134: The Anomalous Force

A college student named Chu Lan starts the new year by losing everyone he cares about and getting possessed by a demon. That's a rough January by anyone's standards. Turns out he's now the centerpiece of a thousand-year-old conflict — simultaneously the one person who can end an ancient supernatural disaster called the Spirit Calamity and the walking time bomb that could wipe out humanity if things go sideways. Not exactly a choice anyone wants to make. He ends up joining a secret agency that's been fighting this cycle for centuries, and from there the show leans hard into its martial arts and supernatural elements. The power system here blends physical combat with demonic abilities in a way that feels grounded despite all the chaos, and the animation from Shuiniu Dongman backs it up with fight sequences that actually land. The tone is dark and doesn't shy away from the weight of what Chu Lan's going through — this isn't a power fantasy where the protagonist grins through every obstacle. There's a real cost to everything. If you liked the cultivation world and moral complexity of Mo Dao Zu Shi or the layered power progression in Soul Land, this ONA hits similar notes but in a modern urban setting. The soundtrack does a lot of heavy lifting too, keeping the atmosphere tense when it needs to be. Worth keeping on your radar for 2027.