Anhe Zhuan – Legend of Assassin donghua

What is Anhe Zhuan – Legend of Assassin

Anhe Zhuan (暗河传), translated as Legend of Assassin or Tales of Dark River, is a Chinese donghua (ONA / web animation) adapted from a novel by Zhou Munan (周木楠).

It premiered on Youku Animation in August 2023.

Season 1 consists of 26 episodes.

Plot / Synopsis

The story revolves around a secret and powerful assassin organization called Dark River (An He / Anhe, 暗河). This organization is made up of three families: Su, Xie, and Mu.

A crisis begins when the elders (patriarchs) of the An He families become poisoned. Their condition is life-threatening, and the power structure within the assassin organization becomes unstable.

Su Muyu, the leader of the Spider Shadow guard group (which protects the patriarch), recruits Bai Hehuai, a genius doctor from the Medicine King Valley, to treat the poisoned elders and also work to defend Elder Zhouquan against incoming assassins.

Meanwhile, Su Changhe (a friend of Su Muyu) betrays the group on behalf of the Su family and participates in the assassination plot against the patriarch.

So the narrative combines intrigue within assassin families, betrayal, healing / poison themes, political struggle, and suspense among characters who are meant to protect or kill depending on loyalties.

Characters

Here are some of the major characters:

• Su Muyu — Leader of the Spider Shadow guard, loyal to the patriarch, central in organizing the defense and looking for cures for the poisoned elders.
• Bai Hehuai — A brilliant doctor from Medicine King Valley. He is brought in to heal the elders and plays a key role in the plot of defending the patriarch.
• Su Changhe — Friend of Su Muyu, but betrays him by joining an assassination attempt from within the Su family lines. This betrayal is an essential tension point.
• Elder Zhouquan (Patriarch) — The leader of An He, poisoned, whose life and legacy are the focal point of much of the intrigue.

There are others (members of Mu, Xie, etc.), but those above are among the central ones.

Themes & Highlights

Here are the key themes that make Legend of Assassin interesting:

1. Assassination / Family Loyalty & Betrayal
   Since it’s an assassin organization, loyalties among family members (Su, Xie, Mu) and betrayals are core drivers of tension. The idea of someone trusted betraying on behalf of family or personal ambition is central.
2. Poison / Healing Duality
   Poison plays a major role: the poisoning of elders starts the conflict. Healing (through Bai Hehuai) is equally key, which sets up interesting tension between harm and cure, trust in medical figures, and the cost of power.
3. Intrigue & Political Struggle
   The struggle is both physical (assassins, protection) and political (who holds power in the Dark River, who acts behind the scenes, who betrays).
4. Moral Complexity
   The characters aren’t purely good or evil. Su Changhe, for example, is someone close, but his loyalties are split. There’s moral ambiguity in what people do for family, for power, or out of fear.
5. Action + Suspense
   Because there are assassins, poisoned elders, impending coups, etc., the story builds suspense. Battle scenes, rescue, chase, stealth and betrayal are expected.

Format & Status

• Episodes: 26 episodes in Season 1.
• Duration per episode: Approximately 15–20 minutes.
• Studio / Animation: Produced by Passion Paint Animation, distributed via Youku Animation.
• Release Schedule: Episodes first released from August 2023.

Viewer Reception & Criticism

What people are saying:

• On MyAnimeList, Anhe Zhuan has moderately good ratings.
• Some viewers appreciate the suspense, darker tone, and rich setting. They like that it’s not just straightforward hero/villain but involves poison, betrayal, trust.
• Criticism includes that the main character is not always as powerful or special as expected; after initial setups, some feel progress slows.
• Also, since it’s from a novel / existing universe (connected to Shaonian Ge Xing / The Young Brewmaster’s Adventure), some fans compare it with other works and expect certain standards.

Connections & Related Works

• Anhe Zhuan is a spin-off / related to the Shaonian Ge Xing universe. Characters from that novel/universe (like Su Muyu & Su Changhe) appear in multiple works.
• It is produced in collaboration by Mango TV and Youku.

Verdict — Why It’s Worth Watching

Legend of Assassin / Tales of Dark River is good for viewers who like:

• Mad intrigue, plots with poison, betrayal, mystery within martial/fantasy settings.
• Moderate length (26 episodes): enough to develop plot without dragging too long.
• Strong interplay between action and morality — not just physical battles but choices, loyalty, betrayal.
• Beautiful animation design for assassin action, and compelling character arcs especially around Su Muyu, Bai Hehuai, Su Changhe.

It may be less appealing if you prefer:

• Very overpowered lead characters from start; here the MCs have limitations and struggle.
• Fast paced power-ups; the story is more about plot, intrigue, and character than instant dominance.
• Very high-budget animation like big studios; it does well but isn’t always cinematic spectacle.