The King's Avatar (2019)

The King Has Fallen

I have rarely watched a drama that put me through such emotional highs and lows. What it did well, it did very well, but where it struggled in pacing, it struggled epically to the point that I shelved this drama for several months and very nearly dropped it. It is, in my opinion, a fairly flawed drama with an interesting concept but not nearly enough background or explanation for how things work. That being said it overcomes those flaws with colorful characters and an underdog story that keeps the viewer engaged.

The storyline as I mentioned before is, at its heart, your typical underdogs take on the big guns and come out victorious. It is also a comeback story for lead character, Ye Xiu, after being forced to retire from e-sports. It's overall quite heartwarming. It's fun to see this team slowly taking shape, to see the many personalities coming together and forming a cohesive unit. The first half or so of the drama focuses more on Ye Xiu and his comeback as Lord Grim, building up his new weapon and establishing his new character and the second half focuses more on the building of the team and their efforts to turn themselves into a professional team. Pacing during the first half is an issue with some real highs and then a lot of just filler that kills the mood. In particular, I believe it was around episodes 16-20 the pacing got so bad that it very nearly made me drop the drama. Thankfully things picked up again around episode 21 or so and the pacing improved significantly, but it was less than stellar there for a minute. One of the things I really appreciated about this drama was the lack of romance. I kept waiting for it to happen and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. I enjoyed the focus on the friendships and felt that it was stronger remaining as such rather than evolving into something more.

This drama, overall, had a stellar cast. But there were a few that really stood out and a few that really didn't. Jiang Long as Shao Tian was a riot. I absolutely adored him and he was so entertaining to watch. He completely brought his character to life. I enjoyed his chemistry with Gao Han Yu as Yu Wen Zhou, they played off of each other really well and I overall just liked their friendship. Lai Yi is always a pleasure to watch because he just disappears into whatever character he's playing. He was so entertaining as the goofy Bao Rong Xing and I appreciated the chance to see him in a new kind of role. Daisy Li as Tang Rou did a good job of bringing her character's aloof arrogance while also showing her softer side. I've seen Yang Yang in a few dramas now and, in my opinion, he's mostly just a pretty face. He's not a bad actor, its more that it doesn't seem like he's really acting, like he's just being himself. He's not quite able to showcase more complex or subtle emotions. There's just a sameness to a lot of what he does that makes him a bit boring to watch. I really didn't find his character all that interesting and in part that was due to his acting. Lai Yu Meng as Su Mu Cheng had similar issues in that I felt she was very stale in her acting. Same facial expressions, same reactions throughout with very little variation throughout the drama.

Despite the large number of characters, I was overall quite impressed with how most of them were given enough screen time to make a meaningful contribution to the story. I was also impressed with the character development of many of the characters, particularly Sun Xiang. I really appreciated the fact that while his character improved and he wasn't the irredeemable jerk from the beginning, it wasn't like he'd turned into a saint either. He was still himself, still cocky, but not quite with that same I'm-better-than-everyone attitude. Chen Guo is another one who goes through quite a dramatic development from bullying internet café owner to supportive team manager. Her journey is definitely a bit more up and down and I found myself alternately really liking her character and finding her incredibly annoying. When she was being her bossy, badass self, I really liked her. She was a no nonsense, get stuff done kind of girl and I appreciated that. But once she found out who Ye Xiu was, I found her pandering to him to be annoying and out of character. And then once she became the team manager initially, her wishy washiness and weak willed attitude also seemed out of character. Once she snapped out of that and got back to being a girl boss, I enjoyed her character again. (As a side note, I had zero issues with her age. I didn't think she looked too old at all.) You also have characters like Yi Fan who starts out lacking confidence and acting as a doormat for others and by the end has gained confidence, is vice captain, and helps lead the team to victory. Each character has their own journey and there are a lot of characters who make personal discoveries through playing Glory and finding themselves better for it.

I was not overly fond of Ye Xiu's character for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he was just too perfect. I find characters like that supremely annoying because of how completely unrealistic they are. They're unrelatable and because of that I personally find them uninteresting. Similarly, the fact that he goes undefeated in the game until his weapon breaks, again, just seems unrealistic. I don't think he thought of himself as superior to anyone but his preachiness got irritating after a while. No one always knows the right thing to say in every situation.

Though limited, I really enjoyed the OST. The opening and closing songs were amazing and I enjoyed the other songs as well. My only complaint is that I felt they were overused. You had the same songs used repeatedly and it was noticeable after a while.

Despite overall enjoying this drama, there were definitely some flaws/things I didn't love.
-I like knowing how things work so one big issue I had was not having more information about Glory and the game's dynamics. With that I was left with a number of questions regarding Ye Xiu's Myriad Manifestation Umbrella. Could any player create their own weapon? And how exactly was that done? Were there any limits? And so on and so forth. Obviously not all of those questions could be answered, but I feel like a few of them could have been to give some basics.
-Sticking with game dynamics to an extent, more information on the guilds too and how they were laid out would have been interesting. They didn't play as big of a role after the first half of the drama, but during the first half it would have been nice to have a little more information.
-One aspect that I consider a flaw is that no one seemed to suspect Lord Grim of being Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu retires and suddenly this new, extraordinarily skilled player appears and no one finds that suspicious? Really?
-In these kind of underdog stories, I hate when they throw in gimmicks to make it so they win when they actually lost. They did that twice in this drama, the first time due to an issue with the referee's timer and the second in the finale they only won because Ye Xiu broke a record. To do it once is bad enough, but twice, especially in the final competition is just lame.
-I know Team Happy needed certain types of players for their team, but I didn't love the way they manipulated people to get them to join. Yes, they gave back game cards even after they'd taken them and ultimately no damage was done and people joined willingly, but they were still manipulative and that didn't sit well with me.

To sum it up, this drama left me with a mix of emotions. There were several scenes that left me feeling quite emotional, for example, when the captains and Shao Tian meet Ye Xiu in the Heavenly Domain and welcome him back and when Team Happy all assembles on stage at the conference. Those scenes were so well done, but a lot of the time, those highly emotional scenes would be followed by filler episodes or scenes that just kind of killed the mood. This drama was truly an emotional roller coaster and not necessarily in a good way. I'm glad that I finished it, but if Season 2 ever comes out, I don't think I'll be watching and I don't think this is a drama that I'll be rewatching, certainly not anytime in the near future.

Leia Mais

SOMEONE GET THIS BOY A COMB PLEASE

Disclaimer...I struggle with most Chinese dramas. There's a cultural mindset gap that I really cannot seem to bridge well, especially when it comes to humor. That being said, I decided to watch this REALLY LONG drama anyhow, because it was about gamers and I like gamers.

The story itself was really fun and engaging and if it had been a 10 episode drama it would have been a much higher rating. This, however, was 40 episodes each like 45 minutes long. That's 30 hours. THIRTY HOURS. I've seen other Chinese dramas and I know that this is actually one of the shorter ones, so I try not to hold the runtime against it. However, 20% of that 30 hours was actually good engaging story and 80% was the lead character giving these weird little-buddah style lectures about life. He was basically like Chinese gamer jesus, telling stories and parables to recruit disciples. It was fun initially but rapidly turned into mindless droning on and on and on.

Even with all the excess boring bits, the theme was still really fun. The whole professional eSports thing was fun to watch and the classic David vs Goliath theme was as stereotypically entertaining as it always it. I'm glad I watched it and I enjoyed it, but it's a lot better in my truncated memory version and the actual act of watching it often felt like work.

Also....can someone please buy this boy a hair brush. I really do not understand at all what they did with his hair to make it look so damaged, frayed, and unappealing. Dude looked like a homeless man who got his hair done for free at the local barber school by a kid who absolutely cooked his hair with chemicals. The lead actor's hair could have stood up and spoken and I wouldn't have been shocked. It was like someone stuck a muppet on top of his head, laughed, and walked away.

Though I will always remember the story fondly, no part of me will ever ever watch this show again willingly. I don't like my entertainment to lecture me.

Leia Mais

It’s been a late review but hope this review find you well.
I have been a big fans of the novel itself, so i had been very excited waiting the drama to finally release last year. Not only the novel and live action drama, the anime is great as well.
Even though the drama has different story to the original in web novel series, you don’t have to worry. It successfully deliver the important elements from the web novel, the friendship, hardwork, effort and teamwork.
The King’s Avatar has been the most number drama I have been re-watching even until now,
In the drama, it brings many unfamiliar actor but experienced actor/actress like Yang Yang, Maggie, Lai Yumeng along with rising actor/actress such as Daisy has brought the characters of TKA very well.
OST is good as well matching bringing added value to the drama itself.
Tencent Pictures has been preparing the drama for 3 years until finally released it.
Can’t wait for the next season 2 where Team Happy compete at the highest league of GLORY.

Leia Mais

Series made for people who already have read the novel.

Headline says everything. If I were to guess, I'd say that they adapted at least 100 chapters of the novel per chapter of the drama, and even had the balls to add OC to it. It's extremely rushed, and it's no exaggeration to say that at least 95% of the world building got lost.

Read the novel first, then watch the drama. It'll be a better experience for you if you treat the drama as an addition to the novel, instead of a standalone series.

Also, how hard is it to get the license for more than 3 songs? The soundtrack feels so repetitive when you're binge watching the series.

Leia Mais

AWESOME!

As I am watching this so far the visual effects are awesome. I am noticing the cast... I am seeing most of the cast are from the "Legend of Fuyao" and to see Yang Yang act among them in the Main Lead is so incredible. The action of gaming... unbelievable! This is a must-see! Yang Yang's other drama series Love O2O is about gaming too. This actor just might be on my Top 10 favorite actor list. I need to see more from Yang Yang. A lot of actors and actresses in this Drama Series and they all did great. There was no romance but only friendships that were made behind this game. I applaud the writer(s) and producers! Thank you!

Leia Mais

Best C-drama and best professional gaming cdrama I've ever watched

Before starting with this review, let me just put it out there. This review is based on my opinions and how I personally feel about this drama. So let's start. There are a lot of good things to say about this drama so I quite don't know here to start but let me start with the cast. Yang yang. The best thing ever that happened to this show is him. This is my first drama of him and now I'm a fan. His smile is to die for DAMNIT and umm he's hot, smoking hot, smoking spicy hot. Moving on, the cast was perfect. Every one of them portrayed their characters flawlessly. You will feel sad for them, you will feel happy for them, you will feel frustrated for them, they'll make you feel everything they feel. You'll even come to love the opponents. There's also character development for a lot of characters.

Secondly, the story. I know this is based on a novel but still I want to praise the story. I heard from some people that a lot of things from the novel were changed in here which acted as a great disappointment for them. So for people who wants to read the novel too, read it after watching this to enjoy the drama properly. Since I watched it without reading the novel, I really enjoyed it a lot. This drama will leave you hooked like something. The drama will move slowly but steadily. You might get bored at first but it gets extremely engaging. I personally found myself get intrigued from episode 8 but it might differ from person to person. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to binge it since it has 40 eps but I did watch it continously.

Another reason to enjoy this drama is the ost. It doesn't matter if you know chinese or not, you will thoroughly enjoy the ost. Every song is a masterpiece. I felt the songs touch my soul. When no words are said, the songs talk to you.

Lastly, the next reason I enjoyed the drama is the life lessons. They're honestly so inspiring and motivating. It showed the characters' personal growth which was so enlightening. You learn about what life really is. You learn about how you should just go with the flow of life and not question it. You learn that a new beginning follows every end and to never give up on your dreams no matter what or who says. So this was an awesome watch for me and I could rewatch it a thousand times and never get bored. If you decide to watch this, prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions.

Happy watching!!

Leia Mais

Must Watch !!! An Epic Journey Through the Gaming World: The King's Avatar

The King's Avatar takes viewers on an exhilarating ride through the immersive world of professional gaming. This Chinese drama is a masterful blend of intense action, strategic gameplay, and compelling characters, making it a must-watch for both gaming enthusiasts and drama lovers alike.

The series revolves around the story of Ye Xiu, a former professional esports player who was forced to retire but makes a triumphant return to the gaming scene. As Ye Xiu reclaims his throne, viewers are treated to breathtaking battles, intricate gaming strategies, and a deep exploration of the esports industry.

What sets The King's Avatar apart is its meticulous attention to detail in portraying the world of competitive gaming. From the elaborate team dynamics to the intricacies of game mechanics, every aspect is meticulously researched and portrayed with authenticity. The show strikes a perfect balance between gaming action and character development, offering a glimpse into the personal struggles and triumphs of the players.

The performances in The King's Avatar are outstanding, with the lead actor bringing Ye Xiu's character to life with a blend of charisma and vulnerability. The supporting cast members are equally impressive, creating a dynamic ensemble that enhances the overall viewing experience.

Another standout aspect of the series is its production quality. The stunning visuals and top-notch special effects make the gaming scenes come alive, immersing the audience in the virtual world. Combined with a well-paced storyline and a captivating soundtrack, The King's Avatar succeeds in creating an addictive and engaging viewing experience.

In conclusion, The King's Avatar is a gripping drama that seamlessly blends the thrill of esports with a compelling narrative. Whether you're a gaming enthusiast or simply appreciate well-crafted storytelling, this series will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Leia Mais

I Love It!

First of all, my review is based on the series only because I didn't read the novel or the manga/anime. At first I was hesitant to watch this series even though my friend recommended it. I watched another series on my list first before I finally ran out of series and turn to this one. I have to say, I regret to not listening to my friend. But of course people have different preference, so this series might not be suitable for other people.

This series is about a pro gamer, a legendary one that is. People refer him as the god, or textbook of the game. That show how good he was. But eventually problem come from his professional team and he got kicked out. The news said he was retiring, but actually he just waiting for his revival. This series followed how he was fall down from the top and start from the bottom again, but not once he falter. Not once he show weakness or thinking about giving up, he give all he got in every game he played. Then he made his own team, filled with problematic people. But then he managed to gather the team members together. solving their problem one by one, train them and make the professional gamer.

The story probably common, but how they presented it was awesome. Ye Xiu as the captain and the legendary player could taught his team members well even when all of them are newbie or rookie. For people who like drama about friendship, motivation, I think this drama is really good. Also the game is a non-existing game, I think it won't even exist until much later in future. But the concept is really good that make you immersed into the game too, two thumbs up for the idea.

Cast is good too, especially Yang Yang as Ye Xiu. I usually don't notice actors whoever they are, but I say Yang Yang is really good in this series. No romance too, another good point from me because I don't like drama that only focused on romance. Music is good too.

Overall I think this series is really good, I gave it 9 out of ten.

Leia Mais

A different kind of e-sport drama; lots of gaming content

Completed - 12/02/2021

I've watched my fair share of e-sports/gaming dramas and The King's Avatar is quite different from Love 020, GGS1, GGS2, Gank Your Heart, Falling Into Your Smile and Cross Fire (I am not counting Love Scenery and You Are My Glory as e-sports dramas). Though it did not surpass my favorite, Cross Fire, it is still a great drama to watch. There is no romance and the focus is on gaming and individual character's growth.

I would recommend this drama if you are a FAN of:

1) E-sports or gaming. Compared to the other esports drama that I've named above, gaming is featured predominantly. You cannot skip the gaming scenes to just focus on Yang Yang and the rest of the cast. If you do that, you would only be watching 20-30% of the drama. The CGI and the gameplay are very well done. I really enjoy the characters having their "faces" in the game. It really helps with distinguishing all the different actors and actresses, as there are many of them in this drama. Though the drama tries to explain the gameplay, I am still a little lost at times and need to rewind and watch certain parts again. I am not a gamer at all, but I do enjoy these dramas.

2) Yang Yang - I suspect the high ratings are partially due to Yang Yang's popularity. I wouldn't say his acting is amazing, but he's quite good in this drama. I just wish it's his own voice because he sounded very different (esp. after I finished watching You Are My Glory not too long ago). I see a different side of him, as his character is not the cool/stoic type as in Love020 or YAMG. He actually has a personality, will joke around and act silly and sarcastic. He should really branch out to more lively roles and not pigeon-holed into the cool and handsome roles. Well, he still looks handsome in casual wear. I also think his character is a little too perfect in this drama.

3) Individual character growth - Most e-sports dramas focus a lot of team building and teammates don't get along with each other. There are still some in this drama, but the majority of the storylines are about personal growth of individual characters. I especially enjoy the story of Qiao YiFang (played by Fang JinWei). He started out as a very shy backup player, and then worked really hard to become a vital part of the team. This is my first drama of Fang JinWei and I really like him. He's adorable but when he cries and I see snot coming out of his nose, I appreciate it :) Each of the team members has their own unique storyline, though not long, but you've seen how far they have come - from first introduced to the last episode.

Other Observations:
1) I also like the friendship and camaraderie of all the team captains. It's great to see even though they are competitors, they are professionals and have an unspoken mutual admiration of each other.
2) Took me a while to get into the personality of FL/Chen Guo (played by Jiang ShuYing).
3) There are a few pretty loud characters who talk non-stop! LOL
4) Are internet cafes really that big and fancy in China?
5) Do esports teams really have so much money that their complexes and dormitories are so grand?

Leia Mais

I don't get it...

I really don't get it. I started this drama because people recommended it after I watched Falling Into Your Smile. Plus, all the raving reviews made my decision pretty easy to watch it. But honestly, I'm not sure what is so special about this drama that everyone loved it. I feel like there are way too many episodes for what it is. The drama could've been shortened and just had a faster pace. I also really don't like the Guo Guo, she is incompetent and ditzy time and time again. I really don't get why they even included her here, I much prefer Tang Rou and Mu Cheng. I love Yang Yang but I don't think he can carry this entire drama. At this point, I'm just trying to speed through this drama and be done with it.

Update: Just coming back here after finishing this drama, all in all, I'm not impressed. It's a nice inspirational story of persistence, tenacity, and friendship. I enjoyed the graphics of the game and I loved Yang Yang's character. But still, I don't think he was able to carry the entire drama like how I mentioned before. I'm glad I'm finally done so I can finally start a different one.

Leia Mais

This is not a solo competition but a Team Competition.

I have seen a lot of dramas, but I have never seen a live action drama like this before.
And I have to say, I am in for it.

Story:
Former professional eSports player Yu Xiu resigned and is fighting his way back to the top.
On his path to glory, he has to deal with several issues and hardships, but together with his newly assigned team, he is overcoming those.

"Our coming together is not to change one another.
But to become better for one another.
The combination of you and me, creates us." - Chen Guo

Friendship and teamwork is what made this series so great.
Joy, frustration, anger as well as loneliness.
Every emotion was portrayed by the characters neatly.
I truly can't express how much each character grew on me.

Totally different characters find each other, bonding over their passion "Glory".
Building a deep relationship towards each other, arguing, fighting and overcoming their hardships. Together.
To be the best Team in this league.

Cast:
The cast did an outstanding job.
With this big of a cast, it would be hard to say something to each one of them, but they truly portrayed their specific character in the best way possible.
Every character was unique and very likeable. So has at least one they adore.
But I want to mention several cast members especially.

Yang Yang (Ye Qiu/ Ye Xiu), was totally immense in the role.
With his various facial expressions, he portrayed his mature and honest character in such a charming way, winning my heart in no time.
While his character had no real character development, he plays a crucial role in the character development of the side characters, while not neglecting any bit of the main story plot.

Lai Yu Meng (Su Mu Cheng), a wholesome friend. Dedicated professional player, who does not forget, in which team she belongs, but supportive of their friends.

Yang Ting Dong (Mo Fan), has probably one of the most interesting side arc. He didn't say much, but the way the team acted towards him was just so heartbreaking.

Huang Shao Tian (Jiang Long). Oh gosh. I have no words for him. With his big grin, his choice of words and the way he acted he is such a mood maker. I wish we could have seen more from him.

OST:
The opening song is chosen perfectly.
It describes even when facing bumpy roads, getting beaten and lose strength not to lose hope and confidence and fight that battle with all your mighty together.
All the other songs were nicely chosen/ composed. They fit neatly into the story and supported the mood of it.

There are many choices, but my choice today is[...]

40 Episodes might sound intimidating to one or another.
For me, it was one of the points, why I always pushed back the drama.
But let me tell you, those 40 Episodes went by so fast.

Once I started it, I couldn't stop anymore.
Each Episode is calming, almost distressing, but at the same time it was hyping me up and getting me excited.
I was on the edge of my seat, screaming, celebrating and rooting for the characters more than I admit.

Overall a fast-paced drama, action filled episodes and a cast, you wish to be part of.

There are many choices, but my choice today is: Team Happy.
What is yours?

Leia Mais