Books Over Flowers

"Ghostly board game enthusiast inspires aimless schoolboy."

It isn't a secret that Hikaru no Go is one of my favorite series. I only just started collecting the volumes despite devouring the anime and manga back when I was barely a teenager. I rewatched the anime less than a year ago and while I wouldn't necessarily say it gets better with each watch, I still love it with the same fervor. I won't bother reviewing the anime, but beyond rearranging or omitting a couple of scenes, the animated series faithfully adapts the first part of its source material. If you watch the anime and want to know what occurs after, start reading from volume 19. You can watch the anime on Hulu.

I wanted to avoid diving into the first volume without explaining a couple of things, so anticipate much shorter reviews for volume two onward. The first couple of paragraphs will cover part of chapter one, which you can check out for free on Viz's site.

You can buy print copies volume one on sites such as Amazon or Right Stuf.

Our story begins with elementary student Hikaru Shindo searching for antiques to turn a profit after failing a social studies test. Accompanied by childhood friend Akari in this endeavor, Hikaru has no reason to expect anything out of the ordinary. That is, until he finds a wooden go board with a blood stain that only he could see.

"You can... hear my voice?"

And from the board emerges Fujiwara-no-Sai, a skilled go player from the Heian period. Their meeting is cut short, however, when Hikaru faints. The following day, Hikaru learns about Sai's tragic backstory that culminates in suicide. However, Sai's urge to play go was so strong that he remained tethered to the world. He had his chance to continue playing through the boy who would grow up to become the famed go player Hon'inbo Shusaku. After Hon'inbo's life was cut short by disease, Sai resumed waiting for his chance to play go. Hikaru fully intends to keep him waiting but a couple involuntary purges caused by Sai's sorrow convince him otherwise.

The first volume may be a little slow for readers who prefer action, but I don't read Hikaru no Go for the action so much as the character development. Excluding the chapter cover spread, Sai and Hikaru meet within the first four or five pages and the rest of the first chapter is spent on Hikaru getting to know Sai and attending classes. He doesn't even play a game in the first chapter! Heck, I'd argue that the entire volume takes its time orienting Hikaru and the reader to go. The main matches in this volume are between Sai and soon-to-be rival Akira. I'll keep my opinion of Akira short to avoid spoilers, but if you hate jerk rivals, Akira isn't one of them. Unlike Hikaru, he is well-mannered, hardworking, focused, and humble. It's pretty refreshing!

Death Note's Takeshi Obata is responsible for Hikaru no Go's art. This series is worth a look if you are interested in Death Note's artistic predecessor. Matches mostly consist of dramatic stone placement, a looming Sai, and close-ups complete with speed lines, but this volume is light on the matches in favor of showing Hikaru's introduction to go. I really have no complaints about the art. Outside of cartoonish expressions, Obata's style is pretty down to earth. In other words, it's pretty without being distracting. By the way, new readers might want to take note of Ogata's appearance in this volume. He's the guy with the glasses wearing a white suit. You'll see major changes as the series progresses.

Hikaru no Go has an understated sense of humor. Nothing in this volume made me laugh out loud, but I'm pretty sure Hikaru, Sai, and even characters like Hikaru's grandfather got a small smile out of me. This volume isn't really an indicator of what to expect since the really good stuff happens when Hikaru develops more of an appreciation for the game and starts to play. I'd give it another volume or two if you find yourself feeling a little impatient. I'm totally biased, though. I seriously love this series.