Three-Body Chinese tv series

How to watch online Three-Body tv show. Season 1 review & season 2 release news.

 

Please note that some of the reviews below might contain minor spoilers.

What is Three-Body TV series about?

Three-Body series is a science-fiction tv show based on The Three-Body Problem book by Liu Cixin. The book is the first part of an epic trilogy that spans centuries. Lots of critics have described Cixin’s work as a modern Asimov masterpiece. The first Three-Body season takes place during the cultural revolution and during modern China.  The brightest minds and renowned scientists all over the world are targeted by mysterious events and an uncanny secret organization. Gradually a plot of alien origins is revealed. And the fate of humankind is at stake.

How good is the Three-Body Chinese TV series?

If you read the book, you will love the series, since it follows very closely the story from the first book.

Casual viewers who will expect straight into the action, alien invasion, or space opera, might be disappointed. This is not yet an alternative to Expanse or Battlestar Galactica. The first Three-Body season is merely setting the scene, exactly like in the first book. The mystery is gradually revealed and there are not a lot of Hollywood action scenes. Furthermore, some characters are not so well developed (e.g. Evans). And, a few of the scenes are too cheesy or exaggerated (like the scene with the child trying to save geese from the sea oil spill).

Also, the series is very long. There are around 30 episodes. And a lot of scenes are dragging on very slowly.  Even so, I loved all the details and the length of the season, yet others might not have the patience to follow it to the end.

However, keep in mind that this is just the first part of the trilogy. The second season could be amazing since it is based on “The Dark Forest” book.  This has the potential of a unique sci-fi epic. Probably this is why Netflix and the team behind Game of Thrones aim to bring it to the tv screen.  And yes, this time there are even large-scale space battles.

How to watch free online Three-Body tv series?

At the time of this review viewers from many countries can watch online for free the Chinese tv Three-Body series on Rakuten Viki. There are a few options to watch it online for free on Viki:

Option 1:  Viewers from many countries can create a free Viki account and watch free the Three-Body problem t series. Yet, there will be ads and the streaming quality will be limited (most probable to SD).

Option 2: This might be your option if you want to stream Three-Body tv series for free in HD and without ads. If still available, you could benefit from a 7 days Viki trial. So, you could try to watch the entire tv show during the trial period, and then you can cancel your subscription before your card is charged. Yet, keep in mind that there are around 30 episodes. And this is a lot of binge-watching to do.

Alternatively, you could opt for just one month’s subscription (that was around 5 USD at the time of this review). This will give you plenty of time to enjoy this lengthy tv show.

Also, in some countries, Three-Body episodes might be available on Tencent’s YouTube channel.

Three-Body tv series trailer

Three-Body season 2 release date

Based on Chinese social media it looks like there is a strong will to produce also the second season based on The Dark Forest book. And it seems that Three-body enthusiasts won’t need to wait as long as for the first season. It looks highly probable to get more details about a potential release date in the following months. (source)

What will be about Three-Body season 2?

For a short period of time, the action from The Dark Forest takes place shortly after the story from season one. Then there is a jump of 200 years in the future. Similar to season 2, there is a lot of depth and cerebral mystery. Yet, this time there will be a lot of futuristic, space-epic scenes and action. Everything will go epic. Expect a breathless vision of the future, amazing military space action, and drama. While in the background some of the smartest minds of humankind are pitched against the overwhelming Trisolaran intelligence and strength.

Fans of the first season will be happy to learn that Shi Qiang detective (an amazing performance by Hewei Yu) will play a key role also in the second season.

Three-Body Chinese version versus Three-Body Problem Netflix version

The Three-Body Problem Netflix version is created by the team behind HBO’s Game of Thrones (David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo). Thus expect a high production value at the best possible standards. I won’t be surprised if the show will outshine consecrated sci-fi epics such as Expanse. There are lots of mindblowing materials (especially in the second book, The Dark Forest, which probably will appear in season 2 or 3).  The team behind the Three-Body Problem Netflix tv series already demonstrates their mastery in creating immersive beautiful scenes with strong characters.

Is a high probability that the Netflix version will become the most popular out of the two. Yet, I am strongly recommending also the Chinese Three-Body version. Especially to fans of the book. I loved the Chinese vantage point and how closely it followed the books. Since the story from the book takes place in China, it was cool to experience a genuine Chinese production and adaptation of the book.  Looking forward to the season two adaptation of “The Dark Forest” book.

TV shows similar to Three-Body tv series

It is tricky to recommend something similar to Three-Body since the trilogy is so epic and unique.

Obviously, the first recommendation is to watch both Netflix and Chine versions of The Three-Body problem. Then, I will strongly recommend reading the story from the second and the third books.

The first season of the Three-Body series is more cerebral, dealing with a global mystery and gradually setting the scenes for the next seasons. Thus, is hard to find an exactly similar tv show.  Still, Three-Body fans might enjoy:

  • The Man in the High Castle
  • The Handmaid’s Tale
  • Black Mirror
  • 12 Monkey

However, the second season of Three-Body will appeal directly to fans of:

  • The Expanse
  • Battlestar Galactica
  • Altered Carbon