Panguan:
The Twelfth Gate
Volume 1
From the author and universe of Copper Coins and Three Hundred Years of Longing comes a modern-day supernatural danmei filled with death, reincarnation, forgotten memories, mystery, and a man who has spent centuries searching for the pieces of himself that were lost.
Welcome to the Twelfth Gate
Wen Shi is a panguan, a cultivator tasked with putting the dead to rest. For a thousand years, he has sent souls onward to their next lives while being unable to do the same himself.
Without a soul of his own, Wen Shi remains trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth, desperately searching for the pieces of himself that were lost.
Now emerging from the Formless Gate for the twelfth time, Wen Shi experiences a constant hunger that can only be satisfied by consuming the dark miasma that clings to the dead.
Then Xie Wen enters his life.
Xie Wen is sickly, mysterious, surrounded by an overwhelming amount of karmic debt and miasma, and seems to know things about Wen Shi that even Wen Shi himself has forgotten.
The longer they’re around one another, the more questions begin to surface about Xie Wen, Wen Shi’s forgotten past, and the truth behind a thousand years of lonely wandering.
New to Danmei?
Danmei (耽美) is a Chinese genre of fiction centered on romantic relationships between male characters. Romance may be at the heart of the relationship, but danmei stories can also blend it with fantasy, mystery, historical settings, cultivation, horror, and other genres.
Panguan combines Boys’ Love with supernatural mystery, cultivation, reincarnation, death, memory, and some genuinely unsettling horror elements.
If you’re coming into danmei from manga or manhwa, don’t expect Volume 1 to revolve entirely around romance. There is a much larger supernatural mystery unfolding alongside Wen Shi and Xie Wen’s developing relationship.
Before You Enter the Gate
A spoiler-free guide for anyone entering the world of Panguan for the first time.
Main Characters
Wen Shi 闻时
A man missing his soul who has come out of the Formless Gate for the twelfth time. Wen Shi is a powerful panguan who specializes in puppetry.
Xie Wen 谢问
A sickly man whose name has been struck from the panguan registry. Said to have been born under a cursed fate, Xie Wen carries overwhelming karmic debt and miasma. His connection to Wen Shi quickly becomes one of the story’s biggest mysteries.
What Kind of Danmei Is This?
Panguan isn’t only a supernatural romance. Volume 1 mixes its danmei relationship with mystery, cultivation, unsettling supernatural encounters, and moments that can get genuinely creepy.
The romance also isn’t giving away all of its secrets immediately. Wen Shi and Xie Wen’s connection develops alongside the larger questions surrounding Wen Shi’s identity, his repeated rebirths, his forgotten past, and exactly what Xie Wen knows about him.
As a horror lover, this was one of my favorite parts of Volume 1. The story doesn’t just tell you that its supernatural world is dangerous. It can actually get eerie and unsettling, and the horror elements fit the mystery incredibly well.
My Thoughts
Dear reader,
As someone who loves horror, Panguan: The Twelfth Gate was honestly such a good surprise. I expected supernatural elements going into it, but I wasn’t expecting some moments to feel genuinely creepy. The dead, the miasma, puppetry, and the mysteries surrounding the different supernatural encounters gave Volume 1 exactly the kind of atmosphere I love.
The overall theme and world were probably some of my favorite parts. There is so much mystery surrounding Wen Shi, his repeated rebirths, his missing soul, and the pieces of his past that he can’t remember. Instead of giving you all the answers immediately, the story keeps dropping little pieces of information that made me want to keep reading and figure out how everything connects.
I also really loved the characters. Wen Shi and Xie Wen both feel unique, and their personalities make their interactions especially fun to read. Xie Wen is mysterious in a way that immediately makes me question how much he actually knows, while Wen Shi has his own strange circumstances and history that I’m slowly trying to understand alongside him.
I especially liked that the story doesn’t have to rely only on its romance to keep me interested. The supernatural mystery is strong enough that I would want to continue reading for that alone. At the same time, the developing connection between Wen Shi and Xie Wen gives me another reason to be invested in what comes next.
When it comes to atmosphere and horror, this was an A+ for me. It has creepy moments, mystery, supernatural lore, interesting characters, and plenty of unanswered questions left after Volume 1. I’m definitely continuing this series.
Until the next gate,
Lay ♡
♡ Danmei Report ♡
Who Should Enter the Gate?
Your Journey Through Panguan
The Seven Seas English edition of Panguan: The Twelfth Gate is listed as a four-volume series.
Available Now
$19.99
Coming Next
$19.99
Upcoming
$19.99
♡ 4 volumes total ♡
Final Verdict
Panguan: The Twelfth Gate gave me exactly the kind of supernatural story I love: eerie atmosphere, genuinely creepy moments, an intriguing mystery, and characters who feel unique from one another. As a horror lover, the darker elements were an A+ for me, and the mystery surrounding Wen Shi and Xie Wen has me more than ready for Volume 2.
View Panguan at Seven Seas
A Note About My Reviews
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