Go! Go! Go!

[meteordust]

I've been trying for days to work out how to post about this without sounding completely insane. But maybe that's impossible. So I'll just have to tell it straight. If you're wondering where I've been for the past month and a half, I've been immersed in another world. The world of Hikaru no Go.

What is Hikaru no Go? It is 23 volumes of manga. It is also 75 episodes of anime. But most of all, it is one brilliant, absorbing, wonderful story.

Half of you are probably thinking, "Um, yeah, where were you three years ago? Under a rock?" And the other half of you are probably thinking, "What's so fascinating about Go? Isn't it, like, a board game?"

For those who aren't already familiar with the story, this review at the Anime News Network provides an excellent summary. I'm going to quote from it:

I will not try to hide my unabashed love for Hikaru no Go, the story of a young boy, Hikaru Shindo, whose mind becomes the home for a Go-playing ghost named Sai. Set free when Hikaru stumbles upon the Go board in which he had been inhabiting, Sai is a master Go player whose love for the game, and desire to play the "divine move" has kept him in the world for over 1000 years. Sai’s enthusiasm for the game slowly draws the hitherto uninterested Hikaru into the exciting world of Go.

Volume One quickly establishes what will become the central conflict of the series, the rivalry between Hikaru and the young prodigy Akira Toya. Akira is the son of the best Go player in the world, and even though he is only a sixth grader, he can compete with many professionals. Hikaru stumbles into a Go salon in order to indulge Sai, and picks out Akira for a match since he is the only kid around. Although Hikaru says he never has played before, aided by Sai he defeats Akira. Akira is shocked, not believing he could be beat by the likes of Hikaru who cannot even hold the pieces correctly. Akira demands a rematch which Sai wins, but seeing Akira's passion for the game sparks a similar feeling in Hikaru's heart...

To quote supacat, apparently also one of Those Who Came In Late, "I really feel like the last one to arrive at the party with this fandom, sort of like if I just read Harry Potter for the first time yesterday and wanted to run around telling everyone how great it was, and everyone was like, look we told you to read it like two years ago, come on."

***

Touya, how can you be so intense...?

Is Go more than just a game...?

Are you trying to play 'the Divine Move' just like Sai...?

- Hikaru, Chapter 6

Comments

[harukitty.livejournal.com]

Better late than never!

Good manga, but they overextended it by about 8 volumes IMHO - you'll see what I mean when you get further into it.

[meteordust.livejournal.com]

I've finished it already. It was that addictive. XD

I see what you mean - the anime ended at a good place, at the end of the main story arc - but I'm not sorry the manga continued a bit longer. There was some good stuff there, and I think these are characters I could keep reading about for a long time.

[hopexd.livejournal.com]

Ahh but I still want more! D: I don't mind to see a grown up Hikaru and Akira either... though no way Sai could come back.... /_\ I was crying my heart out during the later episodes... stupid Hikaru...

[meteordust.livejournal.com]

I want more too! I hope to be able to track down the Hokuto Cup special episode. If you want more Hikaru, the manga continues past the end of the anime. One of the most fun things was seeing the characters grow up from cute little kids to confident young men. And yeah, there were parts where I was crying too... ;_;

[kawak.livejournal.com]

I read up to volume 20... I can't wait to read the last 3 volumes, but I'll wait for the french release as always. It's one of the only mangas that keep me addicted to reading it. Not many others do that, only Death Note, Monster and 20th Century boys do that to me too.

[meteordust.livejournal.com]

I remember you ranked Hikaru no Go highly on your list of favourite manga. At the time I was kind of surprised, but I totally understand now. XD

[hopexd.livejournal.com]

I started HnG, PoT and G. Seed at the same time too... and ranked HnG the first after attempting a few episodes of each. PoT has later become a fandom thingy with all the games, music... etc, you just have to like the character if you've watch 100 something episodes of it, but story wise HnG is definitely better. (Darn that reminds me... i got to go back and finish the HnG PS game... XD;)

G. Seed I never finished. >.