Before I start my review, I want to point out that even though this donghua is tagged as action and fantasy, the fantasy elements stop only at the fact that demons and demi-humans exist (with some wuxia/martial art elements mixed in), and the action is good but not a focus. So if you are here purely to see action or heavy fantasy elements, this is not for you. Now onto the review: This review will have some spoilers to this and will evaluate this work as an adaptation of its source material (novel). I will give it an adaptation score based on how closely it followsthe novel and a score on how well it tells a story through the medium of donghua.

The story of Zichuan follows the life of 3 brothers, Di Lin, Sterling, and Zichuan Xiu (Zichuan Xiu being the main MC of the story), as they fight for the country. The first 1/3 of the story focuses on the attempted coup and its suppression with the help of the three brothers. Because of their philosophies and actions, they are rewarded differently, with 2 rising in power and Zichuan Xiu being "punished". The remainder of the covers the wars/battles that are the fallout caused by the attempted coup.

The donghua does a good job with its exposition, so that new viewers can get a good general understanding of the plot. However, it is very difficult to understand many of the intricacies and finer details because it is too difficult to show in animated format. This donghua, in my opinion, is so much more enjoyable if you have read the novel. Another criticism of this donghua is that there seems to be misplaced humor and its somewhat disjointed (tangental) stories. This is because some attempt has been made to include the signature comedy that the novel that made it popular, and introduce characters that are important and relevant in future seasons (but not so currently). This results in some awkward moments and can cause confusion. Last but not least, I recommend reading the "side story" review and watching the "side stories" since they are important, but not required to enjoy this fully.

As an adaptation, I think this donghua does a good job. There have been quite a few changes, but the overall story is the same. Unfortunately, the story/plot is too pack, complex, and detailed for it the studio to cram it into 42 episodes, so some sacrifices had to be made. There are also changes to introduce more characters, like Liufeng Shuang who is not that important in this season but is very important later in the story, or to give more importance to others, like Zichuang Ning (a side character whose existence many of the MC's decisions revolve around). The comedic side of the novel has also been simplified and cut, since most of it was immersion-breaking. Overall, despite the changes, I think this adaptation did a good job in telling the story to new viewers (those who have never read the novel before), though there are many details that can be understood only if you've read the novel. Having read the novel will definitely boost enjoyment.
Adaptation score (how faithful to source): 7/10