Three weeks after its first appearance, the box office of the mythological epic Creation of the Gods: Kingdom of Storms showed a rebound (反弹) trend thanks to its good reviews and word of mouth on social media. This new adaptation of a well-known story in China differs from previous ones as it focuses not on mighty Taoist gods but on Ji Fa, a nobleman's son who struggles to find out who he really is and later grows into a king.
The story was inspired by the Ming Dynasty (1368—1644) novel Investiture of the Gods, which describes the history of the Shang (1600BC—1046BC) and Zhou 1046BC—771BC) dynasties mixed with folklore, legends and mythical creatures.
In the first episode, Ji Fa faces the reality that Yin Shou, a battlefield warrior he admired, has become a greedy and cruel king after the killing of the former king and his brother. Ji Fa's search for his own path after witnessing the collapse (倒塌) of his idol and struggles during the political disorder in the late Shang have caused deep thought among many young moviegoers who are on their own crucial points in life, perhaps needing to choose a college major, a career, or in which city to settle down. . Some followed their "tiger parents", while others were more rebellious (叛逆的).
Still, their confusion of being "lost among choices" and the insecurity caused by an uncertain future have been somewhat relieved by the words of Ji Fa's father—who your father is does not matter; what matters is who you are.
Such uncertainty seems to be a shared sentiment for young people in their 20s, but focusing on what is at hand can ease that anxiety to a certain extent. One can always benefit from resolute persistence, as demonstrated by the casting, filming and long wait before the first episode could finally reach cinemas.
