Perfect World — Chen Dong's novel
At a glance2,014 chapters · completed
Perfect World adapts Wanmei Shijie (完美世界), Chen Dong's (辰东) novel serialized on Qidian from 2013 to 2016. Across 2,014 chapters it tells the rise of Shi Hao, a child of the Great Wilderness raised by the small Stone Village after his "supreme bone" was torn from him. It is one of the pillars of Chinese xuanhuan.
Origins and publication
Chen Dong had just finished Shrouding the Heavens (遮天), a huge hit. Instead of writing a direct sequel, he went back in time: Perfect World takes place in a far older era of the same universe, and some of its heroes become the legends people talk about in Shrouding the Heavens. The novel also lays the groundwork for Sacred Ruins (圣墟), his next book, so fans speak of a trilogy.
The Chinese print edition, published first by Hunan Juvenile and Children's Publishing and then by Shandong Pictorial, has passed 30 volumes. Readers know Chen Dong for his cliffhanger chapter endings, to the point that he earned a teasing nickname: the "cliffhanger dog" (断章狗).
How it differs from the donghua
Foch Film's donghua, launched in April 2021, carefully adapts Shi Hao's childhood in the Stone Village, a favourite arc for many readers. It stays broadly faithful but simplifies the novel's dense mythology: the ancient clans, the primordial beasts and the references to past eras. The animation also plays up the cuteness of "little Shi Hao", while the novel builds epic tension faster, with fights that last entire chapters.
Reception and success
Perfect World dominated Qidian's rankings throughout its serialization and is often considered Chen Dong's best novel. Its ending, which ties the story to Shrouding the Heavens, is famous among readers. The donghua, one of the longest running on Tencent Video, gave the novel a second life.
Trivia
- The "supreme bone" (至尊骨) torn from baby Shi Hao is one of the best-known devices in xuanhuan and recurs throughout the story.
- The Chinese title Wanmei Shijie is also the name of a famous video game company with no link to the novel.
- The Stone Village (石村), where Shi Hao grows up, is protected by an ancient willow, the Willow Deity, a key character in the novel.
- Chen Dong wrote Shrouding the Heavens, Perfect World and Sacred Ruins back to back, three novels linked by one universe.
My take
Perfect World is the Chen Dong novel I recommend first. Shi Hao's childhood is one of the genre's finest openings, full of tenderness and humour, and the scale that follows is dizzying. The second half drags, with many battles that feel alike. But the ending and its links to Shrouding the Heavens richly reward your patience.
Who is it for?Readers who love vast worlds, mythology and heroes who start from nothing.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
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The authorChen Dong 辰东Qidian's "god of plot holes"