What do you think?
Rate this book
結束了代表棋士正式出道的初段系列賽之後，阿光以職業棋士身份比賽的第一個對手決定是阿亮。雖然這是兩人都等待許久的一場對弈，然而卻發生了出乎意料的狀況…？而且佐為期盼已久跟阿亮的父親·塔矢行洋名人的對弈，終於在網路上實現！
195 pages, Paperback
First published August 3, 2001
11 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Yumi Hotta
100 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 5, 2024
This is it! The build up that took over 2 year to set up, the best match of this series: The Meijin versus Sai!
Everything was headed for this titanic match up. It almost felt that this was happening too soon, this series still had legs at this point, and it's almost a pity that this wasn't place nearer this series conclusion.
Looking back, this was Hikaru no Go at its peak and it won't probably approach this height ever again.
Everything was headed for this titanic match up. It almost felt that this was happening too soon, this series still had legs at this point, and it's almost a pity that this wasn't place nearer this series conclusion.
Looking back, this was Hikaru no Go at its peak and it won't probably approach this height ever again.
January 31, 2022
Probably the best volume I've read of the series so far. The plot continued on. Nice ideas were brought in. And the art just gets better. It never took me as long as this volume to read a volume of Hikaru No Go. Very nice art work and also it feels as if you're there witnessing everything with your own eyes.
July 5, 2021
The tankobon opens with Hikaru Shindo's Pro Ceremony, where despite reaching equal status within the Go World, Akira Toya refuses to acknowledge Shindo's presence, which enrages Shindo to no end. Toya's aloofness was not without reason. What Shindo didn't know, what he would find out, was that his very first professional game was with (drum rolls) Akira Toya!
Finally! After twelve tankobon and a little over one hundred chapters they're going to play a game! Toya Akira, 2-Dan vs. Hikaru Shindo, 1-Dan in the grunge match of the millennium. The match that would go down in history as the best game ever! Well it might have had Toya shown up. Apparently, just as Toya was about to leave, his father Toya Meijin, collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
After much pestering from Sai, Shindo decided to visit Toya Meijin in the hospital to quell Sai's anxiety. While there he noticed that the Meijin was playing Go online. Remembering the promise he made to Sai, he orchestrated a game for him.
At first the Meijin was reluctant to play Sai, because he preferred to paly people face-to-face, but for Shindo sake, he would play Sai via the Internet, but mentioned that it would be a nice diversion between title matches while he was stuck at hospital. Disappointed, Shindo asked the Meijin to play seriously, because he shouldn't have that excuse when he lost to Sai. Indignant, the Meijin declared that if he loses to Sai, he would retire from Professional Go. He then dismissed a very distraught Shindo from his hospital room.
Like "sai", before him, the "toya koya" username spread like wildfire via the world. While convalescing in a hospital, the Meijin was playing Go on the Internet playing pro and amateur alike. The whole world was watching arguably the best Go player in the world play. This was the state of the online Go world when "sai" came out of retirement and challenges the Meijin to an online game – the online Go world goes crazy.
If a game between Toya Akira and Hikaru Shindo was a grunge match of the millennium, then a game between their masters would be a grunge match of all of existence! A match that would go down in history as the best game ever – the winner, unknown at this time, since the tankobon ended mid-game.
All in all, it was a wonderful tankobon, I wished that Toya and Shindo would have their all-fated match, but looking ahead, there are ten more tankobon, so they have plenty of time. However, we are treated to a far better match – one that I wasn't even anticipating! I look forward to reading the next tankobon to find the winner of the match.
Finally! After twelve tankobon and a little over one hundred chapters they're going to play a game! Toya Akira, 2-Dan vs. Hikaru Shindo, 1-Dan in the grunge match of the millennium. The match that would go down in history as the best game ever! Well it might have had Toya shown up. Apparently, just as Toya was about to leave, his father Toya Meijin, collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
After much pestering from Sai, Shindo decided to visit Toya Meijin in the hospital to quell Sai's anxiety. While there he noticed that the Meijin was playing Go online. Remembering the promise he made to Sai, he orchestrated a game for him.
At first the Meijin was reluctant to play Sai, because he preferred to paly people face-to-face, but for Shindo sake, he would play Sai via the Internet, but mentioned that it would be a nice diversion between title matches while he was stuck at hospital. Disappointed, Shindo asked the Meijin to play seriously, because he shouldn't have that excuse when he lost to Sai. Indignant, the Meijin declared that if he loses to Sai, he would retire from Professional Go. He then dismissed a very distraught Shindo from his hospital room.
Like "sai", before him, the "toya koya" username spread like wildfire via the world. While convalescing in a hospital, the Meijin was playing Go on the Internet playing pro and amateur alike. The whole world was watching arguably the best Go player in the world play. This was the state of the online Go world when "sai" came out of retirement and challenges the Meijin to an online game – the online Go world goes crazy.
If a game between Toya Akira and Hikaru Shindo was a grunge match of the millennium, then a game between their masters would be a grunge match of all of existence! A match that would go down in history as the best game ever – the winner, unknown at this time, since the tankobon ended mid-game.
All in all, it was a wonderful tankobon, I wished that Toya and Shindo would have their all-fated match, but looking ahead, there are ten more tankobon, so they have plenty of time. However, we are treated to a far better match – one that I wasn't even anticipating! I look forward to reading the next tankobon to find the winner of the match.
January 25, 2012
Now that Hikaru is a professional go player, his first pro game is against... drum roll... his long-time rival, Akira Toyo.
And I am knocking a whole star off for the heavy-handed plot device of having Akira's father, Toyo Meijin, have a heart attack just before the game. I mean, are you really going to do this until the last volume, Hotta? Just how many times can you postpone the big grudge matches that the series has been building towards?
So, now that the Meijin is in the hospital, he is playing a little Internet go to occupy his time. Hikaru finds out, and arranges a game with Sai, who has been begging for a chance to play the Meijin again since they first met.
After some negotiating, Meijin agrees. So we actually commence one of those epic battles the series has been building towards: Fujiwara-no-Sai vs. Toyo Koya Meijin. And with the mysterious "Sai" back online, the entire go world ends up watching this online game between the two legendary players.
Yeah, everything about this volume was kind of contrived. Still a good story, and the art really carries the "cyberspace" confrontation between two epic figures over a virtual go board, but Hotta needs to find a new angle to the story. You can only spend so many volumes on one or two climactic games. Speaking of which, this volume ends mid-game.
So, next volume has epic potential, but it also has jump-the-shark potential if Hotta pulls another artificial plot device out of a hat to avoid a resolution in the Sai vs. Meijin match.
And I am knocking a whole star off for the heavy-handed plot device of having Akira's father, Toyo Meijin, have a heart attack just before the game. I mean, are you really going to do this until the last volume, Hotta? Just how many times can you postpone the big grudge matches that the series has been building towards?
So, now that the Meijin is in the hospital, he is playing a little Internet go to occupy his time. Hikaru finds out, and arranges a game with Sai, who has been begging for a chance to play the Meijin again since they first met.
After some negotiating, Meijin agrees. So we actually commence one of those epic battles the series has been building towards: Fujiwara-no-Sai vs. Toyo Koya Meijin. And with the mysterious "Sai" back online, the entire go world ends up watching this online game between the two legendary players.
Yeah, everything about this volume was kind of contrived. Still a good story, and the art really carries the "cyberspace" confrontation between two epic figures over a virtual go board, but Hotta needs to find a new angle to the story. You can only spend so many volumes on one or two climactic games. Speaking of which, this volume ends mid-game.
So, next volume has epic potential, but it also has jump-the-shark potential if Hotta pulls another artificial plot device out of a hat to avoid a resolution in the Sai vs. Meijin match.
February 22, 2021
What a volume. My goodness. I don't often get goosebumps from reading but did multiple times down the stretch of this volume. About as well plotted, paced, and illustrated example of manga you're going to find.
December 27, 2023
As Hikaru prepares for his first pro game, he finds out that his first opponent is Akira Toya. However, when the game should happen, Akira Toya doesn't arrive, as his father had a stroke and was hospitalized.
Sai insists that Hikaru should pay him a visit - there, he finds out that Koyo Toya plays go over the Internet, so he challenges him in behalf of Sai.
The game starts, and it catches everyone by surprise. Finally, the game Sai waited for ever since he seen Toya Meijin on the Tv screen!
Second reading: I think the toughest part is the relationship between Sai and Hikaru, which is really weird. In the last two volumes Sai's insistence on playing and on playing Toya feels... a bit stretched. On the other hand, there's the suggestion that Sai's relationship with Shusaku was even more awkward in itself, meaning that it's not just fun and games with Sai. So... there's that.
Anyway, odd. I remember that there's an ark later about reconnecting to Shusaku, but... right now it's everything in an odd place.
Sai insists that Hikaru should pay him a visit - there, he finds out that Koyo Toya plays go over the Internet, so he challenges him in behalf of Sai.
The game starts, and it catches everyone by surprise. Finally, the game Sai waited for ever since he seen Toya Meijin on the Tv screen!
Second reading: I think the toughest part is the relationship between Sai and Hikaru, which is really weird. In the last two volumes Sai's insistence on playing and on playing Toya feels... a bit stretched. On the other hand, there's the suggestion that Sai's relationship with Shusaku was even more awkward in itself, meaning that it's not just fun and games with Sai. So... there's that.
Anyway, odd. I remember that there's an ark later about reconnecting to Shusaku, but... right now it's everything in an odd place.
June 29, 2012
So I am reviewing this for a number of volumes up to like 19. I just chose this one randomly and I will not say and spoiler's. First off I started reading this series because I was bored at the time. When I first read it I had no idea Go was an actual game. later to find out my school had a club for it. And began my love of this series and the game. I found so far what I have read to be very entertaining. I just love how the plot has developed and how the artwork has changed/grown. Overall so far decent series.
September 3, 2016
Great suspense in this one. Really grabbed me.
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.
November 5, 2023
Hikaru no Go has moved into a new era; the world of professional players. This volume opens with Hikaru's pro ceremony; and he learns his first pro match will be against Akira. There's a shocking twist. Then the latter half of the volume shifts to Sai as he gets to go up against Toya Meijin (Akira's father). This time there is no handicap and both play to their fullest. The build-up takes multiple chapters; as their match will be on the internet. We see returning characters from the internet go arc which was welcome. Sai took a backseat across multiple runs so I am glad he has been the focus of the last two volumes.
Hikaru no Go proves it still has a lot of story left to tell; and the stage has been set for storylines to come.
Hikaru no Go proves it still has a lot of story left to tell; and the stage has been set for storylines to come.
May 27, 2022
This volume was so fun! I loved watching the game. I NEED to see what will happen next, so I'm going to quickly write this and get to the next chapter immediately (while I have vol. 1-10, I don't have the rest yet, so I'm currently reading these chapters on the shonen jump app). I still don't fully understand how go is played, though😅
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Full review to be posted soon, if I remember all of the details by then.
Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Full review to be posted soon, if I remember all of the details by then.
Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
April 8, 2025
Last volume I wondered “if” Akira’s dad and Sai would have a rematch…well that did not take long for it to be confirmed that there will be a rematch…and a lot will be riding on the outcome of the match. If you switch out the sport or game with any other, it is just as intense and that is thanks to the passion which is created by Hotta, Obata and Umezawa. With the contents of this and last volume, it is hard to give it less than a 4 star, and almost…almost a 5-star in my opinion. Great art, story and development throughout the pages of this intense volume. I can hardly wait for the next volume.
July 26, 2025
You would think it's a cheap plot device to postpone Hikaru's match with Akira—oh he can't be there, his dad was taken ill!—but it's actually twisted into a plot device to get Toya Meijin to play on the internet, and there... Sai awaits.
Hikaru risks a lot to set up the match and may rue it later, but when did that ever bother him? The game is on, and everyone who matters is watching.
Also, you can just see where Akira gets his determination/stupid pride from.
> No one:
> Absolutely no one:
> Toya Meijin: well if I lose to Sai I'll retire.
WHAT? WHY? But that's the Toya family for you.
Hikaru risks a lot to set up the match and may rue it later, but when did that ever bother him? The game is on, and everyone who matters is watching.
Also, you can just see where Akira gets his determination/stupid pride from.
> No one:
> Absolutely no one:
> Toya Meijin: well if I lose to Sai I'll retire.
WHAT? WHY? But that's the Toya family for you.
November 25, 2018
Hikaru learns that he's going to be taking part in the Oteai, the rank promotion tournament, and his first opponent is Akira. Unfortunately,
Now that I make sure to record translators, I end up taking a closer look at the folks involved in creating manga, and one of the things I was pleased to discover was the Viz took this series seriously enough to hire a Go consultant, Janice Kim (3 Dan), for their English translation. Nice job, Viz!
It's weird going back to this series after so long. There are even more adult (middle-aged and older) characters than I remembered. In this volume, their faces occasionally looked a bit odd to me. Obata might have just been a bit off, because every volume after this looked fine. The artwork at the beginning of Sai and the Meijin's match was gorgeous.
I wasn't sure how I'd do, jumping into the middle of this series after a 10-year break, but I got swept up by Sai and the Meijin's match pretty quickly. It was fun seeing all the other Go players all over the world get excited about Sai and Toya Meijin's online match (getting up early, in some cases), not even knowing what the stakes were.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Now that I make sure to record translators, I end up taking a closer look at the folks involved in creating manga, and one of the things I was pleased to discover was the Viz took this series seriously enough to hire a Go consultant, Janice Kim (3 Dan), for their English translation. Nice job, Viz!
It's weird going back to this series after so long. There are even more adult (middle-aged and older) characters than I remembered. In this volume, their faces occasionally looked a bit odd to me. Obata might have just been a bit off, because every volume after this looked fine. The artwork at the beginning of Sai and the Meijin's match was gorgeous.
I wasn't sure how I'd do, jumping into the middle of this series after a 10-year break, but I got swept up by Sai and the Meijin's match pretty quickly. It was fun seeing all the other Go players all over the world get excited about Sai and Toya Meijin's online match (getting up early, in some cases), not even knowing what the stakes were.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
January 16, 2022
Not gonna lie. I finished this volumed two days ago and am already at vol. 19, so I can´t very well recall what this vol was about. But I will never forget the chapters where Sai and Akiras Dad had their online match.
Oh! Sai is without a doubt my favourite character and I was so impressed here. He was portrait so cool yet fierce. I want to find the anime (is there anime?) and rewatch this scene over and over again.
Oh! Sai is without a doubt my favourite character and I was so impressed here. He was portrait so cool yet fierce. I want to find the anime (is there anime?) and rewatch this scene over and over again.
May 15, 2022
Logo Toya Versus Fujiwara no Sai!
by Barbara Kelley
This is another great volume. It focuses on Akira's dad collapsing and being hospitalized, where he takes up Internet Go, and winds up playing against the ghost, Sai. Toya Meijin tells Hikaru that if he loses to Sai, he, the Meijin, will retire from playing Go. I gave this volume 5 stars and will read volume 14 when I get caught up with my other books from different several series.
by Barbara Kelley
This is another great volume. It focuses on Akira's dad collapsing and being hospitalized, where he takes up Internet Go, and winds up playing against the ghost, Sai. Toya Meijin tells Hikaru that if he loses to Sai, he, the Meijin, will retire from playing Go. I gave this volume 5 stars and will read volume 14 when I get caught up with my other books from different several series.
September 15, 2017
Not a bad manga, just not my favorite.
November 11, 2017
名人対さい！このゲームはすごくて長い！！！！
六章だった！世界まで広がった！
楽しかったけど、ちょっとやりすぎと思った。
それであきらの性格が。。。ま。。。悪きないけどいつもちょっと仲間離れみたい。いつもちょっと遠い感じ。
六章だった！世界まで広がった！
楽しかったけど、ちょっとやりすぎと思った。
それであきらの性格が。。。ま。。。悪きないけどいつもちょっと仲間離れみたい。いつもちょっと遠い感じ。
April 8, 2019
Pretty great board game manga, Really liked the story and the art was really nice😁😻👌♟♟📖💕
January 13, 2021
sai vs toya. hold my goban! definitely a match worth holding my breath for.
March 23, 2021
More Sai!
November 24, 2021
Akhirnya!!
Pertandingan akbar menuju langkah dewa antara Sai vs Toya Meijin
Pertandingan akbar menuju langkah dewa antara Sai vs Toya Meijin
May 17, 2023
THIS VOLUME ENDS ON A CLIFFHANGER I'M SO UPSET
but I'm really happy for Sai that he gets to play!!! baby boi 🥹
but I'm really happy for Sai that he gets to play!!! baby boi 🥹
October 24, 2023
Finalmente Sai può confrontarsi con il Meijin Toya in una partita alla pari e il mondo del Go si ferma a guardare.
February 6, 2024
Sai vs. Toya Meijin . . . for real this time.
July 29, 2024
Divine presence
July 18, 2011
Yumi Hotta, Hikaru no Go, vol. 13: First Professional Match (ViZ, 1998)
If you're at all surprised by the identity of the character Hikaru is slated to play in his first professional match, more power to you. What DOES come as a surprise is what happens after Hikaru gets to the match... which leads to an outcome no one could have seen coming. (It can't really be considered a spoiler given that the title of vol. 14 is “Sai vs. Toya Koyo”, can it?) As is usually the case, Hotta takes the usual shonen manga dynamic (battle, gain power, battle gain power, repeat ad nauseam) and gives it a realistic spin, with well-drawn characters who change and grow from volume to volume—even the minor characters. A fantastic series so far. ****
If you're at all surprised by the identity of the character Hikaru is slated to play in his first professional match, more power to you. What DOES come as a surprise is what happens after Hikaru gets to the match... which leads to an outcome no one could have seen coming. (It can't really be considered a spoiler given that the title of vol. 14 is “Sai vs. Toya Koyo”, can it?) As is usually the case, Hotta takes the usual shonen manga dynamic (battle, gain power, battle gain power, repeat ad nauseam) and gives it a realistic spin, with well-drawn characters who change and grow from volume to volume—even the minor characters. A fantastic series so far. ****
July 14, 2009
In the last volume of this series, I felt Sai's confusion was mirroring author Yumi Hotta's confusion about where the storyline was going. If that's true, then both of them seem to have a renewed purpose in this volume. The ghostly Sai gets the opportunity to play against Toya Meijin, the greatest of the living go masters, and it gives the storyline a focus that it has been missing for the last few chapters.
This looks like a turning point for both characters -- the only question is, will Hotta make the conflict pay off in the next volume?
This looks like a turning point for both characters -- the only question is, will Hotta make the conflict pay off in the next volume?
July 27, 2011
佐為が好き！ Definitely an unexpected volume (if you haven't watched the anime, of course ^^;;)! Though I love reading about ヒカル's challenges and progress, I like that the focus of this volume isn't entirely ヒカル.
Anime-manga match-up:
ep 52 = vol 13 up to pg 51 （第１０５～１０６局）
ep 53 = vol 13 pgs 54-93 （第１０７～１０８局）
ep 54 = vol 13 pgs 96-135 （第１０９～１１０局）
ep 55 = vol 13 pgs 138-end （第１１１～１１３局）
Anime-manga match-up:
ep 52 = vol 13 up to pg 51 （第１０５～１０６局）
ep 53 = vol 13 pgs 54-93 （第１０７～１０８局）
ep 54 = vol 13 pgs 96-135 （第１０９～１１０局）
ep 55 = vol 13 pgs 138-end （第１１１～１１３局）
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews