Asian SF/F (not Japan)

[oyceter]

Hi! I am lazy and depending on the goodwill of the internet to help with research!

So: tell me about Asian SF/F!

It must be:

• Created in Asia by Asians


• NOT from Japan


• Any medium


• Bonus points if I can get my hands on it (I am in the US and read/understand Mandarin Chinese)


• Extra bonus points for SF/F from and/or about Southeast Asia or South Asia

I have a slightly better sense of SF/F created in Asia and popular in the US, though if you have notes for your specific country, that would also be good! Please note: NOT from Japan.

For self: rachelmanija's notes on Indian SF/F

ETA:
Korea:
- Pahanjip (Korean folklore + Tang China ghost hunters, manhwa)
- Bride of the Water God (Korean folklore (?) + alternate world + beast bridegroom, manhwa)

China:
- Swordsman II

Comments

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

Hmm... What would you call fantasy? I find sci-fi easier to define than fantasy. The movie struck me a fantasy because of the mystical nature of things, the god-like skills with the sword (*takes moment to swoon over swordplay*) and the dream-like quality a lot of it took. Fantastical martial arts were a part of it as well.

But that may be magical realism instead of fantasy. *ponders*

[oyceter]

I don't generally count the l33t sword skills as fantasy, just because it seems more like a wuxia genre trope (sort of like l33t gun skills in action movies). Ditto with the flying through the air or the qigong/things with acupuncture points.

The part of Crouching Tiger that did strike me as somewhat fantastical was the ending with the waterfall, but the rest felt more like action-adventure historical wuxia, if that makes sense? I had a discussion with several other wuxia watchers who also didn't tend to think wuxia in and of itself qualified something as fantasy, so you can have period wuxia and then wuxia with shapeshifters and vampires and demons and etc.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

That does make sense, thanks.

I will ponder more, although last time I haunted this thread you had lots of suggestions!