This review may contain spoilers
Adaptation from Soul Land anime…95% different story meant for young audience.
I've noticed that the same scriptwriter is behind "Joy of Life," "Sword Snow Stride," and this drama. It seems that he consistently uses only 5% of the original story to create an entirely new storyline. As someone who has read the novels, I find it disappointing. However, I understand that viewers who haven't read the novels may have a different experience. While the first 5 minutes of the drama are identical to the original story, everything else is different. Characters have different personalities, backstories, and even relationships.
This story is intended for a young audience and fans of light fantasy novels. While that's okay, the level of believability is low, and it feels quite childish.
The "Soul Land" anime consists of 265 episodes, each 20 minutes long. It tells the story of a young adult soul master who is reincarnated in another dimension and uses his knowledge from his previous life to advance his power. Throughout the episodes, we see him grow from a child to a man alongside his friends. I also miss the clarity of the "levels" mentioned in the anime series. For example, 10 represents the 1st ring, 20 represents the 2nd ring, and so on. It provided an easy way to understand who had power and who didn't. The screenwriter decided to alter this essential aspect of the story. In the anime, every soul master aims to reach above 70 levels.
Some characters are different, like the teacher. In the drama, he appears weak and gets kidnapped, while in the novel, he is knowledgeable and strong and does not get captured. I didn't recognize the character of the 7 devils team. Wu was playing her character well, but I felt no chemistry with Zhao Xian.
I wasn't impressed with the acting, possibly because it seemed childish. For instance, the teacher faints, wakes up, immediately stands up, and then realizes he's supposed to be in pain. I admit that I fast-forwarded a few times after episode 9. At times, it felt overly childish.
In my opinion, the screenwriter and director failed to capture the essence of the anime. The special effects were well done and the only praiseworthy aspect.
The choice of actors is average. I decided to watch this drama because of Zhao Xian and my fondness for the anime series, but I don't think it's his best role. It doesn't compare to "The Untamed" where his performance was exceptional.
Regarding the OST, I was surprised to hear the same music as "The Love Like a Galaxy." It's a 2-year difference, and maybe the composer thought nobody would notice or remember?
On a side note, it's amusing to discover an actor who played a supporting role in "Joy of Life" (Prince Jing’s son) in a new role in this drama. Same mannerisms. Liu Run Nan.
It's frustrating when a show has a sad ending, especially when it was supposed to have another season. The ending was meant to be bittersweet and show the main character becoming a god master in season 2. Unfortunately, the show had low ratings or a limited budget. This is the only plausible explanation, as it aired in 2021, and after 3 years, there are no rumors of another season. It's a complete disregard for many viewers who expected a happy ending! Another major difference from the anime series: Wu and Tang San got married, as well as the other two couples. The Phoenix guy got a girlfriend, and all the antagonists died, while the protagonists lived happily ever after with Tang San, a god soul master protecting the world.
In conclusion, it's a disappointing drama with a sad ending.
This story is intended for a young audience and fans of light fantasy novels. While that's okay, the level of believability is low, and it feels quite childish.
The "Soul Land" anime consists of 265 episodes, each 20 minutes long. It tells the story of a young adult soul master who is reincarnated in another dimension and uses his knowledge from his previous life to advance his power. Throughout the episodes, we see him grow from a child to a man alongside his friends. I also miss the clarity of the "levels" mentioned in the anime series. For example, 10 represents the 1st ring, 20 represents the 2nd ring, and so on. It provided an easy way to understand who had power and who didn't. The screenwriter decided to alter this essential aspect of the story. In the anime, every soul master aims to reach above 70 levels.
Some characters are different, like the teacher. In the drama, he appears weak and gets kidnapped, while in the novel, he is knowledgeable and strong and does not get captured. I didn't recognize the character of the 7 devils team. Wu was playing her character well, but I felt no chemistry with Zhao Xian.
I wasn't impressed with the acting, possibly because it seemed childish. For instance, the teacher faints, wakes up, immediately stands up, and then realizes he's supposed to be in pain. I admit that I fast-forwarded a few times after episode 9. At times, it felt overly childish.
In my opinion, the screenwriter and director failed to capture the essence of the anime. The special effects were well done and the only praiseworthy aspect.
The choice of actors is average. I decided to watch this drama because of Zhao Xian and my fondness for the anime series, but I don't think it's his best role. It doesn't compare to "The Untamed" where his performance was exceptional.
Regarding the OST, I was surprised to hear the same music as "The Love Like a Galaxy." It's a 2-year difference, and maybe the composer thought nobody would notice or remember?
On a side note, it's amusing to discover an actor who played a supporting role in "Joy of Life" (Prince Jing’s son) in a new role in this drama. Same mannerisms. Liu Run Nan.
It's frustrating when a show has a sad ending, especially when it was supposed to have another season. The ending was meant to be bittersweet and show the main character becoming a god master in season 2. Unfortunately, the show had low ratings or a limited budget. This is the only plausible explanation, as it aired in 2021, and after 3 years, there are no rumors of another season. It's a complete disregard for many viewers who expected a happy ending! Another major difference from the anime series: Wu and Tang San got married, as well as the other two couples. The Phoenix guy got a girlfriend, and all the antagonists died, while the protagonists lived happily ever after with Tang San, a god soul master protecting the world.
In conclusion, it's a disappointing drama with a sad ending.
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