Chinese animated series, Donghua’s “No Doubt in Us,” also known as “Lian Bu Yi” in China, is based on the Manhua by Lu Ye Qian He and You Zhi Jiaozi and is produced by Paper Plane Animation Studio. The series premiered in China in 2020 and was made available on Netflix in 2021 with English subtitles and original audio in Mandarin (Putonghua). The series has two seasons, with each having 24 episodes.
The story of “No Doubt in Us” is set in the period of the imperial court in China. The story is a rom-com and follows the story of Emperor Xion Jinyun and Empress Xu Yu, who accidently switched their bodies after falling into the lotus pond during an argument. Without knowing what and how it happened, they both live their respective lives playing each other daily roles. As they navigate through their situations, they try to learn more about each other developing deeper emotions for each other.
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Xion Jinyun
Emperor Xian Jinyun is a stern and serious emperor who keeps his work and duties towards the imperial court and nation first.
Xu Yu
Empress Xu Yu is a spirited and friendly soul who navigates her life through rigid royal protocols and wishes to be a warrior because her family is in the military force.
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager, the mother of Xion Jinyun and Xion Jimming, is a cunning woman in charge of the harem of the court. The empress Dowager doesn’t trust anyone apart from her sons and is easily persuaded.
Zhao Qiluo
Zhao Qilua is the Noble Consort and Concubine of the emperor Xion Jinyun. Zhao is a cunning and intelligent lady who uses a harem on the emperor to make him Her’s.
Xion Jimming
Xion Jimming, the younger brother of the emperor Xion Jinyun and son of Empress Dowager, has a supportive, lively, and flirty personality. He loves to have fun instead of being under the imperial court’s workload and shady tactics.
Tatar Huna
Huna is the queen of Tatar, similar to Xu Yu. She has a friendly and spirited soul and loves martial art.
Hanying Luo
The astrologer Hanying Luo has a calm and supportive personality, forecasts events, and advises the royal astrologer.
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1. The Manhua
No Doubt In Us is a donghua source from the Manhua by young dream and You Zhi Jiaozi’s “Lian Bu Yi,” with 173 chapters. On Netflix, the donghua is of 24 Episodes in season one, and season 2 is not yet released and is only available in China or as in Manhua.
2. Historical accuracy and detail
No Doubt, in Us has the historic setting of one of the most significant imperial dynasties of China, The Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty is significant because of its artistic and cultural advancement.
No Doubt we paid attention to the historical accuracy and details and showed the customs and imperial court of the Tang Dynasty accurately. The Anime portrayed the customs, culture, and royalty of that, capturing the beauty and grandeur of the places, architecture, and customs.
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3. The Computer Graphics
No Doubt in Us blends both 2d animation and 3d animation with CGI to create beautiful and mystical Anime. Through Anime, CGI makes the story’s historical setting accurate, showcasing the architecture, landscapes, and places with whimsical references.
Also, the characters are given the expressiveness of emotions with CGI and 2d animation, adding Humor and creative notions to the Anime, which is fun and engaging to see.
4. Voice actors
The voice dubbing for the characters in the Anime is top-notch and is done by Jiaqi Xu ( Xu Yu), Ketsu (Xion Jinyun), and Shangquing Su (Xion Jimming), which brings depth and life to every character in the Anime. The voice actors for the Anime are all well-established names in the Chinese entertainment industry with years of experience.
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5. The Main Focus Of the story
The story focuses on the relationship development between Emperor Xion Jinyun and Empress Xu Yu, who explores the emotional depth and complexity in each other lives after the body swapping—the development of emotions and understanding between the two when each struggle is well-curated. The Anime focuses on the emotions of betrayal, fear of losing someone, and love.
6. The Gender Stereotypes
Through its gender-bender storyline, No Doubt in Us makes its characters break gender stereotypes.
The body swap of the emperor and empress make them go off the gender stereotypes where the emperor in the empress’s body goes through periods of pain and hate from concubines; the empress in the emperor’s body leads the military force and fights in the battle where both of it was not possible as in their original selves. The story also shows LGBTQ relationships breaking the stereotypes of love.
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7. The Songs
The soundtrack of No Doubt in Us is a relief to the years. The music throughout the Anime elevates the viewing experience and enhances each scene’s emotional impact. The Anime uses the traditional Chinese ballad, which perfectly blends with the beauty of imperial China depicted in the Anime. The music enhances every moment by building tension in intense moments or reflecting the character’s emotions.
8. The storyline
No Doubt in Us is praised for its storyline, a blend of comedy, romance, and drama in the historical setting. Its beautiful animation and attention to detail in historical events and characters make it a wholesome Anime. The Anime explores the complex political and social issues with power dynamics within the imperial court.
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10. Exploring the relations and trust
Emperor Xion Jinyun and Empress Xu Yu were not on good terms, and where emperor thought of the empress as the one who broke the protocol and was carefree. In contrast, the empress was not happy about the emperor’s concubines. After the body swap, the emperor and empress learn about each other’s life after living as one. As they navigate, they build trust, understanding, and more emotions for each other.
Through exploring the emperor and empress relationship, No Doubt in Us, No Doubt in Us emphasizes the importance of communication, trust, and understanding.
11. Global audience reach.
With its engaging storyline and beautiful visual effects, No Doubt in Us has reached a global reach with a worldwide fanbase. As Anime gained popularity and people learned its source, The Manhua Lian Bu Yi became famous and reached the global fandom.
Fans worldwide love the historical setting and are engaged with the gender-bender storyline, which explores the characters’ identities and understanding.
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12. The Witchcraft
No Doubt in the Us shares the events of the witchcraft done by the enemies and even by the emperor’s concubines to gain their interests.
We see events in the Anime where the Noble consort Zhou and Consort Tao plants witchcraft in Empress Xu Yu’s room. The one is even responsible for the body swapping of the emperor and empress.
13. The Strong Female Leads
One of the standout features of No Doubt in Us is its portrayal of female leads. The Anime shows the female characters as strong as the military fighters who can act independently and rule. Empress Xu Yu, the remarkable character of the Anime, challenges gender norms and expectations in imperial chins, is into martial arts, and does as she wishes.
Similarly, the queen of Tatar Huna, who is into martial arts and in the military of Tatar, says that in her province, the maids are taught to kill the wolves’ bare hands when they are young.
The female leads are shown to express their thoughts, challenge authority, and fight for themselves.
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14. The Humor
Throughout the anime “No Doubt in Us,” Humor is the story’s main setting. Through its gender-bender story, there are a lot of moments of the emperor and empress’s comedic situations while struggling with each other’s life after the body swap. Humor is added through the physical actions of the characters and also by the animated comedic expressions.
15. The Politics of Court
No Doubt in Us accurately explored the political struggles of the imperial court. The Anime shows the power struggles of the emperor and his officials, depicting the power complexity and intricacies in the politics of the imperial court, highlighting its effect on personal relationships and one’s ambitions.
No Doubt in Us is a delightful and wholesome anime that, through its storytelling and casting animation, surely melts the hearts of its viewers. The journey through the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty with Humor, a gender-bender story, brings refreshing twists and engagement through the Anime.
If one loves the historical setting with a beautiful story, “No Doubt in Us” is surely a watch, having the genre of history, romance, and comedy.
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