Heaven Official's Blessing made waves for being the first-ever donghua series to air on Funimation and was a huge success. Season 1 met with a lot of love from fans who were overjoyed to see their favorite characters on screen. The art and animation style also garnered a lot of praise for how beautiful the world looked.
Now that a second season is confirmed for the latter part of 2022, it's the perfect time to start or rewatch Heaven Official's Blessing. Here's what the franchise is about and all the different ways newcomers can dive into the story.
The Plot of Heaven Official's Blessing
Loved by everyone in his nation and in the heavens 800 years ago, Xie Lian is now the most ridiculed god in all three realms. Despite being a god who has very little luck, little to no spiritual powers and even fewer followers, he's not the least bit perturbed and spends most of his days collecting scraps or helping the common people out. After ascending the heavens for the third time, Xie Lian accidentally incurs a huge amount of debt and has to pay it off by investigating cases in the mortal and ghost realms.
Along the way, Xie Lian encounters the enigmatic Hua Cheng -- also known as the Crimson Rain Sought Flower -- who makes anyone quake in their boots at the very mention of his name. All except Xie Lian, who is more confused as to why one of the four ghost kings is interested in him. After all, he's a laughing stock in all three realms. But Hua Cheng knows and understands him on a level much deeper than even Xie Lian realizes.
Where to Read the Heaven Official's Blessing Novel
Many donghua and/or manhua are based on web novels and are largely inaccessible to international fans because of the language barriers. Thankfully the Heaven Official's Blessing novel, written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, has an official English release. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment, the series has opted to keep most of the Chinese terms and provides a glossary, footnotes and character guides, as well as the short stories. Even better, the fans have also played a part in the English release's creation, with some being official translators and others supplying the art on the cover as well as on the pages inside.
The story is split between several important points in Xie Lian's life, going back and forth between his present life to when he was a crown prince more than 800 years ago to the tragedies that struck, leaving him with next to nothing. As a result, Heaven Official's Blessing will be split into several volumes. The first was released on December 14.
Physical copies of Heaven Official's Blessing can be found local retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Book Warehouse, Massy Books, Walmart, RightStuf, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, and Target all ranging from $19.99-$26.99. Volume 1 is also available digitally on Amazon, Apple Books, Book Walker, Google Play, and Nook Book at a cheaper price.
Where to Read the Heaven Official's Blessing Manhua
The art is one of the most eye-catching factors of the Heaven Official's Blessing donghua, and the manhua is no different. Illustrated by STARember, the manhua has beautiful artwork depicting the heavens' palaces and the details on the characters' robes. The color palette and choices create a mesmerizing effect, as well as the hilarious meme-worthy expressions on characters like Xie Lian.
The Heaven Official's Blessing manhua can be found digitally on Bilibili Comics for free, with newer chapters accessible only through the app. However, the newer ones may be locked behind a paywall in the future. The chapters released so far do go beyond the events in Season 1 so for those who would like to watch Season 2 without spoilers, tread carefully. Unfortunately, western fans won't be able to find physical versions of the manhua yet but since the Chinese version was recently released, it may not be long before the translated version gets the same treatment.
Where to Watch the Heaven Official's Blessing Donghua
Season 1 of Heaven Official's Blessing can be streamed on Funimation, both in Chinese with English subtitles and in the English dub -- which also happens to be Funimation's first English-dubbed donghua. There are 11 episodes, as well as a special episode with a surprise awaiting viewers (and Xie Lian). Although there is no confirmation yet, it's likely Season 2 will be streamed on the same platform. Heaven Official's Blessing was also Netflix's first donghua to stream and Season 1 is available there.
For newcomers to the donghua space or anyone wanting to try reading Chinese BL, Heaven Official's Blessing is the perfect gateway. The story is rich in politics, Chinese fantasy, and what it means to have faith in someone at their highest and lowest points. But what makes Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's relationship so beautiful is that although they went through a lot to finally get together, their love endures and remains strong in the face of any trials.
