LttP: HIKARU NO GO

[Cantaim]

After finishing the amazing and INSPIRATIONAL Shonen Jump soccer series ~WHISTLE~ a few weeks ago (which had an ill-fated LTTP thread a few weeks ago -- bad timing), I realized that I caught the sports manga bug. I found the first few volumes for a few dollars at a Mckays and brought them home. I soon found myself on Thriftbooks and eBay trying to piece together the series for cheap and started reading the volumes as they came in. I read through a little of the serialization in the US Shonen Jump when I was in high school but this was my first time attempting the whole series.

I'm up to Volume 19 right now and I am HOOKED to this thing. For those of you who don't know, HnG starts when this junior high kid becomes possessed by the ghost of the greatest Go player the world has ever seen. Of course, the kid is lazy and stupid and your typical JRPG anime protagonist but this series excels like CRAZY when it comes to GROWTH and if there's one thing this series is god-tier at doing, it's at portraying GROWTH. These are real people going through real changes in character and ideology. The magical realism that seems to naturally flow out of the simple yet insane concept of a 1000 year old ghost being eternally chained to a board game (actually HnG is essentially a more refined version of Yugioh's coming of age and building confidence) has such a cool role in how natural and organic Sai's literal existence feels.

Anyways, is anyone else in love with Hikaru no Go? I'm almost done and I've already cried at multiple points in the last few volumes. I'm thinking of picking up Prince of Tennis next but it's really long and I'm not sure if it scratches the same zero-to-enlightened-hero itch I get with Whistle and HnG. I'm not sure, I've never read it! Any suggestions?

PS Here's two pictures. First this is a cool memory I had when I was teaching English in Japan. One of the math teachers got me a Hikaru no Go board for Christmas because he knew I was a huge nerd and had mentioned the series

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The second is just an awesome picture from the series that I think emphasizes how it's pretty much just a "build an all-cosmic god" manual

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Thread made on behalf of Collin Skeen

 

[Macheezmo]

I watched this anime randomly a couple years ago knowing nothing about Go and loved it all the way through. I've rewatched it a couple times since and haven't really found anything else that really scratches that same itch. I've heard Kuroko No Basket is a good one, but it's not on Hulu or Netflix.

 

[Baliis]

Watched the anime a looong time ago back when it was in Shonen Jump. Enjoyed it quite a bit. The character growth through the series was very well done.

 

[Cantaim]

I always remember seeing the show come on when I was growing up, never really caught my interest. Though reading Collin gushing about it kinda makes me want to hop in and see what the fuss is about haha.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Really tried to get into this but just couldn't

 

[broncobuster]

I watched and read Hikaru no Go probably a decade ago and it's one of the anime/manga that stuck with me. For a little bit there I got into playing Go online, but I was never any good.

Hikaru's growth and evolution in the series is a lot of fun to follow. I've followed a number of sports anime over the years and what I found unique about Hikaru is, in terms of talent, his relationship to game through Sai and by himself. You see him fall in love with the game through his experience with Sai. They have this dynamic where Sai is arguably the best Go player while Hikaru isn't even at the beginner level, but he keeps practicing and playing to climb up to higher levels on his own.

And I do love the arc of Sai playing Go online and the moment all these expert players start talking about him at a gathering.

 

[Qvoth]

pretty sure i cried hard when sai left
this manga made me interested in go, i'll never play these board games in a billion years but it's the reason i check out go and shogi mangas like march comes in like a lion and ryuuou no oshigoto

 

[Zero315]

It made me buy a Go board. I had no idea it actually finished though, I should go read it.

 

[Dysun]

I read the manga on a whim a decade ago. I need to get around to watching the anime some day. My only complaint is the ending felt abrupt

 

[Ryouji Gunblade]

It was surprisingly addicting. Felt like it ended a little too soon though.

 

[halcali]

Hikaru no Go is a very special manga for me, as it helped get me through university life in one piece. (ha!)
It also influenced me to learn how to play Go Chess.

Out of all the manga I've ever read, HnG has to be in my Top 5.
The artwork is incredible, but the pacing of the story is legendary.

 

[hydragonwarrior]

Yeah the quality of the anime was just phenomenal for it's time, and great OST too.

But I do agree,

Spoiler

once Sai passed on, the show really just wasn't the same - but then again Sai vs Toya was pretty much the climax of the series so it's understandable

 

[Feran]

Man I remember binging this in high school. I think I was depressed for like 3 days when Sai left and spent the rest of the manga hoping he'd come back :'(

 

[Okamiden]

I love Hikaru no Go as well, read and watched both the manga and anime!

If you want another series with a good story and character growth, definitely don't go with Prince of Tennis, my lord, just avoid it. It's just Shonen superpower fighting with tennis where they get new stupid powers here and there. It's fine for what it is but it's as far away from HnG as can be. I dropped it.

My suggestions would be Baby Steps and March comes like a Lion. The first one is about tennis, but it does it so much better than Prince of Tennis. Some really studious teen with no real passion finds out a little late that he REALLY LOVES tennis and dedicates his every waking moment to tennis from now on, studying it really hard and playing it as efficiently as possible to make up for lost time with the goal of being a pro. It's all mixed in with a romance story that is actually healthy and goes somewhere, as both are tennis players encouraging each other in their journeys. I've only watched the anime, which doesn't come close to completing the story, but it really clicked in a way that no sports series had clicked since HnG. They don't seem to be making more seasons of this anime, so I shall read the manga soon.

As for March comes like a Lion, I've also only seen the (on-going) anime version, but you follow the life of an high school student who already is a shogi pro. He's a shogi pro out of necessity, because he needed to get out of a toxic household as soon as possible and his shogi skills allowed him to earn enough money to live on his own. Juggling his long, long shogi studying hours, his pro tournaments, high school and lone life where he needs to take care of himself has left the main character completely alone. He meets a family of sisters who lost their parents and bond with them slowly. There's a lot of exaggerated "humoristic"/light-hearted moments that throw off the mood of the show pretty hard, sadly, but it's also quite good.

Hikaru no Go will be hard to beat for me, though. Seeing a character grow in both personality and skills like Hikaru was really fascinating.

 

[Qvoth]

huh had no idea baby steps has ended
just googled the raw of the last chapter, terrible ending, it's obviously already decided by the publishers to cut this series short

 

[Crazymoogle]

One of the most abrupt endings ever despite turning Obata into a superstar. A shame because this series is so good. (Heck, and award winning, really no good reason to kill it...)

 

[Okamiden]

huh had no idea baby steps has ended
just googled the raw of the last chapter, terrible ending, it's obviously already decided by the publishers to cut this series short

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That's a real shame.

 

[Rymuth]

It made me buy a Go board. I had no idea it actually finished though, I should go read it.

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Less finished and more abruptly ended.

 

[RiOrius]

Watched the anime; never read it as a manga. Might do that sometime, but probably not. Still, it was phenomenal, and I definitely played some Go largely based on having watched it (didn't get far: I can enjoy a 9x9 vs AI, but a full-on 19x19 board just makes my head spin, especially since I generally don't like having to memorize openings in games).

If you're looking for more sports anime/manga, I'd recommend Haikyuu. It's high school boys' volleyball, and it singlehandedly got me to recognize that Sports Anime is a thing.

 

[Bob The Skull]

I watched this anime randomly a couple years ago knowing nothing about Go and loved it all the way through. I've rewatched it a couple times since and haven't really found anything else that really scratches that same itch. I've heard Kuroko No Basket is a good one, but it's not on Hulu or Netflix.

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I don't know if it is available to you , but if it is Akagi is probably worth a try. It's definitely darker and targets an older audience, but if it hooks you it's rather interesting

 

[Squarehard]

I love the series, but I really wish it actually had a end, and not just an unconclusion.

Outside of the end, it was great all around, but yeah, still can't get over the unsatisfactory ending.

 

[drtomoe123]

y'all GET IT!

I've only made it to 19 right now (I left my bag with the book at my SISTER's UGH) but reading through some of these posts I'm interested in seeing how the Sai situation plays out. The dream and Hikaru's realization that Sai is in his game was a really cool way of approaching Sai's story -- even as a reader I felt Sai's absence during these last few chapters. Maybe this is the loneliness Hikaru felt. Still, I want to know more about the DIVINE MOVE! Does the series go crazy supernatural at the end? Does it go normal? Are there any evil spirits like the guy who cheated against Sai?

I think about this manga all the TIME! So even though the anime's artstyle is a little ~electric~ for me (that early 00s shonen look), being able to reexperience this series again would make me SO happy! Does the anime cover all of the manga? I'm excited to get to the ending. It's a little unnerving to hear impressions about the ending -- how will I feel!?!?

SO MANY QUESTIONS!

And isn't Hotta-sensei just the COOLEST manga-ka? My mental image of her is really great. H

I love Hikaru no Go as well, read and watched both the manga and anime!

If you want another series with a good story and character growth, definitely don't go with Prince of Tennis, my lord, just avoid it. It's just Shonen superpower fighting with tennis where they get new stupid powers here and there. It's fine for what it is but it's as far away from HnG as can be. I dropped it.

My suggestions would be Baby Steps and March comes like a Lion. The first one is about tennis, but it does it so much better than Prince of Tennis. Some really studious teen with no real passion finds out a little late that he REALLY LOVES tennis and dedicates his every waking moment to tennis from now on, studying it really hard and playing it as efficiently as possible to make up for lost time with the goal of being a pro. It's all mixed in with a romance story that is actually healthy and goes somewhere, as both are tennis players encouraging each other in their journeys. I've only watched the anime, which doesn't come close to completing the story, but it really clicked in a way that no sports series had clicked since HnG. They don't seem to be making more seasons of this anime, so I shall read the manga soon.

As for March comes like a Lion, I've also only seen the (on-going) anime version, but you follow the life of an high school student who already is a shogi pro. He's a shogi pro out of necessity, because he needed to get out of a toxic household as soon as possible and his shogi skills allowed him to earn enough money to live on his own. Juggling his long, long shogi studying hours, his pro tournaments, high school and lone life where he needs to take care of himself has left the main character completely alone. He meets a family of sisters who lost their parents and bond with them slowly. There's a lot of exaggerated "humoristic"/light-hearted moments that throw off the mood of the show pretty hard, sadly, but it's also quite good.

Hikaru no Go will be hard to beat for me, though. Seeing a character grow in both personality and skills like Hikaru was really fascinating.

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Thanks for the heads up on Prince of Tennis. Maybe I'll pick it up if I ever come across a good deal. Something that really tries to be a little more series is what I'm craving right now (I think lol). Baby Steps actually sounds like something I'd really like. Thanks for the recs. I'd really kill for something I could sit down and read in English, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. <3

EDIT: AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO CANTAIM for helping me out by posting this for me. Really, think of me as the Fujiwara-no-Sai to your Hikaru. :)

 

[ibyea]

I watched the anime. I actually started playing a little bit of go and followed some games because of this.

 

[texhnolyze]

I learned Go from this series. Looks simple and boring at first, but it's actually an interesting and intense game.

I love all of the characters, even the rival is loveable and actually my favorite one.

 

[KennyL]

Ohh maannnn! So good. Online arc is so fun.

 

[Murasaki]

I enjoyed the manga on release, partly because it was about Go, partly because of the relationship between Sai and Hikaru. Another Jump manga that ran longer than it should have done. The 2nd part was inferior to the first.

 

[Joni]

I'd love the show to come back, absolutely loved it back in the day. Manga is great as well, but I want to see it in action.

 

[Bossun]

Hikaru no go was the shit when it came out. Me and my friends all started played no go because of it. Then came death note by the same artist and everybody forgot hikaru no go. It disappeared from the collective mind but was such a good manga...

 

[Novel Mike]

Hikaru no Go was amazing but I always felt like it wasn't as well developed as it could have been. The rivalry between Toya and Hikaru was great and so on point but all the other characters felt rather underdeveloped. Hikaru's girl friend was featured rather frequently but she never grew as a character she was just around, this was the same for both the normal kids as well as the kids that joined Hikaru in trying to become pros, well outside of that one guy that cheated that was heavily featured later on in the story.

I always felt the series has such greater potential but likely ended up being driven into a corner because of the way Shonen Jump works which prevented the story from really evolving and kept focusing on the battles and tournaments and stuff which can only take you so far. I also felt losing Sai was a big point of contention for the story, it was necessary but again with the way Shonen Jump works getting rid of a character and dramatically changing the story can have extremely negative effects on viewers which in the end put the manga in a position where it was going to fail eventually.

I think if this story had been able to be told the way the writer originally wanted it to go it would've been much more involved and different and not focused so much on the battles and tournament after tournament, I mean that still would've been apart of it but to me it seems like the worst possible story to try in tell in Shonen Jump where they will just outright cancel a long running series if its not performing regardless of what kind of story the writer is trying to tell.

 

[Parshias]

HnG is one of those cases where the anime is better than the manga because the anime didn't adapt the kinda lousy final arc of the series.

Still one of my favorite animes.

 

[Alastor3]

should I Go (get it) manga or anime?

 

[Iva Demilcol]

Hikaru no Go is easily one of the best mangas I've read. Heard the last part was rushed because of legal issues but haven't checked if this claim is true. I feel the end itself was kind of unfair for Hikaru but the rest of the story was pretty good. I was in Japan about the same time the 10th(?) anniversary of the series happened so I got the chance to buy the whole re-edition of the manga that includes this extra volume with stories about some supporting characters like Mitani; and the last story is a much better conclusion than what we got originally imo.

Haven't watched the anime but I heard it's not complete?

I've convinced other people to read it and haven't heard someone say something negative about it.

 

[drtomoe123]

should I Go (get it) manga or anime?

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I just watched the first episode of the anime and I seriously sobbed. My wife pointed out that Sai's story is very similar to a teacher I was really close to who committed suicide a few years ago. Seeing it in her light was HUGE because I think it explains one of the numerous reasons I feel so subconsciously drawn to the story and themes. Anyways, the anime's first episode was beautiful. Getting to watch the actual Go match and sense its rhythm made it feel like I was watching a DIFFERENT SERIES! It's so cool!

Hikaru no Go was amazing but I always felt like it wasn't as well developed as it could have been. The rivalry between Toya and Hikaru was great and so on point but all the other characters felt rather underdeveloped. Hikaru's girl friend was featured rather frequently but she never grew as a character she was just around, this was the same for both the normal kids as well as the kids that joined Hikaru in trying to become pros, well outside of that one guy that cheated that was heavily featured later on in the story.

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I read this comment yesterday but it's been stewing around in my head ever since. I really related to the manga (and Hikaru) leaving behind Hikaru's original group of friends, mainly because it emphasizes the sacrifice that he's making to pursue Go (and this is coming from a kid who had no drive and ambition whatsoever). I'm still not finished with the series, so I can't put together a final opinion on this yet, but I honestly thought the story approached the left-behind characters pretty well. There's that scene where Akari looks up to Hikaru's window one night and you can tell she's lonely and feels left behind, but she takes that moment and turns it into something that inspires her to work harder. That's the kind of maturity that helps make HnG so stunning for me (and what got me to appreciate the side story volume more than I thought I would).

A lot of this opinion comes from just reading through Whistle which, for as entertaining as it may be, really suffers from lack of development. At least Hikaru's new crowd is getting some real growth (Waya and Isumi especially), all of the new characters in Whistle never really went very far and the old characters were gone. It's not too noticeable with Whistle because its core (Sho's determination and drive) is simpler...regardless, the relative depth of Hikaru no Go was something I really appreciated coming from Whistle.

 

[drtomoe123]

So I finished the manga a day or two ago and, man, I honestly think that the ending was pretty great. Connecting the past and the future...how am I doing that in my own life?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Just bumping this after binging the series. Watched the anime and instantly fell in love with it. It was like eating a bag of chips, I couldn't watch just one episode. Seeing Hikaru develop a love for the game while increasing his skill was really satisfying.

Spoiler

Sai leaving really hit hard, and created a sobering sense of "the good old days" when the two were just learning, goofing around and thought they would always be together. It was a shame that he never really "came back" but it was necessary for the story. The ending did feel a little hollow, since I was looking forward to a climactic showdown with Akira, there was no "Divine Move" either. But the series was a great, joyful ride.

 

[Ruruja]

pretty sure i cried hard when sai left

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That was devastating. Oh damn this is an old thread.

 

[AoM]

Read through the manga recently. Amazing series, and I wish Hotta had gotten another one going (or had been able to work with Obata again to do more with Hikaru).

Just bumping this after binging the series. Watched the anime and instantly fell in love with it. It was like eating a bag of chips, I couldn't watch just one episode. Seeing Hikaru develop a love for the game while increasing his skill was really satisfying.

Spoiler

Sai leaving really hit hard, and created a sobering sense of "the good old days" when the two were just learning, goofing around and thought they would always be together. It was a shame that he never really "came back" but it was necessary for the story. The ending did feel a little hollow, since I was looking forward to a climactic showdown with Akira, there was no "Divine Move" either. But the series was a great, joyful ride.

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If you didn't check out the movie or manga, it goes past where you ended.

Though don't expect too much when it comes to Hikaru/Akira.

 

[V_Arnold]

This anime has prompted me to start learning go. Its just amazing.

 

[AoM]

This anime has prompted me to start learning go. Its just amazing.

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This guy's channel is fun to go through: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicksibicky

Also check out commentary from Michael Redmond (the only westerner to reach 9P).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDHyztzGpUU

 

[V_Arnold]

This guy's channel is fun to go through: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicksibicky

Also check out commentary from Michael Redmond (the only westerner to reach 9P).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDHyztzGpUU

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Oh, yeah, I remember his commentary from one of the AlphaGo games too, great player. (Or not the alphaGo commentary, but some big tournament where there were western commentators. It was a few years ago, and my memory sucks -.- Quick edit:

 

[AoM]

Oh, yeah, I remember his commentary from one of the AlphaGo games too, great player. (Or not the alphaGo commentary, but some big tournament where there were western commentators. It was a few years ago, and my memory sucks -.- Quick edit:

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Yup! When I first learned that Go existed.

 

[MrCinos]

Hikaru no Go is my favorite sports manga of all time, the only other two series' I'd put on the same tier (so far in my experience) are Ping Pong and REAL.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

If you didn't check out the movie or manga, it goes past where you ended.

Though don't expect too much when it comes to Hikaru/Akira.

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Will check out the film, thanks. As my thoughts settle, I'm more and more in agreement with how it ended (no divine move/ no showdown with Akira). Sai came to learn that his journey wasn't about the divine move, but passing on the love and guidance for Go to another player, who will pass it to another, living in the eternal rivalry of two geniuses (Akira/Shindo). One of those "the journey was divine move all along" dealies. Still, losing Sai really stings, wonder how a whole movie will float without him.

Hikaru no Go is my favorite sports manga of all time, the only other two series' I'd put on the same tier (so far in my experience) are Ping Pong and REAL.

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I've been meaning to check out Ping Pong, never heard of REAL, will look for that too.

What are your thoughts on Chihayafuru? It's currently one of my favorite animes and certainly my favorite Sports show. I only started watching HnG! to help the agonizing wait between new Chihaya episodes. It definitely is the spiritual successor to HnG now having seen both IMO. I'd put Haikyuu not too far behind, and Run with the Wind is up there too. Kuroko's Basketball is not quite on the level of any of these, but I still had a lot of fun with it.

 

[AoM]

Will check out the film, thanks. As my thoughts settle, I'm more and more in agreement with how it ended (no divine move/ no showdown with Akira). Sai came to learn that his journey wasn't about the divine move, but passing on the love and guidance for Go to another player, who will pass it to another, living in the eternal rivalry of two geniuses (Akira/Shindo). One of those "the journey was divine move all along" dealies. Still, losing Sai really stings, wonder how a whole movie will float without him.

I've been meaning to check out Ping Pong, never heard of REAL, will look for that too.

What are your thoughts on Chihayafuru? It's currently one of my favorite animes and certainly my favorite Sports show. I only started watching HnG! to help the agonizing wait between new Chihaya episodes. It definitely is the spiritual successor to HnG now having seen both IMO. I'd put Haikyuu not too far behind, and Run with the Wind is up there too. Kuroko's Basketball is not quite on the level of any of these, but I still had a lot of fun with it.

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Though I should clarify: the movie doesn't go all the way to the end either. :p Gotta check out the manga for that.

As for other sports shows, check out March Comes in Like a Lion for another board game series (shogi).

 

[pezzie]

I watched this series around 2002-2003 and it got me pretty heavily into playing Go online for a couple of years.

Can't remember crap now but I still have a Go board in my closet from those days lol.

 

[Fugu]

I'm a big go player, and while I don't have anything to say about this manga directly as I've never read it myself (although I might change that) I would just like to add that among english-speaking go players the influence of Hikaru no Go is heavy. I can think of no bigger influence on go in the west.

 

[Her Hero Is Gone]

Hikaru no Go is my favorite sports manga of all time, the only other two series' I'd put on the same tier (so far in my experience) are Ping Pong and REAL.

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It's my all time favourite too, so I will have to take a look at those other two you mentioned.

I loved this series. Even though I watched it like... wow almost 20 years ago, I remember the plot and side characters in a lot of detail several years later. Can't think of another shounen series like that for me. There is this mix of young characters and adults (+ ancient ghost) which is nice, and it's surprisingly gripping given that the "action" was people holding a stone out with flying colours in the background. I have a hard time staying interested in sports shounen series generally, but HnG was the exception. Sai being a ghost, and the suspense about the netgo games made it compelling to me. It was also a window into this really specific world of the Japanese go institute. The central thing though was Hikaru's relationship with Sai and Touya, and I was surprised that this show about people playing a board game could hit me so hard by the end.

It must have been huge PR for the game because it wasn't well known in the west at all. After the games where Lee Sedol lost to alphago, I was wishing there could be some kind of series revival with S.A.I.

 

[MrCinos]

What are your thoughts on Chihayafuru? It's currently one of my favorite animes and certainly my favorite Sports show. I only started watching HnG! to help the agonizing wait between new Chihaya episodes. It definitely is the spiritual successor to HnG now having seen both IMO. I'd put Haikyuu not too far behind, and Run with the Wind is up there too. Kuroko's Basketball is not quite on the level of any of these, but I still had a lot of fun with it.

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Haven't watched (or read) Chihayafuru or Run with the Wind yet, but from the sports series I haven't tried yet, those two are definitely at the top of my interest list. One: because, like you've mentioned, Chihayafuru reminds me of HnG from the first glance and two: Run with the Wind is based on an actual (not light) novel. I had good track record with anime series based on proper novels, so that alone puts Run with the Wind in the highlight to me.

I've been meaning to check out Ping Pong, never heard of REAL, will look for that too.

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It's my all time favourite too, so I will have to take a look at those other two you mentioned.

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Ping Pong has an amazing anime adaptation by one of the most renown (anime) directors out there: Masaaki Yuasa. Definitely check it out, it's pretty short too. Just in general, it's probably my favorite 1 cour (aka 12-13 ep long) series I've watched in my 15 years of active anime/manga consumption.

REAL so far exists only in manga format, but it's a seinen sports series dealing with phisically handicapped players written by the author of Vagabond and (another sports classic) Slam Dunk.

 

[maruchan]

I love this manga beside the story Obata's art was another reason the manga rocked. Theirs a reason this manga recived Japan's two highest manga awards durning its run.
I would love to see a one shot with an adult hikeru and Akira from hotta and obata