SYNOPSIS:

Normal Monsters Xiangliu: A massive, venomous serpent-like creature with nine heads. Nian: A fearsome, lion-like beast that lived under the sea or in the mountains and emerged once a year on the eve of the Chinese New Year to terrorize villagers. The customs of using loud noises such as firecrackers and the color red originated as a way to scare the Nian beast away. The Four Perils (Sì Xiōng) Hundun (Chaos): Often depicted as a faceless, winged demon, or a dog/bear-like creature. It represents primordial chaos and confusion. Taotie (Gluttony): A ferocious, greedy creature with no body, only a mask. It is known for its insatiable hunger and appears on ancient bronze ritual vessels. Qiongqi (Deviousness/Wickedness): A winged tiger that attacks the virtuous and rewards the wicked. Taowu (Ignorance/Stubbornness): A savage, tiger-like creature with a human head or a boar-like body that spreads ignorance. The Ultimate Beast Zhulong: In essence, the Zhulong is the living clock and light switch of the universe, a being whose simple, natural actions dictate the passage of time and the existence of light in the northern cosmos. CHARECTERS: Arthur Vickers The main protagonist who is the one who accidentally drops the box which is given to him as a gift from his friend, Yī Nuò and unleashes the monsters. His parents in the series are divorced and he lives with Arthur's father who is usually not home due to his job, so he is usually with his grandma. Yī Nuò The antique shop owner’s daughter and Arthur's friend who enjoys studying history and other cultures and is the only one who understands the deeper mythology of creatures from The Puzzle Box. Shelldon A tiny talking Bixi (which is a monster from Chinese mythology that is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle.) He is Arthur's pet and is usually very hesitant about Arthur’s ideas to fight monsters but rolls with it just because he has no choice. Shelldon came out of the puzzle box just like the other monsters but stayed because Arthur let him. Near the end of the season his shell begins to reveal a manual for how to solve the puzzle box. Zhong Kui Once the legendary guardian tasked by the Jade Emperor to hunt the world’s most dangerous spirits, Zhong Kui has spent centuries trapped in the spirit realm. When Arthur drops the Puzzle Box, Zhong Kui is unleashed with the monsters and he sees an opportunity for a hostile takeover. He is a massive, scary figure with a wild black beard and eyes that glow like coals and is one of the only people who can control the beasts. He views the human world as a messy, disorganized disaster and intends to use the monsters Arthur unleashed to destroy humanity and restart the world under his own strict, iron-fisted rules. Season 1 S1 E1, The Puzzle Box: On his 13th birthday, Arthur Vickers receives a mysterious package from his best friend, Yī Nuò. Inside is an ancient Chinese puzzle box from Yī’s father’s antique shop. Though Arthur is disappointed that his dad isn't there for the party because of his work, he distracts himself by trying to solve the intricate, dragon-carved box. During the small celebration, Arthur accidentally knocks the puzzle box off a table. A supernatural green mist with a lion’s face spills out and flies out the window. Immediately after, a massive, lion-like monster from Chinese mythology—the Nian—appears and begins a destructive rampage through San Francisco. Realizing the creature is the legendary Nian, Yī remembers it is terrified of loud noises and the color red. Armed with a crate of firecrackers and a discarded can of red spray paint, the two of them lure the beast toward them. By lighting the fireworks and spraying the paint, they successfully scare the Nian back into the ocean. Later, in the middle of the night in a post-credits scene, a green portal opens, revealing a mysterious, cloaked warrior with two swords who has just stepped into their world. S1 E2, The Mystery Monster: Arthur’s life is quickly becoming a nightmare—literally. He begins suffering from recurring night terrors of a mysterious, bearded figure standing over a burning San Francisco. While Arthur is convinced these are visions of the future, Yī Nuò is preoccupied with a more immediate threat: something is hissing in the sewers behind her father’s antique shop. After finding a massive trail of shed snake skin and a crushed steel animal trap, Yī realizes that the Nian wasn't a one-time occurrence. There is another beast lurking beneath the city. Arthur, initially reluctant to play the hero again, is eventually guilt-tripped into action by Yī, who reminds him that the "monster leak" is technically his fault. The duo arm themselves with flashlights and a heavy antique sword from Bō Nuò’s shop. They venture into the dark, wet drainage pipes expecting a large snake, but instead, they come face-to-face with the Xiangliu—a terrifying, grey serpent with nine venomous heads. The battle is chaotic; Arthur manages to slit one of the serpent’s throats, but the creature's cold-blooded resilience makes it nearly impossible to stop. Realizing they are outmatched, Arthur uses his flashlights to disorient the beast while Yī jams a glass figurine into its jaws. The monster, agitated and injured, retreats deeper into the labyrinthine sewer system, escaping before they can finish the job. Back at home, a weary Arthur cleans "snake germs" off his clothes and takes a closer look at his birthday present. He flips the puzzle box over and discovers something he missed before: a cryptic poem etched into the bottom in Chinese characters. As he stares at the text, he realizes the box isn't just a toy—it’s a map of the catastrophe he’s created. S1 E3, Untitled: Arthur shows Yī Nuò the Chinese writing on the bottom of the puzzle box which she reads in English as “Twelve joints of cedar, thirteen of jade, to bind the havoc that the heavens made. When the wood shall splinter and the latch shall fall, the Hungry and the Faceless shall answer the call. First comes the Nian on a carpet of red, then the Nine-Headed horror from its watery bed. But heed the Hunter with the charcoal eyes, who builds a new world as the old one dies. To turn the key and reverse the sin, you must find the Truth on the Turtle’s skin. Slay the shadows, lock the gate, before the Torch-Dragon decides your fate.” Arthur and Yī Nuò decide that the poem means that when Arthur dropped the puzzle box that he must've woken up the beasts and they would be coming one-by-one. Arthur and Yi discover Shelldon, a tiny child Bixi, which is a dragon turtle from Chinese mythology. S1 E4, The Faceless Fog: A thick, unnatural fog rolls into the city. People start losing their features such as their eyes and mouths and wandering aimlessly. Arthur and Yī Nuò realize Hundun thrives on the lack of direction. Season 2 S2 E1, The Demon Hunter: Back from the Spirit Realm because of the puzzle box breaking, Zhong Kui, the (once) demon hunter arrives into the picture and promises to help Arthur and Yī Nuò to slay all of the monsters, but Arthur doesn't trust him due to him resembling the man who he has seen briefly in his dreams.