[Exalted-related Media] "Thunderbolt Fantasy" aka Exalted the TV-Show

[Growls]

We all knew that there was a bunch of badass puppeteers in Taiwan, of the non-hopping kind.
They've been doing amazing work for the last several decades, making wuxia-puppetry. Now, Gen Urobuchi of Fate/Zero and Puella Magi Madoka Magica fame decided to work with the crowning jewel of that industry, to create a Puppet show for a new audience.

AND IT IS GLORIOUS.

It's basically Exalted in a nutshell.
It's got a Abyssal warlord in a shadowland manse, gathering the mightiest of daiklaves. Now, he is hunting the strongest of those, and is by pure "accident" opposed by a wandering Dawn Caste and a motley crew assembled by a dude mostly reminding me of a Sidereal.

The fight scenes are amazingly choreographed, the costumes and aesthetics are everything I feel is lacking with modern fantasy anime to make a proper Exalted-feel. And all of this is made by filming hand-puppets. Freaking PUPPETS!

Watch it. It's got 13 episodes, is on CrunchyRoll, and we're on episode 6.

[Kyman201]

Dang... Those are some REALLY awesome puppets.

[Growls]

I think there is a special episode where they explain how they do this. It's a pretty amazing process.

Also. I just realized that I can straight up use one of the "heroes" from the show as a Abyssal anti-hero. There's a character named Screaming Phoenix Killer, and he's straight out the best Dusk Caste I've seen in any media. Period. He is SO going into a campaign.

[AnubisXy]

Yeah, this show has been pretty incredible.

[KymmetheSeventh]

Thunderbolt Fantasy is freaking perfection. It really does feel like a really good Exalted campaign.

[The Unsung Hero]

I just googled a video of it and was absolutely blow the eff away. That's freaking amazing!

[YeOfLittleFaith]

I just ran through the first two episodes. And damn, this is pretty awesome.

The fighting is really stylish and powerful, and the show wears the colors of its genre quite well.

[Growls]

Currently, I'm trying to place castes or aspects on the characters.

- Shāng Bù Huàn "The Edgeless Blade"
He is pretty much a Dawn Caste who is not even the slightest bit impressed by all the crazy that is going on around him.

- Guǐ Niǎo (Phantom Bird)
Currently, I'm casting him as a Chosen of Secrets. And a very deceitful one at that, as the entire party (except our two other main characters) seem to know a bit more about his past.

- Dān Fěi (Vermillion Kingfisher)
The scion of a dragonblooded lineage practicing Golden Jannisary style while protecting the ancient Ten-Thousand Years Daiklave "Heavenly Punishment Blade" from the greedy villains.

- Juǎn Cán Yún aka The Frozen Wonder
The world most brazen Air Aspect with a lot to prove.
And pretty good at the spear variant of Even Blade.

- Xíng Hài aka Weeping Night
She is to Necromancy what Mara is to Sorcery.
Demon who hid in the real world.

- Shā Wú Shēng aka Screaming Phoenix Killer
Dusk Caste. Period. Hell, even his clothes scream Abyssal. A total and utter Badass, and dual practioner of both Single Point Shining Into the Void and Steel Devil Style.

- Shòu Yún Xiāo aka the Sharp-eyed Impaler
I'm either partial to name him a Solar Archer supernal or a really good chosen of Mars.
He's by far the best shot in the show.

[momerathe]

- Shòu Yún Xiāo aka the Sharp-eyed Impaler
I'm either partial to name him a Solar Archer supernal or a really good chosen of Mars.
He's by far the best shot in the show.

I'd go for Chosen of Mars - his signature "shoot at where the target will be in about a minute" seems right in a sidereal's wheelhouse.

[Talam]

I love this show dearly. Growing up, I used to watch quite a bit of wuxia movies and dramas with my parents. Now, I watch mostly anime because it's easier to get subs for them. But this is a glorious combination of dear childhood memories mixed with cool anime aesthetic with a hint of Chinese opera techniques mixed in. I love the soundtrack too, really enhances things.

And I can't for when we get Shāng Bù Huàn and Guǐ Niǎo's poem read out. You know it's going to be a badass moment when that happens.

[Childofthesun1]

So aesthetically it looks right on the money for Exalted, but I'm having a hard time getting past the whole puppets thing. Does that get better? It looks really weird. It is super jarring for me. Am I going to get used to this?

[Growls]

So aesthetically it looks right on the money for Exalted, but I'm having a hard time getting past the whole puppets thing. Does that get better? It looks really weird. It is super jarring for me. Am I going to get used to this?

You've seen episode 1 yet?
Anyways, it's going to increase in style and amazing choreography. If you have a issue with the puppets? Just squint and pretend it's drawings.
I got used to it after episode two, but different strokes you know.

The story and the interaction between the characters picks up a lot after episode 4, mostly because of the presence of the Weeping Night

[Childofthesun1]

You've seen episode 1 yet?
Anyways, it's going to increase in style and amazing choreography. If you have a issue with the puppets? Just squint and pretend it's drawings.
I got used to it after episode two, but different strokes you know.

The story and the interaction between the characters picks up a lot after episode 4, mostly because of the presence of the Weeping Night

Nah I just watched the trailer. It hurt my eyes a little bit, in the "I am completely unimmersed in this media because I can't forget that I'm watching some guys wave around some goofy puppets" kind of way. I imagine this is how most people feel about anime. "It's just a dumb cartoon." Getting used to it by episode two sounds good. I'll give it a shot.

I think the part that bothers me most is the mouth and eyes. My brain just isn't processing that as a face yet.

[Growls]

One thing the show does a lot better than the opening credits, is giving narrative context to immerse yourself in.

Once you learn about the story and watch a hour of it, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[Childofthesun1]

One thing the show does a lot better than the opening credits, is giving narrative context to immerse yourself in.

Once you learn about the story and watch a hour of it, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Yes and no. An hour in I'm totally immersed in the story, loving every second. But I really don't like the medium. Their lips never really move. It's like staring at dolls, and everyone thinks dolls are creepy.

But th One-Eyed Implares introduction was SO COOL, and the samurai's intro in the first episode was dripping with, what, culture? The whole Buddha statue opening as a plot device was amazing.

I say the samurai because I can't remember any names. Even organizations. Some translation is nice.