
    • Sirius Arapis
    • 2025
    Brianna Roberts
    Brianna Roberts
    • Anna
    • 2025
    Kristian Eros
    Kristian Eros
    • Additional
    • 2025
    Phebe Fabacher
    • Elliott Vickroy
    • 2025
    Kolten Kirschke
    Kolten Kirschke
    • 2025
    Haojia Li
    • Old Neil
    • 2025
    • Creator
      • Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews205

    8.78.8K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    10N1nE-

    Novel Readers didn't lie

    Wow! This is one of the best shows I have watched in recent years. What a beautifully crafted world. The production is insane. I have been hearing this about Lord of the Mysteries from novel readers for awhile. I thought they were glazing it too much. But nope. The glaze is 100% deserved. The story is a mystery with soulslike fantasy element. Our main character isn't someone pervert or idiot like a random isekai mc. He is smart and actually thinks before acting and has his own conflicts as well. Also side characters are good too. I am at episode 8 right now. The power system is one of the most well thought. And not to talk about the music itself. Its perfect for the shows setting. World is vast and beautiful Victorian steampunk era looks amazingly as it could be. First 2 episodes were but fast but the director said the issue would be fixed by episode 4 which they did. I dont get why people are so confused about the show. Like wtf? As a donghua only myself who doesnt watch any other extra content and understand it pretty much. Just read the subtitles. Also the hate is just unnecessary and undeserved. Don't listen to the 1/10 reviews. They are just newly created bot accounts for review bombing. Seriously people watch it. Its amazing and will be even better in the later part. Its seems confusing? Its a mystery so what do you expect. Some people judge it by only 2 episodes? Hilarious. Man the Patience and attention span of modern audience. Sigh. Did people forget about Steins; Gate and how confusing it was? But Steins;Gate became one one of the best of all time. LOTM is in the same category too. Don't judge too fast people or you will be missing a amazing fiction.
    10imdbfan-2482035555

    My thoughts as a novel reader

    Yeah, they skipped many things.

    However, these things aren't important (klein eating, spending 3 chapters to buy his cane, 3 chapters to buy his house).

    Its a premier, so it need to be entertaining.

    They did a really good job about the pacing.

    If you don't understand anything, don't worry, it was the same, maybe even worse, for us reader.

    The animation is really, really good. I think I never saw that before. There is alot of details, in the flowers, for exemple. The song, especially the ending, are incredible too.

    As a reader, it's clearly not a disappointment, and I didn't think the animation would be this good.

    10/10.
    10Anas-2518

    Peak

    There are anime adaptations, and then there are events. The Lord of the Mysteries anime is not just an adaptation. It is a revelation, a genre-bending, spine-chilling, brain-breaking masterwork that takes one of the most revered web novels of all time and elevates it into a visual spectacle. Every frame, every note, every whispered incantation feels like it was pulled straight from the depths of the mysterious cosmos Klein Moretti himself peers into. This is not just good. It is historic.

    From the opening seconds, it is clear. The Lord of the Mysteries anime is something special. The art direction is staggering. It does not simply animate the steampunk-meets-Lovecraftian world. It summons it. Backlund is rendered in such oppressive beauty, so meticulously detailed, that you feel the weight of soot, fog, secrets, and time pressing in with every scene. The city breathes. You do not just watch it. You fall into it.

    And Klein. His portrayal is nothing short of mesmerizing. His transformation from an unsuspecting scholar into the masked Fool is handled with such nuance that you feel every heartbeat, every flicker of fear, every razor-sharp calculation. The subtle shifts in his expression, the haunted look behind his eyes, the layered delivery of his lines. The animators went above and beyond. He is no longer just a character. He is an event horizon.

    The animation quality is unreal. From arcane rituals to the Tarot Club meetings to Beyonder battles that distort logic and reality, every visual is dripping with style and narrative weight. The supernatural elements, especially the fog, the ancient symbols, and the digestion sequences, are brought to life with a level of creativity and reverence that fans of the source material will find deeply rewarding. And for newcomers, it is a haunting introduction to a universe unlike anything else. Imagine Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fused with Dorohedoro and infused with the existential dread of Lovecraft. That is just the surface.

    Then there is the music. The soundtrack is not background noise. It is a living part of the narrative. The main theme hits with the gravity of fate. The ambient tracks are eerie, immersive, and emotionally precise, guiding you through paranoia, tension, and awe. The Tarot Club motif is pure chills. You hear it and know you are in the presence of something greater. Every sound is deliberate. Every note has purpose.

    The pacing is handled with masterful control. The anime does not rush to impress. It simmers with mystery and tension. It trusts the audience to follow the clues, to sit in the silence, to question what is seen. The exposition is woven into the world itself. You learn by absorbing, not by being told. And when the twists come, they do not surprise. They devastate. If you are familiar with the novel, you will see them coming. But seeing them unfold with this level of production is transcendent.

    The voice acting deserves its own applause. Klein's actor captures both his vulnerable, human side and the cold, divine mask of the Fool with haunting precision. The calm delivery, the subtle changes in tone, the weight behind every line all work in concert to create a deeply compelling protagonist. The supporting cast is equally excellent. Every member of the Tarot Club feels distinct and important. Every encounter with the mysterious and the unknowable feels real.

    The Lord of the Mysteries anime is not just a successful adaptation. It is a benchmark for the industry. A visual novel in motion. A cosmic clockwork powered by secrets, fate, and storytelling genius. It respects the fans, challenges new viewers, and honors the terrifying beauty of the source material.

    This anime is not just something to watch. It is something to experience. And once you do, nothing else will quite compare.
    9Leirovsky

    Watching it's like hypnosis

    I haven't read the novels. I've only just started watching the anime. Although the barrier to entry to the series seems quite high, the exposition gets better with each episode. And I have to admit I'm truly blown away by how it's executed audiovisually. Honestly, I haven't seen anything so hypnotic in ages. The people responsible for it are true artists.
    10AmanS-976

    my best webnovel into an anime

    When the anime adaptation of Lord of the Mysteries was announced, I was ecstatic. The original web novel is easily one of the best stories I've ever experienced-rich, layered, mysterious, and unlike anything else in the fantasy genre. It's not just a story; it's a world that seeps into your mind and lingers long after you've turned the last page. So naturally, I had high hopes and expectations when they revealed it would be brought to life as a donghua.

    Watching the first couple of episodes, I noticed a lot of viewers feeling lost-and honestly, that's completely fair. The pacing is fast, even jarring at times. It throws you headfirst into a complicated world full of cryptic terms, subtle power structures, and questions with no immediate answers. But if you've read the novel, you know this is intentional. The confusion isn't a flaw-it's a feature. Even while reading, you feel like you're grasping at fog, trying to make sense of events that seem disconnected but eventually thread together with eerie precision.

    Those early episodes are like puzzle pieces tossed onto the table. You don't get the full picture yet, but the edges start to align after episode three. The pace slows just enough to let things sink in. Klein's journey begins to take form, and the mystery begins to unfold in a way that mirrors the gradual immersion of the novel. That's where the adaptation starts to truly shine-it respects the original source material and its strange rhythm.

    And let's talk about the animation. Absolutely stunning. From the gothic architecture to the character designs, the visuals capture the essence of this world beautifully. The fog, the shadows, the subtle expressions-it's all so atmospheric. The voice acting, especially in the original Chinese dub, is strong and evocative. It adds weight to the dialogue, and you can feel the tension in every whispered conspiracy and hidden danger. You can tell the team behind this poured real care into capturing the heart of the story.

    What makes Lord of the Mysteries different is how cerebral it is. It's not spoon-fed exposition and linear plotlines-it demands attention, patience, and a willingness to sit in the unknown. The Tarot Club scenes, the 22 Beyonder pathways, the eerie diary entries-each layer adds complexity, but also invites speculation. The story thrives on curiosity, and this adaptation doesn't dilute that. It embraces the weird, the cryptic, and the slow burn of discovery.

    Personally, I'm loving this series. It feels surreal to watch something I once read obsessively now animated with such care and precision. Every little moment feels like a nod to readers who held onto every plot twist and character beat. I genuinely hope more people give it a shot-especially those who haven't read the novel. It's not a casual watch, sure, but for those willing to dive deep, it's an incredibly rewarding experience.

    So yeah, we're only a few episodes in, and I already feel hooked. The adaptation isn't perfect, but it's bold, immersive, and true to its roots. If it keeps this up, it has the potential to be one of the standout anime series of the year. And if it pulls people into reading the novel too? Even better.

    Crunchyroll's Summer 2025 Anime Lineup

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Donghua (Chinese Animation) "Lord of the Mysteries" is adapted from the web novel series of the same name written by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving (Ai Qianshui de Wuzei).

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • June 28, 2025 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • China
    • Official sites
      • Official Streaming at Tencent Video
      • Official Weibo
    • Languages
      • Chinese
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Lord of the Mysteries
    • Production companies
      • B.Cmay Pictures
      • China Literature
      • Qidian
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Color
      • Color

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