Hikaru no Go: A Timeless Masterpiece
The first time I had the pleasure of reading Hikaru no Go was in 2018—seven years ago. How swiftly time passes. Fresh out of high school, I found myself utterly captivated by its brilliance, marveling at the rarity of such a masterpiece gracing the pages of Shonen Jump.
Now, seven years later, having completed law school, I revisited the series in its entirety over the course of just two days. To my astonishment, I found myself even more enthralled than I had been the first time—an experience I had not thought possible.
The storytelling is unparalleled within Shonen Jump, and Takeshi Obata’s artwork is nothing short of masterful. One of the most remarkable aspects of the series is how the characters visibly grow and mature over time, yet the transitions are rendered with such subtlety and natural progression that the reader hardly notices the passage of time. A salute to Obata-sensei for doing a superb job on the character design—on a weekly basis, mind you. Truly, you won’t find another manga where the characters gradually grow, and you can see it reflected perfectly in the designs.
In truth, Hikaru no Go is one of the greatest—if not the greatest—“fighting” manga in Shonen Jump. The game of Go itself serves merely as a metaphor, much like Kamehameha and other iconic elements of the genre, and a deep understanding of the game is by no means a prerequisite for appreciating the brilliance of the series.
Thus, if you have endured my nostalgic musings to this point, I implore you: read Hikaru no Go. This masterpiece deserves every ounce of recognition it can receive.