Rakshasa Street — the live-action series (Youku, 2017)
At a glance24 episodes
In 2017, Rakshasa Street was adapted into a live-action series for the Youku platform. It premiered on 2 August 2017 and runs to 24 episodes of about 35 minutes.
Production and behind the scenes
The series was co-produced by Youku, Alpha (奥飞剧业) and U17, with Jiro Wang (汪东城) as Cao Yanbing and An Yuexi (安悦溪) as Xia Ling. Xu Chen, the manhua's author, worked on the script.
How it differs from the donghua
The series adapts the beginning of the manhua and its main characters, but has to recreate the guardian spirits and the spirit world with digital effects. It also adds subplots and gives more room to the relationships between characters.
Reception and success
The series drew fans of the manhua and of singer Jiro Wang. Its special effects were considered uneven, but it brought the franchise to a wider audience.
Trivia
- Jiro Wang is a Taiwanese singer and actor, formerly of the group Fahrenheit.
- Xu Chen is one of the series' screenwriters.
My take
A likeable adaptation held back by its special effects. Mostly of interest to fans curious to see the characters in the flesh.
Who is it for?For fans of the franchise and of Jiro Wang.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan