Lord of Mysteries First Impressions After 3 Episodes: Confusing Yet Captivating

Confusion! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of my first impressions of Lord of Mysteries.

But am I enjoying it? Hell yeah!

It’s not a donghua for everyone, but Lord of Mysteries does a lot of things right (animation, psychological tension, music, and mystery).

Unfortunately, the adaptation isn’t doing a great job building the world when compared to the web novel. There’s a lot going on and little being explained, making it difficult to grasp what’s happening.

Still, if you don’t mind being a bit lost and are able to watch anime with heavy use of CGI, I recommend giving this one a try.

But before that, why not check the rest of this article and confirm this is the next show for you to pick up?

At a glance

Field	Info
Studio	B.CMAY PICTURES
Source	Web novel
Genres	Horror, Action, Fantasy, Mystery, Isekai
Streaming on	Crunchyroll
Release date	28th of June 2025
Release day	Saturdays
Episodes watched	3

Lord of Mysteries starts with a bang – literally! Klein Moretti (our MC) starts the donghua (Chinese anime) by shooting his brains out and waking up in a different body (and in the past).

The world he awakens in features people with magical powers, called the Beyonders. Each Beyonder has their own pathway, which is opened by drinking certain potions.

Each pathway has 10 different sequences, and people get stronger the more they learn them. It’s said that the higher-level Beyonders have strength that rivals the gods.

The first three episodes mostly present the world and show Klein taking his first steps as a Beyonder.

Meanwhile, several mysteries are thrown at us, making you curious to see how the show will unravel everything.

Why I picked it

I love horror, dark fantasy, and mystery.

So, when I was deciding what to watch this summer season, Lord of Mysteries just seemed to have everything I like in anime. When I watched the trailer, I was surprised by the Victorian and darker vibes, as well as how good the animation looked.

Great premise? Check! Great animation? Check!

Do I really need any other reason to pick an anime?

Actually, there is! I was also interested that it’s a donghua. All donghua shows I’ve seen so far were pretty high quality (Link Click and Mo Dao Zu Shi). So, I was curious to see how good Lord of Mysteries would be.

Honestly, it’s been a rollercoaster.

First 3 episodes breakdown

Element	Take
Animation	Pretty solid, though a lot of CGI is used.
Characters	No development so far, but Klein seems interesting enough.
Story Pacing	Way too fast. The show throws a lot of different stuff at you in a short time, making it a bit confusing.
Tone/Genre Balance	Perfect! From the horror and mystery to the Victorian vibes.
Sound & Music	Score sounds like it’s from a high-budget movie.

The first thing I felt about Lord of Mysteries was confusion!

I actually checked online some spoiler-free comments from people who read the web novel because I had to know if this was the source’s intention – it was not!

Although it’s true that Lord of Mysteries reels in readers with some enigmas off the bat, the adaptation didn’t do a great job building the world and explaining how it works.

It’s strange, really…

Each episode is longer than half an hour, so you would expect the show to have enough time to establish the story setting. But, there’s just too much information thrown at you with zero build-up.

There’s the isekai part, a murder, a lost but important diary, and this strange new world that Klein is sent to when he tries to go back to the present – all in the first episode.

And things don’t get any better in the following two.

Even watching it with 100% attention and going back in some scenes, I’m still pretty lost.

Still, I’m hooked! I might not understand what’s happening, but I still love the atmosphere, score, and premise to keep watching it.

The animation is very detailed and has awed me several times already. However, the show uses plenty of CGI for movement and backgrounds. They look great in general, but I know some people hate CGI in anime.

The characters haven’t developed much yet, so nothing to comment on so far. Hopefully, this means the show is going for the long run and not that characters aren’t going to be complex or interesting to get to know.

I’m curious about the MC, though. For the most part, he looks like your average Joe. But when he enters that world that hasn’t been explained yet, he takes this God-complex behavior.

On a different point, the score is extremely well done. It just sounds like you’re watching a high-budget movie. If you’re into soundtracks, I recommend watching the donghua just because of that.

Lord of Mysteries’ theme song, “Dark Dream” by Curley Gao, also sounds like it comes from a movie. It reminds me of a mix of Snake Eater from Metal Gear Solid 3 and any intro song from 007.

Pros & cons

Pros	Cons
Victorian style	Confusing
Animation is great	Characters still need development
Lots of mystery	CGI
Score
Theme song

Standout moments or scenes

For three episodes, Lord of Mysteries has many strong scenes that were burned into my memory. I would say my favorites so far are:

• Beginning: I was astounded by the suicide in the first seconds of the episode. I wasn’t expecting it, and it just grabs your attention right away and sets the stage for what is to come.
• First time MC uses his power: Klein is able to sense stuff better than others. In this scene, you follow what would be his sense searching low and high for a kid. The animation was beautifully done. There’s a part where some water droplets are cut in half and the frame stays there for a sec in slow motion – perfection!
• Scene where MC takes the potion: The donghua was able to build up the suspense really well. I was at the edge of my seat, wondering if the city was just about to blow up.

What sets it apart (comparisons & context)

Lord of Mysteries is unique and difficult to find similar anime to compare with – but I would put it in the same basket as:

• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Both explore that getting more power comes with a price and use scientific logic to explain supernatural systems (alchemy vs potion taking). However, Lord of Mysteries has a higher emphasis on existential horror and cosmic mystery and less on emotional bonds.
• The Case Study of Vanitas: Both share a gothic, steampunk aesthetic with period European settings and blend magic and mystery-solving. Even so, Vanitas is more romantic and dramatic, whereas Lord of Mysteries is more cerebral and dread-heavy.
• D.Gray-man: Both feature dark religious imagery, secret societies, and occult powers. Lord of Mysteries is less action-based and has fewer emotional climaxes, though.
• The Mystic Archives of Dantalian: Both share an interest in forbidden knowledge, ancient tomes, and the power of archives. That being said, Dantalian has an episodic approach, while Lord of Mysteries has a long-form mystery.
• Fate/Zero: Features multi-path narratives, where different players climb power structures in unique ways. Fate/Zero is more focused on action and high stakes off the bat. Lord of Mysteries provides a slower pace, focusing on psychological tension.

Who this is (and isn’t) for

Ideal for	Probably not for
Fans of horror	Anime fans who dislike CGI
People who enjoy different loose ends and mysteries	People who like knowing what’s happening at all times
Victorian-style lovers	Viewers who dislike dark animation
Fans who read the web novel	Watchers who dislike Chinese audio
People who enjoy shows that require total focus

Final thoughts: Will I keep watching?

In general, I’m enjoying Lord of Mysteries,

I love the animation and appreciate how detailed the donghua is.

Still, I’ll keep my hype in check and be cautious for now. The Chinese anime has high potential, but I’m scared that it might fall flat in the end.

There’s just too much unexplained stuff going on and too many loose ends that will have to be tied up.

That said, I will keep watching it and be in confused awe for some more episodes.

Lord of Mysteries FAQ