Tumblr's Year in Review rankings hold both surprising and unsurprising results. My Hero Academia and Haikyuu! among 2020's biggest anime and manga hits on the site, and Naruto is persisting as a timeless classic. But, One Piece and Demon Slayer are rather low on the Top 10. In fact, these two Japanese shonen heavyweights are beaten by the donghua (Chinese animation) Mo Dao Zu Shi, or The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
Mo Dao Zu Shi's protagonists Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji also made it to the Top Character list, beating several popular mainstream characters like Hinata from Haikyuu!. But what exactly is Mo Dao Zu Shi about, and how has it taken Tumblr by storm?
Mo Dao Zu Shi is a supernatural Boys Love franchise with an extensive collection of media spinoffs. The creator, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, is also the author of Heaven Official's Blessing, another Xianxia donghua currently streaming on Funimation. Mo Dao Zu Shi originally started as a novel, then received a donghua, a manhua and even a live-action drama called The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling in Chinese, and abbreviated as CQL). The Untamed is also very popular -- voted the number one drama on China's social media site, Weibo. It is also available to stream on Netflix, further widening its popularity around the world.
The series centers on protagonist Wei Wuxian, the grandmaster of all demonic cultivators, who is feared by many for his moral ambiguity and chaotic ways, including necromancy powers. Eventually, he is backstabbed by one of his closest companions as the clans of his world feared his growing power. 13 years after his death, he is summoned into the body of a man named Mo Xuanyu, who sacrificed his soul for revenge against his abusive family.
Wei Wuxian adopts Mo Xuanyu's eccentric personality to try and carry out his host's wishes but soon meets a cultivator from his past: a strict man named Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian then finds himself part of a suspicious conspiracy that may resolve the mystery of several deaths, including Wei Wuxian's own.
The story is somewhat convoluted and tends to use a lot of flashbacks. However, despite a rocky start and a confusing tone, the plot becomes more intense as it progresses. Its characters are also very strong and well-developed, landing them in high spots in the anime and manga "Fandometrics" lists. Wei Wuxian, the chaotic main character, possesses cheerful eccentricity and undeniable charm, while Lan Wangji appeals to those who love stoic types with soft insides.
Another popular character on Tumblr's popular anime and manga character list is Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian's brother with whom he has a bitter, complicated relationship. Though these are only names on the list this year, the rest of the cast holds up as well. Fans have also been very taken by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's developing relationship. Tumblr has traditionally been drawn to the tension between two male leads in anything, and being an official OTP certainly helps their popularity.
The series' visuals aren't to be ignored either -- Mo Dao Zu Shi is well-animated with a style that makes its men look very pretty, resulting in many GIF-worthy sets and photo edits. The characters' good looks are admired by many fan artists, with their Tags on the site full of amazing art with thousands of notes. This isn't exclusive to Tumblr either, as many artists on Twitter and other sites also draw fan art based on Mo Dao Zu Shi.
A mystery setting with pretty boys is specifically Tumblr's dream, though, considering its obsession with shows like Sherlock, Supernatural and Doctor Who. Mo Dao Zu Shi also stands out against shonen works, which, though are interesting in their own right, tend to recycle plot ideas and have similar premises. Plus, many interested in anime may not know much about the genre of Xianxia, which is rooted in Chinese fantasy and mythology -- making the setting extremely unique.
With an extensive world and several adaptions already to enjoy, fans have a lot of content to discuss, especially as the manhua and drama are still ongoing. This content, along with the vast amount of fanworks and online discussions, has garnered Mo Dao Zu Shi huge popularity on Tumblr (and beyond) that clearly is going from strength to strength in an area otherwise dominated by the likes of Demon Slayer. Let's see if the series continues to hold up in 2021.
