Learnt Romance of the Three Kingdoms by playing Dynasty Warriors series
@AccentedCinema3 ай бұрын
I am Cow Pee, like my father Cow Cow.
@sndark62413 ай бұрын
@@AccentedCinemait’s stuff like that that made me switch the audio to Japanese when I played those games lmao
@johngo37153 ай бұрын
@@AccentedCinema As kids, whenever we'd hear Cao Cao pronounced the proper way, we'd giggle as we thought of the dog breed.
@michaelbandada98873 ай бұрын
@@AccentedCinemain any Dynasty Warriors game, it is not wise to pick a fight with Lu Bu at Hulao Gate because if that happens, it is all over!
@michaelbandada98873 ай бұрын
@@sndark6241Dynasty Warriors 9 has managed to get a Mandarin Chinese dub and it is fitting to enjoy the Three Kingdoms experience!
@kainhighwind23 ай бұрын
You left out the anime where Zhuge Liang dies, gets reincarnated into modern day Japan, and helps a girl fulfil her dreams of being a pop star!
@XcUtiOn963 ай бұрын
Chan Chan Ai Chiki Chiki Ban Ban
@MagronesBR23 ай бұрын
*tweaking the shoulders*
@ahmedshaharyarejaz98863 ай бұрын
Ya Boi Kong Ming! 😆 🤣 😂
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
Such a gold series ! That it has not much of a following is criminal
@ahmedshaharyarejaz98863 ай бұрын
@@jjstarrprod Not everyone can appreciate the finest beauty - Kong Ming probably.
@GameFuMaster3 ай бұрын
9:35 ah yes, the ancient technique of sliding your horse like a motorcycle and then having it get up and walk immediately
@butterfingers83 ай бұрын
The Japanese have train drift, the Chinese have horse drift
@jasonblalock44293 ай бұрын
I know it wasn't his intention, but he totally sold me on the movie with that shot. I love campy crap. 😁Plus, I mean, it's *Dynasty Warriors.* What else would you expect from a DW movie? Seems like a totally faithful adaptation to me!
@jueling86113 ай бұрын
@@jasonblalock4429 I'm not a native English speaker. Would you kindly tell me what does "DW movie" mean? I googled it but can't find anything applicable to the context in your comment.
@kunderemp3 ай бұрын
@@jueling8611 DW = Dynasty Warrior. Japanese game loosely based on Three Kingdom. Don't expect accuracy.
@TheHydrakeHydra3 ай бұрын
@@jueling8611 It stands for Dynasty Warriors, just in this context
@Arvaniz3 ай бұрын
(Note: I'm from Argentina, where Chinese culture isn't widespread, even though there's a healthy Chinese population... at least in the capital Buenos Aires) I started getting into Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the late 80s, with the eponymous PC strategy game by Koei. You're right that the iconography (slightly anime-style in that game) helped me know the characters. Now I can individualize all of them just by hearing the name. I continued in the late 90s with Dynasty Warriors IV, knowing full well that it distorted the story and characters (and further sequels of the game even increased the Playstation aesthetic regarding their clothes and equipment). Then I played a lot of Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI, in the early 2000s (I prefer strategy games to action ones). At that point I became really curious as to the full original story. But, alas, the novel hadn't been edited in Spanish and was nowhere available in Argentina (not even in English). And it was too costly to import it (for me). So I started reading online from a free source... but it was too much to read from a PC screen. I love holding books, and I can read for any length of time... but not on a screen. So I never completed the novel (I didn't even reach one-third of it). I started watching the 2010 series on KZbin, but there were a couple of episodes missing (there are two uploads with English subs, I believe, the HD one has missing episodes, and another with lower quality is full). I did watch, several times, Red Cliff (the full, two movies, version). And I absolutely LOVE it. I introduced my wife to Romance of the Three Kingdoms through it, and she found the characters and concepts fascinating (she's not new to Chinese cinema, her favorite movie is "Curse of the Golden Flower", and she loves Gong Li). We are considering buying the, somewhat new (5-10 years?), Spanish edition of the original novel, although it's quite expensive here in Argentina. And they've used Dynasty Warriors artwork for the covers... so there's that. :-P
@yuey06023 ай бұрын
the novel isnt just telling a good story, but also has tremendous literature value. the words and poetics are so beautiful. sad there are not a good translated version in your native language.
@kuri71543 ай бұрын
BASED
@deepseer3 ай бұрын
From Chinese perspective, 1994 TV series (wonderful but incomplete) > 2010 series >> 2010s Red Cliff movies (trash)
@KasumiRINA3 ай бұрын
@@deepseer European here. I was EXTREMELY disappointed by Red Cliffs movie, and I only barely knew the story through pop culture osmosis, apart from actually decent battle scenes (like the shield wall at Eight Gates formation), it spend half the movie trying to be pretentious with flute and calf-birthing scenes like whoever-shot-the-bow reading CCP morality on how you should spare tyrants for no reason (in all other adaptations the only one who spares Cao Cao is Guan Yu, and only because he's repaying a debt). Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of my fav actors of all time and he was a horrible Zhuge Liang, should have swapped him and Tony Leung around I think.
@miguelignaciocarrere44863 ай бұрын
Here a fellow argentinian on the same page brother!
@hanzhonglang3 ай бұрын
thank you very much for the shout out!! Us in "Gentlemen of the Han" are working on translating the entire 1994 Three Kingdoms TV series, to share this great series to as many people as we can.
@adamm20913 ай бұрын
Thank you!!!
@Basel-iv7zu3 ай бұрын
I am using your translation to follow the series, always wanted to thank you guys for your efforts and dedication.
@rimaq_3 ай бұрын
Love to see fan translations
@ammi53113 ай бұрын
非常好漢化,使我字幕旋轉
@SeaSerpentLevi3 ай бұрын
Thanks for your hard work!! Im giving you a follow to keep up with the show
@RighteousBeardArts3 ай бұрын
YES! As much as I love the '94 and 2010 versions, I'm still waiting for the day when there's a tv adaptation with the production quality level of Game of Thrones and Shogun that can grab wider international attention for this quintessential Chinese classic
@lordkent81433 ай бұрын
I had the same thought! Haha it's probably not going to be that good tbh. But if it can be as entertaining and inaccurate as 300, sure take my money Hollywood 😂.
@RighteousBeardArts3 ай бұрын
@lordkent8143 Haha possibly. At the vety least it could interest new fans in the overall story and history
@felisasininus17843 ай бұрын
I don't know man. They butchered The Three-Body Problem. Who's to say they won't shoehorn anti-communist bullcrap into their 3K adaptation?
@bongkem27233 ай бұрын
the 2010 is actually at that level already, everything there is so carefully crafted, each character has a "dark side" which is very human, not some pure myth-hero.
@williamho19763 ай бұрын
With US-China relations now at such a low point, not going to happen. But China got the money, they can do it themselves and have posts it online with English subtitles.
@gelinrefira3 ай бұрын
The 1994 adaptation use of the original language from the novel really underscores the beauty of ancient Chinese. There is that grand sense of poetry in every line. It is damn moving.
@Ealsante3 ай бұрын
Cao Cao reciting his poem (对酒当歌) before Red Cliffs always gives me chills. Sure, he lost that battle, but damn, the man is a true hero of the Three Kingdoms.
@bloodangel133 ай бұрын
You know what I would love to see, Three Kingdoms TV series but given the same respect (and budget) as Shogun.
@ex0duzz3 ай бұрын
Does shogun have a white guy in it? Or Anything to do with the west? Lol
@nguyenvietanh21523 ай бұрын
@@bloodangel13main char would be a Roman guy travelling to China, who banged Diaochan and two Qiao lol
@tommywu98673 ай бұрын
@@bloodangel13 No white guys, no show. Sorry.
@Gearuz3 ай бұрын
Learning that the 2010 version is in any way controversial is wild. I had no idea because that show is incredible. Giving characters more balanced depictions worked great, especially for Cao Cao. I don't like when he's portrayed as pure evil and Liu Bei as pure good, when even in the novel, neither was the case.
@KasumiRINA3 ай бұрын
Using a Chinese Communist Party-approved positive depiction of an infamous tyrant is hardly balanced, they had an edict that forced everyone to show Qin Shi Huang-Di and Cao Cao in a positive light... so Xi would look less psycho in comparison I guess? I think I liked Liu Bei in the 2010 version, more crafty version, but Cao Cao was perfect in 1994 IMO.
@user-gw4kl8ft9u3 ай бұрын
Romance slanderers (who have never opened a page of the novel) be like: "WHAT??? You're telling me the novel has... NUANCES??? You're telling me my shallow normie take formulated through a circlejerk of illiterates is simply... WRONG!?!?"
@pinecoo64823 ай бұрын
@@KasumiRINA You are delusional. What connection does a 2010 TV series have with Xi, who came into power in 2013? The fact is that the character of Cao Cao has always been controversial, regardless of the time period, in both China and Japan
@HerMi.T3 ай бұрын
@@KasumiRINA what? Every tyrant has nuance. Even Hitler had nuance. It doesn't mean their actions are justifiable. It means we have taken appropriate lessons to avoid the next tyrants.
@dutchmilk3 ай бұрын
what drugs are you on?@@KasumiRINA
@grumpyman23 ай бұрын
Oh hey, I work on the project making fansubs for the 1994 series- thanks for the shoutout! We just had a release recently, what a coincidence. Working on the project has been my first exposure to the complete Three Kingdoms story, and it's given me a deep appreciation of both the original and the adaptation. People can find our subtitles by searching for "Gentlemen of the Han," the name of our group. We want as many people as possible to see this great series- I hope another team might do the same for the anime series one day!
@user-fx3nh2zd6y3 ай бұрын
❤
@gelinrefira3 ай бұрын
Sun Wukong in Three Kingdoms is a crossover I should have expected.
@claudius33593 ай бұрын
I'm not even halfway through the video,but what the-
@JulienneRoman3 ай бұрын
It kind of happened in Koei's Warrior Orochi series as well. 😂
@nguyentrongman98773 ай бұрын
Xu Shaohua played Sanzang in Journey to the West and Zhang Liao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
@widimira5973 ай бұрын
@@JulienneRoman why Koei not make an adaptation of Suikoden? Is it cause Konami has a license? Want to see 108 roster of shui Hui zuan karakter The last time Koei adapted it is all men are brother, same time rotk 3
@JulienneRoman3 ай бұрын
@@widimira597 Ah yes the wonder of the gotta catch them all 100+ characters fun times of the Suikoden series. Been ages since I've heard of it again. Unfortunately, if Konami does have the license, then there's no chance in hell they're letting anyone else publish a remake or sequel. It's the same story with Silent Hill. That's why PT could not materialize outside Konami. 😢
@Histerix3 ай бұрын
3 kingdoms podcast is AWESOME. Definitely worth a listen to anyone interested. It’s a guy reading the book for a western audience and gives plenty of information to help people understand.
@Rando19753 ай бұрын
It was great to hear the proper pronunciation of names, that I had been saying wrong for years.
@teenprez3 ай бұрын
Ohhhhh thanks for the recc!!
@JoshuaC9233 ай бұрын
Gonna check that out
@skieth99993 ай бұрын
The 2010 series is by far my favorite because the liberties it takes are arguably the most reasonable to the kinds of people the characters actually were
@williamzhou34383 ай бұрын
Last time i remember, Kongming is working as Idol Manager in Shibuya..
@martytu203 ай бұрын
2010 Three Kingdoms is what made Chen Jianbin The Cao Cao we know and love.
@Sullstice3 ай бұрын
I couldn't agree more!
@Netherfly3 ай бұрын
He completely steals the show.
@lilyevans60463 ай бұрын
My dad always says Chen Jianbin is the best Cao Cao to ever exist on screen, and I totally agree
@ledias42633 ай бұрын
The smile, that damned smile....
@yohannessulistyo40253 ай бұрын
I unwittingly copied his controlled yet sincere laugh.
@DodderingOldMan3 ай бұрын
As a Westerner who knows Three Kingdoms mainly from Dynasty Warriors, the 2010 TV series is my favourite. It may change things, but it's more accessible. The 94 series is good too, though.
@dilkhozaimarwat347919 күн бұрын
2010 is amazing, the reason chinese dont like 2010 version is because of Chen Jianbin(the actor who played Cao Cao,), they think his Mandarin is not good. But we all non chinese love his acting.
@CrowXIII3 ай бұрын
The way i'm currently learning about it is the podcast format narration by John Zhu on spotify. He does not cut anything from the story but he does adapt the narration to be more agile, give context and reminders and is generally friendly and has good sense of humor. Big recommendation on my part.
@Steamedhams5783 ай бұрын
That's how I experienced the story too. Great narration and he gave great context on alot of the different figures and cultural allusions of the novel.
@GreenWhiteRedBrown89673 ай бұрын
For anyone who just learned about John Zhu's podcast in this comment section, he has also finished a podcast on "Water Margin" and is currently doing "Investiture of the Gods" under the name "Chinese Lore Podcast".
@AnackAnjink1083 ай бұрын
Make a series of video like this from: - Investiture of the Gods - White Snake Legend - A Strange Stories from Chinese Studio - etc.
@Netherfly3 ай бұрын
I've come across a few Investiture adaptations, but haven't really found *any* of them to be particularly good. Though I haven't watched the new (ish) movie yet. Would love to find out if I've missed any that are particularly good, as it's probably my favorite of those Classical Novels.
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
Don't forget By the Waters (I don't know if it's the English translation)
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
@@Netherflythe manga is pretty good. With some funky simili Chinese sci-fi character designs. Daji is an Evangelion plug suit cosplayer, Nezha is basically a cross between Megaman and Hiei, and one of the immortals fights with 2 lightsabers. It's pretty whacky (although it doesn't forget to get serious when needed).
@widimira5973 ай бұрын
@@jjstarrproddid you mean water margin? Coolhistorybro make an easy to understand story of water margin or Suikoden In japan
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
@@widimira597 ah ok, so that's the english title of Shui Hu Zhuan. Good to know, thanks. And yes, it's one of my favorite classic tales, with a hundred of heroes that all get their moment of glory (at least at the beginning)
@baileyalueta92943 ай бұрын
The 2010 Version has a special place in my heart because it was the first Chinese TV series I ever watched and it got me into Chinese dramas and movies more generally.
@MsCuirassierАй бұрын
Well, since you had a full picture of the story after watching the 2010 version, I strongly recommend the 94 version,maybe the pacing is a bit slow but definitely more nuanced.
@sndark62413 ай бұрын
Not an adaptation of three kingdoms, but I’d like to use this chance to recommend the Manga/Anime/Live-Action Series Ya Boy Kongming, where Zhuge Liang is reincarnated in the modern day and becomes a manager of an up an coming singer. All versions are way, way better than they have any right to. I’m more partial to the adaptations myself since music is a big part of the story and, well, Manga kinda struggles with that due to no sound, but do be warned both of them are incomplete adaptations.
@Reacted19913 ай бұрын
yo boy kongming is fun finished the anime and read up to what would be season 2 of the anime. also wtf there's a live action series now?
@BenjiSun3 ай бұрын
Chanchan a Chikichiki Banban! 🤣 Bulikirály FTW!
@Baimason3 ай бұрын
I was looking for this comment!!! Kongming deserves party and fun (and more work) in the afterlife
@SamsonOng3 ай бұрын
I love that anime! Not entirely sure if it's my obsession with Zhuge Kongming or it's really good thou 😆
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
@@Reacted1991 yeah, I was also like WTF ? The anime was so much fun and they made a live action show already !?
@JohnDoe-ug3su3 ай бұрын
The Ravages of Time manga is also a great way to read about Romance of Three Kingdoms. It's insanely long tho, and since the author try to humanize everyone... even the nameless ones it can be convoluted However, that manga made Lu Bu not only incredibly bad ass, but a human.
@iw27513 ай бұрын
Too bad it is sooo underrated, accented cinema don't know about it.
@ryanlts_96843 ай бұрын
but wasn't that more of a retelling that works better for audiences that are already familiar with the story
@717759263 ай бұрын
I think Chan Mou expressly made it clear Lu Bu "isn't human". 不是人 is often a phrase that accompanies the mention of Lu Bu in his works.
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
Yeah, I also think it's one of the absolute best adaptations of the 3 Kingdoms, all mediums included. I'm actually pretty sure the 2 recent series (2010 and 2017) were heavily inspired by it (I mean, one is making some pretty big deviations of characters to try and humanize them, the other one is starting with Sima Yi..?)
@inhthihoanglinh68583 ай бұрын
Excellent adaptation, definitely the best manga I've read (it technically isn't one, it's a manhua but you get the meaning).
@NihilTruth3 ай бұрын
I remember when Total War Three Kingdoms came out and the 2010 series ended up being discussed amongst players, I ended up watching it and had a lot of fun... Though I never got to finish it, and seen as I was watching it on the high seas never managed to find it again later.
@KasumiRINA3 ай бұрын
Book is good. Any adaptation will not make it justice, it's not LotR or Jane Austen, too much text to adapt with no flaws.
@yhdefault29293 ай бұрын
I finished it just this year because I started playing Total War, even though I began watching the show years before that. Very much worth finishing. Sima Yi is excellent in it
@lordkent81433 ай бұрын
Everyone forgets the Toei three kingdoms animation, that one had Zhuge Liang died in shch an epic way with his shooting star falling and him remembering all that Shu had sacrafice for. The short series also had so much blood for a kids show hahah 😂 but epic soundtrack.
@nintakun13953 ай бұрын
Toei's movie trilogy version is incredible, I really like it
@maxchen91853 ай бұрын
Let's be honest here: We, the boys born in the 80s-90s and grew up during the 2000s, have played Dynasty Warriors at some point in our lives at somebody's house, even if we don't own a gaming console ourselves.
@gabbarrf17453 ай бұрын
Red cliff was my introduction to the three kingdoms.
@Gigas01013 ай бұрын
I remember stumbling on an old VHS tape when I was a small, dumb child back in the 90's. "Great Conquest, Romance of the Three Kingdoms" was my first exposure to the classic. That old tape and the various Koei games made me track down the novels, and now I would like to thank you for introducing me to even more adaptations.
@MorganVsTheInternet3 ай бұрын
I watched the Arabic dub of Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi as a child, and I still remember the character to this day!
@kunderemp3 ай бұрын
In 90s in Indonesia, I learned three kingdom by playing game (with the names in Pinyin), new published book with images (with names in Wade Gilles), and old shortened version belong to my Grandfather (with names in Hokkien in old Indonesian spelling). So, I have to switch my brain every time I read them. Some example: Liu Bei vs Liu Pei vs Lao Pi, Zhuge Liang vs Chuke Liang vs Tjukat Liang, Kong Ming vs Kong Beng.
@claudius33593 ай бұрын
Kinda unrelated,but this has the same vibe of me watching 3 adaptations of JTTW simultaneously-
@thomasnguyen51973 ай бұрын
Basically me trying to work out the English versions, Chinese pronunciations, and asking my dad for stories about them in Vietnamese. Takes a while to work through all three languages to figure out who is who, but the basic gist is the same.
@kleberson7773 ай бұрын
Romance of the Three Kingdom game from Koei make me love Three Kingdom
@raeoverhere9233 ай бұрын
Man, I have trouble just switching gears between Pinyin and Wade-Giles. I can't imagine adding a third system to the list!
@yolooo50813 ай бұрын
Ravages of Time manhua, already had a recent anime adaption. Is looking to cast for the live action by 2026. That story also reinvent a lot of stuff too.
@susbedo92583 ай бұрын
There's an anime for Ravages of Time???
@yolooo50813 ай бұрын
@@susbedo9258 Yes it is on youtube too.
@yolooo50813 ай бұрын
@@susbedo9258 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX-TZ62er513bZY&pp=ygUUcmF2YWdlcyBvZiB0aW1lIGVwIDE%3D Donghua is underrated.
@whitewing23 ай бұрын
What Introduced me to the 3 Kingdoms 1 Dynasty Warriors 2 SD Gundam BB Senshi (The new ver also added Sun Wukong with the 3 Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang reminded him with Tripitaka) 3 There is this Korean Tokusatsu series known as Legend Heroes, where each character and suits are based from the 3 Kingdoms
@chimeraking52863 ай бұрын
Ayyyy LEGEND OF HEROES mention 🐐
@ilhamn11773 ай бұрын
Koei really helps a lot of people get into the three kingdoms stroies, from the strategy game to the musou series. Thanks Koei!
@ulaikamor3 ай бұрын
I grew up reading Three Kingdoms and shared my love of the original novel with a group of people, majority white Westerners. None of them ever complained about names that looked the same, huge geography and too many words.
@stillnotdank3 ай бұрын
Once you get a general picture of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, i recommend diving into a manhua/manga called The ravages of time (RoT) by the Hongkong artist Chan Mou. This isn’t a typical adaptation; it’s wild, imaginative, and yet totally makes sense. The worldbuilding and character development are top-notch, and speaking impartially, it's a masterpiece of warfare strategy. What I love most is how the characters are portrayed. There are no dumb or useless warlords and advisors here. Even the diabetic and tyrannical Dong Zhuo is shown as a visionary leader with ambition and a commanding aura. "Culturally antagonistic" figures like Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, and Cao Cao are given such depth and purpose that you might find yourself rooting for them, which makes sense when you realize the main character is actually Sima Yi, the ultimate villain and historical winner of this period. Lu Bu, often labeled as "brave but not strategic" (a better translation has to be "all brawn and no brains) has also become one of my favorites and most iconic characters in the series. And the strategies-they’re mind-blowingly complex. Besides drawing from famous tactics like Sun Tzu’s 36 Stratagems, the manga introduces its own strategic concepts such as Xia Ju's Dark Arts of War, which is about sacrificing/inflicting damage on oneself first before inflicting damage on the enemies, earning a brutal victory; or the "On Morale" thesis, which is about the art of psychological warfare. Plenty of espionage and counterintelligence plots as well. The battles are never straightforward, like the original A beats B then goes to war with C; they always involve intricate traps and schemes, such as A traps B lures C and makes B and C fight each other, all the while A B C has fallen into the dark deep schemes of D, closely supervised by E... That being said, you must have some prior knowledge on the Romance of Three Kingdoms first to fully appreciate this revolutionary adaptation. Besides, the first arc might seem slow and confusing, but it picks up quickly. If you ever feel lost, the Reddit and Discord communities are great resources, there are plenty of starter packs and enthusiastic fans ready to help :)
@Nemorivarex3 ай бұрын
I really love the Cao Cao character in the New Three Kingdom, played by Chen Jianbin.
@johngo37153 ай бұрын
Ive seen the new Romance of the 3 Kingdoms and thought it was S tier. But you saying it's B tier and the original version is S tier makes me wanna see it.
@Netherfly3 ай бұрын
It's certainly more faithful to the novel, but YMMV whether or not you think it's *better.* Should still give it a watch, though.
@joshuayang78973 ай бұрын
@@Netherfly Bro the original is actually more faithful to the novel AND history. I watched the new one first and I honestly thought it was not bad, but that opinion completely changed after I watched the 1994 version, the difference is drastic
@johngo37153 ай бұрын
@@Netherfly yeah. I'll give it a watch. I just need to find the time.
@seveylee98653 ай бұрын
As an avid fan of the book and time period, I think Advisors Alliance does it best. We were all avid Shu fan boys, but if you watch if from the Wei side and Sima Yi's pov, I think fans of the time period would also find it fascinating. I mean it has all the court politics, prince fighting against princes, classic Chinese drama; what's not to like? Also, I believe it has more historical base than all the others, especially taking notes from Book of Wei and Book of Jin. PS: if anybody has played the TOTAL WAR 3 KINGDOMS video game, I highly suggest watching SERIOUS TRIVIA. He's probably the best 3K content creator, speak English, and has a wide breadth of knowledge on the time period, down to the smallest characters that I didn't know I should really care about.
@caode93853 ай бұрын
Holy shit, I was just talking to a friend of mine last weekend about how I felt like I should have read this book already, since it's so fucking impactful, but how intimidating it is to start. What incredible timing, thank you so much.
@yuey06023 ай бұрын
should I say the best way to read the book is reading it in Chinese😁 its much more intimidating now😁
@yohannessulistyo40253 ай бұрын
My first Sam Kok intro is from Taiwanese Tsai Chih Chung's cartoon. Like most Japanese-aligned adaptation, it ended "happily" in Red Cliff. Skipping most of the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition arc, Cao Cao's consolidation of power, Liu Bei's plight and winning Jingzhou. And of course, the Hokkien 4-koma style Wuxia comic that is the staple of Southeast Asian Chinese diaspora. My grandma's family owns the Cantonese one. All of them translated into old Indonesian with weird localised Hokkien and Cantonese names. I think many Indonesians could relate to this. Finally it is the epic 1993 TV adaptation - a bit boring for newbies, but it is fully faithful and epic on its own right. Then the Dynasty Warriors games - weird, but okay-ish. What I appreciate for them is, despite their attempts at perversion and modernisation - they know how to depict the iconic looks of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and some more familiar names Finally the Mainland's 2010 drama - another modern re-interpretation that makes it sensible, although could use a lot more improvements. Many overseas diaspora disagreed with this version as it ameliorates the Wei side, giving Cao Cao more sympathetic look. Of course it is "Beijing's / Northerner's version" lol. IMO, one of the best version. It seemed to teach foreign players to yell "Cao Ahman" to any Wei players online. All the shortened cinema movies: mostly a bit meh. Watched "Red Cliff", my parents were immediately turned off by its artistic licenses. Watched "The Lost Bladesman", that's not Guan Yunchang.
@peteza22483 ай бұрын
0:11 It's actually very relieving to hear you say this. I originally got into Three Kingdoms via Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. Since I'd read a lot of Journey to the West, I figured I'd be fine trying the original Three Kingdoms, but I desperately struggled with it. It's very reassuring to hear that it's totally viable to get into the story through these other mediums too.
@spiralingspiral723 ай бұрын
I got into Three Kingdoms from the anime Paripi Koumei!
@KasumiRINA3 ай бұрын
The best adaptation is Ryofuko-chan! It shows the more realistic dynamics between Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun leeching off him.
@jeremy4ags3 ай бұрын
cant beleive you didnt mention the japanese animation ikki tousen. definitley the hottest adaptation
@bienaustria10143 ай бұрын
OMG, when you showed K.O 3an Guo near the end, that unlocked a core memory of mine being obssessed with the K.O One series when I was a kid (watched it on a Chinese cable channel without subs) but I understood K.O 3an Guo because of the Three Kingdoms influence. Thanks for making me remember about it!
@herumuharman63053 ай бұрын
I first came to know this story by a manga, Sangokushi (Sonoda Mitsuyoshi, not Yokoyama Mitsuteru) in 1993. I remember this manga because of how unique it was, they make the manga landscape, like children storybook.
@alanlin29403 ай бұрын
Honestly, new three Kingdoms is my all time favorite. Actors are amazing!
@spikkiy2 ай бұрын
I have tried multiple times to get into Three Kingdoms via different mediums and shows but never could get hooked until Advisor's Alliance. The balance of humor, intelligence, tension and drama made it absolutely intriguing to watch for me.
@ComAnthАй бұрын
2010 Series is my fav by far and I've read the book several times over. I think the interpretation humanizes the characters and bring a depth to the story that is refreshing and thought-provoking
@liamlopez33833 ай бұрын
I respect you didn't use the cheesey Tier chart people typically use. S+ tier goated youtube channel.
@reppukiri89263 ай бұрын
I unironically think that the SD Gundam spinoff (Brave Battle Warriors) is a pretty solid entry level Three Kingdoms show. Sure it took a lot of liberties, but it condenses the story (up to Red Cliff) and the spirit of the original to a 5 minutes, 50 episode show very effectively. It's not amazing, but it's good on its own merit
@Altorius2 ай бұрын
Yeah. The Brave Battle Warriors is so condensed and even with short episodes, still have some filler recap episode but otherwise got moments like the Changban Bridge. And Sun Ce vs Lu Bu is one of the most epic fight in the animation.
@myfyp23 ай бұрын
I got to know Romance of Three Kingdoms through the old Koei game Romance of Three Kingdoms 3. Then a couple of years later, the local TV station broadcasted the 1994 adaptation, without subtitles. Given my poor standard of Chinese, I had trouble understanding the dialogues. The TV station later added subtitles, which enabled me to enjoy the series to the last episode.
@S3Bayaya3 ай бұрын
For manhua/manga i would recommend Ravages of Times which centered on Sima Yi and Ryurouden which kind of isekai i think about it but trust me it's awesome.
@xuedi3 ай бұрын
Three Kingdoms (2010) TV show has one of the best opening songs, maybe only beaten by shaolin temple 🙂
@anhdunghisinh3 күн бұрын
12:15 man i used to watch this series as a kid in Vietnamese dub on Television, really one of my favorites 3 kingdoms adaptations, still vividly remember it to this day, wish i could somehow watch it again somewhere.
@rafaeldeleon33863 ай бұрын
Best way to learn is by what's most enjoyable. Put that on some merch.
@recoil533 ай бұрын
I wish I had known that learning through girl panties was a valid option.
@SlapstickGenius233 ай бұрын
The Mitsuteru Yokoyama Sangokushi is what the most famous anime version of the three kingdoms is based on. It’s bombastic!
@fauxbravo3 ай бұрын
The Dynasty Warriors movie is SO fun, and you can carve that on my gravestone.
@etownzu3 ай бұрын
as a westerner with little to no previous knowledge of the three kingdoms period watched the 2010 version and enjoyed it very much. loved all the actors and find it very interesting that you mention the eastern audience preferred (at least originally) the more reserved acting of the "old" version. Since you reminded me its on youtube, might be time for a rewatch
@snickerblizzanimation60443 ай бұрын
Thanks for this video! I got into Romance of the Three Kingdoms after reading the first volume of the manga “Princess Jellyfish” because one of the main characters loved and made constant reference to this novel and it’s characters. Reading it has been fun, but i admit there is a lot to keep track of, so this video will be a good jumping off point to watch these shows first and then come back to reading. Rock on! 👍 [EDIT 08/24/2024]: Rewatching this and one of these days I REALLY want to get into the 2009 animated series. I know there are entire groups dedicated to fan subbing the 1994 series, but I hope one day that same energy can be directed to the 2009 so I can finally understand and watch for myself. If anyone knows of any projects of the sort, please let me know!
@Potatoes858583 ай бұрын
The Three kingdoms RPG tv show is the most meme way to experience the story, hehe.
@jackperales10763 ай бұрын
every time you post I send a prayer of gratitude you chose to learn English and share your thoughts with us !!
@raeoverhere9233 ай бұрын
I got into RoTK through Dynasty Warriors 3 as a kid, and when a friend told me the Qiao sisters were the wives of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, I didn't believe them and fell into the rabbit hole. I've consumed a ton of adaptations in the many, many years since, and my husband is a casual scholar of the Three Kingdoms period (with a specific focus on the years leading up to and after the death of Sun Quan, and the poetry of Lu Ji and Lu Yun). I'm limited by needing English subtitles, but Three Kingdoms (2010), Red Cliff, and The Advisor's Alliance are some of my absolute favorites, so I'm glad to see them decently rated! Like you said, the best adaptation for you is the one you like the most, even if it isn't the most faithful; you can always go find the facts once you're hooked!
@melize70353 ай бұрын
I love Red Cliff!!! When I saw Takeshi Kaneshiro, I was already in as I’d watch anything he stars in but the rest of the cast is fantastic as well 😊 So definitely a good introduction for me
@jasonblalock44293 ай бұрын
I had no idea there was a Dynasty Warriors movie, and now I have to see it. I love campy "so bad it's good" movies. Personally, my first exposure to the Three Kingdoms was Romance Of The Three Kingdoms 11, which is still one of my all-time favorite strategy games. I spent a summer obsessing over it, and then I ended up reading the novel. The funny thing was discovering that my winning strategy as Liu Bei was actually quite close to Zhuge Liang's overall battle plan in the book!
@robmoney3 ай бұрын
The movie is great
@taylordiclemente51632 ай бұрын
Thank you for this introduction! I've been watching the 1994 TV adaptation fansubbed by The Gentlemen of the Han. I've caught up to them and am waiting for new episodes. I wasn't able to keep up with all the minor characters, but nevertheless I've become thoroughly hooked. Cao Cao is my favorite character. I just found your channel. Your four-part guide on ancient Chinese dynasties is excellent. This Euro-American thanks you for making Chinese history accessible!
@max-cs9ko3 ай бұрын
Red cliff was just awesome
@vytros123 ай бұрын
For your crime of making Three Kingdoms 2010 B tier, I shall unite the lords of the land and set out to return order to the Empire at once.
@Leidern3 ай бұрын
Crazy how I was just in the middle of re-watching Ya Boy Kong Ming anime, and then this comes up lol
@Nimroc3 ай бұрын
Just remember to actually watch the original 2-part version of John Woo's Red Cliff instead of the butchered international release that cut out nearly half of the run time.
@megad70603 ай бұрын
Advisors Alliance can be silly at times but I like that it took the 2010 series' pivot toward character stories all the way to the conclusion. In an early episode the antagonist of the first arc, Yang Xiu, has just had someone murdered and made some underhanded deals to guarantee his safety and success. The other parties leave the clandestine meeting place and he's alone. This is supposed to be where he reveals his villainous ambitions to the audience right? Well no, he screams with guilt then cries himself to sleep. Also the interpretation of Cao Rui as emotionally traumatized from childhood is the highlight of the 2nd half.
@m.k.40463 ай бұрын
Some time ago I watched an anime adaptation told mainly from Cao Cao's perspective that I really enjoyed. It was "Soten Koro" and it had an amazing soundtrack, production quality and a feeling of epicness that I'd even consider exaggerated. It has some flaws, but I think it's worth it for the theatric value.
@justs_3 ай бұрын
I scrolled way too far down to find the first comment that talked about Soten Koro, thought I was completely alone
@xiphoid20113 ай бұрын
I'm chinese and the 94's version is indeed the best. The dramatic acting might seem awkward to some western audience, but is natural to Chinese or Asian cinema. The scene of zhugeliang inspecting his troops before his death and have troops beg him to rest never cease to bring me to tears. Maybe it's because reminded me as a chinese student, studying late into the night, every night, sacrificed youth, happiness, vision and health, all to become successful and make my parents proud.
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
Awesome topic, and great breakdown of what's available. I've been following multiple adaptations of the 3 kingdoms all my life (I'm Taiwanese), and you still made me discover a few I didn't know about. One serious recommendation I could add to your already stellar list is the Manhua The Ravages of Time (I believe it's a HK manhua). Similarly from the series from 2017, it starts with the point of view of Sima Yi, and I strongly suspect the manhua was actually the inspiration for the series for such a bold move, as the manhua has actually been going on for a couple of decades, now, and is not only fantastically illustrated, but has a great balance of keeping being faithful to the spirit of the novels while keeping things fresh with some very interesting character designs (Liu Bei is basically cunning but benevolent Chinese Jesus) and character variations from the source material (Zhao Yun is actually an assassin from the Sima clan, as well as Sima Yi's best friend, and Sima sends him to Liu Bei's clan as a double agent to keep tracks of his rival, only for Zhao Yun to be slowly but surely, over the years, influenced by Liu Bei's magnanimity, as he's starting to question his allegiance to Sima Yi, who over the years is growing ever more ambitious and ruthless under Cao Cao) which, in turns, I suspect, heavily inspired the 2010 series for its characters deviations. Easily one of the absolute best adaptations of the 3 kingdoms, all throughout all mediums.
@sierrajohnson7173 ай бұрын
Can I just say this is EXACTLY what I wanted/needed! I’ve gotten really interested in historical cdramas in the last year, and I come across this title/recommendation again and again, and I ended up looking for summaries on KZbin to try to hear this great story! If you ever do a sequel video with even more visual versions, I’m definetly watching!
@NeverHard3 ай бұрын
I judge Three Kingdoms adaptations purely on their portrayal of my boy Cao Cao.
@Feibie3 ай бұрын
True
@daronsnyder25843 ай бұрын
I judge them base on how their Zhou Yu act. John Woo's Chi Bi 1 & 2 are the best. His personality in those is the most historical accurate. F⛎️ck the Zhuge Liang trolling stories.
@widimira5973 ай бұрын
@@daronsnyder2584 what about Wong Jing adaptation? That kind parody of the Zhuge Liang that like that borrow something and does not want to return the item he borrowed 😄
@sophanitsar77063 ай бұрын
This comment 🎉😂
@prointernetuser3 ай бұрын
must be a 2010 fan 😂😂 (me too)
@jonzcool80053 ай бұрын
Thank you for talking about the 2009 animated series! I really enjoyed it aside from some of yhe pacing issues, which is understandable considering it only has 52 half hour long episodes to tell the full story. I adore the character designs that stayed close to their cultural depictions while also adding a lot of style and personality to these individuals. Such a shame it never got translated into english
@Setupthemabomb3 ай бұрын
My exposure of Three Kingdom era is through countless hours playing ROTK IX-X-XI on my PS2 and just learnt everything via osmosis, I read the books like what 20 something years later.
@HighPriestFuneral3 ай бұрын
Once a name, face, stats (and sometimes unique skills) are applied to a person, they are easy to remember. Its like a file gets put in the mind that relates these characters so intensely to those various aspects, making them even easier to remember. (And of course they have their own bios to look at so you know what they did in brief.)
@rhaenyraitargaryen63603 ай бұрын
In 9th grade here in the Philippines, our English class focused on Asian classics from all over the continent. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cloud Dream of the Nine and Mahabharata were always the ones that fascinated me the most.
@PrimeChaosVC3 ай бұрын
Thank you. I wish I have known some of the series you recommended. But deep down inside. I wish the entertainment industry would do 三国志 rather than remaking 三国演义 again and again.
@SuhandiWijaya3 ай бұрын
The first game ever that I played was Romance of the Three Kingdoms II, a PC game that I played in middle school. Then I read the novel, then played the Dynasty Warrior series and the movies.
@QueenOfTriad3 ай бұрын
we have 8 volume of the romance of three kingdoms, belongs to either my grandpa or dad. its always on the corner of our shelves, forgotten. i remember when i was 14 i try to read it, soooo confusing i hardly finish volume 1. battle of red cliff almost made me want to start reading it again 😂
@wenderis3 ай бұрын
I started by reading the novel translated into hokkien then interpreted to Indonesian while at the same time reading loosely based manga about it. And in the real life, almost every night my uncle recounts the stories in the Mahabharata for us. What a glorious early adolescence this was.
@nikhil5183 ай бұрын
YESSSS, FINALLY ACCENTED CINEMA TALKING ABOUT THREE KINGDOMS!! I am from India and I read Three Kingdoms for the first time back when I was 17. It's been 4 years and I'm a fan ever since but never tried to watch a live adaptation. Now, Since you're making a video about it, I'd DEFINITELY give it a try!
@darkmikasonfire3 ай бұрын
I'm surprised, impressed, and happy so many of these are on youtube for free, that's awesome.
@egbbb3 ай бұрын
I LOVE Red Cliff. It was one of the first pieces of Chinese media I watched as a kid and got me into c movies & dramas
@fakename46832 ай бұрын
This made me realize one of my favorite games is based on three Kingdoms. I loved Kessen 2. Thanks for this I will looked into the shows with English Translations.
@tudorm68382 ай бұрын
The novel represents an expression of the evolution of stories about that period. In addition, the text was modified by Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang, who, among other things, changed the presentation of the Cao Cao character. In this context, we could not take the novel as an absolute reference. It's okay if a film reinterprets the novel because the novel in its known form is the result of countless reinterpretations of stories from that period.
@njiska3 ай бұрын
This is very helpful. I have wanted to engage with Romance of the Three Kingdoms for so long. It would be very helpful if you could make similar videos for the other classics, especially Journey to the West.
@AccentedCinema3 ай бұрын
Unfortunately Journey to the West adaptations are rarely faithful and rarely good. I recommend checking Dominic Noble's video on Journey to the West adaptations.
@bobby_the_ps23 ай бұрын
9:25 the Dynasty Warriors games got me to research the historical figures from 3 kingdoms. This atrocity of a movie hurt me. Really happy you made this video, because i enjoy adaptations of this point in history, but have struggled to find a proper translation of the novel.
@chungbertflabbergast59953 ай бұрын
So I actually really love the 2010 series. It's entertaining and it helped me get my spouse into the story of the Three Kingdoms. If you have the patience for it, though, I really do recommend reading a translation of the book! Can't beat the original story :)
@felisasininus17843 ай бұрын
The thing about classical Chinese literature is that no translation could capture the elegance of the language, one has got to learn Chinese to even begin to appreciate it.
@chungbertflabbergast59953 ай бұрын
@@felisasininus1784 Yeah, but that's true to varying extents for translations of any artform. You can still get the story and excitement of 3 Kingdoms from a good translation, and it's a LOT more accessible to most people than learning Classical Chinese.
@jaehaerys483 ай бұрын
"Red Cliff" was my introduction to the era. I still love it.
@ZeroSOFInfinity3 ай бұрын
Dynasty Warriors movie *sees Guan Yu shread his clothes and shines like gold* "Nah.... F Tier". 😂😂
@jjstarrprod3 ай бұрын
The most objective review this movie could get.
@Ampersand38Ай бұрын
Also Akira-slide with a horse?!
@huytungnguyen119Ай бұрын
Vietnam has the complete Vietnamese dub of RoTK 2009 animation series to broadcast on a national cable and every episodes are available on youtube so it's very accessible for us Vietnamese viewers.
@juegobuenoyomalo95013 ай бұрын
I have realized, while I clicked on this video, I now relate this music with your videos, I closed a tab, this video autoplayed while I Wasn't looking at it, and just the music put me in a good mood lol
@stumblealongwithme3 ай бұрын
I was introduced into Three Kingdoms unknowingly by Joan He author of Strike the Zither and Sound the Gong. I just finished STG a few weeks ago and wanted more tales. I ended up falling in love with the themes and now I'm going on a three kingdoms journey so this video came at a perfect time
@yamiyang62073 ай бұрын
The best animation of Three Kingdoms 三国志 第一部・英雄たちの夜明け 第二部・長江燃ゆ! 完結編・遥かなる大地
@arskakarva74743 ай бұрын
I think the real deep end stuff with the novel is that it's very much written in a very different time and place from the modern day so there's lots of culture shock for a lot of people I'd imagine. You know, what with the cannibal honor aesop during Liu Bei's flight from Cao Cao, baby-throwing world champion Liu Bei, or how every man do be simping bad for Guan Yu's silky beard and red lips. Also it's a giant-ass book which is a tall order for lots of people. Though there's also moments that are surprisingly modern in the internet age, like Zhuge Liang trolling Zhao Yun to death with an analog shitpost.
@joefebri32363 ай бұрын
I learned much about this tale is from PSX game by the same name "Romance of the three Kingdom IV". Game is pretty simple, but the flavour text on the characters is the one who hook me in.
@thestatusjoe99493 ай бұрын
Out of all of these Advisors Alliance intrigues me the most. I’m coming at this from a perspective of a foreigner who learned about the three kingdoms from researching the history first, and only dipping my toes into the story later, so a story focusing on a character I’ve read about from that angle but who seems to lack the mythical degree of veneration the protagonists like Zhuge Liang or Guan Yu gets is very interesting. Especially because for all intents and purposes he came out of the period very successfully, with his family holding great positions in the empire and seizing the throne within a few generations
@raeoverhere9233 ай бұрын
Advisors Alliance is *really* gripping, I definitely recommend it.
@ellentheeducator3 ай бұрын
Red Cliff is the movie that made me want to read the book, and that got me into Chinese cinema as a whole. My Chinese professor in college had us watch some of it and I was just... enthralled. I feel a little bad I don't remember anything else from that class, but that's life.
@glykeriapietri64953 ай бұрын
My first introduction to the story was the 2018 drama "Secret of the three Kingdoms". I know it's not a close adaptation, but I love it.
@Loxalair3 ай бұрын
I'd also like to recommend the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. That's how I learned the story, so it's very beginner friendly. The podcaster, John Zhu, agreed with you that the novel isn't the best place to start for English readers as it gets translated super dryly, so he retold it in the engaging manner he was familiar with. He's a good storyteller, and great to listen to