Newbie or pro player, fanboy or fangirling, this is the anime series to watch now

e-Sports has been around for a while but it’s only in the last few years that it has caught worldwide attention. It’s gotten so big and serious that it has become a legitimate—not to mention lucrative—sport and profession. There’s even a school in the Philippines where one can learn game theory, mechanics and awareness. Now, there’s an anime series themed after e-Sports and it’s getting everybody excited.

Enter The King’s Avatar or Quan Zhi Gao Shou, a Chinese anime that follows the story of e-Sports star Xiu Ye. A “Battle God” in the online competitive game Glory, Xiu Ye is revered for his skills and contributions. But in a stroke of bad luck, he is forced to leave the team as well as the pro gaming scene. He finds work as a manager for an internet café and ultimately gets thrown back in the world of e-Sports when Glory launches its 10th server. This time around though, Xiu Ye returns having to start from scratch—with neither sponsors nor a team—and using a new and unknown character.

The King’s Avatar tells a familiar rise and fall and rise again tale that will surely appeal to many. Xiu Ye’s epic fall is something many of us have experienced and his determination to give life another shot even if it means starting all over again is what viewers will find inspiring.

Based on manga originally written by Butterfly Blue, The King’s Avatar is brought to life by Tencent and has already received praise for its crisp and highly detailed animation quality as well as its almost true to life color palette. While there is room for improvement, The King’s Avatar is worth watching for the story and its strong cast of characters, and the mere fact that it gives audiences a look into the future of a different kind of anime. See for yourself below.