CHARACTERS: Let me just say that Yang Yang as Ye Xiu is the best thing ever. He really gave the character a lot of depth and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his expressions! Also for the rest of the characters, they brought their own color and twist to the characters. Honestly there were some parts of the drama that made me hate so many of the characters where I was literally yelling at the screen. So to the actors and actresses who made that happen, that is very commendable in my opinion. The only problem I would say I had is how fast the character development was for some of the characters. But then again it is only a 40 episode drama, each episode being 36- 45 minutes.
STORYLINE: Everything flowed well together, very very similar to how it is in the anime and light novel, but then there are some plot and development that only is shown here.
MUSIC: 100 out of 100, honestly I absolutely love all of the songs, they fit perfectly with the theme of the drama.
Once you start this drama you won't be able to put it down. It has deep and inspiring themes and the graphics are so captivating that if you even blink for a second, you will miss something. I really hope they do a season 2 of this drama! But if not, I am completely content.
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The producers did an okay job of keeping the story line true to the novel BUT their biggest blunder was messing up Chen Guo's character. She would have been better off staying as how she was portrayed in the novel and not this weak willed (?) woman in the live action. I don't mind the other changes they made to the live action though.
Anyways, the way they portrayed Chen Guo with always wanting help on her test books (?) or whatever makes her seem so stupid. It made me wonder "how in the world does she manage to keep her shop open.." and why did she even need to study the books?
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I've also noticed that some comments seem to have an issue with how "old" Chen Guo's character looks but I think she looks acceptable enough. If you have ever read the novel, you will know Chen Guo is supposed to be the oldest of the bunch, at 27, until Wei Chen joins them.
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The friendship was very touching and I liked seeing it come to life.
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The story was good.
Acting was ok but sometimes a little cringy.
Music is 10/10.
My rewatch value is low because rarely do I ever rewatch anything.
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This review may contain spoilers
Although I've never seen any of the base material for the live-action drama, as a stand alone, it's just as amazing. I haven't seen any e-sports dramas like this, if any at all. The biggest beauty of the King's Avatar is that it's so intricately complex in terms of character arcs. Our main lead, Ye Xiu has been a gamer ever since his childhood, and is known by his stage name as Ye Qiu (which also gets clearer later on within the drama). As the top player of a game called Glory, he's the captain of the Jiashi team, which has predominantly beaten the other teams in competitions for the past few years. Although it's not romance focused, there's a bond that's formed between Ye Xiu and the three female leads, the bond through Glory. Glory is the intricate weaving that connects everyone in this drama, which is further proving that games truly connect us all in some shape or form. His redemption story begins, and you can see that Ye Xiu begins to learn more about the real world, one that he often ignored due to the immersion in the virtual world of Glory. His story plot follows the cliche redemption path but you can tell that the effort given into it is what makes it so unique. As a player that is considered a veteran and should be retiring, Ye Xiu aims to find Glory once more. His main path to finding it is surrounded by allies, players that have faced him over the years, and enemies that block his path. Ye Xiu's story becomes everyone's story in its own special way, his journey being shared by many of his friends and family.
In terms of the cast, I don't think this drama could've been executed if it weren't for Yang Yang in a way. He just seemed perfect for the role in my mind. However, this is a review not based on other material (which I know there is) so I could be biased due to my Love O2O days, another drama you should check out. I can also attest to the fact that everyone had their own charisma that they brought to the character. This also had to be the most handsome league of players I've ever seen, because honestly, every team had an attractive player, both male and female. Ye Xiu had my heart, but then he shared it with Yi Fan, An Wen Yi, Yu Wen Zhou (a personal favorite), and many more other characters. I also found the three main female leads to be super cute in their own unique ways, my favorite probably going to Tang Rou just because she's also got an interesting story arc.
I was also stuck singing the opening song from this drama for a whole week, so I had to give it a high score for music. It was a general soundtrack, but nothing that made my ears bleed, so I'm satisfied in that department.
If I were to re-watch King's Avatar, I would probably skip most of the beginning episodes since I know what happens and I find it less entertaining that the show after the first few, but I would love watching it again in general.
King's Avatar is the path to finding Glory, even when you think you've strayed too far off.
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This review may contain spoilers
Looking at the other reviews, I'll say that it probably doesn't adhere to the original novel and anime all that much- but on that, I must say that I have no right to have an opinion. I've never watched the anime or read the novel, but as an individual standalone drama, it's really good. I watched this originally because of the actors, specifically Yang Yang. I watched him in Love O2O and figured he was an amazing actor for it (his character does kind of recycle the same few facial expressions, but the fact that when you watch you think that's his whole personality is impressive. In reality, he's much more energetic and happy and smiling, so props to him for acting), so I saw that this was airing and figured I would give it a try.
The first 30ish episodes were amazing, but towards the end, the plot started getting weird. Admittedly, it's the only potential plot they could have given it considering that this is the sort of "happy ending" drama that it has reinforced since the beginning, but it's too perfect. Characters show up perfectly at that exact moment and they all return to continue in the game of Glory, but it's honestly not realistic in that manner. They wouldn't arrive at that same moment- it would have been funny to see them all rushing there and waiting behind the door because they're that dramatic, but instead we get this perfect dramatic moment that's too perfect.
I've never seen the OG book or anime, but I have to say, I love the character design. I know some people are upset at the changes in Ye Qiu/Xiu's character as well as Chen Guo's character, but I find them endearing the way they are. However, the back story isn't all that developed and it feels like they're throwing in the additional back story for bonus pity points. It would have been nice to see this back story be established- it creates a more whole character anyways- in the beginning rather than being added as the story goes on.
The main reason that I ranked the plot and storyline so low is that it relies to heavily on the perfect moments- these dramatic moments of perfect timing. It would be nice to see them mess up the timing- Ye Xiu showing up earlier in the game just because life isn't always so full of those missed seconds.
Otherwise, amazing drama, amazing show, and an amazingly endearing male MC!
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Firstly, the production was phenomenal and credit must be given where credit is due. The in-game locations and characters were rendered in detail beautifully and feel fully fleshed-out and realistic. The use of motion capture tech for the characters was put to use effectively and made the in-game movement and action scenes feel fluid and exciting. The fight sequences themselves were well choreographed and made for captivating and suspenseful scenes.
I must applaud the casting decisons made by the producers for this show and unashamedly say that I love the actors and actresses they decided on for each role. Particularly the mains. Yang Yang as Ye Qiu was a flawless pick and I can imagine no else better suited to play this cool, calm and collected eSports legend. PLUS, the fact that they had the original voice actor for the anime provide his philosophical and deep voice... A match made in heaven. Flawless work. Enough said. Lai Yu Meng, who played Su Mucheng, was also a phenomenal pick. Even if she wan't the first pick, she filled in the role and fulfilled it so well so I give her a double thumbs up for the life she brought to her character. I loved seeing her act bubbly and pouty to Ye Qiu, which was hilarious for me to see their chemistry. Daisy Li as Tang Rou fit her character to a T. The confidence, the arrogance as well as a more softer side... she did it all and it was done well. I loved her dynamic with Ye Qiu and yes, I did hope for some romance there but it seems all we'll see is her VS Ye Qiu in never-ending fights until she wins. ( However my ship still stands ). Maggie Jiang as Chen Guo was easily a good choice. Being a bossy bos, her interactions with everyone, but Ye Qiu especially, being brave and joyful as well as showing her more emotional and vulnerable side, it was just all around good acting.
The rest of the extensive cast, whether as primary or secondary characters, were also done perfectly and fit their respective roles without fail. The cast felt real and I thoroughly enjoyed watching everyone in this show. No complaints.
The music, even though it was limited to a few songs, were all great listens. The opening song was enough to get me pumped to play games. When the show wanted to be emotional, there was music for that as well to tug your heartstrings and give you the feels. When the show wanted to get you pumped, there was music to keep you on your toes and keep your eyes glued to your screens.
The plot, while simply, was enough to keep me enthralled and wanting more even after finishing all 40 episodes. I want season 2 immediately so iQiyi, please make it happen and soon.
As a sidenote, I love that this show is getting recognition for gaming in China and I hope that mores shows like this will be made.
Season 2 soon pls
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That's not to say that The King's Avatar is only about gaming. The gaming aspect will tie some people's interests to the show but it is still about the characters and their struggles to find themselves. The characters are the most compelling aspect of the drama. No one is out and out evil although many start out unlikable. Nothing is painted in black and white and even the most unlikable people begin to learn and grow. I especially like that there isn't a focus on romance because the three central female characters deserve to be portrayed as people who are trying to find their destinies just as much as the male characters. They don't turn into props for the male characters. They stand on their own. This is only the second drama that has left me wanting to see more seasons. I can't wait to see how these characters are further developed.
The only aspect of the drama that I found off-putting was the very beginning. We stopped watching in the middle of the first episode because we worried that the competition aspect was going to be over the top cheesy. Luckily we came back to it because it was worth watching once we got past the beginning. I don't know that they could have begun any other way and it was more balanced and made sense as we watched further into the episodes.
The game play was not realistic but I didn't see this as a problem. I felt like it was represented in a way that maintained the development of the story without being too distracting. The notions of game play such as strategy, strengths and weaknesses of different fighter classes, finding the right equipment and team work were all very realistic. The time spent playing the game over the course of the drama is significant enough that the story would have suffered if they hadn't animated it to reveal the emotions of the players behind the game characters. They made it work extremely well.
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As the main character, the majority of the show rests on Yang Yang's acting chops, and as attractive as he is, I just don't find him to have the emotional range and subtleties of expression to carry an entire drama. I simply didn't feel any of the emotion that he was supposed to convey in his scenes, other than thinking, "he's very pretty." (In Love O2O, his character is similarly meant to be this perfect male "god," but the main character in that drama is the female lead and the story is set from her perspective, so it's more understandable that he was a somewhat blank and inscrutable Prince Charming.)
Some of the other performances were ok, some were not great. I loved some of the minor characters (Huang Shaotian and the other team captains) - they had interesting characters/personalities that were more fun to watch and added more life to their scenes. I found the antagonists' acting a bit over-the-top, almost straight-up "mwahahaha" which seems out of place in a modern drama that is meant to be more grounded.
Story-wise, it was a fairly standard sports "group of misfits come together to become a winning team" kind of story, which I love, so all the story beats are familiar, but that's not necessarily a bad thing if you like these tropes. However, storytelling-wise, the tropes are all a bit too generic to be really compelling and each member of the main team has a very predictable character arc and backstory. It kind of drags in places with filler episodes as well, so I fast forwarded through most of the "emotional" and "character" scenes in favor of the team and game/competition scenes, which were more fun to watch. While I had to suspend my disbelief on some of the plot points and how the game worked, the CGI was actually pretty good and I always enjoyed seeing the gameplay and everyone working together.
I quite like the songs in this drama, but it does use the same 2 songs for every "exciting" and "sad" scene, which gets a bit noticeable after a while. To be fair, though, lots of dramas have this same problem.
I'll probably still check out the second season when it comes out if only for the gameplay scenes.
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I was over the moon after knowing that Yang Yang was going to star as Ye Xiu. I was sceptical that the drama animation will be any better than then Anime after seeing the trailer. But I was wrong... in fact I was very very impressed with the outstanding quality of the CG animation of the eSports. I waited for more than a year for this drama and I must say it was a good wait for such a good drama.
Bonus for this drama is that the Actors and Actresses are all very good looking. And this is indeed a very good production.
Although there’s no romance for The King’s Avatar because the author decided not to incorporate it in the nove, I still think this is the best drama for 2019. Highly recommended! 10/10!!!!
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Motivational story with excitement throughout the drama!
I decided to watch this show because of Yang Yang, but wow it really got some good storyline out there!At first I was hesitating whether to give it a try as I wasn't that interested in gaming and knowing that it doesn't have love story (because I just wanted to watch Yang Yang XD), BUT I AM GLAD THAT I WATCH IT! Even for people who doesn't find this gaming theme interesting, you will just get hooked on by the story itself.
If you have watched Go Go Squid or Love O2O before, this is basically a combination of both (but without the loveline). It has a story similar to GGS (where a professional player left his group and started his own team) and the gaming graphics like LO2O! I love how this show has a lot of unexpected plots!! For someone like me who never read the novel before, I will always try guessing who will win the match but it always comes with a plot twist, then you just can't stop watching because you wanna know happens next! Every match was just so exciting, even though it was just an animation battle instead of physical sword-fighting. but it's real good and pretty well done!!!
I also love the friendship between the clan leaders, the team mates, teacher-students or even the opponents. It shows not only how the male lead is good in gaming but also his strategy to bring victory to the team and finding the right way to guide different kind of members. Ye Xiu is really an amazing character, a good son and grandson, a good leader, a good friend, a good teacher and a good partner! :)
You should watch it, because you will feel so motivated and touched by the characters!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is the best gaming drama I've ever watched!The core of this drama is gaming which become an e-sport. Developed from that core, the other aspect which occur is friendship and team work. With so many female and male character, I was amazed that there's no romance thing in this drama (＾▽＾) But, if I analyze closely, I think Sun Xiang have a slight romance feeling toward Su Mu Cheng ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )
Carry the game theme, I'm so glad that they show a lot of scene in the game. The artwork of the game is really superb and didn't feel like game at all. For me, who always did a typo when typing in my keyboard, they play a game with a mouse and keyboard is really look like a god and goddess (o˘◡˘o)
I love how they showed the development of Xing Xin's skill and power. The condition really represent the 'from zero to hero' phrase. Not only the skill on power, the team work and friendship also showed beautifully, not only a happy time, they also showed the bad condition of Xing Xin's team work and friendship.
I'm not watching the anime yet, but for me, this drama have a good pace, not too slow and not too fast, makes it's interesting to watch. The conflicts occur at a good timing, makes the drama not flat or boring. The settlement of the conflict also great, not rushing but not too late.
And now for the acting. First of all, the most outstanding acting is from Yang Yang as the male lead. His character is so strong and well build, Yang Yang also great at portraying the character. The other casts are doing great too, where they act naturally and build a good atmosphere with other casts.
The music I found in this drama :
1. Opening Song : Lai Zi Chen Ai De Guang (来自尘埃的光) by Cai Ze Wei
2. Ending Song : Rong Yao de Zhan Chang (荣耀的战场) by R1SE
3. Dian Feng Zhi Shang (巅峰之上) by Mao Bu Yi
4. Zui Liao Bu Qi De Ni (最了不起的你) by Duan Ao Juan
And I really love all the songs! (◕‿◕)♡
Last but not least, I will recommend this drama to everyone (gamer or not), with a note that there's no romance scene in this drama. So, if you look for the romantic or fluffy cheese drama, this is not for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
The King's Avatar is a Chinese drama about the E Sport Industry, gaming and teamwork. The story follows a legendary professional gamer who was betrayed and kicked out of his team, and his journey back to the championships. During his journey, he meets a lot of people and forms his own team. The actors played their characters well. I found Chen Guo kind of annoying at first but I kinda got over it. Her character was pretty hilarious at times and I got secondhand embarrassment from her when she kept fangirling. The soundtrack in this drama was pretty awesome and it fit the drama very well. Overall, I would recommend this drama. Even though I'm not a gamer, I still enjoyed watching it. Was this review helpful to you?
