Customer Reviews

Hikaru no Go, Vol. 15 (Hikaru No Go (Viz Media))

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Sai's time as a ghost Go instructor to Hikaru seems to be up in this fifteenth volume of Hikaru No Go, but he's having a hard time convincing Hikaru of this fact. Apparently the "Gods of Go" were keeping Sai hanging around all these centuries to let Hikaru see his match with Toya Meijin. He realized this last volume when Hikaru gave him a skilled analysis of the game between Sai and Toya. At this point Sai knows that Hikaru is on the path to playing the "Divine Move". Hikaru doesn't take Sai's warnings about his limited time seriously until he really does disappear. He spends most of the rest of the book trying to find him, all while taking time to play the top ranked Japanese amateur player.

I have to admit that once Sai disappeared from volume 15 it made me a little nervous because he is such an essential part of the story. But I was also a little glad as well because it seemed like he was beginning to suffer. For the first time in the series, Sai is reminded of the fact that he is dead. Ok, this might seem obvious to us, but I think Sai thinks of himself as a real red blooded human with needs and wants. He's saddened a bit when he remembers that Hikaru is capable of "The Divine Move" but no matter what he does, Sai will never actually get to make it or receive any recognition or fame even if he does. We've seen a bit of it in earlier volumes, but I was beginning to wonder when these two symbiotes, Hikaru and Sai, would begin to fracture and fray. To me, it would be a nightmare to be in someone else's mind for 2 years 24/7. It's admirable that Hikaru has been able to tolerate it this long. But he has no patience when Sai gets all wishy washy, so that's why he blows off Sai when he warns that he might disappear. When he's gone, Hikaru has to decide if he wants to go on playing Go for himself or whether his desire was driven by Sai's.

This is a great manga. It is a great story with excellent artwork and great character development throughout the series. It is also suitable for all ages.

If you don't know anything about the game of Go and how it relates to Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture, this series provides a nice introduction to that world wrapped in great story-crafting and artwork.

Hikaru no Go, for the uninitiated, is about a boy named Hikaru who discovers a haunted Go board in his grandfather's attic. The ghost haunting the board, Sai, attaches himself to Hikaru when he realizes the boy can see him in the hopes that Hikaru will allow him to play Go. The story follows Hikaru's journey from a reluctant participant in Sai's obsession with Go to a strong professional Go player who has developed his own style and passion for the game.

So, basically Hikaru no Go is -as the title suggests- all about the game of Go and a boy named Hikaru. It's about the love of the game, those who devote their lives to it and the way the game evolves through competition and the passion of players both new and old. Hikaru's eventual enthusiasm for the game is contagious making both the game and series more engrossing as he learns and strives to become a better player. It's an excellent read and I highly recommend the series even to those who don't typically care for manga. The character development throughout is exceptional and the drama and humor within the story is always well-balanced.

That said, Hikaru no Go Vol. 15 is not for new readers. If you're interested, go back and pick up Hikaru No Go, Vol. 1 and start from the beginning as the 15th volume has very little to offer the uninitiated. That said this volume marks the end of a journey both figurative and literal as Sai exits the series and Hikaru finds himself alone at last and utterly devastated by this development.

The final chapters leading up to Sai's eventual disappearance are both a fitting end to Sai's long journey as well as a compelling portrait of the nature of loss and how difficult it is for the young to truly grasp the inevitability and permanence of death until they've experienced it for themselves through the loss of a loved one. Hikaru's attitude leading up to Sai's disappearance is no different than the attitude adopted by any child when told that their grandparents won't be around forever. It has never even occurred to him that he might outlast Sai and his search and eventual grief following Sai's disappearance are all the more heartbreaking and inevitable because of it.

So, in my estimation, volume 15 is by far and away the single best volume of the series, but one that should absolutely not be read without having read volumes 1-14 first.