Customer Reviews

Hikaru No Go, Vol. 2 - The Go Club's Stratagem

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've watched the entire series in fansubs and I'm VERY impressed with this series!

It may sound boring and uninteresting to watch people play an ancient game, but the character development and the side plots are very much worth it. I have never seen an animated series that has surpassed Hikaru no Go for character development or interest, honestly.

This series isn't as popular as Neon Genesis Evangelion or Rurouni Kenshin or Inuyasha, but I can assure you that it is just as interesting and engaging with better character development than those other series.

There's an element of danger inherent in Hikaru's joining a Go team playing in a middle school tournament, that element being that Hikaru isn't even in middle school yet! So if he gets caught, they will be disqualified. But what can he say when the in your face wanna be samurai Tetsuo forces you into the situation? Also on their team is the strictly by the book player Kimihiro. Who knows if they will be able to keep from being found out and also win the tournament? Meanwhile, Akira Toya, the boy Go prodigy continues to ponder how Hikaru could have beaten him, someone who was playing Go almost from the time he could walk. He especially wonders why Hikaru, who seems such a masterful player, is slumming in middle school competitions when he could almost turn pro. And when Toya joins his own middle school Go club, he finds that not every player repects his ability. Instead, they want to take him down, whether by hook or crook!

The secret of Hikaru No Go is to make you excited or feel suspense even when you might not understand every move in a Go game being portrayed on the screen. This is done partly by use of music but also by your wanting the chracters to win their respective games. I am getting a little more feel for the game in this second volume, but really, the more complicated elements of it are a bit beyond me, but it's good to learn new things. The character conflicts are interesting, and without that, this show would be very boring. I really admire Yumi Hotta, the original manga writer who came up with an idea so simple, but yet very entertaining at the same time. Good show.

Not a lot of good extras here: Storyboards and sketches, a preview of the manga and some explanation of Go terms. There are short ending segments that attempt to give you instructions on how to play the game at the end of each episode.

I would also recommend the anime Fighting Spirit.

After a great start, this anime series continues to deliver high quality entertainment for the whole family. In this volume, we get to witness how Hikaru is getting interested in playing the game by himself instead of just following Sai's direction. Also, he meets a couple of junior high students that join him in creating a Go team, which drives him to try even harder to learn and understand the game.

I really like the mood of this series, especially when Sai talks, which feels as if a wise person is giving all of us advice in issues that go way beyond the game of Go. There are also deeper plot elements that make this more than just another shonen anime, and which definitely help in making the series more interesting to adults without spoiling it for kids. One of this is the monsters Akira is still facing after his loss to HIkaru, and his struggle to get his confidence back

As if this was not enough, the graphics are astonishing, and the opening and closing themes are among the best I have seen in anime. They were already great in the first disc, but the more you listen to them, the better they get. I hope the quality remains at this level!

Go has always been an old man's game but this anime (cartoon) has brought a large teenage following to the game. A refreshing anime with virtually no sex or violence, it is surprising how spell binding these episodes are for both young and old. The story follows a 12 year old boy, who meets a thousand year old Go playing ghost, on his journey to becoming a professional Go player, which in Asia can be a repected high paying occupation. The background music is enjoyable for all tastes. I originally watch all 75 episodes in Japanese with English subtitles. Since Hikaru no Go is available in English, 4 episodes each followed by a one minute beginner's lesson on the disk , my friends are interested in seeing it. Sometimes it seems a little slow, but be patient. If you have ever seen the movie "Searching For Bobby Fischer' and had an overwhelming yearning to play or learn to play chess, you will find that Hikaru no Go does the same thing for Go / Igo / Wei Ch'i / Baduk that is a game played by 40 million people world wide.