Mid-Mo

And just like that we have reached mid-season for Mo Dao Zu Shi [MDZS]. Season three is flying, but are we having fun?

Not really. I'm not really having fun at all. It is honestly so tragic to see such a good series get butchered so badly. It's even more tragic because the animation is so spectacular. It's like salt in the wound. Point is- they are doing my boiis dirty.

Let's back up for a moment so I can explain myself, since in past reviews I have indeed recommended the show, and if we were all being honest, I will probably still recommend the show. Or at the very least, I would watch it again, and it is a Nerdom rule that re-watchability is important. So, what's with all these negative feelings then? To be honest, I think I'm a little less forgiving this season since I have the knowledge of the books finally being published in America. The reason that changes things for me is because that means the original story is now going to be accessible to the public. Therefore, I cannot in good conscious ignore what a mess this show has become, and not the good kind of mess either.

The show has ALWAYS detoured from the original story, since season one. We knew since they announced the title of the first season that the timeline was going to be all sorts of jacked up since they decided to tell the story of the past and the story of the present separately rather than in tandem. The original story has both timelines running together so you can see the parallels and have a chance of solving the mystery of what happened/what's happening along with the characters. The anime opted out of that mechanic immediately. I thought maybe it was too complex for them, and that maybe they were afraid it would be too confusing, but they clearly don't care about confusing their audience.

One of the biggest problems I have with the third season is that it seems to be specifically created for those who have read the books. This is a horrible move and actually doesn't make sense if you want to pull in a wider audience. This method deters watchers from continuing because it ostracizes them simply for their lack of knowledge. Especially with a world as complex as MDZS. Not to mention, if you want to make a show for the original fans, maybe you should have stuck to the original story. You'd think that since they left the authors intended story that it wouldn't be for the book readers at all, but trust me, this is indeed the case. I can say confidently that it was made for the original fans because those who have NOT read the book are left feeling more than lost. The anime is so riddled with gaps I had to get our big white board out and make a chart for James to be able to follow along. In episodes 5 and 6, we paused half a dozen times [each] for me to explain scenes.

"How would they expect anyone to get that from this?" -James [during episode 5]

To those who have read the books, you are able to fill in the gaps with your knowledge of the world, the mechanics, the characters and well, the story itself. But for those who don't know, the lack of explanation before actions are taken or words are shared, makes it hard to get from point A to point B. Especially when you feel like their jumping from point A to Z instead.

It's hard as a fan to be in the middle of watching and already praying for a reboot. It's disheartening to say the least. And then there's that salt I was talking about. How can you animate it so beautifully and capture the characters essence so well, and then ruin it like this? They even answered my prayers and cut back on the horrible/unnecessary CGI and focused way more on the animation this year, which I LOVED. But then the writers ultimately dropped the ball.

I can appreciate a show being written for those that read the books, but here's a tip: We loved the books for a reason- don't stray from that. Also, if we loved a series, we want to be able to share that series, so maybe make it shareable. I am clearly bitter. I see that. But with this being the final season, I just feel cheated. December cannot come soon enough so I can finally hold the book in my hands and feel right again!

Even with all that smack-talk said, I still plan on watching it, and re-watching it in December after I re-read the book. Mainly because it DOES look like that writers are going to do one thing right, something none of the other adaptations have done so far. They are writing the love story aspect of the series back in. And to that I am eternally grateful.

If after all of that you still want to watch the series, you can check it out on YouTube. New episodes come out every Saturday. Go catch up and I will meet you back here for our series finale analysis in six weeks! As Lan Zhan would say: "There is still light in [it]". So, we continue.

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I wrote this with a heavy heart since the books are one of my all time favorite series, but I am hoping for a happy ending. I am also hoping that you are having a good week! Let's finish strong (the anime included) and "spice things up a bit" for Wei Ying. We will be back on Sunday with Rantt and The Mess, but in the meantime, stay safe, stay nerdy, and stay messy otaku!