Perfect world.
Perfect World is truly an awesome donghua. I actually watched it back when it first aired in 2021, but I dropped it around the middle of 2024, probably during the third season. The main reason was because I wanted to read the novel first since I’m a cultivation novel fan. Also, living in China, I already know how Shanghai Foch Film Studio handles adaptations. I still remember how they butchered the first season of BTTH, so I was cautious going into Perfect World.
But after rewatching Perfect World recently, man… this show is genuinely thrilling. Seeing all the criticism online and all the cool reels floating around really pushed me to give it another chance and judge it for myself. Sure, the donghua is fast-paced and heavily action-packed, but that’s clearly part of the agreement between Tencent and Foch Films. They simply can’t fund a high-quality donghua for two decades straight, especially when the copyrights expire before 2031. Because of that, Foch Films is forced to stay extremely strict with timing, adapting around 8 to 10 chapters per episode, sometimes even more during fight scenes. Naturally, this means some character dialogue, explanations, and smaller details get cut, but despite that, they’re still doing their best to keep everything in order and coherent.
And honestly, considering the budget is around $70,000 to $120,000 per episode, they’re doing a really solid job.
Still, you absolutely have to acknowledge what this show has achieved. Shi Hao’s character development alone is incredible. Watching him grow from a snorty, noisy little brat into a fully grown man with countless achievements is one of the best parts of the series. His growth, his journey, his suffering, his happy moments, and even his drips, everything about him feels memorable. I know a lot of MCs farm aura moments, but when Shi Hao does it, it just hits differently. It feels genuinely badass.
And don’t even get me started on the special episodes. No other donghua studio has pulled off special episodes on this level. Like seriously, Shi Hao becoming the Human Emperor and defeating seven gods at just fifteen years old is absolutely insane. That moment alone cemented his legend.
I’ve also seen people complain that they stopped understanding the story once Shi Hao reached the Upper Realm, and honestly, I don’t get how people are confused. Were they even paying attention? The progression is pretty straightforward:
Shi Hao entered the Upper Realm using a false identity because everyone believed he was dead.
The very first thing he did there was search for his grandfather and maid.
2.1. He later found his grandfather’s clone.
He carved the name “Huang” onto the stone tablet, entered the Immortal Ancient, and reunited with his real grandfather and little brother.
Then came the conflict with the Celestial Clan.
After that, he joined the dojo sect.
6 He fought Di Chong and later battled Ning Chuan.
- He cultivated Dao Flames alongside Immortal Aura, and the story continued building from there.
So honestly, what exactly is confusing? It’s obvious that Shi Hao would constantly be fighting because most of his enemies in the Lower Realm were Upper Realm sects. The moment he arrived there, he was already surrounded by countless enemies who wanted him dead. Non-stop conflict was inevitable.
Overall, I genuinely love this show. It may not be my number one or the best donghua, but it’s definitely in my Top 5. Shi Hao has almost everything you’d want in a main character: aura, personality, insane achievements, amazing techniques, brutal fight scenes, and a deep lore-filled story behind him. The novel is fantastic too, and I honestly can’t wait to see the entire trilogy animated.
Original Force Studio is already doing a decent job with Shrouding the Heavens, and I’m pretty confident Build Dream will handle Sacred Ruins well too. Might not be your cup of tea but it's still good or else it won't survive 5 years of weekly airing.