Martial Universe — the drama with Yang Yang
At a glance60 episodes
Martial Universe was adapted into a drama even before the donghua. The series, in two seasons of 40 and 20 episodes, aired from 7 August 2018 on Dragon TV, with the second season following on Youku from 11 October 2018. Yang Yang plays Lin Dong alongside Zhang Tian'ai, Wang Likun and Wu Chun.
Production and behind the scenes
The series was directed by Zhang Li. It was part of the big wave of web novel dramas of 2017-2018, alongside Fights Break Sphere, the Battle Through the Heavens adaptation. Casting Yang Yang, already a star thanks to Love O2O, was meant to guarantee viewers, while Wu Chun, former member of the Taiwanese group Fahrenheit, added a touch of nostalgia for audiences of the 2000s.
How it differs from the donghua
The drama largely rewrites the novel. It merges characters, invents political intrigue around the Lin clan and gives more room to romance. The ancestral symbols, at the heart of the book, are simplified. The donghua, released a few months later, is much closer to the novel, which led many fans to compare the two.
Reception and success
The series drew good audiences thanks to its cast but received mixed reviews. Fans of the novel objected to the liberties taken with the plot, and part of the audience found the special effects uneven. It remains a snapshot of the golden age of star-driven web novel adaptations.
Trivia
- Wu Chun, who appears in the series, was a member of the Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit in the 2000s.
- Yang Yang also plays Han Li in the drama A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality (2025).
- The second season was only released on streaming, on Youku.
- Zhang Tian'ai plays Ling Qingzhu, one of the novel's two heroines.
My take
This drama is watchable for Yang Yang, charismatic as Lin Dong, and for a few well-made sets. But the script strays too far from the novel and the story loses clarity. To discover Martial Universe, start with the donghua or the novel. This drama is more for fans of the cast.
Who is it for?Yang Yang fans and lovers of 2010s Chinese fantasy dramas.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan