Pili (Traditional Chinese: 霹靂,Pe̍h-oē-jī: Phek-le̍k, "Thunderbolt") is aglove puppetry show fromTaiwan. It is made by Pili International Multimedia. The TV series debuted in 1984^[1] and once reached over 90% viewership.^[2] Unlike traditional puppet shows,Pili usescomputer generated imagery (CGI) during action sequences. The delicate design of the appearance and characteristics of each puppet has madePili a well-known TV series in Taiwan.

Pili
Official logo since 2020
Genre	Glove puppetry, action,wuxia
Country of origin	Taiwan
Original language	Taiwanese Hokkien
Original release
Release	1985 (1985)

In 2000, the spin-off filmLegend of the Sacred Stone was released.^[3] It was released onVHS andDVD in Taiwan and Japan (the Japanese edit significantly shortened). The Japanese release includes some unintentionally funny English subtitles, while the Taiwanese release has no English, so the only imports and bootlegs of the film generally found in North America have been of the Japanese version.

In February 2006, the American companyAnimation Collective, known forKappa Mikey andSpeed Racer: The Next Generation created an edited version ofPili onCartoon Network titledWulin Warriors. Many fans of the original series complained about the poor quality of the scripts and changes made for the American version. One example was the character Ye Hsiao-Chai (Scar inWulin Warriors), who is a mute in the Taiwanese version of the series, but in the American version he speaks frequently. Many Cartoon Network viewers were hostile toWulin Warriors because the programming of the series was part of a shift in the channel's focus to include live action programs. Although Cartoon Network stopped airingWulin Warriors after only two episodes, all thirteen episodes could be seen on Kids'AOL, but were taken off after a few years and can now only be found on YouTube.

In 2016,Nitroplus,Good Smile Company, and Pili International Multimedia producedThunderbolt Fantasy, created byGen Urobuchi, which premiered that summer.Thunderbolt Fantasy is a spin-off of the mainPili series, set in a similar wuxia setting with new characters. The show features slight differences fromPili's usual production approach, including half hour long episodes and anime-inspired character designs.Thunderbolt Fantasy is standalone from the mainPili series, with the exception of minor character cameos.

Pili International Multimedia currently runs their ownTwitch account where they occasionally streamPili.^[4]

Pili Fantasy: War of Dragons, a remake ofPili's sixth season, premiered on Netflix in July 2019. This makesWar of Dragons the first installment of the mainPili series to air in English speaking countries in an uncut format.

• Huang Hai-tai

• Pili International Multimedia - English language web site of the series' creators
• Taipei Times - Pili mourns loss of valuable puppets to fire, October 2010
• Epilinet on Twitch - Pili being aired 24/7 on Pili International Multimedia's Twitch stream