Recently, Chinese animations or donghua (动画) have been gaining interest and popularity among domestic and global audiences. With a wide range of genres and stories, many donghuas can cater to any viewer. With its distinct style in animation and genres, Chinese donghuas continue to prove it has an edge over other animations. One donghua in particular, Heaven Official’s Blessing or Tian Guan Ci Fu (天官赐福), has been sparking the interest of local and international fans.
Following the global success of The Founder of Diabolism or Mo Dao Zu Shi (魔道祖师) and Scumbag System or 穿书自救指南 (Chuan Shu Zijiu Zhinan), Heaven Official’s Blessing is the third web novel adaption from the popular novelist, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (墨香铜臭). Its popularity no bounds as there are even notable brand collaborations with Heaven Official’s Blessing like KFC, Miniso, and Wuhan’s Household Waste Management.
Courtesy of Tencent and Bilibili
Heaven Official’s Blessing is the first-ever Chinese animated series to be streamed on Funimation, an international anime streaming site that mostly caters to Japanese animation. You can watch Heaven Official’s Blessing on legal streaming platforms like Bilibili, YouTube, and Funimation. With a 8.9 rating in Douban, here’s why Heaven Official’s Blessing is going to be your next favorite donghua.
1. A unique and interesting plot
Heaven Official’s Blessing follows the story of a Crown Prince and immortal named Xie Lian who ascends into the heavenly realm for the third time after 800 years. Upon his third ascension as a god, he is tasked with supernatural missions in the Mortal World. Along the way, he meets a charming youth named, San Lang, who is actually disguised as the notorious and dangerous ghost king, Hua Cheng. In the series, Xie Lian looks for the person responsible behind all the evildoings in the heavenly and mortal realm. Xie Lian also tries to solve the secrets of his past, the most intriguing one being the unknown strong connection between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.
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2. A fresh twist on the historical fantasy and danmei genres
Heaven Official’s Blessing has a refreshing take on the genre, xianxia (仙侠), which means “Immortal Heroes.” Centering on Chinese fictional mythology and cultivation, which is a unique approach to education in Chinese culture, the donghua will have you hooked on the historical fiction behind the story.
The historical fantasy and supernatural and horror themes, along with the powerful gods, demons, and ghosts, will leave you spellbound. You’ll be amazed by their godly magical abilities and powerful weapons, as well as the spells they cast, like the Spiritual Communication Array and Soul Shifting Spell. On top of that, the donghua also boasts of compelling action scenes.
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With the rise of the danmei (耽美) or Boys’ Love genre, Heaven Official’s Blessing puts an interesting spin on the subtle bromance between the opposites, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. Viewers will appreciate the mutual trust and respect between the immortal martial god Xie Lian and the ghost Supreme king Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng continues to aid Xie Lian with his powers in Xie Lian’s missions and accompanies him in the Puqi Shrine and ghost realm.
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3. Visually stunning animation
Haoliners Animation, the company behind Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua, has received high praised for its aesthetically pleasing animations. The characters, especially the maid leads, look insanely appealing. You’ll also be pleasantly surprised by the cinematography of the action scenes and scenic scenes in the donghua. You may end up pausing the animation just to take a moment to appreciate the visuals.
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4. Humane characters
What truly makes Heaven Official’s Blessing worth watching is the characters that will make you feel attached to them. Being powerful gods, ghosts, and demons, they were all human beings before they ascended and descended in the upper and lower realms. Heaven Official’s Blessing also makes you rethink the morally ambiguous characters. They may be powerful but they all have their limitations and fatal weaknesses.
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Even though they’re immortal beings, they still commit mistakes and experience trials that make them human. They may have many believers and devotees, but they’re far from perfect. They may also suffer consequences for their actions, suh as banishments, less believers, and the loss of their godly powers. That’s why you’ll eventually connect with these characters and understand their intentions and actions.
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Catch the release of the first season of Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua every Saturday on Bilibili and YouTube. You can legally watch the first episode of the donghua for free on Bilibili’s YouTube Channel.
