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ヒカルの碁 [Hikaru no Go] #1
Hikaru no Go, Vol. 1: Descent of the Go Master
DESCENT OF THE GO MASTER
Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather's attic - and that's when thing get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex bpard game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago. In one fateful moment, Sai becomes a part of Hikaru's consciousness and together, through thick and thin, they make an unstoppable Go-playing team. Will they be able to defeat Go players who have dedicated their lives to the game? Will Sai achieve the "Divine Move" so he'll finally be able to rest in peace? Begin your journey with Hikaru and Sai in this first volume of Hikaru no Go.
Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather's attic - and that's when thing get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex bpard game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago. In one fateful moment, Sai becomes a part of Hikaru's consciousness and together, through thick and thin, they make an unstoppable Go-playing team. Will they be able to defeat Go players who have dedicated their lives to the game? Will Sai achieve the "Divine Move" so he'll finally be able to rest in peace? Begin your journey with Hikaru and Sai in this first volume of Hikaru no Go.
187 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 1999
89 people are currently reading
2272 people want to read
About the author
Yumi Hotta
100 books99 followersYumi Hotta (堀田 由美 Hotta Yumi, most often written as ほった ゆみ) is a Japanese mangaka, best known as the author of the best-selling manga and anime series Hikaru no Go, about the game of go that is widely credited for the recent boom of the game in Japan. The idea behind Hikaru no Go began when Yumi Hotta played a pick-up game of go with her father-in-law. She thought that it might be fun to create a manga based on this traditional board game, and began the work under the title of Nine Stars (九つの星 Kokonotsu no Hoshi), named for the nine "star points" on a go board. She later worked with Takeshi Obata (the illustrator) and Yukari Umezawa (5-Dan, the supervisor) in the creation of Hikaru no Go. She won the 2000 Shogakukan Manga Award and the 2003 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Hikaru no Go.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
February 23, 2024
I've always sports stories and manga is the best source for sequential storytelling for this medium. I've tried this out in the Shonen Jump anthology and just amazed by the realistic art style used by the artist. The story is also unlike any other since it involves a board game. It could have been boring but the writer approaches it like a teaching game since she is also learning the game herself.
I will definitely be following this title.
I will definitely be following this title.
November 1, 2015
Hikaru no Go (Hikaru's Go) is my all-time favourite manga series. It's a coming-of-age story about a boy, Hikaru Shindō, who learns how to play Go, the board game, after he finds an old board in his grandfather's shed. The board is haunted by the spirit of Fujiwara-no-sai (nicknamed Sai), the best Go player in history from the Heian period (around a thousand years ago).
If the author (Yumi Hotta), artist (Takeshi Obata) or the art above sound/look familiar to you, it's because they're the same duo from Death Note . Just like Ryuk, the shinigami (Japanese god of death) whom only the protagonist can see, hear and talk to in Death Note, Sai becomes a permanent presence in Hikaru's everyday life. Hikaru is initially disinterested in Go but slowly becomes enthralled as he plays and studies, growing under Sai's unbounded knowledge and love for the game.
From playing at the school club and local Go salons, Hikaru applies to become an insei - a student at one of the national Go institutions with aspirations of becoming a professional. Go is very popular in Japan, among other East Asian countries, and the whole insei system, as well as the actual games of Go seen in the series, are true and proper to reality, with assistance from Go professionals in the production. Japan has these institutes for Go and Shōgi (Japanese chess), with the youngest becoming insei and turning pro before finishing junior high school (often thus bypassing school thereafter).
We follow Hikaru, his rivals and friends as they fight for qualification (only three out of dozens can turn pro each year), and later in the series we step into the world of professional Go, where we not only follow the matches and competitions but the many facets a professional's life has. The series was a big hit (serialised in the magazine Shonen Jump 1998-2003), giving birth to a Go boom and generation of players in Japan (and later other countries) who took up the game.
I adore this series because as a chess player I can relate to Hikaru's life (though not the Sai bit, obviously). Chess has been by far the biggest passion in my life after I learnt how to play when I was 6 or 7, and in over 15 years since then, I've been fortunate enough to play thousands of games in tournaments, travel to over a dozen countries to compete, and make some lifelong friends.
Hikaru's life as an insei is something I wish I could have experienced - playing and studying the game full-time, every day, from youth alongside rivals and friends who share the same passion, the same love, the same world hidden inside the squares, the pieces and moves.
I find the characterisation top-notch in this series -
energetic Hikaru, who visibly matures over the series;
Sai, kind and curious, striving for The Divine Move;
Akira, Hikaru's charismatic rival who is constantly far ahead in the Go world, yet is obsessed with Hikaru and the source of his talent after being trounced by the latter just after he had met Sai (how can this beginner play like a top professional?!);
fellow inseis Isumi, Ochi, Waya, and professionals Kōyō Toya (Akira's father), Ogata, Kuwabara, Kurata who each leave an impression...
With a chess friend and fellow Hikaru no Go fan, I remember amusing ourselves by finding players in the Australian chess scene (including ourselves) who resemble each character. Needless to say, fiction clicks with you if you can really relate to the content, and my experiences growing up with chess are the reason I was enthralled by Hikaru no Go, probably more than any novel. I read the series as a kid, watched the anime in my teens (I recommend the subbed over dubbed), and have re-read the series in manga cafes and rāmen shops when I've been to Japan. If I had read the series before taking up chess, maybe I would be playing Go now instead?
I must share my two favourite lines from the series - I've read/watched them countless times, but every time I see these lines, I can't help but feel touched, and my eyes water up in a flash. I don't think any other lines in any other forms of fiction affect me like this. Since they're late in the series and they aren't major plot giveaways, you can feel safe viewing them unless you're intent on reading or watching the series without any spoilers.
1.
2.
I once wrote a post on a chess blog I have with friends (quite inactive these days) relating to the series here.
July 22, 2015
If the author (Yumi Hotta), artist (Takeshi Obata) or the art above sound/look familiar to you, it's because they're the same duo from Death Note . Just like Ryuk, the shinigami (Japanese god of death) whom only the protagonist can see, hear and talk to in Death Note, Sai becomes a permanent presence in Hikaru's everyday life. Hikaru is initially disinterested in Go but slowly becomes enthralled as he plays and studies, growing under Sai's unbounded knowledge and love for the game.
From playing at the school club and local Go salons, Hikaru applies to become an insei - a student at one of the national Go institutions with aspirations of becoming a professional. Go is very popular in Japan, among other East Asian countries, and the whole insei system, as well as the actual games of Go seen in the series, are true and proper to reality, with assistance from Go professionals in the production. Japan has these institutes for Go and Shōgi (Japanese chess), with the youngest becoming insei and turning pro before finishing junior high school (often thus bypassing school thereafter).
We follow Hikaru, his rivals and friends as they fight for qualification (only three out of dozens can turn pro each year), and later in the series we step into the world of professional Go, where we not only follow the matches and competitions but the many facets a professional's life has. The series was a big hit (serialised in the magazine Shonen Jump 1998-2003), giving birth to a Go boom and generation of players in Japan (and later other countries) who took up the game.
I adore this series because as a chess player I can relate to Hikaru's life (though not the Sai bit, obviously). Chess has been by far the biggest passion in my life after I learnt how to play when I was 6 or 7, and in over 15 years since then, I've been fortunate enough to play thousands of games in tournaments, travel to over a dozen countries to compete, and make some lifelong friends.
Hikaru's life as an insei is something I wish I could have experienced - playing and studying the game full-time, every day, from youth alongside rivals and friends who share the same passion, the same love, the same world hidden inside the squares, the pieces and moves.
I find the characterisation top-notch in this series -
energetic Hikaru, who visibly matures over the series;
Sai, kind and curious, striving for The Divine Move;
Akira, Hikaru's charismatic rival who is constantly far ahead in the Go world, yet is obsessed with Hikaru and the source of his talent after being trounced by the latter just after he had met Sai (how can this beginner play like a top professional?!);
fellow inseis Isumi, Ochi, Waya, and professionals Kōyō Toya (Akira's father), Ogata, Kuwabara, Kurata who each leave an impression...
With a chess friend and fellow Hikaru no Go fan, I remember amusing ourselves by finding players in the Australian chess scene (including ourselves) who resemble each character. Needless to say, fiction clicks with you if you can really relate to the content, and my experiences growing up with chess are the reason I was enthralled by Hikaru no Go, probably more than any novel. I read the series as a kid, watched the anime in my teens (I recommend the subbed over dubbed), and have re-read the series in manga cafes and rāmen shops when I've been to Japan. If I had read the series before taking up chess, maybe I would be playing Go now instead?
I must share my two favourite lines from the series - I've read/watched them countless times, but every time I see these lines, I can't help but feel touched, and my eyes water up in a flash. I don't think any other lines in any other forms of fiction affect me like this. Since they're late in the series and they aren't major plot giveaways, you can feel safe viewing them unless you're intent on reading or watching the series without any spoilers.
1.
2.
I once wrote a post on a chess blog I have with friends (quite inactive these days) relating to the series here.
July 22, 2015
October 14, 2015
Hikaru is a middle school student who finds a go board in the attic that has a spirit of a great Heian period go player attached to it. Although Hikaru is reluctant (understatement) of starting to play the game, he is eventually persuaded to do so. Soon he finds himself facing more experienced people even though he hasn't even really *learnt* to play properly - good thing he has his ghost to help him. And this is only the start...
I liked this story, though I don't have an intention to read more volumes of this. The art style really lightens the mood, and the story has its funny and serious (very serious moments). Who knows, maybe I'll someday have a try at go myself? (Though not in competitions :) .) Good one to read by anyone interested.
I liked this story, though I don't have an intention to read more volumes of this. The art style really lightens the mood, and the story has its funny and serious (very serious moments). Who knows, maybe I'll someday have a try at go myself? (Though not in competitions :) .) Good one to read by anyone interested.
April 1, 2025
A ne'er-do-well kid finds a Go board in his grandfather's basement. It's haunted by the ghost of one of the best Go players of all time. The kid gets possessed. All the ghost wants to do is play Go.
The kid is forced to into the world of Go and finds some direction, a rival, and gets into trouble.
It's amazing how much drama can be created by a game where two people sit the whole time.
The kid is forced to into the world of Go and finds some direction, a rival, and gets into trouble.
It's amazing how much drama can be created by a game where two people sit the whole time.
December 23, 2024
Read December 16,2024.
Parental advisory:
Mentions of suicide.
The first volume of Hikaru no GO was great.
I finally took the time to read this series.
The story of Hikaru no Go is about a middle school boy named Hikaru who is possessed by a ghost called Sai after he approached the GO board in his grandfather's attic.
The ghost haunts the GO board because of his love for the game of GO.
Sais had committed suicide after someone accused him of cheating during a game of GO in front of the emperor which ruined his reputation as a GO master.
Now he haunts this board that is passed down from generation to generation in Hikaru's family.
The last descendant who could feel the presence of Sai died from an illness before he could grant Sai's biggest wish - to participate in a special tournament for GO players.
The volume follows Hikaru as he learns more about the game of GO,is challenged by various players and starts to gain an appreciation for the game.
In the beginning of the volume Hikaru is a rascal who almost sold his grandfather's GO board without permission.
I didn't like that.
He has a pattern of being bratty throughout volume 1 and refusing to help Sai because he didn't think GO was for "a kid like him" but he eventually started to become more interested in GO.
I wish a bit of Hikaru's life was shown before he was possessed by Sai.
Also I feel pity for Akira losing to Hikaru - a kid who didn't even care about the game of GO prior to being possessed by Sai.
He only plays GO because he will become sick if Sai is upset by Hikaru's refusal.
Akira studies hard to be a professional GO player meanwhile Hikaru is only doing it because he is forced to by Sai.
I'm waiting for Hikaru to realize his wrongs and take the game of GO more seriously and to see Sai as an ally instead of a nuisance.
Hikaru apologized whenever he was accidentally rude to his elders and he is very respectful to his family.
Clearly he is actually a decent kid just trying to play delinquent and goes too far sometimes.
Most of the time though he is quite funny.
As I read this volume I discovered that Hikaru has more of an understanding for GO than he believes.
During a children's tournament for GO players he noticed one of the contestants made a wrong move without the help of Sai.
He was also able to play against Akira's father and boy without much help or instructions from Sai.
This is progress!
He is learning to appreciate other players after playing against Akira and his father.
I hope he takes the game more seriously from now on.
I look forward to reading the next volume.
Parental advisory:
Mentions of suicide.
The first volume of Hikaru no GO was great.
I finally took the time to read this series.
The story of Hikaru no Go is about a middle school boy named Hikaru who is possessed by a ghost called Sai after he approached the GO board in his grandfather's attic.
The ghost haunts the GO board because of his love for the game of GO.
Sais had committed suicide after someone accused him of cheating during a game of GO in front of the emperor which ruined his reputation as a GO master.
Now he haunts this board that is passed down from generation to generation in Hikaru's family.
The last descendant who could feel the presence of Sai died from an illness before he could grant Sai's biggest wish - to participate in a special tournament for GO players.
The volume follows Hikaru as he learns more about the game of GO,is challenged by various players and starts to gain an appreciation for the game.
In the beginning of the volume Hikaru is a rascal who almost sold his grandfather's GO board without permission.
I didn't like that.
He has a pattern of being bratty throughout volume 1 and refusing to help Sai because he didn't think GO was for "a kid like him" but he eventually started to become more interested in GO.
I wish a bit of Hikaru's life was shown before he was possessed by Sai.
Also I feel pity for Akira losing to Hikaru - a kid who didn't even care about the game of GO prior to being possessed by Sai.
He only plays GO because he will become sick if Sai is upset by Hikaru's refusal.
Akira studies hard to be a professional GO player meanwhile Hikaru is only doing it because he is forced to by Sai.
I'm waiting for Hikaru to realize his wrongs and take the game of GO more seriously and to see Sai as an ally instead of a nuisance.
Hikaru apologized whenever he was accidentally rude to his elders and he is very respectful to his family.
Clearly he is actually a decent kid just trying to play delinquent and goes too far sometimes.
Most of the time though he is quite funny.
As I read this volume I discovered that Hikaru has more of an understanding for GO than he believes.
During a children's tournament for GO players he noticed one of the contestants made a wrong move without the help of Sai.
He was also able to play against Akira's father and boy without much help or instructions from Sai.
This is progress!
He is learning to appreciate other players after playing against Akira and his father.
I hope he takes the game more seriously from now on.
I look forward to reading the next volume.
June 11, 2021
I simply adore the premise of this series – a bratty, but happy-go-lucky middle school boy named Shindo Hikaru meets a childlike, Go obsessed, thousand year-old ghost named Fujiwara-no-Sai via a haunted goban (Go Board). To placate the ghost, Hikaru decides to allow Sai to play Go through him once in a while. However, unbeknownst to them, one of the very first people they play against is Toya Akira, a Go prodigy the same age as Hikaru. Conflict ensues.
The story so far is flowing very well and the art is wonderful. The cast of characters is plentiful and endearing, my favourite being Fujiwara-no-Sai. One complaint – a pet peeve of mine – is that the translator decided against using Japanese honorifics, introduces characters in the Western convention, and people calling others by their given names when they just met.
All in all, a good start to the series and I’m looking forward to the rest.
The story so far is flowing very well and the art is wonderful. The cast of characters is plentiful and endearing, my favourite being Fujiwara-no-Sai. One complaint – a pet peeve of mine – is that the translator decided against using Japanese honorifics, introduces characters in the Western convention, and people calling others by their given names when they just met.
All in all, a good start to the series and I’m looking forward to the rest.
June 5, 2007
This is an incredible manga series (and, for that matter, anime - although for the anime, I'd really recommend the fansubs, as the English release is agonizingly bad). And the thing is, it shouldn't be this good. It's about a bunch of Go-obsessed people. Who talk about Go. And play Go. And argue about Go.
And yet it's the most compelling, involving, and fun manga I've ever read. Partly, this is because of the characters - Shindou Hikaru, Touya Akira, and Fujiwara-no-Sai are realistic and interesting, and the relationship between Shindou and Touya is, well, very slashy, if you're me. But it's entrancing whether you read it that way or not. The secondary characters are likewise engaging. And the artwork is incredible, especially in the later volumes.
And it has no typical manga elements. There are no battles, just shouting matches over Go games (and refusal to play Go games, and playing Go games with the wrong people or in the wrong way). No one levels up, although they certainly get better at Go. The only really typical manga element is the destined rivalry, and it's between guys playing Go, not ninjas or whatever.
Oh, I'm doing this badly. And that's because I really can't communicate the joy of Hikaru no Go in words. But it's fabulous all the same, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
And yet it's the most compelling, involving, and fun manga I've ever read. Partly, this is because of the characters - Shindou Hikaru, Touya Akira, and Fujiwara-no-Sai are realistic and interesting, and the relationship between Shindou and Touya is, well, very slashy, if you're me. But it's entrancing whether you read it that way or not. The secondary characters are likewise engaging. And the artwork is incredible, especially in the later volumes.
And it has no typical manga elements. There are no battles, just shouting matches over Go games (and refusal to play Go games, and playing Go games with the wrong people or in the wrong way). No one levels up, although they certainly get better at Go. The only really typical manga element is the destined rivalry, and it's between guys playing Go, not ninjas or whatever.
Oh, I'm doing this badly. And that's because I really can't communicate the joy of Hikaru no Go in words. But it's fabulous all the same, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
December 17, 2021
I didn't (and still don't!) understand anything of Go, other than it's a matter of gaining / maintaining territory. I have to admit that it is a very difficult game to understand though, so it wouldn't probably work well in a shounen manga to explain everything (although they did attempt it a few times, but I got lost).
What I did like though, was Sai, and while the manga ended quite abruptly, he was the catalyst the spurred a strong rivalry between Hikaru and Akira, and I think at the end of the day, that's what matters the most.
What I did like though, was Sai, and while the manga ended quite abruptly, he was the catalyst the spurred a strong rivalry between Hikaru and Akira, and I think at the end of the day, that's what matters the most.
August 30, 2020
A pretty fun and sometimes serious story that centers on the Japanese board game Go. When child misfit Hikaru finds an old Go board, a ghost who’s an ancient master of Go who is somewhat attached to him and she wants him to play the board way. With the spirit’s expertise, Hikaru reluctantly becomes an amateur natural but it catches attention from a pro player that turns into trouble. A- (91%/Excellent)
January 7, 2019
I like the art and the story is fine but I don’t think I’ll continue reading
November 2, 2015
[4.5 stars] Review on the whole series.
I'd noticed Hikaru no Go since I was in middle school, back then HnG was pretty popular in my country. But I hadn't have any interest in picking this manga up until a dear friend of mine told me this is his all-time-favorite manga and how it meant to him. In addition, I've been a huge fan of Obata-sensei since Bakuman so one time I went and looked up other works of sensei, Hikaru no Go was there! I was so surprised! And I felt like I definitely have to read this manga.
The manga was so good I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up all nights and picked it up whenever I had free time. Believe me, I don't know a single thing about Go but still felt so attracted to it. And the manga wasn't created to teach us how to play it but how it meant to all the players and the ones who love it.
I could feel all kind of emotions through out the whole series. Even I couldn't understand all of the match completely but I could still tell how it went, who was having advantages and who was about to turn it all around. The authors did an amazing job in pulling the readers in the matches, the tension was so real, the players was so real, the whole world of Hikaru no Go felt so real but also so miraculous, unlike many other mangas.
It's fun to see how Obata-sensei's art style changed through each chapters. In the first chapters, the drawings look really 90's Jump but with time they become more unique, sharp and deep. And I admire Yumi Hotta-sensei's writing skill and knowledge of Go. All of the matches were so amazing and the players' skills were so well-expressed. It takes master skills and knowledge in Go in oder to write such awesome manga abou it.
And all of the characters are so passionate, amazing and believable. The competitive and supportive relationships between all of them make Hikaru no Go an amazing manga. It's hard not to fall in love with all of them, seeing how they love Go, how they always fair-play and shows respect towards each other but also try their best to prove themselves nonstop.
The ending is open and many people find it unsatisfying. For me, I think Go and Go players will always go on, and this is just an opening for them and just a chapter in the history book of Go. There will always be new generations with passion inherited from the previous generations.
Like Hikaru Shindou said: "The reason I play Go inside me is clear: To link the far past to the far future."
I'd noticed Hikaru no Go since I was in middle school, back then HnG was pretty popular in my country. But I hadn't have any interest in picking this manga up until a dear friend of mine told me this is his all-time-favorite manga and how it meant to him. In addition, I've been a huge fan of Obata-sensei since Bakuman so one time I went and looked up other works of sensei, Hikaru no Go was there! I was so surprised! And I felt like I definitely have to read this manga.
The manga was so good I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up all nights and picked it up whenever I had free time. Believe me, I don't know a single thing about Go but still felt so attracted to it. And the manga wasn't created to teach us how to play it but how it meant to all the players and the ones who love it.
I could feel all kind of emotions through out the whole series. Even I couldn't understand all of the match completely but I could still tell how it went, who was having advantages and who was about to turn it all around. The authors did an amazing job in pulling the readers in the matches, the tension was so real, the players was so real, the whole world of Hikaru no Go felt so real but also so miraculous, unlike many other mangas.
It's fun to see how Obata-sensei's art style changed through each chapters. In the first chapters, the drawings look really 90's Jump but with time they become more unique, sharp and deep. And I admire Yumi Hotta-sensei's writing skill and knowledge of Go. All of the matches were so amazing and the players' skills were so well-expressed. It takes master skills and knowledge in Go in oder to write such awesome manga abou it.
And all of the characters are so passionate, amazing and believable. The competitive and supportive relationships between all of them make Hikaru no Go an amazing manga. It's hard not to fall in love with all of them, seeing how they love Go, how they always fair-play and shows respect towards each other but also try their best to prove themselves nonstop.
The ending is open and many people find it unsatisfying. For me, I think Go and Go players will always go on, and this is just an opening for them and just a chapter in the history book of Go. There will always be new generations with passion inherited from the previous generations.
Like Hikaru Shindou said: "The reason I play Go inside me is clear: To link the far past to the far future."
December 9, 2023
This starts as what feels as pretty cliché: a ghost of an ancient go player inherits the mind of a school kid who discovers the Go board of (I presume) Honinbo Shusaku. The first few chapters struggle with the fact that kids might find the game boring - and the main character (Hikaru) fights a lot with the ghost (Sai).
I love the tone of the whole story - it obviously tries to be educational, but it does educate in a subtle way, while sacrificing a bit on the story telling side. I'm not sure if the author knew where she wanted to take the story to, it feels like she wanted to keep the ghost gimmick for longer, but only after a while she switched to a more natural evolution of the Hikaru character. I'm not saying that this is not what she intended for her character, it just feels that she plays too much with the ghost gimmick (that, if I remember correctly, gets very thin by the end of the story).
I think the four stars is a very subjective rating - the debut of the series is kind of weak - and while the first book establishes the antagonists of the story (I can't call them villains, even antagonist seems harsh) and some objectives that the hero will tackle later. But I'm not sure if someone who picks up the first volume without knowing what it is will be drawn into the story, or they will just think that it's passable, but somewhat uninteresting.
I love the tone of the whole story - it obviously tries to be educational, but it does educate in a subtle way, while sacrificing a bit on the story telling side. I'm not sure if the author knew where she wanted to take the story to, it feels like she wanted to keep the ghost gimmick for longer, but only after a while she switched to a more natural evolution of the Hikaru character. I'm not saying that this is not what she intended for her character, it just feels that she plays too much with the ghost gimmick (that, if I remember correctly, gets very thin by the end of the story).
I think the four stars is a very subjective rating - the debut of the series is kind of weak - and while the first book establishes the antagonists of the story (I can't call them villains, even antagonist seems harsh) and some objectives that the hero will tackle later. But I'm not sure if someone who picks up the first volume without knowing what it is will be drawn into the story, or they will just think that it's passable, but somewhat uninteresting.
August 29, 2021
Choi Taek in Reply 1988 is a brilliant Go-Game player and I wondered how to play this game. He played it all night long without getting any proper sleep and his opponents were just as passive as him while playing the game. This got my interest in this game. Is the procedure of these competitions in the series a real depiction? Before watching the series I've never heard of the game before. So now I'm trying out this manga which is about a sixth grader Hikaru who's consciousness is being partly taken by Fujiwarano Sai. Sai used to be a Go-Game teacher in the Heian period over 1.000 years ago. Hikaru plays against Touya Akira and wins twice in a row. Akira's goal is it to become God's hand - the best Go player existing. With Sai's instructions Hikaru plays like a pro and soon begins to take a real interest in Go ...
Really enjoyed this first volume of Hikaru No Go. Will keep on reading it and I hope it won't disappoint because the first volume seemed promising. It wasn't perfect but I mean normally first volumes aren't the best of their kind. The art in this is very realistic and vivid. No surprise that it's Takeshi Obata's drawing style. But it's Yumi Hotta who wrote the story of Hikaru No Go.
Really enjoyed this first volume of Hikaru No Go. Will keep on reading it and I hope it won't disappoint because the first volume seemed promising. It wasn't perfect but I mean normally first volumes aren't the best of their kind. The art in this is very realistic and vivid. No surprise that it's Takeshi Obata's drawing style. But it's Yumi Hotta who wrote the story of Hikaru No Go.
January 31, 2017
5 sao
Chuẩn mực là từ chính xác nhất để mô tả bộ manga này. Nội dung chuẩn mực, nét vẽ chuẩn mực. Nhưng không phải thứ gì khuôn mẫu cũng có thể khiến người ta yêu thích, quý mến như bộ này đã làm được. Bởi vì ngoài những yếu tố hoàn hảo đó, nó còn mang "cái hồn" ở bên trong (à cả nghĩa đen và nghĩa bóng :p).
P/S: lần này Kim tái bản quá đẹp quá chất lượng luôn, quan trọng là đọc lại khiến mình thật sự muốn theo dõi tiếp câu chuyện, nên quyết định sẽ sưu tầm lại trọn bộ này (thêm một lần nữa ^_^), dù dạo này hầu như đã bỏ hẳn manga rồi :D
Chuẩn mực là từ chính xác nhất để mô tả bộ manga này. Nội dung chuẩn mực, nét vẽ chuẩn mực. Nhưng không phải thứ gì khuôn mẫu cũng có thể khiến người ta yêu thích, quý mến như bộ này đã làm được. Bởi vì ngoài những yếu tố hoàn hảo đó, nó còn mang "cái hồn" ở bên trong (à cả nghĩa đen và nghĩa bóng :p).
P/S: lần này Kim tái bản quá đẹp quá chất lượng luôn, quan trọng là đọc lại khiến mình thật sự muốn theo dõi tiếp câu chuyện, nên quyết định sẽ sưu tầm lại trọn bộ này (thêm một lần nữa ^_^), dù dạo này hầu như đã bỏ hẳn manga rồi :D
December 28, 2020
Handlung:
Wir beginnen mit der Szene, in der Hikaru das Go-Brett vom Dachboden seines Großvaters klauen will, um es zu Geld zu machen (wtf Hikaru?!), und enden damit, dass Hikaru in seinem Go-Übungen von einem unhöflichen Fremden unterbrochen wird, der eine Zigarette raucht.
Insgesamt ein sehr solider Anfang. Man sieht, dass ganz klar Hikaru und seine Perspektive im Fokus der Geschichte sind, und Sai zumindest hier im ersten Band hauptsächlich die Handlung vorantreibt und Go-Wissen bietet. So wird seine Backstory auf 2 Seiten abgehandelt, und sein tragischer Selbstmord bekommt nur einen Nebensatz. (Anders als in der chinesischen Adaptation wurde mir keine dramatische Klippenszene gezeigt...sad). Hikaru ist dann auch dementsprechend unbeeindruckt. Dafür macht Hikaru als Charakter gleich im ersten Band schon einiges durch, und wird gegen Ende auch deutlich sympathischer, als er zum ersten Mal wirklich anfängt, sich für Go zu interessieren. Davor ist er vor allem eine ziemliche Rotznase.
Ein Moment der Stille für die arme Akari, die die ganze Zeit durch den Hintergrund geistert und von Hikaru immer nur schlecht behandelt wird. Mädel, such dir bitte bessere Freunde.
Lieblingsszene:
Als Sai erklärt dass er im ersten Spiel gegen Akira eigentlich nur Akira Go beigebracht hat, und dann ganz locker darüber sinniert, wie er ihn jetzt fertig machen wird. (Ja, ich finde es sexy wenn Charaktere sehr kompetent sind u.u)
Starke Kandidaten für Lieblingsszene ist desweiteren jeder Moment in dem Sai dramatische Gesichtsausdrücke macht <3
Lieblingsszitat:
"[Akira] ist kein normaler Junge. (...) Wenn er erwachsen wird, wird aus ihm dann ein Löwe, oder ein Drache? Und jetzt zeigt dieses Kind mir die Zähne. Dennoch ist ein Kind nur ein Kind. Er ist kein Gegner für mich."
Was habe ich gelernt:
Der Soundeffekt, wenn man dramatisch einen Go-Stein setzt, ist ZAMM!.
Cover:
Auf dem Cover sieht man Hikaru mit seinem gelben T-Shirt und seinen gelben Haaren. Ich hasse Gelb, daher macht mich das Ganze leicht aggressiv, aber das ist ja nicht seine Schuld. (Zum Glück ist innen alles schwarzweiß, sonst müsste ich die ganze Zeit so viel Gelb anschauen....)
Wir beginnen mit der Szene, in der Hikaru das Go-Brett vom Dachboden seines Großvaters klauen will, um es zu Geld zu machen (wtf Hikaru?!), und enden damit, dass Hikaru in seinem Go-Übungen von einem unhöflichen Fremden unterbrochen wird, der eine Zigarette raucht.
Insgesamt ein sehr solider Anfang. Man sieht, dass ganz klar Hikaru und seine Perspektive im Fokus der Geschichte sind, und Sai zumindest hier im ersten Band hauptsächlich die Handlung vorantreibt und Go-Wissen bietet. So wird seine Backstory auf 2 Seiten abgehandelt, und sein tragischer Selbstmord bekommt nur einen Nebensatz. (Anders als in der chinesischen Adaptation wurde mir keine dramatische Klippenszene gezeigt...sad). Hikaru ist dann auch dementsprechend unbeeindruckt. Dafür macht Hikaru als Charakter gleich im ersten Band schon einiges durch, und wird gegen Ende auch deutlich sympathischer, als er zum ersten Mal wirklich anfängt, sich für Go zu interessieren. Davor ist er vor allem eine ziemliche Rotznase.
Ein Moment der Stille für die arme Akari, die die ganze Zeit durch den Hintergrund geistert und von Hikaru immer nur schlecht behandelt wird. Mädel, such dir bitte bessere Freunde.
Lieblingsszene:
Als Sai erklärt dass er im ersten Spiel gegen Akira eigentlich nur Akira Go beigebracht hat, und dann ganz locker darüber sinniert, wie er ihn jetzt fertig machen wird. (Ja, ich finde es sexy wenn Charaktere sehr kompetent sind u.u)
Starke Kandidaten für Lieblingsszene ist desweiteren jeder Moment in dem Sai dramatische Gesichtsausdrücke macht <3
Lieblingsszitat:
"[Akira] ist kein normaler Junge. (...) Wenn er erwachsen wird, wird aus ihm dann ein Löwe, oder ein Drache? Und jetzt zeigt dieses Kind mir die Zähne. Dennoch ist ein Kind nur ein Kind. Er ist kein Gegner für mich."
Was habe ich gelernt:
Der Soundeffekt, wenn man dramatisch einen Go-Stein setzt, ist ZAMM!.
Cover:
Auf dem Cover sieht man Hikaru mit seinem gelben T-Shirt und seinen gelben Haaren. Ich hasse Gelb, daher macht mich das Ganze leicht aggressiv, aber das ist ja nicht seine Schuld. (Zum Glück ist innen alles schwarzweiß, sonst müsste ich die ganze Zeit so viel Gelb anschauen....)
April 11, 2018
Huh... I read this because I've been telling my students for years I would like to read a graphic novel. Today, a student put it in my hands and said I really had to read this book. I did not have high expectations. It was disappointing even then.
Not great. While I am curious about the game go, that's about all that was interesting. Character development was limited. Very flat. No one even changed. Hikaru started as a twit and ended as a twit.
Seriously, what is a reader supposed to take away from this book?
And why on earth do you end a book literally in the middle of a scene. This seems nothing more than a terribly bogus way to sell the next book.
Not great. While I am curious about the game go, that's about all that was interesting. Character development was limited. Very flat. No one even changed. Hikaru started as a twit and ended as a twit.
Seriously, what is a reader supposed to take away from this book?
And why on earth do you end a book literally in the middle of a scene. This seems nothing more than a terribly bogus way to sell the next book.
November 29, 2024
Funnily enough, i picked this up after my Ustaz Sallams recommendation, and I found it to be a really enjoyable read. The art style is refreshing, and theres some humour here and there. As someone who has always been intrigued by Go, it’s nice to learn more about the game through the story. The Go match with Touya’s dad was particularly intense, and I could really FEEL the tension building up.
I wasn’t too keen on the introduction of the antagonist—or at least, who I think is the antagonist—but overall, the book is quite good. I’m definitely interested in continuing with the series to see where it goes.
I wouldve given it 5 stars if not for the dude at the end lol
I wasn’t too keen on the introduction of the antagonist—or at least, who I think is the antagonist—but overall, the book is quite good. I’m definitely interested in continuing with the series to see where it goes.
I wouldve given it 5 stars if not for the dude at the end lol
June 27, 2019
I read and review about Hikaru no Go vol1. This manga is kind of “Go” manga. Even I didn’t know about “go” well, but I could enjoy it because this manga include some plot and interesting settings. This manga’s protagonists are “Hikaru” and “Sai”. Hikaru is kind of three-demantional character because ,at the beginning of the story, he didn’t even know how to play “Go”, but finally he dicided that he played “Go” with Sai involving some accidents. I was surprised by setting of Sai. Sai is kind of original character, because he was already dead, but He revived from Edo period to play “GO”. I think there were many interesting character’s traits. Therefore even if you don’t know about “go” well, you would enjoy this story.
July 23, 2019
This time, I read Hikarunogo. I’ve read it when I was a junior high school student. I really like a battle manga at the time so it was boring. However recently I read it and I could enjoy reading it. Usually “igo” doesn’t attract to young boys and girls. If you heard “igo”, are you willing to read it? I didn’t but after I read it, I was attracted by this word. If you want to experience it, you should try to read Hikarunogo right now!
December 30, 2018
4.5 stars
I subscribed to the new Shonen Jump, so I thought I’d go back and read some of the older series I never finished from beginning to end. I love the art in Hikaru No Go, and I’m surprised that a series about a game I know nothing is so engrossing. This is a fun intro to the series.
I subscribed to the new Shonen Jump, so I thought I’d go back and read some of the older series I never finished from beginning to end. I love the art in Hikaru No Go, and I’m surprised that a series about a game I know nothing is so engrossing. This is a fun intro to the series.
May 31, 2025
Very solid plot, well paced, and enjoyable to read. I learned so much about the game of Go and might even consider playing it after this! I plan to read to the end of the series to find out what becomes of Hikaru and his inner-mind ghost friend, the beautiful Sai.
January 30, 2018
This was so nostalgic! I forgot how much I love this series! I have had "Get Over" (the theme song from the show) stuck in my head all day....XD
July 18, 2019
Your girl tried some manga and actually liked it! I just started volume 3 and I have to admit, the lighter reading and change of pace has been very enjoyable for me :D
September 9, 2021
Loving the art so much
August 26, 2024
A inizio volume Hikaru sbocca appena Sai prova un minimo di tristezza, a fine volume sta una favola anche se Sai piange a dirotto, a parte questo per ora molto sfizioso, mi viene voglia di capire meglio le regole del Go, mo faccio qualche partitina e poi via col secondo volume
February 10, 2022
This was so entertaning think of chess but japanese style with stones instead of figures. It's funny, cheesy, and completely invested me while I read it. Not perfect but enjoyable plot and characters. A 7-8/10
November 12, 2024
Re-read for IRCB Book vs Book #2 Hikaru No Go vol 1 vs Mockingbird vol 1
The last time I read this was as it was being released in the old US Shonen Jump magazine, so this was a fun blast from the past. Hikaru is the typical slightly naughty Shonen teen, and watching his journey from Go is dumb for old people to “I wanna learn that move!” is pretty fun.
The last time I read this was as it was being released in the old US Shonen Jump magazine, so this was a fun blast from the past. Hikaru is the typical slightly naughty Shonen teen, and watching his journey from Go is dumb for old people to “I wanna learn that move!” is pretty fun.
March 21, 2017
Count me in for the rest of the series. (Emy, this is your fault.)
March 25, 2024
This book is really good. Engaging story and lots of fun!
April 9, 2018
I’ve already watched an anime in Japanese before I read this comic. Therefore, it was really sweet memories for me. I want to read a next volume as soon as possible. Also, I expect that it will be helpful for me to learn English.
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