The Official Blessing of Heaven is originally a BL novel written by MXTX Chinese author, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, who is also the writer of Mo Dao Zu Shi, a famous BL anime in ‘Wuxia’ World. It also had a popular live-action adaptation called The Untamed. It has been viewed 8 billion times and stands as one of the most famous dramas. The Official Blessing of Heaven also gained a lot of viewers for its captivating plot. It was Funimation’s first BL donghua (Chinese anime), and fans are now waiting for Heaven’s Official Blessing Season 2
The first season of Heaven’s Official Blessing had 11 episodes and one special episode. Xie Lian is a fallen god who was human 800 years ago and rose to the position of God because of his amazing deeds for mankind. He was quite famous until he saw the cruelty of war and decided to rise back to Earth. He is a preacher of non-violence, but despite his appearance, none of the wars stopped, which is why he is a fallen god with almost no spiritual strength. The plot gets interesting when he ascends a third time as a god of garbage and misfortune and encounters a man in red clothes, who introduces himself as San Lang. This mysterious man is the key to Xie Lian’s past. Both, along with two more celestial officers, embark on the journey to investigate and hunt ghosts.
Heaven’s Official Blessing/Tian Gu Ci Fu: Season 2 Trailer & Spoilers
Season 2 recently received a trailer and preview where viewers are excited to see Hua Cheng as the king of the ghost town, where Xie Lian sneaks in with the wind god to investigate a case. For this, San Lang and Xie Lian received a special episode, the 12th episode. Their relationship dynamics and mysterious past were discovered in this episode. However, Emperor Pei is suspicious of San Lang’s behavior, and he and the Crown Prince suspect him of being one of the Ghost King, known as the Crimson Rain Sought Flower, Hua Cheng. It comes as a complete surprise that why would a Ghost King help Xie Lian build his temple? Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Xie Lian, is ordered to investigate this matter, and he goes to the Ghost City along with the Wind God, who can easily bend his gender. Xie Lian encounters several ghosts and madmen in the city, which leads him to a mysterious man under the veil, who he later realizes is Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng was a young boy whose life was saved by Xie Lian 800 years ago. Hua Cheng was abused in childhood and got a lot of bad luck from one of the calamities, White No Face. When he was ten years old, he climbed one of the railings during the God-pleasing Festival’s Parade in Xian Le kingdom. He initially planned to jump and kill himself, which would stop the parade and draw attention to the disaster in the kingdom and drag the Xianle Kingdom with him as a final act of revenge.
However, this plan was not successful because when he saw Xie Lian, the crown prince of Xian Le, who was doing a sword dance in the procession along with Mu Qing. He was so impressed by the prince’s beauty that he forgot about the suicide and bent over to see more of him, causing him to suddenly fall from the banister. Xie Lian caught him gracefully and rescued the boy.
Three years after Xie Lian’s first ascension, Hua Cheng regularly cared and lived at the Crown Prince’s shrine. God’s image was supposed to contain a flower of white clay, but it broke off, so that he tucked in a fresh white flower every day. Unfortunately, he was often thrown out of his home so that he would remain in the crown prince’s shrine without eating anything. Xie Lian often fell under the spell of invisibility and tried to get the boy to eat the sacrificial fruit. However, Hua Cheng would rather starve than eat Xie Lian’s sacrifice.
Once, Xie Lian left a red umbrella for him. Hua Cheng realized Xie Lian was there and hopelessly told Xie Lian how he lived in pain, thinking every day about how to kill everyone and then himself. He asked the crown prince what he should live for. Xie Lian suddenly broke the rule of heaven to answer the boy. He asked Hua Cheng to live for him. Inspired by his words, Hua Cheng ate the sacrificial fruits and took with him the crimson umbrella he carries until now, even after 800 years. When Hua Cheng turned into a Ghost King, he challenged the 33 gods who had chased Xie Lian from the spiritual mountain, defeating 31 of them and causing them to lose their spiritual powers. The other two gods did not take up the challenge and ended up as Heavenly Officials who later went on to work for Xie Lian.
Although Hua Cheng is one of the most handsome men in the novel, as well as the manhua, he sees himself as one with scars for life. His past trauma has led him to believe that he does not deserve Xie Lian. MXTX, the author confirmed this by saying in an interview that Hua Cheng was regularly called an ugly beast during his childhood because of his heterochromia. Heterochromia is a condition in which the iris colors of both eyes are different. As he became more powerful, he came to believe that he wasn’t so ugly, but his inferiority remained, and he would still feel deprived in front of his crush, Xie Lian.
Heaven’s Official Blessing/Tian Gu Ci Fu: Release Date
Heaven Official’s Blessing ended in China in early January 2021, and many fans were delighted to learn that the series has been officially renewed for a second season. Even before the season 1 finale even aired on Bilibili, the production had already announced that they had started the second season. Side characters, such as the Wind Master, who can turn into a man or a woman whenever they want, will get more screen time in Season 2, according to the manhua. The special episode told fans about Xie Lian and San Lang’s relationship, and the real life. San Lang’s identity will be revealed in Season 2. Fortunately, the second season of Heaven Official’s Blessing will air sometime in late 2022. The theme song from season 2 was released as well.
Heaven’s Official Blessing: Season 1 Recap & Spoilers from Manhua
Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 1 was released in 2021 on Funimation and on Netflix on April 9 for international viewers. Heaven’s Official Blessing/Tian Guan Ci Fu has a manhua and season 1 included 61 chapters of the manhua in the 12 episodes. The manhua has beautiful artwork and season 1 was great too! Although some romantic scenes were skipped in the anime due to censorship, the chemistry was preserved and it shone through!
The plot involved Xie Lian, who featured the crown prince of the Xian Le kingdom. Eight hundred years ago, he was loved by his citizens, and everyone adored him. He ascended to a heaven at a very young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances such as the war, he was banished back to the mortal realm after four years of a lavish life. Years later, he manages to ascend again and is banished again a few minutes after his ascension. Now, centuries later, he was created to be the ‘garbage god’, and his spiritual energy has been greatly weakened because people had forgotten the glorious crown prince.
Xie Lian must descend to the mortal world to exorcise ghosts and demons, which can help him maintain his divinity. During this adventure, Xie Lian encounters two celestial officials he already knows and a rather mysterious young man in red. As a team, these four experience many bizarre events during their investigation and journey. They also gradually learn about the dark past of the seemingly glamorous sky. But with a positive outlook, Xie Lian later discovers that the man in red has been waiting 800 years for him to meet him again. The boy wanted to kill himself because his face was scarred by an illness and he had no money for food or treatment. He jumped off during Xie Lian’s parade, which took place 800 years ago, and surprisingly, he was rescued by the Crown Prince, Xie Lian. This man in red, San Lang, transcended a spirit waiting for his savior and the love of his life. The fans later find out that Hua Cheng is the young man who saved Xie Lian.
Where can you watch Heaven’s Official Blessing?
Heaven’s Official Blessing Season 1 is available on Netflix, YouTube channel Bilibili (Only for members who clicked ‘Join’ and paid some fees), and Funimation.
