DAOMU BIJI LIVE ADAPTATION

ps: i sorted everything based on the order to watch (except timer raiders because that movie is HAHAHAHAHAHA) i want to highlight that every adaptation, even though they were adapted from the same sources, doesn't really connect to each other, so treat them as individual works lol :DDD but, ultimate note and sand sea have plenty parallel scenes!!

The Mystic Nine - 2016

Length: 48 episodes
Adapted from: Lao Jiu Men (老九门) - a prequel from daomu biji story

Synopsis: During the era of the republic, the town of Changsha was guarded by nine families known as the "Old Nine Gates" (or the "Mystic Nine" Clan). They were incredibly powerful families who wield supreme power over everything in Changsha.

It's set during Wu Xie's grandfather, Wu Laogou.

This drama also has four side stories;
1. The Mystic Nine Side Story: Ganges Killing the Trees (it's about Huo Saniang solving a mysterious curse)
2. The Mystic Nine Side Story: Four Belongs to Abelmoschus (a spin-off about Chen Pi Ah Si)
3. The Mystic Nine Side Story: Tiger Bones Plum Blossom (it's about Xie Jiuye and Zhang Rishan solving a murder case)
4. The Mystic Nine Side Story: Flowers Bloom in February (a side story about Er Yue Hong)

personal opinion: i haven't read the novel yet and i already forgot things about this drama since i watched it a long time ago. but the drama didn't really focus on the whole tomb raiding or around lao jiu men but the romance that became too painful to watch. it also has political power / struggle plus war. there are some shippy moments as well between fo ye and er ye (the ending song for this drama even used a fan song for their ship LOL). there's also another bromance between zhang rishan and ba ye.

another note, i havent watched any of the side stories so i couldnt comment about them.

The Lost Tomb 1 - 2015

Length: 10 episodes
Adapted from: half of book 1

Synopsis: Wu Xie, discovers a secret within his grandfather's notes. Together with his third uncle and a few other experienced tomb robbers, they searched for the treasure.

personal opinion: this adaptation kinda followed the book when they were in tomb but they degraded the characters ALOT. also, they added some OCs for only god knows what and they suddenly added scene from book 7 :DDDDDD

The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note - 2019

Length: 40 episodes
Adapted from: half of book 1, book 2, and a little snippet of book 3

Synopsis: Wu Xie tries to unravel his uncle past's and he went to an undersea tomb near Xisha. Later, with the lead he found he went to a mountain in Qinling and met his old friend.

personal opinion: this adaptation is okay BUT THE DRAGGING AND THE INSTRUSIVE BGM OH MY GOD. i like the iron triangle in TLT2, i also like how they added xiaoge and pangzi during the sacred qinling tree arc. you need to be accompanied by your fast forward button to watch this drama (because you will watch people walking in snow forever, people diving under the water for a long time LOL with EDM backsound) AND THE ENDING LMAO

The Lost Tomb 2: Heavenly Palace on the Clouds - (hasn't aired)

Length: 24 episodes
Adapted from: book 3
Rumoured to be aired in February 2021

Synopsis: Wu Xie goes to Changbai Mountain.

Ultimate Note - 2020

Length: 36 episodes
Adapted from: book 4, 5, 6, and 7 (YES FOUR BOOKS)

Synopsis: Wu Xie gets into the depth of mystery that awaiting upon him. He went to Golmud then Gobi Desert and found a rain forest that led him to the Palace of the Heavenly Queen Mother. Zhang Qiling lost his memories, Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi went to Banai to search for his memories.

personal opinion: take a deep breath OKAY, so this drama is the only adaptation so far that gave justice to the original books. this drama isn't perfect, it has flaws, but you can feel the sincerity and love that they put during the process, from the actors and the whole team. they even went to the actual settings like gobi desert, rain forest, and many more. AND IT COVERED F O U R BOOKS!! IT ALSO HAS COHERENT PLOTS BECAUSE THEY ANSWERED QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF DIGGING ANOTHER PITS. im gonna keep manifesting for impossibility to get book 8 adaptation by the same team, same actors, and same script quality.

Sand Sea / Tomb of the Sea - 2018

Length: 52 episodes
Adapted from: Sha Hai / 沙海 - a sequel from daomu biji story

Synopsis: Li Cu, an ordinary senior high school student was kidnapped and brought to the Badain Jaran Desert. Of those who went there, none has came back alive. The scars on his back, holds the key to the mystery of the ancient tombs. Under the threat of Wu Xie, Li Cu follows him to the ancient tombs.

It's set around nine years after the main story.

this drama has three side stories:
1. Tomb of the Sea Side Story: Bang Ren (it's about Huo Youxin and Bai She who got infected with a strange affliction)
2. Tomb of the Sea Side Story: Hua Mei (it's about Liu Sang)
3. Tomb of the Sea Side Story: Ran Gu (it's about Huo Daofu and Kan Jian)

personal opinion: i like sha hai! wu xie alot. BUT, the dragging and the fillers in this drama are pretty hmmmmmm. if you like some extra characters maybe you will be fond of them tho. i just feel that it lacked wu xie; ruthless wu xie, xiedi, pining wu xie, widowed wu xie. I WILL BE FOREVER SALTY THEY DIDNT GIVE US SHINIAN :DDD also, ultimate note and sha hai have the same xiaoge (they also have the same team so you will see so many parallel scenes between those two. which is great bc THE PAIN!!!). sha hai has great actors! the female characters are amazing!!

on another note: i have no idea about the side stories and they havent been translated yet (so the links i put are the raws)

Reunion: The Sound of Providence 1 & 2 - 2020

Length: 62 episodes S1 (32) and S2 (30)
Adapted from: Chong Qi / 重启 - a sequel from daomu biji story

Synopsis: Wu Xie got a message from his supposed to be missing uncle and it led him to more mysteries about thunder.

It's set three or four years after Zhang Qiling came back from the bronze door.

personal opinion: i have so many many rage and salt about this adaptation so i wont say much. what i regretted the most about this drama is how everyone was so OOC, unbearable romance stories, badly written female characters, THE LACK OF TOMB RAIDING, and how the side characters have more roles and screentime than the supposed to be main characters or the original book characters :DDDDDDDD

Time Raiders (Movie) - 2016

Synopsis: Raised by his uncle, Wu Xie is fascinated by old architecture and antiques. Once, his family had got a very special piece of bronze by accident, but when they dug deeper, they traced and found a lost kingdom buried in the basin of north-west China named Xiwangmu Dynasty. Thus, Wu’s family recruited a group of expert raiders, including a mysterious stranger by the name of Zhang Qiling, and went deep into the ruins of the ancient city.

aka a dmbj AU no one has ever asked but existed anyway.