In October 2020, Funimation streamed its first Chinese animation (also known as donghua): Heaven Official's Blessing, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Some people may recognize Mo Xiang Tong Xiu as the author of the web novel The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, which had two and a half seasons worth of an animated series and an audio drama. Heaven Official's Blessing is her third novel and is about a god who ascends to the heavens for the third time after being banished two times before. Since its initial release on Funimation, the series has also been made available on Netflix.
Heaven Official's Blessing's animation has a beautiful aesthetic, one that is sure to satisfy both new and existing fans of the books -- who were anticipating the donghua release for some time. With Funimation partnering up with Bilibili (a Chinese streaming platform) to stream the series, Heaven Official's Blessing has been made more accessible for international viewers than any Chinese animation before it. Here's what the series is about and why you should check it out if you haven't already.
Heaven Official's Blessing Has an Intriguing Plot and Compelling Characters
The heavens, as depicted in Heaven Official's Blessing's trailer above, exude resplendence with some gorgeous detailing. The plot, meanwhile, has roots in fantasy and the supernatural but also has its moments of horror and gore. At the beginning of the story, Xie Lian solves mysteries and lives a pretty humble life, spending most of his time in the mortal realm only to realize that there is a bigger plot at play when his past comes back to haunt him.
Xie Lian, meanwhile, is ridiculed by the many gods since he seems to bring misfortune wherever he goes. Soon after, he sets off on his first task after his third ascension, where he meets a demon king named Hua Cheng who, despite being the terrifying ruler of the demon and ghost realm, doesn't really do anything outright bad. In fact, despite having met him for the first time, there's a deep connection that Xie Lian can't quite comprehend; one that goes a long way back.
Heaven Official's Blessing's Core Romance Is Deep and Devoted
Yes, this is a BL (Boys' Love) but like most BL-adapted animation, the romance in Heaven Official's Blessing is as explicit as you'd find in most yaoi; conveyed, instead, through more subtle and sweet gestures. Xie Lian as a prince and later on, when he's 17, has experienced no shortage of love and admiration from his followers as a god. He doesn't flaunt the fact that he is in a place of privilege and of power; instead, focusing on helping the common people. But when he falls from the heavens, that loyalty falls with him.
On the side of the spectrum, the demon king Hua Cheng is shrouded in mystery. Charismatic and sincere, Hua Cheng makes it clear from the get-go that he doesn't care that Xie Lian is a god of bad luck. He does his utmost to protect and shield Xie Lian from harm and places his absolute faith in him -- even when no one else will. There are hints throughout the Heaven Official's Blessing donghua that Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are two beings who are meant to be together. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's relationship is slow to develop but absolutely satisfying to watch, even more so when they do finally get together.
Even before this, it's easy to see that Hua Cheng's devotion and love for Xie Lian runs deep. Everything he does, every gesture, every word he says is suffused with the utmost care for Xie Lian's wellbeing. Despite the two being from traditionally opposing sides as a god and a demon king, there's no other person that Xie Lian would trust more than Hua Cheng, and vice versa.
In Heaven Official's Blessing, Gods Are Immortal Humans
Heaven Official's Blessing makes it clear that although the gods are powerful, they are most definitely not omnipotent. For someone like Xie Lian, who has always been in a position of power as a Crown Prince and eventually a god, this becomes a point of frustration for him. The only difference between being the epitome of a human god and an actual god is that he's now immortal, though his power is still limited to a certain degree.
As a god, Xie Lian isn't perfect, and that's what makes his character interesting. His experiences and all of the trials that he goes through have a tremendous impact on his personality and his values, leading him to make some bad decisions in spite of his good intentions. The consequences of those choices lead to him seeing and experiencing very human pain and suffering -- a concept that was foreign to him when he was still a Crown Prince.
Heaven Official's Blessing Is All About Inner Strength
When we first meet Xie Lian in Heaven Official's Blessing, he has a lighthearted and humble way of approaching things. However, behind that gentle smile, Xie Lian has experienced more than his fair share of trauma -- trauma that gets buried deep down underneath self-deprecating humor. He has a habit of not knowing whether to cry or laugh when he's in awkward situations.
As his backstory is unraveled, Xie Lian rises and falls many times. He falters as his resolve and his morals are tested time and time again. But even through tragedy, he never loses sight of his principles. He has seen humanity at its worst but remains compassionate and empathetic towards the common people's suffering -- and that takes true strength.
What Makes Heaven Official's Blessing Unique as a Fantasy BL Donghua
Aside from its characters and themes, one of the other main draws of the donghua is its world-building. Heaven Official's Blessing is set in a fantasy world where gods, demons, ghosts and humans all co-exist, albeit not always peacefully. While most of the series focuses on the godly and human side of affairs, we do get a sense of how the wider world functions and how the different realms interact with each other through various characters. The politics of the godly realm, for example, are subtle in that they flow seamlessly within the plot, but this carries a sinister undertone that can't be ignored.
Another enticing element to Heaven Official's Blessing is the high animation quality, which is evident right from the get-go in its opening song. Most of the drawings are non-moving, except for a few stray bits of motion here and there, but it still gives off the feeling that the characters are living and breathing people. The action sequences in the series are also done incredibly well, and will often leave you on the edge of your set. To top it all, the donghua is also unabashedly funny, in large part due to Xie Lian. His sweetly awkward and earnest side makes him such an atypical god and, as a result, that much more human and relatable.
Based on the novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, the Heaven's Official Blessing donghua series is available to watch on Funimation and Netflix.