“It’s brave but dumb to have such ambitions when you were young. It’s dumb, but also brave,”

• Hua Cheng

Tian Guan Ci Fu’s special is a really nice way to wrap up the first series, moving away from the action and major plot reveals to take a quieter look at the core of the series.

By focusing more on the relationship between the two main characters, this special is calm and well-paced. It also ties up the main plot threads of Tian Guan Ci Fu, ensuring that the audience understands the most important elements of the plot. It is not patronising in its approach either, which is refreshing. It was also nice to see a bit more of the relationship between Banyue and Lian Xie, offering a bit more depth to the pair which was absent in the main series. This was mostly down to the low episode count and the disconnect between Lian Xie’s past and present.

This special also answers a couple of questions or, at the very least, acts as a confirmation for some of the mysteries present in the main series. These are handled well, matching the tone of the special while not feeling too much like exposition. The special also manages to navigate and bridge these two elements of his story without exposing too much; allowing for some mystery to remain and be expanded upon in the next season.

The more relaxed pace of the episode really highlights the strengths of Tian Guan Ci Fu. This is most notably the animation style and music which perfectly capture the mood. Despite its limited setting, the special still manages to showcase its ability to encapsulate the emotions being felt. It really is a shame that, due to the pacing of the plot along with the amount of talking that goes on in the main series, the music is also often overlooked. However, in this episode, the music is allowed to shine and take centre stage.

The biggest problem with Tian Guan Ci Fu’s special episode is that, due to its focus on concluding and summarising the first season’s events, it can feel a bit repetitive. This is especially true when it reuses a couple of scenes. However, this doesn’t affect the more emotional elements of the episode and it is an understandable necessity.

Overall, this episode is definitely a great way to wrap up Tian Guan Ci Fu. It highlights the important elements of the main series, condenses them into an easily digestible format, yet retains an emotional and character-driven core that makes this special a strong addition to the series. And, with a second season on the horizon, the special will work well as a quick recap for those who don’t want, or aren’t patient enough, to rewatch the series again.

This episode definitely makes me hopeful for the next season which has the potential to be even better than the first.