Mo Dao Zu Shi - Recommendations

KxNOxUTA says...

Same novel author. Both BL. Both containing martial arts and superpowers and dark forces such as demons, ghosts, zombies etc. Both loves very cursed to not see the light for a while but be all the more intense. Both intimate regardless of the Chinese censorship. All you need it so read between the lines. Great opportunity to learn about another culture that way. Both highly recommended.

kellyfox says...

Both Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation or The Founder or Diabolism) and Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official's Blessing) are beautiful male love stories with complex plotlines. They both take place in ancient China and include magic / Qi cultivation. Both of them have redemption archs for the main characters and falling in love with their best and loyal friend.

They're based on web novels by the same author.

Crimsonsongbird says...

Same genre, same author nad equally beautiful men. Need i say more. LMao, i think most people watching one are automatically watching the other. Danmeui is a genre u can't get enough.

Oceanwithwaves says...

Same writer, completely different story. Although if you like the dynamic and hijinks in this show, I'll certainly recommend the author's most popular show. MDZS is a big phenomenon in China, that even got it's own live action.

snolar says...

Both by same author, so they're pretty epic.

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Neveresta says...

They are both great donghua and their stories were originally created by the same author. They've got good comedy, well-developed characters, and deep stories. I love the characters and their backstories, how they are. If you want a amazing story and like BL, try this out.

XxShenQingQiuxX says...

1. Both involve tragedy

2. Both involve BL

3. Both have amazing openings (in my opinion)

4. Both involve ghosts one way or another

LUCIIIII says...

They both involve tragedy and are from a similaer genre, they also involve BL and about the ancient chinese culture.

evelynannb says...

Adorable relationship dynamics, with interesting and engaging storylines. Our ancient ghost-busting babies (yes, I refer to fictional characters as my children, what of it?) are all hilarious and loveable. I can't get over the way they interact with each other. I couldn't stop smiling, but both animes balance out the humour with heart warming/ breaking scenes that made me cry (I am very sensitive though). WATCH THEM! FOR THE LOVE OF BL WATCH THEM!

charberry2 says...

Both adorable relationships with much character development. Set around same time period and amazing, addictive plots <3

JordanJas says...

I recently found out that these two shows are based on novels that are written by the same person. It explains why I love them so much!

I love the relationships that are developing between the characters and how they all have their own issues to work out. Each character has their own personality and it truly makes them all feel different.

There are plenty of issues in each world that the main characters feel like it is their problem to deal with. They often don't get along well with others or have many that hate them for past behavior even if they were not in the wrong.

AnimePixel says...

I have not watched Heaven Official's Blessing yet (waiting for everything to be released), but from what I can tell through the novel so far, I think I prefer Mo Dao Zu Shi more and so if you liked Heaven Official's Blessing, you'll love Mo Dao Zu Shi aka Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation. 

They are both by the same author (Mo Xiang Tong Xiu) so the settings are both in traditional Chinese with traditional clothing, concepts, and elements. It can get confusing for people who are not used to Chinese concepts like one character having multiple names and the ways of the different sects but trust me, it's worth it.

Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi's relationship in the story is a lot more like partners in crime than anything. They may argue and find each other unlikeable at times, but you can tell they respect each other and overall have really nice chemistry despite their repelling, opposite personalities and character. Raised without restriction, Wei WuXian is your typical flirt and the type who would bother you with dumb shiz when you're trying to get work done. He is also the type who can put a smile on your face from just him smiling. Very mischievous and beloved by his sect, he does whatever he needs to in order to experience even an ounce of entertainment.

On the other hand, Lan WangJi was raised in a harsh sect where they uphold 3,000 rules- receiving punishment otherwise. He is considered very orderly, quiet, and cold in nature, making him hard to approach by many. Thus his only friend is his older brother, Lan XiChen who cares for him deeply. He would be the type to silently help you with your work without being asked and the type to patiently teach you. He is however also the type who would not tolerate wrongdoings such as stealing and or impure nonsenses. Overall he means well in his own way and is often awkward in dumb situations out of his control. 

Other important and interesting characters include...

Wei WuXian's brother in name, Jiang Cheng, and Jiang Cheng's sister, Jiang YanLi. Jin GuangYao, the "everything I do is justified", Xue Yang the "I enjoy revenge to the extreme", Nie Huaisung the "I don't know, I really don't know." that actually does know. Wen Ning the "please don't bully me" to a badass killing machine. Wen Chao the "I am my daddy's son thus every one shall bow to me". Nie MingJue the "I am so bothered by everything". and etc.

MDZS ends with three seasons based on a novel of the same name and it also has a manhua adoption (also called MDZS) and a completed Chinese drama adoption called "The Untamed" aka "Chen Qing Ling" that consists of 50 episodes each lasting about 40 minutes. 

Even though MDZS the anime is based on the novel, it is not accurate. They changed many aspects of the original story that made it interesting and enjoyable in its own way, but reading the original novel may make it less confusing at times as the anime is much faster-paced and many events were taken out, on the other hand, in my opinion, "The Untamed" may be more closely related to the novel than the anime.

There is also a chibi animation "Mo Dao Zu Shi Q" which is basically like MDZS shorts of the main anime where every character is in chibi form and each episode is like 4 minutes long with 1 minute being the opening song. It contains a total of 30 unique cute episodes that I recommend watching after at least finishing the second season of MDZS. 

On the other hand, if you like MDZS, I know you will enjoy Heaven Official's Blessing. Personally the main characters in HOB- Xie Lian and San Lang- remind me of newlyweds right off the bat- even if they weren't wearing wedding clothes when they first met. The way they interact with each other is sweet, gentle, heart-squeezing, and it's really obvious they have a soft spot for each other. Honestly, this just makes it just a matter of time before they realize each other's feelings and get together.

Not only that, but both characters are hella OP- like San Lang can kill anyone you wish in a matter of seconds and Xie Lian did ascend at the beginning because of his sword skills and kind character. However, every other character lacks sophistication- they're either not interesting enough or very important as far as I can tell (although Qi Rong is an exception). 

ac1471 says...

Same original author, both brilliant stories. Read the books if you can too! the HOB web series on BiliBili comics is beautiful

chibiro says...

both from the same author, and bl.

they have stunning art, amazing plots, and amazing characters.

Gniliz says...

Litterally from the same creator. Beautiful!! The story is alway romantic and the art is kinda different, thoI don't really care because its amazing.

itaqxri says...

both are amazing danmeis and are extremely addictive to watch. if you enjoy the show i would highly reccomend reading the novels as they go into much more detail

AnggySp93 says...

The same writer, she has only 3 novels but all have amazing history, youre goning to cry a lot. 

FlightlessRaven says...

Both are set in settings of ancient times. Both are adapted from novels, with beautiful and complex character designs and unexpected twists. I think they might be from the same original creator...but anyhow the characters are super hot. Plus both are BL I guess.

ZhangLingYu says...

Ling Qi and Mo Dao zu Shi are kind of similar . They both have an awesome storyline. Both have two handsome heroes as mcs, no romance ( I actually like that) , supernatural, power, friendship: a bond that surpasses love and rules. It makes you want a relationship like that you know, one as strong as a blood bond. 

Finepuppy says...

Unlike the other, this one actually have a pretty straight time line. Pretty much the same dynamics.

Crimsonsongbird says...

Spiritpact and Mo Dao Zu Shi always go Hand in Hand. They both show a beautiful potrayal of chinese culture, life and mythology. They are highly recommende for each other. Both of them have the ability to bring you to tears. While Mo Dao Zu Shi is set in Ancient China, Spiritpact is set in modern world but is still manages to potray the chinese mytho perfectly. However Mo dao zu shi has much more feels and violence than Spiritpact.

yaoiluver45 says...

Of course, Mo Dao Zu Shi will always be my favorite anime, Ling Qi comes at a close second. The animes are similar in the portrayal of Chinese culture and mythology, albeit set at different timelines. The stories are also both a bit humorous while still being tragic and moving, though Mo Dao Zu Shi is darker and more sinister. Can't watch one without watching the other, no doubt about that.

CelectialPrincess says...

love both of them really good

if you're into yaoi/chounen ai/ then this two are good for u

AnimePixel says...

In my opinion, I prefer Mo Dao Zu Shi more due to the quality and better relationship development, but they are very similar- especially the two main characters. The plot may be a bit different but both series deal with corpses and resurrections. I also think that their situations were similar to where one character in Spirit Pact is lonely because everyone wanted something from him in comparison to the character in MDZS that is lonely because everyone wanted his powers. 

They are both wonderful anime set with Chinese traditional clothings and setting and I found that I enjoyed both very much so I recomend both ways.

chibiro says...

both very cute.

not only do they have bl in them but their plot is amazing and very interesting;

i honestly wish i could erase my memory to watch them all over again

scumsplat says...

same author for the original novels, both BL ;')

and yeah that's all that can think of that's similar.

AnggySp93 says...

both novel was witten by the same author. Chan Shu Zijin Zhinan is also know as SAVE and was her first novel. The second one was the most famous one, you can read the manhua, watch the dongua and the live action, the last one is on netflix. 

charberry2 says...

Trust in this recomendation... you will love it                                

JordanJas says...

I recently found out that these two anime are based on novels that are written by the same person and it makes so much sense to me.

Both have similar BL vibes and makes you root for the characters that seem to have the most issues falling in love with one another.

Both focus on cultivation and how you treat others and how they treat you. Specifically on where your background lies from birth.

Different art styles but worth the watch!

Beth0410 says...

Both have same author, also BL with one of them being oblivious for a long time before the couple finally gets together. Both deal with cultivation in Ancient China.

ZhangLingYu says...

Ling Qi and Mo Dao zu Shi are kind of similar . They both have an awesome storyline. Both have two handsome heroes as mcs, no romance ( I actually like that) , supernatural, power, friendship: a bond that surpasses love and rules. It makes you want a relationship like that you know, one as strong as a blood bond. 

Crimsonsongbird says...

Spiritpact and MonDao Zu Shi come hand in hand. You watch one, you HAVE to watch the other. Both of them are Chinese manga based but while mdzs is ancient China, spiritpact is based in the modern world. The animation of both is somdamn beautiful and yet so varied from the other. They both manage to leave your hearts raw and throbbing g by the end of the show. They really are my top two animes.

dododochan says...

both of them are bl and supernatural genre-wise and both are very enjoyable to watch although mo dao zu shi is better on my opinion

tigerlily9 says...

Though Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) is set in ancient China and Banana Fish in contemporary New York City, both shows feature a strong male-male (both VERY light shounen-ai) relationship that remains at the core of the story and the characters' overall development. Mo Dao Zu Shi centers on how the relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji shifts after the former follows the Demonic Path. Similarly, Banana Fish centers on how Ash's life changes after meeting Eiji. Neither of these shows allows these relationships to significantly overshadow the plot, though. 

Both shows have similarly tragic (though somewhat ironically opposed) endings, which spell out certain consequences for the male-male relationship in question. Both shows have a predominantly male cast. The quality of both shows - music, animation, overall direction - is also comparably top-notch.

noizy says...

Mo Dao has a a more confuse(ing), a bit less predictable story, yet with quite a tad better graphics, especially in the background (though BF is still reall nice there too, just less dreamy and detailed)), and slightl less subtle romance, but have the Clan theme and a seemingly doomed to fail ar against more poerful enemies, plus a strong elemet of tight friendship, ith both looking out for each other, even though Banana Fish is a quite a lot more on the bitterseet-starcrossed side there, ith a a more emotional, saddening end. Even though both have great, almost alaborate storiytelling and nice looking, relatable main chars, and I can both only recommend both with good faith, I persoally still like BF better, simply because the eomotions there hit so much harder, that it's hard to calm the exitemet and enthuisiasm, for how deep their emotions touched m heart, but that doesn't mean, Mo Dao deserves any less, to be watched and apprpriately appreciated either, because it's still one helll of a lot better, then most of the usually pretty shallow BL/SA works, and even general romance stuff, so check them out ad enoy°

Makosaphoto says...

Both of them are about the MC gettign a second chance.  The art style is simmilar and they both follow the path of cultivtion when the MC already has the knowledge of how to be powerful. 

JordanJas says...

This is one set of shows that I will rewatch a bunch of times. Both focus on cultivation and getting stronger to protect those that you truly care about. Both have second seasons that gets darker and darker before they start to become a little happier. 

Both are Chinese shows. Both are awesome.

gege11 says...

both are political drama series that are set in a fantastical version of ancient times where the protagonist is an exile , and have a strong emphasis on character motivations and relations .

FlightlessRaven says...

Both stories have leads that undergo a lot of character and personality developments; both leads from both stories also face many emotional and psychological challenges stemming from betrayal or rejection by their loved ones. I think the main protagonists from both stories have ever found themselves alone--without any support(or, if there was support, it was just a single companion0. Otherwise, both leads are really strong and move forward, despite everything. Of course, they also pull through with the assistance of only true allies.

ZhangLingYu says...

I have to say, Chinese anime surprises me. It is so good. Especially mo Dao zu Shi and ling qi. Mi yu Xing zhe is also very good. It has a good plot. 

zoetag18 says...

Both series are beautifully animated historical family dramas, with supernatural powers/conflicts as a cherry on top.

brity858 says...

Mo Dao Zu Shi and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu are both historical pieces. I find the Characters Yakumo and Sukeroku from Shouwa, and Wuxian and Wangji from Mo Dao Zu Shi very similar in regards to their circumstances and personality traits. Even though Yakumo and Sukeroku haven’t had to brave the same magical battles as Wuxian and Wangji, and Wuxian and Wangji haven’t had to face the harsh world of rakugo, they’re both quite intense, heartbreaking, and beautiful in a way that makes me want to compare them.