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.
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.
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
