Film Name: 畫江湖之天罡 / The Legend
Ruosen has released a film in the Bad Guys series, a joyous occasion for loyal fans. Titled Tiangang, it recounts the legend of Yuan Tiangang—how he tested medicines for Emperor Taizong, founded the Bad Guys, ended Empress Wu Zetian’s reign, and restored the Tang Dynasty. With 108 Bad Guys officially listed, does this mean there will be 107 more films to come? After the sixth season of the animated series concluded, some fans even compiled a list of all the Bad Guys who had appeared. One of the biggest draws of this film is the introduction of seven new members: Shen Lang (Star of Heavenly Nobility), Song Dabao (Star of Heavenly Might), Zhang Jianzhi (Star of Heavenly Guard), Lü Da (Star of Heavenly Beast), Reclining Buddha (Star of Heavenly Prison), Sun Erniang (Star of Heavenly Treasure), and Zhen Xiu (Star of Heavenly Loss). By the time Bad Guys concludes, all one hundred and eight will have been named.
Another highlight of the film is that the side effects of the Elixir of Immortality are not irreversible. The General manages through forced suppression and Yin-Yang harmonization, while the antagonist uses the “Duo Kuo Huo” technique as an aid. What exactly “Duo Kuo Huo” represents remains unclear. Some commentaries suggest it’s an unmodified version of the Nine Netherworld Divine Heaven Technique, which seems plausible. We’ll have to wait for the Corpse Ancestor faction to clarify this—Jian Chen surely knows best. The female lead is Fan Qiao’er, a girl capable of influencing the Marshal’s thoughts and emotions. Initially thought to be Jiang Chen’s predecessor, it turns out she’s merely one of the Marshal’s female disciples—meaning Li Xingyun would have to address her as senior sister. The plot begins in the late Zhou Dynasty. The aging Empress Wu Zetian is bewitched by her male favorite, Zhang Wulang, who covets the Elixir of Immortality to forge divine martial arts—his imperial ambitions laid bare. I initially puzzled over why Wu Zetian was portrayed this way, until the real Empress finally appeared at the end, revealing all previous depictions were impostors.
Meanwhile, Yuan Tiangang had resigned as Imperial Astrologer to fulfill Li Chunfeng’s dying wish: scattering his ashes across three locations. One was the Anle Pavilion brothel in Chang’an, where the General encountered Fan Qiao’er. Her sister had been deceived by Zhang Wulang, leading to the entire brothel being buried alive. The General’s calculations proved accurate—it was indeed a place of calamity. Had Fan Qiao’er not followed the General away, she too would have perished. Begging the General to teach her martial arts so she could return and seek vengeance, she demonstrated both resolve and worth. Thus, the General relented and agreed, taking her to the Hidden Weapons Valley to select the weapon Hua Lun Needle Crossbow and imparting the Hua Yang Needle Technique. A minor digression: The General had arranged for Lü Da’s family to retreat to the Twelve Caves. This occurred two centuries before Li Xingyun’s era, establishing a prior connection between the Twelve Caves and the General. It seems the Miao Jiang story holds further depth to explore. After completing her crash course as promised, Fan Qiao’er journeyed to Luoyang for vengeance. She hadn’t anticipated Zhang Wulang was guarded by the monstrous Zhang Liulang, who defeated her almost instantly and took her hostage. Zhang Liulang speaks the ancient language of the Northern Wastes. Could he be the ancestral master of the Northern Wastes’ great shaman, Zhiwu? It feels like Season 7 should explore his story, at least to resolve this mystery for viewers.
Zhang Wulang is indeed formidable. With Zhang Liulang sacrificing himself as support, he directly consumed an Elixir of Immortality, pushing his combat power beyond limits to overwhelmingly defeat the half-crippled General. To win, the General had to abandon suppressing the potion’s side effects and activate the Tianshang Decision at its maximum capacity. Even then, it wasn’t a close fight—he only prevailed thanks to Fan Qiao’er’s finishing blow. With the Zhou Dynasty’s crisis averted, the Empress Dowager summoned Prince Li Xian of Luling back to the palace to establish him as Crown Prince. After Li Xian ascended the throne, Zhang Jianzhi became Chancellor—a role that came rather unexpectedly. This chatty old man was even more talkative than Shangguan Yunque—if not identical, he was practically a carbon copy. In the post-credits scene, the General ordered the Bad Guys to bring back An Lushan and Shi Siming, setting the stage for the An Lushan Rebellion. Looks like there’s a sequel to the Heavenly Gangs saga. Daring guess: Could Yang Yuhuan be a Bad Guy too?
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » The Legend 2023 Film Review: A flesh-and-blood Yuan Tiangang, along with the charm of the old rogues