The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (魔道祖师, Mó Dào Zǔ Shī; also: The Founder of Diabolism) is the animated adaptation (donghua) of the Chinese xianxia novel of the same name written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
The series' development was announced on Weibo on April 1, 2017, and the first season aired on Tencent Video from July 9, 2018 to October 6, 2018; the second season started aired from August 3, 2019 to August 31, 2019. A third season was confirmed in the final episode of the second season, and a chibi series, (魔道祖师Q; Mó Dào Zǔ Shī Q) aired in between, from July 31 2020 to January 30, 2021. The final season aired August 7, 2021 to October 23, 2021.
Synopsis[]
The Wen Clan's rampage caused untold sufferings, and the other cultivation clans launched the "Sunshot Campaign" to join forces against the Wen Clan. Although Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch, had made great contributions to overthrowing the Wens, he was stigmatized and punished because he was considered too powerful and dangerous. He was persecuted by ten thousand people.
Thirteen years later, Wei Wuxian was brought back by a sacrificual ritual, and has met again with old acquaintances such as Lan Wangji from the Gusu Lan Clan and Jiang Cheng from the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. The mysteries of Wei Wuxian's past remain, and conflicts in the cultivation world have resurfaced - all of which began from when they were all once youths.
Cast[]
Main Characters[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Wei Wuxian | Zhang Jie | Shim Gyu-hyuk | Ryohei Kimura |
Lan Wangji | Bian Jiang | Ryu Seung-gon | Shinnosuke Tachibana |
Gusu Lan Clan[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Lan Xichen | Jin Xian | Kim Yeong-sun | Toshiyuki Morikawa |
Lan Sizhui | Chengzhang Taikang | Nam Do-hyung | Shimba Tsuchiya |
Lan Jingyi | Wang Chenguang | Jeong Joo-won | Soma Saito |
Lan Qiren | Liu Cong | Lee Chang-min | Mitsuhiro Sakamaki |
Yunmeng Jiang Clan[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Jiang Cheng | Guo Haoran | Jang Min-hyuk | Hikaru Midorikawa |
Jiang Yanli | Li Shimeng | Gang Eun-ae | Saori Hayami |
Jiang Fengmian | Tang Shuiyu | Seoh Won-seok | Kenji Hamada |
Yu Ziyuan | Ji Guanlin | Jeon Suk-gyeong | Takako Honda |
Jinzhu and Yinzhu | Yi Xing (Jinzhu)
Xu Xu (Yinzhu) |
Yukako Kiuchi |
Lanling Jin Clan[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Jin Guangyao | Yang Tianxiang | Lee Ho-san | Akira Ishida |
Jin Ling | Su Shangqing | Lee Kyeong-tae | Yuki Kaji |
Jin Zixuan | Gu Jiangshan | Kim Hyun-wook | Kenji Akabane |
Jin Guangshan | Li Longbin | Bak Sang-hun | Sho Hayami |
Jin Zixun | Yang Lei | Kozo Dosaka | |
Madam Jin | Zhang Kai | Harashima Kozue | |
Qin Su | Qian Chen | Chie Nakamura | |
Jin Chan |
Qinghe Nie Clan[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Nie Huaisang | Liu Sanmu | Kim Myung-joon | Natsuki Hanae |
Nie Mingjue | Guan Shuai | Lee Hye-on | Hiroshi Shirokuma |
Qishan Wen Clan[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Wen Ning | Shao Tong | Kim Ji-yul | Nobunaga Shimazaki |
Wen Qing | Qiao Shiyu | Kim Yul | Ayako Kawasumi |
Wen Ruohan | Yan Ming | Kim Jin-hong | Kenta Miyake |
Wen Chao | Liang Xiaoqiang | Kim Jin-hong | Hiroyuki Yoshino |
Wen Zhuliu | Hu Yajie | Kwon Chang-uk | Keiko Sakai |
Others[]
Cultivators from Other Clans[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Su She | Sun Lulu | Masafumi Kobatake | Masafumi Kobatake |
Wang Lingjiao | Qiu Qiu | Gang Si-hyeon | Kana Asumi |
Clan Leader Yao | Zhang Lei | Hajime Iijima |
Rogue Cultivators[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Mo Xuanyu | Zhang Jie | Shim Gyu-hyuk | Ryohei Kimura |
Luo Qingyang | Xu Jiaqi | Lynn |
Non-Cultivators[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
Mo Ziyuan | Xing Chao | Cho Jin-suk | Yusuke Sasaki |
Madam Mo | Liao Jing | Sin Gyeong-sun | Saori Okamoto |
A-Tong | Zhang Fuzheng | Yu Okano |
Yi City[]
(Mandarin) |
(Korean) |
(Japanese) | |
---|---|---|---|
A-Qing | Nie Xiying | Aoi Yuki | |
Song Lan | Liu Kang | Takuya Eguchi | |
Xiao Xingchen | Qian Wenqing | Kaito Ishikawa | |
Xue Yang | Wai Wai | Kouki Uchiyama |
Awards and Nominations[]
Year | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 12th Tencent Video Star Awards (Tencent Starlight Festival) |
Fictional Character of the Year |
Wei Wuxian | Won |
Best Voice Actor | Zhang Jie | Won | ||
Reputable Animation of the Year |
Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won | ||
15th China Animation Golden Dragon Awards |
Best Serial Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won | |
Golden Bud - The Third Network Film and Television Festival |
Best Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won | |
2019 | 7th China Xi'an International Original Animation Competition |
Best New Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
12th Xiamen International Animation Festival |
Best Animated Series | Mo Dao Zu Shi | 2nd | |
20th China Video Awards | Animation of the Year | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won | |
Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film and Television Festival |
Best Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Nominated | |
Tencent Video All Star Awards |
Fictional Character of the Year |
Lan Wangji | Won | |
2020 | 5th Golden Spider Academic Award |
Best Online Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Won |
2021 | 2021 Weibo Cartoon Festival |
Most Influential Chinese Animation | Mo Dao Zu Shi, Season 3 | 1st |
Trivia[]
- Though the original novel mixes elements from multiple Ancient Chinese time periods,[1] the animation uses an era-type name Xuanzheng, along with indication of year according to the Chinese sexagenary cycle, to date events in the book.
- As the largest sponsor for the donghua, ice cream company Cornetto has used their Chinese name 可爱多 (Kě'ài duō), meaning "A lot cuter," as a tagline for the donghua.