Shrouding the Heavens — the manhua
At a glance3 volumes
Long before the donghua arrived, Zhe Tian had already been adapted into a full-colour manhua. Drawn by Mumu (木木) and serialized in Shen Man magazine, it produced collected volumes published from 2015 by Tianjin People's Fine Arts.
Origins and publication
Like the novel, the manhua opens on the bronze coffin pulled by nine dragons before following Ye Fan and his classmates into an unknown world. It is part of Shen Man's series of adaptations, which also published Perfect World, Chen Dong's other great saga. Chapters were also published online on Chinese comic platforms.
Volume covers
All 3 volumes of the print edition.
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Vol. 3
How it differs from the donghua
The manhua predates the donghua by eight years. Its style is more colourful, with a youthful Ye Fan and very stylised creatures. It showcases the scale of the landscapes, the holy lands and the ancient ruins. The 3D donghua is darker and more cinematic. The manhua, however, only covered the start of the story.
Reception and success
The manhua had a loyal audience among Shen Man readers but stayed low-key next to the novel's fame. For fans put off by the length of the text, it was long the only visual shortcut to the saga's beginnings.
Trivia
- The first collected volume came out in January 2015.
- The covers carry the logo of Shen Man, the magazine that also adapted Perfect World.
- The Chinese collected volumes are published by Tianjin People's Fine Arts.
- Like the novel, the manhua opens with the image of the bronze coffin in space.
My take
A likeable, colourful manhua that captures the wonder of the early chapters well. It does not go far enough to replace the novel or the donghua, but it is a good complement for fans. I mainly recommend it for how it brings the opening to life.
Who is it for?Ye Fan fans who want another version of the beginnings, and readers of adventure manhua.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
The authorChen Dong 辰东Qidian's "god of plot holes"