To me, Hu Xian Xu (Shi Guang) didn't "act" but he actually "lived" his character through, he was NATURAL and opened and honest and that made series feel real to me. Whenever I saw a spoiler image from upcoming episodes, I could tell exactly which manga moment he was recreating, his expressions and gestures were deep and frank, and even innocent/childish thanks to the fact he was playing a character HIS OWN AGE instead of some 25-something idol actor casted for his popularity pretending to be a school kid. Hu Xian Xu even lost weight 15 episodes later and started to look more handsome just like manga Hikaru, who slowly grows from a wide-faced dorky boy into more handsome and tall, cool-looking teenager over course of the series. Maybe the last one wasn't deliberate (filming may be tough and all actors seemed to lose their cheeks towards the end), but it was certanly a pleasant surprise, because that slow, thus unapparent change of character's appearance in manga is one of the most wonderful and sweetest plot tricks I ever experienced. I never in my life a was fan of any actor - he's the first who made me fall in love with his talent. I look forward to his works.
About the Closure scene between Chu Ying and Shi Guang, I really was satisfied with it even when it literally broke all of us to pieces, I think it made me cling to the series more. Knowing that Chu Ying had already written his destiny (Losing in a dirty manner and committing suicide at the age of 28), it really made sense when Chu Ying painfully regretted finally witnessing the Divine Move cuz he knew his time was up after that. it was already late when he wanted to stay with shi guang forever. It became more realistic cuz in the long run, Shi Guang already played his own game, adding the lessons he learned from chu ying. Chu Ying already made a powerful Impact in the modern era of Go, making it as his final REDEMPTION to his name. NO MATTER what age and year it was, he already cleared his name, marking his name in the history of Go!
I love this drama so much. I was afraid the adult actor wouldn't surpass the child actor but I am now convinced they are the same person grown up. I know nothing about Go nor into "sports" series but I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. 5 🌟 for me.
I too was scared and sceptical about the changing of the lead actor since we've been dealing with the plague of idol "actors" this past decade. Thankfully the older boy wasn't an idol 🥲
Yes! Hikaru no Go deserves all the recognitions! And Hu Xuanxu, that boy can ACT-- the way his eyes are on the verge of tearing sometimes just catches me off guard--
Great adaptation, brought so much fond memories, and that same tearjerking heartbreak, uguu... but what I found surprising in this adaptation is how Shi Guang and Yu Liang are pretty much a BL couple. The last episode pretty much nailed their CP status for me.
Well, if you grew up reading Hikaru no go at it’s peak back in the 2000s, you would have also discovered the amount of yaoi fan fiction dedicated to the two of them...
Best casting. The actors are very good especially i like hong he's acting. This is the only c drama that i almost memorize everyone's name. Each one means a lot
i cried so much watching this. it felt that whoever made this show understood what sports manga and anime really are. the friendships are so strong and believable. i want my own chu ying now. :( also you're right! it had a great cast.
Shi Guang actor is amazing! He reminds me Korean actor Yeo Jin Goo! Very impressive! I love love this drama! Even the younger version of the male lead is brilliant! I agree that every actor played their role to the T. Highly recommended!
I'm so glad that you made another video for this drama. The original Hikaru no Go has a very soft spot in my heart and honestly I was very scared when I heard about this adaptation. But I really enjoyed it! The creators managed to do justice to the characters. And the actor playing Shi Guang (both young and teenager) were really great.
I just finished the drama, and i am so grateful i spent 36 hours in this drama, just WOW. When they start episode 32-34 storyline , i cried continuously for hours and it almost made me faint cause of dehydration, the actors chuying and shiguang really did amazing work and the drama team really did an excellent job. I watch your review only after i finish the series just to avoid spoilers. And for this whole video, i nodded my head so hard cause I agree with what everything you said. When i started episode 34-36 , i wish they can spend more time in completing the chuying connection with shi guang, in particularly the last episode i am a bit disappointed that they didnt show any of chu ying story , barely mentioning his name. I am gonna to nod my head off at everything you say in this video because i agree with everything you said.
This is the 2nd drama that I really hard to let it go after watched after the untamed. Each character and casts is really good to potrayal each character. The last 4 eps is make me sad coz ChuYing was disappear, so, 2 last eps is the good point to wrap up corelation abt rival best friend Shi Guang & Yu Liang. How they are finally get closer and acknowledge each other, union as pairing, as yin&yang, the twin stars. ChuYing disappear but Yu Liang still there, together they to face the future. I love how Zhang Chao comical reaction and mature as Chu Ying. The Gost who always smile and patient to guide a child Shi Guang. Suddenly I think abt how if Zhang Chao to play character Hua Cheng (Heaven Officials Blessing) pairing with Xiao Zhan? Really interesting even it only in my opinion.
I like Xiaozhan.... Not his fans. They are really young and reckless. So I m unsure about my position towards him. But I HV a different idea. I like the second prince in Joy Of Life... Sharp eyes and chin.... He looks like a perfect Hua Cheng to me. I still like LuHan to be Xie Lian.
Thank you for this review! Hikaru No Go was an emotional rollercoaster. Maybe me laugh, cry and feel all sorts of emotions. I am deeply invested in the characters thanks to the amazing portrayal of the actor ensemble. The actor playing Shi Guang is possibly one of the best young actor I have seen in the many C-dramas I have watched over the last couple of years. His whole body is in character. I spent a number of times replaying certain scenes only to check how his whole body portrays the role and the emotion the character is in. I had cry my eyeballs out in the 2 episodes dedicated to their his and Chu Ying's parting. I was so hoping you would do a 2nd review because it meant you loved the drama as well. I agree with your alternative ending for Chu Ying. That should have been fleshed out more possibly in the direction you shared. Overall, I'm glad you gave it a 2 gold bar rating.
Totally agree with your review! This adaptation was more about showing the charachters, their lives, struggles and sacrifices, than (building up to) the epic head to head battles on the Go board which the manga was known for (your typical Shounen Jump storyline/formula). It also has enough 'new' material for the fans, like Fang Xu's incredibly rewritten role and some surprising cameo's from the Japanese version (Ochi, the kid with glasses and mushroom head hair. And I believe the other kid in the same scene looked a bit like Waya) The biggest difference and immediately noticeable to me was the severely dialed up the @sshole-factor from most opponents and tough love from teachers/seniors compared to the Japanse version, which to me seems more realistic for this adaptation (as per my own experience with Chinese friends and family :D).
I watched the anime when I was younger and enjoyed it very much and was both excited and very surprised to hear that it would be Chinese live-action drama. I finished the whole series within a week and was so blown away by the production. I definitely agree with your points on how the strength in the live action lies in its focus on making it realistic, and I also really enjoyed just how normal all the actors looked. Also appreciate the fun production tidbits, thank you for this great review!
Totally love this drama! I still remember I broke out with tears on Episode 32. I'm quite surprised to see a Chinese drama review in English, well done to you!!! Thanks for the review and explanation!
I'm starting to think that all dramas should be measured on a Nirvana in Fire scale. The more ways it's connected to Nirvana in Fire, the higher on the scale it is. Or maybe it's like the Kevin Bacon factor
Started watching your video at the beginning of the week, then paused it to go watch ALL of the drama, and I finally came back to finish your video! Spot on review. Agree about the ending with Chu Ying and the missed opportunity to resolve the circumstances of his appearance and disappearance. I will say that I actually appreciated the portrayal of Shi Guang's grief and loss process. Yes, it was a bit difficult for us to watch, but it shows how difficult grief and loss can be -- not just for the person going through it, but for others around him. And while the resolution of that plotline wasn't super realistic (for the record: "pretend it didn't happen" is NOT a valid therapeutic technique), it was at least poetic.
I love this drama, and it did the anime justice! It brought back memories of how life was then between 1997 - 2005. My only wish was if they had incorporated the "Get Over - Dream" song and music score in the drama like the anime, besides the original ending song. Well done to the whole production team of Hikaru No Go!
I would rate this 9/10 as a drama and 8/10 as an adaptation. It could have been higher if not for: 1) the last two episodes. I'm not fond of the change on Hokuto Cup preliminary match. Hikaru's spot as HC second player is pretty much secure. In the drama, they make it as if Shi Guang only makes it since Hong He has to resign. 2. Hong He's last minute drama is not necessary and making him quitting Go is just beyond cruel. 3. they did Yashiro character (Mu something) dirty. They could have developed his character better (like they did to other side characters) and make him HC third player like he's supposed to be. The number of episode they have is def enough to do this. 3. dragging Chu Ying's departure far too long. I feel that the screenwriter has misinterpreted the message of the original story. Sai's actual mission is not to find divine move, but to teach Go to Hikaru, who's basically like a God's chosen child. And since Hikaru has been able to find "that one" move that can change the outcome of Sai vs Koyo Toya's game, something that even Sai doesn't notice, it hints that there's nothing left for Sai to teach. Hence, his mission is done. When Sai finds this out, his heart becomes calm and he departs in serene. The drama version makes it too dramatic, as if Chu Ying vanishes due to force and he does not find peace. I also disagree with AvenueX who wants Chu Ying to go back to his time and rewrite history. Nope, none should ever mess up with history. Chu Ying should remain anonymous that only Shi Guang knows. It serves as a reason why Shi Guang has to play Go again, since he can only find Chu Ying's traces through his style of playing. Still, I very much enjoy this drama, and like AvenueX has stated, this is by far the best Chinese drama for anime/manga adaptation. I will rewatch this again and again and even recommend it to my friends and family. I hope many drama with similar quality coming from cdramaland in the future. 🎉🎉🎉
I share the same exact sentiment about Chu Ying going back to his time & cleared his name. Hence, would have had his name stated in the historical records. This is due to the the part where the monk said to Shi Guang that it is not the time yet to see the book, thats when I thought the time to see the book is after Chu Ying got to clear his name. Plus I don’t think Chu Ying would have ended his life when he returned because he had witnessed/learnt that there is more to life than simply Go although the game is forever a big part of both his & Shi Guang’s life.
OMG... He was the young emperor!! I did not realise he was that younger emperor in NIF 2. The acting was so good! No wonder i have a feeling have to seen him somewhere. Thank you for your info !
Thank you for a wonderful review! But out of rightful criticisms one point I wish to defend, please... there is a realistic explanation in the manga why little Hikaru (Shi Guang) gets into go. For children outside of go world self-growth and socialising comes first. Hikaru is a lonely kid with no serious interests and hobbies. When he meets Akira (Yu Liang), he sees him a role model. Akira is totally a new kid, already "an adult". Hikaru wants to be serious, too. To have a goal, a passion, a path in life. He saw a part of himself in Akira ("a twin star"). So he starts to play go, gets into a go club in a new school, makes friends. This is a deep, serious side of him that nobody saw, but Akira knew about. So, Hikaru initally pursued not go but a meaningful existence. He didn't know about professional Go World, but he didn't care and followed his intuition (I like it so I'll do it!), which is quite ok for a kid of his type and age. His genius brain only helped him to learn fast, it was a plot device for appropriate story pacing. Hikaru recognized his love for go only when he lost Chu Ying (Sai) and refrained from the game. So, I totally agree with and love the new trope in dorama! But the original source makes sense, too. Like manga, dorama also beautifully highlights the importance of Yu Liang as facilitator - he runs with him into "Go Gates" two times in dorama, becomes his saving grace during depression and overall tries to help him in any way he can. The cp stuff in the end was great. Seems like the show has two endings: 1 - when Chu Ying disappears, and 2 - when Shi Guang starts his professional career. I believe, there is a reason... Dorama has strong parallels between Chu Ying and Shi Guang. Like Chu Ying, Shi Guang gives his most precious item as a present and "connecting thread" to Yu Liang. Likewise, Shi Guang abandons Yi Liang without explanation. And, when they reconcile, Yi Liang repeatedly glances at him in the same way Shi Guang always glanced at Chu Ying out of joy and for reassurance. But, in reverse, Yi Liang becomes a new guardian for Shi Guang from now on. He has been in the Go world all his life and must teach him about the present. This is absolutely consistent with the original. In the manga, Sai (Chu Ying) is "the past" of go, Akira (Yi Liang) is "the present", and Hikaru (Shi Guang) is "the future". In the final chapter Hikaru states that his dream is "to connect the past and the future". Now that Sai is gone, Akira is supposed to help him with the present. But this transition never happened. They didn't have time to become real friends and failed as a team during the Hokuto Cup. I strongly, sadly feel that editorial restrictions/censorship occured. Their never-ending mental distance made the manga look unfinished for decades to come. That's why their final bonding in dorama makes sense. Transition happens. After 9 years apart (34 episodes out of 36) they deserved a time together, a chance to heal their relationship and become a team from "the new wave". They are REWARDED for their struggle to become twin stars, and they finalise the friendship/rivalry trope, unfinished in the manga.
I am so happy you recommended this show, i honestly never seen anything better. I have shows that i love as much as this one, but not more. Every episode elicited emotions from me, every character made an impression. i haven't noticed any imperfections, mostly because i was crying continuously especially during 33,34 episodes and just wanted smth warm and comforting at the end and they gave me main CP sharing a bed!!! anyway i AM playing GO now, it IS fun.
Thanks so much for recommending Hikaru No Go! I doubt I would have found it on my own since I'm unfamiliar with the source manga/anime and my knowledge of Go is limited to Park Bo Gum's portrayal of a top Go player in the Korean drama Reply 1988 and the documentary Alpha Go. Hikaru No Go was a completely wonderful addition to my slight understanding of that rarified world. As you said, all of the characters were so well developed, but Chu Ying stole my heart, and, as the previous commenter said, his departure was shattering. (I thought your edit video on bilibili beautifully captured the sweet awesomeness of that unique pair.) I could absolutely understand Shi Guang's steep decline after Chu Ying disappeared. I agree that they missed an opportunity to provide closure to Chu Ying's story. Your suggestion of changing the ancient book of Go games to show his name would have been an elegant fix. I think it was a missed opportunity, but all in all, I found the ending (the most precarious part of any story) to be satisfying. I was buoyed up by Shi Guang & Yu Liang's growing friendship. Again, thanks for another great recommendation. Hikaru No Go did not disappoint!
The actor for the main character was casted perfectly for this role. I became his fan after this show and look forward to more of his works in the future!
I’m not into any “sports” drama until watching your review,directly fall in love with the child actor (young Shi Guang),Hu Xian Xu and Zhang Chao (I love their bonding),can also feel Shi Guang’s sadness of Zhu Ying’s disappearance 😭thx for your final review..couldn’t agree more with you
I should check this out, because I was seriously obsessed with the anime back in the day - we’re talking writing tons of fanfic and doing HikaGo panels at cons level of obsessed. It sounds like the drama takes everything that was good about the anime and builds on it - and I’m glad they kept the BL chemistry between the leads!
I agree with you! Recently, I just started watching it and I'm so in love with it. The anime has been one of my favorite anime of all time and I'm so thankful for the all the hard work they have put into this great drama. Last night I just watched Chu Ying's disappearance and it got me so bad had me crying for a couple minutes TTTTT ^ TTTTT
Ohhhh I knew it that you gonna make a 2nd video!! Yeah! It is so good and all my child’s memory came back. I agree 100% with your review and wish we would be able to see more of these kind of quality work from drama land soon.
Thank you for reviewing this drama. I agree to all your points discussed. Also the dubbing , definitely topnotch for flushing out their real voices instead of dubbed ones. One of the dramas that is worthy for a rewatch!
The little facts you've compiled are super interesting! I want more of them haha! This drama is so meticulously well written and of high quality and in the same time it is so underappreciated that I can't seem to find more subtitled content like bloopers, bts... I need them ;(
I didn't know that there was a "live action" version of Hikaru no go until I came across your video, so thank you very much! Hikaru no go is one of my favourite animes. Honestly, it was with some reservation when I watched it towards the end because you mentioned that the last 4 episodes was dragged out and the series seemed to nose-dive at the end. But, I'm happy to disagree with you :) It really was able to sustain my interest throughout the series. In fact, I found episodes 33 and 34 very touching and surprisingly, not boring at all and episodes 35-36 were still rather well-paced - though I don't know why the scripwriters were "cruel" to Honghe. The only part that I felt slightly regretful about was that although weiqi was very prominent in the drama, it was only a backdrop to the characters. I felt very intrigued by weiqi after watching the anime and in fact, it led me to take up a couple of weiqi classes. I don't really get inspired by weiqi as portrayed here in the show. Nevertheless, I'm really glad I got to watch this drama. The relationships were very well depicted - much better than the anime. Overall, it was so well-casted, scripted, directed and acted! I would give it a 9-9.5/10! Thank you very much for your recommendation!
totally! it's just sad that Director easily let hong he dropped his dream just to reserve one spot for Shi Guang! I also felt bad that Long Yan wasn't mentioned during EP 30 which I believe it's almost perfect to show the love for GO...sigh
I had really high expectations on the scene when Chu Ying disappeared, because I remember how much that moment wrecked me in the anime. I had never been emotional when watching dramas and anime beforehand, but when I first got saw that scene in the anime, I teared up and started crying so hard. I had high expectations and I am so glad that they were met!
Finding it so hard to get over this drama! Definitely one of the best this year and I'm not even an original fan. Really looking forward to future works by this director and the whole cast
I was so glad to have watched this drama. As fan of the anime, it’s like having closure after the last 10 years (20, if you watched/read when it first came out). I’ll be honest, just about every character were fleshed out and were made more “human” than their anime counterparts, they were given more realistic thoughts and emotions compared to the typical shounen characters. While still keeping their original cores and being immediately recognizable for the viewers. The original was already perfect, and I love what they did for the live action.
About Chu Ying/Sai’s ending - honestly, original Hikaru didn’t get much closure either? They met the same way in a dream. The manga had Sai moving on from the human world after his time with Hikaru was done, I’m not sure what the series was doing with the Outburst of Geze (apart from getting around the censorship) but I guess Chu Ying went back to his original time period?? So I agree, the timeline should’ve changed if he goes back to the past.
I'm so thankful that RUclips recommended this drama to me a few days ago..in just 3 days I finished watching all of the episodes. 'Coz that's how much I was invested in the story. I was so into it, that I watched a total of 6 episodes without the subtitles..relying only on the limited Chinese words and phrases that I know. It had all the elements I wanted to watch in shows. Because of this drama I instantly became Hu XianXu's fan..He did such a great job playing the role of Shi Guang..I cried a river when he suffered from the loss Chu Ying. The emotions were so real that you can't help but cry along with him. I wish they make a movie out of it. 'coz if I'm not mistaken the anime had a movie as well.. And i totally agree with you..I thought the handbook had some message for Shi Guang which is why the Monk waited 'til Chu Ying wasn't around anymore before finally giving it to him. Although I think Chu Ying didn't just simply travel back in his time. He originally planned to commit suicide before getting caught in a time warp. so maybe when he left Shi Guang he went back in his own timeline and died like he was supposed to. Which is why the handbook remained the way it was when Shi Guang first saw it. Chu Ying never got the chance to clear his name.
omg.. your view on the last episode just broke my already wounded heart into smaller pieces... I was already heart broken when they ended the drama without more explanation about what happened to Chu Ying ... now reading this... I wanna cry😭😭😭😭😭😭
@@danihaku don't worry, we all feel the same...it's been days but I still feel emotional over it..I can't remember a drama that made me so sad for days like I did in this one.
@@marjsiarot1804 to me ep30 is the one got me, not only about shi guang, not only about Chu ying, it's about the Go, it's about every single one who puts their heart in this game, fang xu, hong shao xiao, school friends, teachers, that go board maker... no matter the character is big or small, the drama shows there are a group of people in love of this game which is awesome
@@armedcock exactly..they made sure that we know what happened to each characters..It's also one thing that's great with this drama..because every character has interesting stories no matter how little screen time they have..
this drama made me happy in a really difficult time in my life and i'm really thankful of you because i started watching it after i dicovered your channel thanks a lot :D
I also love the drama a lot despite some inconsistencies in the end. All the actors/actresses are quite believable. I personally think some of the loose ends are intentionally left unaddressed (like the Go book in the temple) to satisfy the original author's "intention?". As in the original manga, Sai just left with no explanation and Hikaru had to deal with the aftermath after realized that his friend/mentor was gone forever. It was the unfulfillingness that keep aching us. The drama did not give us the closure we want because the author intended it to be this way. (Which I am not too happy as I want Chu Ying to redeem his reputation). I did not realize the director is the same as With You and Somewhere Only We Know (love the novel). I love his work and will be seeking his future work. Hu Xianxu is a quite capable actor, he is very good in NIF II and I am so happy he is able to get better as he grows into adulthood. I love Zhang Chao in Somewhere Only We Know and here. What a lovable character Chu Ying is!
This is definitely the best drama this year according to me. I still couldn’t figure out how to play GO though 😂. It will take me ages before I understand the game. I didn’t watched the Japanese version but the casts deserves recognitions especially 胡先煦 and 张超。I definitely give the series a Douze points ❤️❤️❤️🥂
There is plenty of online material of varying quality and depth. Once you understand the rules and the simpler forms you can play online. But don't expect an easy time -- it takes a peculiar way of looking at things that you don't pick up in a day. But, that is why some people like it.
I just finished marathoning this drama XDD Yes, I agree that the ending could be better, especially when wrapping up Chu Ying and Shi Guang's story. But since I read the manga and watch the anime a long time ago, I can safely say that this drama do more justice for their ending, even if Chu Ying did not speak at all when passing down the fan. From what I remember, Sai/Satame (Chu Ying) disappear not long after playing with Akira's ( Yu Liang) father. After that, he really does not appear anymore aside from Hikaru's recollection. TTATT Although I still hope we can see Chu Ying spending his day after coming back from the future, or the name of the Go player in the book changes into Chu Ying..... I still love this drama ^0^ Thank you AvenueX for bringing this drama to our attention and reviewing it~
actually in the last episode of the anime, Sai appears for the last time, silently handing the fan over to Hikaru ... i'm not sure about the manga since i read it a long time ago but i'm pretty sure this happens too!
I can't imagine Sai travelling back to his original dynasty and changing history. That would have departed too much from the manga for me. The manga's last scene between the two characters is Sai silently handing Hikaru the fan.
I found this drama tremendously rewarding to watch, although I also agree with your criticisms of the last few episodes. episode 32 will stay with me for a long, long time. thanks so much for reviewing/recommending it!
I love this adaption! It can definitely stand its own ground and deviate as a parallel universe to the original manga/light novel series! It is definitely not perfect and towards the end there was some faltering, HOWEVER i can forgive its small flaws! I LOVE IT！ it will definitely be one of those dramas which i can watch over and over again! This is officially one of my favourite tv shows of 2020. Also i want to add Shiguang and YuLiang are so cute i want to squish them everytime i see them interact or banter!!!
I liked each and every episode of this drama. Actually your review inspired me to watch the series. After watching, I think they kept the Chu ying's issue unsolved ( like you suggested- to convert anonymous to Chu Ying), because in the end no body knew about his existence except Shi Guang. So if suddenly the name gets changed, there would be 2 possibilities- 1) people (characters) would be atonished with the sudden change and may even blame shi guang of cheating 2) It would change history. if chu ying cleared his name he would become the best player in history, and all the people referring to the Baizhi would have to be changed. Also then, there would be no need for chu ying to reappear in shu guang's life. It would be too much complicated And one thing that confused me was the lazy monk character. As per normal belief monks are honest and hardworking people. but the lazy monk is always sleeping and lies on people's face, which is readily accepted by the other monks. I know its a fictional drama, but since its made with realistic approach, monk character confuses me, otherwise I like all the monks including him.
The acting in Hikaru no Go is exceptional. The thematic focus on relationships was just very well done. I don't think it would have made sense for Chu Ying to change his life when he returned. You can't mess with time travel like that. Also, how could he prove the emperor wrong and make him take back his edict? That would be too unbelievable. I do agree that while they were leading up to the Shi Guang x Yu Liang quite smoothly, the way they were in the last couple of episodes seemed rushed. The way they were like super coupley felt like I had missed a couple of episodes. Hong He is the friend you wish you had and the friend you wish you could be. He's wonderful. Finally, I was super impressed with Hu Xianxu's acting. I thought he was good in NiF2 but this was impressive. I'm going to check out Old Boy now.
Yes 2 gold mines. I totally marathon through this drama and so enjoyed it . Also learnt a lot about wei qi. Casting, plot and writing are so interesting and I have so much respect to the professional players. Totally love the monks and all the other side kicks in the show. I agree with your unhappiness of the show.
I just want to say thank you for this review. I got halfway through the review, paused it and then marathoned the show over the past 3 days. What an incredible show. I think I will remember this show for the rest of my life. Phenomenal writing, acting and filming. I cried for like 3 whole eps towards the end there but i deeply love the conclusion episodes too. Chu Ying and Shi Guang are friendship goals I strive for.
Yes. Young ShiGuang is perfectly adorable and perfectly naughty, and also perfectly horrified at the sadness he caused other people... Little YuLiang is really good too. When he cry after losing the first game... Saliva strings half hanging from his mouth thru the tears. I just clap...... Not even adults have this level of acting.
Thanks for recommending this drama, I’m watching it for iQIYI and while I wait for the chapter to be put on, I saw the manga and adore it. I love your channel 😀👏🏻
I super love this drama! The storyline feels so fresh. The actors are so talented! I can say this is the first Chinese drama that made me cried messily (from 30+ episodes) 😭😭
I started feeling sad the moment I realized Chu Ying was gonna leave Shi Guang sooner..My eyes are still puffy because I just watched the ep.31-34 with English subtitles..I mean I cried while watching those episodes without the subtitles a couple days ago..and understanding the dialogues made it even worse for me this time.
@@marjsiarot1804: me too.. absolutely! at first i was still holding onto it then when Chu Ying started crying, i just broke down in front of my laptop! he had to leave Shi Guang even though he wants to stay by his side forever :'(
@@tiffanyzhao9836 the moment he said what he had wished for when blowing the candles..I just started bawling. I can't remember any drama I've watched before that made me cry just as much as this one.
I binge watching this drama...and this is the best cdrama i watch after The Untamed and Bad Kids... I rarely watch cdrama but when i watch it nonstop that mean i really like the drama..😂 I really adore the actor Shi Guang, Chu Ying and Yu Liang...this trio so cute 😂
i agree that this is a brilliant anime/manga adapation! the drama really followed very closely to the anime/manga, while managing to even elevate it (speaking as someone who was a huge fan of the manga a decade ago) -- the characters became even more 3 dimensional in the drama with their own storylines that made us cheer for them (especially Fang Xu as Ogata). for the ending, it does follow pretty closely with the anime (with some changes). however, i definitely do agree that the drama itself diverged from the manga wherein Sai was not a "ghost" but rather kind of "time travelled" spiritually. therefore, it would've definitely made sense for them to add an ending bow tie by changing "anonymous" to "Chu Ying" in the northern/southern liang go book. though i guess because the way the drama wrapped up the relationships between chu ying and shi guang very much similarly to how it was in the book, so i didn't have too many complaints. the CP at the end was so lovely to see, though. and the part of chu ying disappearing was heart-breaking -- it was even sadder than how it was done in the manga, which is brilliant.
Im hooked watching this drama so far it is so good for acting,story line, etc. Thank you AvenueX for the review. I watched the anime when i was a kid eventho i dont remember the story anymore but still this live adaptation is so good.
This was really such wonderful drama, I never read or watched the manga/anime. I laughted and cried so much, the characters were so wonderful and how they changed with time...The quality was awesome. Also the music I love so much. The friendship, rivality, teachers and all relationships, wonderful. I am really happy about your review, thank you.
I am happy this Hikaru no Go has been adopted very well here. I am still broken heart with Chu Ying disappear fron Xiao Guang life. I really love the manga and anime, and now the live action.
Since you give it a positive review. I will add it into my list. I don't remember if I finished the manga cuz' I read it when I was a kid :) but it is a very good manga. I am glad we have a good adaptation. Congrats to the production team and the casts.
Interestingly, I went back to watch the anime after watching the drama version and the last few episodes of the anime also fell flat and rushed the ending... so I guess in that way they are similar lol BUT I did like how Shi Guang at times played homage to Hikaru and dressed just like him with the infamous yellow and black outfit with the 5 on it!
imo the ending was much better than i expected. It seems like alot of movies/dramas dont know how to end a show, or they try to do some inception stuff. This ending was heartwarming and calming. "did you finished the show or did the show finish you"
I had the same though about Han Mubo, I didn't recognize him but I got the felling of knowing him from somewhere. I was really surprised when I searched and found out he was the same guy who played cello in Idol Producer and now he is partying all nights, drinking and smoking 😂
From an original manga readers perspective, they really captured Hikaru's reaction to Sai's disappearance. It was horribly long and to the point of being extremely annoying in the original (I don't think I have ever spoken to a manga reader who didn't think Hikaru got extremely annoying) and they certainly managed to adapt that XD
Thank you for the review! I just finished watching and was hoping for a sequel. I'm gonna miss these characters. Seeing these deep platonic friendships remind me so much that Aristotle considered this kind of love even higher than sexual love. Men need these deep kind of friendships where they can truly share and support one another.
I'm exactly where things started to get slow...so I stopped watching to let all the episodes come out. lol. I never watched the anime, so I don't have any thoughts about the comparison. I wanted to add that the friendships on the show are complex and interesting---as the people are themselves. I surprisingly ended up loving the boys' interactions at the temple a lot. I was also super surprised by the character of Hong He. He looks like a sneaky minion that will borrow your money and not pay it back lol. However, he turned out to be such an understanding, selfless, and gracious human being and friend. I had my ups and downs with Shi Guang---that kid's mood swings and temper tantrums (coupled with his young ego) kind of got to me a few times. That being said, this is very true to young people his age. I work with young people, so I know, unfortunately. Overall, he was a super realistic character. Yu Liang was very cute and endearing...I didn't like his Korean friend lol so thank goodness that kid went back to his homeland. Chu Ying is just an adorable giant mochi ball. His voice really matched his looks! Lastly, I never ended up liking the game, go lolol. It still looks boring, hard, and complicated to me. Dude...ppl like fainted at the end of some of their games! I will stick to sudoku.
Thank you sooo much for introducing me into the world of Go with Shi Guang and Chu Ying!! I searched for it only 10 mins into your recommendation even though modern genre is not really my cup of tea. (I'm a wuxia and xianxia fan) I watched it 3 rounds back to back cos I refused to leave this intriguing new experience and return to my mundane existence haha!! (spoiler alert!!) My biggest heartbreak is when he ran and ran after the club's renaming attempt... that would be his only last little traces of CY in his life. 3 times I watched it, 3 times I'm a mess!!! What a great story!! What a great performance by all the artistes!! This drama deserve a place alongside my greatest love Nirvana in Fire!!! ❤❤❤
I absolutely agree with you. The closure between Chu Ying and Shi Guang was just not enough. Shi Guang was just left hanging, and he didn't even know that he discovered the Divine Move for Chu Ying. If Chu Ying had mentioned previously that he would pass down the fan to him or something, at least it would have more gravitas. Now that you mentioned it I am also wondering if there was an original ending and they had to change it. Maybe there was some censorship issues 🤔
I tried watching this drama because of your first impression vdo. not a bit in disappointment, the director has managed to bring back the 90's memory back to the screen so elegantly. I would agree that all leading characters are just perfect. Hu Xianxu, Zhang Chang, and Hao Fushen are just an absolute fusion of the original Hikaru,Sai,Akira. I love pretty much everything about it especially the fact they keep the ending song. A bit rush on ep32-36, they could make Ep32 so much better, and this would be more perfect.
The best modern time drama I've ever watched! And it's the first drama for which I shed tears (the episode when Chu Ying celebrated his "birthday" and then vanished). And I absolutely loved the sweet and promising ending. My only regret is that we don't get to know where Chu Ying really went after he left Shi Guang.
21:47 The last message! ahaha!! Yeah, I did download an app to play Go when I was on ep2, I think...every time I play I feel like the AI is making fun of me though!! uhuh!! One time I lost so tragically lmao!! But I did actually win one game, even though I have no clue how! xD I understand the general rules, which are very simple, tbh, but then thinking of strategies is pretty hard as a beginner! >
![【完结剧评】The Rebel - Final Review [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DO1QcvXLssI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
To me, Hu Xian Xu (Shi Guang) didn't "act" but he actually "lived" his character through, he was NATURAL and opened and honest and that made series feel real to me. Whenever I saw a spoiler image from upcoming episodes, I could tell exactly which manga moment he was recreating, his expressions and gestures were deep and frank, and even innocent/childish thanks to the fact he was playing a character HIS OWN AGE instead of some 25-something idol actor casted for his popularity pretending to be a school kid. Hu Xian Xu even lost weight 15 episodes later and started to look more handsome just like manga Hikaru, who slowly grows from a wide-faced dorky boy into more handsome and tall, cool-looking teenager over course of the series. Maybe the last one wasn't deliberate (filming may be tough and all actors seemed to lose their cheeks towards the end), but it was certanly a pleasant surprise, because that slow, thus unapparent change of character's appearance in manga is one of the most wonderful and sweetest plot tricks I ever experienced.
I never in my life a was fan of any actor - he's the first who made me fall in love with his talent. I look forward to his works.
I am definitely his fan. You express his acting ability so well.
Agree, his acting just very very good to portrayal Hikaru, and young Shi Guang also good acting too
agree .. with you
About the Closure scene between Chu Ying and Shi Guang, I really was satisfied with it even when it literally broke all of us to pieces, I think it made me cling to the series more. Knowing that Chu Ying had already written his destiny (Losing in a dirty manner and committing suicide at the age of 28), it really made sense when Chu Ying painfully regretted finally witnessing the Divine Move cuz he knew his time was up after that. it was already late when he wanted to stay with shi guang forever. It became more realistic cuz in the long run, Shi Guang already played his own game, adding the lessons he learned from chu ying. Chu Ying already made a powerful Impact in the modern era of Go, making it as his final REDEMPTION to his name. NO MATTER what age and year it was, he already cleared his name, marking his name in the history of Go!
I love this drama so much. I was afraid the adult actor wouldn't surpass the child actor but I am now convinced they are the same person grown up. I know nothing about Go nor into "sports" series but I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. 5 🌟 for me.
I too was scared and sceptical about the changing of the lead actor since we've been dealing with the plague of idol "actors" this past decade. Thankfully the older boy wasn't an idol 🥲
Each character, no matter how small, is so well cast and written. One of my favorite dramas in 2020!
Yes! Hikaru no Go deserves all the recognitions! And Hu Xuanxu, that boy can ACT-- the way his eyes are on the verge of tearing sometimes just catches me off guard--
if you check his portofolio... WOW. No wonder he can act so natural.
Great adaptation, brought so much fond memories, and that same tearjerking heartbreak, uguu... but what I found surprising in this adaptation is how Shi Guang and Yu Liang are pretty much a BL couple. The last episode pretty much nailed their CP status for me.
Not only me... I thought I was projecting on all of the CPs! lol
Well, if you grew up reading Hikaru no go at it’s peak back in the 2000s, you would have also discovered the amount of yaoi fan fiction dedicated to the two of them...
@@liliachan3753 I might have been responsible for some of that fic. The yaoi fandom back then was HUGE.
Best casting. The actors are very good especially i like hong he's acting. This is the only c drama that i almost memorize everyone's name. Each one means a lot
i cried so much watching this. it felt that whoever made this show understood what sports manga and anime really are. the friendships are so strong and believable. i want my own chu ying now. :( also you're right! it had a great cast.
Shi Guang actor is amazing! He reminds me Korean actor Yeo Jin Goo! Very impressive! I love love this drama! Even the younger version of the male lead is brilliant! I agree that every actor played their role to the T. Highly recommended!
I'm so glad that you made another video for this drama. The original Hikaru no Go has a very soft spot in my heart and honestly I was very scared when I heard about this adaptation. But I really enjoyed it! The creators managed to do justice to the characters. And the actor playing Shi Guang (both young and teenager) were really great.
I just finished the drama, and i am so grateful i spent 36 hours in this drama, just WOW. When they start episode 32-34 storyline , i cried continuously for hours and it almost made me faint cause of dehydration, the actors chuying and shiguang really did amazing work and the drama team really did an excellent job. I watch your review only after i finish the series just to avoid spoilers. And for this whole video, i nodded my head so hard cause I agree with what everything you said. When i started episode 34-36 , i wish they can spend more time in completing the chuying connection with shi guang, in particularly the last episode i am a bit disappointed that they didnt show any of chu ying story , barely mentioning his name. I am gonna to nod my head off at everything you say in this video because i agree with everything you said.
33 was sooooooooooooooo heavy!
This is the 2nd drama that I really hard to let it go after watched after the untamed. Each character and casts is really good to potrayal each character. The last 4 eps is make me sad coz ChuYing was disappear, so, 2 last eps is the good point to wrap up corelation abt rival best friend Shi Guang & Yu Liang. How they are finally get closer and acknowledge each other, union as pairing, as yin&yang, the twin stars. ChuYing disappear but Yu Liang still there, together they to face the future.
I love how Zhang Chao comical reaction and mature as Chu Ying. The Gost who always smile and patient to guide a child Shi Guang. Suddenly I think abt how if Zhang Chao to play character Hua Cheng (Heaven Officials Blessing) pairing with Xiao Zhan? Really interesting even it only in my opinion.
I like Xiaozhan.... Not his fans. They are really young and reckless. So I m unsure about my position towards him. But I HV a different idea.
I like the second prince in Joy Of Life... Sharp eyes and chin.... He looks like a perfect Hua Cheng to me.
I still like LuHan to be Xie Lian.
Thank you for this review! Hikaru No Go was an emotional rollercoaster. Maybe me laugh, cry and feel all sorts of emotions. I am deeply invested in the characters thanks to the amazing portrayal of the actor ensemble. The actor playing Shi Guang is possibly one of the best young actor I have seen in the many C-dramas I have watched over the last couple of years. His whole body is in character. I spent a number of times replaying certain scenes only to check how his whole body portrays the role and the emotion the character is in. I had cry my eyeballs out in the 2 episodes dedicated to their his and Chu Ying's parting. I was so hoping you would do a 2nd review because it meant you loved the drama as well. I agree with your alternative ending for Chu Ying. That should have been fleshed out more possibly in the direction you shared. Overall, I'm glad you gave it a 2 gold bar rating.
Totally agree with your review! This adaptation was more about showing the charachters, their lives, struggles and sacrifices, than (building up to) the epic head to head battles on the Go board which the manga was known for (your typical Shounen Jump storyline/formula). It also has enough 'new' material for the fans, like Fang Xu's incredibly rewritten role and some surprising cameo's from the Japanese version (Ochi, the kid with glasses and mushroom head hair. And I believe the other kid in the same scene looked a bit like Waya)
The biggest difference and immediately noticeable to me was the severely dialed up the @sshole-factor from most opponents and tough love from teachers/seniors compared to the Japanse version, which to me seems more realistic for this adaptation (as per my own experience with Chinese friends and family :D).
I will bet on Hu Xian any day. What an ultra adorable actor. Just want to watch him endlessly.
I watched the anime when I was younger and enjoyed it very much and was both excited and very surprised to hear that it would be Chinese live-action drama. I finished the whole series within a week and was so blown away by the production. I definitely agree with your points on how the strength in the live action lies in its focus on making it realistic, and I also really enjoyed just how normal all the actors looked. Also appreciate the fun production tidbits, thank you for this great review!
Totally love this drama! I still remember I broke out with tears on Episode 32. I'm quite surprised to see a Chinese drama review in English, well done to you!!! Thanks for the review and explanation!
I'm starting to think that all dramas should be measured on a Nirvana in Fire scale. The more ways it's connected to Nirvana in Fire, the higher on the scale it is. Or maybe it's like the Kevin Bacon factor
Started watching your video at the beginning of the week, then paused it to go watch ALL of the drama, and I finally came back to finish your video! Spot on review. Agree about the ending with Chu Ying and the missed opportunity to resolve the circumstances of his appearance and disappearance.
I will say that I actually appreciated the portrayal of Shi Guang's grief and loss process. Yes, it was a bit difficult for us to watch, but it shows how difficult grief and loss can be -- not just for the person going through it, but for others around him. And while the resolution of that plotline wasn't super realistic (for the record: "pretend it didn't happen" is NOT a valid therapeutic technique), it was at least poetic.
I find that a lot of Chinese dramas have a rushed ending. Which is very sad and often spoils the drama.
I love this drama, and it did the anime justice! It brought back memories of how life was then between 1997 - 2005. My only wish was if they had incorporated the "Get Over - Dream" song and music score in the drama like the anime, besides the original ending song.
Well done to the whole production team of Hikaru No Go!
This was the most satisfying drama for me. And I agree, the strength in is in the characters--ALL the characters.
I would rate this 9/10 as a drama and 8/10 as an adaptation. It could have been higher if not for:
1) the last two episodes. I'm not fond of the change on Hokuto Cup preliminary match. Hikaru's spot as HC second player is pretty much secure. In the drama, they make it as if Shi Guang only makes it since Hong He has to resign.
2. Hong He's last minute drama is not necessary and making him quitting Go is just beyond cruel.
3. they did Yashiro character (Mu something) dirty. They could have developed his character better (like they did to other side characters) and make him HC third player like he's supposed to be. The number of episode they have is def enough to do this.
3. dragging Chu Ying's departure far too long. I feel that the screenwriter has misinterpreted the message of the original story. Sai's actual mission is not to find divine move, but to teach Go to Hikaru, who's basically like a God's chosen child.
And since Hikaru has been able to find "that one" move that can change the outcome of Sai vs Koyo Toya's game, something that even Sai doesn't notice, it hints that there's nothing left for Sai to teach. Hence, his mission is done. When Sai finds this out, his heart becomes calm and he departs in serene. The drama version makes it too dramatic, as if Chu Ying vanishes due to force and he does not find peace.
I also disagree with AvenueX who wants Chu Ying to go back to his time and rewrite history. Nope, none should ever mess up with history. Chu Ying should remain anonymous that only Shi Guang knows. It serves as a reason why Shi Guang has to play Go again, since he can only find Chu Ying's traces through his style of playing.
Still, I very much enjoy this drama, and like AvenueX has stated, this is by far the best Chinese drama for anime/manga adaptation. I will rewatch this again and again and even recommend it to my friends and family. I hope many drama with similar quality coming from cdramaland in the future. 🎉🎉🎉
I 100% agree with ur comment. However, despite its criticism, im so grateful they make an adaptation of this work
I share the same exact sentiment about Chu Ying going back to his time & cleared his name. Hence, would have had his name stated in the historical records. This is due to the the part where the monk said to Shi Guang that it is not the time yet to see the book, thats when I thought the time to see the book is after Chu Ying got to clear his name.
Plus I don’t think Chu Ying would have ended his life when he returned because he had witnessed/learnt that there is more to life than simply Go although the game is forever a big part of both his & Shi Guang’s life.
OMG... He was the young emperor!! I did not realise he was that younger emperor in NIF 2. The acting was so good! No wonder i have a feeling have to seen him somewhere. Thank you for your info !
And he was also the bad prince in Ruyi Love in Royal Palace
I so love this drama without the typical love-hate romance with the opposite sex. I also love how gorgeous you look here.
Thank you for a wonderful review! But out of rightful criticisms one point I wish to defend, please... there is a realistic explanation in the manga why little Hikaru (Shi Guang) gets into go. For children outside of go world self-growth and socialising comes first. Hikaru is a lonely kid with no serious interests and hobbies. When he meets Akira (Yu Liang), he sees him a role model. Akira is totally a new kid, already "an adult". Hikaru wants to be serious, too. To have a goal, a passion, a path in life. He saw a part of himself in Akira ("a twin star"). So he starts to play go, gets into a go club in a new school, makes friends. This is a deep, serious side of him that nobody saw, but Akira knew about.
So, Hikaru initally pursued not go but a meaningful existence. He didn't know about professional Go World, but he didn't care and followed his intuition (I like it so I'll do it!), which is quite ok for a kid of his type and age. His genius brain only helped him to learn fast, it was a plot device for appropriate story pacing. Hikaru recognized his love for go only when he lost Chu Ying (Sai) and refrained from the game. So, I totally agree with and love the new trope in dorama! But the original source makes sense, too. Like manga, dorama also beautifully highlights the importance of Yu Liang as facilitator - he runs with him into "Go Gates" two times in dorama, becomes his saving grace during depression and overall tries to help him in any way he can.
The cp stuff in the end was great. Seems like the show has two endings: 1 - when Chu Ying disappears, and 2 - when Shi Guang starts his professional career. I believe, there is a reason... Dorama has strong parallels between Chu Ying and Shi Guang. Like Chu Ying, Shi Guang gives his most precious item as a present and "connecting thread" to Yu Liang. Likewise, Shi Guang abandons Yi Liang without explanation. And, when they reconcile, Yi Liang repeatedly glances at him in the same way Shi Guang always glanced at Chu Ying out of joy and for reassurance. But, in reverse, Yi Liang becomes a new guardian for Shi Guang from now on. He has been in the Go world all his life and must teach him about the present.
This is absolutely consistent with the original. In the manga, Sai (Chu Ying) is "the past" of go, Akira (Yi Liang) is "the present", and Hikaru (Shi Guang) is "the future". In the final chapter Hikaru states that his dream is "to connect the past and the future". Now that Sai is gone, Akira is supposed to help him with the present. But this transition never happened. They didn't have time to become real friends and failed as a team during the Hokuto Cup. I strongly, sadly feel that editorial restrictions/censorship occured. Their never-ending mental distance made the manga look unfinished for decades to come.
That's why their final bonding in dorama makes sense. Transition happens. After 9 years apart (34 episodes out of 36) they deserved a time together, a chance to heal their relationship and become a team from "the new wave". They are REWARDED for their struggle to become twin stars, and they finalise the friendship/rivalry trope, unfinished in the manga.
I am so happy you recommended this show, i honestly never seen anything better. I have shows that i love as much as this one, but not more. Every episode elicited emotions from me, every character made an impression. i haven't noticed any imperfections, mostly because i was crying continuously especially during 33,34 episodes and just wanted smth warm and comforting at the end and they gave me main CP sharing a bed!!!
anyway i AM playing GO now, it IS fun.
This is one of the few dramas I watched as it aired. It left a void in my heart after it ended. 😭 I reaaaally loved this drama! ♥️
Thanks so much for recommending Hikaru No Go! I doubt I would have found it on my own since I'm unfamiliar with the source manga/anime and my knowledge of Go is limited to Park Bo Gum's portrayal of a top Go player in the Korean drama Reply 1988 and the documentary Alpha Go. Hikaru No Go was a completely wonderful addition to my slight understanding of that rarified world. As you said, all of the characters were so well developed, but Chu Ying stole my heart, and, as the previous commenter said, his departure was shattering. (I thought your edit video on bilibili beautifully captured the sweet awesomeness of that unique pair.) I could absolutely understand Shi Guang's steep decline after Chu Ying disappeared. I agree that they missed an opportunity to provide closure to Chu Ying's story. Your suggestion of changing the ancient book of Go games to show his name would have been an elegant fix. I think it was a missed opportunity, but all in all, I found the ending (the most precarious part of any story) to be satisfying. I was buoyed up by Shi Guang & Yu Liang's growing friendship. Again, thanks for another great recommendation. Hikaru No Go did not disappoint!
The actor for the main character was casted perfectly for this role. I became his fan after this show and look forward to more of his works in the future!
I cant thank you enough for recommending this drama!! One of the best drama of 2020. This will be forever in my heart
I’m not into any “sports” drama until watching your review,directly fall in love with the child actor (young Shi Guang),Hu Xian Xu and Zhang Chao (I love their bonding),can also feel Shi Guang’s sadness of Zhu Ying’s disappearance 😭thx for your final review..couldn’t agree more with you
I should check this out, because I was seriously obsessed with the anime back in the day - we’re talking writing tons of fanfic and doing HikaGo panels at cons level of obsessed. It sounds like the drama takes everything that was good about the anime and builds on it - and I’m glad they kept the BL chemistry between the leads!
I agree with you! Recently, I just started watching it and I'm so in love with it. The anime has been one of my favorite anime of all time and I'm so thankful for the all the hard work they have put into this great drama. Last night I just watched Chu Ying's disappearance and it got me so bad had me crying for a couple minutes TTTTT ^ TTTTT
Ohhhh I knew it that you gonna make a 2nd video!! Yeah! It is so good and all my child’s memory came back. I agree 100% with your review and wish we would be able to see more of these kind of quality work from drama land soon.
From the director interview, his way to localized HikaGo is by changing life of go to life with go.. thus the amazingness of qihun happen ❤
Ya, I also thought the "It's not time yet" line by the monk was leading us to the book at the end... but nothing happened... Bah...
Please never stop making videos ... I enjoy all your reviews ....keep on making these amazing videos
Thank you for reviewing this drama. I agree to all your points discussed. Also the dubbing , definitely topnotch for flushing out their real voices instead of dubbed ones. One of the dramas that is worthy for a rewatch!
The little facts you've compiled are super interesting! I want more of them haha! This drama is so meticulously well written and of high quality and in the same time it is so underappreciated that I can't seem to find more subtitled content like bloopers, bts... I need them ;(
I didn't know that there was a "live action" version of Hikaru no go until I came across your video, so thank you very much! Hikaru no go is one of my favourite animes.
Honestly, it was with some reservation when I watched it towards the end because you mentioned that the last 4 episodes was dragged out and the series seemed to nose-dive at the end. But, I'm happy to disagree with you :) It really was able to sustain my interest throughout the series. In fact, I found episodes 33 and 34 very touching and surprisingly, not boring at all and episodes 35-36 were still rather well-paced - though I don't know why the scripwriters were "cruel" to Honghe.
The only part that I felt slightly regretful about was that although weiqi was very prominent in the drama, it was only a backdrop to the characters. I felt very intrigued by weiqi after watching the anime and in fact, it led me to take up a couple of weiqi classes. I don't really get inspired by weiqi as portrayed here in the show.
Nevertheless, I'm really glad I got to watch this drama. The relationships were very well depicted - much better than the anime. Overall, it was so well-casted, scripted, directed and acted! I would give it a 9-9.5/10! Thank you very much for your recommendation!
I feel so sad for Hong He too.
totally! it's just sad that Director easily let hong he dropped his dream just to reserve one spot for Shi Guang!
I also felt bad that Long Yan wasn't mentioned during EP 30 which I believe it's almost perfect to show the love for GO...sigh
I had really high expectations on the scene when Chu Ying disappeared, because I remember how much that moment wrecked me in the anime. I had never been emotional when watching dramas and anime beforehand, but when I first got saw that scene in the anime, I teared up and started crying so hard. I had high expectations and I am so glad that they were met!
Finding it so hard to get over this drama! Definitely one of the best this year and I'm not even an original fan. Really looking forward to future works by this director and the whole cast
I was so glad to have watched this drama. As fan of the anime, it’s like having closure after the last 10 years (20, if you watched/read when it first came out). I’ll be honest, just about every character were fleshed out and were made more “human” than their anime counterparts, they were given more realistic thoughts and emotions compared to the typical shounen characters. While still keeping their original cores and being immediately recognizable for the viewers. The original was already perfect, and I love what they did for the live action.
About Chu Ying/Sai’s ending - honestly, original Hikaru didn’t get much closure either? They met the same way in a dream. The manga had Sai moving on from the human world after his time with Hikaru was done, I’m not sure what the series was doing with the Outburst of Geze (apart from getting around the censorship) but I guess Chu Ying went back to his original time period?? So I agree, the timeline should’ve changed if he goes back to the past.
I'm so thankful that RUclips recommended this drama to me a few days ago..in just 3 days I finished watching all of the episodes. 'Coz that's how much I was invested in the story. I was so into it, that I watched a total of 6 episodes without the subtitles..relying only on the limited Chinese words and phrases that I know. It had all the elements I wanted to watch in shows. Because of this drama I instantly became Hu XianXu's fan..He did such a great job playing the role of Shi Guang..I cried a river when he suffered from the loss Chu Ying. The emotions were so real that you can't help but cry along with him. I wish they make a movie out of it. 'coz if I'm not mistaken the anime had a movie as well..
And i totally agree with you..I thought the handbook had some message for Shi Guang which is why the Monk waited 'til Chu Ying wasn't around anymore before finally giving it to him. Although I think Chu Ying didn't just simply travel back in his time. He originally planned to commit suicide before getting caught in a time warp. so maybe when he left Shi Guang he went back in his own timeline and died like he was supposed to. Which is why the handbook remained the way it was when Shi Guang first saw it. Chu Ying never got the chance to clear his name.
omg.. your view on the last episode just broke my already wounded heart into smaller pieces... I was already heart broken when they ended the drama without more explanation about what happened to Chu Ying ... now reading this... I wanna cry😭😭😭😭😭😭
@@danihaku don't worry, we all feel the same...it's been days but I still feel emotional over it..I can't remember a drama that made me so sad for days like I did in this one.
@@marjsiarot1804 to me ep30 is the one got me, not only about shi guang, not only about Chu ying, it's about the Go, it's about every single one who puts their heart in this game, fang xu, hong shao xiao, school friends, teachers, that go board maker...
no matter the character is big or small, the drama shows there are a group of people in love of this game which is awesome
@@armedcock exactly..they made sure that we know what happened to each characters..It's also one thing that's great with this drama..because every character has interesting stories no matter how little screen time they have..
This drama made me very happy through out, but then seeing the Qin from the last episode set in the correct way, that just sent me to heaven
Wow. I just finished watching this today and your review came! I really like 褚赢!
this drama made me happy in a really difficult time in my life
and i'm really thankful of you because i started watching it after i dicovered your channel
thanks a lot :D
I also love the drama a lot despite some inconsistencies in the end. All the actors/actresses are quite believable. I personally think some of the loose ends are intentionally left unaddressed (like the Go book in the temple) to satisfy the original author's "intention?". As in the original manga, Sai just left with no explanation and Hikaru had to deal with the aftermath after realized that his friend/mentor was gone forever. It was the unfulfillingness that keep aching us. The drama did not give us the closure we want because the author intended it to be this way. (Which I am not too happy as I want Chu Ying to redeem his reputation).
I did not realize the director is the same as With You and Somewhere Only We Know (love the novel). I love his work and will be seeking his future work. Hu Xianxu is a quite capable actor, he is very good in NIF II and I am so happy he is able to get better as he grows into adulthood. I love Zhang Chao in Somewhere Only We Know and here. What a lovable character Chu Ying is!
This is definitely the best drama this year according to me. I still couldn’t figure out how to play GO though 😂. It will take me ages before I understand the game. I didn’t watched the Japanese version but the casts deserves recognitions especially 胡先煦 and 张超。I definitely give the series a Douze points ❤️❤️❤️🥂
There is plenty of online material of varying quality and depth. Once you understand the rules and the simpler forms you can play online. But don't expect an easy time -- it takes a peculiar way of looking at things that you don't pick up in a day. But, that is why some people like it.
Here's a good guide for beginners: ruclips.net/video/xMshtO8h7RU/видео.html
WHAT. THAT WAS MY FAVORITE MANGA/ANIME, THERE'S A DRAMA?!!
I just finished marathoning this drama XDD
Yes, I agree that the ending could be better, especially when wrapping up Chu Ying and Shi Guang's story. But since I read the manga and watch the anime a long time ago, I can safely say that this drama do more justice for their ending, even if Chu Ying did not speak at all when passing down the fan. From what I remember, Sai/Satame (Chu Ying) disappear not long after playing with Akira's ( Yu Liang) father. After that, he really does not appear anymore aside from Hikaru's recollection. TTATT
Although I still hope we can see Chu Ying spending his day after coming back from the future, or the name of the Go player in the book changes into Chu Ying..... I still love this drama ^0^
Thank you AvenueX for bringing this drama to our attention and reviewing it~
actually in the last episode of the anime, Sai appears for the last time, silently handing the fan over to Hikaru ... i'm not sure about the manga since i read it a long time ago but i'm pretty sure this happens too!
I can't imagine Sai travelling back to his original dynasty and changing history. That would have departed too much from the manga for me. The manga's last scene between the two characters is Sai silently handing Hikaru the fan.
I found this drama tremendously rewarding to watch, although I also agree with your criticisms of the last few episodes. episode 32 will stay with me for a long, long time. thanks so much for reviewing/recommending it!
yes, 32 is gold
Hoooyah! I was just waiting for your final review😃 yes i agree with you it was indeed a rush end but overall i enjoyed watching it👍
Go is hard. The furthest I got is learning how to capture a stone and I get throttled by computer games... Love this drama.
Play games and study. Computers won't tell you how you messed up. Lose a 100 games and you start having a clue.
I love this adaption! It can definitely stand its own ground and deviate as a parallel universe to the original manga/light novel series! It is definitely not perfect and towards the end there was some faltering, HOWEVER i can forgive its small flaws! I LOVE IT！ it will definitely be one of those dramas which i can watch over and over again! This is officially one of my favourite tv shows of 2020. Also i want to add Shiguang and YuLiang are so cute i want to squish them everytime i see them interact or banter!!!
I really appreciate the little production tidbits you gather and share!
Many thanks to the whole team for their good work, I'm still fighting my severe withdrawal reaction
I liked each and every episode of this drama. Actually your review inspired me to watch the series.
After watching, I think they kept the Chu ying's issue unsolved ( like you suggested- to convert anonymous to Chu Ying), because in the end no body knew about his existence except Shi Guang. So if suddenly the name gets changed, there would be 2 possibilities- 1) people (characters) would be atonished with the sudden change and may even blame shi guang of cheating 2) It would change history. if chu ying cleared his name he would become the best player in history, and all the people referring to the Baizhi would have to be changed. Also then, there would be no need for chu ying to reappear in shu guang's life.
It would be too much complicated
And one thing that confused me was the lazy monk character. As per normal belief monks are honest and hardworking people. but the lazy monk is always sleeping and lies on people's face, which is readily accepted by the other monks.
I know its a fictional drama, but since its made with realistic approach, monk character confuses me, otherwise I like all the monks including him.
The acting in Hikaru no Go is exceptional. The thematic focus on relationships was just very well done.
I don't think it would have made sense for Chu Ying to change his life when he returned. You can't mess with time travel like that. Also, how could he prove the emperor wrong and make him take back his edict? That would be too unbelievable.
I do agree that while they were leading up to the Shi Guang x Yu Liang quite smoothly, the way they were in the last couple of episodes seemed rushed. The way they were like super coupley felt like I had missed a couple of episodes.
Hong He is the friend you wish you had and the friend you wish you could be. He's wonderful.
Finally, I was super impressed with Hu Xianxu's acting. I thought he was good in NiF2 but this was impressive. I'm going to check out Old Boy now.
Exactly my thoughts
Yes 2 gold mines. I totally marathon through this drama and so enjoyed it . Also learnt a lot about wei qi. Casting, plot and writing are so interesting and I have so much respect to the professional players. Totally love the monks and all the other side kicks in the show. I agree with your unhappiness of the show.
I just want to say thank you for this review. I got halfway through the review, paused it and then marathoned the show over the past 3 days. What an incredible show. I think I will remember this show for the rest of my life. Phenomenal writing, acting and filming. I cried for like 3 whole eps towards the end there but i deeply love the conclusion episodes too. Chu Ying and Shi Guang are friendship goals I strive for.
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH now I really have to watch! I place all my faith for good drama recommendations in you XD (side note your eyebrows look really great)
Honestly my favorite person was YOUNG Shiguang.
Yes. Young ShiGuang is perfectly adorable and perfectly naughty, and also perfectly horrified at the sadness he caused other people... Little YuLiang is really good too. When he cry after losing the first game... Saliva strings half hanging from his mouth thru the tears. I just clap...... Not even adults have this level of acting.
Omg, I just found your channel please continue to make reviews of C drama. You’re so cute. ♥️♥️♥️
Thanks for recommending this drama, I’m watching it for iQIYI and while I wait for the chapter to be put on, I saw the manga and adore it. I love your channel 😀👏🏻
I super love this drama! The storyline feels so fresh. The actors are so talented! I can say this is the first Chinese drama that made me cried messily (from 30+ episodes) 😭😭
Yeah, eps 30 is really awesome
I started feeling sad the moment I realized Chu Ying was gonna leave Shi Guang sooner..My eyes are still puffy because I just watched the ep.31-34 with English subtitles..I mean I cried while watching those episodes without the subtitles a couple days ago..and understanding the dialogues made it even worse for me this time.
@@marjsiarot1804: me too.. absolutely! at first i was still holding onto it then when Chu Ying started crying, i just broke down in front of my laptop! he had to leave Shi Guang even though he wants to stay by his side forever :'(
@@y_88Nrs indeed. bittersweet :')
@@tiffanyzhao9836 the moment he said what he had wished for when blowing the candles..I just started bawling. I can't remember any drama I've watched before that made me cry just as much as this one.
I binge watching this drama...and this is the best cdrama i watch after The Untamed and Bad Kids...
I rarely watch cdrama but when i watch it nonstop that mean i really like the drama..😂
I really adore the actor Shi Guang, Chu Ying and Yu Liang...this trio so cute 😂
i agree that this is a brilliant anime/manga adapation! the drama really followed very closely to the anime/manga, while managing to even elevate it (speaking as someone who was a huge fan of the manga a decade ago) -- the characters became even more 3 dimensional in the drama with their own storylines that made us cheer for them (especially Fang Xu as Ogata).
for the ending, it does follow pretty closely with the anime (with some changes). however, i definitely do agree that the drama itself diverged from the manga wherein Sai was not a "ghost" but rather kind of "time travelled" spiritually. therefore, it would've definitely made sense for them to add an ending bow tie by changing "anonymous" to "Chu Ying" in the northern/southern liang go book. though i guess because the way the drama wrapped up the relationships between chu ying and shi guang very much similarly to how it was in the book, so i didn't have too many complaints.
the CP at the end was so lovely to see, though. and the part of chu ying disappearing was heart-breaking -- it was even sadder than how it was done in the manga, which is brilliant.
First time i know the actor who acted as Chu Ying, Juck Yang(?), from "Somewhere We Were Know" drama
shi guang is a very good actor, i feel so emotional when chu ying disappear, and shi guang made that happen..huhuhu
Im hooked watching this drama so far it is so good for acting,story line, etc. Thank you AvenueX for the review. I watched the anime when i was a kid eventho i dont remember the story anymore but still this live adaptation is so good.
I really really love this web drama. Best I’ve seen in a while 🥰
Like u said, all characters are written well. N not wasted. I love them all. I want more from them 😢😢
This was really such wonderful drama, I never read or watched the manga/anime. I laughted and cried so much, the characters were so wonderful and how they changed with time...The quality was awesome. Also the music I love so much. The friendship, rivality, teachers and all relationships, wonderful.
I am really happy about your review, thank you.
Then what are you doing? Gonwatch the anime, its worth it. Sure its old but very well done.
@@maivpaj5213 Yeah I have it on my long list, but will put it to the front, because after today I miss Hikaru no go sooo much already
@@maivpaj5213 many people say the people who reads the manga dont like this drama cos it's not exactly follwing the plot
I am happy this Hikaru no Go has been adopted very well here. I am still broken heart with Chu Ying disappear fron Xiao Guang life. I really love the manga and anime, and now the live action.
Since you give it a positive review. I will add it into my list. I don't remember if I finished the manga cuz' I read it when I was a kid :) but it is a very good manga. I am glad we have a good adaptation. Congrats to the production team and the casts.
Interestingly, I went back to watch the anime after watching the drama version and the last few episodes of the anime also fell flat and rushed the ending... so I guess in that way they are similar lol BUT I did like how Shi Guang at times played homage to Hikaru and dressed just like him with the infamous yellow and black outfit with the 5 on it!
I loved it. The depth of emotion, the storyline, the acting 💖💖💖
imo the ending was much better than i expected. It seems like alot of movies/dramas dont know how to end a show, or they try to do some inception stuff. This ending was heartwarming and calming.
"did you finished the show or did the show finish you"
Nice review. BTW, i love your hair.... this style frames your face nicely 👍
Omg yas! Thank you for doing this final review vid! 😍😍 I agree with all your points.
Go..Go! 20 minutes in and you know this is a keeper!
My first game chinese drama love it 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
I had the same though about Han Mubo, I didn't recognize him but I got the felling of knowing him from somewhere. I was really surprised when I searched and found out he was the same guy who played cello in Idol Producer and now he is partying all nights, drinking and smoking 😂
From an original manga readers perspective, they really captured Hikaru's reaction to Sai's disappearance. It was horribly long and to the point of being extremely annoying in the original (I don't think I have ever spoken to a manga reader who didn't think Hikaru got extremely annoying) and they certainly managed to adapt that XD
Thank you for the review! I just finished watching and was hoping for a sequel. I'm gonna miss these characters.
Seeing these deep platonic friendships remind me so much that Aristotle considered this kind of love even higher than sexual love. Men need these deep kind of friendships where they can truly share and support one another.
I'm exactly where things started to get slow...so I stopped watching to let all the episodes come out. lol. I never watched the anime, so I don't have any thoughts about the comparison. I wanted to add that the friendships on the show are complex and interesting---as the people are themselves. I surprisingly ended up loving the boys' interactions at the temple a lot. I was also super surprised by the character of Hong He. He looks like a sneaky minion that will borrow your money and not pay it back lol. However, he turned out to be such an understanding, selfless, and gracious human being and friend. I had my ups and downs with Shi Guang---that kid's mood swings and temper tantrums (coupled with his young ego) kind of got to me a few times. That being said, this is very true to young people his age. I work with young people, so I know, unfortunately. Overall, he was a super realistic character. Yu Liang was very cute and endearing...I didn't like his Korean friend lol so thank goodness that kid went back to his homeland. Chu Ying is just an adorable giant mochi ball. His voice really matched his looks! Lastly, I never ended up liking the game, go lolol. It still looks boring, hard, and complicated to me. Dude...ppl like fainted at the end of some of their games! I will stick to sudoku.
Thank you sooo much for introducing me into the world of Go with Shi Guang and Chu Ying!!
I searched for it only 10 mins into your recommendation even though modern genre is not really my cup of tea. (I'm a wuxia and xianxia fan)
I watched it 3 rounds back to back cos I refused to leave this intriguing new experience and return to my mundane existence haha!!
(spoiler alert!!)
My biggest heartbreak is when he ran and ran after the club's renaming attempt... that would be his only last little traces of CY in his life. 3 times I watched it, 3 times I'm a mess!!!
What a great story!! What a great performance by all the artistes!!
This drama deserve a place alongside my greatest love Nirvana in Fire!!! ❤❤❤
agree... hong he is such an adorable character ❤️
I absolutely agree with you. The closure between Chu Ying and Shi Guang was just not enough. Shi Guang was just left hanging, and he didn't even know that he discovered the Divine Move for Chu Ying. If Chu Ying had mentioned previously that he would pass down the fan to him or something, at least it would have more gravitas. Now that you mentioned it I am also wondering if there was an original ending and they had to change it. Maybe there was some censorship issues 🤔
I tried watching this drama because of your first impression vdo. not a bit in disappointment, the director has managed to bring back the 90's memory back to the screen so elegantly. I would agree that all leading characters are just perfect. Hu Xianxu, Zhang Chang, and Hao Fushen are just an absolute fusion of the original Hikaru,Sai,Akira. I love pretty much everything about it especially the fact they keep the ending song.
A bit rush on ep32-36, they could make Ep32 so much better, and this would be more perfect.
The best modern time drama I've ever watched! And it's the first drama for which I shed tears (the episode when Chu Ying celebrated his "birthday" and then vanished). And I absolutely loved the sweet and promising ending. My only regret is that we don't get to know where Chu Ying really went after he left Shi Guang.
I love this drama so much
21:47 The last message! ahaha!!
Yeah, I did download an app to play Go when I was on ep2, I think...every time I play I feel like the AI is making fun of me though!! uhuh!! One time I lost so tragically lmao!!
But I did actually win one game, even though I have no clue how! xD
I understand the general rules, which are very simple, tbh, but then thinking of strategies is pretty hard as a beginner! >
😂😂 I played Go after the watcing the series.. and on my first game i lost 85 points
Hikaru no go is my fav anime , and i'm happy with the adaptation
This live action super awesome, good job!!!!!
I hope Hong He could play again!!!!