Huang Yan

This donghua has quite the interesting setting. It's set in a modern or near future setting, and focuses on many psychological and societal issues that are now part of our lives because of what our world has become. The plot revolves around a low self-esteem, "ugly" young women who is bullied and judge because of her looks. She is depressed, in a self-destructive relationship and even turns to self harm as a way of coping. Eventually she overhears of some truths she has been intentionally convincing herself is not true, and so turns to plastic surgery to try to start life anew. Unfortunately, there is ... no reset button or new game option, as the past can never truly be washed away. Through this experience she grows as a person, finds that she is not as alone as she thought, and finally embraces both her past, mistakes and takes a step forward without being controlled by the opinion of others.

This donghua was very enjoyable. It really targets many issues that stem from modern technology, modern society (like social media), bullying, and depression. It even touches on corruption and manipulation of public opinion by the powerful (or rich). This show is a great critique of our current modern society and what is wrong with it.

The show itself presents a good message for us: we should know the sanctity of life, and no matter how hard it is, we can work past it and grow as a person. (Also, we should not be overly conscious of others' opinions).

I'm going to have to put this up there with Link Click and Mo Dao Zu Shi as shining masterpieces of donghua. I was left after the end with that clammy empty feeling when all emotions are completely wrung out. This is criminally underrated at 6.72 at this time. I can only imagine it is due to a strong bias against donghua and against 3D CGI, and against adult drama in favor of pretty fight scenes. (The stats show a very anormal distribution. This is probably due to dishonest voting.) The visuals here are not the strong point, but I think people rate visuals too ... highly. The screenplay, story and direction is pretty much flawless.

The story remains tense and nail-biting over the entire series. Nearly every episode feels like a cliff-hanger, and the unease never really goes away even during the most peaceful or romantic parts. It doesn't feel cheap, because the direction is such that the tone is very consistent and there is a lot of foreshadowing. It is incredibly well-paced, always on edge. Though the episodes are short, there is enough development of characters and plot-lines that it does not feel rushed.

I love the character development on both the MC Han Yuxi and the doctor Ling Huantao. Han is at times timid and at times resolute, and it makes her feel like a full human, and makes her even more brave (bravery isn't the absence of fear, but when you are afraid and determined anyway). She grows as she faces challenges and through introspection. Doctor Ling is a complex character who can't be reduced into a hero or a villain.

The donghua is chock full of social commentary, without compromising the hero's story. Some parts are obvious as given in a speech by the MC, but some is up to the viewer's interpretation. Is Han living a lie by changing herself, or she asserting control of her own life? It's important to have a good view of yourself and not only look at what others see you as. But that doesn't mean you can completely ignore what others think.

The animation is not bad, but does detract from the overall quality of the work. Unfortunately, the 3D models aren't able to convey the same level of emotion through their movements as live-action. I'm not quite sure why they didn't make this a live-action, as it does feel more appropriate for this kind of work. Maybe filling a cast with similar looking beauties would have been hard. I think that the semi-realistic 3D style used here is definitely a better match for this story than some 2D bishoujo style, because the 3D style gives it a certain verisimilitude which makes the story feel more real and scary rather than fantastical. Some of the shading looks too plastic, and some of the backgrounds look too simple, which detracts a little. It doesn't look as good as something like Yuan Long. But it's leagues better than Berserk.

The soundtrack is amazing. The OP and ED play pieces of the same song, which is both extremely unnerving and exhilarating, and it is blended into the episode seamlessly such that the emotional effect of the story combines with the powerful song. A portion of the song will play during the episode. The story-boarding must have been very clever to reach that compatibility. Several other songs play, like a beautiful insert song "Love You", the soulful "茧", the powerful "來者是我". They stand alone well but also fit the theme of the story. Quite packed for a short series.

This is very suprising for me, i didn't expect to enjoy this as much as i did, watched with a friend & they also agree with me in saying:

Han yuxi (Main Character) had fantastic character development. I wasn't expecting to like this series since I don't usually watch or read donghua stories but this very satisfying to watch & thrilling right until the end. 谢谢.

The story aimed to deliver messages about society & the perspective of the world, as well as the illusions we draw for ourselves regarding materialistic desires. If you can look past the animation style , i would definitely recommend giving ... this a try

If anyone wants to know the name of the songs played:

Opening/ending: 谎颜 (《谎颜》动画主题曲)

Final episode han yuxi speech: 茧 (《谎颜》 动画插曲)