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😂💜Was this review helpful to you?
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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Utterly satisfying and yet leaves you craving for more.
Most of the time I don’t feel the need to leave a review, but this time I just have to.The story is very complete and satisfying but this world and our main character are so engaging that it feels like I could easily watch 36 more episodes. Seriously, it’s like I could watch Shi Guang forever.
I’ve loved many other series before, but this one stands out for at least a couple of reasons.
First, there is not one dull episode. Nothing feels unnecessary. Nothing gives you the itch to skip ahead. Nothing makes you lose your interest. You just want to keep watching non-stop. Every episode is consistent like that, always captivating, with a good rhythm, for the most part all equally interesting.
This is such a major feat already. There are so many shows that I enjoyed but became bored or too frustrated with at some point. No such thing with this one.
Second, related to this of course. The world and its characters felt very real. Not a dreary realism, mind you. This has a supernatural aspect to it obviously and plenty of comedy, but beyond that the characters are very human. They are complex characters with their own thoughts and feelings. The story developments feel natural. As well as the characters’ interactions, their bonds, their growth and change. It’s very well pieced together and at the same time feels organic.
Third, it didn’t feel predictable and at the same time satisfied the underlying expectations set up from the beginning. Which is rare. Most series fail somewhat in one way or another: become predictable or betray the viewer’s expectations and rob them of a satisfying development. This series in contrast develops and wraps up everything pretty nicely without leaving loose ends or feeling rushed at the end. (Though I could definitely go on watching Shi Guang living his life with the people around him)
I must compliment the acting of pretty much every single actor in this series. The only acting that did not satisfy me was from the Korean character (that was admittedly a bit cringe) but he’s such a minor character that it weights very little on the overall performance. Of course, I specially loved our main duo, Shi Guang and Chu Ying. The child actors were also incredible.
The story is about Go, but also about so much more than Go.
I knew pretty much nothing about Go going in and yet never felt lost nor bored. On the contrary I was able to learn a few things about this game and now I want to try playing it (give it a ‘go’, yes haha).
Beyond that the plot and subplots were all incredible in some way; interesting, funny, touching, inspiring, heart-warming...
I could go on talking about this series but it’s probably best to stop here. I just hope my commentary did it some justice.
So, I won’t spoil anything but the bottom line is: it’s truly worthwhile!
I just don’t give it a 10 because there’s always a couple of things that could be a bit better but still, a solid 9 for sure!
(...I already miss it so much. It will be hard to move on!)
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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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I need season 2. Chu ying the ghost. Bromance Yu liang and Shi guang.
Hikaru no Go – A Hidden Gem I’m Glad I Found!Wow! I accidentally found Hikaru no Go on the iQIYI app, and once again, the comment section was super helpful—thank you, fellow fans!
From Episode 1, I was immediately hooked. The story is easy to follow, engaging, and full of emotions. This drama made me a big fan of Yu Liang, the second male lead. I love his personality and how he grows throughout the story. Yu Liang character here very opposite compared than his role in bright time drama.
I also felt a bit jealous (in a good way) of the deep friendship between Shi Guang (the main lead) and Chu Ying (the ghost). Their bond is beautiful and emotional. And the connection between Shi Guang and Yu Liang? It gave me Lan Zhan and Wei Ying vibes—but set in a school environment!
Hikaru no Go has a perfect balance:
Light comedy
Heartfelt moments that made me tear up (especially when Chu Ying left—my heart!)
A little romance from the side characters
It’s definitely a feel-good drama with some emotional punches. I truly hope there will be a Season 2, because I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet.
Highly recommended! A must-watch, especially if you enjoy stories about growth, friendship, and a little bit of magic.
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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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It's come to the end?
The 36 episodes are not enough for me. Watching this many episodes is long, but this one is just different. I feel like it was just yesterday when I started watching this. I didn't even fast-forward, and still, it finished so quickly, unlike other dramas that feel long. Some K-dramas have only 16 episodes, but they feel long.I guess it's because I find this drama comforting. I didn't even feel bored. I've discovered my new preferences; I might not enjoy romance as much because it tends to bore me. But when I watch something like this, I'm never bored.
Actually, I started playing GO on my phone, so whenever I see the GO app, I won't forget about the drama.
Mini Reviews of Some Episodes:
Episode 30: This episode felt like an ending to me because I was so close to finishing the series, and I need to find another fantastic drama like this.
Episode 33: When Chu Ying disappeared, I felt a little lost, like something was missing. I guess I'm just not used to watching Shi Guang alone.
Episode 36 (The Last Episode): This is where I started pausing and watching it on another day because I didn't want it to end. The ending wasn't entirely satisfying because they didn't even show us the Hokuto Cup, and Shi Guang and Yu Liang had little screen time. They only got closer when the drama was about to end. Still, I'm satisfied with the ending.
Reviews of Some Characters:
No need, they were all already great. I love everyone's character in this drama.
After all, this drama is fantastic, great, or whatever word you can use to describe it.
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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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Lovely gem of a show
I love love love this show. My friend recommended this to me, and I went into it without expectations or any idea what it’ll be like (I have not seen the anime or manga). Now it has earned itself a permanent spot in my heart.The story is about a growth of a young man in his journey in Go, all while a 1500+ year old spirit(who insists he isn’t a spirit) mentor guides him.
It starts off with a child named Shi Guang who stumbles upon a old Go board while peeking around in his grandpa’s attic. All of a sudden, there was a flash of light, and when it faded, a man dressed in ancient chinese costume was standing before him. That man was Chu Ying, the strongest Go player who had no records in history. With no one else able to see him other than Shi Guang, the young man steps onto the unexpected path of Go.
I love how realistic our main character’s journey is. Aside from the fact that he has a godly mentor beside him, he still takes time to learn. He faces difficulties. His parents doesn’t want him to abandon his studies and embark on such an unconventional and difficult path. He loses, and he loses A LOT. He gets conflicted if he should remain on the path of Go. Although he has such a powerful cheat, he makes a it a rule to play honestly without any guidance from Chu Ying, which I find admirable. His emotions feel so raw and sincere—his tears are heart-wrenching and his happiness is infectious. He’s a cheeky teenager who’s a little playful but still incredibly kind.
Chu Ying, our beloved 1500+ year old child. A man who loves Go so much that even after 15 centuries he’s still pursuing the Divine Move in Go. Being an ancient soul, it’s really cute how he gets fascinated by the modern technologies (this drama takes place before AI though!! No AlphaGo here). He is filled with wisdom, and is undoubtedly the strongest Go player ever, but he is still respectful to every single player, still respects Go, and is a pure and kind soul.
Side characters in this show are all memorable. They don’t feel like mere side characters that feed to the plot— they feel like main characters to their own story, and we’re just catching a glimpse of it. Everyone has their past, everyone’s trying their best in life. There is no ‘villain’ of the story; as they say, Go is a battle against yourself.
Still, the most beautiful thing in the drama is probably the relationship between Chu Ying and Shi Guang. They aren’t just student and mentor— they’re friends, they’re kin, they share a bond that belongs uniquely to them.
Shi Guang knows that Chu Ying can’t be seen by anyone else, yet whenever they take a group picture, he would always leave a space for him. Shi Guang knows that Chu Ying isn’t affected by the rain, yet he still raises an umbrella over his head. Shi Guang knows how much Chu Ying itches to play Go, so he goes out of his way to open an online account for him, and becomes Chu Ying’s ‘hands’.
Chu Ying never forces things either. When Shi Guang asked him to leave, he did, even at the risk of not playing Go ever again. When Shi Guang asked him to appear when he snapped his fingers, he did so every time. He helped Shi Guang stay grounded whenever he was facing difficulties, and taught him more than just Go.
Just like how Chu Ying introduced Shi Guang to the world of Go, Shi Guang introduced Chu Ying to the world outside of Go.
Now stop scrolling reviews and go watch it.
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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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