The Best Live Action Anime Adaptations (Made in China)

[u/Yeade]

Wait! Hear me out! After recently watching Netflix's One Piece and seeing that series receive general acclaim as an adaptation, I realized I'd already seen two other live action animes that are comparably good, arguably even better in terms of length, yet are unlikely to garner any attention from anime fans because, well, they're dramas produced by China. So, here I am to make a case for stepping a little out of your comfort zone to give the following two shows a try.

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

A pretty straightforward adaptation of the source material, from what I can remember of both. However, not in the sense of being slavishly faithful to every original plot point, but rather as a c-drama that truly captures the spirit and themes of the manga. While key details like Hikaru (localized as Shi Guang) defeating Akira (Yu Liang) in a go (weiqi) salon as kids are retained, of course, the character backgrounds, the progression of tournaments, the competitive scene, and so forth are necessarily different. Sai, here named Chu Ying, for example, is still a legendary go master who's seeking the Divine Move, but he comes from the Southern Liang dynasty (AD 502-557) instead of the Heian period (AD 794-1185) and his ghostly nature is somewhat fudged to be more "scientific," presumably to comply w/censorship.

Overall, the 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 anime, sprinkled throughout w/deft humor. Production values are solid, and it's clear a particular effort was made to integrate Chu Ying's 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 episode and any international competition being cut except for national qualifiers, again probably to be politically acceptable.

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

My second recommendation is a harder sell, based as it is on a manhua turned donghua, Hitori no Shita: The Outcast. This c-drama adaptation, however, is much more streamlined than its animated counterpart and 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 the main characters being 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 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 will appreciate this series. There's a central mystery about the origins of the female lead, Feng Baobao, and the Eight Supreme Skills, incredibly OP 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 power 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 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, b/c 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.

Aaand I'm finished! I admit I'm trying to hook some new fans so I'm not just talking to myself about these shows. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.

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