Hey all! This post is kind of long, but have no fear I have broken up some of the parts into different TL;DR posts. They will be rolled out in the next couple of days (maybe into the next couple of weeks) and will be linked in the comments when they are posted! You can get notification upon publishing if you subscribe to my newsletter (found at the bottom of the page). Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Media about esports is somewhat of an anomaly to me. Despite large streaming numbers, upwards of 10 million viewers, the medium isn’t considered mainstream in the public’s zeitgeist. There is an obvious market for esports, gamming, and video games in general, yet the idea of esports is foreign to most and is deeply misunderstood by people. I think that this misunderstanding comes from a generation dived but also societal clichés and stereotypes. To provide some context, between 2020 and 2022 the market earned over 3 billion USD in revenue, and an international audience size of over 261 million people. Other things to consider when discussing esports are streaming services and the reach websites like Twitch and YouTube have in growing and maintaining the esport market. This year, the American esports market will make just over 14 million dollars alone in online streaming and an additional 67 million in streaming rights.
I think that these numbers show that there is a demand for esports and content about it. Like, there are entire TV shows about high school football, basketball, and baseball so why isn’t there anything about esports? To answer the question, there is content, and it is surprisingly good! I think it’s understandable that much of this content comes out of Mainland China, a major hub when it comes to esports, but the fact that these shows have transcended boards and can be found streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime is wild to me.
To provide some background information on esports and how we got here, I think it’s important to understand that competitive and professional videogame playing isn’t anything new and has solid roots in the 1980’s and the growth of arcade culture. Despite being still up in the air, the majority of people seem to agree that ‘National Space Invaders Championships’ in 1980 was the first major esports competition. With around 10,000 people in attendance this event proved competitive gaming was a big deal and more than just a hobby. Another competitive tournament even earlier is in 1975 and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Stanford University hosting an ‘Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics’ which saw about 24 participants. A handful of prizes were given out at the tournament including first place winning a year-long subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine.
People have been competing against each other in both official and unofficial capacities since videogames broke into popular culture. People have been playing video games even longer as Pong was introduced in the 1970s and less technological games like pinball were widely popularized in the 1930s. Although 1930s pinball wizards were not playing for million-dollar cash prizes, the competitive nature of ‘electronic games’ is engrained in the cultures that surround them. These games are inherently primed for competition and the idea of playing in a tournament, organized challenge, or trying to beat the high score isn’t too outlandish. Throw in a cash (or a car) prize and you’ve got the starter pack for professional gaming.
There is a lot more nuance when it comes to the history of esports that are frankly outside the scope of what I want to talk about. There are some important things to note however, and I’ll do my best to summarize it without missing too much.[1] During the 1990s more video games were released and technology was developed in such a way they were more widely available and accessible to the masses. This decade also saw the introduction of long living franchises like “Super Street Fighter II” and the first “Doom” game both franchises with large impacts on popular culture and the video gaming industry. With more variety available to people there was essentially a game for everyone this widened the types of people who got into video games and opened them to new demographics.
In 1997 The Professional Gamers League (PGL) ran its first tournament for the real time strategy game “Starcraft.” Sponsored by Microsoft, the founders of the league raised over $1.2mil USD in sponsorship money. This was huge at the time and set the stage for the payouts and prizes that we see today. This tournament also set fourth the standard for what tournaments look like today and what can be expected from them.
In 1999 “Counter-Strike” was released and turned major heads within the gaming community. A large-scale multi-player game was now available, thanks to “Counter-Strike,” where people could play and compete against others around the world. Before this people typically played in teams against computers. A team of five would be play against a computer controlling five characters. This led to predictability and made the games lass fun. “Counter-Strike” allowed for more opportunities when it came to competition, making matches more competitive and spontaneous. “Counter-Strike” also led the way for other “massively online battle arena” or MOBA games like “League of Legends” and “Dota 2” to come out to similar success. According to the British Esports, there are over 40 esport titles that are competed regularly. Esports is a multi-billion-dollar industry that, to people not in the know, is basically invisible.
In this paper I’d like to make a distinction between arcade games, PC games, and console games. For the contents of this paper and in relation to the media discussed in it, PC games will be the most relevant and important. This isn’t to say that there isn’t a vibrant professional culture when it comes to arcade games, rather PC games are often what first come to people’s minds when they think of esports and are also the focus of the shows I’d like to discuss. I think the niche nature of the genre makes any kind of show within it unique. There are five main shows that I want to discuss in this paper. Two of them come out of China, one out of Turkey, and the other two are American originals. Instead of a traditional compare and contrast format I want to evaluate these shows individually and evaluate this show and attempt to find what makes them good (or not) and general appeal that can be find in this sub-genre of media. Whether it’s the characters, the story, or the general vibe, I want to discover the genre while also having an excuse to talk about one of by favourite properties of all time. I curious to know why these shows work (or don’t), and what people see in them.
Video Game High School
Video Game High School is an American web series and is probably the series I have the least amount to speak for. This isn’t because the show isn’t good or somehow an inferior product, but rather the series is short and is not the most accessible show. Despite being the easiest to watch show on this list, Video Game High School (VGHS) is a show made by gamers for gamers and it doesn’t hold back on the lingo, vibes, and general story telling. There is some prerequisite knowledge that is required to understand the show to enjoy it. This isn’t to say that it is completely indecipherable but there will be way less cringe if you can enjoy it with nostalgia and understanding of lingo and references.
I think that VGHS deserves a spot on this list as it is one of two American productions that I can think of. It is also the oldest on this list coming out in 2012 and that makes it a product of the esports boom that happened post 2008. Additionally, lots of people have watched this show with about 110 million people watching season three alone.
VGHS is about high schooler Brian D, a below average gamer, who lucks his way into beating the number one ranked amateur of the in-universe first person shooter game Field of Fire. This victory earns him a spot into the prestigious Video Game High School a school where teens learn the inns and outs of Field of Fire. Starting at the school ranked last, Brian D must prove his worth and status in the school and among his fellow classmates. VGHS uses all the tropes of teen high school shows and video games to build the lore and story of the show. This show has a degree of camp and comedy that can only come from an indie production. Like, Lawrence “The Law” Pemberton is a villain straight out of Scooby Doo. In season one, the main character BrianD, has literal nightmares about The Law and his psychological warfare.
In Nicholas Cervania’s article about why you would watch Video Game High School he says:
Part of Brian’s struggle is to stand out amongst a team that’s exactly like him. While being one of the strongest players on his team, Brian still isn’t the star player. He’s the fish-out-of-water protagonist — he’s the everyman. His role is for the audience to project onto him and experience the world through his eyes. The star player role really belongs to his love interest and team captain, Jenny Matrix. As the show goes on, this role ends up driving a wedge between her and Brian when she’s offered a chance to fulfill her life-long dream of joining her favorite eSports team. These types of subplots exist for everyone, each character is faced with different motivations and conflicts that are impactful and long-lasting over the course of the show.
I think this summery tells a lot about why this show is so charming and engaging. I think that the general appeal of VGHS is the characters. Within the show, the characters depict a lot of sentiments that young people have regarding their hobbies, friends, and interests. The characters in VGHS are complex and they have challenges outside of videogames. I also think that this show attempts to show the impacts that things like bullying, low-self esteem, and family conflicts have on people and how those effects things like hobbies. I also think that, unlike some of the other shows in this list, it is somewhat grounded in reality. The people in this show face challenges that are contemporary and translate into real-life struggles. Like obviously a high school where kids only learn about how to play video games is a little outlandish, but I think that the underlying story and message of the show can transcend video games and apply to every day high school troubles. Like, Brian D is insecure about his abilities and skills. He wants to become better but feels held back by his surroundings and the people he is forced to interact with. These are real struggles that teens face and I think this show does a good job depicting the highs and lows of high school.
On a side note, I think that the representation of women in this show is also great. Jenny Matrix is shown to be one of the best players in the school and in no way is the fact she’s a girl disparaged or tokenized. The fact that there is more than one girl character is another plus and I think that the diversity in personalities and portrayals makes the show more inclusive and friendly to women fans. I also like the fact that this show discusses games outside of the typical scope of esports and touches upon other genres of gamming like fighting, rhythm, racing, and social gaming. I think a lot of the time these games are often thrown aside and considered not “true” gamming so the fact that this show is inclusive of them is cool.
1UP
1Up is a movie more about pseudo-feminism than it is esports. I think a lot of my sentiment towards this movie can be found in Chi Ngo’s essay The problem with #GirlPower. Ngo talks about Neoliberalism Feminism and the idea of what women are worth and how that contributes to feminism and commodification. Ngo talks about Catherine Rotenberg, the person who originally coined this term, and layouts the basis for this idea.
“[Neoliberal feminism] encourages individual women to focus on themselves and their own aspirations” so that “feminism can be more easily popularised, circulated and sold in the marketplace… [neoliberalism feminism] is an unabashedly exclusionary [space]” that falls short of critiquing race, class, and privileges as well as misogynistic social and structural systems in place.
Ngo furthers this claim by saying “neoliberal feminism celebrates empowerment and confidence as an individual pursuit, and when girls cannot feel confident or empowered, it is their own failings.” Rotenberg states that “there is nothing about [neoliberal] feminism that threatens the powers that be.”
I don’t want this review to feel like a take down of a “chick flick” because I think most of the time movies that are categorized as such are often diminished and devalued for the fact that they are made for women. Historically, cultural objects loved and cherished by young women are devalued or dismissed and I don’t want this review to seem like I am doing that. I just don’t think it’s a particularly good movie, and the number of sexual innuendos, vagina jokes, and general vibes are just not great and make this movie feel more regressive than it should. Unlike other movies in this genre, 1Up is also major cringe. Like this movie feels like this SNL sketch and that isn’t a compliment for either of the pieces of media 🙃.
I know I haven’t talked about the plot of this movie yet and that is because its like every other #girlboss movie to ever exist. The Wikipedia synopsis for the movie reads as following:
Vivian “V” Lee is a competitive gamer whose impressive skills have landed her a college scholarship and a place on the Betas, Barrett University’s male-dominated team. But when the Betas’ captain Dustin tells V she’ll never be a starting player, it’s game on. Joined by her best friend Sloane, and under the guidance of her coach Parker, V forms a fierce all-girl team to band together with one common goal: level up to the nationals…and take down the Betas!
This movie plays out like you’d expect and there is nothing left to the imagination. And thus, I will make a bullet list of things I didn’t like:
- Outside of the plot, the characters and their dialogue feel like they were written by people who have never talked to (a) a teenager, and (b) a person in their entire life.
- I think the teacher guy is supposed to be played off as a joke, but it doesn’t hit and is frankly kind of annoying and trite.
- Also, V is a terrible person and makes all of the conflicts in this movie feel frustrating and unnecessary as there is already very little to the movie to begin with.
- Its all a Mercedes Benz ad?!
- The swatting situation happened but nothing else happened. Like this is a serious thing that can happen to people but it was very much brushed off and not explored pass it happening.
- The dialogue, and the use of the word gank.
- The game they seem to be playing looks like a lesser cool version of Smite which is ultimately a lesser cool version of League of Legends. Also, I am convinced the video game voice guy is the same voice guy in Smite.
- Someone on IMDB said that this was the “Pitch Perfect of video games” and frankly I think this description is insulting to the movie Pitch Perfect but also at the same time it is very much the vibe 1Up was going for. The only problem is that they missed the mark, and this movie feels like the anti-Pitch Perfect.
I don’t want to disparage the real-life misogyny that can be found in esports by making fun of this movie. It is very much a real thing and is something deeply underrepresented in this movie. According to a survey conducted, almost half (49%) of British female gamers have suffered abuse online, rising to 75% among those aged 18-24. Of those affected, 80% said the messages they got were sexual in nature. Over half (52%) of women said they felt worried about harassment. Additionally, in a survey of 4,000 gamers, half of whom were women, over a third (35%) of female respondents said they had received violent messages in the past. Of the women surveyed, half said they had felt uncomfortable while livestreaming due to hate received from other players. Just under a third (31%) of female players have also lied about their gender and remained anonymous as a result.
Outside of harassment, women in video games and esports are generally not treated seriously. They are seen a lesser, not talented enough, and that their achievements are never their own. In a Forbes article, a pro Hearthstone player, Slysssa says playing professionally is often a “heartbreaking” blame game: “I’ve been accused of cheating numerous times; pro players on the scene have even claimed I’ve co-opped with male gamers.” She goes onto say that “one of the most frustrating things is having someone undermine all the hard work, endless hours, and constant sacrifices that I made to succeed and be in a position where gaming is my career. It’s a constant thing that ‘she’s only getting viewers because she’s a girl,’ or ‘she’s pretty good… for a girl.’ Any support you show another male streamer is because you’re ‘interested in them.’ Any guy you play with is immediately your boyfriend.”
These are very real problems that women face in esports and playing video games in general, yet this movie does almost nothing to address the problem or add to the conversation. Like, the other teams 8-Bit play in the movie have girls on them, and they seem to be doing well and have the ability for teamwork. It seems that the Betas at Barrett University are just dicks and terrible people. This makes them almost comical, and their misogyny played as more of a joke than a proper struggle. At the end of the day, I think the movie 1Up feels vapid, out of touch, and maybe [hashtag] Girl Bossed a little too close to the sun.
The Good Game
Good Game: The Beginning (Iyi Oyun) is a Turkish esports movie that I assume is/will be a part of a series (this is based on the ending of the movie? like, It would be really unsatisfying if it wasn’t…). Unlike the other movies in this post, I don’t have much to say about it. I think it’s a fine movie, there’s nothing particularly bad about the movie and it’s serviceable when it comes to entertainment. I think the movie might be a bit too long, but other than that I think I would give it a 6.5/10 so not the worst movie ever but also not the best. According to the Wikipedia page, it has won some awards (mostly best kids/family movie) so the movie does have some fans and fame.
This movie is reminiscent of many sports movies, it has a training montage, a coach who said they didn’t want to get back into the game, third act comeback, rivals, and pretty much all the other tropes one would think when it comes to this genre. I think the movie is overly cliche and predictable, but it can be fun at times, and I can see why children might think this is a fun movie. The letterboxd description of the movie is only a couple of sentences long, and I think this shows the predictability and simplicity of this movie.
New high school grad and avid gamer Cenk is recruited to an intense esports team that trains for a tournament with a life-changing prize.
I think the characters in the movie are the major downside. I think they are incredibly shallow and have little to no development. They also lack personalities and seemingly just represent the tropes they are portraying. I also think that some of the decisions made in the movie (*cough* *cough* Ada in the third act *cough* *cough*) come out of the left field with little to no explanation or reason. Additionally, all of the characters went from not liking each other to being best friends and that’s a little confusing and also not explained. The characters are definitely the weakest part of the movie, and at times kind of bog down the plot because I often didn’t care about what was happening.
When it comes to the representation of esports I’m a little unsure. I know little about Turkey let alone the gaming culture in the country. It seems relatively legit and follows many of the real-life trends seen in the sport and community. I think in the process of being incredibly mediocre, the movie is extremely inoffensive and makes it hard to talk about the accuracy as from the outside there is nothing wrong with this movie.
Would I recommend the movie? Maybe, like I said, the movie is incredibly inoffensive and very mediocre. I think there is nothing wrong with the movie and it does have its point of being fun and enjoyable. I feel the length of the movie, and the very ‘this is the first movie’ vibe makes it feel kind of unsatisfying and somewhat boring. At the end of the day, I think the movie is fine and if you want to watch it then sure, go for it, but it’s again a very mediocre movie.
Fall Into Your Smile
Fall Into Your Smile is a Chinese Drama. The show follows Tong Yao and her adventures in the profession esports industry. The show has a romantic plot and is less about playing video games and more about finding love while playing video games. I think that this show is fun and engaging. I am also just a sucker for Asian dramas, and I think that all the melodrama and wackiness that is often associated with them is fun. Like, they are not for everyone, but I think they make great entertainment.
When the star player on the world’s best esports team, ZGDX OPL, suffers a hand injury there is an urgent need to fill his seat. There comes in Tong Yao, when ZGDX team manager learns of her skills she becomes the first female player in the league. This is somewhat of a divisive move as the newly crowned captain Lu Si Cheng also known as the “Chessman” is dismissive of her talents. Additionally, the team’s fan-base are also weary of having a woman on the team and see it as a downgrade for what is the best team. Can she win over the fans? Will her relationship with the Chessman get better?
The answer to both of those questions is yes, this is also where the C-Drama slow burn romance also comes into play. I think the dynamic between the characters is great, and like any Asian drama the tropes are played up for both character development but also vibes. I think that the plot moves at a good pace, and I think that show is over all pretty good. The show is for all-intents-and-purposes good, I like it and I think if people are interested in both the genre, topics, and general vibe they should give it a shot. Do I think this show is particularly groundbreaking and the best thing ever made, um no, but it’s cute, well made, and fun. Despite my opinions on the show, I think the most interesting parts of it are the many controversies that surround it.
Controversies you may say, what kind of controversies could a rom-com C-Drama have? Well, before we even get into the C-Drama we have to go back to the original web novel. Like the next show on this list, it is adapted for TV from a webnovel. These are often serialized books that are published online. I haven’t read the webnovel so I can’t speak to how good it is, but it clearly has enough fans that it got developed into a TV show. The controversy surrounding the web novel is centered around fanfiction and the ethics of writing fanfiction about real people. In my last essay about fan fiction, this was a topic that I wanted to avoid, mostly because I have no opinions about it. I am very neutral when it comes to the topic, but I also think that there is a difference between fan fiction and real life. These two things should remain separate and it’s when the line blurs that we run into troubles. You run into problems like this, this, and this, and these are cans of worms I have not really desire to crack open. However, for the sake of this post I’ll explain the first red flag when it comes to this show.
Readers of the webnovel discovered that there was a connection between the events in the book and real-life pro-gamers Weixiao and Su Xiaoyan. They apparently broke up, so you can imagine how awkward it must be to have a TV show that is oddly similar to the relationship you had with your ex. Additionally, many of the matches in the game are near copies to real life professional League of Legends matches that happened. Another controversy that surrounds this webnovel is the idea that this it is plagiarized from a different web novel written by Qing Mei. But again, I have read neither of these so I can’t validate the plagiarism. If you want more info on both, you can read this! There is also a really interesting Reddit thread that breaks down more of the drama and how it reflects real life. You can read it here if you want more information about it.
The show itself also holds different controversies. Many of them are the same complaints seen in the comments for the webnovel, but the show does have its own unique sets of criticism. This time they have more to do with what a pro-gamer looks like and how they are allowed to act. I think that this controversy is regional and lies in what is considered a pro-gamer in China specifically. I think this also displays the difference between esports in the west and esports in Asia, and I think these differences have become cultural phenomena and justifying a professional esports career in America is much different then doing it in a country like China.
When it comes to Asia, computer-based, PC, games were central to the participation in esports. Their success is largely due to the prevalence of computer cafes and general access to things like the internet. China is now the largest esports market in the world, and that is largely attributed to their attitudes towards the players and the sport as a whole. With the facilitation of training centres and esport academies, China is one of the only countries to formally recognize esports players as a legitimate profession and actively works to create and grow their position within the sector. Developing the best talent in the world when it comes to videogame players. A similar mindset is also seen in countries like South Korea where thousands of young Koreans compete to break into the professional esports community. According to the South Korean Education Ministry, E-sports is now the fifth-most popular future job among South Korean students, after athletes, doctors, teachers and digital content creators.[2]
Because the space is so competitive in Asia, there is a certain degree of seriousness that comes along with it. This isn’t to say that Americans pro-gamers don’t take their job seriously, but rather to expose the differences in perception and attitudes seen in the different spaces. I think the perception of esports is different between the two countries and when it comes to esports in Canada or America it taken with more skepticism. This is why the shows that do exists in these places they are either niche pieces of content with a loyal fan base or are mass produced and seem to miss the point. I think the lack of proper awareness and the want to expand the sport, there is a degree of leniency when it comes to the content that gets made in the west. This is a generalization, but I think that it is important to keep in mind when looking at Fall Into Your Smile and the reception of the TV show in both China and the West. The main controversy of the Drama is how the show handled esports, and whether or not the characters portrayed it in an accurate and proper manner.
I think the dichotomy between attitudes can be illustrated in the ratings of the show in China and English-speaking countries. The Chinese website Douban is an online website and social networking service that allows people to record rating and reviews on things like film, books, music, recent events, and activities in Chinese cities. The rating for Fall Into Your Smile on Douban is a measly 3.2 stars. I don’t speak Chinese, but looking at the comments using Google Translate you can see the pure hatred that some people seem to have for the show. This is to the point that people are sending threats to the cast, producers, and the author of the original novel. If you compare these comments to the ones seen on My Drama List. My Drama List have the show sitting at an 8.6-star rating. The show is ranked 301st with a popularity rating of 133. This is a pretty high rating, and the comments place the show in pretty high regard. I assume that the main reason for the difference can lie in the first controversy and the idea that the plagiarism and stealing are going to be picked up by the audience in the country that this happened in. Like, I assume that many of the people on My Drama List are not familiar with the intricacies of Chinese professional League of Legends drama. And although an important footnote to consider, I think that the people reviewing these shows have different perceptions of what TV about esports should look like and their expectations are proportionate to that.
I think this point is shown in this article about the controversy of the show. The article reads as following:
“The story of “Falling Into Your Smile” is ostensibly about two esports athletes, but viewers lament that the protagonists seem to care more about flirting with each other than about winning matches. Many gamers have also complained the show violates the competitive spirit of esports.”
I think this quote is especially telling when it comes to perception of the show, because I think that many of the viewers in the West are looking for the flirting and romance over the intricacies of esports and the games found in it. I think this can be corroborated in the comment and review section of the My Drama List listing. Like, many of the reviews praise the drama and romance part of the show and sought it out because of it.
This difference in responses might be in the different demographics seen in viewership of the show. I’m assuming that the difference in reception is found in the idea that this show was likely received by a more general audience in China than it was in the West. The people who reviewed the show in My Drama List are likely the types of people who seek out shows like this, drama filled, melodramatic, full of flirting, etc. The people who watched this show in China were likely just members of the general public who viewed this show within the context of it being a show that’s just on TV. This would contribute to a more skeptical audience watching, leading to more negative reviews being presented.
If you’re looking for a fun time, witty banter, and romance then I think this is the show for you. If you are looking for something more involved and reflects esports in an accurate matter, then I think that the next show on the list might be a better choice!
The Kings Avatar
In all honesty, one of the main reasons for writing this post was an excuse to talk about this show. I think The Kings Avatar is fascinating in both its message, but also in the ways that the original Web Novel has been adapted. The Kings Avatar by Blue Butterfly is a web novel that was originally published on the Chinese web novel website Qidian and is available to read in English through the website Webnovel. It was adapted into an animated series and a live action series available to watch on Netflix. In my opinion I think the animated series is a million times better than the live action version and is what I think about when it comes to this property. The differences between the two shows are something I’d like to discuss later in this post, but first we should figure out what this shows it about.
One of the main difficulties I have with this property is the fact that the original web novel is over 1700 chapters long, and boy do they cover a lot of things. Because of this, it is also difficult to discern what is a spoiler and what isn’t. It’s also just difficult to sum that much up into a little blurb and everything I’ve written thus far seems like it’s missing something. If you want more of an in-depth synopsis than I recommend this one, it is much longer but I think it does a good job hammering out all of the main points. To quote the website:
“Protagonist Ye Xiu is a 10-year Glory veteran and professional player for the “Excellent Era” team, captaining its players to three consecutive championships, earning him fame as the “Battle God” of the game. Unfortunately, The King’s Avatar begins with his forced, unceremonious retirement from Excellent Era, getting kicked out of the team and thrown into the cold (literally), even forced to give up his Glory character “One Autumn Leaf”. By chance, Ye Xiu wanders into a nearby Internet cafe, where he applies for a job as a night-shift manager from its owner Chen Guo, a Glory player herself and an Excellent Era fangirl. Thankfully, the job offers free room and board, along with access to a computer, which Ye Xiu makes the most of; however, upon hearing news Glory is about to open its tenth server, he decides to re-play the game from the very bottom, using a new character called “Lord Grim”, dedicating to a Character Class no one has played in Glory for years: an Unspecialized character. As Lord Grim’s notoriety increases by pulling off feats such as achieving the first boss kills and the fastest times in completing dungeons and raids, new and veteran Glory players slowly deduce Lord Grim is used by a Living Legend, having returned to the fold.”
I think that this show is the most “e-sports” of all of the shows discussed today as the primary plot, subplots, and setting are centered around esports and the in-world video game “Glory.” I also think this show is the closest to reality (I’m assuming here) as the characters and the plots feel like things that can happen and exist in real life. Both the plot and the characters feel grounded and that makes the exciting scenes even more exciting because the characters are aware of the stakes and understand what important decisions mean. Additionally, Yi Xiu genuinely lives up to his name as the “Battle God” and his strategies, mentalities, and decisions don’t feel unworked for or like they come out of nowhere. They feel like decisions and plans only someone with his experience could make. This show also has a real sense of hype and excitement that flows through the plot and the characters. I think that a lot of what I like about this property (the animated series especially) is the fast-paced nature and well flowing story line.
It’s funny because as much as I adore the animated series, the live action adaptation is somewhat the bane of my existence. Where the animated series is badass and action pact, the live action series feels flat and has a completely different vibe. Where in the animated series Yi Xiu feels 10 steps ahead and good at his job (when he wants to be), in the live action version he feels like a bumbling idiot who is incompetent at nearly everything he does. These differences are glairing when you watch the first episodes of both shows back-to-back. Although the plots of the episodes are nearly identical, the character feel like they are from two different shows.
The general vibe between the two shows is also very different. The animated series is more action based and very much story driven, whereas the live action show focuses way more time on the characters and their relationship with one another. The live action show feels like it wants to be a comedy, or at least more lighthearted. This isn’t to say that wanting brevity and laughs is bad, but when you go from watching the animated series or reading the web novel the difference can be kind of jarring.
The game they play, “Glory,” in the animated series is a fleshed-out game and something you’d want to play and that’s because the animated series spend a lot of time in the game and, like the web novel, many of the interaction happen through the game using the avatars found within in. The live action series feels like they just reskinned League of Legends and added CG to the characters to make them ‘video game avatars.’ I think the line between ‘real life’ and the video game is much more blurred in the live action series and I think that takes away much of the fun that comes from the franchise. Like, 90% of this series is just people talking and the occasional battle, and I think the live action version does the property somewhat of a disservice when you have two people talking to each other over text or voice chat.
I think the vibe of the live action show aligns with the other Chinese Dramas I’ve watched, whereas the animated series screams anime. I think the different formats and the ‘norms’ that come along with them very much dictate the tone and how the characters act. I think this difference is interesting as two people could have completely different experiences based on what medium they chose. In my opinion, the animated series feels more like the source material, but the live action series is still very well received and is the gateway for many to the franchise.
Shows about esports seem niche but they don’t have to be. I think there is something for everyone when it comes to this genre and the offering it has. I also think the diversity in content both in the stories they have to tell, and the places they come from is important and add to the stories they have to tell. If you are unfamiliar with esports and want to learn more, I think these shows (although often unrealistic) can offer some insight and background to the scene and what it has to offer. Like I said earlier, this post was an excuse to talk about like 3 different things and I put them all into one post 😊. I have also broken up the post into smaller TL;DR posts for bit size reading! If you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU. And if you are so inclined maybe subscribe to my newsletter?! What do you think about these shows, have you watched them? Do you like them?
[1] If you are dying for more information about the history of esports here are some of my recommendations for supplementary materials:
Good Luck Have Fun by Roland Li is a great book that dives into the origins of professional esports and how it got to where it is today. The book was published in 2016 so its not the most up-to-date source but it does provide some great insights into esports and the cultures that surrounds it.
Red Bull also has some documentaries following their sponsored talent that are also great at telling the stories of the people behind the computers and who are actually playing these games.
Breaking Point is also a great documentary that follows Team Liquid’s “League of Legends” a rough season. It shows how ego can get in the way of teamwork and winning. It also looks at the inner workings of modern esports teams and how they are formed.
[2] There is a lot of interesting things happening in these countries pertaining to video games and how they are regulated and delt with in society. I think that these issues, policies, and ideas would contribute to an interesting paper and is something I’d like to look into for a future post. In the meantime, here are some articles that kind of sum up the situation and could provide further context for those interested in falling down a rabbit hole.
China’s Video Gamming Ban: CNN, The China Project, Washington Post
Chinese Licencing: Reuters
Internet/Net Cafes in China: Wired
Why Korean Athletes Dominate in esports: Wired
Korea’s Gamming Ban: Reuters
Video games in Korean Society: NPR, PC Bangs
Happy national video games day! I’m not sure if its today or actually on July 8th, so this is either on time or really, really, early!
Rebecca's Thoughts 
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