Reviews for Heaven Official's Blessing Season 2

Its always challenging writing an unbiased review of an anime/dongua one is emotionally invested in. One feels a bit disloyal if a review is not glowing. That said, I feel one can still love something while being aware of its short-comings. If you're reading this I'm assuming you've already watched S1, so a large portion of this review will be a comparison. The storyline of S2 faithfully follows the novel; we start to see more of Xie Lian's backstory and painful truths start emerging. In other words the emotional angst ramps up from S1. In terms of animation of facial expressions I feel they were able toconvey this. Xie Lian is way more expressive and shows a much wilder range of emotions. He's starting to feel like a fuller character, no longer just a sweet bishie. Sneak peaks and flashbacks add to his overall character depth. Hua Cheng's infamous gambler's den scene reveals him as mischievous and wickedly good looking. (Yeah, I know we've seen him before, but now its official!) San Lang/Hua Cheng is now also being fleshed out more and we get a glimpse of his teasing nature with Xie Lian. I thought Eming was just perfect. I loved the personality that they were able to give the saber even though they had the limitation of just one eye to animate.

In terms of music setting the mood I feel that S1 did a far better job.

S1 opening had the most exquisite animation and the music pulls at your heartstrings and doesn't let go, leaving a hollow, empty feeling behind. I was extremely disappointed in S2 opening (both music and artwork). Its opening animation was blah and (imo) poorly drawn. Why? Budget issues? The manhua set such a high art standard, did they really think mediocre would be okay? The music was okay, but the heartstrings remained un-pulled.

I watched both sub and dub because speedreading is not my superpower. Dub is surprisingly good. I was better able to immerse myself in emotional moments simply because I was able to watch facial expressions. I enjoyed Xie Lian's english VA, with his buttery smooth, soothing voice and english speaking Hua Cheng felt like he had more sass than his Mandarin counterpart. Some of the minor supporting VA cast was a little iffy; I have issues when female characters sound squeaky. And don't get me started about when they do VA for kids.

Overall I enjoyed S2, it faithfully follows the source material. While animation is still solid, episodes felt like they could be longer, but I felt the same about S1 so I guess it's just a Chinese thing. I still think that those who haven't read the novel will be confused by events and that much of the fan base is comprised of those who have.

I hope that Chinese censorship will not end the possibility of a season 3 because we all know that's when the story really gets good.

For sticking faithfully to source material, 9/10

This donghua is a masterpiece compared to the anime made today. I have to say that I´m deeply disappointed with the course that Japanese animation is following, where only children and loud girls come out, the style is horrible, with just a lot of colors and fantasy, with childish and unsophisticated stories. A lot of anime is for children, I know, but not even Naruto was that childish. Anime is no longer made for an older age range. It's very sad. Having said that, I hope that Chinese animation develops and finally offers us something more interesting. This anime is perfectly executed, good music, aconsistent and beautiful story. Also, I have to say that I'm starting to like the Chinese voice dubbing more than the Japanese one. I can't stand listening to stupid women and girls with annoying voices anymore. Chinese animation is my hope.

I enjoyed the 1st season a lot and decided to continue the 2nd season and the Trailer also made it so much better. The Anime looks stunning and the Story is much more intersting than in the 1st season. I was very surprised at how good this season was and how much I want the next episode to release. Story: 8/10 The Story is much more interesting in this one and I like the worldbuilding much more. The 1st season had some worldbuilding but everything aside from the Heavens felt kinda irrelevant, because everytime the Main characters had to solve a problem there werent many side characters involved orany proper introduction. Just some pieces here and there. But in this season the Mission is clearly adressed with proper introduction and backstory. It doesnt feel as empty or just like a Side-Quest in a game.

Its should be obvious to everybody watching this show that the OG Source-Material is a Chinese Novel that has romantic scenes between the 2 Male Lead Roles. However because this Anime is produced in China many scenes that indicate a sexual interaction between 2 male characters have been cut or changed.

There are a lot of subtle scenes that indicate romance and the production Team has added some small romance scenes on their own.

Its still subtle so if you expect some Yaoi action here. Nope.

Its less being physical intimate and more psychological. There is more romance in terms of a spiritual romance.

Animation: 8/10

The Animation is much better than in the 1st season and one of the most Beautiful shows i have seen.

The fight scenes look very good and clean.

One complain I have is that its not consistent, because at some point the animation looks very good ( mostly when not much is going on)but as soon as too much is going on its getting less clean and not as fluid. Thats a minor complain but its something I noticed a often times.

Characters: 9/10

The characters all have their unique Personalities and gorgeous Designs which makes every one of them special.

The Main characters are just great and an awesome Duo.

The next addition if charecters that comes to my mind is Wind Master. Wind Master is the funniest character in the show and the one that has so much responibility. Wind Master is a character thats very trustworthy.

The other characters are also very fleshed out and intersting and contribute a good amount to the story.

Music/Opening/Ending: 10/10

The music in this Show is just very pretty and comfortanle to listen to.

The OP is soothing and the Singer is briliant.

The Ending just like the Opening is very good and I have no complains so far about the Music. It fits always in the scenes.

I really enjoyed this series. I haven't read any of the novels and came into this completely blind. I also don't really know anything about Chinese Mythology or whether this series has anything to do with it. I really enjoyed the animation style and the animation as a whole. The character designs are great, the landscapes are beautiful, and the fight scenes are phenomenal. Top tier animation right here. I watched the English Dub and the voice actors were awesome, really high quality and they all did a great job. The story is a little hard for me to follow at times, but overall I got the gistof it and enjoyed it. The hardest thing for me to follow is all of the names. A lot of them sound similar and it doesn't help that the main character, Xie Lian, calls them by different names than they are referred to as by other members of the story. For example, Xie Lian often calls General Xuan Zhen, "Mu Qing". So all of that was a little hard to follow. It was also compounded by the fact that a few of the Male Court Members look very similar to me, Pei Ming, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing all look very similar to me.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this series to anyone, great animation, a lovely setting, and a very layered story with lots of hidden details!

It looks nice, and it sounds nice, but it is confusing as hell, at least before The Reveal. Unfortunately, it is so frustrating before The Reveal which occurs late in the series because we know there must be a reason why Xie Lian did what he did, but the show just wouldn't tell us. It almost feels like they are trolling us. After The Reveal is very satisfying, but I don't really feel like it was necessary to string us along for so long. There's plenty of interesting action occurring in the first half. Unfortunately, much of the tension is lost because Hua Cheng is OPas hell, and he favors Xie Lian so much that it feels unfair. I mean, it does not feel like there has been enough development between Hua Cheng and Xie Lian for Xie Lian to deserve such devotion. I know it has been explained to some extent already in season 1, but still, all of that was ancient history, and I want to see romantic development during the course of events in the present.

We get to see Xie Lian showing a lot more power than he did in season 1. Season 1 presented him as a sort of weakling, but here we can see he is actually very strong (though not OP like Hua Cheng).

We have some really nice painted backgrounds and sumptuous character animation. The Heavenly Palace and City of Ghost are mostly 3D, but the outdoor scenes are mostly 2D with a painted look to them. Both are done well, with the City of Ghost looking very lively and interesting, full of lots of visually distinct demons.

The OP is very nice, with a different art style which somehow makes the characters look even more beautiful and emotional. The OP song is nice, too. The ED is nothing too special; background slideshow with some particle effects and music.

I already wrote an in-depth review for the overall feel of this series in season one, but I wanted to post an extra for this season. (disclaimer: I read the comics, but never read the novels). I have to say they did an excellent job portraying the story, and dare I say sometimes in a much clearer way than the comic did sometimes) i.e. I was so very confused about the whole Yong'an arc and why Lang Qianqiu got so angry. It was portrayed a lot clearer in the animation (at least for me). So personally I feel like it was very easy to followthe story and characters.

I feel like the voice actors were even better this season. I enjoyed the animation so much for my personal favourite moments such as Lang Qianqiu being the "prize" and the whole shenanigans in Ghost city.

I enjoyed this season even more, plus the ending goes beyond where I could get with the comic (RIP can't find the English translation anywhere anymore).

It's a continuation of the wonderful first season, so if you haven't already, go watch that first. If you liked that, you will find the same sumptuous artwork, above average animation, top-notch characterizations and fantastic voice acting from the english dub cast. Where this season falls ever so slightly short of the first season is in the narrative, It starts out solid enough, but I thought the middle episodes got a little sloggy and drawn out. Not exactly filler, but at times I got the feeling the director was stringing things out to fill up an episode. Happily though, that goes away as the seasonnears it's dramatic and satisfying conclusion. One has to give the writers and director props for reigning things back in, tying up loose ends, and making this a successful ending. That wasn't looking like a given in eps 6 and 7.

First season was an A-, but this season slipped ever so slightly to 88/100 and a very high B+. If you enjoyed the first season, I certainly couldn't recommend this one enough.

Masterpiece That Takes Your Breath Away: The Best I've Ever Seen And Read! "Heaven official's blessing" is more than just a donghua or novel; it’s something magical and unforgettable that gives you goosebumps and takes your breath away. I don’t even know where to start because everything about it is perfect — from the story to the music and the art. The story of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng… Every scene with them feels filled with real, sincere love. Their emotions are so deep and touching that I could feel their pain, joy, and warmth right there with them. Hua Cheng — he’s nothing short ofideal! His unbreakable loyalty, his thousand-year devotion, and his willingness to do anything for Xie Lian… it’s truly moving. And Xie Lian himself, with his kindness, resilience, and his ability to stay true to himself after everything he’s endured, just inspires awe.

The art and animation deserve special praise. It’s not just beautiful; it’s stunning! Every detail, every landscape, every frame fits so harmoniously into the story’s atmosphere that I wanted to pause and just take in every detail. When watching the magical scenes or epic battles, I felt like I was inside that universe. And the music! The soundtracks are so perfectly tuned to match the scenes’ mood and tension that you can feel your heart start to race or pause during the most touching moments.

And, of course, the story itself is something extraordinary. The storyline of "Heaven official's blessing" is so deep it grabs hold and won’t let go, making you reflect and even reconsider certain views on life. It touches on themes of love, loyalty, sacrifice, friendship and forgiveness, which makes it truly valuable. This isn’t just a fantasy about gods and spirits; it’s a story that teaches you to see the world differently, to empathize, to accept, and to find strength within yourself. I know I’ll be rewatching and rereading this story many times because it has left something special in my heart that will stay with me forever!

I’ve been following Tian Guan Ci Fu since the manhua first began being translated, and it’s held a special place for me ever since. It was my first real introduction to Chinese BL and Chinese manhua, so my expectations for its animated adaptation were very high. While I haven’t yet read the original novels, I’ve been deeply invested in the series for years. Back in season one, I found myself somewhat disappointed. Some of the character designs differed drastically from the manhua and promotional art, and the pacing felt uneven, making the story harder to follow than it needed to be. After waiting so long foran adaptation, I hoped season two would improve on those issues.

I’m happy to say it absolutely did. Season two is, in my opinion, far better executed than the first. The animation quality has noticeably improved, the pacing is smoother and easier to digest, and the story flows much more naturally. It also picks up right where the special left off, which I appreciated. While some character designs still look different from other media, it’s no longer distracting enough to take away from the experience.

For new viewers, I’d still recommend reading at least part of the manhua or the novels beforehand. The adaptation sometimes assumes you’re already familiar with the plot and world, which could be confusing for first-time watchers.

(Edit, now completed:) Now that I’ve finished season two, I can say with confidence that this adaptation stuck very closely to the source material, and it’s a joy to watch. Between the gorgeous animation, improved pacing, and faithful storytelling, season two surpassed my expectations and outshone the first season in nearly every way.

I start watch S1 this year. And then S2. Episode 5 for now. I watch the Japanese dub😅 because that's what I usually watch. Maybe I will explore more donghua original later. I try to watch this because The seiyuu I know is the VA😅 It's my first donghua and I do not read the novels etc. The genre is my fave genre, magic fantasy battle. The story. Not to hard to follow. But I still can't remember some of their name. Tried watch the English dub too. But no subtitles. I need English or my native sub. The animation is nice. The original music is good.

I came to this anime without any foreknowledge about the story. I watched the first series with limited expectations and found it to be bland and dull. So when the second series became available, my expectations were not high. The story was lacking in consistency and substance with so many holes in the plotline that it makes following very difficult. For fans of the original work this may not be an issue, but for those coming from a fresh perspective it is very clear confusing and frustrating. Having almost no knowledge of Chinese mythology or history compounds this as it seems that the storyline relies heavily onpossibly established historical or mythological figures.

If you are not already familiar with the original work, be prepared for a lot of confusion.