Hikaru no Go: A review and review of a classic anime that depicts the charm of Go and the brilliance of youth

Hikaru no Go: The story of a boy fascinated by the world of Go

"Hikaru no Go" is an anime series based on the popular manga written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, serialized in Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump". It aired on TV Tokyo from October 8, 2001 to March 26, 2003, and gained many fans as a story about the growth and friendship of boys around the traditional game of Go. In this article, we will take a deeper look into the appeal and details of "Hikaru no Go".

story

The story of "Hikaru no Go" begins when an ordinary boy named Shindo Hikaru finds an old Go board in his grandfather's storehouse. The board is inhabited by the spirit of Fujiwara-no-Sai, a genius Go player from the Heian period, and Hikaru ends up meeting him. Inspired by Sai's passion for Go, Hikaru gradually becomes drawn into the world of Go. Through Sai's guidance and encounters with rivals, Hikaru awakens the talent that was dormant within him.

The story depicts Hikaru's growth in the world of Go, while also intersecting with the human drama of the various characters surrounding him. In particular, the story is enriched by his confrontation with his rival Akira Toya, his friendship with his childhood friend Akari Fujisaki, and the bonds he forms with his fellow members of the Go club. Another major theme is how Sai's presence will affect Hikaru's life.

character

There are many unique characters in "Hikaru no Go." The main characters are introduced below.

Hikaru Shindo

The protagonist, a boy, had no interest in Go, but after meeting Sai's spirit, he enters the world of Go. Through Sai's guidance and encounters with rivals, he awakens the talent that was dormant within him. Hikaru has a pure and enthusiastic personality, and the story depicts his growth through Go.

Fujiwara Sai

A genius Go player from the Heian period, he loved Go with all his heart and served as a Go instructor at the Imperial Court. However, he fell victim to a scheme and committed suicide, and his spirit resides in an old Go board. He meets Hikaru and together they try to master the "God's move." Sai plays an important role in bringing out Hikaru's passion for Go.

Akira Toya

Akira is a genius boy whose father is a Go master, and is the same age as Hikaru. He is a hard worker, and does not become conceited about his talent, but continues to work hard. After losing a match against Hikaru (and Sai), he gains a new goal. Akira is Hikaru's biggest rival, and the showdown between them is a major highlight of the story.

Akari Fujisaki

A childhood friend and classmate of Hikaru. Influenced by Hikaru, she started playing Go, but her skills are not so good. She works hard for the club, such as bringing in new members for the Hase Junior High School Go club, which is short on members, and caring about the feelings of the members. Akari is an important character who supports Hikaru.

Kimihiro Tsutsui

He is the captain of the Go club at Hase Junior High School, and although he loves Go, the club is on the verge of being disbanded. With the help of Hikaru and Kaga, he struggles to rebuild the club. He has a serious and disciplined personality, and is also addicted to go instruction books.

Kaga Tetsuo

A delinquent member of the shogi club who saves the Go club from a pinch together with Hikaru. Having played Go when he was young, he is quite skilled. He has a history with Akira Toya, which adds tension to the story.

Toya Kyoyo

The father of Akira Toya, Yukihiro is a master at the top of the modern Japanese Go world. Sai describes him as "the man closest to God's move." Like his son Akira, Yukihiro continues to hone his skills without becoming complacent, and continues to reign as a top professional. Yukihiro's presence is a great role model for Hikaru and Akira.

Seiji Ogata

He is a talented Go player under Master Toya, and is amazed by and interested in the talent of Hikaru (and Sai) that he saw at a children's Go tournament. Although he always maintains a cool and calm demeanor, he has a burning passion for Go.

Yuuki Mitani

A member of the Go club at Hase Junior High, he initially cheated and misbehaved, but after Hikaru's enthusiastic persuasion he joined the club. He served as captain in the tournament, but was defeated in the match against Kaioh. After that, he and Hikaru were fired up to defeat Kaioh in the next tournament, but...

Kaoru Kishimoto

He was the captain of the Kaiou Junior High Go Club, and was extremely strong in the junior high school Go club, but he had a history of failure as a graduate student. There is also an episode where he was already drinking black coffee when he was a first year junior high school student.

Yoshitaka Waya

A disciple of Morishita 9-dan and a member of the Japan Go Association. A fellow student of Hikaru, she is also a caring person who teaches the ignorant Hikaru many things. She also enjoys playing online Go, and her handle name is "zelda." She is good friends with Ikaku and knows him well.

Shinichiro Izumi

He was a member of the Nihon Ki-in student group, and was ranked first in the group two years ago and last year, but failed the professional exam. If he doesn't pass this year, he won't be able to remain a student due to the age limit. He's a talented player, but he also has some mental weaknesses.

Animation Production

The anime Hikaru no Go was produced by Studio Pierrot. It was directed by Nishizawa Susumu, Kamiya Jun, and Endo Tetsuya, with series composition by Ohashi Shikichi. Character designs were by Motohashi Hideyuki, Sekiguchi Kanami, and Ueda Miyuki, and art direction was by Takagi Sawako. Music was provided by Wakakusa Megumi, and music production was done by Avex Mode.

The anime series was made up of 75 episodes, each 31 minutes long. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 8, 2001 to March 26, 2003. The original manga was created by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata, with Yasaka Kenji, Ibaraki Masahiko, and Ouchi Shigeaki providing original concept assistance. Yukari Umezawa of the Japan Go Association also supervised the series and provided guidance on the technical aspects of Go.

Theme songs and music

A different artist was in charge of the theme song for each season of "Hikaru no Go." Details of the theme songs are listed below.

Opening Theme

OP1
Song Name: Get Over
Number of episodes used: 1 to 30
Lyrics: Mai Matsumuro Composition: BOUNCEBACK
Arrangement: Shunsuke Yazaki, Masashi Nakao Vocals: dream

OP2
Song Name: I'll be the one
Number of episodes used: 31-60
Lyricist: HΛLNA
Composer: Atsushi Sato Arrangement: HΛL
Sung by: HΛL

OP3
Song Name: FANTASY
Number of episodes used: 61-75
Lyrics: Nana Katase Composition: Shigetaka Nagaoka Arrangement: Shigetaka Nagaoka Singer: Nana Katase

Ending Theme

ED1
Song name: Our Adventure Episodes used: 1-12
Lyricist: Keiji
Composition: Keiji, Kenichi Asazo “Sammy” Arrangement: Kids Alive, Kenichi Asazo “Sammy” Vocals: Kids Alive

ED2
Song name: Hitomi no Chikara Episodes used: 13-30
Lyrics: Hiromi Mori Music: Toshihiko Takamizawa Arrangement: Keiichi Ueno Singer: Arisa Mizuki

ED3
Song title: SINCERELY ~ever dream~
Number of episodes used: 31-46
Lyrics: Mai Matsumuro Composition: Kazuhito Kikuchi Arrangement: HΛL
Song: dream

ED4
Song Name: Days
Number of episodes used: 47-63
Lyricist: shela
Composer: Kazuhiro Hara Arranger: Kazuhiro Hara Singer: shela

ED5
Song title: MUSIC IS MY THING
Number of episodes used: 64-74
Lyrics: John Sauli, Fonny De Wudi
Japanese lyrics: Yuko Ebine Composition: John Sauli, Fonny De Wudi, Yuko Ebine Arrangement: Tatsuhiko Fuyuno Singer: dream

ED6
Song Name: Get Over (Special Mix)
Number of episodes used: 75
Lyrics: Mai Matsumuro Composition: BOUNCEBACK
Arrangement: Yuri Matsufuji + wonderwall
Song: dream

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Hikaru no Go" often symbolize the development of the story and the growth of the characters, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Below are the subtitles for all 75 episodes.

• Game 1: Eternal Rivals
• Game 2: The weak point is discovered!!
• Game 3: Akira Bares His Fangs
• Fourth game / Kaga of the Shogi club
• Game 5: Premonition of Awakening
• Game 6: A Beautiful Game
• Game 7: I won't play against you
• Game 8: Strategy in the Rain
• Game 9: An eyesore!!
• The 10th Division/The 3rd Member
• Episode 11: The Most Despicable Act
• The 12th game / You are the third general
• Game 13: Each Person's Decision
• Game 14/Third match
• Game 15: Shogi players hiding on the internet
• The 16th game: Who is Sai?
• Game 17 / A Game of Remembrance
• Game 18: Akira vs Sai
• Game 19: Hikaru's Strength
• Game 20: The road to becoming a professional
• Game 21 / Hase Junior High School Go Club
• 22nd Station/Graduate Student Exam
• 23rd Station / Mysterious Room
• 24th game: Oza vs Akira
• Episode 25: Fear and anxiety
• Game 26: Welcome to Class 1
• Episode 27: A place I sometimes want to return to
• Game 28: Young Lions Match
• 29th game / Kuwabara Honinbo
• Game 30: Ogata vs Honinbo
• 31st game/Professional exam begins
• Game 32/Final day of the preliminaries
• 33rd Station/Team Formation!
• Game 34: Don't Win
• Game 35: Only One Winner
• The 36th episode / My name is
• 37th game/Start of the main tournament
• The 38th game / The challengers
• Episode 39: The Devil's Moment
• Game 40: The outcome of the victory
• Game 41: Three Weeks Is Too Late!
• The 42nd round/First successful candidate
• Game 43: Hikaru vs. Waya
• Game 44/Rebirth
• Game 45: Hikaru vs. Ochi
• Game 46 / Final day of the pro exam
• Game 47: Entering the professional world
• 48th station/Satai VS Meijin
• Game 49: A desperate game
• The 50th game / Fujiwara no Sai
• 51st game / Kurata 6th dan
• Game 52: Hikaru vs Akira
• The 53rd game / Sai's confession
• The 54th episode / An excited heart
• 55th game/sai vs toya koyo
• The 56th episode: The answer of a thousand years
• Game 57: Let me play with Sai
• Game 58: Isshiki Go
• 59th station/Yukihiro Toya retires!
• 60th episode / Goodbye Hikaru
• Game 61: Sai has disappeared?
• Game 62: Hiroshima's Strongest Player
• Game 63: I won't play anymore
• No. 64 / Flower Vase from the Keicho Period
• Game 65: Ikaku's Go
• Game 66: A Fateful Encounter
• Game 67: Ikaku is put to the test
• Game 68: Loss by default
• 69th Station / Determined Visitor
• The 70th game / Sai was there...
• Game 71/First game back
• Game 72: The Two of Us Start Running
• Game 73: Shindo vs. Toya
• The 74th episode / I'm inside you
• The 75th episode: A nostalgic smile

Related Titles

There are several related works to "Hikaru no Go." Some of them are introduced below.

• Hikaru no Go Jump Super Anime Tour 2002 Edition
• Hikaru no Go Special: The Road to the Hokuto Cup

Evaluation and impact

Although "Hikaru no Go" is a work based on the traditional game of Go, it has attracted many viewers with its story of boys' growth and friendship. In particular, the relationship between Hikaru and Sai, and the rivalry between Hikaru and Akira, left a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the detailed depiction of the rules and strategies of Go sparked an interest in the game for many viewers.

The anime was also highly praised, with the character design, music, and storytelling all receiving rave reviews. In particular, the subtitles and theme songs for each episode were important elements that enhanced the appeal of the story. The original manga was also highly praised and loved by many fans.

"Hikaru no Go" also contributed greatly to the spread of Go. After the anime was broadcast, more children started playing Go, and Go classes and clubs became more popular. Many books and teaching materials for learning the rules and strategies of Go were also published, which led to the culture of Go becoming more widely recognized.

Recommendation

"Hikaru no Go" is recommended not only for those who are interested in Go, but also for those who want to enjoy a story that depicts the growth and friendship of boys. In particular, the relationship between Hikaru and Sai, and the rivalry between Hikaru and Akira will surely impress viewers. It will also be a good learning material for those who want to learn the rules and strategies of Go.

The anime has also been highly praised, with the character design, music, and storytelling all receiving rave reviews. In particular, the subtitles and theme songs for each episode are important elements that enhance the appeal of the story. The original manga has also been highly praised and is loved by many fans, so be sure to check it out.

"Hikaru no Go" has contributed greatly to the spread of Go, and has inspired many people to start playing the game. Go classes and clubs have also become more popular, and many books and teaching materials have been published to learn the rules and strategies of Go. Please take a look at this work, which has helped to widely recognize the culture of Go.