Rhea
Malaysia
I came to Hikaru no Go after a string of romance heavy dramas because I was needing a bit of a break. It turned out to be just what I needed as it lands solidly on every level.
I do, so, adore a show that knows what it is and just breathes life into the space its meant to fill. The story is based on a manga of the same name and its souce material is definitely apparent. It feels like a sports anime in its narrative beats and pacing. We have an assortment of stock characters: our scrappy outsider savant protagonist, our rival who drives him to succeed, a handful of supportive friends, a prickly mentor, etc.
The show, however, doesn’t ever rest on its tropes or its archetypes. The story hits familiar narrative beats but stakes are real, victories feel earned, defeats are crushing; there are no shortcuts or hand-waving through the plot.The main characters are fully realized and fleshed out and portrayed wonderfully by their cast. They are flawed, prone to mistakes, sometimes selfish, sometimes selfless, earnest in their desires and often falling short of them, which is to say they feel human in the best sense of the term.
At the heart of the story is Shi Guang, who winds up bound to the spirit of an Ancient Chinese Go master, Chu Ying. The master proceeds to continue his love of Go by both playing vicariously through Shi Guang and by teaching him. Through him, young Shi Guang winds up crossing paths with Yu Liang, also a talented Go player, and the interaction creates a rivalry between them that spans years.
These two relationships, that of Shi Guang and his mentor, and Shi Guang and his rival are the fuel that move Shi Guang through the story as he comes of age and learns to find his own place in the world. Both relationships are portrayed with such nuance and skill, rendered with a loving care that would put most romances to shame. The relationships are never static, and are multi-layered and complex.
At times Chu Ying is Shi Guang’s best friend, sometimes a pouty child needing to be mollified, or his stern teacher expecting the best. Through all these the genuine love these two feel for one another is palpable. What binds them is more than just a shared love of a game, but a genuine affection and care for one another. They can build each other up and break each other’s hearts.
The relationship with Yu Liang is more tense, obviously, but is wonderful in that it demonstrates how competition and a rivalry can at one level foster personal growth, but also create its own intense form of intimacy, unique in its nature. While it is possible to see their relationship through a romantic/bl lens, and it is fun to do so, the show leaves room for interpretations on that point which feels like the right choice for them.
When we leave them there is still so much life for them to live, so much ahead of them. Apart from that is a gaggle of delightful and compelling side characters and relationships. There really is so much to love about this show. At 36 episodes it never felt like it dragged on too long, it never felt drawn out or overwrought. When trying to find a fault I’m left wanting.
I do, so, adore a show that knows what it is and just breathes life into the space its meant to fill. The story is based on a manga of the same name and its souce material is definitely apparent. It feels like a sports anime in its narrative beats and pacing. We have an assortment of stock characters: our scrappy outsider savant protagonist, our rival who drives him to succeed, a handful of supportive friends, a prickly mentor, etc.
The show, however, doesn’t ever rest on its tropes or its archetypes. The story hits familiar narrative beats but stakes are real, victories feel earned, defeats are crushing; there are no shortcuts or hand-waving through the plot.The main characters are fully realized and fleshed out and portrayed wonderfully by their cast. They are flawed, prone to mistakes, sometimes selfish, sometimes selfless, earnest in their desires and often falling short of them, which is to say they feel human in the best sense of the term.
At the heart of the story is Shi Guang, who winds up bound to the spirit of an Ancient Chinese Go master, Chu Ying. The master proceeds to continue his love of Go by both playing vicariously through Shi Guang and by teaching him. Through him, young Shi Guang winds up crossing paths with Yu Liang, also a talented Go player, and the interaction creates a rivalry between them that spans years.
These two relationships, that of Shi Guang and his mentor, and Shi Guang and his rival are the fuel that move Shi Guang through the story as he comes of age and learns to find his own place in the world. Both relationships are portrayed with such nuance and skill, rendered with a loving care that would put most romances to shame. The relationships are never static, and are multi-layered and complex.
At times Chu Ying is Shi Guang’s best friend, sometimes a pouty child needing to be mollified, or his stern teacher expecting the best. Through all these the genuine love these two feel for one another is palpable. What binds them is more than just a shared love of a game, but a genuine affection and care for one another. They can build each other up and break each other’s hearts.
The relationship with Yu Liang is more tense, obviously, but is wonderful in that it demonstrates how competition and a rivalry can at one level foster personal growth, but also create its own intense form of intimacy, unique in its nature. While it is possible to see their relationship through a romantic/bl lens, and it is fun to do so, the show leaves room for interpretations on that point which feels like the right choice for them.
When we leave them there is still so much life for them to live, so much ahead of them. Apart from that is a gaggle of delightful and compelling side characters and relationships. There really is so much to love about this show. At 36 episodes it never felt like it dragged on too long, it never felt drawn out or overwrought. When trying to find a fault I’m left wanting.
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