Hikaru no Go

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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one of the only shows ever to have made me cry

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

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

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

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hm

omg really boring ,,curious opening but the story maybe to long for that boring story ,, this drama like a combine a set of cut scenes ,, i very hate annoying stubborn ML ,stubbornness out of place ,, it's actually quite interesting when discussing Igo, especially since I really intend to study it, and there are some problems that actually make me quite curious how it happened, until ep 12 I really couldn't stand to continue it, the plot was too slow ,alot of cast with annoying character ,, maybe it will get better at the end of the story, but too late

and for some events actually I don't understand why?
even though yuliang was able to finish the IGO online match but he chose to give up and rematch so he passed an important match

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Hikaru no Go – A treasure Hidden Gem I’m Glad I Found it! I need season 2.

I miss with adorable Chu ying the ghost and the bromance between Yu liang and Shi guang.

Wow! I accidentally found Hikaru no Go on the iQIYI app, and once again, the comment section was super helpful—thank you, fellow fans!

Since 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 broken

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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非常棒的改编，剧情中国本土化了，不逊色于日本原作。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

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Cela frôle la perfection

J'en ai lu des mangas ( sauf celui-ci, je l'admets), j'en ai vu des animés (du moins lorsque j'étais encore jeune) et depuis ces 10 dernière années, j'en ai vu des dramas ( je ne compte pas ceux de mon enfance). C'est sans l'ombre d'une hésitation que je mettrais ce dernier dans la catégorie "énorme coup de coeur qui nous oblige à prier tous les dieux qu'une suite soit prévue". Car, oui peu de drama pourra se targuer de nous avoir mené par le bout du nez, du début à la fin.
Je ne suis pas familière de ce manga, qui n'est pas vraiment un genre que je plébiscite. Et pourtant. Ce drama commencé un jour d'ennui nous aura totalement scotché tant par le charisme incroyable des personnages que par un scénario à la limite de l'épique titanesque. Je n'aurais jamais cru qu'une partie de GO pouvait pratiquement nous transcender.
Le jeu d'acteur est incroyable. Jusqu'à présent, je ne pouvais que tomber de pâmoison devant le jeu des coréens. Mais depuis peu, après avoir découvert des pépites chez les chinois, je sais maintenant que les chinois savent aussi jouer de manière naturelle, de manière intense, de manière magnifique. Tout semble naturel, tout semble tellement vrai et sincère.
Une mention spéciale pour l'enfant qui interprète Shi Guan enfant, qui est incroyable ( oui, cela va être un mot que je vais utiliser sans modération), nous avons été bluffés par son jeu! Il a de beaux jours devant lui, et nous lui souhaitons de continuer à jouer.
Les interprètes de Chu Ying et de Shi Guan nous livrent une performance tout en subtilité et pleine de sensibilité. Mais, pour être honnête, ils ont tous tellement bien joué, je ne peux que saluer la performance générale des acteurs.
J'ai entendu dire que l'OST, le ending était la même que celui de l'animé, une très belle chanson qui va nous marquer pendant longtemps.
Mais ce qui fait la force de ce drama, ce qui le rend parfait à mes yeux, ce qui m'aura fait sourire, rire (et on rit souvent, un éclat de rire qui fait du bien), pleurer, "shipper" (et faut y aller pour que je sois aussi amoureuse d'une relation autre que familiale ou amoureuse) est la relation qui unit les personnages. Le lien qui les unit est incroyable. Il est vrai, il est intense, il est ce qu'on imagine de plus fort entre des personnes.
Le lien entre Shi Guan et Chu Ying est whoa (pour éviter d'utiliser encore incroyable). C'est magique. C'est tellement fort. C'est une amitié qui traverse le temps, qui va au-delà de ce que j'ai pu voir jusqu'à présent. Les épisodes finaux m'auront fait pleurer pour la première fois de ma vie, pleurer pour une amitié magnifique à laquelle je ne m'attendais vraiment pas. Mais la relation entre nos deux héros n'est pas la seule qui aura été vibrante. Il y a la relation entre les 2 profs du club de pro, les maîtres de Go, les moines, les élèves du lycée de Shi Guan, les amis de Shi Guan, Yu Lian et Shi Guang (les derniers épisodes entre ces deux là sont inoubliables aussi...), en bref, tous, nous auront fait vibrer.
Et devrais-je mentionner la philosophie derrière tout cela, les paroles pleines de sagesse, cet idéal, cet amour, cette envie de réussir et d'être heureux? Devrais-je mentionner cette solidarité? Ce besoin de le faire ensemble, de marcher main dans la main? Ce combat qui appartient à tout le monde? Je m'incline.
Ce drama est une perle, et si je ne donne pas la note maximum, c'est juste que : 36 épisodes ont été trop courts!

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Una gran serie

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

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