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Into the Badlands (C) January + February 2016 KungFuMagazine.com. Republished by permission. What is Wuxia? Our Favorite Wuxia Movies Anatomy of a Wuxia Novel " Into the Badlands is on Netflix and was an AMC TV series that was deeply rooted in Wuxia storytelling. It was a post-apocalyptic fantasy that mashed up many genres which ran from 2015 to 2019, and opened the door to several other Wuxia-derivative TV shows like YouTube's Cobra Kai , Netflix's Wu Assassins , Cinemax's Warrior , and the upcoming CW reboot of Kung Fu . I participated in two set visits to Into the Badlands for Season 2 and 3 when they were filming near Dublin, Ireland and reported on it extensively. " G - Gene Ching, Immortal Studios' Associate Editor & Action Choreographer If you don’t know the name Daniel Wu by now, he’s the martial artist to watch. Starring in AMC’s new series, Into the Badlands , Wu is an American-born Wushu champion and a founder of collegiate Wushu in the United States. He is also an award-winning Hong Kong leading man with over sixty films to his credit. With Into the Badlands , Wu ventures into something completely original, an unprecedented martial arts-laden television series from the same network that brought critically-acclaimed shows like Mad Men , Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead . “I’m so proud to be amongst those shows on the AMC roster,” says Wu. “They have a lot riding on this show. They’ve decided to go with something totally different, which is not like a formulaic list of things that they’ve gone through. Mad Men and Breaking Bad are two totally different shows and Into the Badlands is a totally ‘other’ different kind of show. They are willing to try and explore something completely different and try something fresh for television. I think that’s amazing. A lot of studios don’t have the balls to do that.” And Now for Something Completely Different “The show is martial arts drama but also has elements of Westerns, as well as steampunk, as well as all these other things mashed together,” explains Wu. Early press releases describe Into the Badlands as being loosely based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West. “I think it’s very, very, very, very loosely based on Journey to the West ,” admits Wu. “We’re not really trying to emulate the story exactly, because the story of Journey to the West on the surface is basically how the Buddhist scriptures got from India to China, how Buddhism arrived in China. But all these sort of little challenges that the Monkey King sees along the way are actually the story of his enlightenment and his development as a character, because in the beginning he is a very rebellious, crazy, out-of-control monkey. And then through his journey with the monk as they go to the west and come back, he becomes an enlightened figure and he changes completely along the way. So we took that idea of a journey of enlightenment, a journey of transformation, for the main character of Badlands, Sunny. There are some tributes, like Sunny’s name is actually Sun Wukong ( 孫悟空 ) the Monkey King’s name. And then M.K. kind of stands for ‘monk’ but it’s not meant to be a literal translation of that story in any way.” The production reunites Wu with his longtime associate, Hong Kong film maverick Stephen Fung. The two co-starred in Wu’s debut film Bishonen (1998) and continued to work together on many projects, such as Fung’s second directorial effort, the hilarious Kung Fu comedy, House of Fury (2005). “As soon as Stacey Sher [Executive Producer for Badlands] approached me to bring me on board, I brought him on board with me. We are already partners in our production company, Diversion Pictures, and we had produced Tai Chi Zero (2012), Control (2013), a couple of other films already. We’ve also worked with each other on Stephen’s directorial films for the past several years, so we’re very close in terms of creative thinking. Stephen became not only an Executive Producer, but he became the Fight Unit Director, and responsible for the whole look of all the martial arts of the show. Working with him, it was great because it was someone I could trust with all the technical side of making the martial arts of it. And having him direct all the action, we definitely got a certain level of quality out of all of it. That was an important thing – we wanted to bring that Hong Kong style to television and the only way to do that is to work with Hong Kong people. So we brought the Hong Kong action team, Master Dee Dee Ku’s action team as well, and then Stephen. Combined together, it was the three of us were responsible for the authenticity of the martial arts.” Dee Dee Ku, also known as Ku Huen Chu (谷軒昭), is a veteran fight choreographer who has worked on both sides of the Pacific to bring Kung Fu action to such notable films as Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Fist of Legend (1994), Kill Bill 1 & 2 (2003, 2004), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Expendables 2 (2012) and dozens more. “Dee Dee, I’ve worked with him for a long time. On a couple of Yuen Woo Ping’s projects, he was Yuen Woo Ping’s right hand man. Going all the way back to The Banquet (2006), or the Curse of the Black Scorpion as they called it in the United States, I worked with him on that. I think the most recent was That Demon Within (2014). When we were thinking of choreographers that we could work with on Badlands, Dee Dee was the first one because of his experience with American projects, with the Matrix series, Crouching Tiger and all that stuff. So his English speaking communication was adequate enough to get along with American crews and he’s also experienced with working with American crews and working with unions and that kind of stuff that a lot of Hong Kong people don’t have to deal with. He ended up being one of the greatest parts of the show, I think, because his ability, his working crew, the people he brought on, they’re amazing.” Wu credits Ku as being able to transform the rest of the cast into martial artists. “We had a six-week fight camp and brought them in for intensive training.” Ku managed to get Aramis Knight (who plays M.K.) to do aerial cartwheels in that short period. “Emily Beecham (who plays Widow) had a lot of progress as well in her fight scenes. She has one fight scene that was pretty incredible. It’s mostly her on her own. This is all due to Dee Dee’s really great ability in picking what people are really good at and making that shine. He didn’t try to get her to do stuff that she wasn’t good at, or that she could do very well. He picked out stuff during the training sessions that he saw potential in and worked on moves that she could use.” Unlike the overdone Superhero genre, Into the Badlands made an effort to avoid relying too heavily on computer-generated image special effects. “There’s a little bit, you’ll see as the story develops, there’s a martial arts power that the kid develops. There’s a little bit of CGI there, but not much at all. Most of it is done with in-camera tricks and anything CGI is simple stuff like wiping away wires, things like that. We wanted to keep it as analog as possible so people could enjoy the action for the action’s sake.” The intention was to showcase the martial arts. “In several of our fight scenes, we have long shots, like a 20- or 30-second shot with 10 to 20 moves. We do try to keep it like Hong Kong action. If the performer is able to perform a long shot, we use them as long as we possibly can. If we can get them to do 20 or 30 moves in a row without cutting away, we let that happen. That’s always an amazing thing to see – a straight fight without any cuts in it.” For Wu, he had to dust off his old Wushu skills to make Sunny as authentic as possible, but he is quick to say he didn’t do all of his own stunts. “All the dangerous stuff the studio doesn’t allow me to do, stuff that looks like I might get hurt on, stuff like that. Most of the stuff I’m doing myself.” But the martial stuff was mostly him, especially the sword fighting. “At first, I hadn’t done sword-fighting in a long time so it was like, ‘Aw, this is going to be tough…on me’ – especially double sword because my left hand has always been my weaker point when I did double weapons in the past. So in the six-week fight camp I just focused on working on double weapon fighting the whole time. I actually got pretty good at it and got my old skills back. I ended up actually having more fun with that than with the fist and kick stuff.” What’s more, Wu was able to design his own swords. He got to work with Weta Workshops in New Zealand, the preeminent weapon designers for film today that came to prominence with the Lord of the Rings films. “There was a lot of thought about sword design. I really got excited about that because we wanted to make a sword that you could not necessarily pick out culturally. So it’s not really a traditional katana. It looks like double katanas. They’re single edged like the katana but they’re straight like the jian. But they actually work like a dao. But they look like katanas. They’re lighter like katanas. We actually gone through several renditions. This had been a dream of mine having done martial arts my whole life, being able to design your own sword based on experiences you had in the past, right?” Keeping that high production value of the fights is more difficult than it sounds. Television works much faster than film. “One thing we realized, why no one has done this before, it’s extremely difficult in terms of just scheduling. Trying to get all the fights and drama shot in the time we have allotted. It’s an average of 8 to 10 days per episode so we had very little time to do two major fight scenes per block of time. The way we did it is we had a fight unit and a main unit. The main unit is shooting all the drama. The fight unit is only shooting action stuff. And we’re shooting at the same time, so Monday through Friday is the drama unit and then Tuesday through Saturday is the action unit. In a lot of cases, I’d go to the drama unit for a couple hours and then rush over to the fight unit and fight all day long. A lot of times, what they had to do because I can’t be there for the fight, because I’m shooting drama, if they’re shooting say me and Emily fighting, they’ll put in my double while the shooting occurs for her side of the fight. She’s fighting my double not because I can’t fight it. It’s because I can’t be there physically. So she’s fighting with somebody else, and if I can get there in time, I’ll slip in and replace that person. But that’s strictly a time thing. It’s not about skills. It’s about being efficient and shooting as much as possible. “You need time. For example, we have a rain fight scene which you’ve probably seen in the trailer. It’s equivalent of The Grandmaster (2013) rain fight scene. We were going for that level. That Grandmaster rain fight scene took a month to film. We did it in six days. And so we’re doing incredible things that we’re jamming through very short amount of time. First of all, they can only be done with a Hong Kong crew. They can work that fast. And then secondly, the way we’re doing it splitting up the drama unit and the fight unit, splitting up the people like that. Otherwise it would be almost impossible to get it done.” From Wushu Pioneer to Asian American Pioneer With Into the Badlands , Wu is the first Asian male in the lead role of a non-comedic American TV show. Fresh Off the Boat is an ensemble cast and a comedy. John Cho’s failed Selfie and Ken Jeong’s failing Dr. Ken are also both comedies. Even Pat Morita’s short-lived 1976 show Mr. T and Tina (a derivation of the Karate Kid films) and even Sammo Hung’s two-season millennial show Martial Law (a derivation of Rush Hour films) were also comedies. Into the Badlands is all about action and drama, and Wu’s character Sunny even has a non-Asian romantic interest in Dr. Veil (Madeleine Mantock). However, Wu initially balked at taking the lead. “I was brought on board by Stacey Sher to bring authenticity to the martial arts side of the show. And the whole time I was thinking that we should be casting somebody in their late 20s early 30s, so I never really put myself into the equation. And then once the casting process started, which was like a year-and-a-half later after working on the project, we put our feelers out. I think they tested over a 100-something people, and we looked at all the tapes that they liked a lot. And everyone turned to me in the end and said, ‘Okay…can you do it?’ “And my major concern was that the proportion of fights per show is about two per episode – two major fights per episode. And I was thinking, first of all, I haven’t done martial arts action in a long time. I took a few years of time off from doing it. And secondly, I was already 40 at that point. Can I be able to do that for the next 5 or 6 years if the show does well? I’m not sure if I can do that, so let’s cast someone younger, someone who can last that 5 or 6 years. So we sent our feelers out there and they turned back to me because of multiple requirements. The studio definitely wanted the lead to be Asian. They wanted the person to be able to speak perfect English. And they had to know how to act already, to not be a new person, to have martial arts experience, and also have some name. So the number of people you can go to for that is very slim already. In the end, for them the acting was the most important. To me, the martial arts side was really more important, but to them, the acting was much more important. And so we had gone through a lot of martial artists that had no acting experience and they realized that person could not carry a show. And so eventually then, they turned back to me and said, ‘Well, can you do it?’ I’m like, ‘Okay, let me give it a shot.’ So when we were auditioning the kid, I read with the kid and the studio saw that and they said, ‘Daniel, just do it.’” Wu has already amassed a very eclectic filmography, even for an Asian star. He’s done drama, thrillers, rom-coms, quirky roles, and a wide range of diverse characters. “If you live in Asia, you understand that that’s the way things are. To be a successful actor here, you have to be able to do everything. But in the States, it’s not like that. Basically, if you do one thing, you do that your whole career. And so I’m out to show that I can do more than just one genre.” The only typical Asian star thing Wu doesn’t do is sing and dance. “That’s one thing I’ve avoided my whole career, except for when I made that film The Heavenly Kings. That was poking fun at that whole pop idol thing that happens here in Asia where almost every actor does sing and dance.” Wu directed that film and won the 2006 Best New Director at the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards for it. He has also racked up two nominations in both the Hong Kong Film Awards and Taiwan’s coveted Golden Horse Film Awards. In 2001, he won the Golden Horse Best Supporting Actor for his role in Jackie’s New Police Story. However, it’s been hard for Asian male actors to break into Hollywood. Martial artists are the only ones who have really succeeded, but even that has been fraught with challenges and typecasting. Bruce Lee died young. Despite his iconic status today, he didn’t live to see the release of his only Hollywood effort, the now classic Enter the Dragon (1973). Jackie’s Hollywood debut came in 1980 with The Big Brawl (a.k.a. Battle Creek Brawl ). His film career actually started in 1962 as a child actor; he was credited in over two dozen films and uncredited in dozens more. Jet’s Hollywood debut was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). He had already been the lead in two dozen films. Donnie Yen had supporting roles in the Highlander and Blade franchises near the flip of the millennium, but he’s still not recognized outside the martial arts film genre. After over five dozen films, Donnie might finally catch Hollywood’s attention next year with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2 and Star Wars: Rogue One . Unlike Jackie’s and Jet’s struggle to be taken seriously as dramatic actors, Wu has already played many dramatic roles – with more to come – so he’s not worried about being typecast in Hollywood. “The reason why I haven’t done martial arts films in a while is because I’ve seen – you talk about Jackie and a lot of people who wanted to be taken seriously in drama – and I had already opened the path for myself doing drama, as my first film was a big dramatic challenge. I went that way rather than becoming the action star. Being more versatile. If you can play dramatic roles and also fight, then you have a much broader spectrum of things you can go to versus if you start off just doing action and you’re only perceived as an action star, it’s hard to go back. I ended up doing it that way, being taken more seriously as an actor that can also fight. And also making conscious choices making sure I do dramatic roles versus action ability or action skill, developing a career that way, so I’m not so worried about it. I know I have that talent and that ability behind me, so I can totally turn down roles. I can be stereotyped through Badlands , but I can always turn down the other offers that come after that and look for things that are more dramatically challenging. And that’s why I’m glad that Warcraft is going to come after Badlands because that character is really a dramatic role, a motion-capture role. It’s not an action-based role at all. So it shows more diversity in terms of my ability skills-wise. And then I go on to another movie, Geostorm , which is going to come out after Warcraft , which I finished already. It’s a big Gerard Butler end-of-the-world type of movie. I play another role that is very, very different than the Badlands character. So I’m coming out of the gates consciously choosing a wide range of roles to let people know that I have that ability and I’m not just an action guy.” Wu confidently looks forward to breaking into a brighter Hollywood spotlight. “It’s kind of awesome. I’ve made a couple attempts before in the past to try to come back home and work in the States. And I think at that time, maybe ten years ago, most people in Hollywood were not aware of the Asian market at all in general. In the past few years, you see movies like Transformers 4 make more money in China than it did in the States or anywhere else in the world. Then you have Hollywood paying attention and now that’s driven the catalyst of bringing Asian actors to the States. And I started seeing that happening with other actors, and I’m like, ‘Wait, that guy or that girl, she speaks no English and she’s doing American product. Maybe I should give this another chance.’ And being American-born Chinese, I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, I speak English fluently. America is my home. I really should be doing this. I should really be making an effort to come back home and work back home.’ I started seriously doing it maybe two years ago, Warcraft being one of the first projects. I think Badlands is a more amazing project because it kind of highlights everything that I’ve been trained to be good at in Asia, that I’ve spent almost twenty years building a career at. As well as being the lead in the project? That’s amazing too. AMC is willing to put an Asian-American in the lead of a big huge American show. It shows that their mentality shift has changed a lot. We’ve moved a long way since Sixteen Candles (1984) Long Duk Dong, I guess. So I’m proud to be part of that movement in the American media landscape. Let’s see if it works.” The Journey to the West Into the Badlands is a groundbreaking crossover project for AMC, not just for the West but for the East too. “I know it’s definitely being shown in Hong Kong for sure because they’ve already started asking me for interviews. In China, I’m not sure on what television platform but I know that through their internet portals, Walking Dead and all that stuff is all available over internet through subscription services there. It’s definitely one of AMC’s goals is to spread further into the Asian region.” Wu says that they’ve already begun work on Season Two, although AMC hasn’t yet green-lit that at this writing. What’s more, back here in America, AMC has launched Kung Fu Fridays as a warm-up for Into the Badlands . “That was kind of our idea, actually. When we pitched the show, they immediately asked us what would help audiences understand this genre a little better. Well, when I was a kid growing up [in the San Francisco Bay Area], we had Kung Fu Theater , on KTSF, with Tat Mau Wong. Remember that? I grew up watching that and that’s how I got my vocabulary of Kung Fu film. They said, ‘Yeah, we should do something like that.’ So then we suggested a whole bunch of titles for them to acquire and they started playing the Kung Fu Friday thing.” Despite Wu’s extensive dramatic background, ultimately Into the Badlands comes down to the martial arts. He is coming home, home to America and home to the martial arts that he loves. “At the highest level, we are definitely making the show for people who are enthused by this genre of filmmaking. We really hope that we are pleasing those people. We’re really making it for them. A lot of AMC executives had no idea of what martial arts is about so we went and took carte blanche and tried to do what we thought was right and what martial artists will think is cool. We’re trying to please the higher echelon of the audience – the people who know martial arts and have been watching this stuff since they were kids. If we can impress them, that’s our ultimate goal.” By Gene Ching (C) January + February 2016 KungFuMagazine.com. Republished by permission.

Join The Immortal Order Following the success of our first four comic book title drops, we are immensely proud and excited to be celebrating the AAPI Heritage Month by releasing our next title in the Immortal Storyverse -- PROJECT IMMORTAL -- a groundbreaking story about a diverse team of unlikely, yet totally relatable, teenage heroes who band together to defend their families and communities. This is your chance to join THE IMMORTAL ORDER, and you will immediately receive a digital commemorative comic book, gain access to discounts -- AND receive early access, exclusive content, including regular newsletters. You will also get the opportunity to get directly involved in our comic book revolution -- fan engaged story, character, powers, and theme development. Please also follow our social media channels by clicking the links below! First Name Last Name Email Message Send Click here to download Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin

A Core Mission of Immortal is to Awaken Your Hero . .. but What Does Being a Hero Mean? Through our Wuxia stories of heroism,self-cultivation, transformation and sacrifice, and the community programs that we organize, we hope to awaken the hero within each of us, ... by inspiring and igniting noble actions that are of benefit to oneself, and the world at large. How Immortal Team Members are Awakening Their Hero We invite you to share your storie s about awakening your hero. "I donated and shipped magazines and books directly to active troops, real-life heroes, that are deployed in service of our country, through Operation Paperback, a national, non-profit organization, whose volunteers collect gently-used books and send them to American troops overseas, as well as veterans and military families here at home." - Lee I started a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to honor my mothers memory as it is breast cancer awareness month. I've raised almost $1500 so far and will continue to raise money into November." - Valerie "To support small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19, I have led 6 yoga classes in the month of October. As a community, we raised $210 toward a local black owned Jamaican restaurant and fed 40 mouths. On Saturday, October 17th, I purchased $210 worth of food from Peaches Patties and drove around San Francisco and hand delivered meals to the homeless in the Mission District." - Natalie "I have expanded my acts of kindness to include giving gifts to people, and donating to charities. I have targeted one charity in particular, which I intend to make a large contribution to in the coming 60 days." - Isaac "I have been providing regular counseling sessions to individuals who are struggling with financial hardships/debts on action steps/changes to be implemented toward their success and fulfilment." - Peter

Coloring Pages HAVE FUN coloring in Amy, Ali, Fa Sheng and Sasha from The Adept ! We'd love to see your colored pictures, so email photos to us at contact@immortal-studios.com . Also, share on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and tag Immortal Studios for a chance to be featured Click on each picture below to get a full page image to print out and then color in.

Welcome to Immortal: Home of Modern Wuxia Stories for Martial Arts Fantasy Fans What does being a hero mean? We Invite You to Become a Shareholder in Immortal " Immortal Studios is kicking off a big part of our goal to be an 'exponential' organization by making it possible for our community to become shareholders of the Company . Ownership in growth oriented global companies has been the purview of the connected few while normal people who help companies become successful just look in from the outside. With the launch of our crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder , we are changing that by aligning our interests completely with our community, believing that a community engaged media company is going to be far more successful when its customers are also its owners. So if you care about what we are doing, have a passion for entertainment, Wuxia and martial arts fantasy, and want to be part of awakening the hero in everyone through Immortal, then join us to build a new global entertainment studio together. If that sounds exciting to you, I want to personally invite you to become a founding shareholder in Immortal by participating in our first ever crowd equity campaign, beginning at just $100. Please our Wefunder page if this is right for you. We are entering a very exciting period of expansion and growth and we invite you to join us. " Love and respect, Peter Shiao Founder and CEO, Immortal Studios Why Invest in Us? We're building a martial arts fantasy universe to become the next Marvel Exclusive rights to the 60+ IP library of top Wuxia creator Shiao Yi with 30+ films/tv produced Funded first comic book in 3 hours on Kickstarter with proven product-market fit Sales of $35K in 1st Kickstarter campaign; additional $40K expected by year end from 2nd campaign Founding team includes veterans from Marvel, DC, Shaolin Temple and Hollywood studios Hollywood is hungry for genre IP based offerings with comparable deals with 9-10 digit exits Proved out comic-first engagement model for safe, cost-effective, and exponential value creation Focused on large global market that includes US and China To invest in Immortal, visit our Wefunder page If you have questions, email us at contact@immortal-studios.com . To invest in Immortal, visit our Wefunder page If you have questions, email us at contact@immortal-studios.com . Why Our Investors Invested in Immortal Watch these videos of our Investors share why they are so excited about Immortal Studios and have invested in us. To invest in Immortal, visit our Wefunder page If you have questions, email us at contact@immortal-studios.com .

Welcome to Immortal: Home of Modern Wuxia Stories for Martial Arts Fantasy Fans What does being a hero mean? The Anatomy of a Wuxia Novel (C) 2010 KungFuMagazine.com. Republished by permission. What is Wuxia? Our Favorite Wuxia Movies The Shaolin Phoenix Into the Badlands What is Wuxia Literature? Regardless of their cinematic tastes most martial artists are at least familiar with kung fu movies. The high-flying genre, with its clichéd plots and wire-assisted action sequences, is a ubiquitous component of martial culture. Fewer people may be aware of the Wuxia novel. This is unfortunate as the Wuxia novel is as significant an influence on kung fu cinema as the frequently mentioned source of Chinese Opera. Wuxia is a relatively modern genre of literature;; certainly it has its origins in the much more venerable tradition of the Chinese historical novel, but it is important to differentiate between the two. Wuxia is a relatively modern genre of literature;; certainly it has its origins in the much more venerable tradition of the Chinese historical novel, but it is important to differentiate between the two. Four classics of Chinese fiction literature have had a lasting influence. Each of these four classics contributed to the overall structure of the Wuxia genre while simultaneously missing components present in the modern genre. For its fundamental components, the Wuxia genre is indebted to "San Guo Yan Yi" and "Shui Hu Zhuan" (respectively known in the West as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and - variously - "The Water Margin", "Outlaws of the Marsh" or "All Men Are Brothers"). These novels contribute most of the elements used by Wuxia authors to create the basic structures of Wuxia literature, principally the Jianghu and the Wulin. However, it is equally in the debt of "Xi You Ji" ("Journey into the West") and "Hong Lou Men" ("Dreams of Red Mansions") - the other two classics of Chinese historical fiction - despite their less overtly martial focus. We begin to see the Wuxia novel develop out of these earlier historic novels during the latter half of the Qing Dynasty. A strong example can be seen in the work of Shi Yukun (???), who was responsible for "San Xia Wu Yi" ("Three Heroes and Five Gallants") - a book later expanded by other contributors to eventually settle on its modern form, renamed "Qi Xia Wu Yi" ("Seven Heroes and Five Gallants"). This novel was derived from folk stories of Bao Zheng, or Justice Bao, a judge of prodigious intelligence and incorruptible moral character. The story of "Seven Heroes and Five Gallants" is essentially a series of detective stories set against a backdrop of an empire where corruption has increasingly held sway in officialdom. Supported by a small band of martial artists, the brilliant Justice Bao seeks to purge the empire of corrupt officials and reinforce the rule of law and (largely Confucian) morality. These ideas later found a supportive home within the Wuxia genre. However, not until the twentieth century work of authors such as Gu Long and Jin Yong did the genre come to true fruition. In their work, and the work of their contemporaries, they combined elements of the four classics, of folk stories, and of early Xia novels (such as "San Xia Wu Yi") into an intricate and carefully detailed narrative structure, creating the influential and uniquely east Asian genre of Xuxia. Having now, in brief, outlined the evolution of the Wuxia genre, we will turn our attention to the structure and characteristics of the genre as it now stands. For reference, we will frequently cite examples from one of the most beloved books, "Sheng Diao Xia Lu" ("Return of the Condor Heroes"), by arguably the most famous Wuxia author, Jin Yong. "Return of the Condor Heroes" is the second novel of the Condor Trilogy. These three books, chronicle several generations of families and factions within the Jianghu from the fall of the Song dynasty through the Yuan dynasty and up until the founding of the Ming. In particular, this book focuses on the last vain defense of the city of Xiangyang by Song loyalists against the armies of Kublai Khan, using it as a backdrop to explore the growth from childhood into adulthood and to question the foundation of Confucial moral structures. The plot, setting, structure and characterization used within the novel make it the quintessential Wuxia novel and the perfect example for exploration of the genre as a whole. The Setting of Wuxia Literature A defining characteristic of the Wuxia genre is setting. This setting shares elements with the more familiar genres of historical and fantasy novels. However, it would be incorrect to call Wuxia novels historical;; for while they frequently make use of a historical backdrop (our example certainly does), they need not do so (another of Jin Yong's novels, "Xiao Ao Jianghu," literally "Laughing in the Rivers and Lakes," most pointedly does not), and the historical component of the setting, when used, rarely does more than provide a believable time and place in which the larger-than-life heroes and villains of these stories can act. It would be equally incorrect to refer to Wuxia novels as fantasy. Although elements of the supernatural certainly occur in these stories (not only in the form of fantastic and unrealistic martial arts but as fantastic creatures such as the giant condor who befriends, heals and trains Yang Guo in "Return of the Condor Heroes"), these are often downplayed more than in the fantasy novels of the western world. These stories may contain mystical elements, but the authors of the genre go to great lengths to remind us that they are based in our world and in a formulation of our world that if not entirely plausible does not require a total suspension of disbelief. There are two absolutely indispensable components of setting in the Wuxia genre. These are the Jianghu and the Wulin. Generally speaking, the Jianghu is the formulation of our world in which the Wuxia stories are set, while the Wulin is the culture in which the principal characters of Wuxia stories act. The Jianghu The word Jianghu literally means "rivers and lakes," but one should not let the aquatic translation of the term confuse them. Contextually, the Jianghu can have many specific meanings. Within the context of Wuxia literature, the Jianghu often refers to a world of complications where the dividing line between friend and foe, loyalty and betrayal, life and death is razor thin. As this genre originated in China, the setting is usually China and those nations historically within the Chinese sphere of influence. The Jianghu, as an element of setting, developed largely out of the settings of two of the four classic novels which we previously mentioned. "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Outlaws of the Marsh" (the translation of the title we prefer and will use for all future references) present a world where social order has collapsed due to corruption, poor government, war and dynastic change. In a chaotic time such as this, the population is largely subject to the petty tyrannies of strongmen who, through force of arms or threat of punishment, extort whatever they wish from a subjugated populace. This provides a rich plethora of antagonists from all walks of society. Important antagonists within "Return of the Condor Heroes" include no less than Kublai Khan himself, as his army of Mongols oppresses the Chinese citizenry and attempts to conquer the strategically important city of Xiangyang. At an intermediate level, Gongsun Zhi does not command the massive army of Kublai Khan;; but while his petty plots may not threaten the stability of the nation, the tyrannies he visits upon his family, retainers and visitors to the estate he rules are no less odious for their smaller scale. Providing a third (and even more petty) example of antagonism within our chosen example is the character known as Li Mochou. Li Mochou does not use her carefully cultivated strength and cruelty to capture or command. This nihilistic bandit and assassin wanders the world seemingly seeking nothing more than to make everyone she encounters as miserable as she is herself. Frequently she disappears from the story after some minor setback only to pop up again at some inopportune moment like a bad weed. A population oppressed by such a variety of villains will inevitably see a strange cross section of protagonists emerge. The protagonists of the Jianghu are, in some cases, differentiated from the antagonists only by the finest of margins. The crux of the division between hero and villain is largely related to the quality of loyalty. Yang Guo's father, Yang Kang, is a major antagonist of the first novel of the trilogy despite being the sworn brother of the chief protagonist, Guo Jing. Yang Kang is intelligent but treacherous. The nearly moronic Guo Jing, however, is exceptionally loyal. Yang Kang's son Yang Guo is, in his turn, a heroic character because, despite misunderstanding and occasional conflict with other protagonists, he remains ultimately loyal. Many of the heroes of Wuxia stories are essentially vagabonds. Though some may have had noble upbringings (Guo Jing and his mother were guests of Ghengis Khan during his formative years), many more were orphans who lacked inheritance, property or wealth. These heroes frequently overcome entrenched and politically powerful rivals through physical strength (readily be seen as a metaphor for their moral strength) and through popularity with their peers and with the subjected population who see this bizarre assortment of robin hoods as liberators. Together the heroes and villains who populate the Jianghu form the second fundamental locus of the setting: the Wulin. The Wulin The Wulin is, as we mentioned previously, the name given to the collection of heroes and villains within the Jianghu. Certain structural elements occur in nearly all Wuxia novels, and these serve to differentiate the genre from others that share common elements. The Wulin is a loose collection of martial artists. These fighters are usually not government-trained or -equipped soldiers - though they may occasionally be bandits and rebels against governmental authority. Even when a member of the Wulin chooses to take up defense of the nation, they rarely do so with anything resembling support from the institutions of the nation. Guo Jing is repeatedly rebuffed by an emperor (not seen, but referred to obliquely) when he seeks reinforcements to break the siege on Xiangyang. The members of the Wulin are generally divided based on three structures of allegiance. The tension between these allegiances and the way in which the protagonists resolve the tensions is a major feature of the plot of Wuxia stories (as is the frequent failings of the antagonists to adequately resolve their conflicting loyalties). These three structures are factional loyalty, familial loyalty and romantic loyalty. Rarely are the tensions between these three forms of loyalty as pronounced as in "The Return of the Condor Heroes." Factional politics plays a role in most Wuxia stories. The Wulin seems perpetually divided into several antagonistic groups. In the Condor trilogy we see divisions among the "five divines" (five martial artists of exceptional skill), their students and their rivals. These divisions exacerbate conflicts that distract the Wulin from the otherwise central task of resisting the advances of the Jurchens. Even after the Jurchen threat is repelled, replaced with the threat of the Mongols (who easily transition from ally to enemy as the political landscape shifts), the factional rivalries continue and are, in fact, passed down from the aging five divines and from the survivors of Guo Jing's generation to the youngsters of "The Return of the Condor Heroes." The conflict between the Quanzhen sect and the Ancient Tomb sect does not lie in the actions of Yang Guo or Xiaolongnu any more than in the actions of Zhao Zhijing or Yin Zhiping;; however, mired in a conflict that predates any of them by nearly three generations, they find that their often contrary interactions are governed in part by handed-down grudges. In Jin Yong's stories, this conflict is often portrayed as quite petty. For all their lofty ideals, the martial masters of the Wulin are often guided by remarkably unimportant grudges. Zhao Zhijing largely falls to treason due to his resentment of Yang Guo for forsaking him as an instructor. Yang Guo in turn forsook him as an instructor because he felt the man's skills were inferior to those of his own uncle (Guo Jing) and his godfather, the detestable Ouyang Feng. The Ancient Tomb sect, a small faction of martial artists based geographically adjacent to the Quanzhen sect, has rules requiring them to express their dislike for Quanzhen - which Yang Guo is happy to accept even though the architects of the feud died long before he was born. When it is eventually revealed that the two became rivals because of a failed romantic relationship and that each sect is essentially incomplete without the other, the nature of this rivalry is exposed in all its pettiness and is ultimately resolved with the cross-pollination of Quanzhen and Ancient Tomb theories through a friendship that develops between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu on the one hand and Zhou Botong (the most senior surviving member of Quanzhen and one of the few characters in the story who could claim to have met the founders of the rivalry) on the other. Poised in conflict to factional loyalty is romantic loyalty. We have already hinted at this by suggesting a romantic source for one of the chief factional feuds within the Jianghu of "The Return of the Condor Heroes." But this is explored even further within the novel through the relationship between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu. The two youngsters are close in age and rapidly attain similar skills; however, much of the novel centers on the strife that arises from their romantic relationship. Although the conflicts this relationship creates are primarily familial for Yang Guo, the same does not hold true for Xiaolongnu, who has no family at all. However, this does not prevent Xiaolongnu from facing the ire of her martial sister, Li Mochou, who is scandalized both by Xiaolongnu's willingness to take Yang Guo on as a student and her willingness to allow the teacher/student relationship between the two to transform into a romantic (and martial) partnership. Conflicts of familial loyalty frequently provide the most divisive elements. Yang Kang and Guo Jing are bound by a compact between two families that predates the birth of either. The obligation of their families to fulfill this agreement thrusts the two otherwise dissimilar men together in a way that culminates in conflict as Yang Kang must choose between the adoptive family that raised him and the history of familial connections that ties him to his homeland. His failure to resolve this conflict and his eventual decision to side with the Jurchen prince who took his mother in establish his status as an antagonist and precipitate his eventual downfall. The fallout of this conflict is generational in scope as Yang Guo learns how he became an orphan who never had a chance to meet his father. Guo Jing, who is responsible for Yang Guo's upbringing until foisting the latter upon the Quanzhen sect, has remained silent on the issue of Yang Kang's villainy. As a result, Yang Guo has deep-seated issues of abandonment made worse by the various tribulations he undergoes throughout his tumultuous youth. When Yang Guo eventually discovers evidence suggesting that Guo Jing and his wife Huang Rong may have been responsible for his father's death, the bonds of familial loyalty are strained, and he must choose between the only family he has ever known and the father who sired him. The rigid adherence to Confucian ethics of Guo Jing further complicates matters for Yang Guo when he brings his girlfriend home to meet the family. Confucian morality forbids the transformation of a teacher/student relationship into a romantic one, and both Guo Jing and Huang Rong (Guo Jing's wife) go to some lengths to attempt to disrupt the burgeoning romance between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu. This is actually one point in which "The Return of the Condor Heroes" stands out from the pack. While it is true that Confucian ethics and morality play an important role in most Wuxia novels, it is a much rarer event to find a novel willing to engage and, in fact, challenge Confucian morality. This quirk helps propagate ambiguity between friend and foe within the Wulin by demonstrating that the clearly heroic Huang Rong shares common ground with the evidently villainous Li Mochou - as each independently expresses very similar sentiments regarding the inappropriateness of the relationship between Yang Guo and his teacher. These conflicting the Wulin loyalties create a tension not found in other genres of fiction. One would never expect Aragorn to sit down and have a chat with the Nazgul. And yet this is precisely the case within the Wulin - which is a small enough community that most of the protagonists and antagonists are aware of each other by reputation if not socially. The close nature of the Wulin and the factions and families within it is a defining characteristic of Wuxia. Within the Condor Trilogy, Jin Yong presents hope for the eventual resolution of these factional rivalries as, by the advent of "Yi Tian To Long Ji" (known in English as "the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre"), the conflicts that drive the first two books have faded away. However, a cynic will note that though these conflicts have been resolved, this was done only to make way for new conflicts. The clever author then proceeds to allow the fallout of these rivalries to spill over into "Xiao Ao Jianghu" which, although not technically part of the series, occupies the same fictional history as the Condor Trilogy. Plot in Wuxia Jin Yong has a narrative style that informs the plot in all the books he writes. This plot structure has predecessors within Chinese historical fiction and is also present to a greater or lesser extent in the works of most of the other relevant modern Wuxia authors. These works usually begin with a first chapter that is very nearly a prologue, divorced by time, location or characters who may not make an appearance in subsequent chapters. A tragic event will occur (frequently costing the lives of many of the characters just introduced) and this will set events in motion that culminate in the primary action of the story. This pattern can certainly be seen in the Condor Trilogy. The first chapter of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" concentrates on the parents of Guo Jing and Yang Kang, who die or disappear in short order to establish the situation that leads to the two young men's very different development. Our main example is no exception. In this book the opening pages show Li Mochou arriving at a home to seek revenge on a former lover who spurned her in favour of another. Finding her lover and his wife already dead, she decides simply to kill everyone else at the house. This atrocity is largely irrelevant to the eventual outcome of the story (as Li Mochou exits the story years before the tale ends), but it serves two purposes. First, it introduces new factions previously absent in the earlier book, and second, it provides an understanding that there is no one starting point for the events of the Jianghu. One must approach a Wuxia novel with the understanding that the story will already be in progress. The authors understand that the passage of history is fluid, and they attempt to show an openness to the start of the action that compensates for the frequently definite endings of the stories. The use of returning characters within the first two novels of the Condor Trilogy furthers the idea that this is a story with no definite beginning or end. Even after the heroes vanquish their foes and get to live "happily ever-after," ever-after turns out to be only a short time. Ten short years later, Guo Jing and Huang Rong (the primary protagonists of the first book) return to action, albeit as secondary protagonists, when they decide to send Yang Kang's orphaned son off to school. The temporally distant conclusion of the trilogy furthers this sense of "open-endedness." It provides only the slightest of links to the action of the first two novels, by means of the first-chapter inclusion of the daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong (an early teenager smitten by hero worship for Yang Guo in the concluding chapters of the second book) and the presence of two swords forged from Yang Guo's iconic giant blade (which serve as major plot items throughout the novel). As the authors of Wuxia novels openly admit, they cannot capture the entire history of a course of events; so instead, they choose to structure the story along a different, and well-used, pattern - the progression from childhood to adulthood. In some examples this progression is symbolic rather than literal. Linghu Chong, the protagonist of "Xiao Ao Jianghu," is an adult when first encountered and the book spans only a few years of time. Linghu Chong is not much older at the end of his story than he was at the beginning. However, we still see the young man progress from childish concerns and dalliances into much more adult ones as his unwavering loyalty repeatedly thrusts him into the rocks of betrayal at the hands of his inhuman master. The maturation of the character is as marked as if he had progressed from a ten-year-old boy to a forty-year-old man. In "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the progression from childhood to adulthood is much more literal. Yang Guo is still a child when first encountered in the early pages of the novel. By the end of the story he is a battle-hardened and deeply wounded man in middle age. Decades pass as the hero develops from a rebellious boy to an exemplar of compassion, loyalty and forgiveness. The use of martial arts further reinforces this transformation. Kung Fu in Wuxia Literature It would be nearly impossible to discuss Wuxia literature without addressing kung fu. In fact, we have already been doing so at length with references to the teacher/student relationship, the factional rivalries that contribute to the tension within books of the genre, and even by simply mentioning the name of the genre and of the community of characters within the stories (as the "Wu" of Wuxia and the Wulin is the same as the "wu" of wushu). Martial arts is an indispensable part of the setting, a fundamental device employed in all Wuxia stories, that provides insight into the metaphysics of the genre and is a symbol for personal growth of the primary characters within a story. At the most basic level, martial arts enters the Wuxia novel as a part of the setting. The truth is that the characters who act in significant ways within the genre are, for the most part, martial artists. Pugilism is the primary career of the protagonists and is very frequently the obsession of antagonists. Some memorable characters (such as Ouyang Feng) become so obsessed with cultivating greater skill with fists and feet that they will take extremely cruel actions just in the off chance that their fighting abilities might improve. This obsession with martial arts by the characters in Wuxia manifests itself in a standard trope of the genre: selection of a leader by way of duelling. In "Return of the Condor Heroes," Huang Rong steps aside as head of the beggar's guild and a contest is held to select the new leader. When some otherwise ineligible candidates come forward and successfully claim the right to compete for the position, we can see the extent to which martial skill matters to the population. At this particular competition further involvement of fighters with little interest in leadership but significant interest in fighting against the interlopers disturbs matters further, and eventually a man is selected as leader who is most decidedly not the most powerful martial artist in attendance. This has later consequences when one of the pugilists who attempted to crash the party eventually murders the essentially defenseless man and the Beggar's Guild is forced to repeat the whole insane process over again. The Beggar's Guild is certainly not alone as a martially derived faction. Quanzhen sect (along with Wuxia mainstays such as Shaolin and Wudang - neither of which plays a significant role in the action of our example novel) was, in reality, a religious order in which martial cultivation, if present, would have played second-fiddle to spiritual cultivation. In the world of Wuxia, this dichotomy is turned on its head and suddenly the fact that the Quanzhen "sword sect" is actually an order of Taoist priests is seen as mere window-dressing for their famous pugilistic powers. In novels featuring Shaolin temple we see the same process occur. Furthermore, this process has been so successful that many people in the west may be likely to think of kung fu before Buddhism when Shaolin is mentioned. Of course, the martial arts of the Wuxia genre are not the mundane fighting arts of our modern world. Instead, it derives from a medical and metaphysical outlook rooted in Chinese traditional medicine and in folk stories of supernatural beings such as the Monkey King and semi-mythical folk heroes such as Guanyu and Zhang Fei. A few common features of Wuxia martial skills are sadly unavailable to those of us who practice our arts in the real world. One such technique - a favorite of kung fu cinema - is called Qinggong (or lightness skill). Masters of Qinggong can't quite fly, but it's a near thing. The Qinggong expert, able to propel himself effortlessly dozens of feet into the air, to run across the tops of tall grasses and even across the surface of water, is a mainstay of the Wuxia novel. Beyond the feats of near flight and generic "lightness," these masters can also move at exceptional speeds over great distances. Even if the hero is not an expert at Qinggong at the beginning of a book, one can expect that they will have obtained training in this fundamental skill by the end. Few people lay claim, in real life, to any real approximation of the Qinggong skill. However, people do claim efficacy in acupressure and neigong, which are two areas of martial arts seen in Wuxia literature and its predecessors. Acupressure points are carefully directed strikes that rearrange the flow of qi through the victim. These strikes can render a person unable to use their martial arts, can harm their "internal strength," and can paralyze or even kill. It seems like every pugilist in the world of Wuxia novels has at least some skill in these accurate pokes. Neigong is the family of "internal martial arts." Although pugilists in Wuxia stories can become skilful without the use of neigong techniques, the most effective and advanced of the martial artists in these stories are deeply skilled in some profound form of neigong. Within the context of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the two pinnacles of profound neigong appear to be the neigong of the Quanzhen sect and the Nine Yin Manual. For the sake of brevity we will concentrate on one of these two martial arts, the Nine Yin Manual. This manual, stolen in the previous novel from Huang Yaoshi, is an object of much desire for the martial artists within the story. Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu stumble upon a part of the manual which Yang Guo learns sufficiently to show Ouyang Feng the flaw in his own version of it. Ouyang Feng has been driven mad by practicing a flawed version of the manual and is so obsessed with mastering the manual that he allows other matters to fall by the wayside so that he can improve his skill. Fragments of the powerful skill are also in the possession of various other master martial artists within the book, including Guo Jing, his daughter Guo Xiang, and an eventual descendant of Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu known only as the girl in the yellow dress, who appears in the third novel of the trilogy. Possession of martial skills, whether these supernatural ones or more down-to-earth systems of sword combat, boxing and wrestling, is a major motivator for protagonists and antagonists alike within Wuxia stories. However, martial arts play a symbolic role within the genre that combines with the more mundane role of plot device to give them even greater significance. Wuxia stories are, at their most fundamental level, about the development of a person from childhood to adulthood. The ability of the primary protagonist to employ martial arts and his position within the rankings of the Wulin provide a metaphor for this development. In "Xiao Ao Jianghu," Linghu Chong (with false modesty) claims in the early pages to be the eighty-ninth strongest martial artist presently active in the Wulin. Although we can disregard the specific position as spurious, certainly it positions him as a middling member of the community, strong in his own right but far from the pinnacle. By the end of the novel, with access to the superior neigong of Shaolin Temple and the sun-moon sect, and with the death of anybody who could have practiced the Pixie sword manual or the Sunflower manual, Linghu Chong is arguably the strongest pugilist remaining. We see a more striking parallel in the character of Yang Guo in our primary example. Yang Guo, when we first meet him, knows only a few basic techniques taught to him by his mother. These are insufficient to prevent him being bullied. Huang Rong was the primary care giver for Yang Guo between the time he comes to Peach Blossom Island following the death of his mother and when he was sent to Quanzhen. During that (admittedly brief) time she did little to improve his martial arts as she feared he would turn out like his father. Yang Guo goes on to study a hodgepodge of martial arts from the styles of the majority of the five divines as well as the Ancient Tomb sect's martial arts and those of the mysterious Dugu Qiubai. By the end of the story, he is able to single-handedly defeat Jinlun Dawang - a feat that even Huang Yaoshi and Zhou Botong cannot match. Wuxia Literature and Cinema In some ways, Wuxia literature has been poorly served by cinematic adaptation. Many films promote style over substance, stripping the novels down to a mere sequence of fights and training montages. As we have shown in this article, Wuxia literature is much more than simply an assortment of battles arranged into a plot. Wuxia is a complicated genre of literature which, standing at the crux of fantasy and historical literature, manages to create an independent identity that has made it one of the most dominant forms of popular literature throughout East Asia. Any martial artist who is interested in martial media would be well advised to read a Wuxia story. Translations can be found for some of the most famous novels through online services, although the list is far from complete. The good people at wuxiapedia have endeavoured to collect a group of translations of these stories, though many of these translations are incomplete. For those who are fortunate enough to be able to read Chinese well enough to enjoy a novel, the options are much greater for now; but in a few years time, who knows how much progress the volunteers of wuxiapedia or some other enterprising fan of the genre will have made in helping to expose the western world to this sometimes bizarre and always interesting genre of fiction. By Simon McNeil (C) 2010 KungFuMagazine.com. Republished by permission.

The Immortal Storyverse (TIS) is an inter-connected universe of characters and stories that brings together all the wide-ranging influences and inspirations of the Wuxia genre, from Kung Fu to Immortals in one world. TIS is adapted from the library of Chinese Wuxia legend Shiao Yi. COMICS The Immortal Storyverse (TIS) is an inter-connected universe of characters and stories that bring s together all the wide-ranging influences and inspirations of the Wuxia genre , from Kung Fu to Immortals in one world . TIS is adapted f rom the library of Chinese W uxia legend Shiao Yi’s 60+ previously published titles along with contributions from other Immortal creators. All our stories will be published as comics and graphic novels first before considering other venues to further the stories. Key Tenets inclues: There Are No Radioactive Spiders In our world, everyone has the potential to develop heroic powers because ability comes from self cultivation and mastery. Everybody is the One in our world. Embracing the Ancient Future Immortal contemporizes the Eastern martial hero tradition, setting our stories in modern times amongst today’s social, political, and cultural contexts. Transformative Journies Wuxia is a transformational genre, and Immortal rem ains aut hentic to its traditions of empowe rment, self-discovery, elevation and connection with the world around us. Welcoming Believers, Purists and Neophytes Immortal embraces the deep historical, cultural, spiritual roots of the genre that has spanned 5000 years and is singularly focused on its continuation onto the world.

Assassin G: She was trained by her master to avenge all wrongs committed against her, and the last thing she expected was to fall in love with the scion of a sworn enemy. Adapted from the best selling Wuxia novel by Shiao Yi that has been made into television 4 times. Published by Immortal Studios. Adapted from the Shiao Yi novel 甘 19 妹 (gan the 19th Assassin) Came in 2021

A Resource Guide for the AAPI Community We have also assembled an AAPI Resource Guide below for those who are in need of direct assistance and other resources in this moment. Here is useful information and links to: Protect Asian Americans For Parents to Help Children Useful Lists Asian American News Sites Organizations Shared Statements Against Asian American Violence Report Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes To submit new info to be added to this list, contact us at contact@immortal-studios.com . Protect Asian Americans 1. Compassion in Oakland - Support our Elderly Compassion in Oakland is a movement for the community to come together to support our Elderly Asians. It was formed in response to the surge of anti-Asian attacks -- particularly in California’s Bay Area. Hundreds of volunteers have come forward from all across the Bay of all different backgrounds, to stand against AAPI hate. Request Chaperone - If you are nervous about walking home alone in California's Bay Area, then visit Compassion's homepage for info to call for a Chaperone or to schedule one in advance. Volunteer Signup Start a Branch in your Hometown 2. Anti-Hate Safety Resources From the Asian American Federation, these safety resources, created in collaboration with experts from the Center for Anti-Violence Education, teach targeted individuals how to de-escalate threatening situations and defend themselves in the event of anti-Asian violence. The flyers in 5 Asian languages offer strategies to help individuals safely intervene if they see someone being targeted or to use verbal and/or physical methods to safely exit a threatening situation. 3. Bystander Intervention Training to Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice are offering virtual Bystander Intervention Training to help allies develop the tools they need to respond to, stop, or de-escalate harassment faced by Asian Americans. See Advancing Justice - Chicago activities . For Parents to Help Children Guide for Parents of Asian/Asian American Adolescents Videos to provide parents with the knowledge and skills to effectively support their children. in English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese from William James College. Asian American Racism and Mental Health Resources From the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness. Useful Lists Anti-Asian Violence Resources Find resources that have been gathered to help individuals educate others, take action, donate, and more. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Promote the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research Love Has No Labels Ways to Support the Asian Community. There are many actions you can take right now to support your Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander (API) friends, neighbors, and community members. Playbill To help Stop AAPI Hate, starting steps on where to donate, organizations to support, and more. Info about Covid-19 From Asian American Federation, community resources to help navigate these uncertain times. News NextShark - Asian American News NextShark is a leading source covering Asian American News and Asian News including business, culture, entertainment, politics, tech and lifestyle. AsAmNews AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on news, events, people & issues in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. NBC Asian America Stories, issues and opinions from the Asian American perspective. The New York Times - Asian Americans HuffPost Asian Voices Refinery29 - Asian Americans Angry Asian Man This blog is about Asian America. Moc hi Online publication for Asian American women to give content, resources and inspiration. Organizations StandwithAsianAmericans.com Stop AAPI Hate Our communities stand united against racism. Hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we can stop it. Hate is a Virus Hate Is A Virus is a nonprofit community of mobilizers and amplifiers that exists to dismantle racism and hate. Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus is the nation’s first legal and civil rights organization serving the low-income Asian Pacific American communities. Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Atlanta National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Our mission is to build collective power with AAPI women and girls to gain full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities. CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities works to build grassroots community power across diverse poor and working class Asian immigrant and refugee communities in New York City. Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Committee The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) is a coalition of community-based organizations that advocates for the rights and needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) Community in the greater Los Angeles area. Chinese for Affirmative Action CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. Asian American Federation Advocates for better policies, services, and funding that lead to more justice and opportunity for Asian immigrants, one of New York City's poorest and most underserved communities. Federal Asian Pacific American Council Represents the civilian and military Asian Pacific American (APA) employees in the Federal and District of Columbia governments. AAPI Progressive Action Promotes awareness and action for progressive AAPI causes. Shared Statements Against Asian American Violence Asian Organizations Across the Bay Area Join Forces to Demand Action Against Violence Our Shared Statement Against Anti-Asian Violence | Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA Report Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes Stop AAPI Hate You can make a report of any racist of discriminatory incidents toward the Asian community. Anti-Asian Bias Reporting Form Report bias incidents and hate crimes in English and 7 Asian languages to the Asian American Federation. Stand Against Hatred Tell your story and help the Asian Americans Advancing Justice track hate. New York Attorney General’s office at 1-800-711-7755, or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov March 26, 2021 - National Day of Action and Healing

Fa Sheng: Origins, another comic in the Immortal Storyverse, will be coming soon in 2021.

The Immortal Library includes the entire Shiao Yi Library. Shiao Yi is one of the foremost authors in the Wuxia genre. His work is recognized by millions for its impact on Chinese culture and has been adapted into film & television. He is the 1st Asian author to have a permanent collection at UCLA. Shiao Yi is one of the foremost authors in the Wuxia genre. His work is recognized by millions for its impact on Chinese culture and has been adapted into film & television. Shiao Yi is the first Asian author to have a permanent collection at UCLA and he has been inducted into the Contemporary Writer's Museum in Beijing. Shiao Yi en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiao _Yi Shiao Yi (simplified Chinese: 萧逸 ; traditional Chinese: 蕭逸 ; pinyin: Xiāo Yì; 4 June 1936 – 19 November 2018) was a Chinese American Wuxia ("martial hero") novelist. and screenwriter who is considered one of the greatest of the genre in the modern era. Shiao Yi was also the founder and first chairman of the Chinese Writers' Association of North America.Shiao Yi's Wuxia novels are known for their emphasis on traditional Chinese culture and ethics, the arechetype of the Xia (hero), understanding of Taoist philosophy, exquisite sensitivity of romance and human emotions as well as a wide variety of writing styles. Having written 55 novels and novellas as well as nearly 1,000 essays in the course of his life, Shiao Yi is one of the most successful and prolific Chinese writers to date. He is considered a new school Wuxia novelist and is also one of the pioneers of the modern xianxia ("immortal heroes") sub-genre. Twenty of his works have been adapted for film and hundreds of hours of television, influencing the East Asian cultural spheres and the Chinese diaspora. Shiao Yi is often mentioned alongside Jin Yong in the phrase "Nan Jin Bei Shiao" (Chinese: 南金北蕭 ; lit.: 'Jin of the south and Shiao of the north'), and as one of the Five Tigers of the Taiwanese Wuxia Scene (Chinese: 台灣武俠界五虎上將 ) together with Gu Long, Wolong Sheng, Sima Ling, and Zhuge Qingyun.