Under One Person (originally titled Yi Ren) is a Chinese web comic created by Mi Er and published on Tencent Comics from 26 February 2015, later adapted into multiple animated seasons, a game, and a 2024 animated feature.
The series is also known by its Japanese title Hitori no Shita: The Outcast, and it blends action, supernatural martial arts, folklore, and modern urban fantasy.
The story begins when the corpse of Chulan Zhang’s grandfather is stolen, shattering his ordinary student life.
Soon after, the mysterious girl Baobao Feng appears, pulling him into the hidden world of “Outcasts,” people with supernatural abilities who live alongside normal society.
As Chulan Zhang tries to uncover the truth about his grandfather, his missing family, and his own powers, he becomes entangled in conflicts between secret organizations, ancient traditions, and dangerous outcasts.
At the center of the story is Chulan Zhang, a seemingly ordinary young man with a talent for hiding what he really is.
He is actually the grandson of Huaiyi Zhang, a major figure tied to the old chaos known as the Jia Shen Incident, and the inheritor of powerful techniques including the Golden Light Spell, Yang Five Thunder, and the legendary art known as Qi Tiyuanliu.
His life changes completely when grave robbers connected to the outlaw group Quanxing target his grandfather’s remains.
That crisis leads him to Baobao Feng, an ageless and amnesiac girl who fights with terrifying instinct and total simplicity.
Together, the two navigate the world of Outcasts, where ancient sects, corporate-like agencies, underground factions, and martial lineages all compete for power and truth.
Nadutong
Nadutong appears to be a nationwide delivery company, but it is actually a state-backed organization that manages Outcasts and keeps the supernatural world hidden from the public.
It works through a modern corporate structure, with regional branches and a group of top decision-makers.
Its job includes registering Outcasts, mediating disputes, preserving stability, and stepping in when any force threatens the balance between ordinary society and the hidden world.
One of its most unusual systems is the temporary worker program.
Each major region has an elite operative who answers directly to the local branch head and handles sensitive jobs that cannot be publicly acknowledged.
Baobao Feng serves as the temporary worker of the North China branch.
Tianshi Mansion
Tianshi Mansion, also called Longhu Mountain Tianshi Mansion, is the ancestral seat of the Zhengyi Daoist tradition in Jiangxi.
It is one of the most respected powers in the Outcast world, with generations of Heavenly Masters shaping the balance of the entire community.
Its current leader, Zhiwei Zhang, is widely regarded as the strongest Outcast alive.
Quanxing
Quanxing is an old and infamous outlaw faction whose original philosophy traces back to the idea of preserving one’s true nature.
Over time, however, most of its members have abandoned that ideal and become little more than reckless troublemakers, criminals, and extremists.
Its membership rule is almost absurdly loose: anyone who calls themselves Quanxing can be part of it.
The Under Heaven Society
The Under Heaven Society is a powerful modern force led by Zhenghao Feng, one of the Ten Elders.
It has grown into a major organization by gathering talented fighters and building influence in a way that resembles a corporate empire.
Chulan Zhang
Chulan Zhang is the protagonist, a student who becomes both a Nadutong employee and a key figure in the Outcast world.
He is clever, shameless when necessary, and famous for acting in ways that seem ridiculous until his deeper motives become clear.
Because he is Huaiyi Zhang’s grandson, many factions watch him closely.
He spends much of the story balancing self-preservation, strategic deception, and genuine loyalty to the people he cares about.
Baobao Feng
Baobao Feng is one of the series’ most iconic characters, an ageless young-looking woman who seems forever stuck at around eighteen.
She is messy, blunt, emotionally simple, and often hilariously direct, yet she is also one of the deadliest fighters in the story.
Found in the summer of 1944 with no memory except her name, she has not aged in more than seventy years.
She works as the North China temporary worker while searching for the truth about her identity, and she may hold the key to the entire mystery of the Jia Shen Incident.
Zhaofang Xu
Zhaofang Xu is the chairman of Nadutong and one of the most politically skilled figures in the series.
He is not known for overwhelming personal combat power, but he is a master strategist who treats the Outcast world like a massive chessboard.
His calm leadership and long-term planning allow him to balance factions, manage crises, and preserve stability.
Youlong Bi
Youlong Bi is one of Nadutong’s directors and is known for his hardline, ruthless approach.
He tends to favor decisive action in dangerous situations and often represents the organization’s harshest stance during major crises.
Zhiwei Zhang
Zhiwei Zhang is the sixty-fifth Heavenly Master of Tianshi Mansion and one of the absolute legends of the series.
He is renowned for his mastery of the Golden Light Spell and Thunder methods, and for standing at the top of the Outcast world for decades.
Though he can appear relaxed and humorous, his power is overwhelming and his sense of duty runs deep.
Lingyu Zhang
Lingyu Zhang is a direct disciple of Zhiwei Zhang and one of the most talented younger members of Tianshi Mansion.
He is elegant, disciplined, and gifted, but his past relationship with He Xia prevents him from cultivating Yang Five Thunder, forcing him instead onto the path of Yin Five Thunder.
Later events lead to his expulsion from the mountain, after which he eventually joins Nadutong.
Jinzhong Tian
Jinzhong Tian is Zhiwei Zhang’s junior fellow disciple and a tragic figure tied closely to the old secrets of Tianshi Mansion.
After being tortured and crippled while protecting the truth behind the Eight Extraordinary Skills, he spends decades enduring unimaginable hardship through spiritual discipline.
Huaiyi Zhang
Huaiyi Zhang is Chulan Zhang’s grandfather and one of the most important figures in the backstory.
He was part of the group known as the Thirty-Six Thieves and developed one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, Qi Tiyuanliu, during the events linked to the Jia Shen Incident.
In old age, he deliberately exposed himself to his pursuers and died after taking many enemies down with him.
Gong Qing
Gong Qing is the acting leader of Quanxing and one of the key instigators of the chaos on Longhu Mountain.
Disguised for years as a young Daoist servant, he infiltrates Tianshi Mansion to uncover the truth about the Jia Shen Incident.
His obsession with hidden knowledge ultimately leads him to confront Jinzhong Tian and trigger disaster.
Liang Lü
Liang Lü is the younger brother of Lü Gong and the great-grandson of Lü Ci.
Initially a member of Quanxing for unclear reasons, he later becomes one of the series’ most intriguing wild cards.
He steals and manipulates memories, cooperates with Chulan Zhang in secret, and eventually appears to possess a form of the mysterious technique known as Shuangquanshou.
Zhenghao Feng
Zhenghao Feng is the founder of the Under Heaven Society and the father of Shayan Feng and Xingtong Feng.
A shrewd and ambitious leader, he is deeply impressed by Chulan Zhang and sees through the meaning behind many of his outrageous actions.
Outwardly respectful to stronger forces, he is in fact patient, calculating, and full of hidden plans.
Current Regional Branch Heads of Nadutong
The major branch heads include Gao Lian in the Northeast, Si Xu in North China, Dou Le in East China, Ren Fei in Central China, Hua Feng in Northwest China, Hao Yi in Southwest China, and the late Liao Zhong in South China.
Their temporary workers include Er Zhuang, Baobao Feng, Xiao Zizai, Hei Guan’er, Lao Meng, Wang Zhenqiu, and the late Chen Duo.
The Lu Family
The Lu Family is one of the old “Four Great Families” and part of the Ten Elders structure.
Its current head is Lu Jin, and the family is notable for gathering experts from different schools rather than relying on a single inherited art.
Other Notable Figures
Rongshan is the ninth direct disciple of the Heavenly Master and a loyal member of Tianshi Mansion.
Mei Jinfeng is an elder of Quanxing and one of the few people with deep knowledge of Wugensheng, the faction’s former leader.
The comic began serialization on Tencent Comics on 26 February 2015.
It was also distributed in Japan through Shonen Jump+.
As of April 2020, the print edition had reached 21 volumes.
As of 25 October 2024, the series had reached 692 chapters.
The collected edition was published by Zhejiang People’s Fine Arts Publishing House.
The first four volumes were released on 1 August 2016.
Volumes 5 through 8 were released on 1 April 2017.
Volumes 9 and 10 were released on 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2018.
Volumes 11 and 12 were released on 1 August 2018.
Volumes 13 through 15 were released on 1 December 2018.
Volumes 16 through 18 were released on 1 August 2019.
Volumes 19 through 21 were released on 1 April 2020.
Season 1
The first anime season, titled Under One Person, was produced by Pandanium and directed by Wang Xin.
It aired on Tokyo MX from 8 July 2016 to 23 September 2016 and ran for 12 episodes.
It was also streamed on Tencent’s platforms in China.
Season 2
The second season, Under One Person 2: Luotian Dajiao, was directed by Chen Ye and Wang Xin.
It aired from 17 January 2018 to 18 May 2018 and consisted of 24 episodes.
Animation production shifted to Shanghai Haoliners, marking a noticeable production change from the first season.
Season 3
The third season, Under One Person 3: Into the World Arc, was directed by Wei Tianxing.
It streamed on Tencent Video from 24 April 2020 to 12 June 2020 and had 8 episodes.
Season 4
The fourth season, Under One Person 4, was directed by Chen Ye.
It was released on Tencent Video from 24 September 2021 to 3 December 2021 and ran for 12 episodes.
Season 5
The fifth season, Under One Person 5, premiered on 9 December 2022 and ended on 24 February 2023.
It continued the story of the Biyou Village conflict.
Production Changes
The franchise changed animation studios several times across its run.
Season 1 was produced by Pandanium, Season 2 by Shanghai Haoliners, Season 3 by Guangzhou Big Firebird Culture, and later seasons by Beijing Qiyuan Yinghua.
The first animated feature for the franchise, Under One Person: Rust Reappears, premiered online on 15 February 2024.
It was produced by Beijing Qiyuan Yinghua and released through Tencent Video and Aurora TV.
A mobile game adaptation titled Under One Person was developed by Tencent Interactive Entertainment’s Magic Cube Studio.
Its music production involved Yasuharu Takanashi.
Season 1 Themes
The Chinese opening theme was “Yiren.”
The Japanese opening theme was “Arcadia” by Lilith.
The shared ending theme was “In the Dawn.”
Season 2 Themes
The Chinese opening was “Wuya.”
The Japanese opening was “Kizudarake no Bokura” by NormCore.
Season 2 also featured a number of character-themed ending songs, including songs for Baobao Feng, Zhuge Qing, Wang Ye, Lingyu Zhang, and Chulan Zhang.
Season 3 Themes
The opening theme was “Chu Ru Ping An.”
The ending theme was “Xin Yuan Gui Zheng.”
Additional special songs included “Wang Daozhang Keneng Hui Shuai Shouji,” “Yiren Ye,” and “Jinguang Shenzhou.”
Season 4 Themes
The opening theme was “Wu Nian Wu Sheng.”
Season 4 featured several rotating ending songs, including “Biyou Huanying Ni,” “Yi Yan Jiu Ding Wang Daozhang,” and “Yiren Disco.”
In mainland China, the Chinese-language version of the first season began streaming on 8 July 2016 across Tencent Video, iQIYI, LeTV, PPTV, and Mango TV.
The Japanese-language version followed on 15 July 2016.
In Japan, the anime aired on Tokyo MX starting 9 July 2016.
A talk and feature series titled Under One Person 2: Journey to Seek Qi began streaming on 10 November 2017.
The program explored real Daoist culture, martial concepts, and spiritual practices that influenced the series, including discussions of qi, talismans, cultivation, and the Golden Light Spell.
The Japanese streaming site d Anime Store reported strong early attention for the Japanese version in July 2016, where it ranked sixth in viewer interest.
Reception outside East Asia was more mixed.
On MyAnimeList, the first anime season received a relatively low score during its original run, reflecting divided international reactions to its unusual pacing and style.
The franchise has also been adapted into live-action form.
These include the television series I Am Nobody and the film The Traveller based on Under One Person.
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