This show is a bit curious in it's genre composition. I'd say it's main genre is supposed to be comedy, with all the xianxia dao cultivation mumbo-jumbo. However in only like, what, episode 4 we start getting mass slaughters, torturing, backstabbing, and generally grisly stuff. Which is blurred out, by the way, so if you're into this kind of stuff (for whatever reason) then tough luck. If you don't tough luck again, cause even if it's blurred it's pretty apparent that all those people were dismembered/ scorched alive/ etc. It all doesn't really matter though, because the main strength of this anime are the characters, with MC taking firstplace, being brilliant and funny, an actually viable chineese rendition of Gintama's MC.
But that falls apart as well in later episodes. MC stops being this brilliant mastermind that outsmarts his opponents, and transforms into a frantic mess that charges with his allies, screaming at the top of their lungs, at his enemies, because they want to harm his new girlfriend.
I don't know if this counts as spoiler, but this continues into season two. Jokes are sparse and weak, MC is becoming dumber and dumber, that is, when he's actually participating in the plot and not being fucking unconscious/ meditating/ taking a shit for an episode or two.
I'm feeling really sorry for the guys who took the effort to animate this webnovel, because the art is done well, the ED of the second season might become one of my favorite, and MCs voice actor outdid himself giving MC poise and character it doesn't really deserve from episode ~5 of first season onwards.
The plot is the worst, after the pilot micro-arc, story pacing slows down tremendously, to the point that after season 2 we're not even at the climax of the first goddamn arc.
All translation groups seem to have become fed up with this series honeydicking bullshit too, since the third season isn't translated at all, despite being all aired out.
All said and done, I can't recommend this anime to anyone. There are flashes of brilliance here and there (well, mainly at the beginning of season 1), but the story just isn't complete in any meaning of the word. If you'd enjoy watching, let's say, first 8 episodes of a 12 episode anime and be satisfied with not knowing at all how the fuck it all ends, then go ahead and watch this.
FiFilthy_CasuaI
April 6, 2018
Recommended
Okay here goes, this show is one of those you watch when you have nothing else to do, or don't have time to binge, or you don't feel like watching something serious. If all that sounds familiar, you've heard of Gintama, the pioneer of this kind of show. This is the chinese version, and I say version not copy, because it has its unique style. so lets get into the meat of this review: over-arching plot- pretty good so far (haven't read source material), without heavy emphasis, you know the type skyrim puts on you sometimes. jokes: what we're all here for, the show is funny, thatsall I can say.
characters: I very much like the characters in this show, because they're all unique. they either refine tropes finely, or shatter them completely.
overall enjoyment: i loved it, 9/10. reminded me of hoozuki no reitetsu, it was just fun each episode.
Mixed Feelings
This series follows Gu Hai, an 80-year-old man who was once the richest person in Ancient China. Fifty years ago, he was transported from the modern world. Now suffering from severe hemorrhoids and on the brink of natural death, Gu Hai is offered the chance to restore his vitality to the age of 30 and become a divine being. The catch? He must assist a deity in resurrecting a person. To do this, Gu Hai is sent into a secret realm that only lower-level divine beings can enter. His task turns into an adventure of camaraderie as he seeks clues to a special treasure thatcan aid in the resurrection.
Story & Characters: 4/10 & 6/10
Wangu Xian Qiong starts off with a weak storyline and an inconsistent timeline that changes pace dramatically. Instead of beginning at the start of the isekai journey, it skips the accumulation phase and character establishment typically seen in more developed series. As a result, the story lacks a solid foundation in terms of characters, context, and premise. The series feels more like a parody gag show, as each episode is littered with over-the-top racial or hemorrhoid jokes. Toward the end, the story development and world-building pick up, but by then it's too late to develop a strong connection to the narrative, which is dragged out by an insignificant treasure-hunting arc in the secret realm.
Despite the distastefully bland side characters and villains, I personally enjoyed the characters and approach to character development in this series. We start with a main character who becomes young again and loses his stubbornness to explore due to his 'sickness.' Gu Hai becomes an unhinged character who expresses his feelings without consideration for others, making him a convincing and humane character. Characters like Will Smith, Xiao Rou, and General Gao were interesting with diverse backgrounds. Unironically, their characters are the stereotypical 'party' MC forms, yet their development throughout the series was refreshing. The hostile dynamic between Xiao Rou and the gentleman General Gao, contrasted with her friendly dynamic toward the scumbag Gu Hai, was an eye-opening and laughable development.
Art & Sound: 5/10
By modern standards, the art and animation are mediocre; however, for the release period, they were passable. The character proportions and animations weren't inconsistent, but since the series lacked much fast-paced action or quirky shot types, it was expected to see some consistency in quality. The environments felt lacking and empty at times, especially in the secret and spiritual realm.
The sound design was passable. Nothing stood out as spectacular, but nothing was noticeably poor either. The voice acting was decent, and the same can be said for the sound design and soundtracks.
Overall & Enjoyment: 6/10
This series requires a lot of thinking to process the events and character relations, as it sometimes skips important details. For example, Chen Taiji is mentioned once in the beginning and then brought back into the series arbitrarily with no introduction. While it had some funny moments and hidden references, the story lacked depth because it only started getting serious in the final episodes instead of building up organically. It's clear that this series relied on developing the premise and focused on the sequels to do much of the character and story development. Overall, it was a 6/10—above average but nothing outstanding.
