Mo Dao Zu Shi

Mo Dao Zu Shi (Chinese: 魔道祖师; pinyin: Módào Zǔshī; lit. 'Demonic Path Ancestral Master') is a Chinese donghua series based on the novel of the same name written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (Chinese: 墨香铜臭). It is produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and B.C May Pictures. The series depicts a fictional xianxia world where humans attempt to cultivate to a state of immortality, known as xian (Chinese: 仙). The protagonist of the series, Wei Wuxian, due to certain circumstances, deviated from the conventional cultivation path to xian and eventually created Guidao (the Ghost Path).
The first season, titled Qian Chen Pian (Chinese: 前尘篇), aired from July 9 to October 6, 2018, on Tencent Video for 15 episodes. The second season, titled Xian Yun Pian (Chinese: 羡云篇), aired from August 3 to August 31, 2019, for 8 episodes. A chibi series, titled Mo Dao Zu Shi Q, aired from July 31, 2020, to January 29, 2021, and ran for 30 episodes. The third and final season, titled Wán Jié Piān (Chinese: 完结篇), aired from August 7 to October 16, 2021, for 12 episodes. The first two seasons were released on Crunchyroll on December 11, 2024.
Despite his efforts during the Sunshot Campaign to bring down the tyrannical Wen Clan, Wei Wuxian (魏无羡) was feared by the world for the unorthodox cultivation path he created. Thirteen years after he was killed, he is summoned into the body of a man called Mo Xuanyu (莫玄羽), who was rejected by his clan and despised by his family, therefore sacrificing his own body to Wei Wuxian so he would be avenged. It is in the Mo house where Wei Wuxian comes across a dismembered left arm causing death and havoc. His attempts to uncover the mystery of the left arm will guide him to a familiar face from the past with whom he will embark on a journey that will lead them to unravel what lies behind the tragic events that caused the deaths of so many - including Wei Wuxian himself.
Wei Ying (魏婴), courtesy name Wuxian (无羡) Voiced by: Lu Zhixing (Chinese drama cd), Zhang Jie (Chinese dub), Shim Gyu-hyuk (Korean dub), Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese drama cd), Ryohei Kimura (Japanese dub)
Lan Zhan (蓝湛), courtesy name Wangji (忘机). Voiced by: Wei Chao (Chinese drama cd), Bian Jiang (Chinese dub), Ryu Seung-gon (Korean dub), Satoshi Hino (Japanese drama cd), Shinnosuke Tachibana (Japanese dub)
Lan Clan of Gusu (姑苏蓝氏) is a cultivation clan based in the Cloud Recesses (云深不知处), a residence on a remote mountain outside the city of Gusu. All disciples wear a white band across their foreheads. Additional embroidery of the clan emblem adorns the headbands of inner disciples, who are from the inner family.
Clan Motto: Upright; Righteous (雅正)
Clan Emblem: Rolling Clouds (卷云纹)
Lan Huan (蓝涣), courtesy name Xichen (曦臣). Voiced by: Wang Kai (Chinese drama cd), Jin Xian (Chinese dub), Kim Young-sun (Korean dub), Morikawa Toshiyuki (Japanese dub, drama cd)
Lan Xichen is the leader of the Lan Clan. Titled Zewu-Jun (泽芜君), he is one of the Three Zun (三尊) alongside his sworn brothers Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao, the latter of with whom he shares an especially close relationship. He has a warm and trusting personality.
Lan Qiren (蓝启仁) Voiced by: Song Ming (Chinese drama cd), Liu Cong (Chinese dub), Lee Chang-min (Korean dub), Shingaki Tarusuke (Japanese drama cd), Sakamaki Mitsuhiro (Japanese dub)
Lan Yuan (蓝愿), courtesy name Sizhui (思追) Voiced by: Qian Wenqing (Chinese drama cd), Chengzhang Taikang (Chinese dub), Nam Doh-hyeong (Korean dub), Yūsuke Kobayashi (Japanese drama cd), Shimba Tsuchiya (Japanese dub)
Lan Jingyi (蓝景仪) Voiced by: Cao Xupeng (Chinese drama cd), Wang Chenguang (Chinese dub), Jeong Joo-won (Korean dub), Hiro Shimono (Japanese drama cd), Soma Saito (Japanese dub)
Jin Clan of Lanling (兰陵金氏) is a cultivation clan based in Golden Carp Tower, Lanling.
Meng Yao (孟瑶), legitimized as Jin Guangyao (金光瑶) Voiced by: Jiang Guangtao (Chinese drama cd), Yang Tianxiang (Chinese dub), Lee Ho-san (Korean dub), Akira Ishida (Japanese dub, drama cd)
Jin Ling (金凌), courtesy name Rulan (如兰) Voiced by: Li Lanling (Chinese drama cd), Su Shangqing (Chinese dub), Lee Kyung-tae (Korean dub), Ayumu Murase (Japanese drama cd), Yuki Kaji (Japanese dub)
Jin Guangshan (金光善) Voiced by: Xiao Tan (Chinese drama cd), Li Longbin (Chinese dub), Park Sang-hoon (Korean dub), Sho Hayami (Japanese dub, drama cd)
Jin Zixuan (金子轩) Voiced by: Liu Mingyue (Chinese drama cd), Gu Jiangshan (Chinese du ), Kim Hyun-wook (Korean dub), Hiroki Takahashi (Japanese drama cd), Kenji Akabane (Japanese dub)
An outstanding talent, Jin Zixuan initially disdained the betrothal he had to Jiang Yanli, whom he viewed as unremarkable, but he gradually grew to love her after understanding her true character. He died when Jin Ling was still a toddler.
Qin Su (秦愫)
Mo Xuanyu (莫玄羽) Voiced by: Tong Xin (Chinese drama cd), Zhang Jie (Chinese dub), Shim Gyu-hyuk (Korean dub), Nakayama Kazuhisa (Japanese drama cd), Ryohei Kimura (Japanese dub)
Nie Clan of Qinghe (清河聂氏) is a cultivation clan that resides in the Unclean Realm.
Nie Huaisang (聂怀桑) Voiced by: Qi Sijia (Chinese drama cd), Liu Sanmu (Chinese dub), Kim Myung-jun (Korean dub), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese drama cd), Natsuki Hanae (Japanese dub)
Nie Mingjue (聂明玦) Voiced by: Feng Sheng (Chinese drama cd), Guan Shu'ai (Chinese dub), Lee Hyeon (Korean dub), Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese drama cd), Hiroshi Shirokuma (Japanese dub)
Wen Clan of Qishan (岐山温氏) is a cultivation clan based in the Nightless City (不夜天城). The clan was destroyed during the Sunshot Campaign, where some survivors, specifically Wen Ning and Wen Qing's family branch, were taken under the wing of Wuxian.
Clan Emblem: the Sun, meaning to compete with the sun and to live as long as the sun (与日争辉，与日同寿)
Wen Ning (温宁), courtesy name Qionglin (琼林). Voiced by: Teng Xin (Chinese drama cd), Shao Tong (Chinese dub), Kim Ji-yul (Korean dub), Soichiro Hoshi (Japanese drama cd), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Japanese dub)
Wen Qing (温情) Voiced by: Shan Xin (Chinese drama cd), Qiao Shiyu (Chinese dub), Kim Yul (Korean dub), Chiwa Saito (Japanese drama cd), Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese dub)
Wen Ruohan (温若寒) Voiced by: Chen Siyu (Chinese drama cd), Yan Ming (Chinese dub), Kim Jinhong (Korean dub), Kenji Nomura (Japanese drama cd), Kenta Miyake (Japanese dub)
Wen Xu (温旭)
Wen Chao (温晁) Voiced by: Hao Xianghai (Chinese drama cd), Liang Xiaoqiang (Chinese dub), Kim Jin-hong (Korean dub), Sugiyama Noriaki (Japanese drama cd), Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese dub)
Zhao Zhuliu (赵逐流), renamed as Wen Zhuliu (温逐流) Voiced by: Wang Minna (Chinese drama cd), Hu Yajie (Chinese dub), Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese drama cd), Keikō Sakai (Japanese dub)
Wang Lingjiao (王灵娇) Voiced by: Yan Mengmeng (Chinese drama cd), Qiu Qiu (Chinese dub), Gang Sihyeon (Korean dub), Shizuka Itō (Japanese drama cd), Kana Asumi (Japanese dub)
Jiang Clan of Yunmeng (云梦江氏) is a cultivation clan located in Yunmeng's Lotus Pier (莲花坞).
Clan Motto: Knowing it's impossible, attempt to achieve it (明知不可为而为之)
Clan Emblem: Nine petal lotus (九瓣莲）
Jiang Cheng (江澄), courtesy name Wanyin (晚吟), Voiced by: Peng Yao (Chinese drama cd), Guo Haoran (Chinese dub), Jang Min-hyeok (Korean dub), Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese dub, drama cd)
Jiang Yanli (江厌离) Voiced by: Qiao Shiyu (Chinese drama cd), Li Shimeng (Chinese dub), Kang Eun-ae (Korean dub), Ayana Taketatsu (Japanese drama cd), Saori Hayami (Japanese dub)
Jiang Fengmian (江枫眠) Voiced by: Zhang Zhen (Chinese drama cd), Tang Shuiyu (Chinese dub), Seo Won-seok (Korean dub), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese drama cd), Kenji Hamada (Japanese dub)
Yu Ziyuan (虞紫鸢) Voiced by: Zhang Kai (Chinese drama cd), Ji Guanlin (Chinese dub), Jeon Suk-kyeong (Korean dub), Atsuoko Tanaka (Japanese drama cd), Takako Honda (Japanese dub)
During Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's mission, they arrived at Yi City (义城) and bumped into Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling and some other disciples from different clans during their night hunt. From there, they uncover the truth of Xiao Xingchen's death.
Xue Yang (薛洋), courtesy name Chengmei (成美). Voiced by: Hui Long (Chinese drama cd), Kondo Takashi (Japanese drama cd), Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese dub)
Xiao Xingchen (晓星尘) Voiced by: Chen Hao (Chinese drama cd), Shinnosuke Tachibana (Japanese drama cd), Kaito Ishikawa (Japanese dub)
Song Lan (宋岚), courtesy name Zichen (子琛). Voiced by: Wu Lei (Chinese drama cd), Shinichiro Miki (Japanese drama cd), Takuya Eguchi (Japanese dub)
A-Qing (阿箐) Voiced by: Yang Ning (Chinese drama cd), Nie Xiying (Chinese dub), Shitaya Noriko (Japanese drama cd), Aoi Yūki (Japanese dub)
The series received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its high production quality and storyline, and amassed a notable Internet fandom both in China and overseas. On Douban, Mo Dao Zu Shi rated 8.8 out of 10, making it one of the best received donghua series in China in 2018.
The series has since become a worldwide hit, ultimately generating 4.63 billion views on Tencent's streaming platform as of July 2022. The series holds a rating of 9.5 out of 10 on both Tencent and WeTV platforms, cementing its status as one of the most acclaimed donghua series in the world.
The animation adaptation of "Mo Dao Zu Shi" adopts postmodernism, integrating traditional Chinese culture into its content, serving as an entertaining expression of traditional culture. The presentation of the items "Plum," "Orchid," and "Bamboo" in the opening theme reflects the cultural connotations of the creator and their delicate expression of traditional culture. The depiction of plants such as pine and cypress, lotus flowers, and others in the animation demonstrates the creator's careful integration of traditional culture.
Outside China, Mo Dao Zu Shi was officially released by Tencent on its official YouTube channel on August 27, 2019. It was also released by WeTV, a streaming platform for overseas users created by Tencent, under the title of The Founder of Diabolism. The WeTV app provides official subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, and Indonesian, while YouTube provided subtitles for at least 12 different languages for the first few episodes.
On September 30, 2019, Laftel's Twitter account announced the donghua's South Korean broadcast, both in dubbed and subtitled format. Season 1's subtitled version aired from November 11 to December 29, 2019 while the dubbed version aired from April 3 to June 14, 2020. For Season 2, the subtitled version aired from January 11 to February 2, 2020 while the dubbed version aired from June 28 to July 19, 2020. The dubbed version starred Shim Gyu-huk as Wei Wuxian and Ryu Seung-gon as Lan Wangji. Mo Dao Zu Shi Q subtitled version aired from December 3, 2020 to February 14, 2021.
On September 7, 2020, a dubbed version of the donghua started airing on the Russian cable network FAN Film channel.
In Japan, the subtitled version for Seasons 1 and 2 were broadcast on WOWOW network on September 9 and November 4, 2020, and Season 3 on November 10, 2022. The dubbed version was produced by Aniplex and Sony Music Solutions and starred Ryohei Kimura as Wei Wuxian and Shinnosuke Tachibana as Lan Wangji, with Seasons 1 and 2 airing from January 10 to June 13, 2021. Blu-ray discs for Season 1 came out on April 21, 2021 and Season 2 on June 23, 2021. Both Blu-ray sets include the Japanese dub version as well as the original Chinese audio with Japanese subtitles. Mo Dao Zu Shi Q subtitled version is available for streaming on Rakuten TV. It won 1st place in the Anime Top 5 category during the first half period of Rakuten TV Award 2022, based on the number of units sold from December 2021 to May 2022.
On December 10, 2024, Crunchyroll will stream the first 2 seasons of the donghua in most countries except for Japan, Korea, mainland China, and Russian speaking territories under the title The Master of Diabolism.