The Yin Yang Master (2021)

Yin Yang Guardians

Less than 2 months after the release of The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, Netflix finally aired The Yinyang Master on 19 March 2021, about a month after its cinema release in China on 12 February 2021. For fans of fantasy in general, and Onmyōji in particular, Christmas has come early with two adaptations within such a short period of time.

Rip-roaring fun and excitement with almost non-stop action, fantastical depiction of supernatural beings with magical powers in an enthrallingly beautiful other-wordly setting, along with a group of adorable characters that anyone would love to root for. That’s my enduring impression of this film.

(Note: There will be some comparisons made between this film and Dream of Eternity in this review due to the shared premise and proximity of their release)

The Story

The Yinyang Master is adapted from the NetEase game Onmyōji, which in turn is based on the original source material, the novel series Onmyōji by author Baku Yumemakura.

The story is about the Yinyang Master saving the world from apocalypse by preventing the return of the demon lord from the spirit realm in which he is imprisoned. The plot is uncomplicated, the motivation behind every character's actions is clearly defined and the mission is straightforward - stop evil at all costs, even at the cost of lives.

Screenplays that are adapted from video games usually reflect the richness and intricate details of the game world, which is very much the case here. Every aspect of the storytelling is executed to near perfection, in my humble opinion. The inclusion of deeply layered characters, each with its own fascinating backgrounds, and the many unique and colourful creatures, monsters and “guardian beasts” blend seamlessly with just the right dose of suspense, thrill, action and emotions.

Interestingly, there are a few elements that evoke memories of Marvel productions. Rocket Raccoon’s doppelgänger makes an appearance, while the Yinyang Bureau’s teleportation vortex is similar to Thor’s Bifrost Bridge dimension travel. In addition to that, the cute creature Red Ghost looks like a cross between Hellboy and Maui (as attested by several other users as well). Coincidentally, Dream of Eternity also shared some similarities with the Marvel-verse, notably the “magic circles” used by Dr Strange himself.

At 113 minutes, which is about 20 minutes shorter than Dream of Eternity, and despite the quick pacing of the story progression, the film does not feel at all rushed. There are sufficient introspective and evocative moments that convey the emotional depth and the intended themes of certain scenes and character arcs to the viewers. Dream of Eternity focuses primarily on the four central characters and the themes of love, friendship and bromance (perhaps even BL undertones). The Yinyang Master, on the other hand, has a bigger cast of characters with themes of friendship, camaraderie and teamwork, as well as childhood friends to potential romance dynamics.

Production

The production values are obviously of the highest order because this entire film is stunning to behold. From the A-list cast, top-tier production crew down to the top notch set design, visual effects and gorgeous cinematography.

The cast is headlined by the supreme talents of the award-winning Chen Kun and Zhou Xun (which is more than enough to elevate any production, really). The production designer is the experienced Yoshihito Akatsuka who has designed the sets for renowned productions notably Babel, Kill Bill, The Flowers of War, and Shall We Dance, among numerous others. The music director involved is the legendary Shigeru Umebayashi, famous for Yumeji’s Theme, and composing music scores for Wong Kar Wai films, as well as the original Japanese Onmyōji films.

Principal filming took place at Hancheng Film and Television Base in Xiangyang City (unlike Dream of Eternity’s filming location at the famous Hengdian World Studios) and the visual effects photography employed the use of an IMAX full-frame camera, with more than 2000 visual effects lenses, and real-time visual effects synthesis, which apparently is the technology of choice in big budget Hollywood productions.

Acting

Chen Kun is undoubtedly a fine actor. He is good in any role that he portrays but I always feel that he’s made for dramatic roles in historicals. Likewise Zhou Xun, she is perfect for epic period productions. Together they make everything look great and I believe have the potential to save any poorly made production too. The way they convey their emotions through nuanced micro-expressions, and articulate the essence of every scene is beyond words. I particularly love Zhou Xun’s voice, with the deep husky tones projecting a subtle quality of intrigue that further enhances her already formidable acting range.

Chen Kun’s Qin Ming is very similar to his Ning Yi in The Rise of Phoenixes. Devious, cunning with a hint of mischief and a big dose of self-confidence. Mark Chao’s version is somewhat more pleasantly charming but less dramatic. In any case, I quite enjoy both versions. Bai Ni is a more understated supporting character but Zhou Xun expertly delivered this role with finesse.

The rest of the cast were decent in their portrayals, through the limited screen time that they were given. Qu Chu Xiao, of Bloody Romance fame, depicted a more cheerful version of Bo Ya (as opposed to Deng Lun’s stoic version). William Chan’s Ci Mu is commendable but nothing spectacular. I thought Wang Duo characterization in Dream of Eternity was more compelling, but they both had their bare chested moments in a similar capacity, which some viewers may enjoy.

Music

In addition to the wonderful music score composed by Shigeru Umebayashi (incidentally Dream of Eternity had its own iconic Japanese music director in Kenji Kawai), Yinyang Master has no less than 6 OSTs, including the superb rendition of Where You Belong by the remarkable Zhou Shen as part of the ending theme.

Track listing as follows:
1. "Promise 侍约" by William Chan
2. "Where You Belong 归处" by Zhou Shen
3. "Cross Together 同渡" by Jin Wenqi
4. "An Enemy or Friend 宿敌亲启" by Feng Qinyuan
5. "Against the Shore 靠岸" by Zhi Ma Mochi
6. "Someone in the Heart 心有所主" by Jill Yan Qier

The Yinyang Master is an amazing production that should not be missed, especially by fans of Chinese fantasy. In comparison with Dream of Eternity which is probably somewhat slower-paced, and perhaps more contemplative, this film is considerably less emotionally convoluted and forward-thinking in its execution. Each is great in its own unique way and for that they both get the same rating from me (their ratings on Douban are quite close, at 5.1 and 5.8 respectively).

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在下晴明 - Qingming is in the house.

在下晴明
Yes! Yes! YES!!!
Qingming is in the house!!!

That is THE most striking difference between Yin Yang Master and Dream of Eternity, where I was like - Huh?...what??? Detective Dee?? Where is Qingming??? Where oh where is my yin yang master? THE Yin Yang Master? And in this Chen Kun just delivers the wickedly enigmatic and alluring essence of Qingming, a diabolically powerful, magical, misunderstood half human half demon that walks the world in between.

This version of Yin Yang Master's plot is much simpler and thus, better executed. It hones in on the life and death bond between a demon familiar shi shen/侍神 and their master zhu ren/住人. Falsely accused, half human, half demon Qingming is estranged from his zhu ren Baini and the Yin Yang Bureau. They reunite in a desperate attempt to recover an artefact that can set a powerful demon free; a quest that tests and lays bare their true loyalties and exposes past betrayals. Chen Kun and Zhao Xun's chemistry never fails to thrill, captivate and move me and they effortlessly convince me of their life and death bond. What I also love is that Qingming is not just uselessly waving his hands in the air reciting incomprehensible incantations. He really jumps into the thick of the fray in a way that leaves no doubt that he is in it to win it. In every life endangering encounter there is that nail biting sense of urgency, intensity and imminent peril. This fantasy world with its human and demon yao/妖 inhabitants has a very adorable, young adult and enthrallingly magical feel to it. In many ways, it captures the essence of Disney in that it speaks to two audiences both kids and adults with its clear message that both humans and demons can be monsters.

The only thing I really did not enjoy in this movie were the second leads - both actors were juvenile and did not deserve the screen time that they got. The animated characters like the Evil Red Ghost and side characters like the Peach Blossom Fairy were far more compelling and managed to capture my heart over those two jokers.

Overall this was a very entertaining movie - Chen Kun fans like myself will obviously be able to find many things to like and I can see kids just absolutely loving it. I rate it 7.5.

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