Low on luck after a series of unfortunate events, You Keika works part-time to try bringing himself out of a life of poverty. After a strange encounter with a white-haired man in a junkyard, You wakes up to discover that he was killed in a sudden accident and has become a spirit. The man he had encountered, Tanmoku Ki, is revealed as the 13th Youmeshi of the Tanmoki, the highest-ranking exorcist family of China. Noticing the wandering spirit, he offers You the opportunity to form a pact: he will offer You protection from humans and in return, You will have to become his spirit shadow, keeping him safe and guarded at all times.
From then on, the two face untold challenges in the spiritual world, striving to keep those around them safe from harmful spirits. Along the way, the pact they formed grows into something more; a bond that neither of the two ever expected. Behind their roles as master and servant, a lingering admiration begins to emerge.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Kadrian
This is based on a chinese Manga(Manhwa). It is actually really good(THe manga) but the anime adaptation kind of is not really good because of the voice actors and the weird art and the change in the original plot. this anime can be qualified as Shounen-Ai but it is more on the relationship of a master and his servant though they do have to kiss sometimes for the special skill to work on the servant(Can't say it or I will spoil it). But if you are interested in this, I advise you to read the manga because Chinese manhwa are colored and it is reallyawesome. (But it is kind of hard to find it, since not much of it has been completely translated.)
But of course, this is a Chinese version of the now Japanese version of Spiritpact. The animation is still the same except the voice actors are Japanese. If you want to give it a try, you should go ahead. The anime did kind of cut out a few important parts of the manhua, especially some parts where they honestly should not have....
Enjyu
Beware: This is a shounen-ai! And a good one on top of that! I thought I'd start with that as the genre is not listed on MAL. As probably most of you have figured out by the name, this is a Chinese animation, the second in my life, but I have to say definitely not the last one! Overall Ling Qi is a beautifully drawn anime with a deeper story from what you'd expect of 20 short episodes. It engages the viewer straight from episode 1 with its perfectly proportioned combination of sweet humour, action, art, BGM, few parodies of other anime and unexpected development. While thestory left many things unexplained(which probably the manga will explain), this did not really ruin the pleasure of watching Ling Qi, I did not feel it left me hanging and questioning plot-holes or scratching the back of my head wondering what it tried to convey.
The Chinese setting/language was a very refreshing break from the good ol' Japanese anime and the characters' behaviour or way of speaking is something I enjoyed immensely as it (especially the voices) felt much less forced than most Japanese animes.
I do pay a lot of attention to voice actors, way of talking etc and I can't hide how much I hate forced voices like in many animes (no normal Japanese person talks like that) and speech in Ling Qi did not strike me as forced or overreacting (I did live with and communicate with a group of Chinese for a whole year)
Overall, 8 from me, very pleasant animation, beautiful artwork, nice BGM, engaging story, and most of all a Chinese shounen-ai.
KitsunehimeMilhi
Before I get started I want to say that this review is for the Japanese dubbed version. I do not know why myanimelist deleted the separate entry when they already had it set up on their site, but whatever. Honestly, Spiritpact was kind of annoying, but it's not the worst I've seen. The main story is basically that Tanmoki makes You Keika his spirit shadow after You dies. You is the person who now will fight along side Tanmoki as he faces evil spirits and other people that come after him. There's more detail that you can learn about the plot, butI'd be spoiling a bit of the anime if I included that information. Overall, the plot was a mess though.
I guess the art and animation were kind of average. Nothing really bugged me about either aspect, but at the same time, neither one was necessarily good either.
The opening, ending and background music were kind of bad. I personally don't like the opening and ending themes. The background music didn't do it's job of getting me, the viewer, more excited about what was happening. Most of the music scores are kind of just there.
The characters are really bad too. None of them really have a special personality trait and a lot of them can get on your nerves really easily, especially You at the beginning. 2 or 3 of the main characters, like You and Tanmoki got some development, but no one else really did. Most characters were just present with no real purpose for being there and they didn't add much if anything to the plot.
Like many others, I didn't really enjoy this. Some episodes were ok, but more were boring and seemed pointless to even include. There's some ok action and other things from time to time so it's not the worst I've seen; I'd still rank this above many other anime I've watched, but I definitely wouldn't say this quit lived up to being average either. I don't recommend Spiritact, but some people reading this may decide to check it and like it.
ShadowJackal35
Because I'm Chinese-American, I've always had a connection to Chinese culture however, never have I really been interested in the Chinese "anime." I started reading Chinese light novels such as Quan Zhi Gao Shou (waiting for the anime this month!) but other than that, not much else. Recently however, I was impressed by Shuangsheng Lingtan and decided that I wanted to see what Chinese anime is like. So, I picked Ling Qi by random (I think it's recommended if you like Shuangsheng Lingtan) and started watching. I was not disappointed at all. Story (7/10) - Good: The story is not particularly fascinating or unique, however theway the characters are portrayed made it worth following. I liked seeing some of the Chinese traditions and customs to honor the dead/death. There were some points where I felt like I'd missed something though. A character would mention something and events would take a direction that seemed like it came from nowhere even though I'd given it my full attention. Whether this is me just being stupid or the story actually missing pieces is something you can decide for yourself.
Art (8/10) - Very Good:
The colors are nice and vibrant and the shading seems more in depth than in most anime. I was impressed by the detail that was put into it and the special effects were great. Every so often though there were some minor problems with continuity; sometimes certain details would be omitted but then reappear later. Overall though the coloring felt more sophisticated than typical anime.
Sound (8/10) - Very Good:
Since this is technically the first Chinese anime I've watched (completed) then I don't have much experience with judging Chinese voice acting, but basing it off what I hear in Japanese voice acting then I'd say they're pretty consistent. I didn't hear anything I thought was particularly awful to say in the least. The soundtrack was cool for sure though. If there is one thing that can surpass language and culture barriers, it's music and I really enjoyed Ling Qi's soundtrack.
Character (8/10): Honestly, I liked all the characters and how they were portrayed. There were a lot of silly moments that were just kind of nice to see and it didn't ruin the story or break the pace. It felt natural and seemed fitting for the show. If I could see this same cast in another season, I don't think I'd mind.
Enjoyment (9/10) - Great: For my first completed Chinese anime, I had a lot of fun watching and comparing it to Japanese anime and it's fun to see and compare the cultural differences. I've been trying to branch out into other anime media such as manwha (the Korean webcomics) and manhua (Chinese manga) and I plan on continuing and learning more about Northeastern Asian culture from every point. Even though a lot of it may be romanticized.
Overall (7/10) - Good:
Ling Qi isn't the best show I've ever seen and I wouldn't say it particularly stands out from anything I've ever watched but it's still enjoyable. I wouldn't call the series "deep" or poignant in any way, but there were moments that were very touching and I recommend watching it for a quick source of fun. Even though I give it an average score (to me- 7=70%/C/Good), I actually do think very highly of it.
As a quick side note though, it is worth knowing that Ling Qi is considered a shounen ai (homosexual romance). There is nothing "heavy" or explicit, but it is apparent that the main characters have romantic feelings for each other and is implied and shown in a few ways. I, myself, actually did not find out about this fact until after I'd already started the series. I'm not against shounen ai at all, but it isn't exactly a genre that I pursue or have at the top of my priority list. There's nothing too explicit like in Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi or Junjou Romantica, but if the topic makes you you uncomfortable even in the slightest, then it might not be the show for you. (You're missing out though.)
Bonus: Oh yeah, there is one Attack on Titan (ep 7) reference and one Sailor Moon (16 ep) reference so if you find sightings/references of other shows funny, you'd most likely be amused by it.
Kurapimpa
Okay, this is my first review, but this show leaves many things to be said. I have always been a fan of LGBT+ works, and I have enjoyed many Shounen-Ai, Yuri, and Yaoi anime. This one, however, was just bad. There were too many problems with it that even if I tried to shut my brain off, I just couldn't overlook it. I haven't read the web manga, and if it's better, props to it. Beware, there might be "spoilers" in this review, but it's not all that important. Most of what I talk about happens in the first episode, and the rest of the "spoilers"are so easy to guess because of the show's predictable nature. Anyways, without further ado, let's get on with this.
Story- 5
Okay, this is where almost all of the major problems are. The show starts off with You Keika (Yang Jinghua) living his life as a savage fortune teller. His life has pretty much hit rock bottom and then he suddenly dies by good old truck-san. When he wakes up, he meets the oh-so-cool and good-looking Tanmoku Ki (Duanmu Xi) and is informed that he is dead. For some reason, Tanmoku Ki wants to hire him to be his "Spirit Shadow" which is a fancy word for a supernatural bodyguard.
You Keika rejects his request, but after a cliche run in with a darkened spirit or whatever, he decides to take the rings (yes, rings) and become his Spirit Shadow.
Pretty typical plot, right? One could easily overlook this as just an average show, and it is. However, unlike other average shows, I literally felt insulted as a member of the audience. The story continues with giving fangirls bits and pieces of the good gay stuff, while also making Tanmoku Ki have a fiancee. My biggest gripe with the show is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It goes far enough with the yaoi to leave fujoshi's squealing, but not far enough to make the character's relationships feel natural. The tone is constantly shifting from edgy, to "funny", to romance, to edgy and funny again. I am aware these tone shifts are natural for any story, but the pacing in this show is so bad it makes it feel awkward and cringe-worthy.
The pacing is really awful and it's a major gripe I had while watching this. There are these awkward pauses in animation, the dialogue feels like a 13 year old wrote it, and the relationships are so forced for the sake of the plot. Keep in mind 90% of the show takes place in a week. A WEEK. And you know what happened in like the 4-5th episode? A montage.
A f**king montage of all the time the two mains spent together, when at the time, they had only known each other for FOUR DAYS.
The story is constantly trying to make it seem deeper than it is and make their "bond" known to the viewers, but it just doesn't work. You can't throw montages in our faces or little cute moments here and there and expect us to go along with their relationship. Why they're even so close in a week is beyond me, and it's one of the biggest turn off points in the show. How am I supposed to get invested when the two main characters have such a forced bond? If you start off trying to instantly make them close after an episode or two, you lose the aspect of them growing to like each other. You lose their development, how they change their view of each other, and why they become close. If you slap it together with force at the beginning, you get a relationship that's completely empty.
Also, the show does the cliche tie ins to past lives and reincarnations and all that other stuff you've seen a million times. The sudden relevance to that in the show is so cheap it's almost laughable. Literally, everything about the story has been done before, but better. Much better.
In conclusion, the story has choppy pacing, weak characters, and cliches all around. There is literally nothing special about the story. If it weren't for the fujoshi bait, I don't think anyone would've continued watching this. And trust me, the creators know that. That's why they barely tried to produce something decent. It's an insult to the audience's intelligence.
Art- 7
I mean, the art wasn't anything great, but it was passable. I can't be too hard on it; it served its purpose. As I mentioned earlier though, there were parts with choppy animation or where they looped it. You could sometimes see through the cracks of where they made budget cuts, and it would only increase the awkward feeling of the show. The awkward pauses with the dialogue following a tad behind happened way too often to be an accident. I did like the opening, but I felt it could've either calmed down some, or been more action packed. The sound didn't fit the animation at all sometimes, which brings us to our next category.
Sound- 6
Okay, I actually like both the opening and ending. I even like some of the piano tracks in it. The soundtrack on its own is pretty decent. However, the creators have no clue where to place their tracks in the show. It ended up having the weirdest background music for some scenes that either required softer or heavier tones. Sometimes there would be random songs with a vocalist just thrown in there for the hell of it. This is the first show I've seen where I've actually noticed that the sound doesn't fit. And it wasn't just once, it was throughout all 10 episodes. Sometimes they'd get it right, but most of the time it was just weird.
Character- 3
This is the worst part guys. I already mentioned that the two mains had such a forced relationship, and it really shows. The main guy can be pretty obnoxious. The creators think having him ramble off random sh*t is comedy gold, so he does it every. Single. Episode. He's a weak attempt at a comedic character. Not to mention they try so hard just from the beginning to make us feel bad for him.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, time to pull out your anime tropes checklist! What do we have for You Keika?
Dead parents! Check!
No relatives! Check!
Living poor and on his own! Check!
Ties to a supernatural past! Check!
Gets hit by a truck! Check!
5 in a row makes a winner! Stand up and claim your prize you sack of sh-
So anyways, I didn't enjoy his character. I tried to, but the writing didn't make that possible. I remember in like the 3rd episode or so he got in a fight with this flame lord and umbrella loli, and his special move was calling for help. Then immediately after that, with no explanation, he was suddenly like "I can't rely on others and cry for help anymore! I have to fight for myself!" He gets that weird determination out of nowhere and decided to be a badass at random moments for the hell of the story. Sometimes he powers up because of his past life or whatever and becomes a boss that can defeat this blind master, then other times when he's in his power up mode he's completely useless. There's no consistency with his strength or character whatsoever. Speaking of that, there is literally a magical girl transformation of him changing into that form. I'm not kidding. I'm really not. It happens. A f**king magical girl transformation. It's not funny. Nothing in this show is funny. It's just a bad attempt at reference humor. It's so bad. IT'S SO-
~We'll be right back after these messages!~
Okay, I'm back. I'm not sure if this review is coherent or not, but I hope that you see what I'm getting at. Before I get any more triggered, let's move on to the next main character. Tanmoku Ki, is the cold, calm, and collected stereotype.
Pull out that checklist again, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for round two!
Cool, handsome, and rich! Check!
Supernatural powers that are super special! Check!
Head of some family of exorcists or whatever! Check!
Dead parents and possible illegitimacy! Check!
Cold to everyone except the main character cause plot! Check!
There's not much I can say about his character, because he really doesn't have one. He gets randomly worried and worked up over You Keika's safety for reasons that aren't explained until the last episode. Even when they are explained, it doesn't make it any better. He's a walking trope of every cool rich guy that came before him. His character is so bland that if it weren't for his powers and social placing, there would be nothing special about him. So yeah, not much I can say.
Enjoyment- 4
Not gonna lie, I had a few laughs while watching this insanity. The montage part and the magical girl transformation both made me lose it because of how bad it was. Even with some of the stuff being so bad it's funny, most of it was just bad. I cringed more times than i can count.
Overall- 5
It's average. Average and insulting. Don't waste your time on this. If you want to see boys in love, go watch Doukyuusei. They actually, you know, TRY.
If you just want some ancient supernatural stuff with good action, go watch Moribito. Good characters, interesting plot, and plenty of action to keep you entertained.
So yeah, pass this show if you value your integrity. There are better things out there to watch. Don't waste your time here.
Ironoverloaded
~Review copy-pasted from Season 2 review~ "Master, a relationship with a person is like a kite. It won't fly high if you hold it too tightly. Loosen your grip too much and it falls, and when you pull strongly on a kite flying high in the sky, the string will snap and it will never come back." I wish I could like this anime. I wish I could write nothing but good things about it, especially since it seems to have a cult following with fans. But I can't. I'll start with the most glaring issue - This doesn't feel like Shounen Ai. This feels like queer baitingand people clutching at straws. This was produced in China, which you probably know has a strict censorship law over gay relationships being shown in the media. I believe this show only got away with what it did show because its producers were Tencent - a very well-known Chinese conglomerate. But even they had their limits.
Let me start by saying every kiss in this has a purpose. Much like Mahou Sensei Negima!? and Yamada-kun and the seven witches. Each kiss is an "exchange of energy" or forming a contract between the two characters. There is never any mention of love and each kiss has a clear purpose to it.
Which is fine. We're watching Shounen Ai, not smut, right? But that's where it falls apart. The characters are unlikeable and never really develop from their initial introductions in season 1, and therefore their emotions never really develop. They're never shown to love each other beyond this sould connection, and it's never even explained why Ki makes the connection with Keika in the first place. ~Sure~, we're given backstory and how they're fated, but Ki doesn't know this at the time he makes the pact and he never shares this information with Keika.
And sadly, there is no season 3, so we can expect to never know past the webtoon as this anime has been cancelled. If there was a season 3 - I might've spared this anime such a harsh review, but the entire plot was just all over the place. There was no pacing, scenes felt awkward, places that were supposed to make you cry just left me sighing and wishing I could fast forward to the resolutions. I couldn't connect with these characters or their emotions, and the emotions felt by most of them seemed flimsy at best - or had overarching, massive conversations and conflicts between them go unspoken or even straight up forgotten about and ignored.
So I couldn't even go "at least this is a good anime, even if there's not any real romance." Because there wasn't any real plot, and any plot was quickly abandoned for the new, shiny plot line they decided was better the next episode. In fact, 5 episodes in the second series were dedicated purely to a flashback between a character introduced 4 episodes into the season within these flashbacks. And the 5 episodes weren't even needed - it was two perspectives of the same events, and by the second run-through, I really didn't care anymore.
I think a portion of this criticism can also be attributed to the Japanese dub. They tried to match the lip animation to what the original Chinese dub said, but Chinese is incredibly fast compared to English and Japanese, and I feel like a lot of what was ~supposed~ to be said was lost in translation and lost it's impact. Instead, scenes flew by unnecessarily fast, littered with sentences and statements that made me go, "uhh, and?" where I'm sure they were supposed to shock you and add tension.
I was going to let this all slide, because "at least the art is good" but it's very sloppy in some frames and scenes, and for some reason, Keika's eyes are retconned and made purple in the second series instead of yellow. Which really doesn't help when Ki and Shouken also both have purple eyes, so every important character just looked the same in the flashback scenes. I wouldn't have cared if they'd even explained it. But there's zero explanation, and Keika's eyes are purple in flashback scenes, so the fan theory that they "changed when he got closer to his ancestor's power level" is redundant because he has them as a child.
I feel like this entire show was trying to do too many things at once, and spread itself too thin as a result. It prolongued the scenes it should've shortened and missed the big picture involving the things it should've prolongued instead.
I can't hate it. It has guys kissing in a CHINESE piece of media. That's nigh impossible to achieve ordinarily and I'm certain Tencent's production was the only reason this was given a second series. It's paving the way for more acceptance in a culture that desperately needs it. And it wasn't a horrific anime. There was semblance of a plot here, and it tried. It just didn't try very hard.
shadowfireflame
This 10-episode shounen-ai anime is the Japanese edit and dub of the Chinese anime Ling Qi (Soul Contract). In it, a young You Keika is living in poverty as a fortune-teller when he is hit by a bus and killed. In death, he chooses to become contracted to the human demon-hunter Tanmoku Ki as his spirit shadow, a partner to protect Tanmoku and give him strength. Unbeknownst to both of them, they are connected more deeply than they realized. Along with Tanmoku’s ignored fiancée Shin Shiyou, the three team up to uncover the sinister plot going on at Tanmoku’s family home. The anime packs alot into its 10 episodes with lots of supernatural hurt/comfort elements and a gentle shounen-ai between You and Tanmoku, with some humor and very pretty art and character designs as well.
While the supernatural elements are a bit stereotypical and aren’t explained well, and the characterizations are a bit one-note, it’s interesting to see the different motivations of the characters, particularly the “evil” ones who are all vying for power behind the scenes and constantly testing Tanmoku and You’s relationship.
Tanmoku is difficult to read as a typical tsundere, but You makes for an appealing lead with his innocence and occasional frustration with his situation. I felt really bad for Tanmoku’s fiancée, Shiyou. Her character is actually fleshed out but it’s still hard to determine her reasons for sticking around when Tanmoku overlooks her constantly. She seems to have more meaningful interactions with You than with her fiancée.
Where the anime really shines, though, is in the evolving relationship and powerplays between Tanmoku and You. The two have great chemistry, the light fan-service moments are fun, and it’s wonderful to see how they slowly get to know one another and how they react to seeing each other in danger. I loved seeing how they were evolving into a team.
Unfortunately, after just 10 episodes it feels like it’s just getting into the good content when it ends. Would love to see more!
kurosmile
At first I'm just going to give this show a standard 7 but after considering other important aspects and comparing it to other good anime, I decided to lower the score to 5. Plot: 4/10 I like the spirit-master relationship. The power portrays at the beginning of the story got me excited and anticipated for more. However, as I watched episode by episode, it did not meet my expectation. There are parts of the plot that are predictable. The flow of the story for the first few chapters are too fast paced, deducting the realistic point of this story. The way the characters respond to certainsituation seems unnatural. There are plot holes especially regarding the first line of Tomanku and his spirit servant. I wish to know about them better. The last few episodes of this anime are very slow paced to the point I think it was a waste of episodes.
Characters: 4/10
You Keika- I'm just gonna say that I am flat out disappointed with this character. I'm expecting his powers to be much more impressive that what was portrayed in the last few episodes. He was supposed to be a powerful spirit, matching his master's, Ki, powerful spiritual energy. However, in most of the episodes, it was him being protected by Ki when in reality it was You Keika's job to protect his master. He is funny, that's the only positive point I see in this character.
Tanmoku Ki- This character is your typically cold but kind hearted, powerful and respected by all character. He's nothing special really.
Over all: 5/10
This anime is definitely not the best anime I have ever watched. It's mediocre, fits your typical anime mold. The only wow element of this anime is the hint of Shonen-Ai in this anime which I definitely enjoy. Perhaps, those who are new to anime would enjoy and appreciate this anime better than I do.
AkiraShinren
This series is all over the place. My first thought after finishing this Anime was exactly that. Don't guess though, I love this Anime despite all the chaotic flaws it presented me. Ling Qi began fairly simple: Two interesting characters have an encounter and thus their story begins. One of them dies in an accident and thus becomes the other one's Soul Contract / Partner. These are supposed to aid their contractor in their battles against evil spirits. Up to this point everything seemed fairly okay. However, following 20 Episodes (China dub) (10 on Jap Dub), this anime goes all over the place, really. It jumps from one setup toanother and confuses you in it's purpose. From the get go, you might think it's purpose is for the two of them to fight together against evil Spirits.. But that's not really what they do.
You might get confused and lost because you don't know where this anime is going, what it is trying to show or tell. It has no absolute and clear aim.
It is confusing, and to my end it was even a bit frustrating and annoying.. But, nonetheless, it's positive traits kept me captivated, so let's get to them.
Their characters are simply charming, both have faults and virtues and their development is actually nice to look at, considering the small amount of time this anime covered. You will find yourself charmed and mesmerized by their strange bond and loyalty.
This series is strongly focused on the two maincharacters and their unique... bond. However, any other character merely serves it's purpose to help develop that bond/give backstory or whatever you need to make an anime interesting at all.
The atmosphere is.. fresh. I like the art style, as it is both soft and comfortable to look at, yet typical anime. You have the cool guy, the cute guy. They complement each other and both benefit nicely from this artstyle. It's not unique, not too much, and fitting it's supernatural theme.
Although Evil Spirits seem a bit lackluster. The whole appereance of the anime, the whole setting and picture of the anime is underlined an emphasized by fitting soundtracks. They provide another layer of immersion and do their job properly. It's nothing outrageous, but it's neatly done nonetheless.
I recommend watching this anime if you are a fan of shounen ai/yaoi, as you are the most likely to love this anime. Anyone looking for something with good fights or awesome characters will have their fair share... but it's not what makes this anime fun to watch.
I did not think this anime was mainly focused on Shounen Ai, but reversely it's most fitting for those who like to watch this genre.
Thank you for reading, have fun watching. :)
chi4you
This review is based off the Chinese version, because the Japanese version of the show combines 2 episodes into 1 episode, making it very rushed and cutting scenes out. I tried to watch the JP version, but it doesn't really feel the same as all of the cultural references made in the OG Chinese version. The plot has potential to be good, but the execution of it really fell flat with me. Not sure if it's because each episode was only 15 mins long, but it really deserved more time on screen. Although I suppose that may be an issue with budgeting. STORY: 6/10 -Could be better execution from the directing side, but again, budgeting issue I guess because season 2 is LOADS better in terms of storytelling and art even though it's the same guy directing the show. Most dialogues and events felt rushed and I got confused with how fast paced it was going.
ART: 7/10 - I love chibis. They're cute, but the art isn't anything that's too consistent with frames missing.
SOUND: 9/10 - THE CHINESE OPENING IS A BANGER SOUNDTRACK. I LOVE IT. I HAVE IT ON REPEAT. IT IS POPPIN. IT IS SO CATCHY. You'll come to understand that it describes Jinghua and Duanmu Xi's relationship quite well. On another note, the ending theme is nice and soothing, also another one of my favourites from this show. Battle theme 2 is also very hype with the rapping in the background.
CHARACTER: 7/10 - Bruh everything was so rushed that it felt forced in the show. Couldn't find an attachment to the characters until ~season 2~, but that's excluded from this review. Jinghua is a bundle of joy and makes so many cultural references. I love his energy. Can't say much for Duanmu Xi though, since he's your typical stoic, mysterious MC (TBC in Season 2 hahaha). The side characters are shallow at most without much screen time, and Qin Siyao is just cast aside as a third wheeler for the majority of the show. With that said, I couldn't feel much of Jinghua and Duanmu Xi's bond. Their motivations are skimmed over real quick. Heck, I have more interest in Luoyue and YangNing's past instead. So. Many. Unanswered. Questions.
ENJOYMENT: 8/10 - Despite all the issues with animation, quality, storytelling, this was honestly so FUNNY. The comedy is great. Random insertion of various languages in Korean, Japanese, English, LOL references, Song Joong Ki, crossovers from other donghua like Fox Spirit Matchmaker, and our favourite quote "YOU CAN YOU UP. NO BB". Serious. This gets better. The minor fanservice we get is nice too. Like, literally this series has KISS scenes! It's a donghua too! Absolutely wild to see how loose the censorship laws back then when it came to media. RIP. Maybe that's also why season 3 is bust.
OVERALL: 7/10. I would just watch the show if you enjoy the comedy aspect. I recommend the Chinese version if you can still find it, despite how obscure it is. The drama gets touched upon briefly and continues in season 2. Or if you enjoy BL/Danmei, you may or may not like it. They kinda remind me of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji with their own twist. Their love for each other is not overtly stated, but they truly do care for one another.
rainhat
I am still new to reviews, but I thought I had to do give my take on the show while it is still fresh in my mind, y'know? The story, is in a sense, a mix of Ao Haru Ride and Tokyo Ghoul; that being, the not-quite lovers trying to open up, and our primary suspect has his fate stolen from him at a young age, eventually accepting the path they now traverse. I enjoyed it. It moved me in a way not many have. I have never felt such bliss from anything this precious, nor been swayed to tearsso easily. However, I also was confused as to who was involved with who, and what schemes had been set, for the first eight episodes I mean. The last couple cleared everything up. If queerbaiting is an issue to you, so be it. I like the mystery. All in all, story gets a 7/10.
Okay. I have never seen a Chinese anime before, so the scenery was a nice change of pace. The attention to detail, both in the architecture, and flashbacks, is phenomenal. Each character (excluding Jiun and the Shito lady) each had a unique appearance that set them apart from everyone else on the show. While not every character is wholly original in the looks department, it still helps the anime to be more rounded with the cast, and I 100% would love to cosplay as Huayu Yin/ Kau(the leaf girl) if given the chance! The rain always gives it a nice touch (sorry, biased?) and the props had some time to detail as well. Shading, top notch in most scenes as well. Art gets an 8/10.
Sound sets the tone, and Ling Qi's soundtrack spares no one. Episode 5 in particular was the high for me, what with the soul contract, and episode 6 showing a moment of weakness. Or maybe I am talking about the 10 episode TV show where it patches two episodes into one? Probably that. Action scenes with intense music, touching scenes with more delicate ambiance, and the voice actors almost take the cake. Maybe it's the Japanese dub to blame, but from the tone of voice, I didn't hear such raw emotion that I expected the scene to bring to the table. This was especially apparent in the scenes Ki's fiancee was furious with Keika, as I thought she sounded mildly perturbed, rather than seething with rage at the fact he chose Keika over her. Sound gets a 7/10 from me.
Character... Keika is the one I see the most growth from, but that is understandable considering he can't take his money with him to the afterlife. He starts off as materialistic as a human could be, maybe even more. Over time, he starts to lose the sentiment he once held for such things, and eventually, choosing Ki over all else. I wouldn't say he is completely changed, but I see a new passion inside him he never quite had before. I can relate to Shiyou way better though, but I have my anger under control, I promise. :) While she is definitely jealous of Keika, she learns to care for his safety despite Ki's favoritism towards him. She eventually accepts the anger she is ashamed of, and shows initiative in troubling times. I feel like Ki has more time to grow in the following season, and I might review that too (but no promises). I was unclear of Yinzhe/Intetsu's intentions for the longest time, but in the end, he is just a strict teacher after all. I kind of wish I didn't hate him so much before. I also desire to learn of the others in time. I guess I just was not satisfied. For season 1, I give Character a 6/10.
Now, watching this was the best Sunday afternoon I've had in awhile. It may even rival Gunslinger Girl's enjoyment level (unbeknownst to you as of yet). There was never a dull moment for me. I said before that episode 5 was a high for me, but I feel that episode 9 is to be my favorite. Enjoyment is a 9/10 for me.
The characters are enjoyable, the story is wholesome and somewhat original, the setting was a nice change from the modern school anime, a memorable ending theme, and an enjoyable tale that touched my heart on more than one occasion. Overall, I total my score at a little over 7/10.
CallMeAi
This show is far from being flawless. But I still liked it. It's not the best but not the worst either. And yet it still really hit me. At times it was so very emotional and sad and I just kept wanting more. Story - 5/10. I feel like the plot was really rushed which is a shame because it does have an interesting story. I love the master-spirit relationship and how they learn to cope with each other. But I'm not a fan of how the story was portrayed thus giving it a 5/10 stars. Art - 7/10. Darn is the animation beautiful. But I had someproblems with it at times and so it gets a 7/10.
Sound - 7/10.
I mean it's beautiful, sometimes playful, Chinese music. No more needs to be said.
Character - 6/10.
I was more interested in the relationships between the characters, especially the relationship between our main protagonists, rather than the characters themselves. There was a lack of character development which I hope to see in the next season. But I can't deny that despite all this I still really liked some of the characters. Even though they were your stereotypical, cliché type of characters.
Enjoyment - 7/10.
Overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to watching season 2. It was neither good neither bad though as a fujoshi myself I must say that some scenes were awesome *blushing*.
kloekalle
Honestly, it's pretty bad. There is barely any depth to the characters, there's no real story, and it doesn't have any other redeeming qualities. The art isn't horrible, but it's definitely not above average. The opening as well isn't that good. It's boring, I watched it recently yet I can barely remember what happened. And if you were going to watch it for the shounen ai tag, then you'll be disappointed to know that there's little to no romance. However, I would say it's worth watching only because I really like season 2. The characters are developed a lot and there's an actual story with prettydecent conflict.
Stormy_77
This showed up in several "Best Of" lists for Donghua and I had already seen a lot of shounen so I though I'd try something in a different vein. Story 7/10, Character 7/10 Went into this expecting the usual Exorcist bonds a special pet but it turned out to be so much more. Initially I thought it was going to be a friendship tale, but then * the characters started to get to know each other and bicker, always a first sign * ye olde obligatory love triangle springs into being * family politics and rivals show up to complicate things * they got caught in *GASP* Compromising Positions. LITERALLY *there was a magical guy transformation sequence with some flashes of nude body parts!
* Swords! Blood! Talismans! Flying! Ghosts!! More blood!
* Super Saiyan sequences
I could not stop watching and was mentally putting spirit popcorn into my mouth.
Art 6/10.
Sadly this series was let down by the very average at best animation from Haoliners.
Sound and Enjoyment 8/10.
The OP is great, and the ED sounds like some trance spa song for sweet, slow, love making. Why did the ED put me in this mood? I don't know. Listen to it. It's basically music for the above but without using the f word we all know and love.
Overall 7/10
Opposites attract, this turned out to be a delicious scandal guilty pleasure any fan of BL can enjoy. Not for the salacious nature of the content (which is not really in your face) but the fact that there is a true emotional connection between the characters. And some yet to be revealed secrets and mysteries after. It was like the best evening drama with all tropes in full force for the audience to gasp at and enjoy. The scandal, the delicious scandal of it all!! I can't wait for season 2.
me_toria
I felt compelled to write a review for this anime as I almost didn't watch it. After looking this up and was meet with some good reviews but also some really really bad ones that put me off. You defiantly need to get past the first episode. I didn't hate it but it felt very rushed and I think they gives off a bad feeling to this anime from the start. However the characters quickly become likeable and I really enjoyed the relationships that were build between the characters. It is a bit cheesy at times but did make me laugh quite a few times. Althoughthere is a serious story there it also has a lot of lighthearted comedy moments which I really enjoyed.
The overall story was a little rushed and the art felt a bit dated but it looks like that might be improved in the next season.
Overall the story was enjoyable and the characters were fun and likeable. It wasn't groundbreaking but I did really enjoy it and binge watched as in the later episodes the story really picks up
Sakura_megami
Ok, So I actually do not think this anime is as bad as people are saying it is. I mean yeah, the first episode was on the bad side but if you continue watching it, it is actually pretty good. I was satisfied after watching it. I judge anime and shows based on genre and whether or not it was enjoyable. First of all, this anime is shounen ai and the main characters do kiss throughout the anime. So stay away if you can't handle two dudes kissing. This anime also has a lot of light-hearted comedy which will have you laughing. The fight scenes keepyou entertained all throughout. There is also unexpected plot turns in this anime. Overall this was a really good experience and I recommend it
Alina_Aniki
If it were not for the poor animation quality and voice acting, I would be far more impressed with this anime. Now, I've never read the source material and I've heard this adaptation isn't very faithful to it, but even so, I found the story and the characters to be very compelling, to the point where I consumed all of it in a day without intending to. Needless to say, despite the poor quality of the animation and sounds themselves (all of the sound effects didn't sound right, a lot of movements were clunky or had no transition and I could sometimes spot unfinished framesin the animation, not to mention the art was inconsistent and the colors don't mesh nor blend), I found myself invested in the lives of the two main characters, as well as two characters whom we meet later on. The character designs are also beautiful, and I feel like they put a lot of effort into making specifically three characters especially beautiful in almost every frame.
This is a Chinese anime by Tencent though, they're not a big experienced company in animation, so I'll cut them some slack for that. I wouldn't be surprised if this was their second, third, or even first project. (And from the glimpse I caught, the animation and art improves in season two anyway.)
