Hikaru no Go (2020)

Bad for my sleep cycle, good for my heart

This drama in one word: comforting.

I keep returning to it whenever I feel down, sometimes even rewatching the entire thing in one go (my sleep cycle be damned).

The story itself is a classic tale of mastering a craft, with a clear progression that feels natural (Reminicent of sports stories).

The characters are endearing, their struggles both authentic and relatable. They are all different and distinct – and yet still somehow fit together perfectly.

The rivals-to-friends-to-go-partners-for-life is perfect, I kid you not. The way the characters spoke of eachother, looked at eachother, cared for eachother (often without the other person knowing) is everything I did not know I needed (They are OBSSESED with eachother and so am I).

The game of Go is used as a plotdevice with PURPOSE, reflecting both character relationships (and their evolution) as well as inner and outer conflict. I started out knowing nothing of the game and now know a little.

Straight after watching it, I read the manga (which I also adored). Now all I need is watch the Anime – and to find something to replace the Hikaru-No-Go shaped hole in my heart lol

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Most underrated drama but it's 2020's best one!

I have little expectation of this drama and thought it would be boring. I watched this with little interest but this drama adaptation turns out to exceed my expectations!

Although the casts aren't well-known, but they portrayed their characters well. My favorite would be Chu Ying! The character development of the characters are also satisfying.

There is no romance in this drama (w/c i liked!) but bromance u can get enouf of it. The friendship and bond is strong .. they value their relationship and help each other to not give up.

I dare say, this made my 2020 complete! As someone who's sceptical from live action dramas adapted from anime, it's totally unexpected and worth watching!

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The Best Bromance Drama Ever

This drama was so incredibly captivating that I found myself immediately rewatching it from the beginning right after finishing it.
I loved it so much that I couldn’t even bring myself to write a review at first.
But I really want to share how amazing this drama is with those who haven’t seen it yet, so I’m writing this review now.

The story is based on the Japanese manga "Hikaru no Go." I am also a fan of the original manga.
The manga itself is wonderful and very entertaining. Even though it has been more than 20 years since the manga finished its serialization, there are still many fans of this work in Japan.
The anime remains popular as well.
I want to extend the highest praise to the director, scriptwriter, production staff, and above all, the actors who managed to perfectly adapt this wonderful work into a 36-episode drama without losing any of its charm.

Hu Xianxu, who played Shi Guang, was particularly outstanding.
This was the first time I saw his acting, but I instantly became a huge fan. He embodied "Shi Guang" so perfectly.
He was truly amazing. His performance was so remarkable that I couldn’t believe there was such a talented actor in China.
What I particularly loved was how Shi Guang wasn’t portrayed as a cool character at all. Hu Xianxu didn’t try to make himself look cool in the slightest, and that’s what made his performance so fantastic.
Even though he is actually a very handsome actor, when he played the clumsy and lazy Shi Guang, he truly became the character. He was such an adorable, endearing character that you couldn’t help but love him.

And Hao Fushen, who played Yu Liang, was also amazing.
He perfectly captured Yu Liang's obsession, passion, and competitive spirit towards Shi Guang, while showing a humble and modest attitude outside of playing Go.
He portrayed a determined young man who constantly strives for greatness, living in the shadow of his father, a top figure in the Chinese Go world.

Zhang Chao, who played Chu Ying, delivered an extraordinary performance as a character that transcends humanity—neither a person, a god, nor a ghost, but the unique role of Chu Ying. His reactions to the modern world and his gradual adaptation were incredibly charming.
The relationship between him and Shi Guang, which was like that of a master and disciple, a family, brothers, and close friends, was truly wonderful.

As a fan of BL and bromance, I especially loved the relationship between Shi Guang and Yu Liang.
These two characters are each other’s greatest rivals and confidants in life.
Their personalities and lifestyles are completely different, so they probably wouldn’t have met or become friends without Go.
However, Go binds their destinies together, creating an unbreakable bond and a world that belongs to them alone.
It’s clear that Shi Guang and Yu Liang will continue to shine as two stars in the Chinese Go world for years to come.

I watched this drama without knowing the rules of Go, but I was so determined to understand it that I bought a "Go set" and a "Beginner’s Guide to Go." I’m now studying Go because of this drama. That’s how much it captivated me.
I’m so glad I found this drama. It has become a work that I’ll rewatch countless times throughout my life.

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Nothing just go for it

So i am reviewing this now but i watched it like last year. So i don't know why but i watched it in one go. It was so addicting to watch. I loved the bromance and this was the only drama where the interaction was so less between the shi guang and yu liang but i still did not feel sad. Like it did some black magic on me or something. I kow nothing about go but i can watch this again and again😊💜💜💜💜. Amd i loved the ending although felt sad for hong he as he was my most favourite character. I really wished he was with them but i know he would been the third wheel between them😂💜

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How to adapt a sport for the uninitiated

This show is a definition of how you combine an obscure sport with fantasy element to heighten the impact of both. I never knew what GO was but after this I really found a keen interest in learning even thought it seemed complex and difficult to master unlike chess.

The show starts of with a simple premise of a past spirit wondering the earth to meet his destined person to fulfill his wish. However, the twist is that the ghost has absolutely no power and can only annoy the connected one depending on his mood. So as the story progresses no authority is given to the ghost and even the super genius spirit becomes kind of like a mentor without stealing the limelight from little kids.

All characters are different in nature in this show unlike other dramas. No one is traditionally attractive so I found their minds more fascinating then the distracting facial features. No one acts and demand more than they should get and the drama feels more like a simple slice of life drama where people learn GO and get good at it in a reasonable pace while having interesting yet grounded adventures.

For me the best interactions were always between the spirit and our main character and his rivals. These golden trio while always weighted heavily on the side of our main character as he can cheat anytime, was made balanced due to him deciding not to cheat and get good on his own. To me it seemed somewhat annoying at times where he could have taken the help from the spirit to cheat way more but it is understandable that he was a honest kid and wanted to play fair and square.

Overall, the show was better than I imagined. No other sports show has produced so much interest on a obscure game such as this drama. I have watched many sports drama on Tennis, Badminton, Snooker, and many other obscure ones but none explain the rules and implement such rules as effortlessly as this one.

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Una gran serie

Ha sido una gran sorpresa encontrarme con esta serie, a la que llegué gracias a las buenas reseñas y a la gran puntuación que tenía. No suelo fiarme mucho de las puntuaciones, hay series que considero que son regulares o muy aburridas que tienen una puntuación alta -a veces más por el actor que hay en ella que por la calidad de la historia- pero en este caso no hay sido así.
No puedo poner ninguna pega a nada en esta serie. La duración de los capítulos es más que correcta, y eso que son treinta y seis, algunos de cuarenta minutos y otros más largos. Pero es que si se pudiera los verías todos de golpe porque el ritmo de la trama es casi perfecto. Desde que el protagonista se encuentra con el maestro del Go hasta que alcanza su gran potencial en estos capítulos vemos cómo va progresando en su amor por el Go, y en sus relaciones con los que le rodean.
Pero gran parte del acierto de esta serie es la elección de los actores, Hu XIan Xu, el actor principal lo borda, se nota que es un gran actor y a pesar de su juventud ya tiene experiencia detrás lo que le otorga una gran flexibilidad a la hora de abordar las diferentes situaciones a las que se enfrenta. El otro protagonista, Hao Fu Shen, está más rígido y parece que ésta fue su primera incursión en la interpretación pero esa rigidez -bien de su modo intepretativo o porque así lo exige en papel- es perfecta para interpretrar a Yu Liang. Los actores segundarios también lo bordan.
Este es un buen reflejo de que con grandes actores y una historia bien contada puedes crear una serie casi perfecta. Por no decir perfecta, al menos desde mi punto de vista, porque a estas alturas sigo sin saber cómo se juega al Go; y sus reglas y todo lo que lo rodea me parece muy extraño porque a simple vista parece un juego simple, como las damas. Pero no es así.
Una de las mejores series que he visto en mucho tiempo, sino entre las diez mejores de mi bibliotecta visual.

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Finding life’s meaning through a sport

I am not interested in Go. But I love a good sport centric or solid character development story.

And Hikaru no Go nails it - essence of what makes for a great sport / competition centric story.

True to good Japanese sports animes’ spirit, Hikaru no Go has well fitted cast which brings out the characters on screen, solid storyline which makes us care for the characters’ growth and journey, and lovely relationship dynamics - be it mentor-mentee, rivals or friends.

1. Acting and cast
First things first, what drew me in first was young Shi Guang played by Lucas Lu. What made me stayed after was older Shi Guang played by Hu Xian Xu. Shi Guang is one of the typical leads of “hidden talent who started late” troupe in sports story. They both nail this character well and manage to maintain the consistency even when it’s played by 2 different people. They piqued my interest and made me care for Shi Guang’s journey and development with Go. From not knowing what it is, to tolerating it because of Chu Ying, to learning about it and then to taking it seriously.

Both of them also had great chemistry with Chu Ying, played by Zhang Cao. This is important because it’s the story’s backbone and spirit. Chu Ying was a spirit who can only interact with Shi Guang throughout and the one who introduced the latter to Go. If this mentor-mentee dynamic didn’t work out, it means Shi Guang’s connection to Go won’t be as believable. Kudos to all 3 actors and their dynamics.

Other actors and actresses were also well casted, which adds to the enjoyment of this live adaptation.

2. Storyline and character development
Next, the pacing of storyline was done well.

I hadn’t read the manga before, so it probably helped considering I didn’t have any biased lens watching this.

The show first started with young Shi Guang playing Go reluctantly because of Chu Ying. Thereafter, he picked up Go again during high school because of an incident with his school mates. I enjoyed how the show took time to tease this part out and to establish this context for Shi Guang. I may not know or interested in Go. But I cared for Shi Guang, which then extends to the thing that Shi Guang came to love - Go.

Thus, I got invested in his improvement after he found his own motivation and interest in Go - not because of Chu Ying, not because of extra pocket money, not because of his ego, not because of his friends.

Every improvement and a small win by Shi Guang gave me a smile.

3. Relationship dynamic
Great sports stories are made up by characters who have a devotion and dedication to said sports as our main lead dived deeper into it. In Hikaru no Go, we see characters’ relationship with each other and with Go.

How lovely, to understand the characters motivation and to follow their discovery / learning of themselves through the game of Go and with each other. I still know nothing of Go after watching this (because I kinda zoned out whenever they got too much into the technicalities of it), but it never hindered my understanding of the characters’ motivation or traits or quirks.

I particularly loved Chu Ying’s battle with Yu Xiao Yang - on their 领悟 (learnings) from their inevitable face off. It stands to show how learning is boundless and everyone has their own unique journey / lesson on mastering an art.

While Yu Liang was supposedly the rival of Shi Guang, I somehow can’t seem to connect much to their dynamics. Not that the storyline or the actors’ chemistry were bad. Just other things - be it moments, characters or friendships- seem to drew me in more.

Ultimately, my favorite dynamic remains Chu Ying and Shi Guang.

Nevertheless, I rated Hikaru no Go at 8.5 because the story and cast didn’t managed to draw me in completely to the Go world. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think one requires to know Go to enjoy this story - just like I did. While it’s barely hit the mark for me, it might for you.

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This is not an adaptation this is a Spin off.

Warning guys this is not an adaptation of the anime, this is a spin off.
They made their own story using the IP. It's in a chinese setting with chinese world and characters. I appreciate the effort so much, not only you get the nostalgia but its an original story, most live actions the best thing they can do its just make a shitty adaptation of what we like. But this is different, in a good way, its fresh its new, its 2021. So much love was put into this, it only adds to the original because its not trying to copy it. I love that creators of this show, they wanted to put their heart their personalities into this and they succeed it. I hope more studio take this examples and make their original stories, yeah i know detective pikachu sucked but hey, I can appreciate the effort. Take more risks try new things, thats the spirit.
If you are one of the few people that have watched this and not the original anime, then watch the original you are not missing anything, you see its a WIN-WIN. This show could have been so bad but because it isnt makes me so happy. It get too soap opera at times, but besides that absulutely fantastic. It's a slow start so watch atleast 6 episodes i reccomend if you dont like it, then quit for sure. It has a lot of build up at first but then its followed by a lot pay off, a little boring at the beggining but fantastic middle and ending.

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A good Manga Adaptation.

I love this manga adaptation. I have read the manga, although the "character writing" of the main character (Shi Guang/Hikaru) is different from the manga. But I like it. Hikaru's initially calm character turns into a cheerful and goofy one. But the goofiness makes the story more lively.

Actually, the real manga is short. So there will be a lot of filler episodes, but most of the filler episodes don't feel like filler. Some episodes support story progress and character development. Except for a few episodes at the end. it felt a bit dragging.

But overall it is very good adaptation.
For overall experience i give it 9.5/10.
GOOD JOB.

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A beautiful and poignant live action adaptation of a beloved manga/anime series

Hikaru No Go was one my favorite anime and manga series from the early 2000's. It became so hugely popular that it spawned a newfound interest in Go, drawing many new players to the sport - me included (although I was never very good at it). But for some reason, the Japanese entertainment industry never felt the need to make a live action adaptation despite its massive fandom. It wouldn't be until almost 20 years later since the manga's inception when a C-drama adaptation of the series would be released. It's called Qi Hun in China, but it retained its original title for its international release. I didn't have the chance to watch it when it was initially shown because I didn't have subscriptions to Chinese streaming sites at that time. But recently, I remembered that I still haven't seen it and found it on iQIYI thankfully. As a fan of the source material, I went into this with a lot of skepticism because live action adaptations, more often than not, do not give justice to the original, so I didn't think they could pull it off. But color me surprised, they did and they did so with flying colors! I fell in love with the drama from the get-go. I could tell from the first few episodes that this was created by people who loved the manga and this was a love letter to the timeless work written and drawn by Hotta Yumi and Obata Takeshi. Yes, the setting, names, looks of the characters, and language are different, but they preserved the soul of the manga. It felt like Hikaru No Go through and through, not some cash-grabbing poor imitation of the original.

It follows the story of an unsuspecting young boy (Shi Guang/Hikaru) who stumbles upon an ancient Go board that is haunted by the ghost of a Go prodigy (Chu Ying/Sai) who met a tragic fate and has been waiting for more than a thousand years to obtain his redemption. Together they set out to find the “Divine Move”, something that most masters of the sport dream of finding. As the story progresses, Shi Guang grows to love the sport and Chu Ying starts to mentor him, teaching him everything he knows and molding him to become one of the finest players the sport has ever seen. The bond that they share is one of the focal points of the story and this drama gives justice to that. Their relationship is wholesome, touching, and heart-wrenching. Chu Ying isn't just Shi Guang's mentor but also his father figure and most avid cheerleader. They are thick as thieves! I cried buckets because of them.

Chu Ying is definitely the best character in this drama just like Sai in the anime/manga. He is such a pure soul and the perfect teacher. He's patient but strict. He encourages but he doesn't push too hard. He doesn't become envious of Shi Guang's growth and talent, but he feels proud instead. He knows that Shi Guang is his legacy and the only proof that he ever existed. Another thing that this drama got right is the rivalry between Shi Guang and Yu Liang (Akira). One of the highlights of this series is Shi Guang and Yu Liang's intense rivalry that develops into a beautiful friendship. Their tacit understanding of one another makes them a compelling pair. They may hate each other's guts sometimes, but they want the other to succeed and feel terrible when the other fails. Yu Liang is the complete opposite of Shi Guang and yet it is he who understands him best apart from Chu Ying.

Shi Guang's other relationships are equally heartwarming, from his supportive grandfather and high school friends to his comrades from his Go club who would do anything for him. It made me think that he is indeed fortunate to have friends like these. Hong He is one of my favorites among his friends, he is such a good guy and I found myself rooting for him. His love-hate relationship with Gu Yu is also interesting. I cried when Gu Yu confronted him and told him how much he envied and admired him at the same time. His teachers from his Go club are also very endearing as well as the nameless monks in Lan Yin temple and the construction guys who gave Shi Guang and the boys a hand. I also learned to love Yu Liang's senior, the arrogant playboy, Fang Xu. His character development is one of the things that I liked about this drama. I couldn't even dislike that spoiled brat who prides himself as the best player in their Go club because at the end, he becomes a little more mature and accepts defeat. I love every character in this drama except that braggart, Mu Qing Chun. He's a real piece of work! Hahaha!

The screenwriters did a marvelous job at adapting the source material, something I really didn't expect. The dialogues are so on point and there are many quotable quotes, especially from Chu Ying. The emotional beats and tense-filled scenes are so well-executed that I felt nervous whenever they played matches. I love that this is not just about Go but also about life, growing up, love, and loss. I cried so much watching this drama. Yes, they made changes, but I actually have no complaints, especially with the way they ended it. Truth be told, the manga ends abruptly with no real resolution or closure that many people felt disappointed. So the fact that they ended it the way they did made it better.

The music is also well-suited to the series. The makers of the drama even went out of their way to do a Chinese remake of the iconic theme from the anime that was originally written by Kids Alive. There are tons of easter eggs and callbacks to the manga and anime that if you're a fan, you will definitely be able to identify them.

I cannot heap enough praises for this drama and I cannot recommend it enough. If you're a fan of the anime/manga, this is a must-see! But if you're new to Go or the IP, it is also a wonderful coming of age story filled with ups and downs, wins and losses. It's not perfect, for sure, but I give it a 10 out of 10 because it is the kind of drama that I would want to rewatch again and again, and I became so attached to the characters that I felt that they're already a part of me. I was so immersed in this world that I'm very reluctant to leave it behind. I thank the makers of this drama from the writers, director, producers to the cast and staff, you made me laugh, cry, and feel good about myself. This drama truly deserves the only perfect 10-rating that I have ever given a C-drama thus far.

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one of the only shows ever to have made me cry

Hikaru no Go is genuinely so good. It's a pretty realistic coming-of-age story with fantasy elements that don't overwhelm the plot but rather enhance it.

Unfortunately I haven't seen/read the original media so I can't review it as an adaptation, but as a standalone show it's fantastic. Good pacing, good plot, plenty of ups and downs. Likeable and three-dimensional characters with plenty of flaws and bad decisions. Plenty of character growth. Unexpected plot twists, nice cinematography, good acting. Comedy and drama in equal measure.

I really have no complaints. This is one of the only shows that's ever made me actually cry, which was wildly unexpected, but goes to show how good the actors are and how well they portrayed experiences. And how good the framing was too for everything. Nothing felt like a scene in isolation and nothing felt out of place, everything flowed. I'd give it a 10 if I'd had no reason to cry in the first place!

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