The original post: /r/television by /u/Yeade on 2024-10-14 01:59:34.

If you enjoyed Netflix’s One Piece and have a hankering for more quality live action anime adaptations, I am here to make a case for stepping a little out of your comfort zone to give the two following Chinese dramas a try.

Hikaru no Go / 棋魂 (2020, iQIYI) – 36 episodes on YouTube

A pretty straightforward adaptation of Yumi Hotta’s manga by the same name about the board game go. Hikaru Shindo (localized as Shi Guang) discovers a go (weiqi) board in his grandfather’s attic that turns out to be haunted by the ghost of a legendary go master, Fujiwara no Sai (Chu Ying), from the Heian period (Southern Liang dynasty). Chu Ying, who’s been seeking the so-called Divine Move for over a thousand years, begins to haunt Shi Guang, mentoring the young man as he enters the world of competitive go, encounters friends-cum-rivals like Akira Touya (Yu Liang), experiences victories and defeats.

While there are necessarily some differences from the source material in the character backgrounds, the progression of tournaments, and so forth, these tweaks and changes have negligible impact on the authenticity of the characters, their relationships, their growth and struggles, which are depicted realistically and engagingly. There’s slice-of-life attention to the mundane alongside the action and suspense of a top tier sports drama, sprinkled throughout w/deft humor. Production values are solid, and it’s clear a particular effort was made to integrate Chu Ying’s ghostly transparency w/the setting and other actors. Speaking of, this is a very strong cast, too, from the excellent leads to the many memorable supporting characters. If I were to file one complaint, it’s the hilariously heavy-handed propaganda in the first as well as last episodes and any international competition being cut except for national qualifiers, again probably to avoid censorship. Also available to watch on Amazon Prime, IIRC.

I Am Nobody / 异人之下 (2023, Youku) – 27 episodes on YouTube

Technically based on a manhua turned donghua called Hitori no Shita: The Outcast, my second recommendation is here on the strength of being likely the closest anyone’s ever going to get to an actually good live action Naruto/My Hero Academia crossover–only improved by main characters old enough to drink. Set in the modern world, there’s a underground society of superpowered individuals, called Outsiders, who fight using qi (ki, chakra). There are clans, sects, and inherited techniques as well as an organization, disguised as a courier delivery service, that regulates Outsiders, keeping them from harming ordinary people and hiding the fallout of their battles.

I honestly think anyone who’s a fan of shounen anime or the superhero genre will appreciate this series. There’s a central mystery about the origins of the female lead, Feng Baobao, and the Eight Supreme Skills, incredibly overpowered abilities sought unto death by nearly everyone, that tie into a calamitous conflict of the past that the current generation of young hopefuls needs to resolve. While the magic system is more soft and squishy than hard or defined, the fun is in the sheer variety of techniques–from elemental sorcery (ninjutsu) to hypnotic mindbending (genjutsu) to plain old kung fu (taijutsu)–and the way these are displayed in well choreographed, visually pleasing (CGI that’s not distractingly bad!) action sequences. For crying out loud, there’s a tournament arc! With all the rivalries, personal ambitions, ulterior motives, and villainous gatecrashers you might expect.

Family pathos, comedic hijinks, bloody violence, fire-forged friendships, and a dash of romance, even horror: pretty much every element of an entertaining shounen or superhero show is present and executed competently. The production is also quite impressive, especially in the scope of the settings, which range from glittering cityscapes to on-location shots of real life Taoist mountain temples. Again, the lead actors give convincing performances bolstered by a large cast of colorful supporting characters. A number of the older actors, like the male lead’s grandfather, Zhang Xilin, or the undisputed strongest Outsider, Zhang Zhiwei, are simply outstanding in some of the show’s most touching and most badass moments. Better yet, a second season (trailer) is in the works, scheduled for next year.

As for YMMV shortcomings, the humor can occasionally be a bit off-color. In addition, the soundtrack is an eclectic mix of traditional Chinese instruments, rock and rap music. Personally, this is not a problem, because I feel it reflects the show’s unique mash of ancient cultivation practices and modern amenities, like scanning a QR code instead of drawing lots for your tournament bracket. More potentially dealbreaking are the (magi)technobabble explanations for a few of the powers–I’m looking at you, Qimen Dunjia!–that are based on Taoist principles generally unknown to Western audiences and hindered by somewhat shoddy translations. Finally, I find the ending a little rushed and out of place, leaving a lot of questions I can only hope are addressed next season.

Unfortunately, neither of these series has an English dub. Dubbing lags far behind in both quality and quantity for Chinese dramas compared to Japanese and Korean productions. The subs are… just okay, IMO. Acceptable for understanding the story, but marred by some typos or translation errors and, as mentioned above, the subs really fall short when it comes to any dialogue that’s too technical, whether about go strategies or qi magic.

Another thing to be aware of, I feel, is that the pacing can be on the slow side, especially at the start. These c-dramas are more than a dozen episodes longer than comparable series most here are familiar with, after all. Depending on your tastes, this is both a feature and a bug, as conversations btw characters are given plenty of time to breathe but plot development may seem to stall and gags run a tad bit too long. YMMV!

Please feel free to ask questions in the comments. I admit I’m trying to hook new fans so I’m not stuck just talking to myself about these shows. Thank you for reading!