The Spirealm (2024)

This show would be better if we remove the last 20minutes

It took me a while to get pass what I feel is questionable CGI but afterwards each door was really interesting really well written and i liked the plot twists both in each door and for the overarching story line quite clever

I'm ok with the hold back on the BL cause it feels like this show wasn't intended to be a full blown BL in the first place

Box demon was definitely the best door out of everything and I throughly enjoyed the characters and their interactions though some parts of the acting could have been better i got emotionally attached to a number of characters

Which only amplified the problems of the ending WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DONT EXIST (and dont get me wrong i could totally get what they are going for in the ending like abit of a blur between reality and virtual and sort of a unhealthy obsession with the ideal virtual world instead of reality "illusion of life" much but the way they do it is a big sigh)

The problem is the ending or like half of the ending (i was watching the 38 episode version on viu). Like they could have spun it in so many ways given how well they built the story up but they spun it in such a random out of nowhere way that it detracts from the story and now i wish i would have stopped 20 minutes before and pretended the show ended there, that would have been better.

I was so annoyed by the ending i went to look for the original and I think the original at least made more sense than whatever was given sigh.

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love the story, hate the ending

I am totally in love with the story, all the doors and the relationships between the characters plus what's happening between the doors in reality won't let you stop watching. I enjoy the actors a lot. Although we have a censored version (ofc) we still see a lot of the close bond of Lin Jiushi and Ruan Lanzhu. But what is this ending? Saying all was a dream, nothing was real? Nope, did not like the last ep bc it makes all the relations so unreal/one-sided after everything they went through... the story is so beautifully told and unfolds in the right pace throughout all of these episodes. Just for the end to be so unsatisfying. I loved the ending of the novel, Lanzhu leaving the game for good after manipulating the last door for the chance to meet each other. I think it would have been possible to make even a censored ending better than this road of just saying everything was in Jiushi's head. That ending is the only reason for missing points in this review. I will just ignore this ending and live with my headcanon which is from the novel. Rewatched it with good subtitles now, but the next rewatch will be without the last episode. Before that the series gives me so many good emotions and let's me suffer with the characters which I love. And for that this series will be one of my favourites, just the ending will be ignored

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More than just a fantasy show

In short: I loved it and would recommend everyone that likes a bit of fantasy romance to definitely give this a chance.
Long review: (Might contain spoilers)
Story and the concept- I am not a big fantasy watcher but I loved the whole concept of the doors and the world-building inside every door. I came into the show completely blind but the themes and stories inside the doors blew my mind especially the fact that they were based upon various cultural legends and tales. I would have to admit that the 10th door was my favorite. All the doors were incredible and instantly pulled you in. I really liked the way the show brought the book to life.
I started with the show but then midway decided to read the book too as I wanted to learn more in depth about the rules of the doors ( as they were sometime not explained very well in depth in the show).
In the show my personal favorite part was that they made LQS's characters more special. Even though everyone in the book (mainly RNZ) always said LQS was special, him literally solving the door ghost's problems and being just a kind guy really made the character extra special and endearing for me.
Therefor, in the context of the cinematography and the story adaptation I feel the drama did a very good job. Better than I could have imagined. I loved the little twists and extra storylines they added for some door ghosts and side characters. (One of the biggest example the father of the triplets from the second door).

Acting: I was not familiar with any of the actors before this show but they were all pretty watchable and according to me played their roles really well. Some actors (like the twins) did a great job. Especially towards the end of the show.

And since this is a censored version there was not too much chemistry between our main leads at most times but you still get the feels in the longing stares (from RNZ). Since I was reading the book while watching the show, it really helped fill in the gaps in terms of the close-ness between the leads. So in my mind it wasn't lacking too much but yes their relationship not very explicit in the show.

Thoughts on the ending: While they I loved some of the changes they made in the show from the book, there were definitely some that were a bit questionable (SPOILER ALERT: THE ENDING). I fell in love with the ending of the book with RNZ and his arc as the 12th door. I cannot express in words how the ending made me feel. Like WDYM RNZ was LQS's 12th door - his heart's calamity. Therefore I was not the biggest fan of the ending of the show that not only made the whole adventure of the doors a sort of hallucination for LQS also made him seem like this slightly crazy guy who spent 50 years of his life trying to get back a 'virtual group' of friends, never actually living a decent life in the reality.
But I like to think of the endings of the book and the show as a pair of parallel universes where in one universe RNZ gave up the 'virtual world', his whole identity, to stay forever with LQS in the real world and LQS spent his whole life and gave up on the real world in order to create a virtual world where RNZ is exists. If I had to make an edit about them, I would use the song midnight rain by Taylor Swift.

OVERALL: Its unlike any other show that I have watched before and I would definitely recommend every one check this out. It is not a show you would regret clicking on. It is very well made and you can feel the hard work the crew (on and off screen) have put into it. It kept me entertained throughout the episodes and I do not remember a moment that I felt was filler or irrelevant. In contrast I would be willing to watch these cuties go through many more doors. The writing was very strong in the first 90% of the show and it kind of starts going downhill towards the end (where they stray from the book) but still an enjoyable watch.

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Illusion Versus Reality

The drama is adapted from the web novel "Kaleidoscope of Death". The drama is a censored version of the web novel, the romantic relationship between the Male protagonists has been shown as bromance. My review is based solely on the drama version.

The protagonist, Ling Jiu Shi (Huang Jun Jie) an avid gamer and a programmer loves playing virtual online games. One day he gets drawn into a virtual game that is more life-like and the consequences of the game reflect in the real world. When Ling Jiu Shi enters the first gate, he is confused and doesn't know the rules, luckily he meets Ruan Lan Zhu (Xia Zhi Guang) inside who guides him through the 1st gate. Ruan Lan Zhu is a pro, having passed multiple doors previously so as he reveals the rules of the game to Ling Jiu Shi, the viewers also become privy to the information. Ling Jiu Shi and Ruan Lan Zhu team up later to pass the other gates. They have an intense relationship (if it was not a censored work, they would be romantic partners). Ruan Lan Zhu always protects and helps Ling Jiu Shi.

The game has 12 doors and the players have to finish the game once they start it. They cannot quit the game voluntarily. However the game has turned lethal as it is believed to be tampered by the (American) Capitalists. There is a different world inside each door, the players have to find the hidden door and the hidden key to pass the gate, the first person to insert the key gets a valuable clue about their next door. The game has become fatal because there are a number of disclosed and unrevealed taboos and if triggered the player dies. If a player dies inside the game, that person would meet with an accident in a few hours outside the game and would end up dead in the real world too.

Each game highlights unresolved feelings of the characters( NPC, door ghosts and others) that resonate with Ling Jiu Shi's life experience: abandonment, resentment, betrayal, regret, jealousy, greed, selfishness, grief.

Many aspects of Ling Jiu Shi's life bleed into the virtual game making it seems as if the game is somehow connected to him. The presence of a kaliedosope in every door (kaliedoscope had been given by Ling Jiu Shi's father and many memories of kaliedoscope are linked with Ling Jiu Shi's childhood friend Gao Dawei). Broken pieces, when viewed in a Kaliedoscope form a beautiful new picture with every turn of the barrel, similarly life is formed of broken pieces and when these pieces in a form of people and encounters come together, life forms a new memory that leave a unique footprint on the psyche.

Ling Jiu Shi and Ruan Lan Zhu want to find a way to limit the casualties and purify the game. How the experience inside the game changes Ling Jiu Shi? What do they discover at the end? It makes for an entertaining watch.

Overall: Definitely a must watch. As a person who doesn't play online games, the concept was quite unique for me.The twists and turns keeps the viewer invested in the story till the very end.



( More detailed spoilers written below)

:::::::::::::Illusion of Life vs Reality of Death:::::::::
The 11th door literally serves this dilemma on a platter as if it wasn't staring at viewers' faces throughout the series? The whole humanity is still searching for the answer. Is Death the only reality and is Life just a Dream or an Illusion? Many literary works and dramas address this topic.

William Shakespeare in the play 'The Tempest' "We are such stuff as dreams are made of; and our little life is rounded with a sleep...”

Ling Jiu Shi starts to realise the fleeting nature of life and for him as well as many other players, after passing through many doors, life inside the game (virtual reality) feels more real than life outside.

The thin line between reality and illusion blurs because life is temporary and death is inevitable for everyone.

After passing through the 11th door, Ling Jiu Shi discusses the significance of 12 doors with Ruan Lan Zhu. Ling Jiu Shi states the importance of number 12 in most cultures, 12 zodiac signs, 12 hours of day and night, 12 months, 12 negative emotions etc.

According to Chinese Culture 12 negative emotions are Anger, Fear, Sadness, Worry, Anxiety, Grief, Shock, Impatience, Jealousy, Hatred, Regret, Guilt.

As per Ling Jiu Shi, when a player in the game crosses all the doors they encounter all these 12 negative emotions and while finding the key and door they come to terms with them freeing themselves from the burden of that negative emotion. When all 12 negative emotions are shed away from life, a human is on the way to attain salvation.

I believe in the end Ling Jiu Shi attained salvation and immortality by shedding the weight of his mortal body and choosing to live an everlasting life of undying consciousness with people whom he loves. If that is not Heaven, I don't know what is?

::::::::::COMMUNIST PHILOSOPHY :::::::::::::
I feel the drama also brings forth the issue of whom to save in a dire situation? It is deeply rooted in communist philosophy of collective ideals and advocated to sacrifice the welfare of a single person IF it means fulfilling a larger responsibility towards the community. In the drama Ling Jiu Shi experienced a similar situation, in the real world when he had been a student, he had been buried under the wreckage of the secondary earthquake, his good friend Gao Dawei left him under the rubble when he heard cries of help from a group of people. This incident affected Ling Jiu Shi. Hence he always prioritised the wellbeing of Ruan Lan Zhu and his friends over those other unknown players in the virtual world. Ling Jiu Shi's attraction to Ruan Lan Zhu was also strengthened by the fact that Ruan Lan Zhu always valued Ling Jiu Shi's life above anyone else. The series poses a question WHOM WOULD YOU SAVE FIRST?


:::::: Ending that I had presumed::::::

I don't know why but I had presumed the last reveal would be that Gao Dawei had replicated his image in the game as an NPC, Ruan Lan Zhu.

After Ruan Lan Zhu would purify the game, in the real world Long Jiu Shi and Gao Dawei would meet, having reconciled inside the game, they would live happily in the real world.

The drama had always drawn parallels between Gao Dawei and Ruan Lan Zhu. The deep bond Gao Dawei had with Ling Jiu Shi in their formative years, how Gao Dawai was always there to comfort Ling Jiu Shi whenever he was feeling low etc....but the drama went the other way.

Also it is quite interesting that the same actor played the role of Gao Dawei and Ruan Lan Zhu.(As per info given by an MDL member, @Lyson)

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WHY DID IT END !!

Masterpiece, i swear...i rarely write a review, the only other show i bothered to write a review on was the untamed. And that speaks a lot.

The story was amazing, maybe the overview doesnt sound that great but this drama is a gem. Its the type of drama that you'd want to rewatch all over again write after u finish the last ep bc it left u with that empty feeling, i finished 2 mins ago, i already miss the characters. I wish i could watch it for the first time again.

Theres horror, fantasy, everything u need in a drama...AND THE ROMANCE, whoever said this was bromance was stupid.

I was hooked since the first ep, there is 78 eps, each ep is around 20 mins. But i would watch even if its 40 mins per ep. I had to download each ep individually and and depend on my okayish mandarin bc the subs were wanky. THATS how much i love this drama.

And just like the untamed, the ending wasnt exactly sad...but it broke me in so many ways. The last 20 eps got me SOBBING...i had just pulled myself together and i was back to sobbing by the next ep, BUT THST DOESNT MEAN U SHOULDNT WATCH IT, ITS WORTH EVERY MINUTE

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This masterpiece needs more awards!!

Where should I start? My pretty Ruan Baijie and Lingling and Meng Yu and every cast member has done a fabulous job on this one! In a way its a bit like 19th Floor, where they go into the VR game, but more mature, with high emotions, adult theme, violence and the BL-not-so-Bl moments lol.
Both MLs are so good with their expressions and those conversations with just their eyes. And my handsome guy Ruan Lanzhu with the perfect moles under his eyes, he really could be Dilraba's younger bro in a diff timelime and drama. I'm planning to watch Dashing youth just for this guy!
Back to the topic - this show is all at once sad, happy, intriguing, mind-blowing, emotional roller-coaster ride, and eye-candy cause everybody is handsome and beautiful 😍
Every set has a uniquie story behind it and a certain emotional spectrum attached to it. They keep reminding us that these are NPCs but they are almost real-life and the way Lingling connects with them on so many levels, and the dialogue delivery is done so well!
I already know how it ends, but even then, even without the NC scenes my man is so in love with Lingling, just one look at those dreamy stares and you know whats going on.
This show is really good! Definitely a must watch!

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MOST BINGE WATCHABLE SERIES EVER!!

Completing the series left me with a bittersweet after taste. I was so glad that I was able to finish the story but what I wouldn't give to forget it all and watch the series all over again.

Although I stumbled upon some major spoilers (accidentally and regrettably 😢), the way they were portrayed in the series still kept me on the edge.

Every story arc and every character was perfectly executed. There were few times where I caught myself trying to look for clues myself as well wanting to help the leads 😅

Overall a great series that I would definitely recommend.

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everything

i’m so excited to watch this. I really hop the drama is gonna surprise me because I read all the comments below before I watched it and it was wow. people in the comments said that this is so good because overall the stories about two men, even though they don’t have physical kinship with each other, they do so much better and I am dying to watch it. what I found so understand about this drama what’s the storyline? I have watched a lot of BL dramas many times, but even they lose comparison because the chemistry between these main characters in the drama is soooo good and sophisticated and just out of this world.

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Worth watching

The story and cast were amazing, and every episode was exciting and thrilling.
The horror elements were truly intense, and the way they solved each mystery was logical and well-explained. There were no unnecessary characters, and the plot was well-focused.

The relationship between the main characters was clear and it was shown in a subtle and mature way, without invading their private lives. I liked this approach as it allowed the story to stay focused on the plot.

Overall, it was a masterpiece! From the storyline to the acting, everything was perfect. Now, I'm loving the horror genre and can't wait to read the novel.

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