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Endgame: Hikaru is in the toughest battle of his life when he faces Ko Yong Ha, Korea's top player in the Hokuto Cup tournament. The stakes, however, aren't for personal glory but for something far deeper, something that differentiates a mere game from a way of life. Hikaru knows what this means to him, but will he understand what it means to the new wave of go players and, indeed, the game of go itself? Final Volume!
190 pages
First published September 4, 2003
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188 people want to read
About the author
Yumi Hotta
103 books100 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 86 reviews
May 21, 2012
The series itself presents something called the "divine move" which the character Sai is seeking, however, not only do they drop Sai as he is a ghost/spirt, the divine move is never achieved. Nor does Shindo win the final important match of the volume. It seems more as if the authors grew bored of their manga and just decided to call volume 23 the final volume, when really it was just the last volume published. The rivalry between Shindo and Toya, which was really what was driving the latter half of the series, even drops off and becomes flat. Sure they easily become friends, but the authors chose not to show or even resolve their second round match. The manga never really becomes resolved and leaves much to be desired. Even with the last scenes of the last volume, there is a presentation of insei that admire both Toya and Shindo, in most cases this would have worked, however, because Shindo really has nothing to show for his struggles not even the divine move, this idea falls flat and the two insei become boring and quite annoying when the reader would rather be focused on what Shindo should be achieving. Futhermore, Shindo promises that he will one day tell Toya about Sai--something that, again, is not found to be in the last volume of the manga. Overall, the ending was sloppy and cannot be called open ended because none of the impending questions were resolved, which hurts the plot and the overall ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2020
The ending was better than I expected. I've heard that the last arc was not well received and this contributed to a rushed completion of the series. However, with how this volume unfolded, it felt that the authors were able to give a proper ending on their own terms that this series deserved and kept to the theme of the overall story and the spirit of the game of go.
The open ended ending reflects the nature of the game. Life and death occurs in a go board, but the players lives on to struggle and achieve the divine move. Hikaru and Akira aren't even in the realm of achieving it, but they are on the path. Their exploits have also inspired younger go players and future rivals. Those two will continue on facing each other on the board for the rest of their lives.
There are several plot threads that will remain unclosed. The reader will never know if Ogata finally had his day against the ancient Kuwabara. Another is the final fate of the Hikaru's middle school classmates, especially Akari. I guess the reader will have to settle for this ending.
The open ended ending reflects the nature of the game. Life and death occurs in a go board, but the players lives on to struggle and achieve the divine move. Hikaru and Akira aren't even in the realm of achieving it, but they are on the path. Their exploits have also inspired younger go players and future rivals. Those two will continue on facing each other on the board for the rest of their lives.
There are several plot threads that will remain unclosed. The reader will never know if Ogata finally had his day against the ancient Kuwabara. Another is the final fate of the Hikaru's middle school classmates, especially Akari. I guess the reader will have to settle for this ending.
September 26, 2014
Frustrating and Unsatisfying manga. I've been DUPED.
I have never before felt so UNSATISFIED with a manga that I have been fairly enjoying. This manga managed to capture my attention eventhough I have zero knowledge about the boardgame it was centralised around. Yet it is also one to let me down terribly.
I felt cheated since I couldn't even have a lick at that dangling carrot the mangaka had used throughout the story to command her reader's interest. Reading this manga has ZERO rewards since characters you root for wouldn't get the prize they rightfully deserved. And the long promised showdowns between important characters did not materialize. What further can I say? I felt duped. It's like telling the readers that hardwork is bullshit and unrewarding. Plus, geniuses can for fuck off!
February 12, 2012
The End. So, this is partly a rating for the last volume in the series, Volume 23, "Endgame," and partly a rating for the entire series, and overall, I give it a 3.5. There were some really inspiring moments and some games I really enjoyed, and on average it was, while not brilliant, enjoyable as heck, and I have to give this series major props for doing what nothing else has in the last 20 years, and inspired me to take up go again.
But, the fact is that the series kind of rolled to a halt with this volume and... just stopped. Hikaru is now a respected up-and-coming go professional, regarded as a peer with his longtime rival, Akira Toya. And yet, although they've played a few matches, we never have seen the really decisive showdown we were all waiting for. And Hikaru has lost to Akira every time they've played when it wasn't Sai making moves for him. In fact, Hikaru has lost most of the really decisive, climactic games in this series. While there is always something special about them, something that makes everyone else sit up and take notice and say "He's a player to watch out for," the fact is, "potential" is just what you haven't done yet. Much as I hate to agree with that four-eyed little mushroom Ochi, "So who cares how good he was at losing?"
There were a lot of unresolved points. Fujiwara-no-Sai just faded away and never returned. We never saw the Divine Move. The supporting cast who've been part of Hikaru's life likewise just faded into the background. (Would it have killed Yumi Hotta to show Hikaru going on a date just once?) And Hikaru himself has gone from the star of the series to just one of the rising tide of new go professionals. The theme, in the end, was connecting the past to the future and ensuring a future for go, and that was inspiring enough, but for the Western reader who wants a climax and some resolution, it was a bit flat. On the one hand, this series could easily have gone on for several more volumes for all that this one wrapped anything up. On the other, I still think it could just as well have ended back at Volume 16.
So, I enjoyed reading Hikaru No Go. It's the first manga series I have read to completion in a long time, and given that it's targeted to a middle school audience, the fact that it engaged me so and inspired me to get back into the game means it has earned my kudos. I certainly think anyone will find this an enjoyable read. But, Hotta certainly reached the limits of her storytelling abilities, which were never deep to begin with. This isn't a work of genius or a timeless classic, but it's fun and may just turn you into a go aficionado too. See you on KGS!
But, the fact is that the series kind of rolled to a halt with this volume and... just stopped. Hikaru is now a respected up-and-coming go professional, regarded as a peer with his longtime rival, Akira Toya. And yet, although they've played a few matches, we never have seen the really decisive showdown we were all waiting for. And Hikaru has lost to Akira every time they've played when it wasn't Sai making moves for him. In fact, Hikaru has lost most of the really decisive, climactic games in this series. While there is always something special about them, something that makes everyone else sit up and take notice and say "He's a player to watch out for," the fact is, "potential" is just what you haven't done yet. Much as I hate to agree with that four-eyed little mushroom Ochi, "So who cares how good he was at losing?"
There were a lot of unresolved points. Fujiwara-no-Sai just faded away and never returned. We never saw the Divine Move. The supporting cast who've been part of Hikaru's life likewise just faded into the background. (Would it have killed Yumi Hotta to show Hikaru going on a date just once?) And Hikaru himself has gone from the star of the series to just one of the rising tide of new go professionals. The theme, in the end, was connecting the past to the future and ensuring a future for go, and that was inspiring enough, but for the Western reader who wants a climax and some resolution, it was a bit flat. On the one hand, this series could easily have gone on for several more volumes for all that this one wrapped anything up. On the other, I still think it could just as well have ended back at Volume 16.
So, I enjoyed reading Hikaru No Go. It's the first manga series I have read to completion in a long time, and given that it's targeted to a middle school audience, the fact that it engaged me so and inspired me to get back into the game means it has earned my kudos. I certainly think anyone will find this an enjoyable read. But, Hotta certainly reached the limits of her storytelling abilities, which were never deep to begin with. This isn't a work of genius or a timeless classic, but it's fun and may just turn you into a go aficionado too. See you on KGS!
July 20, 2015
A pretty solid graphic novel series. You have to acknowledge that making a reader excited about something so mundane and unfamiliar as an ancient Chinese board game takes skill. I liked it the first time when I read it about ten years ago, and I really enjoyed it this time around. It does end on a kind of open-ended note, but I seriously doubt there was a need to outline Hikaru's entire career until his eventual triumph. It says so in the last few volumes, the road to success in go never ends. Hikaru still has a lot of room to grow, his rivalry with Akira will never cease to exist, and he cannot possibly win every single game, so what is there to expect? In a way, I'm glad this manga did not leave us with a feeling that Hikaru and the gang are unstoppable.
The problem is that the finale did not feel punchy enough. It was more like an end to another volume/story arc, than a grande exit. Perhaps there could be a short fast-forward to Hikaru as an older man - a distinguished go player in the vein of Akira's father, revealing the entire series to be his reflection of the past. Perhaps this would be a perfect stage for brief return of Sai, who could visit Hikaru once again and bring a much-needed closure. Because I think there was more to be done for the well-rounded ending, I take away one star.
The problem is that the finale did not feel punchy enough. It was more like an end to another volume/story arc, than a grande exit. Perhaps there could be a short fast-forward to Hikaru as an older man - a distinguished go player in the vein of Akira's father, revealing the entire series to be his reflection of the past. Perhaps this would be a perfect stage for brief return of Sai, who could visit Hikaru once again and bring a much-needed closure. Because I think there was more to be done for the well-rounded ending, I take away one star.
July 25, 2021
I was so shocked and dismayed at the ending of the series that I was going to give this tankobon a one or two star rating. However, I knew that this was a visceral gut reaction and those tend to be inaccurate, so I let this tankobon percolate in my mind throughout the day and in the end, I rated this tankobon three and a half stars, rounded up to four stars.
I didn't mind that Team Japan came in last – it's to be expected, because South Korea has the best Go players followed by China, so it realistic that Japan comes in last place. However, what I do mind is that Hikaru Shindo lost his game to Ko Yongha and failed to defend Fujiwara-no-Sai's honor. What's worse is that he lost that game on the anniversary on the very day that Sai disappeared. Yumi Hotta could have let Shindo win and still have Japan come in last, by having Akira Toya lose his match against his Korean counterpart, which would have been a better ending. However, she let Toya win and Shindo lose.
I feel that the series end too soon with too many unresolved plot points. No one has achieved the Hand of God, while I had a feeling that it wouldn't be resolved anytime soon, because Sai spent literally a thousand years pursing it and to have Shindo achieve it so young would seem incongruous, so I think that the Hand of God is more of an ethereal goal that every Go player tries to achieve, but probably won't be able to in their lifetimes.
Secondly, Shindo has never beaten Toya in an official match – if they're considered true rivals, no one but them would believe that unless Shindo defeats Toya in an official match. Currently, they are friends disguised as frenemies and it would have been nice for that to at least happen once.
Finally, I'm not too sure what to make at the ending with Fujiwara-no-Sai being trapped in a goban once again. I had thought that when Sai disappeared he went to the afterlife and finally found some peace, but to have him trapped in a goban again seemed like a cruel fate to one of my favorite characters in the series.
The other reason I think the series ended too early was because there was so much more story to tell. We have yet see Shindo play in the Leagues, challenge a title, win a title, defend his title, go to the Mind Olympics, and – the story goes on. The problem with Go is that it's a mind sport and as long as your mind is sharp you can still play – well beyond retirement age. So the question remains, where is the fine line to end the series, when Shindo wins his first title or when he's elderly ready for retirement? I'm not sure where the right line to finish the series, but having it here is too soon.
What mollified me a great deal was the second omake at the end. Where we see the 11th Young Lions Tournament through the eyes of two insei: Shoji and Oka. They both idolize Shindo and Toya respectively, but when they play against them in the first round of the Young Lions Tournament, Shoji vs Toya and Oka vs Shindo, they switch allegiances on who's a better Go player. We end with Shindo playing Toya in the second round of the Young Lions Tournament – with a cliff-hanger no less.
All in all, Endgame is a polarizing ending, but above average in exclusion and enjoyment and learn that like in real life there is no end as they continue to play Go. The entire series as a whole was wonderful coming of age story for Shindo Hikaru. For a series centered on an ancient board game, it was filled with drama that kept me entertained and more importantly return for more. In short, it's a wonderful series to read and well worth the time spent.
I didn't mind that Team Japan came in last – it's to be expected, because South Korea has the best Go players followed by China, so it realistic that Japan comes in last place. However, what I do mind is that Hikaru Shindo lost his game to Ko Yongha and failed to defend Fujiwara-no-Sai's honor. What's worse is that he lost that game on the anniversary on the very day that Sai disappeared. Yumi Hotta could have let Shindo win and still have Japan come in last, by having Akira Toya lose his match against his Korean counterpart, which would have been a better ending. However, she let Toya win and Shindo lose.
I feel that the series end too soon with too many unresolved plot points. No one has achieved the Hand of God, while I had a feeling that it wouldn't be resolved anytime soon, because Sai spent literally a thousand years pursing it and to have Shindo achieve it so young would seem incongruous, so I think that the Hand of God is more of an ethereal goal that every Go player tries to achieve, but probably won't be able to in their lifetimes.
Secondly, Shindo has never beaten Toya in an official match – if they're considered true rivals, no one but them would believe that unless Shindo defeats Toya in an official match. Currently, they are friends disguised as frenemies and it would have been nice for that to at least happen once.
Finally, I'm not too sure what to make at the ending with Fujiwara-no-Sai being trapped in a goban once again. I had thought that when Sai disappeared he went to the afterlife and finally found some peace, but to have him trapped in a goban again seemed like a cruel fate to one of my favorite characters in the series.
The other reason I think the series ended too early was because there was so much more story to tell. We have yet see Shindo play in the Leagues, challenge a title, win a title, defend his title, go to the Mind Olympics, and – the story goes on. The problem with Go is that it's a mind sport and as long as your mind is sharp you can still play – well beyond retirement age. So the question remains, where is the fine line to end the series, when Shindo wins his first title or when he's elderly ready for retirement? I'm not sure where the right line to finish the series, but having it here is too soon.
What mollified me a great deal was the second omake at the end. Where we see the 11th Young Lions Tournament through the eyes of two insei: Shoji and Oka. They both idolize Shindo and Toya respectively, but when they play against them in the first round of the Young Lions Tournament, Shoji vs Toya and Oka vs Shindo, they switch allegiances on who's a better Go player. We end with Shindo playing Toya in the second round of the Young Lions Tournament – with a cliff-hanger no less.
All in all, Endgame is a polarizing ending, but above average in exclusion and enjoyment and learn that like in real life there is no end as they continue to play Go. The entire series as a whole was wonderful coming of age story for Shindo Hikaru. For a series centered on an ancient board game, it was filled with drama that kept me entertained and more importantly return for more. In short, it's a wonderful series to read and well worth the time spent.
July 20, 2011
Wow. I was just massively disappointed with the way this series fizzled out at the end. There were so many issues that never got resolved, and I was expecting some kind of finale or showdown, and nothing ever really happened.
What about Sai? He just never returns in any way, shape or form other than that he "lives" metaphorically through Hikaru? Lame.
What was all that mystery surrounding Toy Meijin leading up to? Nothing?
Akira and Hikaru never have a major showdown?
No one EVER plays the divine move? I thought that was where we were going with this business.
What about Hikaru and Akari? It was obvious that they were going to get together at some point.
I'm just really angry and frustrated about this ending. I heard rumors that the author based one of the Korean Go players on an actual Korean Go player and incurred a lawsuit that forced her to wrap up the series quickly. I wish I could find a citation for that somewhere.
What about Sai? He just never returns in any way, shape or form other than that he "lives" metaphorically through Hikaru? Lame.
What was all that mystery surrounding Toy Meijin leading up to? Nothing?
Akira and Hikaru never have a major showdown?
No one EVER plays the divine move? I thought that was where we were going with this business.
What about Hikaru and Akari? It was obvious that they were going to get together at some point.
I'm just really angry and frustrated about this ending. I heard rumors that the author based one of the Korean Go players on an actual Korean Go player and incurred a lawsuit that forced her to wrap up the series quickly. I wish I could find a citation for that somewhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2016
I was mixed on the ending. It was an OK bittersweet conclusion to the series, but felt more like the end of a story arc than the end of the entire series. I wonder if it had planned to go on further but wrapped up early for some reason. I guess I'll read up on wikipedia and see if there is any continuation, or if the anime ended any better.
July 23, 2022
Bộ truyện quá hay, đỉnh trên mọi phương diện. Nhưng mà, nỡ lòng nào mà cho cái kết hẫng tới vậy? Viết tiếp đi chứ, thế này thì "đầu voi đuôi chuột" rồi.
Dù vậy, vẫn rate 5* vì tất cả những tuyệt vời mà bộ truyện đã có.
Dù vậy, vẫn rate 5* vì tất cả những tuyệt vời mà bộ truyện đã có.
March 22, 2024
one of my favorite mangas ever 🥹 i love them all sm
February 1, 2022
KULANG PUTA KULANG ANDAMING LOOPHOLES, DI NAEXECUTE UNG OPEN ENDING NANG MAAYOS ANG ABRUPT NG PAGKAKATAPOS TANGINA NAKAKABALIW
June 9, 2021
Technically not bad, but I feel like we finished a different series then I started and can't help but feel a tad bit disappointed.
February 3, 2021
i wasn't exactly thrilled with how they wrapped it up. i'm left feeling unsatisfied with how hasty the last volume was (it is as if we ended right in the middle of things.) nonetheless, it is nothing short of bittersweet to say goodbye to characters that you've grown accustomed to. i'm grateful to have experienced this sublime manga. it's the equivalent of a comfort food, a cozy night and a determination boost.
definitely fuelled my love for chess and interest in go!
definitely fuelled my love for chess and interest in go!
October 3, 2017
This review is for the series as a whole and will include small spoilers. Anything major will be under a cut, though!
This series is one - if not THE - favorite manga of mine. It has everything: Lovable characters who undergo actual development, a great story and lots of tension (I know I'm referring to a boardgame here. Who would have thought?). Of course the art also leaves nothing to be desired. I can read it over and over again and never get bored.
The main protagonist starts out as the typical shonen hero. Hikaru is loud, doesn't like learning for school and is not a bit interested in Go. He even has the hair fitting for a main character.
Then the character development sets in and you almost wouldn't recognize him anymore if you skipped from the first volume right to the last. Watching him grow was really one of the most satisfying feelings while reading this story.
Obviously he doesn't exist in a vacuum, but I won't list an opinion on all the characters Hikaru meets on his journey cause they're quite a few. I do want to mention that I found it very realistic that he actually outgrows some of his old friendships, leading to some characters to disappear at some point.
There are two characters almost, as if not actually just as important as our main character though:
Sai no Fujiwara is the first one. I think anyone who plans to read this series knows that Sai is a ghost who teaches Hikaru Go.
He is a fascinating character, cause you realize with time that he's really stagnant. He's lovable and entertaining, but his character is fixed. Development is for the living and watching him realize that is heartbreaking.
The second one would be Akira Touya, who is probably more the deuteragonist of this story than simply "the rival". As much as I love Hikaru, Akira is probably my favorite character. He is determined, stubborn, disciplined and incredibly talented, but also polite and kind. He's a good person. With a very bad fashion sense - which I love to blame on Hikaru breaking his brain.
He's a big part of what drives Hikaru to become better. He's the second pillar in Hikaru's life after Sai.
Their relationship is great, because it defies so many main character/rival tropes. They don't hate each other at all. Their fights are never so serious that the other doesn't show up for the next practice game. They actually want the other to become better. They want to become better together. After finishing the story I could actually believe that those two would be in each other's lifes forever.
As for how it ended? I liked it. It once again defies the typical shonen series a bit,
A great story all around that I re-read at least once every year. And no, I still have no more than a very rudimentary understanding of Go. One doesn't need it to enjoy the story at all!
This series is one - if not THE - favorite manga of mine. It has everything: Lovable characters who undergo actual development, a great story and lots of tension (I know I'm referring to a boardgame here. Who would have thought?). Of course the art also leaves nothing to be desired. I can read it over and over again and never get bored.
The main protagonist starts out as the typical shonen hero. Hikaru is loud, doesn't like learning for school and is not a bit interested in Go. He even has the hair fitting for a main character.
Then the character development sets in and you almost wouldn't recognize him anymore if you skipped from the first volume right to the last. Watching him grow was really one of the most satisfying feelings while reading this story.
Obviously he doesn't exist in a vacuum, but I won't list an opinion on all the characters Hikaru meets on his journey cause they're quite a few. I do want to mention that I found it very realistic that he actually outgrows some of his old friendships, leading to some characters to disappear at some point.
There are two characters almost, as if not actually just as important as our main character though:
Sai no Fujiwara is the first one. I think anyone who plans to read this series knows that Sai is a ghost who teaches Hikaru Go.
He is a fascinating character, cause you realize with time that he's really stagnant. He's lovable and entertaining, but his character is fixed. Development is for the living and watching him realize that is heartbreaking.
The second one would be Akira Touya, who is probably more the deuteragonist of this story than simply "the rival". As much as I love Hikaru, Akira is probably my favorite character. He is determined, stubborn, disciplined and incredibly talented, but also polite and kind. He's a good person. With a very bad fashion sense - which I love to blame on Hikaru breaking his brain.
He's a big part of what drives Hikaru to become better. He's the second pillar in Hikaru's life after Sai.
Their relationship is great, because it defies so many main character/rival tropes. They don't hate each other at all. Their fights are never so serious that the other doesn't show up for the next practice game. They actually want the other to become better. They want to become better together. After finishing the story I could actually believe that those two would be in each other's lifes forever.
As for how it ended? I liked it. It once again defies the typical shonen series a bit,
A great story all around that I re-read at least once every year. And no, I still have no more than a very rudimentary understanding of Go. One doesn't need it to enjoy the story at all!
December 11, 2015
WOW! Who would've thought a board game similar to chess would have such an amazing and interesting manga! We start with two kids, one a serious go player, and another a regular kid who'd never heard of it...until the ghost of the greatest player of all time is stuck in his head, following him around. Hilarity, seriousness, tragedy, and drama out the wazoo makes this a great series. I'm sad to see that it's over, but boy what a ride!
Hikaru starts as a goofball, and while he has his moments we watch him blossom into a pro, holding his own against the greats, with nothing more than a great future ahead of him. He's accepted the loss of Sai and is determined to live up to his memory. His matches are great, and I love the bonus stories of how he's grown, with a look at what his growth has inspired in others. His rivalry with Akira has changed from childish squabbling to matches that shock and inspire everyone watching.
It's a great series and I recommend it to everyone! You don't have to know much about Go either, since I still can't follow it like at all.
Hikaru starts as a goofball, and while he has his moments we watch him blossom into a pro, holding his own against the greats, with nothing more than a great future ahead of him. He's accepted the loss of Sai and is determined to live up to his memory. His matches are great, and I love the bonus stories of how he's grown, with a look at what his growth has inspired in others. His rivalry with Akira has changed from childish squabbling to matches that shock and inspire everyone watching.
It's a great series and I recommend it to everyone! You don't have to know much about Go either, since I still can't follow it like at all.
August 4, 2025
It's rare that an ending is perfect, and with the way manga is serialized it's easy to rush things and leave some parts of the story unsatisfying. But Hikaru no Go is still good! It's a great conclusion to Hikaru's character arc above all else, from the goofy kid who didn't care about the game to the young man whose passion for go is the centre of his life. He's finally been accepted as a true go professional, he's earned a reputation for himself outside of Sai's presence, and people around the world are starting to notice him. And that's great. We still don't get a great confirmation of how the other insei lived their lives, of Hikaru's school friends, or so many other side characters, but Hikaru's done. He's been left in a good place, and the ending works for me.
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May 4, 2019
Wait, really? This is how we're ending the series? A competition between China, Japan & Korea's youth Go teams? That's it?!
Nothing with Akari & Hikaru's burgeoning romance?
Nothing with any of the non-Asian competitors?
Not even a climatic battle in which Hikaru wrests the Honin'bo title from Kuwabara to honor Sai?!
On the one hand, that felt tremendously disappointing. It just felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
On the other hand, that sound you hear is my heart breaking... because this is where she leaves us. It's done. Nothing more. This series wasn't finished or completed: it was discarded.
Nothing with Akari & Hikaru's burgeoning romance?
Nothing with any of the non-Asian competitors?
Not even a climatic battle in which Hikaru wrests the Honin'bo title from Kuwabara to honor Sai?!
On the one hand, that felt tremendously disappointing. It just felt abrupt and unsatisfying.
On the other hand, that sound you hear is my heart breaking... because this is where she leaves us. It's done. Nothing more. This series wasn't finished or completed: it was discarded.
September 9, 2017
I absolutely loved this series. It was awesome from start to finish. Who would have thought a series about go, of all things, would be so good? But they really managed to portray the games in a way that made them interesting to read about. And of course Obata Takeshi's art is beautiful. It was fun to watch him from from the early volumes to the much more realistic style that he's continued with since then.
January 27, 2025
As with every manga series I read I save my full review and rating for the last volume. This was 3.5-3.75 rounded to a 4. Apologies for any poor grammar, I am heated.
Boy do I have feelings about this series.
Let's start with a rumor/theory. I read on a forum that this series ended as it did because fans were harassing Yumi Hotta to bring Sai back. I'm not sure how true that is, but a part of me thinks it's like 45% of the truth. A part of me thinks this was how the story was planned from the beginning, and Hotta took a chance and it didn't work so well. There is also the chance that Hotta was sick and did not release that to the public and felt for her health that the series needed to end. If she was also getting hate from fans she might have been mentally drained, and come to hate her story. We may never know. For now I want to discuss Sai.
The series started to go down hill after Sai's departure. I know I was kind of bummed with how it happened. It felt a little rushed, but it also felt like it needed to happen. While the whole premise of the story centered around Sai and Shindo's connection, the way the plot progressed needed Sai to leave at some point. Shindo was going to surpass the need for Sai, and then how does Sai's character help Shindo or move the story along. I do think there was a chance for Sai to return in the story with either another kid, or come to Shindo at a point when he really needed him most and help him train for a match. What we really needed was to see Shindo beat Sai, I think that would have been cathartic.
My next issue was the pacing. The story started off fairly slow, and then bam, it's volume 19 and there are four volumes left, and five new important characters that we have to care about. Honestly I went on autopilot and just skimmed through the last four volumes, because I truly did not care about the story at all. Cool it all comes full circle, Shindo is playing in a team tournament again, but with Toya and he is playing Korea and China who have the best Go players: so what? Truly why should I care about the match? Because Yongha Ko threw down the gauntlet and called Japan's greatest Go player weak, and his new modern Go was superior? I felt like it could work for an arc in the midway point, but not the final match. Also, who the fuck is Yongha Ko? His character literally came out of nowhere, along with Yashiro whose whole deal is that his parents don't think he can be a pro, and he plays similarly to Shindo. Really fuck that. I think to really make part of this rushed ending shine was to have China play Japan, we only had one Korean player that we really knew and had a history with Shindo. There was a whole volume dedicated to Isumi training in China, and we met interesting characters that could challenge Toya and Shindo. Isumi could have been in the team match too, or have him train the team because he knew the players. This was sloppy, and it could have worked if the series was not as slow, and we were constantly being introduced to new side characters almost every volume, who rarely show up again.
The first maybe 17 volumes I think were well done and had a lot of potential. The problem for me is that a sports series needs to be at minimum 30 volumes, and this was 7 volumes away from potential greatness, and flesh out that final match. I think this is what makes me believe that Hotta made the choice to end this series when she did, something happened and Hikaru no Go needed to end.
Let me ramble about a character who I think was written fairly well: Koyo Toya. Koyo I think had an amazing arc, and no one can change my mind. Why? He was too good. Having Sai be the one to beat him was great, it showed he had much to learn, and he would not grow if he continued playing against the same players in Japan. Koyo needed to go to to Korea and China and strengthen his game in a new way. Showing how this master of Japanese Go almost recognized he needed to make way for a new generation was perfect. This was in contrast to Kuwabara who wanted to challenge the youth and show that the older players still had it. He was stuck in his conservative ways and was doomed to fall to Shindo or Akira. I think he would have been happy to pass the torch to Shindo because he may have seen how Shindo played in a much older style of Go and was destined to start a renaissance of the old style and continue the old ways. In a way Akira and Shindo both were a metaphor for battle of progress and tradition.
As a historian something I kind of wanted to happen was for Shindo to meet a Go Historian that helps him find records of Sai's games or just his existence, or found some new records of Torajiro's history as a player. This might have been a chance to have Shindo to keep learning from Sai, and Torajiro. Also maybe a moment when Kuwabara and Shindo play and he finally hands over his title to Shindo and then declares to the Japanese Go world that Shindo is the return of Torajiro. Then you play against the Korean team and their challenge of superiority over Torajiro.
In all this series really was good, and I think I want to reread it in the future. I think I want to really take my time with the ending again and give it some grace because the final pages that open further discussion of the past and pointing to Sai's presence was interesting.
Boy do I have feelings about this series.
Let's start with a rumor/theory. I read on a forum that this series ended as it did because fans were harassing Yumi Hotta to bring Sai back. I'm not sure how true that is, but a part of me thinks it's like 45% of the truth. A part of me thinks this was how the story was planned from the beginning, and Hotta took a chance and it didn't work so well. There is also the chance that Hotta was sick and did not release that to the public and felt for her health that the series needed to end. If she was also getting hate from fans she might have been mentally drained, and come to hate her story. We may never know. For now I want to discuss Sai.
The series started to go down hill after Sai's departure. I know I was kind of bummed with how it happened. It felt a little rushed, but it also felt like it needed to happen. While the whole premise of the story centered around Sai and Shindo's connection, the way the plot progressed needed Sai to leave at some point. Shindo was going to surpass the need for Sai, and then how does Sai's character help Shindo or move the story along. I do think there was a chance for Sai to return in the story with either another kid, or come to Shindo at a point when he really needed him most and help him train for a match. What we really needed was to see Shindo beat Sai, I think that would have been cathartic.
My next issue was the pacing. The story started off fairly slow, and then bam, it's volume 19 and there are four volumes left, and five new important characters that we have to care about. Honestly I went on autopilot and just skimmed through the last four volumes, because I truly did not care about the story at all. Cool it all comes full circle, Shindo is playing in a team tournament again, but with Toya and he is playing Korea and China who have the best Go players: so what? Truly why should I care about the match? Because Yongha Ko threw down the gauntlet and called Japan's greatest Go player weak, and his new modern Go was superior? I felt like it could work for an arc in the midway point, but not the final match. Also, who the fuck is Yongha Ko? His character literally came out of nowhere, along with Yashiro whose whole deal is that his parents don't think he can be a pro, and he plays similarly to Shindo. Really fuck that. I think to really make part of this rushed ending shine was to have China play Japan, we only had one Korean player that we really knew and had a history with Shindo. There was a whole volume dedicated to Isumi training in China, and we met interesting characters that could challenge Toya and Shindo. Isumi could have been in the team match too, or have him train the team because he knew the players. This was sloppy, and it could have worked if the series was not as slow, and we were constantly being introduced to new side characters almost every volume, who rarely show up again.
The first maybe 17 volumes I think were well done and had a lot of potential. The problem for me is that a sports series needs to be at minimum 30 volumes, and this was 7 volumes away from potential greatness, and flesh out that final match. I think this is what makes me believe that Hotta made the choice to end this series when she did, something happened and Hikaru no Go needed to end.
Let me ramble about a character who I think was written fairly well: Koyo Toya. Koyo I think had an amazing arc, and no one can change my mind. Why? He was too good. Having Sai be the one to beat him was great, it showed he had much to learn, and he would not grow if he continued playing against the same players in Japan. Koyo needed to go to to Korea and China and strengthen his game in a new way. Showing how this master of Japanese Go almost recognized he needed to make way for a new generation was perfect. This was in contrast to Kuwabara who wanted to challenge the youth and show that the older players still had it. He was stuck in his conservative ways and was doomed to fall to Shindo or Akira. I think he would have been happy to pass the torch to Shindo because he may have seen how Shindo played in a much older style of Go and was destined to start a renaissance of the old style and continue the old ways. In a way Akira and Shindo both were a metaphor for battle of progress and tradition.
As a historian something I kind of wanted to happen was for Shindo to meet a Go Historian that helps him find records of Sai's games or just his existence, or found some new records of Torajiro's history as a player. This might have been a chance to have Shindo to keep learning from Sai, and Torajiro. Also maybe a moment when Kuwabara and Shindo play and he finally hands over his title to Shindo and then declares to the Japanese Go world that Shindo is the return of Torajiro. Then you play against the Korean team and their challenge of superiority over Torajiro.
In all this series really was good, and I think I want to reread it in the future. I think I want to really take my time with the ending again and give it some grace because the final pages that open further discussion of the past and pointing to Sai's presence was interesting.
March 15, 2016
That wasn't satisfying. I need more...
July 19, 2025
Turns out I'm just as obsessed with this series as I was 15 years ago 🥰
May 1, 2023
I would have rated this volume 4 stars but the ending, or should I say the-not-really ending disappointed me. I read these chapters on the shonen jump app since I don't have vol. 23.
I don't have much to say about this series that I haven't on my reviews for previous volumes but I will repeat some of those things.
Anyways, I am very disappointed with this ending. Not only did Hikaru lose (which some people might like because it's unpredictable and shows that he still has ways to go, it disappointed me because this is the last volume, unless there's a sequel series, he should have won, that's how shonen competition or fighting series are usually like), the ending felt unfinished. It didn't feel open-ended, it felt unfinished, it wasn't satisfying at all. I feel like there needed to be a few more chapters. I understand the open-endedness but I want satisfying endings otherwise it feels pointless to finish the series. I know I sound entitled but it shouldn't be too much asking for a nice ending that satisfies and works well with the series. Series with satisfying endings are: Fullmetal Alchemist (manga, the whole series was perfect), Naruto, I heard that Haikyu!! has a good ending too.
My thoughts on the previous volumes:
Even though I didn't understand how to play go (I still don't understand), I still enjoyed it because of Hikaru and Sai's friendship and Hikaru and his schoolmates friendships. While I understand why Sai had to leave the series, I don't understand why his old friendships were treated the way they were by the writer and I still don't like that Sai left. It feels like after he left, this series got stale, especially this volume and the last few. I just realized that there is no final boss/villain for this series. I guess the guy that annoyed the reporter and Hikaru probably is (I already forgot his name since he's a new character) but he doesn't really feel like it, not like for example, Akashi in Kuroko's Basketball (I haven't finished that anime and haven't read the manga series yet but I can tell that Akashi will be the final boss, that doesn't mean I like him though, I don't understand the simping for him). Earlier in this series I was hoping that Hikaru would somehow for some reason play against Sai as the final boss, having to play against his mentor and see how much he's improved. I feel like that would be a more interesting and more deserved ending then the ending we got.
Ever since the last few volumes, I really wanted to dnf this series but I decided to keep going since I owned 18 out of the 23 volumes (not up to vol. 18). I regret buying most of the volumes (I'm only missing 5, vol. 14, 15, 19, 21 and 23 because they are so hard to find for a reasonable price and I'm so glad I never paid that much money for them). Like I said, I enjoyed the first few volumes and even some in between but now I rushed through the last 3 volumes because I just wanted to get this series over with. I might end up selling most of my Hikaru no Go volumes soon (only keeping the ones I really liked).
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
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I don't have much to say about this series that I haven't on my reviews for previous volumes but I will repeat some of those things.
Anyways, I am very disappointed with this ending. Not only did Hikaru lose (which some people might like because it's unpredictable and shows that he still has ways to go, it disappointed me because this is the last volume, unless there's a sequel series, he should have won, that's how shonen competition or fighting series are usually like), the ending felt unfinished. It didn't feel open-ended, it felt unfinished, it wasn't satisfying at all. I feel like there needed to be a few more chapters. I understand the open-endedness but I want satisfying endings otherwise it feels pointless to finish the series. I know I sound entitled but it shouldn't be too much asking for a nice ending that satisfies and works well with the series. Series with satisfying endings are: Fullmetal Alchemist (manga, the whole series was perfect), Naruto, I heard that Haikyu!! has a good ending too.
My thoughts on the previous volumes:
Even though I didn't understand how to play go (I still don't understand), I still enjoyed it because of Hikaru and Sai's friendship and Hikaru and his schoolmates friendships. While I understand why Sai had to leave the series, I don't understand why his old friendships were treated the way they were by the writer and I still don't like that Sai left. It feels like after he left, this series got stale, especially this volume and the last few. I just realized that there is no final boss/villain for this series. I guess the guy that annoyed the reporter and Hikaru probably is (I already forgot his name since he's a new character) but he doesn't really feel like it, not like for example, Akashi in Kuroko's Basketball (I haven't finished that anime and haven't read the manga series yet but I can tell that Akashi will be the final boss, that doesn't mean I like him though, I don't understand the simping for him). Earlier in this series I was hoping that Hikaru would somehow for some reason play against Sai as the final boss, having to play against his mentor and see how much he's improved. I feel like that would be a more interesting and more deserved ending then the ending we got.
Ever since the last few volumes, I really wanted to dnf this series but I decided to keep going since I owned 18 out of the 23 volumes (not up to vol. 18). I regret buying most of the volumes (I'm only missing 5, vol. 14, 15, 19, 21 and 23 because they are so hard to find for a reasonable price and I'm so glad I never paid that much money for them). Like I said, I enjoyed the first few volumes and even some in between but now I rushed through the last 3 volumes because I just wanted to get this series over with. I might end up selling most of my Hikaru no Go volumes soon (only keeping the ones I really liked).
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
December 26, 2022
TW: use of an offensive and outdated word relating to Romani people
FINAL SERIES THOUGHTS: well, after plowing through this series in 3 days I have thoughts™ that I wish to share.
First, the good:
the characters: I don't know how it was done but the expert way the characters were written and drawn made the millions portrayed still easy to recognise not forgetable. That takes honest talent (especially for my brain).
The art: you honestly can see the growth of Obata-sensei's art. He expertly shows characters physical growth and changes so subtlety. It's a pleasure to see his style develop over these 23 volumes.
The rivalry: most anime and manga have the whole 'rivals' trope, and all too often it is spurred by annoying things like pride or vanity (or one of them clearly just being a jerkwad). However in HNG its done just right. The main reason for characters, especially Hikaru and Akira, to begin their rivalry is out of sheer passion for the craft. They don't want to gain bragging rights or a title, they just want to play go. They want to be better for the sake of the legacy of the game. Thus their rivalry is spurred on only to better themselves and out of pure mutual respect. I loved it and it honestly is incredibly heartwarming.
What I disliked:
The rushed ending: by rushed I mean it needed at least and extra chapter (or three) to really wrap things up; to show where the characters are now, their final thoughts, etc. Manga is notorious for unsatisfactory endings, often stopping or being run into the ground with no satisfying final act. I wasn't expecting anything different from a long running series such as HNG, but a petson can dream, right?
The way women are depicted and treated: Okay, I was seriously frustrated by this and the formula that the manga followed to a sickening degree:
1: women don't show up/have any bearing at all in the story
2: if they DO show up it's either to
A: serve tea or make or offer food to the boys
B: be told they don't get go as well as the boys do
C: on the rare occasion play go, do OK, then vanish into thin air.
It was just disappointing to see women only in servitude to men and not having the barest bones of even a subplot here and there.
I still don't understand how to play go:
Now I wasn't expecting to read this and be a master player, but I was hoping I'd have a little idea of how the game goes so I could watch a game. I did learn the beauty of its incredibly complicated and nuanced style. But when I read other sport focused manga, such as Eyeshield 21 or Chihayafuru, I usually come out of it with at least the basics to observe/play the game (albeit as a very bad rookie).
Overall:
I give the series a solid 3.5 stars. A good ol' classic that gets you interested in its subject and has wonderful characters. It's very much 'of its time' though and has frustrating aspects.
FINAL SERIES THOUGHTS: well, after plowing through this series in 3 days I have thoughts™ that I wish to share.
First, the good:
the characters: I don't know how it was done but the expert way the characters were written and drawn made the millions portrayed still easy to recognise not forgetable. That takes honest talent (especially for my brain).
The art: you honestly can see the growth of Obata-sensei's art. He expertly shows characters physical growth and changes so subtlety. It's a pleasure to see his style develop over these 23 volumes.
The rivalry: most anime and manga have the whole 'rivals' trope, and all too often it is spurred by annoying things like pride or vanity (or one of them clearly just being a jerkwad). However in HNG its done just right. The main reason for characters, especially Hikaru and Akira, to begin their rivalry is out of sheer passion for the craft. They don't want to gain bragging rights or a title, they just want to play go. They want to be better for the sake of the legacy of the game. Thus their rivalry is spurred on only to better themselves and out of pure mutual respect. I loved it and it honestly is incredibly heartwarming.
What I disliked:
The rushed ending: by rushed I mean it needed at least and extra chapter (or three) to really wrap things up; to show where the characters are now, their final thoughts, etc. Manga is notorious for unsatisfactory endings, often stopping or being run into the ground with no satisfying final act. I wasn't expecting anything different from a long running series such as HNG, but a petson can dream, right?
The way women are depicted and treated: Okay, I was seriously frustrated by this and the formula that the manga followed to a sickening degree:
1: women don't show up/have any bearing at all in the story
2: if they DO show up it's either to
A: serve tea or make or offer food to the boys
B: be told they don't get go as well as the boys do
C: on the rare occasion play go, do OK, then vanish into thin air.
It was just disappointing to see women only in servitude to men and not having the barest bones of even a subplot here and there.
I still don't understand how to play go:
Now I wasn't expecting to read this and be a master player, but I was hoping I'd have a little idea of how the game goes so I could watch a game. I did learn the beauty of its incredibly complicated and nuanced style. But when I read other sport focused manga, such as Eyeshield 21 or Chihayafuru, I usually come out of it with at least the basics to observe/play the game (albeit as a very bad rookie).
Overall:
I give the series a solid 3.5 stars. A good ol' classic that gets you interested in its subject and has wonderful characters. It's very much 'of its time' though and has frustrating aspects.
September 10, 2025
4.5/5 (Review is for the series as a whole and does not contain spoilers)
12-year-old Hikaru finds an old Go board in his grandfather’s attic and accidentally frees the ghost spirit of a young Go teacher from medieval Japan, named Fujiwara-no-Sai. Sai has a strong passion for Go and wants to achieve the “Divine Move,” but unfortunately for him, Hikaru knows nothing about Go and has little interest in learning the game. When Sai finally convinces Hikaru to play, they defeat fellow middle school student, Akira, who has been training relentlessly with his father, Go master Toya Meijin. Akira, who is good enough to go pro, is shocked at his defeat and declares that Hikaru is his rival. This rivalry sparks a passion in Hikaru, who decides to learn the game and soon becomes a good enough player in his own right.
This series is appropriate for the middle grade age group, and may inspire readers to want to learn how to play the game of Go. The author consulted with actual Go players to make the manga moves more authentic, and throughout the series there are tidbits and instructions on how to play and resources for learning more about the game. In addition, this series teaches valuable lessons about friendship and explores some of the challenges in coming-of-age, especially as we grow up and move away from some people. This series is also likely to appeal to fans of sports manga, as it features similar story telling devices, and works to build tension in the Go games that the players play. Overall, this series is a fun, low stakes story that makes me want to learn a bit more about the game of Go.
12-year-old Hikaru finds an old Go board in his grandfather’s attic and accidentally frees the ghost spirit of a young Go teacher from medieval Japan, named Fujiwara-no-Sai. Sai has a strong passion for Go and wants to achieve the “Divine Move,” but unfortunately for him, Hikaru knows nothing about Go and has little interest in learning the game. When Sai finally convinces Hikaru to play, they defeat fellow middle school student, Akira, who has been training relentlessly with his father, Go master Toya Meijin. Akira, who is good enough to go pro, is shocked at his defeat and declares that Hikaru is his rival. This rivalry sparks a passion in Hikaru, who decides to learn the game and soon becomes a good enough player in his own right.
This series is appropriate for the middle grade age group, and may inspire readers to want to learn how to play the game of Go. The author consulted with actual Go players to make the manga moves more authentic, and throughout the series there are tidbits and instructions on how to play and resources for learning more about the game. In addition, this series teaches valuable lessons about friendship and explores some of the challenges in coming-of-age, especially as we grow up and move away from some people. This series is also likely to appeal to fans of sports manga, as it features similar story telling devices, and works to build tension in the Go games that the players play. Overall, this series is a fun, low stakes story that makes me want to learn a bit more about the game of Go.
January 21, 2022
SPOILER
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.
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I think it was a diplomatic choice to not let japan win this tournament.
also it was a good choice storytellwise. It would have been too much if Hikaru would have won so much after only 5 years of Go. Talent to and fro.
But the ending was ... where was the ending? After the last game they stand up and leave. That´s all!
And we get some funny bonus chapters.
But the last chapter is the epilogue and it bings the calmation we needed and holds a dew hints at the future. We see young kids making Hikaru and Akira their idols but also awknowledge each others idols talent too after a game at a tournament. That´s their life night now.
And that´s how it is and we wish them well!
I am so happy I read this series so quickly ... or rather, I am so happy this series made me read it so quickly. It has been a long time since I last was so deeply absorbed into a manga. I was really entertained to the point where I skipped sleep just to read one more chapter.
think about it!
All the characters do is sit at a board and put stones on the board.
but the way it´s written and drawn, you feel all the tension and worries of the characters and you are so happy so see them again, when they come back some chapters or volumes later.
I was so absorbed by it and I do believe I will pay this towns Go club a visit, just out of respect for the positive uproar that manga managed to stir in me.
And maybe I can meet Sai there.
.
.
.
.
.
I think it was a diplomatic choice to not let japan win this tournament.
also it was a good choice storytellwise. It would have been too much if Hikaru would have won so much after only 5 years of Go. Talent to and fro.
But the ending was ... where was the ending? After the last game they stand up and leave. That´s all!
And we get some funny bonus chapters.
But the last chapter is the epilogue and it bings the calmation we needed and holds a dew hints at the future. We see young kids making Hikaru and Akira their idols but also awknowledge each others idols talent too after a game at a tournament. That´s their life night now.
And that´s how it is and we wish them well!
I am so happy I read this series so quickly ... or rather, I am so happy this series made me read it so quickly. It has been a long time since I last was so deeply absorbed into a manga. I was really entertained to the point where I skipped sleep just to read one more chapter.
think about it!
All the characters do is sit at a board and put stones on the board.
but the way it´s written and drawn, you feel all the tension and worries of the characters and you are so happy so see them again, when they come back some chapters or volumes later.
I was so absorbed by it and I do believe I will pay this towns Go club a visit, just out of respect for the positive uproar that manga managed to stir in me.
And maybe I can meet Sai there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
It's the final volume, and time for the final Hokuto Cup matches. The volume ends with seven bonus sketches of prominent characters in the series, a short flashback manga called "Fujiwara no Sai vs. Akira Toya" (Sai and Akira's second game? Akira bites back and surprises Sai, even though Sai wins in the end), and a short manga that takes place after the end of the series, "Shoji! Oka!" (Young Lions, two insei characters play matches against Hikaru and Akira and are inspired).
The artwork is beautiful, but I really, really missed Sai. I think Hotta must have too, or Sai wouldn't have kept appearing in dreams, flashback manga, etc.
While this certainly wrapped up the series and gave it a proper ending, I still can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I wanted
I both liked and felt sad about Akira's dad's theory that, if Shusaku came back in the form of Sai, then he came back to face him. And this is certainly the closest any characters have come to guessing, on-page, what really happened to catapult Hikaru into the world of Go.
Well, that's that, I'm finally done with this series. Now I kind of want to rewatch the anime...
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
The artwork is beautiful, but I really, really missed Sai. I think Hotta must have too, or Sai wouldn't have kept appearing in dreams, flashback manga, etc.
While this certainly wrapped up the series and gave it a proper ending, I still can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I wanted
I both liked and felt sad about Akira's dad's theory that, if Shusaku came back in the form of Sai, then he came back to face him. And this is certainly the closest any characters have come to guessing, on-page, what really happened to catapult Hikaru into the world of Go.
Well, that's that, I'm finally done with this series. Now I kind of want to rewatch the anime...
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 27, 2023
La fin est ok, mais on reste sur sa faim.
--
Review de la série complète :
La série est captivante, même si on ne s'intéresse pas au jeu de go. Il y a de multiples tournois, de la tension et des joueurs suffisament variés pour relancer l'intérêt. Les rivalités et amitiés entre certains personnages sont plutôt réussies, notamment grâce au fait qu'il y a une certaine évolution. Hikaru était un personnage intéressant à suivre, mignon et désagréable lorsqu'il est petit, et plus équilibré et sympathique en fin de série. Si son évolution durant la série est vraiment bienvenue, le manga se focalise beaucoup trop sur le jeu de go. On se retrouve avec des personnages dont la passion occulte tout le reste, c'est un peu problématique comme représentation de mon point de vue. J'aurais préféré que des tranches de vie soient présentes et ça aurait été sympa aussi de développer un peu Sai. En dehors de ça, le manga était agréable à suivre et plutôt bien dessiné, mais la fin manquait un peu d'intérêt.
--
Review de la série complète :
La série est captivante, même si on ne s'intéresse pas au jeu de go. Il y a de multiples tournois, de la tension et des joueurs suffisament variés pour relancer l'intérêt. Les rivalités et amitiés entre certains personnages sont plutôt réussies, notamment grâce au fait qu'il y a une certaine évolution. Hikaru était un personnage intéressant à suivre, mignon et désagréable lorsqu'il est petit, et plus équilibré et sympathique en fin de série. Si son évolution durant la série est vraiment bienvenue, le manga se focalise beaucoup trop sur le jeu de go. On se retrouve avec des personnages dont la passion occulte tout le reste, c'est un peu problématique comme représentation de mon point de vue. J'aurais préféré que des tranches de vie soient présentes et ça aurait été sympa aussi de développer un peu Sai. En dehors de ça, le manga était agréable à suivre et plutôt bien dessiné, mais la fin manquait un peu d'intérêt.
March 3, 2022
First off, I will say, the rest of the series was GREAT! I am just not a fan of the finale.
1. They don't win the tournament. If you skipped pass the spoiler warning, read the warning before you continue! Anyway, everyone spends like four books training for the big tournament, and they don't even win in the end? What the heck? They deserved it!
2. We never figure out what happened to Akari, or any other of Hikaru's other friends. Some kind of explanation would be nice.
3. The reason that Hikaru played Go was to "link the far past with the far future?" No, it was because Sai possessed him in the first place! Hikaru wouldn't have another reason to play Go in the first place.
Again, the series was awesome. No doubt about that. It's just that the finale didn't deliver.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
1. They don't win the tournament. If you skipped pass the spoiler warning, read the warning before you continue! Anyway, everyone spends like four books training for the big tournament, and they don't even win in the end? What the heck? They deserved it!
2. We never figure out what happened to Akari, or any other of Hikaru's other friends. Some kind of explanation would be nice.
3. The reason that Hikaru played Go was to "link the far past with the far future?" No, it was because Sai possessed him in the first place! Hikaru wouldn't have another reason to play Go in the first place.
Again, the series was awesome. No doubt about that. It's just that the finale didn't deliver.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2019
This is my review for the whole series, not just volume 23:
8/10
Hikaru No Go really surpassed my expectations. I picked up a couple of volumes to fulfill my nostalgic itch. I watched a lot of episodes as a kid. I got hooked with the great artwork by Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and the writing between volumes 7-17. The ending was a little abrupt but didn’t make me as sad as Slam Dunks.
This series could’ve used a few slice of life elements. Maybe a few chapters AWAY from the go boards and showing our characters just chilling. ALSO SOME HIMARU AND AKARI ROMANCE OR SOMETHING, CLEARLY SHE LIKED HIM.
PS: why the hell is Hikarus relationship with his mother so empty?
8/10
Hikaru No Go really surpassed my expectations. I picked up a couple of volumes to fulfill my nostalgic itch. I watched a lot of episodes as a kid. I got hooked with the great artwork by Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and the writing between volumes 7-17. The ending was a little abrupt but didn’t make me as sad as Slam Dunks.
This series could’ve used a few slice of life elements. Maybe a few chapters AWAY from the go boards and showing our characters just chilling. ALSO SOME HIMARU AND AKARI ROMANCE OR SOMETHING, CLEARLY SHE LIKED HIM.
PS: why the hell is Hikarus relationship with his mother so empty?
November 6, 2023
Hikaru no Go has ended; but was it worth all that time? For me the answer is yes. But I could easily see others saying, "no." and understanding why. The games against Korea don't exactly go how one would expect when the series is in its final chapters. But the ending didn't ring as hollow for me as it did others because the last few volumes cemented this series as a coming of age story first. With the "divine move" not being the endgoal. There is still a few loose ends; another thing the ending is (understandably) criticized for. However I walk away from reading Hikaru no Go happy. 3.5 stars. 4 for the series overall.
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