Ranked #244

Hikaru no Go (Manga)

As ancient Oriental board games go (no pun intended) Go, has a reputation for being either extremely boring, extremely difficult, extremely intense, or all of the above. It is not an easy game to play and a game is not easily finished, either. Yet Hikaru no Go, a manga that's all about Go and little else, made it seem exciting and interesting enough to stir some new-found appreciation for one of the oldest games around.

Strange how action-packed manga rarely draw me in, but a manga about a board game (for crying out loud, a BOARD GAME!) can drive me nuts and leave me crying over cliffhangers. Each chapter is more fascinating than the last and if you find yourself saying "I'll stop reading after this chapter...No, after the next one...Damn it's a cliffhanger, I have to read the next volume...When it gets dark, I'll stop...I'll turn on the lights..." You probably won't rest until you've pretty much read all the volumes available to you.

Aside from the engaging story, the art by Obata Takeshi is also something to love. The art is simple, yet the crispness of the images lends a freshness. The inks are bold and striking - no swishy strands, frail noses, and feathers and cherry blossoms here. Everything is pretty much realistic. The details right down to the shoes are awesome. Seriously, I love Hikaru's outfits. He's like a Nike posterboy or something. Also, if you read the manga from volume 1 all the way to 20 in one go (again, no pun intended) you will notice something rather surprising. Hikaru grows up right before your very eyes. Literally. I have seen manga in which the storyline spans at least two years and yet the characters never change. But here, Hikaru grows taller, loses some of the baby fat, and Akari fills out. This attention to detail is really very interesting. About the only thing that remains the same on Shindou-kun is his hair - though it's shorter in the back in the later volumes. The art style also grows cleaner and the inking smoother as the series goes along, which shows that Hikaru isn't the only one whose style is growing and changing. Obata Takeshi's art, by the end of volume 23, is noticeably similar to his incredible work in Death Note and is a far cry from HikaGo's first volume.

However, the manga may not be for everyone. I admit that people who do not like wordy manga or manga with no action, magic or romance will probably not enjoy this very much. Still, if you want substance and realistic inner struggles without the excessive angst and hyperactive SD-ness (although there are still some of those), this is a good manga to read. It can appeal to anybody with even the tiniest bit of ambition, as that is ultimately what the story is about. Those who like comedy can enjoy this, too, as it doesn't take itself too seriously. It would be better if you have some small working knowledge of Go, so you might want to check the game out and play sometimes (though playing is likely to drive you even more nuts). Hopefully, Hikaru no Go will achieve one of its obvious goals - to reach out and make the youth (or anyone, really) interested in this difficult yet highly satisfying strategy game. read more

I absolutely loved Hikaru no Go. (A little bit of trivia: For those who didn't know this already, Hikaru no Go was drawn by the same artist who drew Death Note, Obata Takeshi-sensei.)

Actually, I've already heard of Hikago a long time ago. However, I felt no sense of urgency to read it. I knew it was good though since I hadn't come across any bad reviews for it. But being primarily a shoujo fan, I lacked enough interest to actually download/buy the manga. It wasn't until I bought an issue of Shonen Jump which contained some chapters of Hikago that I had a reason to read the manga.

This issue contained only a few chapters but it generated enough interest for me to look for the earlier chapters. It was just that good. The story and art simply hooked me.

One would think that a manga about a game you barely know about would probably be boring and confusing. On the contrary, it was anything but. The manga was more about the characters' development and their interactions with each other. It would help if you knew a little about the game but if you didn't, it was okay too. (I had no idea about the game of Go.) It was truly a coming-of-age type of manga as you would witness the growth of the characters, both literally and metaphorically. The story, in the beginning, especially when they were introducing characters, was very engaging. I literally couldn't bring myself to stop reading it. (Which is why I finished it in 3 days. =_=)

The story becomes a little boring in the second saga though. Which would explain for the 9 points in the Story and Enjoyment area.

Now, the art. I could not simply rave enough about Obata-sensei's art. It is simply wonderful. This isn't surprising as he had mentored the likes of mangaka Kentaro Yabuki (Black Cat), Nobuhiro Watsuki (Rurouni Kenshin) and Yusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21), among many others. Another plus side to reading Hikago is you would witness the evolution of Obata-sensei's art. His style of drawing differs as the chapters go on. Definitely a good reason to read the manga.

Yumi Hotta (the author) did a wonderful work in making the characters. There are a lot of characters and, although it may seem like hard work, she managed to shed light on their personalities, struggles and victories. Character development is (there's no other word for it) sugoi. It is for this reason (and the amazing art) that I have more than my share of character favorites in the series. :3

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and I recommend it to anyone wanting a great, engaging read.

On the ending: I thought the ending was a little disappointing. Nonetheless, I didn't regret reading this great series. :) read more

Who would’ve thought a story about a BOARD GAME would be so…compelling?

I actually came across Hikaru no Go as an anime but after watching a few episodes I had a sudden urge to read the manga. Now I’m not one to usually read lengthily shounen, so naturally I wouldn’t be reading one that has 191 chapters/75 episodes on a board game…right?

The summary tells you pretty much the essence of the story, it does make it appear more childish but it essentially gives an accurate synopsis. The story is simple; Hikaru is plummeted into the world of Go after a spirit from a Go board called Sai takes residence in his consciousness. At first Sai dictates moves for Hikaru to play but then Hikaru starts taking an interest in the game and wants to learn himself. Sai beats the child prodigy Akira, and Akira, thinking it was Hikaru who had beaten him, starts chasing down Hikaru - starting an epic battle and rivalry for many years to come.
The story is realistic. Not the part about Sai taking place in Hikaru’s mind and what not but the part about Hikaru starting off and remaining for a long time, a mere amateur. Okay, so he doesn’t start off like everyone else, what with a spirit starting off his passion, but his progress and journey from amateur to pro is. In most shounens the main character has a lot of natural talent and always seem to beat every major opponent that endangers his honour or his becoming a pro however Hikaru has or does neither. He’s crap at the start, loses a LOT of games throughout the series and just isn’t annoyingly fabulous like most shounen protagonists.

Akira’s and Hikaru’s rivalry is something to be admired, it is definitely one of the best rivalry I have ever seen in anime/manga. Both are completely obsessed with each other, and chases the other’s shadow, from when they’re 12 till 15/16 and probably for the rest of their natural lives. It’s not your typical shounen story where the protagonist is at first beaten by his rival, then goes off to train or whatever, then ultimately ends up miles ahead of his rival that they become insignificant or obsolete to the story. Akira’s and Hikaru’s rivalry is much more than that and much more realistic. They’re eternal rivals and even become friends - to an extent.

Now I’m no art critic but you would have to be BLIND not to appreciate Obata Takeshi’s art. The art is so realistic it’s practically brought to life - even the most minute detail is there - from backgrounds to the clothing patterns. The most amazing thing again about the art is Hikaru and Akira. As I said before, the story starts from when they’re 12 years old till they’re 16, so when you read the manga you actually see them grow right before you, volume to volume. I was surprised myself when I saw this, it adds a touch of sentimentality to the story. I couldn’t help but stare at his art in awe, he genuinely is the best manga artist out there.

You don’t need to know anything about Go to read this. I didn’t know what the heck Go was when I started HnG. However, inevitably you will want to know and learn about Go - it truly is inspiring. The emotional drama is exceptional. I recommend people to do what I did: watch a few episodes of the anime first then if you’re interested in the premise just READ the rest of it - then go back to the anime later. You understand the intensity, the feelings, the atmosphere a lot more when reading it. I would never have thought a story about a board game could make me laugh, annoyed, angry, and feel sad! Tears actually built up in my eyes at one point. Try it. It didn’t sell 22 million copies in Japan alone for nothing. read more