Search Results

Mr. Jonathan Wick (a.k.a. John Wick “The Boogeyman” and “Baba Yaga”). A lethal, suave, highly skilled anti-hero assassin, played by one of Hollywood’s most treasured action stars of the 21st century, Keanu Reeves, stars in this year’s highly anticipated neo-noir action thriller, John Wick: Chapter 4. This is the fourth installment of the John Wick series, which includes John Wick (2014), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019). For those who may not be familiar with the character John Wick or who haven’t watched any of the films, the series follow the journey of a professional hitman who’s been forced out of retirement after the death of his beloved wife Helen and furry companion, Daisy the puppy. Although that covers the main plot of the first film, it becomes a driving force throughout the entire series that takes us on a non-stop adventure into a deep criminal underworld of assassins and secret societies, that John must continuously pursue till his death. Governed by one of the most powerful criminal organizations known as “The High Table,” this lays the groundwork for the establishment of the John Wick universe and the character profile of John Wick. But, what does all of this have to do with wuxia? If you’re familiar with the genre or are new to it, secret societies and criminal underworlds play a significant role in shaping the wuxia world as the Jiāng hú (江湖; a.k.a. Rivers and Lakes). It’s considered as an underworld society that’s separate and out of sight from regular mainstream society, consisting of people from different backgrounds and social classes (i.e., criminals, peasants, outlaws, hermits, wandering heroes, scholars, etc.). The John Wick universe can be perceived as a Jianghu world of its own, but with a slightly different lens. In honor of the series’ fourth film release, we’re going to take a glimpse into the world of John Wick and how it adapts its own version of the Jianghu - John Wick style. The Urban Jianghu: The Continental Hotels In John Wick’s world, the Jianghu aspect is shaped as a criminal underworld filled with assassins working for mob families across the globe, secret societies and gangs, secret clubs and assassin hotels acting as sanctuaries. It’s a completely separate world from mainstream society with no links to any external affairs of the world, and has its own rules set in place like the wuxia world’s Jianghu. I like to imagine it as an urban Jianghu because all of these aspects in the film series take place in modern cities and towns like New York City, Rome, Casablanca and Osaka - different than in forests or by rivers and lakes. Urban Jianghus in John Wick can be perceived as “The Continental Hotels” throughout the series. These are assassin hotels where organized crime and criminal activities are recorded by hotel administrators, and are kind of like an assassin headquarters. The one rule that all hotel attendees (and specifically assassins) must follow is that “No business shall be conducted or executed on Continental grounds.” This means assassins are not allowed to fight, murder or carry out contracts on other assassins when present at the hotels. They’re also safe spaces where assassins can rest, exchange money for goods and services and gain some sense of inner peace without having to worry about being attacked out of the blue. All hotels are operated in the criminal underworld and have a network of service professionals, spies posing as homeless people, and adjudicators governed by an extremely powerful and elite council of crime lords called “The High Table.” They’re the ones who possess full control and authority over all criminal related matters that occur around the world and make sure that all members (especially those in the assassin community) obey strict rules and policies enforced by the council. This is so that all criminal operations can be executed and delivered smoothly without having mainstream society and law enforcement get involved with underworld business. Secret Society Leaders Whether one is an assassin or not, everyone has to know the rules that play out in the John Wick world, and if not, you’ll end up having consequences with members you work with OR The High Table (definitely don’t want to end up here!). The High Table’s head leader is “The Elder” (a.k.a. The one who sits “Above the Table”) who exercises the highest level of power over all operatives beneath him (also referred to as those “Under the Table”). The same goes for wuxia in that all members (no matter who they are or where they come from) who frequent or are part of the Jianghu should avoid getting into disputes, fights or creating chaos over different martial arts styles or masters. Wuxia’s Jianghu world may not necessarily operate exactly like a criminal underworld, but there is the potential for corruption and evil deeds coming from the unorthodox/evil martial arts sects to influence the Jianghu’s entire reputation. Innocent people outside of these secret societies would also be at great risk if the Jianghu were to extend itself beyond its boundaries with the disruption of immoral rulers and evildoers. As a martial arts world that’s measured by members and their embodiment of righteousness, loyalty and peace (as found in the code of xiá (侠)), those who deviate from those values will be met with the leader of the Wulin Alliance (武林, meaning Martial Forest: a community of martial artists) called the “Wulin Meng Zhu (武林盟主).” This is usually an alliance formed and controlled by righteous/orthodox sects of the Martial Forest with a leader who gets elected for demonstrating a high degree of righteousness and martial arts mastery. They make sure that peace is maintained in the Jianghu, and that all conduct aligns with the Wulin community’s ethics and values. Vengeance and Honour Think being an assassin in the world of John Wick is all about guns, blood and committing acts of violence for no reason? It seems like that on the outside, but what really lies behind them is vengeance and honor. Wuxia stories are heavily rooted on these themes, and we can see them being demonstrated in characters who embrace the code of xia in the Jianghu. It emphasizes the importance of returning favours back to others who have provided their assistance in times of need (ēn; 恩), or seeking vengeance (chóu; 仇) on the bad guys to bring justice. Being an assassin like John Wick, is actually a lot more than just being a cold-blooded contract killer. It’s about serving and honouring those who you work for and work with in the criminal underworld. If assassins don’t take their commitments seriously or end up breaking the rules, they can be marked as “excommunicado.” In John Wick terms this means that one has been removed from being able to access underworld resources, and has also become an easy target for other assassins. Assassins have the option to help one another in times of need (or when their hit list starts piling up) by using markers. It’s almost like a locket that flips open with a silver plate inside, and acts as a blood oath between two assassins. When assassins need to ask favours from one another, bloody thumbprints must be printed inside of the plate from both parties as an agreement that a favour from one party has been requested to the other, and is expected to be completed and returned in due time. This is one of the ways in which honour is measured in the assassin community by serving as a “repay of debt”, though not honouring the marker is considered as punishable by death. — Well, I must say that these aspects do not cover the entire John Wick universe, but are some prominent elements and themes that can resonate with the Jianghu through a wuxia world perception. Not to mention, there’s a saying in the rivers and lakes that those who have retired from the Jianghu but are returning, are “re-entering the Jianghu" (重出江湖; Chóngchū jiānghú). In this case, we could say that the John Wick film series embraces this component by centering its universe around a retired assassin who re-enters the criminal underworld of secret societies and assassins to seek vengeance for himself and those who want him dead. by C. Hong Immortal Staff

Besides being where Shiao Yi started his career as a Wuxia novelist, Taiwan is home to a specific medium that is tied to the Wuxia genre. This medium is an on-going TV series franchise of glove puppetry belonging to the brand known as Pili (which translates to Thunderbolt in Mandarin). These productions involve special effects, wirework, and voiceovers in addition to the complex puppetry designs. Since 1984, this franchise has expanded to feature length movies, co-productions with Japan, and English translations on Cartoon Network and Crunchyroll. With this franchise going on for nearly 40 years and having many different titles, we will focus on the titles that are available with English translations. Legend of the Sacred Stone is a feature-length film from 2000 that is a spinoff of the main series. The plot involves a particular Lord Jian who loses his martial abilities and seeks the sacred stones to regain it. This is the first known Pili production to be officially translated in English, with the Japanese language dub DVD including English subtitles of poor quality. Unfortunately, this version of the film is cut by nearly 30 minutes and the only version available with English subtitles. While there is a Taiwanese DVD with Taiwanese Hokkien audio (the original language), there are no English subtitles on this. The DVDs are now long out of print, however second hand DVDs are still available on eBay. In 2006, Cartoon Network aired the first US-focused export of Pili known as Wulin Warriors. This was critically panned due to heavy storyline alterations, name changes, and characters’ personalities being changed completely (in one case, an originally mute character was suddenly talkative in the new adaption). What was supposed to be a serious story was ruined by a humorous dub and a theme song that did not fit the original tone. Fans of hip-hop music and the English dub of Dragon Ball Z may be amused to discover that the theme song they used is akin to a knock-off of The Wu-Tang Clan’s music, and that Goku’s voice actor (Sean Schemmel) voices one of the characters! But ultimately the series was canceled after two episodes aired, with the remaining completed 11 episodes made available online for free. All 13 episodes are now available on YouTube. In 2016, a co-production between Pili International Multimedia with Japanese companies Nitroplus and Good Smile Company resulted in Thunderbolt Fantasy (an obvious reference to the meaning of Pili). Being a Japanese co-production, this series stood out from previous Pili productions as it was written by Gen Urobuchi (head writer of the 2013 Japanese superhero series Kamen Rider Gaim) and its theme song was performed by T.M. Revolution (singer of the theme songs for 2002’s Mobile Suit Gundam Seed). While the original Pili series is produced in the Taiwanese Hokkien language, this series was produced simultaneously in two separate audio tracks of Taiwanese Hokkien (for the Taiwanese market) and Japanese (for markets outside of Taiwan). This series is available on Crunchyroll for US audiences. The Pili series is a prime example of combining modern filmmaking with traditional glove puppetry set against an ancient backdrop. Despite being relatively unknown in the west, that may change once Pili Fantasy: War of Dragons releases on Netflix in the West. Until then, let us know if you came across any of these aforementioned titles or plan to watch any of these! Wulin Warriors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcXQreVesSs&list=PL6CJyn713rCdSpTEVdLOwOjYXIpk8pyst Thunderbolt Fantasy on Crunchyroll: https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GY75KE906/thunderbolt-fantasy If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff

When the phrase “inner peace” comes to my mind, one of the first things I can imagine is a scene in Kung Fu Panda, where Master Shifu is sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and legs crossed while calmly chanting “inner peace” to himself. Or, I’d visualize an image of the Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gautama) as a popular depiction of this universal concept. Oftentimes, inner peace has been associated with Zen Buddhism - the practice of self-healing through meditation and stillness. Inner peace can be understood as a mind, body and soul that is free from any worries, desires, and/or anxieties mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a psychological state of being in touch with the present moment (the here and now), through “acceptance, forgiveness, love and compassion.” This can simply mean letting people, places and situations exist as they are without the need for control. As humans, it can be challenging for us to just “let things be,” when we all have goals, ambitions and desires that we want to achieve. However, sometimes we need to re-evaluate our circumstances to see if we’re capable of taking on more responsibilities than we already have in our own hands. Or else, it could all lead to total burn-out! Now, that isn’t to say we shouldn’t continue to push through challenges or step into untapped opportunities for further growth and improvement. But, there needs to be an equal balance between our everyday lives (ex: work, family, society) and our spirituality (ex: mind, body, and soul) so we can live freely and overcome worry, self-doubt or stress. Well, how can we do this? Let’s start by taking a look at how wuxia depicts inner peace, and how we can adapt it in our everyday lives. Stillness in Motion: The Wuxia Way While there are many wuxia stories (ex: Chu Liuxiang, The Wanderer Chronicles, to name a few) that emphasizes chivalrous martial arts heroes and warriors, behind these physical aspects of the wuxia hero lie a certain degree of stillness and serenity. While these heroes are equipped with strong fighting abilities and superpowers that can be used to defeat enemies and those perceived to cause harm to the community, inner peace in wuxia is like tranquility in motion. This is typically demonstrated with martial arts and meditation being used as a form of self-expression, and a method of balancing one’s mind, body, and soul. It also becomes a driving force for deep spiritual development and empowerment for characters in the wuxia world. Martial arts styles and practices are commonly practiced by characters in the wuxia world as a spiritual way of finding inner peace among the chaos they may experience outside of their control. Such martial arts styles are unique in a sense that they can encourage practitioners to focus more on the internal practice of breathing techniques to generate a solid flow of “qi” throughout all parts of the body, while also calming the senses so they feel more relaxed and controlled. These practices demonstrated in wuxia are cultivated in a sanctuary-like setting that is considered “sacred or holy” for worship like a temple, or expressed in open and closed environments (i.e., an open-forest or private training room) where individuals can find their peace and quiet alone. For me, during the summer I like to take a yoga mat outside my backyard and sit somewhere under the shades and practice meditative breathing techniques. It not only makes me feel more relaxed, but it certainly helps ground my energy with nature and the smell of fresh air! Finding Inner Peace in our Everyday Lives Wuxia stories and their attention to themes like inner peace shows us how we can settle down our busy and hectic lives. Although we may not all be martial artists with specialized skills, we can learn to channel the inner peace that can be found within martial arts philosophy and practice through movement of the body, meditation or engaging in self-care / feel-good activities. In today’s world, what inner peace means and where it takes place is going to differ for every person. Although it may sound like a broad and abstract concept, I think each and every one of us has our own ways of defining inner peace and cultivating it differently according to our needs and abilities. Because of our rich personalities and our need for deep emotional connections with other living beings, we can’t always shut ourselves out from the world and neglect social interactions! Inner peace is an experience that can definitely go beyond a person just being by themselves in a quiet room, to a person being surrounded by supportive friends and family members who bring out the best in them. In other words: where do you find yourself most at ease? Who would you also want to share those moments with? Some may find inner peace by surrounding themselves in environments where they need physical activity or the company of people (i.e., the gym, catching up with friends at a restaurant). Others may prefer more closed and private spaces for deeper reflection and introspection like the library or at home. As long as the activity can help detach us from our usual routines and give ourselves time to recharge (alone or with others), we can create a more balanced lifestyle that helps us reflect and appreciate every moment in life each day. What does inner peace mean to you? We'd love to hear more in the comments below this article! C. Hong - shout out on Instagram! Guest Writer/Immortal Fan

Think only Hollywood shows big movies during the holiday season? The Lunar New Year season is when big movies are shown in the East. Among these is Donnie Yen’s Sakra, the first of a cinematic multiverse based on the classic Wuxia novel The Demi-Gods & The Semi-Devils by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). This is a noteworthy adaptation, as it has been nearly 30 years since the previous movie adaptation! While there are also six different television drama adaptations of this novel since the 1980’s, there are only three previous movie adaptations due to the complexities, involving multiple characters and subplots spread over five volumes. In anticipation of Sakra, we will go over the three previous movie adaptations that had different attempts to adapt this classic novel. With the novel being so complicated, each movie has a different plot from one another that is still complicated! While the Shaw Bros. studio is famous in the West for Kung Fu films such as The 36 Chambers of Shaolin and Five Venoms, they are famous for their Wuxia films in the East. Given the popularity of Jin Yong novels, it is no surprise that they adapted several of his novels into movies, including The Demi-Gods & The Semi-Devils. Released in 1977, The Battle Wizard focuses solely on the early adventures of Duan Yu, one of the three main characters of the original novel. Portrayed by Danny Lee of 1989’s The Killer (directed by John Woo and starring Chow Yun Fat) Duan Yu is a prince of the Dali Kingdom who encounters various beauties, eccentric characters, and learns a powerful martial art despite wanting otherwise. If the original novel is famous for featuring many powerful fighters with powerful martial arts skills, this movie is infamous for having many over-the-top (albeit low budget) special effects and even creature designs to highlight the more fantastical elements of the novel. Examples include fights involving a giant snake (made of rubber) and a gorilla (clearly a man in a suit). Even more surprising is that the movie is only 70 minutes long, in contrast to the usual 80-90 minutes duration of typical Shaw Bros. movies. The director clearly was not aiming for faithfulness to the novel, but the fun factors make up for it. Released in the same year as the 1982 Hong Kong TVB series adaptation, Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils (AKA Dragon Story) features mostly the same cast as the aforementioned TVB series. Unlike Wizard, this movie attempts to fit all five volumes into one movie with a runtime of 90 minutes! Norman Tsui (of 1983’s Duel to the Death and The Bastard Swordsman fame) portrays Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen’s character in Sakra) here, who ironically was in Wizard as one of the emperor’s henchmen! While Hong Kong films of the golden era (1970’s-1990’s) are known for being fast paced, this movie takes it to a new level. Characters come and go, major events and fights happen without reason, and the film even ends abruptly. Despite being more faithful to the novel with a more recognizable cast, this one is only recommended for fans of the novel. Released during the wire-fu craze of early 1990’s Hong Kong cinema, 1994’s The Dragon Chronicles - The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain focuses on three female leads who are noteworthy for Wuxia roles: Brigitte Lin (1992’s Swordsman II), Sharla Cheung (1993’s The Kung Fu Cult Master, and Gong Li (2006’s Curse of the Golden Flower). This is a much more loose adaptation of the novel, with only one main character from the novel (Xu Zhu) appearing here. Xu Zhu is a Buddhist monk whose interaction with the three leads is the focus of this movie. The irony of this movie is that he is not even the main character here! This movie attempts to explore the complicated Buddhist symbolisms from the novel, but many things get lost in the transition to the big screen. Not only is this the third movie adaptation of the novel; this is the third time that Norman Tsui appears in an adaptation! This time, he appears as the antagonist of the movie. While featuring an all star cast, this movie is not well regarded by fans of the novel or even Wuxia fans in general. With Sakra featuring Donnie Yen, it was only a matter of time until a Western release was announced (as of writing this, we have a tentative Western release for April). While there were multiple movie adaptations of this novel, those came during the Golden Age of Hong Kong Cinema and the Wire-Fu boom. With release of The New Kung Fu Cult Master in 2022 (based on Jin Yong’s Heaven Sword & Dragon Saber) and this new movie, perhaps now is the time for the revival of Wuxia films to redefine the genre. Donnie Yen has high hopes for this turning into a multimedia franchise, and we all have high hopes for it as well. Let us know in the comments if you have seen any of the previous adaptations or plan to watch Sakra! If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff

Since childhood, one of my favourite parts about our Lunar New Year celebrations was watching a live lion dance performance take place in Chinatown or at a shopping mall. Lion dancing a traditional dance in Chinese culture, and is performed across countries like China, Vietnam, Korea, and other Asian countries during special occasions like the Lunar New Year to bring in happiness, good luck and good fortune, while also chasing away evil/bad spirits. [Image: Scarborough Town Center CNY 2020] Lion dancing is a lot more than just the dance itself. It also contains other elements such as Kung Fu, stylized costumes, and loud percussive instruments. Let’s take a look at some of these other key elements of traditional Chinese lion dancing that you can expect to see during a live performance: Northern and Southern Lions First off, Chinese lion dancing falls under two categories: Northern and Southern styles. Northern lion dancing originates from places in Northern China (i.e., Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi provinces) and is performed in lion costumes that have a simple yet shaggy look to them (think of an Old English Sheepdog). The costume is equipped with a wooden lion head painted in gold, and a body with a red mane and yellow fur. Performance elements like Chinese martial arts (including Kung Fu), and acrobatic stunts (like a circus act; rolling, wrestling, leaping, jumping, climbing), and even balancing on a giant ball, are all prominent themes you will often see in Northern lion dances. Northern dances may also feature a family of Northern lions, consisting of two adult lions (a male with a red bow on its head and female with a green bow or mane) followed by two young lions. [Images: Left (Flickr) & Right (South China Morning Post)] Southern lion dancing originates from places in Southern China (i.e., Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore), and consists of lion costumes that have a more detailed and colourful appearance. Costume colours usually come in red, (for good luck) green (for money), gold or yellow (for good fortune), and the lion head is made out of “papier-mâché over a bamboo frame, covered in gauze”. The costume may also come in other colours such as orange, white, black, blue, purple and pink. Similar to Northern lion dancing and its display of Chinese Kung Fu, Southern lion dancing also tries to combine Chinese martial arts into the performance, along with mimicking the behaviours that a lion would typically demonstrate (catlike; grooming, scratching, and playing with objects) to make performances more entertaining for the audience. [Image: China Highlights] Southern lion costumes may also have customized neon LED lights attached to the costumes to give audiences a brighter (pun intended) and more exciting performance! [Images: Left & Right] Characters & Characteristics of Lion Dancing Lion head & lion tail: A lion dance is usually performed with two people (often Kung Fu practitioners belonging to a local martial arts school) that are responsible for coordinating the dance with the lion’s head and tail. The head is the main part of the lion where the person in front leads the dance by holding the lion's head, while the other person in the back is the lion’s tail who follows and “forms the basis of acrobatic tricks” for the person coordinating with the lion head. [Image: Al Jazeera] The Buddha / Monk: Another key player of lion dance performances is the smiling “Buddha” or “Monk” character who holds a fan. The Buddha / Monk helps make the performances more engaging and joyful by interacting with audiences or even teasing the lion as a form of comic relief for viewers. [Image: Sydney Lion Dance Team] The Ball: For Northern lion dances, they’ll often have a skilled martial artist hold a ball with ribbons attached to it as a way for the lions to chase after the ball and help guide the dancers with their movements and footwork. [Image: China Today] Percussion Instruments: Finally, the drums, cymbals and gong play a major role in setting the tone, rhythm and atmosphere of the performance in its entirety. The drums are said to “represent the lion’s heartbeat,” while the gong and cymbals “represent the lion’s thoughts.” These elements of loud noise and music are key features for driving away evil spirits and hyping audiences up for a new year full of luck and celebration. [Image: Wushu Project Lion Dance Lessons] Capturing the lettuce: One of the main highlights of lion dancing is the capturing of the lettuce, or “picking the greens”. A head of lettuce is hung outside of shops, businesses and restaurants with lucky red envelopes containing money attached to the lettuce as a reward for the performers, and to bring luck and prosperity for businesses. This acts as a way to feed the lions, while also having them eat and spit out the lettuce onto audiences to symbolize the spread of good fortune for everyone. [Image: Blog Post] So whenever you start hearing loud drums and the clash of cymbals playing all together at your local Chinatown or nearby Asian community during the lunar new year, expect to receive blessings of good luck accompanied by a powerful lion dance performance! C. Hong - shout out on Instagram! Guest Writer/Immortal Fan

What is the coolest part of wuxia? Is it the earth-shattering martial arts? The mystical techniques and spells? Or could it be the intrigue between clans in an ever-growing game of one-upmanship? The trailer for Where Winds Meet is what happens when you combine all the best aspects of wuxia with the aesthetics of Ghosts of Tsushima. Set in the Northern Song Dynasty of Ancient China, Where Winds Meet is an open-world RPG where you play as a lone swordsman in a time of great turmoil, standing at the crossroads between violence and morality. While not much story is revealed as of yet - this trailer is almost all of the information currently released about the game - a lot of the systems we see on-screen in Where Winds Meet just scream classic wuxia in a way any martial arts fan could not ignore. From the smoothly animated hand-to-hand combat to the exciting leaps across rooftops, everything about it was precisely designed to appeal to anyone with a love of traditional Chinese aesthetics. Despite how masterfully-crafted the trailer is, this is the first game developed by Everstone, whose only prior game experience seems to be with running the Chinese servers of several Blizzard games. Although they’re supported by NetEase, who created Naraka: Bladepoint among other things, the trailer sets an incredibly high bar. If the company pulls it off well, there is no doubt it could easily become a serious fan favorite. While there’s no current release date, expect it no sooner than late 2023 at earliest. If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By S. Howie Immortal Staff

When The King’s Avatar animation (also known as Quanzhi Gaoshou) came out in 2017, it caused waves. All of a sudden, people couldn’t stop talking about The King’s Avatar. Adapted from a novel by Butterfly Blue, which is officially available in English, the series has since become a comic, an animated series and a live action series. The animation was released to massive success, with millions of views across YouTube and Bilibili. Since then, it has received a second season and a movie, with a third season in the works. So, the series is popular. People definitely like it, but why? To begin with, the show takes place in a world where the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game “Glory” has taken the world by storm. In the fast-paced sphere of Glory’s competitive league, one player has risen to the top. His professional name is Ye Qiu, and he is nicknamed “The Battle God” for his performances as one of the best players in Glory’s esports league. The story of The King’s Avatar begins with an ultimatum. Due to a number of reasons, his team has decided to switch captains and support a new rising star. They tell Ye Qiu he has to hand over his character and give up his position on the team; they give him the option to either be demoted to a training partner, or retire. He chooses to retire. Suddenly kicked out of the team dorms and out onto the streets, Ye Qiu - now going by his real name Ye Xiu - manages to find work at a nearby internet cafe. Realizing his retirement coincided with the release of Glory’s newest server, Ye Xiu begins to form his team so that, in a year, he can return to flip over the whole competitive league. A lot of the success of The King’s Avatar comes from its ability to capitalize on its setting. Video games have seen a massive surge in popularity, and while several shows have explored video games as a setting, very few have gone into the player-side of a competitive e-sports league. The first season focuses heavily on establishing the setting and systems of "Glory." We learn about some of the more unique aspects of "Glory," like its specializations, which are the game’s classes - and the fact that someone can play as an unspecialized character, which is basically a jack of all trades - and how the protagonist’s near-encyclopedic knowledge lets him do things that people consider weak or unplayable. Seeing the other characters react to what antics Ye Xiu gets up to is incredibly amusing, and a lot of the show’s best moments surround him shocking other players with his godlike knowledge. We see the old friendships and rivalries of long-term veterans, and we see the bittersweet growth of new talent replacing old. The King’s Avatar has a very long list of characters, which is eased a bit by their uniforms and dorms grouping them into teams - making it easier to see how characters relate to one another. For MMO players, this show is immensely enjoyable. While it plays fast and loose with some mechanics of the game, it doesn’t hesitate to use its medium to its advantage. Characters fight seemingly in real time, mostly unbound by things like global cooldowns or area of effect circles, in favor of making the combat as cinematic and beautifully choreographed as possible. What it doesn’t ponder too much in mechanics, it makes up for by touching on some of the more common problems in multiplayer video games - namely toxicity and competition. Players try to kill other players for the pettiest reasons, and they aren’t afraid to take disputes to world chat. The King’s Avatar shows how Ye Xiu uses that behavior against those acting out. The author understands that a lot of this behavior comes from a place of passion, but they show that it doesn’t make the behavior excusable. People get called out for common issues like sexism, and when they get tilted, that just gets taken advantage of by the cool-headed and capable Ye Xiu and his friends. Honestly, it’s great to watch! For people that don’t play MMOs, have no fear. The King’s Avatar is very watchable, even without any prior knowledge of the gaming sphere, as so much of its story hinges on the interpersonal character conflicts. When Ye Xiu rips someone off in-game and that person comes back with a party to try and kill him, you don’t need to play games to appreciate how funny that is. When Ye Xiu’s team kicks him out for being too old in favor of the egotistical rising star, you don’t need any prior knowledge to be angry at how shortsighted they were. While playing MMOs might help you catch some of the smaller inside jokes, or maybe give you a better understanding of the more common systems, Ye Xiu spends plenty of time teaching new players as he prepares a team for his return. The show does a good job of being understandable by everyone. While both the animation and the live-action cover the same overarching story, the live-action makes more changes to best adapt to its medium. Where the animation enjoys copious amounts of very beautiful action work, the live-action plays up the human drama aspects of the series. Ye Xiu’s employer is more contentious in the live-action, and gives him a hard time for not knowing how to do anything but game. It makes for a much more comedic, human series than the fast-paced, game-oriented animation. While I highly recommend both versions of the series, the animation is probably more enjoyable to people interested in the game setting itself and the live-action for people who just want to enjoy the characters. Overall, “The King’s Avatar” is a series that takes a refreshing spin on a popular setting and - much like Ye Xiu himself, does a lot very well. If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By S. Howie Immortal Staff

Brotherhood exists in every culture, and this seemingly unbreakable bond is shared by many. While this theme is found in countless stories around the world, the genre of Wuxia has a unique focus on it. Of the Immortal Storyverse’s stories, Fa Sheng: Origins exemplifies this theme, and brings to light questions of whether or not it is always the right path. Despite being 18 years of age, the titular character Fa Sheng is often called “Wa-er” (Chinese slang for kid) by his senior martial brothers of the Righteous & Harmonious Fists. He often frowns at being called “Wa-er,” but gets excited to finally participate in the Armor of the Golden Bell Ceremony, where he can shed his “husk of mediocracy” to become strong, like his senior brothers. This ceremony involves a ceremonial elixir, and Fa Sheng knows that participants are expected to become energetic and proud upon drinking it. When he finally drinks the ceremonial elixir, he feels empty, while his fellow brother-in-arms become energetic as expected. This occurs shortly before they all decide to attack the Germans, whom they feel are stealing their land. Hierarchy matters greatly in martial arts sects, where most disciples are expected to show great respect, sometimes even reverence, to those who outrank them. The youngest disciple is often expected to do favors for his seniors, and serve them obediently, while the seniors may also tease and embarrass younger disciples to no end. Because of this, many want to move up the ranks, as this is associated with greater skill, as well as greater respect from your juniors. Disciples who move up ranks and/or get older are expected to be role models, which is another aspect of brotherhood in Wuxia. Fa Sheng’s reaction upon drinking the elixir is very atypical, and this leads to a change that his brother-in-arms do not expect. After Chinese Imperial General Yuxian arrives late to a meeting that he arranged with local members of the Righteous & Harmonious Fists, General Yuxian attempts to make up for this by offering alcohol to them, and even addresses them as “brothers-in-arms.” The leader of this group, Zhu Binhou, refuses the alcohol, and General Yuxian responds with smirks and offers no apology. Everyone expects General Yuxian to honor his words due to his distinguished title and rank. By dishonoring his words, and committing rude acts in front of others, he proves that he is a bad role model. This results in a loss of face, which is an important concept in both Chinese culture and the Wuxia genre. Maintaining face involves honoring your words and doing whatever it takes to avoid tarnishing one’s reputation. Although he outranks everyone else, the others openly express their disappointment with him. With hierarchical power like this comes the potential for abuse, and this is a perfect example of that. His smirk proves that he is aware of how he is abusing his position, and failing to meet the expectations of his new brothers-in-arms, and shows us how little he cares for their respect in turn. When Fa Sheng is on the verge of attacking the German priest Anno and the children that Anno is guarding, Fa Sheng stops in his tracks to consider whether attacking them with his martial brothers is right. Junior brothers are expected to follow exactly in the footsteps of their seniors. If he did not follow them in this attack, it is not an exaggeration to say that Fa Sheng would be seen as disobeying his seniors, and betraying them. Many martial arts sects would punish their disciples for disobeying orders; however, betrayal may have even harsher penalties. At best, such disciples are excommunicated from the sect. At worst, they are executed for betrayal. Should Fa Sheng give up on this brotherhood, his only family, to follow the right path? Brotherhood is a universal theme, and one that allows audiences to relate to characters in the Wuxia genre, and empathize with their desire to belong. Fa Sheng: Origins demonstrates not only the benefits, but also the expectations and conflicts that come with that fellowship. If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff

Ghost hunters exist in many cultures, with Zhong Kui being the most prominent one in Chinese culture. Unsurprisingly, he has been featured in numerous Wuxia-related media. His popularity extends to other countries such as Japan, and he has even appeared in Western media! We will explore the origins, legacy, and different media portrayals of him. According to legend, Zhong Kui was once a human who passed the imperial exams with high marks and earned the title of Top Scorer (Zhuang Yuan in Mandarin). Because of his supposed ugly appearance, the emperor stripped his title. Zhong Kui later committed suicide by hitting his head on the palace steps. When the judge of the underworld Yan-lo Wang noticed Zhong Kui’s intelligence, he deified Zhong Kui and bestowed the title of King of Ghosts onto him so he could hunt and maintain order among all ghosts. Zhong Kui became popular in Chinese culture when the Tang Emperor Xuanzong dreamt of Zhong Kui killing the evil spirit that made him sick. He recovered the next day and had court painter Wu Daozi draw Zhong Kui. He later gave an imperial edict for households to hang paintings of Zhong Kui during the New Year to scare away ghosts, diseases, and other misfortunes. Even today, his image is used to protect expensive goods. While there are numerous TV dramas and movies about Zhong Kui, we will focus on two noteworthy ones. The Chinese Ghostbuster is a 1994 Hong Kong movie featuring Wu Ma (of A Chinese Ghost Story fame) as Zhong Kui and Lam Ching Ying (of Mr. Vampire fame) as a Taoist priest. This movie is unique in that it is set in contemporary Hong Kong, and Zhong Kui is looking for the perfect husband for his ghost daughter! Another is the 2015 Chinese movie Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal. This features Chen Kun as Zhong Kui and Li Bing Bing as Snow Girl (both actors starred in Sword of the Outlaw, a TV drama adaptation of Shiao Yi’s novel!). This movie portrays Zhong Kui as an anti-hero, who is set up to steal the Dark Crystal and discovers that his former love Snow Girl has been consigned to the underworld; lots of liberty is taken to make the movie more romantic than any previous tale of Zhong Kui. In addition, the character and creature designs are very Western influenced. In addition to movies & TV dramas, Zhong Kui is also featured in multiple video games. Known as Shouki in Japanese, he is a summonable demon in the Shin Megami Tensei video game series. Titles featuring him include Shin Megami Tensei IV, Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2, & Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. He is featured in the mobile game Smite as Zhong Kui: The Demon Queller, and is a DLC (downloadable content) character in Hunt: Showdown. The last two games are especially noteworthy, as these are western developed games. While not as well-known as the hopping vampires (Jiang Shi, check out our article on them here) in the West, Zhong Kui’s popularity cannot be denied. It is only a matter of time until his next media appearance, and it will most likely be more accessible to the world than before. If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff

Unlike the huli jing (the Chinese fox spirit covered in our article here), the jiangshi is a strictly malevolent creature. Sometimes known as the Chinese Hopping Vampire, the name “Jiangshi” literally means "stiff corpse," which makes sense (it is, at its core, a walking corpse after all). Cultures the world over have told stories of terrifying undead forces which stalk the night, hunting for blood or organs. The jiangshi, in this case, were such a fearsome and awesome concept, that they spawned a cornerstone of the Hong Kong film industry: the jiangshi film. Even though they’re called the “Chinese Hopping Vampire,” the jiangshi is much more like the western image of a zombie. Their story begins long, long ago, when Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, waged war with nearby states to unify the country. Many men were sent to die far, far from home, at the borders. The family of these deceased soldiers wished to hold funerals for them, but for many it was far too expensive to transport the bodies back. These families turned to Taoist priests for help. In turn, the priests would cast spells to temporarily animate the bodies which were stiffened from rigor mortis, and order them to “hop home”. From there, the priest would lead them home, moving only at night and ringing a bell, warning people of their passage. It was considered bad luck to see a jiangshi. Despite best efforts, none of these corpses ever returned home to their families. Some thought they may have been reanimated with incomplete souls, leading them to lash out violently and overpower the priests guiding them. Some thought they merely got lost and - following their instincts - the jiangshi simply attacked and hunted whatever was alive in the area. Either way, they failed to bring their families the solace they desired. Beyond taoist spells, jiangshi are created in several ways. Most commonly, they would be created from an improper burial or a violent death. Sometimes, they might be born from lightning striking a coffin or - if the corpse was left out in the open - they might absorb yang energy from the environment and turn. Not only that, but just like western zombies, there are stories of people being turned into jiangshi after being injured by them. Also similarly to western zombies, their appearances can vary drastically based on how decomposed the corpse is. Commonly, jiangshi are depicted as having white-green skin - perhaps, some think, inspired by the mold that grows on corpses - and sometimes white hair. Traditionally they’re clothed in burial shrouds or the garb of Qing officials and they often have a talisman stuck to their head. For a jiangshi, their nails are one of their most powerful weapons. They grow long, hard and lethally sharp. Their teeth also become serrated, and they sometimes have very long tongues, capable of grasping things. Being afflicted by rigor mortis as they are, they’re forced into keeping their arms outstretched and their legs straight, but that doesn’t stop them from using their supernatural strength and extreme leaping abilities. The ultimate goal of a jiangshi is different from that of a zombie or a vampire. They don’t usually want to suck your blood - although cross-contamination with western media has led to some jiangshi doing that too. Instead, a jiangshi seeks the qi of the living. The qi - or life force - of a person is a key part to their survival and having a jiangshi take that will kill someone pretty fast. They typically sense qi from the breath of the living, so if you ever see one, holding your breath is a key factor to a successful escape. Much like western folklore, there are many, many weaknesses of a jiangshi based on the specific story that’s being told. Common ones include unsurprising things, like axes or fire. Some suggest that - since a jiangshi is stiff - if you push them over, they have a hard time getting back up. Other weaknesses are a bit more unusual, like the blood of a black dog, glutinous rice or a mirror. A personal favourite of mine is that if you throw - some say coins specifically, others say any small objects - across the floor towards a jiangshi, they will feel compelled to stop and count them (picture the zombies from The Walking Dead, but with severe OCD). In that vein, they actually carried a lot of appeal in the 80s and 90s as the stars of many horror films, specifically propagating a genre known as "kung-fu horror comedy" as well as the more straightforward "jiangshi film" genre. Not only that, jiangshi are - much like western zombies - kind of all over the place. Outside of Hong Kong, jiangshi have appeared in anime series such as Dragon Ball Super or Shaman King, American cartoon series like Jackie Chan Adventures and have made dozens of appearances in modern video games, as both monsters and seasonal player costumes (and in cases like Genshin Impact, even playable characters). On the whole, the jiangshi have quite a unique story. Their roots are very macabre, but over time their representation in the media has lightened up significantly. Sure, they might still be the inspiration for horror stories across the world, but never forget that they also helped pioneer the "kung-fu comedy" genre! If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By S. Howie Immortal Staff Sources: Jiangshi - Wikipedia Chinese Vampire - TV Tropes Jiangshi: The terrifying Chinese hopping vampires | History 101 Jiangshi fiction - Wikipedia

Neither god nor demon, the huli jing has long existed in folklore as both divine messengers and malevolent tricksters. To this day, they have a strong presence in pop culture in not just Asia, but the whole world. We briefly covered the huli jing and their appearances in both Shang-Chi and Eternal Love, but here we’ll take a deeper dive into their legitimately fascinating lore. This is the story of the Chinese fox spirit. To explain from the beginning, the concept of a fox spirit is incredibly old. The earliest recorded appearances of the huli jing are as companions to the Queen Mother of the West. Depicted as early as the Shang Dynasty between 1600 BCE and 1046 BCE, this version of the fox spirit framed them as auspicious helpers and messengers to the goddess. They were said to live and serve in the Palace of the Sun and Moon. With the rise of Taoism in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), the Queen Mother of the West was raised to a position equivalent to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, who is sometimes referred to in Buddhism as “the most widely beloved goddess.” She became a patron goddess of women without family, such as daoist nuns or female artists. As she rose to new power in the pantheon, so too did her servants, the huli jing. Over time, the foxes were recognized as spirits major enough to warrant their own worship. Slowly, their imagery separated from the Queen Mother of the West, and they became deities in their own rights. People began to worship them in small, personal altars in their yards and bedrooms, praying for fertility and wealth. At this point in time, the huli jing appeared in many stories, playing anything from tricksters to scholars to lovers. They were characterized as being mischievous but benevolent, intelligent and devoted. By the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), things took a sharp turn for the huli jing. Practice of fox worship was outwardly banned, and although the ban itself had limited success, many fox shrines were destroyed, especially throughout the city of Kaifeng. Huli jing began to be characterized as more evil. In some stories from this period, the fox is a vindictive, troublemaking spirit who eats humans and curses people who cross them. One myth that rose to popularity is the story of Daji, a favoured consort of King Zhou, the final king of the Shang Dynasty. In this tale, the original Daji was killed by a malevolent fox spirit who then takes her place and captivates King Zhou. As he begins to neglect the court to spend more time with her, Daji uses her growing power to torture the innocent and cause strife across the palace. She became crueler and crueler, inventing new torture instruments and taking people apart to see how they work. In the end, there was an uprising; Daji was blamed for the fall of the Shang Dynasty, and was executed by the new King Wu. As one might expect from such an ancient creature, there is no one "right" depiction of the huli jing. Different stories characterize them as either kind or cruel, and there is no single fox god that encompasses all of these stories. What can be said however, is that there are some traits which are almost always associated with the fox spirit. At their core, they are shapeshifters with human-like wisdom and the ability to bewitch or curse. Although a huli jing can be killed, it cannot die from old age. Like people, the huli jing can cultivate. It’s said that they begin as ordinary foxes who grow in power as they age. When they reach the age of fifty, they can shapeshift into women. At the ripe age of a hundred, they can become beautiful young women or men. If they cultivate over a thousand years, they transcend into a celestial fox, which is the most powerful version of the huli jing. Perhaps these traits sound oddly familiar. Over time, stories of the huli jing were taken out of China and spread across Asia, eventually leading to similar creatures such as the Korean gumiho or the Japanese kitsune. Then, as time went on, they integrated with the local culture, slowly taking on their own unique characteristics. The Korean gumiho, for example, is depicted almost exclusively as malevolent, man-eating temptresses, who struggle to fight against their violent, animal-like instincts. They have a particular taste for human hearts or livers, and are sometimes described as half-human, half-foxes who roam graves at night searching for organs. Unlike the huli jing or the kitsune, the gumiho does not cultivate to attain divinity. Instead, if they can resist consuming humans for a thousand days, they can become human themselves. In many respects, the Japanese kitsune is very similar to the Chinese huli jing. They are depicted as both good and evil, as tricksters and lovers, and with supernatural wisdom. But where the Chinese perception of fox spirits developed linearly as popular opinion changed across dynasties, the Japanese kitsune actually branched out and subdivided into many different types - a lot of regional variations, and two common categories. The Inari are good foxes and messenger spirits of Inari Ōkami, god of fertility, agriculture and industry. In contrast, there are the Yako, who are mischievous and malicious. One other major difference between the kitsune and the huli jing is that for every one-hundred years the kitsune lives, they gain a tail. Their tails are directly connected to how powerful they are. Common numbers in folktales are one, five, seven, and nine, with nine being the most a fox could achieve. When a kitsune has lived a thousand years they become a Tenko, or a heavenly fox, and ascend to heaven. To this day, depictions of mystical fox spirits are massively popular the world over. From Ahri in League of Legends, to Ninetales from Pokémon, to Kiriko from the newly released Overwatch 2, to Bai Qian from Eternal Love, their imagery is prevalent across all forms of media. They make clever protagonists, dangerous enemies, and are core to some of the most heartfelt, personal stories ever put to paper. It also probably doesn’t hurt that they’re commonly depicted as very beautiful, too! So, the next time you see a nine-tailed fox, you can remind yourself that they’re not just designed to attract people with their cute fox features, ears and tails. They’re designed to attract people with their cute fox features, ears and tails, and they have over three thousand years of history. How many other characters can claim that? If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By S. Howie Immortal Staff Sources: Fox Spirit Huli jing Kumiho Kitsune Guanyin Asian Fox-Spirit Legends of the Fox Bestiarium: The Huli Jing [Chinese mythology] Image sources: please click the images to visit their websites.

Wuxia Manhua (comics) came into existence at the start of the 1970’s in Hong Kong. After gaining popularity in Hong Kong, many titles were exported to the rest of Asia and the United States. Like its novel counterparts, Wuxia Manhua would prove to be influential. The first published Hong Kong Wuxia Manhua is Oriental Heroes by Tony Wong in 1970. It is about martial heroes who lived in Hong Kong’s public housing estates while fighting gangsters and other criminals. As a nod to Wuxia literature, martial arts from other stories were borrowed; the most obvious being the 18 Subduing Dragon Palms and The Dog Beating Stick technique from Jin Yong’s The Legend of the Condor Heroes. When it was first published, it gained notoriety for graphic violence and the Indecent Publication Act of 1975 was passed as a response. Despite this, the series is still on-going. Its popularity resulted in English translations being available in the United States through Jademan Comics, from 1988-1993. It was adapted into the 2006 Hong Kong film Dragon Tiger Gate, directed by Wilson Yip and starring Donnie Yen, both of Ip Man fame. While this title marked the beginning of Wuxia Manhua, another title would revolutionize this specific genre even further. In 1980, Ma Wing-Shing’s Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword was first published. It was a breakthrough with its high attention to detail and more realistic drawings, especially in the fights. This led to other Manhua adopting a similar style, including the aforementioned Oriental Heroes. There are also strong crippled characters such as Shadow (armless) and Invincible (blind), who proved to be just as formidable as the physically-abled characters. Likewise, this was translated in English through Jademan Comics and re-translated & re-released through DrMaster in 2008. The popularity of this Manhua led to multiple TV and movie adaptations: the 1990-1991 Hong Kong ATV series The Blood Sword I & II, the 2005 Taiwanese TV series The Legend of Hero, the 1999 Hong Kong movie A Man Called Hero, and the 2022 Chinese film A Man Called Hero. Its popularity also led to more influential works by Ma Wing-Shing. In 1989, Ma Wing-Shing’s The Storm Riders was first published. It features two protagonists, Wind and Cloud, who grow up learning martial arts in the Conqueror’s Clan and their journeys in the Jiang Hu. In addition to featuring two protagonists, the comic series would feature more main characters; Wind and Cloud would become secondary comics. In a unique twist for the genre, a short lived spinoff called Shenwuji featured the reincarnations of Wind and Cloud in the 21st century. The main comic series was translated in English and released by ComicsOne in the early 2000’s. Multiple adaptations include: the 1998 Hong Kong movie The Storm Riders & its 2009 sequel The Storm Warriors, the 2008 Chinese animated film Storm Riders - Clash of Evils, and the 2002 Taiwanese series Wind & Cloud Conquer The World and its 2004 sequel Wind & Cloud II. The live action movies are noteworthy for pushing visual effects in Hong Kong Cinema, and the animated movie is the first to be adapted from a Wuxia Manhua. Additionally, a short lived MMORPG titled Fung Wan Reborn was released. While the output of Hong Kong Wuxia Manhua has decreased in the last decade, Manhua is still being produced in China and these works are adapted to animated TV series. Thanks to Manhua and the popularity of comics in general, Immortal Studios is able to create the world’s first ever Wuxia storyverse of comics! If you enjoyed this article, click here to get monthly updates on our top stories. If you want more, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Discord! By B. Chansy Immortal Staff Sources Jademan Oriental Heroes Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword Fung Wan