Hikaru Shindo is a lazy, under-achieving 6th grader until the day he finds an old goban in his grandfather's storage shed. The goban is haunted by the ghost of the greatest Go player of the Heian era, Fujiwara no Sai, who has spent a thousand years seeking the Hand of God; the Divine Move. Sai's soul attaches to Shindou's, so only Shindou can see or hear him, and Sai wants only one thing: to play Go.
Shindou has no interest in Go, but he takes Sai to a go salon to allow him to play. There Shindou and Sai meet Akira Touya, the same age as Shindou and a gifted Go player. Shindou is fascinated by both Touya's intensity and Sai's love of the game. Soon he develops his own desire to walk the path of Go and become a great player... and Touya's rival.
Description: thefourthvine.
Story & Characters
An ancient spirit inhabits a boy with multicolored hair. Joined in mind and body, the two set off on a quest to climb
to the top of their game. Sound familiar? No, it's not "Yu-Gi-Oh;" it's "Hikaru no Go"
(hereafter referred to as 'HNG') Based off of the manga by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata, the anime follows
the adventures of Shindou Hikaru and his ghost, Fujiwara no Sai, in the world of Go (a Japanese board game), with the
goal to reach 'kami no itte' (translated as 'the hand of God' or 'the divine
move').
Set in modern Tokyo, the story begins with Hikaru, a 6th grader, finding an old Go board in his grandfather's
attic. Between his friend and him, Hikaru was the only one who spots the blood on the board. With this, Sai
"awakens" and takes over Hikaru. Sai's love for Go remains strong, even after his suicide in the Heian
period. His ultimate goal of reaching 'kami no itte' looks good, now that he has found a new vessel.
Unfortunately for him, Hikaru has no interest in Go. But with Sai's help and guidance, Hikaru begins to develop a
love for Go. Through trials and tribulations, the pair's relationship grows beyond ordinary symbiosis.
Rating: 8
Art
Unlike "Naruto," the art and animation in HNG seem to be fairly consistent. There is much detail in this
anime (ex. flickering lights in rooms and shadows and lights made by passing cars at night).
HNG takes place over a couple of years and the characters develop physically and mentally during this time. It is nice
to see a depiction of physical maturation in the animation. [Sorry, guys, there's not much of the girls'
physical development for you to see] The aging process is subtle, but made obvious during flashbacks in later
episodes.
The animation also effectively portrays comical situations. For example, remember how humorous it was in "Full
Metal Alchemist" to see Al's various facial expressions on his armor? It is similar in HNG when Sai's
face goes chibi as he deviates from his usual seriousness.
To spare viewers from watching an ordinary Go board being randomly decorated with black and white stones during games,
the anime offers a few alternatives/additions:
- the presence of action lines
- the use of faded moving pictures across the Go board
- the presentation of the game in an abstract, isolated setting
The animation sequence for the openings and endings are mediocre and mostly feature headshots of various characters, but
it's understandable since it's about a board game and, therefore, wouldn't have the fast-paced action
animated openings you would expect from action animes.
Though solid and consistent, the art and animation makes little attempt to go beyond large eyes and unnaturally-colored
hair.
Rating: 7
Sound
THEME SONGS: I personally like all of the openings and endings of HNG. For J-pop fans, it has a nice mix of different
styles, ranging from dance to rock. The signature theme of HNG is its first opening, "Get Over" by dream.
It's a catchy pop tune that sets the stage of the anime. I really like the pop/rock flavor of the first ending
theme, "Bokura no Bouken" by Kids Alive. Though better suited for an intro, it's fine as an ending and
nicely conveys the storyline. Another one of my favorites is "Sincerely" by dream (3rd ending). This
alluring piece is supported by beautiful piano melodies and is also worthy of the repeat button. Most of the songs
pertain to the story of HNG, but there were a couple that I felt were out of place. Also, the overuse of songs by the
pop band dream in the anime (they have 4) limits the diversity of songs.
BACKGROUND MUSIC: Most of the background music is nicely weaved into the story, but it's nothing outstanding. The
song "Kami no Itte" may get bothersome due to overplay. Few songs, however, don't seem to fit certain
situations. For example, there are times when a majestic, epic-sounding piece is played during trivial matches. I
really enjoy the orchestral arrangements of the theme songs. Sometimes, I replay episodes just to hear them.
VOICE ACTING: My heart flutters when I find familiar seiyuus in an anime. Several seiyuus from "Naruto" and
"Full Metal Alchemist" are also in HNG. I like how the characters sound age-appropriate for 6th graders. As
the anime progresses, Hikaru and his peers age a couple of years, and I was disappointed that the voices did not reflect
that. Nevertheless, the voice acting was good, but nothing exceptional.
Rating: 7
Presentation
At 75 episodes, HNG starts out at a steady pace, accelerates in some areas, but drags towards the end. An additional 3
'special' episodes are also part of the anime. Of the three:
- one was a condensed version of the first dozen episodes
- one was a different version of episode 64
- one takes place after the 75th episode and continues the story
In short, the first two weren't really worth watching. The third did not advance the plot as far as I had hoped.
I felt the 75th episode provided a better, more reasonable ending than that of the third special.
What HNG does well is developing side characters. For certain minor characters, we are able to understand their
motivations and ambitions of playing Go. Unfortunately, some of the more interesting characters that appeared early in
the story get reduced down to cameo appearances at the end.
HNG occasionally knocks out several games in one episode to keep the plot moving. What is brilliant about HNG is the
presentation of some of the important games. It is quite easy to focus directly on an entire game during these key
match-ups. But instead of watching a Go board and immediately following the action, we can see the game through a
non-playing character's eyes. This tactic allows us to observe his actions and emotions during the game and to see
how Go matches affect other players, also serving to enhance character development.
With an anime about Go, we can obviously expect many intense Go matches. One need not be knowledgeable about Go before
watching HNG. The fansubs provide descriptions of moves at the top of the screen and there is also a tutorial with a
professional Go player at the end of each episode. There is also enough information through dialogue and thoughts to at
least understand who has the advantage in the game.
Despite its flaws, HNG has a high entertainment and addiction value. It is highly recommended for serious viewing, as
well as for self-interpretation of unofficial shounen-ai situations [Trust me, there are a lot of them]. HNG has
spawned a great interest in Go among its Japanese viewers. By the time you finish this anime, you, too, will be
affected by Go, whether it be actively pursuing it as a hobby or researching more about it. Or you could find yourself
in my position--subconsciously holding potato chips like Go stones during school lunch.
Rating: 8
Final Verdict
7.6667 (good)
Reviewed by Drakonshie, Oct 24, 2008
