Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (14th century)
Translated to English as The Three Kingdoms by Yu Sumei (2014)
Read: 11 out of 120 chapters
I am NOT DONE reading this book so please take all my comparisons regarding "this does/doesn't happen in the novel!" with a grain of salt.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994)
Produced by China Central Television
Seen: 77 out of 84 episodes
Although there are some mystical and fantastical moments in this show, they cut out a number of wacky and magical events from the book (such as the three brothers' strange appearances, or the Yellow Turbans using witchcraft), as well as some other small anecdotes (such as Cao Cao's childhood antics).
I love the aesthetics of this show, the bright colors, beautiful scenery, and impressive horsemanship. The style of acting may seem cheesy at first but it grows on you. My friend calls it "operatic"; it reminds me of a Shakespeare play. The sheer scale of this production (sets, extras, costumes, props, and yes more HORSES) is impressive in and of itself, and it's worth it to make the world of the story come to life in a very "real" and tangible way.
I'm sure there is plenty of documentation about the production of this show out there, but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to find it because I can't read Chinese :( My one scruple about this show is concerns of animal cruelty, and I wish I could find some evidence that it was all just simulated but alas, I am unable to.
Three Kingdoms (2010)
Directed by Gao Xixi
Seen: 3 out of 95 episodes
Putting aside issues of accuracy to the time period (not my area of expertise):
I am enjoying this adaptation so far. It is in a very different style from the 1994 version-- the aesthetics and writing feel much more similar to a Hollywood action movie. The colors are dark and muted, and the acting is much more naturalistic. It can also be pretty comedic at times. I suppose that the writing changes they made were meant to make the show more "exciting" and/or legible to the audience, but at times the end result is that the plot is cliché and the characters become Flanderized versions of themselves (Liu Bei is humble, quiet and reserved; Cao Cao is a slimey soulless salesman). Some scenes feel like they go on for too long, but that might just be because I already know what's going to happen. If someone were to ask me this question, I would tell them to watch 1994 first, and then once you are familiar with the "serious" version of the story, watch 2010 for the laffs.