Hikaru no Go

75 episodes on too many discs, eventually; viewed: eight

While rummaging through his grandfather's attic with his reluctant friend Akari for something he can sell for quick cash, sixth-grader Hikaru Shindo comes across an old go board. Wiping the dust off, he discovers blood stains. Akari can't see them, though, nor can she hear the voice of Sai of Fujiwara, the Heian-era go master whose spirit was bound to the go board. As Sai manifests himself to the young man with bicolored hair, Hikaru loses consciousness. During his trip to the hospital, Sai tells him the story of how he lost his place in court through treachery and drowned himself in despair, and that he hopes someday to play "the divine move." Sai's and Hikaru's consciousness are now linked, but only Hikaru can see and hear the go master.
The next day, after experiencing Sai's unhappiness at being deprived of go, Hikaru visits a go salon so Sai can play go and asks Akira, a young man his age, for a game. Sai, dictating his moves to Hikaru, wins. There is more to Akira than Hikaru realizes, though. The son of possibly the strongest go player in Japan, Akira is a professional-level player himself, and he is devastated at losing to a kid who doesn't even hold the stones properly.
And so begins the 75-episode saga of Hikaru, Akira and Sai. If the early episodes are indicative, this 31-hour epic should be a superior series.


At the beginning of the show, Hikaru is a regular kid -- friendly, impulsive, a lackadaisacal student and a bit irresponsible -- with no particular interest in anything. Akira, in contrast, is a hothouse flower. His entire life is go, and with his eccentric haircut and wardrobe, the character designer ensured that he could never be taken for a regular kid. Both are sympathetic characters with potential, and it's going to be interesting to watch them grow up. Sai, too, is well-drawn: volatile, generally agreeable, often amused, occasionally sarcastic and, when it comes to go, intense. (I am informed that I would make a "perfect Sai." Hmph.) Uninvited guest though he is, he's nevertheless a good companion for Hikaru. The other characters are varied and distinct. There are many go players introduced in the first eight episodes, and each one is unique, from the abrasive Tetsuo to the insecure Kimihiro to the gentlemanly third-best player at Kaio High School's go club.


The show thus far has been mostly devoted to setting up the long-term story and introducing the future antagonists and friends of Hikaru and Akira, but there's also been some serious go played. Mostly we just see glimpses of the games, but sometimes we watch a series of moves while Sai explains to Hikaru what is happening. Someone who knows go will get more out of this, of course, but Sai's commentary makes it possible for non-players to understand the significance of the play. This is crucial in the first episode, in which the second half is devoted to the first game between Sai/Hikaru and Akira.
If Hikaru no Go were just Sai playing through Hikaru and winning every time, it wouldn't be worth watching. Fortunately, there's much more to the story. Hikaru quickly becomes fascinated by the game and soon insists on playing for himself. He plays like a beginner, of course, but there is evidence that perhaps he does have a gift for the game and his connection to Sai is not just a fluke.
So far I've caught very few false notes. When Hikaru acts thoughtlessly, he doesn't get a pass because he is a spirited, cute youngster. People get angry, as they should, and Sai scolds him.
There's quite a bit of humor to leaven the drama. Sai hails from a thousand years ago, after all, and some things have changed a bit since then. Hikaru himself is young, naive and often foolish. (I expect that on the third disc Akari will demonstrate that girls can play go.)


Hikaru no Go lasts 75 episodes. That might be long enough to see Hikaru and Akira reach adulthood. It should be a satisfying coming-of-age narrative as well as a sports story, perhaps even a bildungsroman. Unfortunately, it is being released in America at the rate of four episodes every three months, or sixteen episodes a year. It's going to be a long time before we see the end, and youngsters watching the show may grow up faster than Hikaru and Akira.
I've seen only eight episodes, less than a ninth of the entire show, but on the basis of those eight, I would rate this as potentially the best anime I've seen this year after Cardcaptor Sakura. It's suitable for junior high students and perhaps bright younger kids. That Sai's life ended in suicide might be problematic for some viewers, but it's mentioned only once, in the first episode, and not emphasized. Otherwise, there's nothing objectionable and much to recommend in the series.


The dub is endurable, but did they have to make Sai sound so limp-wristed? I strongly prefer the subtitled version.
There is one minor, but exceedingly annoying, problem with the Viz release. If I watch either disc with my usual DVD-viewing program, not only can I not skip the usual piracy warning and other drivel, but I am also forced to fast-forward through a damned Naruto preview. I've never seen Naruto, but I loathe it beyond description now. Idiots.

If you would like to learn go, here are a couple of useful sites:
The Interactive Way to Go
Tel's Go Notes


Addendum

HC writes:
It is all that you hope for and more.
By the end, Hikaru and Akira will have grown into young men who have weathered the first year of their adult careers; you will have seen a dozen more grow up alongside them, and the series itself will grow with them.
Moreover, you will have seen Go as it is played at every level, from pickup games in middle-student clubs to title defenses between grandmasters. Highly recommended.
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Text copyright © 2006 by Don McClane