Martial Universe — Lü Guang's manhua
Martial Universe was also adapted into a full-colour manhua drawn by Lü Guang (绿光, "Green Light"). The first collected volumes came out in 2015 from Hunan Juvenile and Children's Publishing, and the series is published online on Chinese comic platforms, including Tencent Animation.
Origins and publication
The manhua arrived in 2015, when Tian Can Tu Dou adaptations were in high demand, boosted by the success of the Battle Through the Heavens comic. It tells Lin Dong's journey from Qingyang with fine linework and bright colours. Online publication let it reach a far wider audience than the collected volumes alone.
How it differs from the donghua
The manhua predates both the drama and the donghua. Its style focuses on faces and the light effects of martial techniques, with a stronger romantic touch than the animation. It follows the novel closely for the Qingyang and Yan City arcs but condenses some fights. The 2019 donghua offers a more spectacular vision in 3D.
Reception and success
Readers welcomed the manhua, particularly for its art, more polished than many adaptations of the time. It remains less known than the drama and the donghua, but it helped establish Lin Dong in the imagination of young Chinese readers.
Trivia
- The artist's pen name, Lü Guang, means "green light".
- The first collected volumes came out in April 2015.
- The manhua features Ling Qingzhu and Ying Huanhuan on several covers, a sign of how much room the romance gets.
- It was one of the first visual adaptations of Martial Universe, three years before the drama.
My take
Visually, it is one of the franchise's most pleasant adaptations. The art is elegant, the fights are easy to follow and the female characters have more presence than in the donghua. The pacing is rather slow, though. I recommend it to those who prefer drawings to 3D.
Who is it for?Readers of romantic and action manhua, and fans who prefer drawings to 3D.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
The authorTian Can Tu Dou 天蚕土豆The prodigy of Battle Through the Heavens