Not all gems are meant to be discovered. Some might remain hidden forever, but that doesn’t make them any less of a gem, and this donghua is one of those. I’ll never understand why it didn’t get popular. I know Chinese donghua aren’t as widely known as Japanese anime, but even by donghua standards, Celestial Bonds feels way too unknown. It feels like even Chinese fans don’t know about it. I don’t know if it was weak promotion, an unknown studio/staff, obscure source material, or something else, but it genuinely makes me sad that such a well-made animated series with such a compelling cast isn’t watchedby more people.

The characters are the biggest strength. There are many of them, since the story usually shifts focus to a new set of characters in each arc (or more accurately, each mini-arc). The whole series is built around these mini-arcs, and every 3–4 episodes basically feels like its own complete story. I can’t even pick a favorite, because all of them have genuinely interesting plots.

What I adore most is the sheer amount of plot twists. The show just never stops surprising you, and it never gets boring. Each story also feels like a life lesson on its own, and I always appreciate it when something I watch “just for fun” actually leaves an impact. Most series are entertaining at best, but they rarely teach me anything or emotionally influence me. Celestial Bonds does. The characters carry so much sadness, regret, love, and everything in between. They move you, they shock you, they frustrate you, and sometimes they’ll make you cry. The writing is consistently strong.

And the visuals deserve praise too. The art is beautiful, and the animation is solid, especially for a series that apparently had very little hype behind it. You can tell the animators still gave it their all.

Good characters, good visuals, good plot, good music. I honestly have very little to complain about. I just hope we get a season 2, because the story feels far from finished. I have no idea if a sequel will ever happen, but I sure hope it does.