#somehow connecting the ancient human era to imperial china as a game concept would be so fun

[simayeeet]

I attempted to watch this Chinese drama that takes place during the mythical era of China's origin (I think it's officially called the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Era? Perhaps just Pre-Imperial China or Pre-Xia Dynasty.). It is not in English so I used my elementary Chinese skills to try and understand it to the point I kinda got what was going on. I was surprised it was from 2010 too, like around the same time as the newer Sanguo adaptation.

The era is like pre-imperial version of Sanguo, which I think drawing parallels between that era and the famous 3K era would be a fun concept. After all, when you boil them both down to their most basic ideas, it is just a buncha human leaders trying to unify China, eventually leading down to 3 factions fighting in the last stretch. (Shennong/Yandi, Huangdi, and Chiyou for the ancient humans, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan for imperial China) (though Chiyou I'd say was more like if Lu Bu didn't lose Xiapi)

My incomplete findings:

The show is called Ancient Legends in English though I can only watch it by searching its Chinese name. What I pieced together was:

The protagonist is Shennong, who was born with an unknown father, which led to the patriarch of his tribe trying to kill him, but learned how to use fire which saved him. He became king at some point and wanted to unify central China, but had to fight Huangdi in a decisive battle that left him defeated and injured. When he was fleeing, a pretty lady saved him (later turns out to be Huangdi's neglected wife) and they ran off to live in a remote forest together because they fell in love. Shennong originally was called Yandi, but he changed his name and basically went into hiding. Though people and Huangdi recognize him as the former king.

There is another character Huashen, the goddess of flowers, who comes down to Earth to help do some things, beat up people, got kidnapped by a dragon prince, but saved herself. Some stuff I didn't pick up but she is a spunky fighter princess overall. Like if Sun Shang Xiang was actually written correctly, you know.

Shennong's pretty girlfriend dies (I think she was sick) and he gets super sad and then meets this strange man that he learns is his father, Fuxi. (Which made me do a little grimace when I remembered the Warriors Orochi versions. But that's par for the course, there's so many variations of how related these gods are. Shennong is sometimes Fuxi and Nuwa's distant descendent depending on your source.) Fuxi and Nuwa are siblings and Nuwa made her clay people. Nuwa I think is the Jade Emperor's wife here. But in this drama, Fuxi rejected his godhood to live among humans and become their king, hit up Shennong's mom, then leave.

There was an ongoing war between Huangdi and Chiyou that happens in the background. Throughout the show, there's this old dude acting like a meta narrator, telling you little tidbits or surmising myths that get featured in the show. He's revealed to be the guy who acts like a messenger for the Jade Emperor in Journey to the West where he I think tells Sun Wukong he was Protector of the Horses (stableboy). Either him or Laozi. It's hard to tell these Taoist old men apart ok. This is why you need to yassify them-That wouldn't help either.

This show also uses some funny cgi for monsters, like a qulin Shennong has is Hot Cheeto red and looks out of place wherever it goes. There is a scene where a god is talking to a floating 3d turtle and then it zooms up on its face and it's just A REAL ASS TURTLE face with a voice coming out of it. Honestly I loved it.

This would be a good show if I COULD UNDERSTAND IT. Sadly I could not find it with English subtitles, so I am just taking my crude piecing togethers and running.