They are high school versions reincarnated ancient generals and they battle evil with their guitars

[dangermousie]

OK, five minutes into K.O. 3an Guo and I think I am going to enjoy it hugely.

The best way to describe it is "Three Kingdoms meet Tenjou Tenge.

KO posits a very important question - what would happen if the legendary generals, politicians and beauties from the Chinese ancient classic Three Kingdoms, were somehow fighting-mad high-school kids with supernatural powers who battled via rival schools. I bet you didn't know you needed to have that in your life!

Here are Liu Bei (!!!!) and an unknown fellow hero, battling to save the world through their guitar riffs:



Is it a nuanced, well-written, and equisitely-acted masterpiece? No. If you want that, you should watch the 2010 adaptation of the classic itself. But it knows to poke fun at itself with its tongue lodged firmly in cheek, so I can forgive it a lot. I do think it would have been much better as an anime - the set-up would fit a shounen anime perfectly (see Tenjou Tenge comparison) and a lot of this drama's ticks and tricks are very anime-like - animations to show emotions, weird distortions, etc.



I have no idea whose reincarnation he's supposed to be but he's here because he's hot:



Liu Bei with his fighting guitar. Ahahaha. Also, I am finding Liu Bei hot. I just - I just.



Zhao Yun:



Guan Yu:



The Warlords. Ahahahaha. My brain is breaking.





You know how I mentioned anime-like tricks with distortions? As an example - see this bit with Guan Yu and Yide being expelled in kidergarten:



Or this bit in the credits with Guan Yu's reaction to Diao Chan:




Yes, this is this version's take on Yellow Handkerchiefs' uprising:



Oh, how I laughed:




Did I mention that in this version Guan Yu and Diao Chan are an OTP?




Even if she at first gets it on with Lu Bu (I wonder how the updated saying goes? "Among high school students Lu Bu, among bicycles, Red Hare?" Or something. LOL):




Well, I suppose it's better than the proper TK ending for the woobies:



I think I may be quite in love with this cynical, snarky version of Liu Bei:











His reaction to Guan Yu's noble sentiments:



We are going to be friends, Liu Bei.

Comments

[anenko]

This look a~mazing. My plan was to finish all the dramas I've already started (ha!), but I ended up spending yesterday Googling in search of English subs for K.O 3an Guo instead. *facepalm*

[dangermousie]

LOLOLOL yes. Let me know if you need help finding them.

[anenko]

I watched the first segment on viki. It's as ridiculously fun as it looks. I want to find somewhere that I can pause the video to take screencaps without that arrow ruining the image, though.

[dangermousie]

You can download the eps at DoReMii's website (they are the ones hardsubbing it). Or Am-A.

[anenko]

Thank you! I checked out DoReMii's blog, but thought that the eps were only available by torrent. I found the MU links, and am downloading as I type :)

[phoenixbasilisk.livejournal.com]

HOLY CRAP. i find so many gems here. just started this one because you were posting about it. so addicted already!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL Yay!

[littledelusion.livejournal.com]

My God, I kind of desperately want to watch this but I don't have the time (or patience). Also, I would not get any of the jokes at all since I know nothing about the original except for Peter Ho. :3

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't think you need to be any sort of TK expert but basic knowledge of the story does make this 10x funnier. I think it's the kind of thing that works that even if you don't know the original.

It's not that long - each season is self contained and only 16 eps or so.

[littledelusion.livejournal.com]

WHY ARE YOU TEMPTING ME. WHY?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It has more hot idols than you can shake a stick at :)

Also, it's the first drama in months, and possibly years, where I found myself laughing out loud.

Also, OTPs:



Also, bizarre uniforms!



It's like anime come to life :)

[littledelusion.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of obsessed with that otp, which is why I'm so tempted to watch. I'm a complete sucker for the "she's a sweet, awesome cutie with a soul and he's a secretly dorky emo kid who angsts over her!"

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Which OTP? If you mean Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao then

a. yes, I am pre-emptively obsessed with them too and
b. I believe that doesn't start until S2, sorry.

But I am sure Liu Bei (well Fake Liu Bei) and Shang Xiang are going to be awesome too, mainly because I am in love with Fake Liu Bei already. Plus, the possibility of conflict with the whole "he is using a false identity" thing could be yum...Plus, there are kiss scenes when she's asleep and the like.

[lastingdreams8.livejournal.com]

Ahahah, Xiu! I watched KO ONE and half way through X-Family, gotta love these series :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Xiu substitutes for the real Liu Bei in this one. LOLOLOL Love.

[magiccard-1.livejournal.com]

K.O. 3an Guo, all I can say, is my guilt pleasure (*blush*). I literally threw my sanity out of the window while watching, laughed like mad for the ridiculousness, squealed hysterically for the romance and even cried for the bromance!!
I always marvel at the writers’ creativity. They weaved that classic ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS into their own bizarre world (multiple timelines, evil spirits, mysterious power, RPG-mixed-martial arts, and fights among high schools) and created so many lovely or hateful or interesting characters.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am only an ep in, but I am addicted. The way they riff on TK is actually clever and the whole drama is hilarious. I literally find myself laughing out loud, which is pretty rare.

Hey, spoil me for OTPs.

Xiu/SX (or is it Real Liu Bei/SX?)
Zhou Yu/XQ
Guan Yu/Diaochan

Am I correct?

Oh, how much I loved that the real Liu Bei was such an evil manipulative skuzzball. Luckily his replacement seems kinda awesome so far.

[magiccard-1.livejournal.com]

You are right about the OTPS. Most importantly, they ALL have their happy endings!

Xiu/SX
Cute, sweet and angst! There is evil father strongly against our OTP (but I don’t hate Sun Jian) and the whole I-love-you-so-much-but-I-am-from-another-timeline-so-I-can’t-be-with-you conflict.

Real Liu Bei/Lady Gan, his childhood sweetheart.
Though I find real Liu Bei interesting and entertaining, I actually don’t care who his otp is. But this is a historically correct pairing and Lady Gan is suitable for real Liu Bie.

Zhou Yu/XQ
There are fascinating gazes, misunderstandings, hurt/comfort and so many yummy cliches. However, no matter how much I love this OTP, I always feel sorry for CaoCao. Even in this version, Caocao still gain his own charisma. I can’t help shedding tears for his unrequited love. His awkward confession, his love song “I would like to be your summoned-beast” (everytime he missed a chance to confess, this song popped out. And it became so hilarious later when all the people sang this song to make fun of the pitiful Caocao.), his shyly smile and his lonely figure are all memorized.
Sidenote: Caocao got a nickname “President Sama” even when he was no longer the president of the student union.

Guan Yu/Diaochan
I root for Guan Yu/Diaochan rather than Lu Bu/Diaochan because I actually think Diaochan can have more fun with Guan Yu (or with those quirky friends, Diaochan can be bright and funny, taking off that cardboard beauty façade). Lu Bu has manpain, angst and father issue here, but not delicious enough (or not broken/pretty enough?) to defeat that shy, righteous, hilarious, warm, and fierce fighter Guan Yu.

Sun Ce/Daqiao or Sun Quan/Daqiao
It is hard for a lot of audiences to choose. But I would say I root for Sun Ce/Daqiao simply for they love each other, though I am greatly touched by that beautiful and poignant secondary male story of Sun Quan.

Zhu Geliang/Lady Huang
No comment…
It reminds me that have you finished PI LI MIT?

Other pairings:
Caocao/Liu Bie or Caocao/Guan Yu,
Liu Bie/Guan Yu or Liu Bie/Zhang Fei or Guan Yu/Zhang Fei
Ma Chao/Huang Zhong or Ma Chao/Huang Zhong/Zhao Yun
Sun Quan/Zhou Yu or Sun Ce/Zhou Yu

I am not kiding…

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That sounds great!

And yes, I found myself surprised I don't mind GY/DC being the endgame, seeing that I am such a rabid Lu Bu/DC shipper in Three Kingdoms itself but I think it's because it's a clever riff.

[phoenixbasilisk.livejournal.com]

and omg, guan yu (the really fast one?) reminds of Wolverine. LOL.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMG, I was thinking who he is reminding me of. You (or is it 'yu') are so so so right. Also, like Wolvie, hot-headed, great at fighting, loyal, and not the brightest. Plus that Wolverine haircut dead-to-rights.

How far in are you? I am only an ep in, but I adore it. Whoever wrote this didn't like Liu Bei at all - talk about a sociopath! But mmmm, Xiu. >>>>>> other version of Liu Bei as far as appeal goes.

[phoenixbasilisk.livejournal.com]

Hahahahha, its the haircut that gave it away to me. i know right? ASIAN WOLVIE! all he needs now are a set of claws. XD ...then again he does have a giant sword.

im about 3 eps in. oh hahahah, yeah i agree alt Liu is better than real one!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am just finishing ep 3. I have to say, in a cast of attractive guys, Ma Chao's archer friend whose name escapes me = mmmmm and my favorite :)

[lavelventine.livejournal.com]

*Can't look at this with a straight face*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I aim to please :)

[magiccard-1.livejournal.com]

I rewatched ep 1 yesterday, figured out the “unknown fellow heroic boybander” in your first cap is Zhou Yu, and also recalled while Liu Bei and Zhou Yu had their guitars, Caocao had his piano!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Cao Cao has a piano? ROFL

[vrablikkod.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6M_6qOz-yw