This review may contain spoilers
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.
I love how realistic our main character’s journey is. Despite having a godly mentor beside him, he still takes time to learn. He doesn't want to cheat or take shortcuts. There's no 'villain' in the show because the path to becoming a professional Go player is difficult enough. As they say, Go is a battle against yourself. He loses, and he loses A LOT, but he grows through every pain and hurdle. The actor for this role (Hu Xianxu) does a phenomenal job; his emotions are infectious. He’s a cheeky teenager who’s a little playful and incredibly, 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 no matter their skill level, and definitely loves Go greatly.
Side characters in this show are all memorable. They don’t feel like mere cardboard characters that feed to the plot— they're fleshed out and feel like main characters to their own story, and we’re just catching a glimpse of it through Shi Guang's lenses. Everyone has their past and their struggles. There are many forced to give up on their passion, be it due to systems and laws, or falling behind in this highly competitive space, but everyone’s just trying their best in life.
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 unique to them. And the little things they do for each other is really telling. Shi Guang leaves a blank space for Chu Ying whenever they take photos, and raises an umbrella over his head even though his ethereal body is unaffected by rain. 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.
I love how realistic our main character’s journey is. Despite having a godly mentor beside him, he still takes time to learn. He doesn't want to cheat or take shortcuts. There's no 'villain' in the show because the path to becoming a professional Go player is difficult enough. As they say, Go is a battle against yourself. He loses, and he loses A LOT, but he grows through every pain and hurdle. The actor for this role (Hu Xianxu) does a phenomenal job; his emotions are infectious. He’s a cheeky teenager who’s a little playful and incredibly, 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 no matter their skill level, and definitely loves Go greatly.
Side characters in this show are all memorable. They don’t feel like mere cardboard characters that feed to the plot— they're fleshed out and feel like main characters to their own story, and we’re just catching a glimpse of it through Shi Guang's lenses. Everyone has their past and their struggles. There are many forced to give up on their passion, be it due to systems and laws, or falling behind in this highly competitive space, but everyone’s just trying their best in life.
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 unique to them. And the little things they do for each other is really telling. Shi Guang leaves a blank space for Chu Ying whenever they take photos, and raises an umbrella over his head even though his ethereal body is unaffected by rain. 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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