Memorable watch even for fans of the manga/anime

Hikaru no Go is one of my favourite animes of all-time, so this review will focus heavily on a comparison to the Studio Pierrot version with English subs. Major spoilers ahead.

This is a great adaptation and worth watching. It stays true to the source themes and intent, while introducing new interpretations and "localization" to suit the Chinese context. Some plot lines (~20%) are altered. The relative importance of various characters + their relationships are also different. However, it's well done and this drama stands commendably on its own.

Positives
- More pragmatic than the original anime; you can see the conflict between idealism and having to live in the real world, and how this weighs on characters' decision-making
- Much funnier than expected... I couldn't help but laugh out loud in many scenes
- Beautiful use of (what I presume are) Chinese philosophies or proverbs to illustrate key messages i.e. not being aware of the situation will lead to certain defeat; these added depth and clarity to the more open-ended / subtle / context-heavy Japanese style
- Solid acting, music, production value
- Heartwarming and deep relationships between side characters, that don't just revolve around Hikaru (Shi Guang)
- Closing song a very nice nod to the anime!

Negatives
- Loose ends: Waya (Hong He) leaving professional Go remains seemingly unresolved. One of my favourite ending scenes in the anime is of Touya Meijin (Yu Xiao Yang) sitting in front of a Go board with one stone placed, as if waiting for an invisible opponent. After telling Shi Guang he wanted another match with Sai (Chu Ling), they show no resolution of this request. A bit strange.
- Akira (Yu Liang) does not "discover" that Chu Ling (the infamous online Go player) is in Shi Guang's playing; this omission was a critical oversight as it established the pair's long history together, and illustrated how well Yu Liang was the only one who truly understood Shi Guang. Similarly, Shi Guang never confides in Yu Liang about Chu Ling even when they're training for pair Go, but strangely tells Kawai-san (Cao Xu).
- Shi Guang calling out the move that would've allowed Yu Xiao Yang to win the game against Chu Ling is labeled as "the Divine Move" in this drama; I personally believe this explicit assignment is philosophically inconsistent with the idea of the Divine Move in the first place.
- The opening where Hong Kong returns to China in 1997 felt overly political, although it is a powerful way to instantly create the nostalgic feeling of a bygone era.
- Certain arcs are less exciting: the online Go fever, use of unconventional openings i.e. Tengen by Yashiro (used by a heavily adapted Mu Qing Chun) and subsequently, how little is shown on Shi Guang's gusto and creativity in responding.

Neutral / Others
- Characters are less selfish, especially Chu Ling and Shi Guang; there are also fewer morally grey depictions.
- Tone of bromance between Shi Guang and Yu Liang is muted for much of the series, but is suddenly 10x in the finale.
- When Isumi (Sheng Yi Lang) visits Shi Guang after training in Japan, this production team decided to let Shi Guang have his "a-ha" moment alone, instead of during his replay with Sheng Yi Lang.
- The period of Shi Guang's depression and angst post Chu Ling's departure is significantly shorter, which is probably a good thing.
- Chu Ling leaves in the original anime because he finally realizes the purpose of his life and the nature of Go; however, since he apparently did not commit suicide in this series and was brought to the modern world by a supernova explosion, the timing of his departure is no longer tied to his personal enlightenment; this creates a slight disconnect.

All in all, this was a beautiful drama. Please watch it and see for yourself~

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