List of media adaptations of Romance of the Three Kingdoms

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The following is a list of media adaptations of Luo Guanzhong's 14th century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The story has been adapted in numerous forms, including films, television series, manga and video games.

Novels[]

  • Fan Sanguo Yanyi (反三國演義; literally Reverse (of) Romance of the Three Kingdoms) is a novel by written by Zhou Dahuang (周大荒; 1886–1951) around 1919 and first published as a serial in the newspaper Min De Bao (民德報) in 1924. In 1930, it was compiled and published as a complete novel by the Shanghai Qingyun Book Company (上海卿雲書局). The Anti-Romance tells an alternate history from the point where Xu Shu was forced to leave Liu Bei and join Cao Cao. With Zhao Yun's help, Xu Shu saved his mother, escaped from Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei. As the story progresses, Liu Bei eventually defeated Cao Cao and reunified China under his rule. Other significant changes include: Zhao Yun and Ma Chao leading Liu Bei's forces in the final battles against Cao Cao; Pang Tong averting his fate at the Valley of the Fallen Phoenix and continuing to serve Liu Bei alongside Zhuge Liang; Zhou Yu having a more "righteous" personality and being supportive of Sun Shangxiang's marriage to Liu Bei; Zhao Yun's marriage to Ma Yunlu, a fictional sister of Ma Chao.
  • Mie Shu Ji (滅蜀記; literally The Tale of the Destruction of Shu) is a 2008 novel by Li Bo (李柏) which dramatises the events leading to the fall of Shu Han, with Jiang Wei, Deng Ai and Zhong Hui as the main characters.[1]

Chinese manhua[]

  • Jiaqingqu (嫁情曲) by Lü Xiangru (呂相儒).
  • The Ravages of Time, by Chan Mou, retells the events in Romance of the Three Kingdoms with Sima Yi as the central character. The drawing style is dark and grim, and while the main story is kept intact, the finer details are dramatised.
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) published by Asiapac Books.[2] The 10 volume graphic novel series is in English.
  • Sanguo Shenbing (三國神兵) by Ip Ming-fat (葉明發).
  • Sanguo Wushuang (三國無雙) and Sanguo Wushuang Zhuan (三國無雙傳) illustrated by Heui Ging-sam (许景琛). It is adapted from Koei's video game series Dynasty Warriors.
  • Sanguo Wushuang Mengjiang Zhuan (三國猛將傳) by Liu Gwong-jou (廖光祖).
  • Sanguo Yanyi (三國演義) by Sun Jiayu (孫家裕)
  • Sanguo Yingxiong Zhuan (三国英雄传) by Tung Yin-ming (童彦明).
  • Shuyun Canglong Ji (蜀雲藏龍記) by Lin Mingfeng (林明鋒).
  • Three Kingdoms by Lee Chi Ching. Lee also drew a spinoff manhua series titled Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之戰). He also illustrated the 13-volume manhua Zhuge Kongming.
  • Wuba Sanguo (武霸三國) by Yongren (永仁) and Cai Jingdong (蔡景東)

Japanese manga[]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been adapted into several Japanese manga, with varying degrees of historical accuracy and faithfulness to the original story and popular tradition.[3][4] Some of the more widely read manga in Japan include:

  • Blade Sangokushi (ブレイド三国志) is a manga by Ichikawa Ryūnosuke (壱河 柳乃助).
  • Dragon Sister! (DRAGON SISTER！三國志 百花繚乱, Sangokushi Hyakka Ryōran) by Nini.
  • Gogo Gentoku-kun!! (GOGO玄徳くん), a gag comedy manga, and its sequels Zoku Gogo Gentoku-kun!! (続・GOGO玄徳くん) and Zokuzoku Gogo Gentoku-kun!! (続続・GOGO玄徳くん) by Shirai Eriko (白井 惠理子).[α]
  • Ikki Tousen is loosely based on the novel, but the characters in the story refer to the names in the Japanese version of the book. In the series, most characters appear to have similar fates as characters with the same names from the original story.
  • Jimmu (神武) by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu (安彦 良和).
  • Koutou no Akatsuki (江東の暁){{efn-lg|Koutou is a Japanese pronunciation for Jiangdong by Takaguchi Rinrin (滝口 琳琳).
  • Lord by Ryoichi Ikegami and Buronson is very loosely based on the novel. In the series, a general from the Nakoku country becomes Liu Bei.
  • Magical Musou Tenshi Tsuki Irase!! Ryofuko-chan (まじかる無双天使 突き刺せ!! 呂布子ちゃん)[β] by Suzuki Jiro (铃木 次郎). The anime Yawaraka Sangokushi Tsukisase!! Ryofuko-chan is adapted from it.[5]
  • by , with Guo Jia as the protagonist.
  • Qwan (Media Factory) and its spinoff Foreign Grass by Aki Shimizu.
  • Ryūrōden by Yoshito Yamahara (Kodansha).
  • Sangokushi (Japanese for Records of the Three Kingdoms) by Yokoyama Mitsuteru (Ushio Shuppansha). The anime Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi is adapted from it.
  • The novel serves as the model for SD Gundam Sangokuden: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a manga/model kit line in the long running Musha Gundam SD Gundam series.
  • Shin Sangokushi (新三国志) by Yamazaki Hiromi (山崎 拓味).
  • Sōten Kōro by King Gonta (Kodansha).[5]
  • Soushoku-kei Danshi by Nekokurage
  • Sousou Moutoku Seiden[γ] by Ōnishi Kōichi (大西 巷一).
  • Tenchi o Kurau by Motomiya Hiroshi (Shueisha).

Korean manhwa[]

  • Ko Woo-yeong Samgukji (고우영 삼국지/고우영 三國志) by Ko Woo-yeong (고우영)
  • Samgukji Gahujeon (삼국지 가후전/三國志 賈詡傳) by Masatokki (마사토끼) / Bea Min-su (배민수)[6]
  • Samgukjeontugi (삼국전투기/三國戰鬪記) by Choi Hun (최훈)[7]
  • Yeoja Jegalryang (여자제갈량/女子諸葛亮) by Kimdal (김달)[8]

Film[]

Television[]

Animation[]

  • Sangokushi (三国志; 1985) and its sequel Sangokushi II: Amakakeru Otoko-tachi (三国志II 天翔ける英雄 (おとこ)たち; 1986) are anime television specials produced by Shin-Ei Animation.
  • Sangokushi is a three-part Japanese anime film series produced and released by Toei Animation between 1987 and 1991 (Sangokushi (1): Eiyū-tachi no Yoake (三国志（第1部） 英雄たちの夜明け), Sangokushi (2) Chōkō Moyu! (三国志（第2部） 長江燃ゆ！), and Sangokushi (3) Harukanaru Taichi (三国志（第3部） 遥かなる大地)).[9] The theme song "Fūshi Hana-den" (風姿花伝) was performed by Tanimura Shinji.
  • Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi is a Japanese anime series which ran for 47 episodes on TV Tokyo between 1991 and 1992. It focused on the stories before the Battle of Red Cliffs.
  • Ikkitousen is a five-season Japanese anime loosely based on the manga. The five seasons were released between 2003 and 2011.
  • Kōtetsu Sangokushi is a shounen-ai anime released in 2007 in Japan. It featured homosexual relationships between some of the male characters in the novel.
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 2009 Chinese-Japanese co-produced animation.
  • SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors is a Japanese anime adaptation of the SD Gundam model kit series BB Senshi Sangokuden which began airing on 3 April 2010.

Live action[]

Video games[]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms[]

Dynasty Warriors[]

  • Dynasty Warriors is a series of tactical action hack and slash video games by Koei and Omega Force. The series has been released for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and the PC. It has also generated the spinoff Dynasty Tactics and Warriors Orochi series.
    • Dynasty Warriors was released on 28 February 1997.
    • Dynasty Warriors 2 was released on 3 August 2000.
    • Dynasty Warriors 3 was released on 26 November 2001.
    • Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends was released on 11 January 2003.
    • Dynasty Warriors 4 was released on 25 March 2003.
    • Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends was released on 25 September 2003.
    • Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires was released on 31 August 2004.
    • Dynasty Warriors 5 was released on 24 February 2005.
    • Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends was released on 16 November 2005.
    • Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires was released on 23 March 2006.
    • Dynasty Warriors 6 was released on 11 November 2007.
    • Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires was released on 29 January 2009.
    • Dynasty Warriors: Strike Force was released on 26 February 2009.
    • Dynasty Warriors 7 was released on 29 March 2010.
    • was released on 11 November 2010.
    • Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends was released on 15 November 2011.
    • Dynasty Warriors Next was released on 22 February 2012.
    • was released on 26 April 2012.
    • Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires was released on 8 November 2012.
    • Dynasty Warriors 8 was released on 28 February 2013.
    • Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends was released on 28 November 2013.
    • Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires was released on 20 November 2014.
    • Dynasty Warriors 9 was released on 8 February 2018.

Miscellaneous[]

  • Atlantica Online: Three Kingdoms is an expansion in Tactical Battle System in this MMORPG published by Nexon Corporation.
  • is a virtual reality PC game released by on 2 November 2017.
  • Destiny of an Emperor is a RPG for the NES released in North America.
  • Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs is a real time strategy game for the PC released by in March 2002.
  • Dynasty Tactics is a strategy game for the PlayStation 2 released by on 17 September 2002.
  • Dynasty Tactics 2 is a strategy game for the PlayStation 2 released by Nex Entertainment on 23 September 2003.
  • Dynasty Wars and its sequel Warriors of Fate, released by Capcom. They are based on Motomiya Hiroshi's manga Tenchi o Kurau. Three instalments of a similar game were released by . These are best described as side-scrolling "beat-'em-up" games, similar to the Double Dragon video games.
  • Fantasia Sango is a 2D RPG series released by UserJoy Technology. It uses the events in the novel as the backdrop for the plot. The re-telling of the story also involves traditional Chinese supernatural entities and concepts. Besides Fantasia Sango, UserJoy Technology has also developed the MMORPG The Legend of Three Kingdoms Online.
  • Heroes of Three Kingdoms is a MMORPG by Perfect World Entertainment.
  • Kessen II is a battle-focused real-time strategy game released by Koei in 2001. Unlike the other Koei games, this game has a highly fantasised version of the novel as a plot and also introduces magic to the series as a usable skill. Both the parent and predecessor versions of the game are set in Japan and not China.
  • is a game for the IOS and Android developed by and released in 2016.
  • Knights of Valour is a side-scrolling "beat-'em-up" action video game released by .
  • Koihime Musō is a visual novel by BaseSon portrays many heroes from the novel as female warriors and lords. Shin Koihime Musō is a new version of Koihime Musō with many new characters released in 2008. Both games were adapted into anime. Its later sequels– Shin Koihime†Musō: Moe Shōden, Shin Koihime†Eiyūtan: Otome Enran Sangokushi Engi, Shin Koihime†Musō -Kakumei– expand the characters range and tell more about the protagonist's story to conquer the maidens' hearts. Web Koihime†Musō was an online browser-based spinoff of the series, while Shin Koihime†Musō: Otome Taisen Sangokushi Engi and its sequel Koihime†Enbu were fighting games.
  • The Sango Fighter series portrayed the generals as characters in a two-dimensional fighting game.
  • Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon is a real time strategy game released for the PC by Eidos Interactive in 2001. It portrays all of the events in the original story.
  • is a strategy game released for the PC by on 27 August 2018.
  • is a turn based strategy game released for the PC by LongYou Game Studio on 27 May 2017.
  • Three Kingdoms Online, real time browser strategy game released by Koramgame in 2009.[10]
  • Total War: Three Kingdoms is a real-time strategy game in the Total War series based on the setting.
  • is a strategy game released for the SNES by on 29 December 1993.
  • is a board game released for the SNES by on 22 December 1994.

Others[]

  • Generals Order is a strategy card game released by Strategy Entertainment. The game is also a collectible trading card game.
  • Portal Three Kingdoms is an expansion set for the trading card game Magic: The Gathering.
  • Sangokushi Taisen is a hybrid card-board-strategy game released by Sega. Players manipulate cards on a tabletop to move military units in order to take destroy enemy castles.
  • Guangzhou Radio had a popular one-man retelling of the stories in the 1980s.
  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast is a podcast retelling the novel in English, with supplemental background information for context.
  • In the late 2019 and early 2020 expansions Ignition Assault and Eternity Code, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game released a group of cards named "Senka" (lit. "Warring Flower") based on characters and events from the novel.
  • Three Kingdoms Redux is a 2014 board game for 3 players by publisher Starting player where each player represents one of the three warring kingdoms.

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Gentoku is a Japanese pronunciation for Xuande.
  2. ^ Ryofu is a Japanese pronunciation for Lü Bu.
  3. ^ Sousou Moutoku is the Japanese pronunciation of Cao Cao Mengde.

References[]

  1. ^ "滅蜀記". www.books.com.tw. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS (NEW SET)". www.asiapacbooks.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. ^ (in Chinese) 三国搜集 Archived December 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ 無双ファンサイトの一風景 (in Japanese). blog.goo.ne.jp. June 29, 2005. Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Director John Woo Makes Anime Voice Debut in Sōten Kōro". Anime News Network. April 13, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  6. ^ 가후전 (in Korean). www.lezhin.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  7. ^ 삼국전투기 (in Korean). comic.naver.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  8. ^ 여자제갈량 (in Korean). comic.naver.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  9. ^ アニメは東映アニメーション > 作品ラインナップ > 劇場版 (in Japanese). Toei Animation. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  10. ^ Three Kingdoms Online at dotmmo.com
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