The Founder of Diabolism

Where do I even begin, there's so much I love about this show! All of the characters are extremely well designed and dynamic. Even characters that had considerably small amounts of screen time breathed into life with layers of personality built on a simple sentence or their expressions and even gestures. You can't help but empathize with the characters because they come across as very authentically human and relatable. The voice acting is superb as they are able to convey these characters in very realistic and human ways. There are also so many deep analogies through imagery such as contrasts in the background or deeper meanings reflected in nature which really goes to show the superb directing abilities of the producers. Many of the messages delivered in this show are extremely subtle that compiles into a bigger picture which is what makes this show so re-watchable because you can always catch something new that you haven't realized before. This story is a deeply enticing one that explores the themes of honour, sacrifice, love, family, and the cyclical nature of human life. The art itself is of extremely high quality, the movements are very fluid, and the music beautifully transitions and sets the tone for important moments. This is a powerful story that will leave you to continuously think about as it continue to explore the subtlety in love. For those who may have heard of the BL elements in this show and want to avoid it, it's so subtle you almost have to look for it. The storyline itself is very intricate and weaves many complex emotions for all of the characters. It's a beautifully crafted story where the protagonists happen to develop romantic feelings rather than having an absentminded romantic plot that is just dropped on the audience. Afterall, love is love is love, who cares what form it's in? Strongly urge everyone to give this show a try!

Great story with beautiful art and music ! Although the animation did not follow the novel precisely (especially the romance between the two main characters has been "hidden", the anime still has plenty to offer.

First review, and I'm really not a deep or artsy person, so I'm not even going to try to break this down into philosophical arguments or anything.

It sounds good. It looks incredible. The characters are so unique and human and sympathetic (except for that one greasy Wen young master and his monster of a wife) and sometimes so infuriating (looking at you Jiang Cheng). The plot is amazing, the backstories well-woven and intriguing. But most importantly, it's just such an enjoyable show to watch.

If someone asks me if I have any complaints, I can't say I don't. Bring back the 40-minute episodes! 20 minutes isn't enough!

Just a few things YSK before watching:

• Season 1 is the prequel to everything. Nothing shown in the first two episodes took place yet, it basically tells the characters' backstories and how Wei Ying got to where he was. I know, I was confused too, especially since Mo Xuanyu's appearance is really similar to (read: the same as) young Wei Ying's.
• There really won't be any BL (gayness) since this was aired on Chinese TV. So people who don't like BL, go ahead and give this series a try, and those who came for the BL, try not to be too disappointed.
• The dynamic between the five clans is very interesting and well-written, but also really confusing at first. I suggest looking up a character/clan-map to keep on the side while watching.

Anyways, anyone who hasn't given Mo Dao Zu Shi a try, definitely should! This show has taken my heart hostage within the first three minutes of the first episode (at the 2-3 minute mark specifically, I've watched that flute+zombies sequence at least fifty times now), and it still hasn't given it back. I thought I was too old to fangirl over a fictional story, but it turns out I just haven't been watching the right ones! Words can't describe how much I love this. It's not really like a first love, but rather an obsessive, passionate love that takes hold of you when you were sure you wouldn't be able to feel such emotions again.

Mo Dao Zu Shi's episodes, released every Friday night, is pretty much the only thing getting me through the week right now. I don't know what I'm going to do, now that Season 1 is over... At least there's two more seasons to look forward to! See you in 2019!

A lovely, yet sometimes melancholy story. Just right for me. I didn't discover this until this year, and I had already read the novel and watched The Untamed. But this took the previously beautifuly-woven story to a new level, really. The voice acting had my jaw drop every few minutes, and the details (such as read ears) were handled perfectly. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were EXACTLY as I had imagined them. BUT! But, in my opinion, the character's faces looked too alike, and I could barely tell Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen apart. However, this is honestly worth a try, and I swear, you shall not be disappointed. Why are you still here? Go watch it!

By far one of of the best anime (donghua for chinese animation) i've seen all year. I've watched it twice. Absolutely loved this series with my whole heart.

First, this is certainly NOT a shounen anime that is geared towards teens. It's rated mature at R 17+ on MyAnimeList, as it should be.

The scenery truly stands out as unique, and breath taking. Chinese animation has developed their own style with very detailed; exquisite landscapes that looks like poetry. The character design was refreshing. I really enjoyed the more mature looking characters.

The voice acting in this deserves an award. The emotional parts were so believable. The emotions really came through in a way that it didn't feel like acting.

The writing in this series is top notch in my opinion. I found it to be well written, with plenty of plot twist and mystery in terms of story line.

Although, the majority were fine to me, my only criticism is that SOME of the fight scenes could have looked smoother. Also, Chinese is spoken very fast, and the subtitles fly by. I cant read that fast. Not sure how this could be remedied for us English speakers, but I had to rewind many times to catch up to what was going on.

Everything in this series can be described as beautiful, and I highly recommend this series. 10/10