Tencent Video has sold its animated action/adventure series Blades of the Guardians (15×20’+8×20’) to ADN (Animation Digital Network), a major European subscription-based VOD and OTT platform, specializing in animated content from around the world.

The deal is the latest step in Tencent Video’s strategy to make a long-term commitment to animation, which it sees as a genre with huge opportunity for potential and growth. The company is actively seeking more global partners to help realise its ambitions to bring its animation to a wider international audience.

Based on the best-selling comics, Blades of the Guardians begins as a period of terror and fear reigns in history. Dao Ma is a mercenary who travels through the desert of the Western Regions, carving out a living by the strength of his arm and the power of his sword. As civil unrest beckons, Dao Ma accepts a seemingly straightforward escort mission to the capital of Chang’an and soon finds himself thrust into a bloody intrigue involving Imperial conspirators.

Three years in the making, Blades of the Guardians uses the power of animation to immerse viewers in the evocative world of the Western desert, using exquisite artwork to bring the historical heroes of the Sui and Tang dynasties to screen for a modern audience. It is produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures in association with Coloured Pencil Animation.

Tencent Video is the leading online video streaming platform in China. With an extensive content library of drama series, films, variety, shows, animation, sports, documentaries, news and many more, Tencent Video provides the best entertainment experience to audiences across different platforms and devices. Tencent Video produces high-quality animation originals with enduring and engaging appeal. It partners with leading studios in China and has recently expanded its global presence by signing a number of high-profile co-production deals with prominent animation studios around the world to create stand-out shows with universal appeal.