The King's Avatar: For the Glory — the prequel film
At a glance98 minutes
The King's Avatar: For the Glory (全职高手之巅峰荣耀) is a 98-minute animated film released in Chinese cinemas on 16 August 2019. It is a prequel: it tells Ye Xiu's beginnings, long before he left Excellent Era.
Production and behind the scenes
The film was produced by China Literature and Wanda Pictures, with Bilibili, animated by Colored Pencil Animation and directed by Shi Juansheng and Deng Zhiwei. Hu Dielan is credited as literary supervisor. The script draws on a side story of the novel to show how the young player discovered Glory and led an amateur team to the top.
How it differs from the donghua
The film focuses on the past, which the donghua and the novel only touch on in fragments: the discovery of Glory, the founding of Excellent Era and the first victory over the Imperial Wind club. It shows a younger, less self-assured Ye Xiu. Its animation, more polished than the series, showcases Colored Pencil's craft.
Reception and success
Fans praised the quality of the fights and the emotion of the story, especially around Excellent Era's early days. The film had modest box-office success outside the circle of readers.
Trivia
- The film came out the same year as the drama, making 2019 a big year for the franchise.
- Colored Pencil Animation, which made the film, went on to produce seasons 2 and 3 of the donghua.
My take
For the Glory is a fine tribute for fans: you finally understand why Ye Xiu is so attached to Excellent Era. Without knowing the series it is less compelling, but the animation and the energy of the matches make for a good time.
Who is it for?For donghua fans who want to know Ye Xiu's past.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan