Chinese TV Show Ridiculed for Ripping Off Assassin's Creed!

[garyoak99]

In China, anti-Japanese propaganda shows can get, well, silly. Many people in China don't take them seriously. This latest show, with its seemingly Assassin's Creed-style outfits, is not an exception.

As pointed out on QQ, Games Sina and ChinaSmack, the show is set against the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), which is certainly a period of history no one takes lightly.2

However, this program features members of a local militia that looks like it's ready to take on the Templars, not the Imperial Japanese Army. It's as though actor Ma Jingjing is cosplaying as Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, right down to the dual pistols on his chest and the red sash. Black Flag of course takes place in the early 18th century Carribeans, nowhere near the show's setting, neither in place nor in time.



Online in China, people even pointed out that even the actor's poses looked similar to those in Assassin's Creed. That hair, though, is a show original.



In this pic, his costume seems to have a hood, too.



Chinese TV Show Ridiculed for Ripping Off Assassin's Creed

[Loki903]

Is it bad if I say the costumes look actually pretty cool? I mean ripoff and bullocks aside and propaganda aside. it does look cool. but that's just me like "omfg those outfits".. plus Idk sometimes the ripoff stuff might be ALL they can get at times in china or so I've heard idk don't quote me on that.. but still it actually looks cool. though if someone would like to help me understand the "oh god this is horrible" part of it I'd be willing to listen.

edit; yes I saw its some anti japanese propaganda involved but honestly I'm so desensitized to people bickering about "oh anti this anti that" that I kinda just was like "meh here we go again"

[David2074]

This article made me laugh.
It is just trying way too hard to make this an Assassin's Creed thing.
I don't KNOW that it isn't but nothing in this article proves it is.
Let me try to break it down for you:

1. Many Chinese action movies are very cheesy. I've got a couple of DVD collections full of 100 old kung fu / ninja / etc type movies and except for the clarity of the photos they could have come from many of them. I watch them for the laughs. That's how bad they are.

2. Copycat poses
In one set of photos the men have a pistol and have their arm down at their side because they are not currently aiming at anything. In the other set of photos they have their pistol arm extended aiming at something while the other arm with their sword is held behind them to help guard their back or be ready for a swing. Yeah, the poses look similar. But I could probably pull the same pose from at least a dozen movies in my DVD collection.

3. Dual pistols and red sash.
Hello? How about just about every pirate movie ever made? Many pistols of the style they appear to be holding were single shot. Pirates (and apparently assassins and Chinese dudes) frequently carried more than one.

Do a Google image search on pirate sash and you will see hundreds of them - most of them red.

4. Hoods
Yeah, because Assassin's Creed was the first time a shady character ever thought it was a good idea to have a hood to hide his face.
Hell, Gandolph had a hood. Maybe they are ripping off Gandolph / LOTR. lol smile

Basically, the folks in both sets of photos are dressed more or less like pirates - hence the similarity.

And now I'd kind of like to see the show - with English - because it looks like it might be wonderful cheesy fun.

[JamesWN]

>China
>Ripping off

... ... ... So what else is new?

[Alice Allusion]

China ripping off something isn't anything new.

[fairy-phoenix]

Cool costumes biggrin

[Insane WereWolf]

lol

[Nyadriel]

Loki903

Is it bad if I say the costumes look actually pretty cool? I mean ripoff and bullocks aside and propaganda aside. it does look cool. but that's just me like "omfg those outfits".. plus Idk sometimes the ripoff stuff might be ALL they can get at times in china or so I've heard idk don't quote me on that.. but still it actually looks cool. though if someone would like to help me understand the "oh god this is horrible" part of it I'd be willing to listen.

edit; yes I saw its some anti japanese propaganda involved but honestly I'm so desensitized to people bickering about "oh anti this anti that" that I kinda just was like "meh here we go again"

Is it also bad that I would love to see said outfit (from both the game and the show) here on Gaia? mrgreen

Rip off or not, it is as I have said so many times that the entertainment industry will take inspiration from anywhere. Obviously somebody liked the outfit in the game. I am sure they are not the first? I have no idea how many cosplayers who go to conventions do the same.

[Nyadriel]

David2074

This article made me laugh.
It is just trying way too hard to make this an Assassin's Creed thing.
I don't KNOW that it isn't but nothing in this article proves it is.
Let me try to break it down for you:

1. Many Chinese action movies are very cheesy. I've got a couple of DVD collections full of 100 old kung fu / ninja / etc type movies and except for the clarity of the photos they could have come from many of them. I watch them for the laughs. That's how bad they are.

2. Copycat poses
In one set of photos the men have a pistol and have their arm down at their side because they are not currently aiming at anything. In the other set of photos they have their pistol arm extended aiming at something while the other arm with their sword is held behind them to help guard their back or be ready for a swing. Yeah, the poses look similar. But I could probably pull the same pose from at least a dozen movies in my DVD collection.

3. Dual pistols and red sash.
Hello? How about just about every pirate movie ever made? Many pistols of the style they appear to be holding were single shot. Pirates (and apparently assassins and Chinese dudes) frequently carried more than one.

Do a Google image search on pirate sash and you will see hundreds of them - most of them red.

4. Hoods
Yeah, because Assassin's Creed was the first time a shady character ever thought it was a good idea to have a hood to hide his face.
Hell, Gandolph had a hood. Maybe they are ripping off Gandolph / LOTR. lol smile

Basically, the folks in both sets of photos are dressed more or less like pirates - hence the similarity.

And now I'd kind of like to see the show - with English - because it looks like it might be wonderful cheesy fun.

Didn't one of the old Robin Hood movies also have a hood too? (I know the answer)

[Texadar]

David2074

Sure you could get away with "well they both pirate related things"

If the show was not set in World war 2

I mean sure maybe it's about some crazy arse s**t involving time travelling westernise Chinese pirates going to stop the Imperial Japanese Army.

But i don't think it is.

[David2074]

Nyadriel

Didn't one of the old Robin Hood movies also have a hood too? (I know the answer)

LOL
So did Little Red Riding Hood. smile

[Nyadriel]

David2074

Nyadriel

Didn't one of the old Robin Hood movies also have a hood too? (I know the answer)

LOL
So did Little Red Riding Hood. smile

As well as other things during the past 30 or so years. Point being, the hood ain't new. mrgreen

[David2074]

Texadar

David2074

Sure you could get away with "well they both pirate related things"

If the show was not set in World war 2

I mean sure maybe it's about some crazy arse s**t involving time travelling westernise Chinese pirates going to stop the Imperial Japanese Army.

But i don't think it is.

Yeah but my point was that while it may or may not be intentionally copying the look of Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed in many ways copies the look of things that have come before it. Things that are extremely common in a good many movies. Everything mentioned in this article you could just as easily say Assassin's Creed ripped it off from other movies. But I don't think anyone is making that point about Assassin's Creed because they recognize those things are common thematic elments.

It's a bit like taking (any action movie with a chase scene) and claiming it is mimicking an old James Bond movie because it had a chase scene where:
1. Someone in the chase car was shooting out the window.
2. They nearly lost it going around a corner and one of the chase cars crashed.
3. A pedestrian / fruit stand / newspaper guy yells and dives out of the way just before one of the cars plows through their cafe table / stand.
4. Something blew up and the explosion was shown from different camera angles.
5. The final cars in the chase are stymied by a big wreck / a drawbridge that raises just in time / etc.

Don't get me wrong. I don't have my panties in a knot over this.
I actually find it rather amusing. And like I said, if it was in English I'd like to see the Chinese show because it looks like it would be cheesy funny.

[Loki903]

Nyadriel

Loki903

Is it bad if I say the costumes look actually pretty cool? I mean ripoff and bullocks aside and propaganda aside. it does look cool. but that's just me like "omfg those outfits".. plus Idk sometimes the ripoff stuff might be ALL they can get at times in china or so I've heard idk don't quote me on that.. but still it actually looks cool. though if someone would like to help me understand the "oh god this is horrible" part of it I'd be willing to listen.

edit; yes I saw its some anti japanese propaganda involved but honestly I'm so desensitized to people bickering about "oh anti this anti that" that I kinda just was like "meh here we go again"

Is it also bad that I would love to see said outfit (from both the game and the show) here on Gaia? mrgreen

Rip off or not, it is as I have said so many times that the entertainment industry will take inspiration from anywhere. Obviously somebody liked the outfit in the game. I am sure they are not the first? I have no idea how many cosplayers who go to conventions do the same.

Exactly! plus isn't there a lot of restrictions on stuff in certain parts of china? maybe they wanted to show a little love to something in pop culture and have some fun! honestly I don't see why it's bad that it's a rip off. they put detail into it and made their own story in a sense from what i see. but eh. guess people will complain anyways. Honestly there are MANY cosplayers who'll make or get outfits designed like a game characters.. disney princesses included! I guess people are just fusshy on this cuz "oh it's on tv IN CHINA!" I say HEEEY ubisooooft GIVE US A TV SERIES! CLEARLY CHINA HAS THE RIGHT IDEA! 8D

[garyoak99]

David2074

And now I'd kind of like to see the show - with English - because it looks like it might be wonderful cheesy fun.

That article provided very little information about the show but I did a bit more research and I found the show's name.

Its English name is Hunter Blade and here is the poster:



The Chinese characters are 猎刃 so you can do a search on the show on Baidu. Best of luck!