Hikaru no Go

Name: Hikaru no Go
Rating: 8.12

ヒカルの碁

Manga8.124013 votes23 volumes · 198 chaptersFinished

Award WinningComedyDramaSupernaturalStrategy GameShounen

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Synopsis

When Hikaru Shindou discovers an old go board in his grandfather's attic, he is greeted by the spirit of an ancient go master, Fujiwara no Sai. Sai spent his life teaching the techniques of the board game to an emperor during the Heian era, and now in his ghostly state, he is eager to share his passion with the unsuspecting Hikaru. The only problem is that Hikaru is not all that interested in board games. But Sai is not easily dissuaded. Pressured by Sai's unrelenting desire to pursue something he refers to as the "Divine Move," Hikaru begrudgingly consents to playing the game, executing moves as dictated by Sai. But slowly, intrigued by the dedication of his peers, he begins to learn the basics of the game. As Hikaru enters into the world of go, guided by his intangible tutor and inspired by his rival, Akira Touya, he cannot help but be drawn into the complex game as he grows determined to prove his own abilities. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Hikaru no Go won the 45th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen category in 2000. The series also won the Creative Award at the seventh Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003. The series was published in English by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump imprint from May 19, 2004, to May 3, 2011. It was also released in Brazilian Portuguese by Editora JBC from January 2010 to July 2012.

Published

Dec 8, 1998 to Jul 14, 2003

Authors

External links

MyAnimeList page Wikipedia

MAL rank: #623
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Adaptation

Main characters

Sai Fujiwara no804 fan favorites
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A spirit from the Heian era of Japan and mentor of Hikaru Shindo. Sai continually plays Go in attempt to one day play the divine move (also known as the Hand of God). In the manga and anime, Sai had possessed the real-life figure Hon'inbo Shusaku and through his body, became a renowned Go player. Sai holds a rivalry towards Koyo Toya (a.k.a. Toya Meijin) and through Hikaru persuades Toya to have a game with him. Extremely effeminate by today's standards (as is appropriate for a high-born Heian man), Sai is often drawn with traditionally feminine features and mannerisms. Yumi Hotta has joked about fans mistakenly calling him a "she" in the "intermission" pages of the manga. Sai's extremely emotional behavior is also proper for a Heian male; he sometimes cries copiously, soaking his long sleeves with tears, which in his own time would be respected as a sign of intelligence and sensitivity. His name Fujiwara indicates that he is related to a noble family of extremely high prestige in the Heian period, the Fujiwara clan.
Hikaru Shindou461 fan favorites
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Protagonist who is assisted by Sai. At the beginning of the series, Hikaru is a sixth grader in elementary school. An important factor in the development of Hikaru's passion for Go was an encounter early on where Hikaru becomes the rival of Akira Toya. At first, he thinks that Go is just for oldsters and he is annoyed at Sai's demand to play, but little by little his passion for Go increases as he plays more and more. From being a member of a school Go club to being an insei and finally becoming a professional Go player (at 14 years old) a year after Akira, Hikaru matures throughout the course of the series. Throughout the series, Hikaru gradually gets taller because the manga volumes are around when he is getting older and playing Go at the same time. Hikaru is often portrayed wearing clothing having the numeral "5". This is a pun on the Japanese common name for five: go. His birthday is September 20th. Part of his strength is his ability to read far into the game very fast, and to make seemingly stupid moves. These moves in fact lure the opponent to doing stupid moves, which Hikaru then traps them by.
Akira Touya274 fan favorites
External profile
Birthday: December 14 Hikaru's biggest rival and Kaio Middle School student. The son of Koyo Touya, Akira is already a very strong Go player when Hikaru first begins playing and is amazed by Hikaru's seemingly impossible strength. Since his first game with Hikaru, Akira has been obsessed with discovering the secret behind his strength. Akira has faced Hikaru again and won, but still sees a lot of strength within him. As the series progresses, they continue to play each other, but it always ends in an argument. Akira also gets taller throughout the series.