One of the great bromances however...
I loved watching spirealm! I loved the bromance, the stories, the characters and the cast in general was great! Even though the show doesn't follow the novel ending, it is still a satisfying ending considering censorship.However, I have had one big problem with this show and it was Huang Junjie's acting. In my opinion, he failed to show some emotions and in some scenes his acting was pretty awkward. So while the bromance in general carried the show, the emotions were mostly seen from Xia ZhiGuang. Huang Junjie's ling ling had the same angry face, crying face, thinking face, he just squinted his eyes and that's it. And in some of the scenes where he was supposed to act surprised seemed exaggerated. This took out some fun from his character but otherwise the show was really good 👍
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Peng Yuchang delivers a remarkable performance as Zhang Chulan, a protagonist who defies easy classification — witty yet burdened, brave yet uncertain. His evolution from a reluctant fighter to a man who understands the responsibility behind his power is both satisfying and deeply moving. Opposite him, Hou Minghao and Wang Yinglu bring energy and balance, their characters’ motivations intertwining in ways that challenge ideas of loyalty and justice.
The writing is sharp and layered. Each arc reveals not only hidden conspiracies but also timeless moral questions — about free will, legacy, and the cost of enlightenment. The dialogue is philosophical without being pretentious, and every battle carries emotional as well as physical weight.
Visually, “The Spirealm” is breathtaking. The choreography blends traditional martial arts with supernatural fluidity, turning each fight into a visual poem. The color palette — rich golds, shadows, and bursts of ethereal light — mirrors the show’s spiritual undertones. The soundtrack, filled with haunting strings and percussive energy, heightens every scene’s tension and transcendence.
What sets “The Spirealm” apart is its maturity. It doesn’t just ask who wins the fight — it asks why we fight at all.
Mysterious, profound, and beautifully constructed, “The Spirealm” is more than a fantasy drama — it’s a meditation on power, identity, and the eternal struggle between heaven and humanity. A truly exceptional work that stays with you long after the final strike.
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This review may contain spoilers
Welcome to the world inside the doors...
(CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILER WARNING)Wow... after finishing this drama I genuinely had to stare at the wall for 10 minutes to process what just happened.
The Spirealm... a drama that left me in awe. Every world inside the door had amazing characters and storytelling, and not a single boring episode; the number of plot twists and tension during scenes had my full engagement throughout the show. Personally, my favourite door was the 5th door (Sako door), I loved the story behind everything that happened and how the horror elements were executed so well.
However, I thought that the ending was kind of unsatisfactory. Although it was an open-ending, I thought they could of cleared up some misunderstandings towards it (e.g. was it a dream or did it really happen in virtual reality?) but other than that, I love all the characters and the pacing of the drama. I think this is one of the few shows that will hold a special place in my heart, despite the minor flaws. I just loved this drama so much from start to finish.
Overall 9.5/10
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I love you spirealm
I lovveeeeee The Spirealm. Having watched it before there were proper subtitles and read the webnovel it's based on (Kaleidoscope of death) I think they were able to make an incredibly world come to life, with storytelling that went beyond even the need for language some times!To begin with, there were a lot of changes made between the original novel and the drama. Maybe controversial but I actually like The Spirealm better than KOD. There is a lot more elaboration in the drama on the stories in the doors, making them the focus rather than the character, and the ending is arguably more coherent. Though there were some doors I wish they had included, I think all the decision made in adapting it to a live-action made sense and were, for the most part, for the better. I understand that censorship forced it to be a "bromance" rather than a romance but mannnn there was a reason it was forced off 2 hours after it originally dropped.
Acting: The acting in the show was probably the weakest part of it, which is saying something because it was still very good. Xia Zhiguang was so good as Ruan Lanzhu it made me forget he is an enemy of mine (in r1se). He perfectly embodied the character as someone who is both mischievous but also clearly very powerful and smart. He nails the subtleties in switching between RLZ in-doors and RLZ out of doors. The chemistry between him and Huang Junjie as Ling Jiushi, read as romantic or platonic, was fantastic. They work seamlessly as partners and their emotional moments are deeply touching because you really believe how much they care for each other. While Huang Junjie is not the best in the show he plays LJS well, clearly getting better in the role as the show goes on and he is allowed to be more jaded and emotional. Most of the side characters hold up just as well against the main pair, with even the door NPCs doing a solid job. Liu Ruogu absolutely kills it in the dual role as 2 very different people and carries his emotional scenes.
Characters: I love you Ruan Lanzhu, one of the greatest to ever do it. A deeply complex character who has mysterious motivations and seemingly multiple personalities. He is a joy to watch and try to figure out and also is just really cool. LJS is a refreshing foil to him, much more straightforward of a character and much more reliable in who he is. Its a key point in his personality that he is essentially unchanging but how his character is able to subtly develop in the show adds to the depth. Almost every character is given a personality and motivation for why they are the way they are, even side characters that are killed off. It makes the world of the show so rich and really lets you connect with every character. The re-occuring characters are such a delight, there is someone for everyone as they are all very different and interesting (Tan Zaozao my love) and all serve a different purpose.
Visuals: I think this show is near perfect in terms of visuals. The use of practical sets and props plays a massive role in this. They kept most of the doors very limited in their space but they were all so beautifully designed it didn't feel trapped. You could feel the wealth of these worlds in the set designs. Yes there was some cheesy CGI but I don't think there was any world in which there wasn't considering its a show with supernatural elements. The door masters were also really well done. Keeping them more visually simple meant that the little things that made them inhumane were striking. Directing was also spot on, there was nothing i noticed that stood out in a bad way which is very rare for such an elaborate show.
Storyline: Like I said, I actually like the drama better than the novel because the drama took more time to add to the stories in the doors. By giving more thought into the doors they were much more engaging and allowed the characters in them to develop in a way that showed, not told, us the audience they were developing. I also really liked the mysteries, they were fun and left hints along the way so you were able to start guessing the mystery along with the characters. The story gave the audience time to understand what was going on rather than forcing the plot too fast. While there were obviously things that could never be guessed by the audience I don't think there was any door you couldn't engage with even a little. There was also a good balance with the overall plot (beating the game/finding out why it involved LJS friend) and each of the subplots in the doors. For as much as it is an action/mystery show, the heart of the story is how the characters connect with one another. The emotional beats are strong and feel justified. Making the doors a game and some sort of Chinese national pride thing is pretty funny but it doesn't take anything away from the show in the end so its whatever.
I once said The Spirealm was a bad adaptation but a better show for it and I still believe that! I personally love this show and have rewatched multiple times so I cannot recommend it enough!
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This review may contain spoilers
WOW! The first bromance drama after Chinese government's ban.
After a year of hearing about the Chinese government's ban on bromance dramas or BL novel adaptations, I'm glad we finally got to see this beautiful bromance drama from mainland China in 2024.I still remember when this drama first aired—it had a rating of only 7.8. But now? It's 8.9! MDL ratings don't lie.
For me, if a drama has more than 8.5, it's enough to get me hooked & curious.
Ruan Lanzhu—he’s incredibly talented. Just because of his acting in this drama, I totally adore him now.
Every time I see him with Ling Jiushi, it makes me happy. Their chemistry reminds me of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying (The Untamed vibes!).
Sometimes I just wanted to slap Ling Jiushi—he’s so slow at picking up hints from Ruan Lanzhu. Haha!
Ruan Lanzhu’s gestures every time he looks at Ling Jiushi… they seriously made me feel shy!
Li Dong Yuan is also great—his acting is good and he’s hilarious. I want to see him in more bromance dramas too.
The OST is very good and easy to listen to.
But yes, this drama itself is a bit creepy and the songs make it even creepier! I watched it at midnight… still acceptable though. Haha!
Spoiler alert—what I didn’t like was finding out that Ruan Lanzhu isn’t human.
I’m sorry for spoiling it, but I really felt Ling Jiushi’s pain—his sadness and disappointment when he knew that Ruan Lanzhu was just a creation of a virtual world.
Their bond was so strong, but in the end, they had to say goodbye because they came from different worlds.
Thankfully, it still has a happy ending, even though the final episode felt a bit too short.
They met again after a decade—Ling Jiushi created a virtual world game just so he could see his friend, Ruan Lanzhu, again. And Ruan Lanzhu lives on in that virtual world.
I really hope there will be a Season 2 with the same cast. I still remember them so clearly.
Highly recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
So amazing
Absolutely loved this drama finished within about 4 days. Episodes are short enough that you don’t get bored and long enough to feel like your actually watching an episode not a clip. Recommend to people who especially like supernatural elements and censored bl. Honestly one of the best chinese dramas i have watched (which is a lot) and is up there with the untamed, word of honour and killer and healer. It has no romance per say but the way the main leads act together is a chefs kiss. Definitely a tear jerker.Was this review helpful to you?
This series tryes to be more than fanservice, but mostly failed
I did not read the BL Novel, so I´m no insider. But I am very familiar with the genre. In the past few years there where a couple of shows that tryed to make a interesting series, that´s more than adapted fanservice. The best example from China for a BL service turned into a Bromance Series is the Untamed.The Spirealm tried very hard. But vital elements that would explain the universe inside the series where missing. So without haven´t read the book it´s hard or imposible to understand many parts. If you have to google to understand, while the content inside the series and the plotholes overexplain the riddles and puzzles inside the doors. The viewer feels stupid and simutaniously are there missing vital information.
And I know because I researched, that it had nothing to do with the BL part, that was cut out.
I understand, that the series was banned in China, probably because of the virtual reality part, wich is very imaginative.
Story: I enjoyed the idea of the escape room game turned into a series. Sadly the story wasn´t always explained much. some characters were cut short, some information about the universe were missing. (example: why and how long do they have to wait for the next door?) 7/10
Acting/Cast: Very young actors need more experience. Sometimes flat emotions. They obviously tried and you could feel the effort. 7/10
Music: Did not fit a horror themed drama. Only one sad song that I liked, but I did not like the rest. 6/10
Rewatch Value: None for me 5/10
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Ruan Nanzhu x Lin Jiushi ... my ship sailing XD
Story in the beginning very great. But the end of story made my heart so broken, seeing separation between Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Jiushi after they passed 12th door ... they meet again after Lin Jiushi already became old man. It's so sweet but felt so sad. I loved the way Ruan Nanzhu tease Lin Jiushi and ask him to protect him, seem so cuteyWas this review helpful to you?
makes you completely obsessed
There is no comparison at all
Extremely Beautiful
Mesmerizing
Exquisite
Masterpiece
Stunning
Stupendous
My words can't described its beauty. This is the masterpiece.
Bromance god censored just because of its⚗️🧪🌋 Chemistry
I just forgot the time.
Watching it day and night
already completed 58 episodes....
Insane level of chemistry ,visual....You know that🔥I don't need to say , 🫠🫠🫠🫠
Why Chinese government is so cruel to take down this masterpiece..... This can break all the BL records 💯🔥 without any doubt
Let's support the actors and series as they deserve highest
You can get Correct 💯 translation from Bilibili platform under retro fiction. They are updating every day and completed 58 episodes also
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I am blown away!
If you’re unsure about watching the show or not, I cannot recommend it enough. From the first episode till the last this show was brilliant. I personally didn’t find a single moment boring and I absolutely loved the acting and the chemistry between the actors, especially the two male leads. The chemistry between the two male leads was indescribable, every time they had a little cute moment I couldn’t help but giggle. The bromance/romance between the two guys was soooooooo good that I finished this show in just six days and I’m currently thinking about re watching it immediately. Not only the chemistry, but also the plot was incredible. I loved the different types of quests the doors had where some of the plot twists inside and outside tbh were so crazy, I almost fell out of my chair. This is One of the best shows if not the best I’ve ever watched so I can’t advise you to do anything but to watch it and see for yourself!Was this review helpful to you?
