Hikaru no Go

As I expected, I couldn't stay away from Anime for one full week. Even during prelims. Well, I think I'll be fine. More importantly, let's talk about Hikaru no Go.

I used to have this prejudice against old anime,  partly due to the less detailed scenes. Then the other day, I was browsing through MAL, and realised that Hikaru no Go had an anime too. I was a little skeptical, seeing as how it aired on 2001, 13 years ago. Nonetheless, it's about Go, and it probably can't be that bad. I decided to give it a try.

It certainly exceeded all my expectations. The art, music, was fabulous. It wasn't finely detailed and colourful as most of the anime nowadays, but I find the art style a surprisingly apt portrayal of "reality". The character designs were good enough, memorable, and not out of proportion. (More or less, any problems are minor and barely noticeable).

More importantly, the animation managed to add "ACTION" and movement, and most importantly the EXCITEMENT to this story, about Go.

Not many people are able to appreciate this game nowadays.

The best thing about Anime, and sometimes Manga, is that they are able to bring such seemingly boring games to life, making it accessible to the common folk who have little knowledge about the field. 

That is also, perhaps, the draw of sports anime/manga. Such niche games are only interesting, really, to the people who play and know how to appreciate them. However, through the manga, the author can take a different perspective, e.g. through the astounding growth of the main character, to make the sport more interesting. (Hikaru does too). Or some unique circumstance (Sai), romance, etc. Or a different approach to the game (Doesn't happen in Hikaru, but try Last Inning, a baseball manga with a crafty and calculative coach).

Some of the best manga/Anime that I find this at work are Hajime no Ippo, Cross Game, Kuroko no Basket (rubbish power-ups, but is interesting nonetheless).

ANYWAY.... BACK TO THE STORY.

Well, I've always had an interest in Go; I learnt the basics when I was young, and recently picked it up again. I guess the manga did re-kindle my interest, prompting me to play again when I was Secondary 2. After a while though, with no one to play with, I gradually stopped playing. If the manga gave me a candle-worth of passion, the anime is definitely a campfire-worth -- that's just how much better the anime is than the manga.

Even though I read the story before, most of the episodes were highly engaging, with very nice pacing, and scenes. I would perhaps attribute this to the lengthy run it was given, a total of 75 episodes. Maybe one of the reasons a lot of anime today seem rushed is because of the budget and the limit on each series. Most anime are scheduled to end after 1 or 2 seasons, (around 13 episodes per season). If that's the case, then the old shows that take their time on each scene definitely has something to offer.

Or maybe it's just the nostalgic feeling, like OH THOSE WERE THE KIND OF SHOWS I WATCHED AS A KID!!! THAT KIND OF DRAWING, THOSE EFFECTS. Perhaps so, because even today, I still remember fondly shows like Marchen Awakens Romance, Law of Ueki, Samurai Deeper Kyo, and definitely Gundam Seed (Among my all time favourites). 

Regarding the story, I like how the author weaves in a real Go player's life into the story. Also, I'm no expert in Go, but the games in the Anime seemed really interesting, and made me wish so hard that I could play Go with my friends (Unfortunately none of them can play, but maybe after my exams I'll sign up with one of the Go association centres around.) 

While most of the episodes were well-scripted, there were just a few that I got irritated with, from episodes 62 to 69. 

SPOILER

For a full 7 episodes, Hikaru is down in a slump as Sai disappears, and Hikaru acts like a selfish little bitch, thinking that if he doesn't play, Sai would come back. Without caring for any of his professional responsibilities, not living up to his own promises to himself and to the friends he left behind to pursue his dreams, he arbitrarily decides to quit playing. If that wasn't enough, they had to throw in a random "SPECIAL EDITION EPISODE" in episode 64, instead of pulling Hikaru out of his slump first. SERIOUSLY, I GET WHAT THEY're doing, but I thought some of the scenes could have been skipped. Really very draggy, those 7 episodes. (ALTHOUGH I WOULD PROBABLY AGREE THAT THEY ACHIEVED THE MOOD, maybe beyond what was necessary)

Well, let's rate it.

Story: 8/10. Loved it, all the rivalry, friendship, and the Go. However, I'm not sure if I am able to give a fair judgement, as I can't speak for those who don't know how to play the game. I had an idea what most of the terms meant, but even still, I had trouble following the games. Nonetheless, I think it was done quite well, the story wasn't boring, and maybe if they had spent too much time explaining, it would have gotten boring. Well, if you don't understand, try learning how to play. It's definitely worth it.

Characters: 9/10. Besides Go, this story is really about the interaction between the players. While they are rivals, they are at the same time nakama, pursuing the same goal in Go. Some of the characters are amazed by Shindou, some fight beside him, others are drawn to him by the mysterious aura around him (literally). As Master Kuwabara (Title holder in Hikaru no Go, the Honinbo) puts it, 

"You need two people to play Go. A truly exciting game involves 2 good players, only by fighting against a strong rival can one get closer to the Hand of God. fhuhohohoo."

Strong rival appears from the start, and the rivalry stays strong, and is managed well. Mentor (Sai) also exists, being a key role in the story. We could really feel Sai's feelings from episodes 50+, before he disappeared. The supporting cast is also not neglected, they are all developed well. Really, I think it was quite excellently done. Of course, let's not forget Shindou, our main character. Very cute hairstyle he has there, and very cute personality too. This main character appeals, initially, as an innocent little kid, and Sai, ignorant of the modern world and also at times desperate to be noticed (He can't be noticed though, as he's a ghost.), adds onto the humour and cuteness. And most importantly, he has what every shounen protagonist needs, good development and growth, both in hard skills, and in mental strength. 

Art: 8/10. It would definitely be unfair to compare it to the art and detail of today, and as it fits the theme quite well, I thought it was okay to give it an 8. The fluidity and motion in the scenes also adds to the excitement, to the (seemingly boring) mental game of Go. Nothing really stands out though, hence I don't think I can give it more than a 9.

Music: 9/10. Now THIS really surprised me. I wasn't really expecting much at first, but then, the songs immediately captured me. I especially like the 1st opening, "Get Over" by Dream. It made me remember that actually, most of my favourite anime songs are from MAR Heaven and Gundam Seed, and while both of these series are actually quite old, I still listen to their songs as often, as my new favourites from recent anime. The anime OST especially was impressive, very intense piano, or other sound effects extremely fitting of the scenes helped set the mood very very well. I just wish I could find the OSTs compilation somewhere.

Enjoyment: 9/10. This criteria is highly subjective, as it necessarily has to be. I certainly enjoyed this series, being interested in Go after all. What also hit me, with Hikaru no Go, was definitely nostalgia. Maybe I might try re-watching my childhood favourites soon. The story was fresh, as not many people can do such an in-depth, engaging manga on such a niche topic anyway. It was certainly interesting, and I wouldn't mind rewatching it again. I really hope some guy might pick up this story again, and continue the special edition movie for the North Star Cup. Currently, it only goes up till the preliminaries, and that 1hr15mins episode was extremely engaging. Overall, I really enjoyed this show, except for those 7 episodes (which did it's job)

Conclusion: Hikaru no Go is 100% worth watching, by both Go players and non-players alike. For those who don't know the game, it is a good opportunity to get to learn it. Whether you do take an interest in Go or not, this show is definitely worth watching.