Mu Ciling Design Analysis
Mu Ciling is dressed in a bright red official’s uniform and carries a large blade. On the surface, this seems to be a fairly unique design. However, there are two other characters in this story’s world who also fit that description: Shen Luohan and Shen Xiduo, Chief Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review.
Thus far, of the two, only Shen Luohan has appeared in any visual adaptions of this world’s story, though Dashing Youth toned down the character and neglected to give him his executioner’s blade (which, admittedly, is bold for him to carry when meeting with his emperor, so the change is somewhat understandable). Meanwhile, Shen Xiduo has remained exclusively in the pages of the novel that The Blood of Youth is based on, his role in the drama version of Jin Yan’s case taken up by Prince Bai instead.
There are further connections between these characters, all to do with the mythological figure, Yama, King of Hell, judge of the dead. The name of Mu Ciling’s martial art comes from him, while Shen Xiduo is referred to as the King of Hell. It’s possible that in some fashion Mu Ciling is parodying the Chief Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review, though it’s just as likely that they’re simply taking inspiration from the same source.
