I have enjoyed history since childhood, so I backed Tong Dao Yin Jian during its crowdfunding campaign. This Song-dynasty visual novel took me about eight hours to finish. Here are my impressions, with a few light story spoilers.
Story
The story takes place during the Northern Song's Xining era, when Wang Anshi's reforms were underway. The protagonist is a martial-arts figure assigned to assassinate Wang Anshi.
It reminded me somewhat of The Hungry Lamb: you travel with the heroines, encounter a series of crises, and see parts of real history woven into the journey. The plot touches on land-surveying and tax reforms, as well as changes to the Yellow River's course. I will leave the larger developments unspoiled.
Verdict: 7.5 out of 10
I would give it 7.5/10. Fans of younger-sister character archetypes may enjoy the experience more than I did. The art and voice acting are both quite good.
My main reservation is the portrayal of history. I suspect the studio wanted to capture how ordinary people viewed Wang Anshi at the time, but the result sometimes feels one-sided and distorts parts of the historical picture. Its treatment of Confucian ideas is particularly dismissive.
For English-speaking readers, a galgame is a character-focused visual novel, often with romantic story routes. That format gives this game room to explore the cast alongside its historical setting.
Adapted from the original Chinese article, published on September 19, 2026.
Comments NOTHING