Yes
OK, as someone who grew up with Hikaru no Go's anime and manga, I was rightfully sceptical about this- but guess what? It didn't dissappoint me.I personally don't see it as a live adaptation but more like 'inspired by'. With different story, sort of different dramas, loosely different characterisation. It has its own charm and I was certainly charmed. I also appreciate that they tried to make some characters more 'alive' by giving them more in-depth background stories, but they didn't mess with the flow of main plot.
It's not perfect and I have had some "Ha??" moments through the watching, but I also had many scenes I put on loop because they were just that endearing. And the actors dynamics are absolutely amazing! Their interactions feel genuine so it also helps with comedic parts because they don't seem awkward at all.
I honestly love this.
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JUST A PERFECT GROWTH SPIRIT FOR YOUTHS!
This drama is very interesting from the first episode onwards. You will see a whole new world with fun and full of enjoyment. The storyline is a motivation in itself let alone the character portrayal by the actors and actresses. The whole cast was truly very amazing. Every character in the story plays a important role in succession of this eye catching drama.SPOILER ALERT!!
Only a little annoying thing is that there is not much story time between the young male leads, waited so much throughout the whole story for their hot-sour-sweet & funny interactions but only in the last two episodes they were truly friends(;_;)(;_;)......yet overall it is....
TRUELY WORTH WATCHING EVERY BIT OF IT AND JUST PRAYING FOR A SEASON 2 WITH THE SAME CAST AND FULL ON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE YOUNG MALE LEADS ;P !! JUST GO FOR IT GUYS!!!
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The long, arduous and literal journey of self-discovery and finding one’s passion
We follow the story of a young boy – insolent, foolish at times and happy-go lucky – as he grows up and finds his passion in the game of Go with the support and guide of Chu Ying, a spirit from centuries ago. The drama does well in depicting the very arduous road to self-discovery, sprinkled with a whole lot of growth for our protagonist Shi Guang, and poignantly explored the mentor and mentee relationship/friendship well. However, my rating sticks at 8.5 because I had trouble connecting emotionally to our main character – I didn’t particularly like him and found it hard to relate – but despite that in some way I still felt the need to root for him. Other things I took issue with are the pacing of the whole drama and the last episode.--Things I liked--
Shi Guang’s growth, undeniably he grew up a lot from being a petulant little child, to an easygoing happy go luck teenager who never takes anything seriously, to someone who can hold their own and knows what they want in life. His character is very reactive which is the main reason I couldn’t connect with him as much. He would often act impulsively before he thought properly, ready to dive head first into his decision without thought to the consequences or how it would affect those around him. Then he would spend time apologising and trying to right his wrongs. In a way, it’s an accurate and realistic depiction of one’s life, we all make mistakes and act irrationally. Shi Guang never shyed away from owning up to his wrongs, which served as his saving grace. At times, I was extremely frustrated with him and annoyed he lacked foresight, empathy and smarts. His easy-going, smiley disposition really carried him and made him able to bounce back from hardships. You really go on a journey with him as you track his growth through the 36 episodes.
Humour. There are several laugh out loud moments throughout the drama that come at unexpected times, but fit perfectly. It was a form of release in the face of all the tension and felt very genuine and authentically crafted. See mooncake scene haha.
The relationship between Chu Ying and Shi Guang was unique – giving off father-son but also friend-friend vibes. It was a very close, intimate and respectful relationship that I saw flourish, grow and only strengthen. They were able to support each other during the hardest of times, even until the very ending moments.
The friendships and side character arcs. I really liked the breadth and width of all the people Shi Guang met along the way. We got time to delve into everyone’s lives a bit and that helped with the richness of the Go world and of the bonds of friendship. Of course I liked Yu Liang, he was indeed the detonator and initiator for Shi Guang, but I appreciated how this worked both ways. His character went through personal struggles and everytime he would circle back to Shi Guang for motivation and inspiration. They were like magnets, connected in a way but on their own individual journeys. Also special mention to Fang Xu, I had initially pegged him as a stock standard character ready for revenge and superficial acclaim, but he surprised me with character complexity and dilemmas that lifted his character to a higher dimension.
--Things I take issue with—
Time and pacing, this was something that put me off the drama the most. The episodes were long, almost an hour each and literally depicted one hour of the character’s life, sometimes to the point of being excessively long. And this meant that Shi Guang’s progress felt incremental, at the end of every episode, his skill level picked up only by the smallest amount. A lot of the scenes could have been sped up and I felt we didn’t need to see every nook and cranny into his life. We journey through a long 5+ years of his life and watching the drama, you really do feel it.
Last episode. The last episode felt disconnected in tone, problematic in many ways and for me, let the whole drama down.
***SPOILERS AHEAD****
After Ch Ying left, the momentum left with him and we spent the remaining time picking up the pieces and hurriedly tying up loose ends, the go competition faded into the background. Yes, they depicted Shi Guang’s five stages of grief well, but underlying that, I was annoyed with him because it felt like his actions were out of spite and ungrateful. The last episode felt disconnected from everything, random, with major tonal shifts. All the suspense and tension disappeared and it suddenly felt like a bl rom-com that didn’t really fit the past episodes.
In particular, Hong He’s journey arc felt like such a cop out. We spent so much time of Hong He and his journey and abruptly ending it felt so wrong. Hong He was the epitome of the best friend, almost to the point where I was like no way someone can be this good, loyal, kind and selfless. He was never jealous or hated on Shi Guang’s talent along admired, he was super self-aware and did everything in his power to help his friends, even if it meant they surpassed him. His ending was undeserved and made me feel wholly dissatisfied.
Yu Liang and Shi Guang’s relationship was built up so much from the very start when they meet up as kids and throughout the drama, time and time again, we play on this idea of them competing against each other so much we eagerly await this. And then in the final episode their attempts to give us that feel like another cop out, unmomentous and lacking any significance.
***SPOILERS END****
Other minors things are they didn’t really explain the rules of Go properly, so when watching the competitions I couldn’t really follow what was happening. Also, being a predominantly male centred drama, all the female characters felt like they were only there to purely serve as support figures.
There are a lot of things to like in this drama, par the final episode. Everything worked well, albeit the drama being a bit slow and drawn out. The friendship, comradery, mutual trust and passion were all displayed to the max and I really like the band of them coming together to share the same bond over a game of Go. I appreciate this will not be everyone’s cup of tea, so watch when you’re ready to take a journey – be warned it’ll be a long one, but one that is fulfilling and rewarding.
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I fell in love
At first I doubted this drama because of the not so interesting poster. And I knew none of the cast. Although the story seemed interesting to me, I kept putting this one on my watch later list.But when I started this drama, man, it was so addictive. I couldn't stop watching. It's really inspiring and fun to watch.
I really liked shi guang's character. Plus, chu ying's character is too funny. He deserved an award. Not to mention yu liang and fang xu. They compliment the drama to be well balanced.
I just didn't realize I would get so attached to this drama. And I cried from episode 30 until 35. I was wasted for chuying. Why did he leave like that? I think this was the plot hole in the drama. "the divine move" was put out too simply, and there was no tension behind the scene. It happened, just like that. I think it was kind of a pity. The story could've been better if they'd make it more dramatic. It's the most awaited scene in the drama - when chu ying finally finds "the divine move". But there was nothing much to it, sadly.
Overall, I'd really really love to rewatch this drama again someday. It was a good watch. And I'll definitely recommend this to people who loves sport/competition based dramas. It's definitely worth the try.
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Great drama, but... what happens to female characters?
Hikaru no Go is certainly a great drama. Good story, good pace, great main characters, deep themes and even the special effects are well done. I enjoyed it a lot, but there is one thing they did really really badly: the treatment of female characters.Obviously, if you are looking for feminist content you should´t be in this corner of the virtual world. We all know that 95% of Asian dramas are somewhere between quite sexist and disgustingly misogynistic. By now I should be used to it, but it makes me very angry and sad that such a careful and beautiful pruduction makes such an horrible representation of women (even for a Chinese drama). The world of go is probably particularly retrograde and I guess the original manga won't help in this respect either, but still, at this point in the 21st century this kind of representation of women should not be allowed. Was it so difficult to at least include one decent female character?
Despite the extensive casting, none of the women on screen have any goals or interests of their own (beyond seducing and pleasing the man around them). They exist only to clean the practice room, make the boys' meals or console them in their suffering (and are of course very stupid). Friends, mothers, girlfriends... none of them have their own voice. I feel so sad for the poor Chinese actresses relegated to these shitty characters.
With this I don't want to stop recommending the drama. But I would like people who watch it to be aware of this huge flaw.
We deserve better.
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THE GOOD UNDER RATED DRAMA
I love love this drama so much. I would recommend it to anyone...I saw genuinely ordinary person..no one over the top, no one had heavy cosmetic on, middle class families, all looked so realistic based on the life in early 1999 to 2005. Young people who just the characters wanted to be on top of the games....the journey of young people with failures, struggles, competition, friendship, dedication and hard work to aim high to their dreams.The story is about a little boy Shi Guan (Hu Xian Xu) who happened to bump in to the soul of Chu Ying (Zhang Chao), God of Chinese board Go games from 1500 years ago, they're destined to play Go together as mentor and student. Chu Ying who always thirst of Go competition pushed 9yo Shi Guan to play against the son of most influential Go player Yu Liang (Hao Fu Shen). With guidance of Chu Ying Shi Guan won the game which made Yu Liang sad and more determined than ever. Because of that 2 little boys intertwine fates brought their teen life into 2 different direction in the name of Go. Along the way, they met friends and competitors, life as teenagers and family dynamics. Chu Ying the lost soul from many dynasty ago influenced Shi Guan in his daily life, became a Go mentor and best supporter but then he suddenly disappeared and Shi Guan was broken heart. Against all odds, Shi Guan came back to win the Youth Go International tournament paired up with Yu Liang.
I love every characters in this drama, everyone were good to each other...no one biting the competitor (Iam wrong in one; Shen Yi Lang lost his job to Wang Chong). I love Hong He, he's kind of the best friend we all want to have or He Jia Jia & Wu Di that's pretty understanding and supportive as High school friends. I love the last 2 episodes when Shi Guan rose back to the surface and how Yu Liang supported him - they live together to synchronize two minds for the game. Every actors did splendid job...the best part was most of the actors were young and new in the business but they did all unforgettable characters.
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Excellent plot even if you dont know Go
Not being a fan of the game of Go but I do know the rules and moves but this series does not require an understanding of the game, as it is more about the life, the growth and challenges in the world of Go.This series is so layered with an excellent plot, support cast and main leads.
From the 3 male leads growth, to the struggles of academy and professional players, the eventual separation of chu ying and shi guang.
A good series will have the ability to get you attached to the characters and share the feelings. This series does it very well, from growth, the happiness, the motherly love, the bromance and the family relationships.
Highly recommend this series even if you are not a fan of the game of Go.
Looking forward to Juck Zhang's career, especially when he did so well in his role for this series. As well as getting the role in Dear Missy in 2020.
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Bring me to childhood
Interesting..! i used to watch the anime many years ago then i accidentally found C-drama in IQiyi with same name.Never had high expectation because mostly drama adaptation from anime are worse than the original one.
But it changes my mind. I binge watch it and take a premium service to get more episodes when it's still airing that time.
Even i learn Go rules though i never play it. And discuss it with strangers on twitter about the games.
The actors is excellent. Especially chemistry between 2 ML (Shi Guang & Chu Ying). Chu Ying is such a good mentor and best brother and best friend of Shi Guang. I can't forget the last farewell scene.
I hope this drama would make Go popular in real life.
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Solid Drama with a Key Issue
Customary to many Chinese dramas, this one was in big need of an extra episode. From episodes 1-30, everything is well-paced. Shi Guang goes from being a kid blessed with a deity following him around to a normal grade school student to a professional Go player. His transformation through these stages is natural enough. We see him put in the work in order to get to his status as a professional. We also see him slowly improve as the series goes on, which was very well done. The show does tension through Go games very well. Although I have no idea what's going on, I'm still very committed whenever they hype up a match between two very good players. Having all the other characters invested helps as well. The best part of the whole series is arguably when Yu Xiao Yang finally gets a match with Chu Ying. It was built up since the second or third episode and the audience knows the stakes. Then everything kind of goes downhill after that match. Having found the Divine Move, Chu Ying leaves and never comes back. Shi Guang becomes depressed and the whole story comes to a hault. After a couple of episodes moping around, Shi Guang gets back on his Go mojo and is suddenly the third best young Go player in China. Not too realistic but it's fine. Yu Liang is partnered with Shi Guang to compete for China in an international Go competition. Here's the problem. The last episode doesn't end with them winning, it ends with the two of them entering the competition. The entire double-length last episode was showing the two of them forming a bond in order to compete in doubles Go, so why does it end without showing the actual match? What's worse is that the ending narration says they won the match for China. Why tell us instead of just showing us? This is literally the main character and his rival coming together to win a championship for their country and it ends before they win it. What's worse is that there are so many other unresolved plot points. What happened to Shen Yi Liang and Bai Xiao Xiao? Did Hong He give up on Go after becoming a professional? What about Shi Guang's high school friends? Does Gu Yu just hate Shi Guang forever? Why did we never get an official match between Shi Guang and Yu Liang? These could've been resolved with an extra episode. Just one and all could've been fixed. Ultimately, it does taint the show a bit and makes the rewatchability go down. But it's still a great drama nonetheless. Execution was flawed but it was still an enjoyable watch.Was this review helpful to you?
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If you love bromance and don’t mind a lack of romance, please give this a try!
How is this so underrated? The characters are very relatable, and each have an integral part in the story no matter how small their role is. The music is simple, but enhances each scene ( I especially liked the outro song, it’s so catchy). The cinematography is excellent. The friendship is so sincere and the hints of comedy are well placed.The series introduces the game of go without any unnecessary info dumps, and kept me invested even though I had no idea what was going on. I could tangibly feel the passion the characters had for go, and it made me want to learn it myself.
The pacing is great. So much was pact into each episode, but it never felt tiring. After episode 26 the focus shifts towards Fang Xu and Xiao Yang, which allowed for more character development and commentary about the old and new generation of go. I enjoyed this section, but I definitely preferred the first two thirds of the show which more closely followed Shi Guan on his journey of discovering and wielding his love of go.
My main complaint would be with the ending. I wish we would’ve been able to have more closure with Chu Ying, but I did appreciate Shi Guang and Yu Liang coming full circle and becoming friends. So while the last few episodes could’ve been stronger, I’m satisfied with how the story left off.
All in all, “Hikaru no Go” was a surprisingly enjoyable and funny watch. If you love bromance and don’t mind a lack of romance, please give this a try!
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u guys seriously need to watch this
I would say the acting for the main character shi guang is pretty good.I barely write review unless the shows are good, looking at the length of the review, this show is hella good. This show have no romance, no action, just about shi guang journey in go. I think i enjoyed it because of shi guang acting and the good story line .
This story is basically about how shi guang become good in the game of go, his journey of success. This show is quite touching the on episode 32 and 33, i rarely cry when i watch a show, but this show was so sad that i couldn’t stop crying hahaha.
So the story is about shi guang meeting this “ghost” a good one where the ghost called chu ying is a master a the game of go. So when shi guang was a kid, he touch the go board that belong to chu ying, and hence chu ying appeared. At that time, shi guang didn’t know anything about the game of go, however all chu ying wanted was to play the game of go so they participated competition together which made chu ying very happy. However after the competition ended, shi guang kinda got angry cause him and chu ying made an agreement which chu ying broke. Shi guang was very angry and shouted and chu ying to stop appearing infront. From then, chu ying disappeared for 6 years , till shi guang was in high school.
When he was at high school, because his friend was being bullied and the bully when to fight shi guang against the game of go, shi guang have no choice but to relearn. However he wasn’t able to relearn go to be able to win since he didn’t pay attention when chu ying was playing on behalf of him 6 years ago. So when shi guang was about to lose, chu ying suddenly appeared and told shi guang a move to win. Shi guang won the match and chu ying appeared after that. So the story goes on on how shi guang try to be a competitive go player, how chu ying help him. They were really close.
Then after shi guang became a competive player, he decided to help chu ying complete his wish, to find the 神之一手. Chu ying played a match against the best player of go, trying to find the 神之一手. He couldn’t find it during the match, however after the match , shi guang suddenly thought of a move that could make chu ying lose the entire match, he won the match btw. Chu ying then knew he found the 神之一手 Once he found it, his body started to get weaker and weaker.
He started to like fade but shi guang did not realize, He tried to teach shi guang more stuff about go but shi guang didn’t care. He lied to shi guang about his bday so that they can spend more time together, however after that day, chu ying left. shi guang was then very sad and tried ways to find chu ying. i cried here HAHAH.
Watch the rest of the show to know if he found it ?.
It’s a damn good show i promises
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A truly enigmatic and engaging story!
This drama really caught me by surprise. It was highly recommended by my husband so I decided to give it go even though I was not quite keen on chasing dramas. However this story really changed my perspective of life as a youth and I could even recommend this drama to my students.The characters were alive and really great even in their younger years and when they were older. The sad scenes were so touching and I really wished that his soulmate would not have to leave into the unknown...
I look forward to a part 2 or similar such dramas in the future.
A good story with a good team is all it takes to engage the audience. Well done!
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