The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (阴阳师: 晴雅集, Yīn Yáng Shī: Qíng Yǎ Jí) is a 2020 Chinese film starring Mark Chao, Deng Lun, Wang Zi Wen and Wang Duo. It's based on the Onmyōji novels written by Baku Yumemakura. (The novels were also the basis for the 2001 film Onmyōji.)
Centuries ago a malevolent snake demon was imprisoned in the imperial city and guarded by four stone guardians. Whenever the demon threatens to emerge four masters must travel to the city to awaken the guardians.
Not to be confused with the 2021 film The Yin-yang Master, which is also based on the novels but is unrelated to this adaptation.
The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity provides examples of:
- A Minor Kidroduction: Qing Ming appears as a small child in the prologue.
- Answer Cut: Qing Ming says someone plans to release the snake demon. Bo Ya dismisses this as nonsense. Cut to Shou Yue saying he'll release the demon.
- Black Eyes of Evil: The hair demon has black eyes.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: The hair demon is inhumanly pale and has long black hair.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: All over the place, on both men and women.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: All of the male characters have long hair, and most of them are very pretty.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: The hair demon's backstory. When she was human she fell in love with a man who was obsessed with Zhang Ping. He murdered the hair demon to prove his love to Zhang Ping.
- Prehensile Hair: The hair demon is a mass of incredibly long hair that she uses to strangle people. When she's in her humanoid form her hair trails the ground.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The snake demon is imprisoned in the empress's body.
- Shirtless Scene: Shou Yue is shirtless for most of the final battle.
- Snakes Are Sinister: The snake demon. It's enormous, deadly, and extremely difficult to defeat.
- Uncanny Valley Makeup: Zhang Ping's make-up◊. Her shaved eyebrows, although based on styles from the Tang Dynasty, are especially off-putting by modern standards.
- Wuxia: Specifically the xianxia subgenre.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Shou Yue was created by Zhong Xing, and after Zhong Xing's death Shou Yue is slowly dying too.