Qi Hun (2020)

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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Better than I expected

It is probably the most satisfying liveaction I’ve ever watched. I usually avoid Liveactions as 9 out of 10 LA are so poorly done, and cringey. Part of the reason why I enjoyed this chinese adaption is bc I didn’t read the original manga, but still as a normal sports drama, it exceeded my expectations.

STORY
Brilliant!
Previously I watched Chinese adaptation of Prince of Tennis, which was just so-so imo, so I didn’t have high expectations for Hikaru, either. Besides, when I saw posters of Hikaru, they were like some trashy posters for typical bad dramas..
But then I saw so many positive reviews on Douban and here on MDL, so I gave it a try... I am surprised and got hooked. I went into this totally blind so everything was a surprise. I laughed watching those funny moments, and cried so hard while watching sad scenes.

ACTING
Splendid!
Most of them are new faces, I have seen ML in NiF 2 but I haven’t seen other main actors. Some supporting characters are from My Huckleberry Friends, so I am quite familiar with them.
All of them are brilliant. From main character like Shi Guang to minor character like Wu Di, all of them impressed me.
Director’s cameo as Lazy Monk was a pleasant surprise as well.

BROMANCE/FRIENDSHIP
Do you know what’s the best thing about this drama?
Of course, it is bromance and friendship.Friends motivating each other, helping each other out, and the best thing is bringing them out of their darkest moments.
Bromance? This is the best part of drama..
My favorite two characters are Chu Ying and Hong He. Ofc I loved Shi Guang.

MUSIC
I noticed that some songs are quite good, but I haven’t fully listened to them. But ending song was nice.

So here are some SPOILERS...( If you haven’t watched, pls don’t read)


I have some small complaints;
1.Hong He quitting Go?
It is a little disappointing, with many obstacles he has gone through to become a professional player. He just quitted like that? And from his dad’s expressions, I can tell that his dad wants him to continue playing..
It is quite a relief that Shi Guang said he will continue persuading Hong He
So the drama should have given a proper solution to Hong He’s problem before ending

2.Episode 34
I have already cried my eyes out in Ep 32 and 33, but Ep 34 was super hard to watch. Shi Guang was like I’ll forget everything about Go bc Chu Ying left.
I expected this but this arc was longer than I expected.

These problems are very small... so small that these didn’t change my opinion about this drama.
I would say it deserves high ratings and it is definitely worth watching.

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Solid storyline

Recommended to watch. I knew about this drama from advertisement. The trailer looks interesting so i thought i check out a little bit. But never knew i hooked until the end. From the title i thought this is japanese drama, but i was wrong.(actually it from japanese comic from same name).

I'm a big fan of dramas mostly chinese drama and korean drama. This is first time for me to find chinese drama that contain solid storyline. Mostly i just going to skipped or fast forward most episode of chinese drama because mostly it contains filler that unnecessary. But not this drama.

The acting was superb. Whoever casting the actors and actress made a good job. Many talented young actor and actress. (watched because of juck zhang but now I'm in love with this drama)

The music good, suitable for growth/competition drama.

I had a little bit knowledge about go, this drama give more knowledge about go and behind the scene.

Things that i don't like. 36 episode not enough for me. I need more. I understand that production want follows closely to the comic storyline but don't ended like that. I hope there's season 2.

Rewatch value 10/10. I definitely will watching this drama again.

I hope there are more like this drama out there. Nowadays, it all about survival, growth and rivalry.

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Hands-down best 2020 drama for me

It feels a bit unfair how this drama is so underrated relative to its awesome quality, because this has EVERYTHING that a great drama should have:

1. Powerful and Meaningful Themes
This show revolves around finding your passion, facing and succeeding over obstacles, knowing and improving yourself, learning from one another, and friendship. Go may just be a "game", but we see the characters discover themselves a bit more through it and witness them grow for the better.

2. Character Development
Shi Guang, the main character, goes through a MASSIVE character development throughout the whole series. He isn't even bad in the first place, maybe immature at worst, so it makes the viewers root for him a lot. As mentioned by some side-characters, he is "like a sponge", and his willingness to learn from others and acknowledge his weaknesses significantly contributed to his improvements. Not only him, but we see other characters (actually, almost all of them) grow as well which is very satisfying.

3. Friendship
The amazing thing here is how fiendship is displayed in different ways: 13th High School Go Club friendship which is about mutual support, Yijianghu Go Club friendship which is about encouraging and strengthening each other, Fang Xu and Bai Chuan's friendship which is about making sure the other doesn't stray from the right path, Shi Guang and Yu Liang's friendship which is about rediscovering one's passion and setting an eternal goal to pursue, and of course Shi Guang and Chu Ying's friendship which is about finding a purpose to one's existence.

4. Acting
There is literally no blackhole in all of the characters despite most of them being young actors. Huge props especially to the lead actors: Juck Zhang who made Chu Ying impossible to hate but can also make you cry (I DARE you to watch episodes 32-34 without crying) and Hu Xianxu as Shi Guang who is undoubtedly THE STAR of the whole drama, one of the best actors of his generation to be quite honest. The young actor who played young Shi Guang also deserves a special mention as well.

5. Production Quality
The drama's timeline is from 1997-2006 so important details like clothing, appliances, places, even vehicles need special detail. There's definitely no weak point on that aspect. The cinematography and music are also very beautiful as well.

This drama may not be that famous internationally because there is no romance and doesn't ride the coattails of the ever-famous Hallyu wave, but you'll DEFINITELY miss out if you don't give this one a chance.

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A warm blanket

This dramatisation is like a warm blanket in a cold winternight.
It might not be so warm initially but it wraps you and before you know it, you are prisoner by the comfort.

I cant go as far and say it is as aluring to the game, as the anime and manga is, but the end result about the emotional journey is similar. For a Chinese production I was impressed that the sound, fx or the storyline was actually good, compared to many other Chinese productions that gives (me at least) proper headache.

I still fell in love with the changes made, especially between Hikaru (Shi Guang) and Sai (Shu Jing), it really fits. Wont say more than that, apart that I recommend to read/watch the other versions, then you'll understand.
The blast from the past with cellular brands like Nokia and other quirks, really made this so charming.
I imagine it was very tricky to make it all from Chinese Pov but it was done smoothly and I didnt felt disturbed by it, even when I was re-watching HnG(anime version) parallel to this.

Also, I really liked the Fang Xu-character, which felt in all honesty more humble. Actually, come to think of it, almost all characters were a lot more humble here than any other versions.

The only "negative" is that this drama did not have an emotional impact as the other versions. It is not until ep30 and forth one begins to feel the need of tissues and after that, you may need an entire box or two.

Lastly;
I really love the tribute to HnG on the last episode, it made my heart bleed even more. Again, if you read/watch the other versions you'll understand.
And I absolutly salute they kept the lyrics to the OST utterly intact and so the melody.
Its a beautiful song and beautiful text.
I might come back and put in my feed the Japanese and the Chinese lyrics/versions at some point.

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Painful, joyful and meaningful. Totally worth it!

This is way better than the anime. The anime is lacking and the ending felt rushed and it was kinda disappointing but this. The drama like... finally gave closure to the fans of the anime/manga. It was actually even better, The ending is satisfying compared to the manga. I want to see more!

I just wish Chu Ying never left but it really how it goes. I will remember this drama for the next months.

Hikaru no Go (Ep 32)

I am happy to have met all of you

Some people goes against the rules.

Some deviate from the path.

Some take risks and turn their lives around.

Some live to bring happiness to others. Even with adversities, some will see the light.

Some bear no regrets in life.

Some stay stagnant over the years remain unchanging.

Some have never strayed from their goals.

Some obtained enlightenment while some understand the meaning of life.

Some are born to be champions, while some will be remembered by many (she gave birth to a champion- pertaining to Shi Guang huhuhu).

Some may hide talent s in a jar, while some are able to change their fate.

Some are born teachers. They are meant to serve others.

Some return as prodigal son, and become the brightest star of the galaxy.

Some are meant to be on top. They go through ups and downs and live for a game of chess.

There are some who only exist for your sake. They are rivals chosen by heaven.

Some will bring you joy, while some will bring you sorrow. They are the happiest things in life, while some are unmovable obstacles.

Some are blessings you've earned over three lifetimes, a friendship and bond you've earned.
-----
We will always be together... (Haven't typed the other dialogues anymore because I already spent all my time crying huhuhuhu)

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Almost exactly the same as the anime version.

This is good. I watched the anime again and again in the past, so it was a bit of a dull ride for me....or so that's what I thought at first. The story, plot and characters still capture me again just like the anime version. The drama version is good and I think the acting was not bad too, and spoiler ahead......

The drama followed the time period of the anime, which is like the year 2000s, so not everyone has a handphone or a computer, the drama skipped some parts of the side character's story and I was okay without it. The awesome internet sensation was a bit underwhelmed, maybe because they did not make it into a world sensation but just the country itself only. But that's okay too.

This time, though there are times when the main lead Xiao Guang treated Chu Ying a bit badly at times, it was not really the same as the anime. The drama showed Xiao Guang treating Chu Ying more kindly, more sincerely and appreciatively. And most importantly, the wonderful day they spent before he left forever. So in my opinion, this is better than the anime version as you won't feel so regretful for Chu Ying for the way Xiao Guang treated him like in the anime.

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I could not recommend this drama any harder

When I was first looking into this drama, it was because of Ji Li. I'd expected to watch it and mostly just skip around to find him in it because I really didn't think the plot was something that would interest me.

Oh BOY was I wrong and I'm so glad I am.

This show is genuinely the most heartwarming, funniest, and heart-wrenching piece of media I've watched. I was hooked by the dynamic between Shi Guang and Chu Ying from the get-go. That's his ghost-not-ghost dad! If you're into a show that has really good found family feels between friends and adopted father/son dynamics, then this is 100% up your alley. Even if you don't know anything about the game of go, you'll pick up some stuff and still be genuinely gunning for the characters' successes and feel sad when they fail.

Shi Guang is such a good kid, and his actors (both the kid for the first couple of episodes and Hu Xianxu) are phenomenal, seriously. HXX has some of the best acting range I've seen.

Chu Ying will have you enamoured with him the minute you see him. He makes me smile every time he's on-screen -- his smile is SO infectious. I love his ability to go from silly to a father-figure.

Yu Liang is, of course, delightful and just so funny. I really do love his character arc and the person he becomes at the end.

The relationship between Shi Guang and Yu Liang is also a big seller for me. Those two do genuinely care for each other and it can be read as friendship or romance if you want in my opinion, and it's a really sweet depiction of either.

Overall I absolutely love each character; there's a LOT of attention paid to side characters who get their own character arcs full of ups and downs. Qi Hun does a REALLY good job at making you care about everyone in it.

I really don't have any complaints about the show. I feel like there is care and weight put into all the highs and lows:
- It shows that the path to success isn't linear, but that you can make it.
- It shows you that dreams can change, or be unrealistic due to life.
- It does an exceptional job at depicting grief and depression after loss.

As a side note in regards to it being an adaptation of Hikaru no Go... it's a good one! A really really good one. In fact I like it more than the original in the friendships and dynamics, as does my boyfriend who grew up on the series.

In the end, I give it 10s across the board. The story is phenomenal, the acting MOVES you, and the lyrics to the OST makes me absolutely lose it (you can find the OST on Spotify and Youtube, seriously the lyrics kill me).

I've already watched it twice and I'm watching it a 3rd time! Love this drama so much.

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A MUST WATCH.

I got hooked since episode 1 and I cannot stop watching. It exceeded my expectations tbh. It has definitely been added to my all time favorite series. This is the kind of drama that no matter how many times you have watched it, you will still be entertained. The story telling, cinematography and casts, everything is just amazing. I love the chemistry between the leads. Acting wise? Dang! It was superb! Even the child actors are really great and deserves an award. It was not awkward at all, it was soooo natural.

Rewatch value? If I can give a rating higher than 10, I will gladly do so. After I finished writing this review, I will go back again to watch the drama.

Story wise - we all know that this is an adaptation from a manga however it amazes me how they incorporate the chinese culture within the series.


Over all, this made my 2020 complete. Yes, it may feel like you are watching a BL drama however for me, it shows us that the chemistry between all the characters are top-notch. It felt like you are watching your neighbor doing something, it felt like you are in their world bcos their acting was phenomenal. It also gave us life lessons about our dreams in life - no matter how hard it is,there will always be someone who will support us. And as long as you have faith and determination, you can do it!!!

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One of the best dramas of 2020 , Highly Recommended

I found this show to be a real gem and a great way to end 2020. As a viewer who hasn't read the original manga or watched the anime, I didn't have any ideas or expectations going into this other than seeing a couple of great reviews here on MDL.
But the drama blew me away with the first few episodes and I ended up binge watching the show in just two days.
The five main things I look for in any drama are:

1) Plot/Storyline - Solid plot. This would be a great example of a character driven storyline. It falters a little bit towards the end and that's why I've taken 0.5 points off, but overall a very warm, heart-touching storyline that strongly delivers. The friendships portrayed in this show are simply beautiful to watch and very realistic. I loved bonding between all the characters.

2) Characters/ Character growth - The story treated all of its characters with a lot of care, even the minor characters who did not have a lot of screen time. I normally would find other minor characters subplots used as fillers in other dramas but here each and every character had his/purpose for being there. I felt emotionally attached to a lot of the characters and felt myself cheering for all of them. Another thing I loved was that all the characters including the main character Shi Guang went through some or other form of character growth throughout their journeys.

3) Acting - I think the actors did a great job with this. I especially loved the main actors who played Shi Guang and Chu Ying , Yu Liang as well as the child actor who played young Shi Guang. I loved how Chu Ying could very convincingly go from being this godly and serene persona to being childlike and silly the next second.

4) Overall Message/Theme - I loved the message of the drama and how it was also rooted in reality. We saw characters find their passion, how talent sometimes overtakes passion and hard work, how sometimes people have to give up their passions to survive in this world, how friends and healthy rivals can help you improve yourself, how its okay to lose sometimes as long as you learn from it, how to pick yourself back up if you've fallen down. I loved the scenes where Chu Ying imparted these little life lessons while playing Go.

5) Music/Production Quality - This was set in the mid 2000's for most of the show and the production/ set design was pretty great. I loved the Ending OST (didn't skip the ending theme one in all 36 episodes). I read somewhere that it is the same as the anime OST only in Chinese so that was pretty neat of them to do.

Overall, I would say this is a must watch for any drama enthusiast! 10/10

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A true gem of a drama that turned out to be much more emotionally impactful than I expected

Premise: I'm totally unfamiliar with the manga/anime so I will only talk about this drama as its own thing. Spoilers ahead.

Qi Hun might speak in different ways to different people. Some might see it mainly as a story about friendship, others as a story about following your dreams and finding your passions, others as a coming-of-age tale, others just as a sports manga adaptation. It’s definitely all of these things, but for me, Qi Hun is first and foremost a story that teaches you about loss and how to deal with it.

Because the drama peaks when Chu Ying disappears, with everything that’s happened before leading to and being in service to that moment, that leaves behind a heart-wrenching void I could only start to process at end of the next 3 episodes of mourning.

I’ve seen some people criticizing the final episodes saying they spent too much time on Shi Guang grieving. But for me, those episodes were sorely needed. If you look at this story as a reflection on loss, you cannot dismiss the healing process with just a couple of scenes. You need to painfully go through the grief so that the reason to live on that you’ll find during that process is truly meaningful. The final, joyful episode 36, which has such a different tone from the previous ones, only works if the 4 episodes before it exist. Shi Guang finally finds in Yu Liang not a substitute for Chu Ying but a new stage of happiness that's only possible thanks to his previous journey with Chu Ying by his side.

The loss this drama is about is first and foremost Shi Guang losing Chu Ying after spending half of his life together, but is also simply losing a Go match and finding the strength to win the next one. Most of the characters are losers each in their own way, as they all lose something important at some point in the story: Hong He, Gu Yu, Shen Yilang, Bai Xiaoxiao, Fang Xu, Yu Liang… each of them has to deal with losing something and overcoming it.

I don’t want to spend too many words on the technical aspects of this drama because the emotional impact it had on me overshadows everything else. It's not a perfect drama quality-wise but it’s solid in every department, from the acting/casting, to the sets, to the direction, editing etc.
I especially love the chemistry the actor playing Shi Guang has with the actors playing Chu Ying and Yu Liang. I think they're the perfect choices for those roles. The child actors shine too.

My main complaint lies with the pacing/writing of the second third of the drama (around episodes 12 to 24) that I think could have been handled better and sometimes felt filler-y. That part felt a bit like a downgrade compared to the very strong first part.

In conclusion, I went into Qi Hun thinking it was mainly a successful sports manga adaptation, but for me it turned out to be a different thing entirely. It also helped me deal with my personal losses and appreciate some things in my own life, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart for that.

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Unexpected Gem of 2020

At first I was hesitant to watch because I didn't think this was up my ally or would be a good adaptation. However, I was glad I decided to watch it. I didn't expect a story about GO would be something I would watch or would be interested in.

There is no romance in the drama, however, the bromance is more than enough. If you are into bromance dramas, the this is a must watch. The story is much more than a story about GO, it is about one's growth, passion, and friendship while trying to accomplish someone else's dream that eventually became their own. I was most drawn by the strong storyline that followed Shi Guang through his journey of being forced to play GO to him loving it and excelling in it.

It's in no way perfect, but as someone who fast forwards in drama's through the filler parts, I barely did that with this drama. The only thing I wished was there was more Yu Liang and Shi Guang parts and a follow-up with Chu Ying. Basically, I need a season 2 because 36 episodes is not enough!!

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