Hikaru no Gois my favorite anime of all time, and due to its niche appeal, it naturally sits as my top pick for themost underrated anime of the 2000s. The series is a brilliant coming-of-age, which, despite its silly premise of a ghost trapped in a Go board taking on a child as his next host, is immaculately written and a realistic depiction of growing up and embracing one’s passions. However, by the end of theHikaru no Goanime, I found myself wrestling with its painful depictions of loss, loneliness, and despondent depression.
Hikaru no Go’s Anime Has Unique Appeal
Incomplete Yet Perfectly Nostalgic
TheHikaru no Goanime, just like the manga, focuses on the journey of Hikaru Shindo, a twelve-year-old kid who discoversa blood-stained board possessed by the ghost of Fujiwara no Sai, a Heian Go instructor who once served the Emperor.Hikaru goes from disinterested in Go to humoring Sai’s whims as the ghost tragically craves to play the game and play “the Divine Move,” elevating the Go term to encapsulate a wholly original, tactically sound play in the ancient board game. Eventually, as Hikaru grows up, he develops his emerging passion for the game.
Despite the differences, the execution of the anime’s conclusion is still immaculate.
Yet, theHikaru no Goanime ends abruptly, with the main series concluding upon the Return Arc. At the same time, the manga goes to the Hokuto Cup and beyond,showing two different conclusions for the story. In the anime, Hikaru survives the most painful lows of his coming-of-age, determining his identity for himself, while the manga concludes with him challenging other young professional Go players on the world stage, garnering young fans of himself and his rival, Akira Toya.
Despite the differences, the execution of the anime’s conclusion is still immaculate. TheHikaru no Goanime will hardly be upheld like other late 1990s-early 2000s anime in terms of production values. However, it’s an elegantly executed series animated by Studio Pierrot, who have handledYu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, Bleach, andBlack Clover.
One of its particularly special quirks was how each episode was followed by installments ofGo Go Igo!, a live-action educational series featuring Yukari Umezawa, a professional Go player, and the child actors who played her students.Hikaru no Gohas some of anime’s catchiest opening and ending themes, including work by renowned performers like Dream.
The Hikaru no Go Anime Gives a Devastating Lesson on Facing Loss
Turning Emotional Crisis Into an Uplifting Opportunity
Hikaru no Goprepares readers and viewers wonderfully for how its characters face loss in the competitive realm, seeing it as a call to action for reflection and improvement. Characters often encounter profound developments even after crushing losses; even the biggest final matches ofHikaru no Go’sanime and manga end in losses for multiple main characters.
But when it comes to personal loss,the series fundamentally hints at the possibility of dealing with death or vanishing, such as when Sai passes in his first life or when his previous host, Torajiro, dies later. The first roughly sixty of the seventy-five episodes ofHikaru no Go, except the anime filmJourney to the North Star Cup,isa wholesome journey where Hikaru first indulges Sai’s desire to play go, only to find himself growing interested in the game.
Hikaru starts the series as a blank slate who witnesses Sai’s touching love for the game as a ghost who never got to live out his original days playing to his heart’s content, but by episode #60, Hikaru has become a teenage professional player. In light of this, Sai’s presence in Hikaru’s life starts to fade.
One hundred forty years ago… Torajiro lent his body to me. If Torajiro existed for my sake, then I existed for Hikaru’s sake. Then… Hikaru exists for someone else as well. And that someone will, too…be there for another person. A millennium becomes two, built up slowly person by person. The long path leading to the Divine Move… My part in it is over.
-Fujiwara no Sai
Episode #36 foreshadows this moment well, with Hikaru grasping at greatness upon defeating Suyong Hong, recognized by Go enthusiasts for his talents, just as he was when he let Sai play in his stead. Sai’s presence is taken for granted, while the lovable Heian Go instructor begins his existential crisis,fearing the possibility of suddenly no longer existing, even as a ghost.
This is why, in episode #60, after Hikaru lets Sai play a drunk Seiji Ogata while pointing out an oversight Sai didn’t notice, Sai fades soon after, beginning the most painful arc inHikaru no Go.
The Penultimate Arc of Hikaru no Go’s Anime Is a Lonely Dirge
A Difficult Experience for Those Coping with Loss and Isolation
From episode #61 to near the end,Hikaru realizes Sai is gone and begins the stages of griefwhen his closest confidant and mentor suddenly disappears. Hikaru withdraws from the Go world, craving only to find Sai once more, angrily dismissive of Go challengers, wishing to travel across Japan to numerous historical signs linked to Sai’s previous host, Torajiro, aka Hon’inbō Shūsaku, a historical Japanese Go professional.
At this moment, Hikaru feels utterly lost,a familiar feeling of lonelinessI’ve experienced either in the absence of friends or death in the family. Sai’s disappearance in theHikaru no Goanime isthe closest the series comes to depicting an onscreen death, and for all intents and purposes, it achieves the same ends: at one moment, Sai is there, then suddenly is nowhere.
Seeing Hikaru try and fail to cope with this loss by pushing others away must feel familiar to many viewers who have dealt with heartbreak, saw family and friends drift apart, and lost friends and loved ones to various tragic events. In this sense,Hikaru no Gois still the anime I reflect on when life reminds me of those tough lessons.
Hikaru Shindo’s Depression Is Tragic and Relatable
Hikaru Without Sai Felt Inconceivable
In many ways, the loss of Sai was crucial to keep theHikaru no Gostory moving. Sai would eventually teach Hikaru everything he needed to know to help inspire the Go wave, and a happy ending for a ghost usually implies moving on to the next life. But seeing Hikaru ready to give up Go for fear of knowing Sai isn’t there to watch and guide him reminds me that this anime is a painful viewing experience,even if it’s cathartic to see it through to the end.
Hikaru’s resignation to never play again for much of the arc,an attempt to run away from his grief over losing Sai, something he can’t believably articulate because it is an absurd concept, makes it incredibly difficult for others to get through to him. A former insei (fellow Go apprentice) named Isumi faced similar issues, going to China to face them and finally passing the pro exams, attempting to relay his counsel to Hikaru, as did Hikaru’s key rival, Go prodigy Akira Toya. Hikaru’s many connections help him return to Go, especially one key encounter.
The Best Hikaru no Go Anime Scene Is a Perfect Lesson of Acceptance
Not a Dry Eye in the House
My favorite scene ofHikaru no Go, and genuinely of any anime ever, is from the final episode of the main anime series. After Hikaru returns to the professional Go world, recognizing that Sai lives on metaphorically, permanently embedded in his style as a player, he finally has his fated match with Akira Toya after years of anticipation. The result isn’t even the main concern of the match, asAkira finally articulates to Hikaru that there is someone else in his playstyle, coming the closest possible to grasping that Sai is a real spirit within the boy.
This realization sticks with Hikaru as he goes to bed, wherein he has a vivid dream sequence, marking the final visible encounter with Sai in the series. Sai is silent as Hikaru relays his latest experiences, namely his game with Akira. But when Hikaru brings up how Akira sees Sai in his playing, Sai looks onward into the light, signaling the dream is about to end.
Hikaru pleads for Sai not to go, to which Sai only responds by giving Hikaru his fanin a beautiful scene as the piano theme in the background flourishes;the moment is sublime.
Aside from being a treasured ornate relic from his previous life, Sai used his fan during countless games with Hikaru, pointing at the board to signal where he wanted the stones as he could not place them himself. Soon after, Hikaru purchased a fan for himself as an homage to Sai.
I can’t watch this scene without breaking down into tears because it’s the second time that Sai is present, then absent, but this time, Hikaru recognizes Sai’s departure. It’s a willful acknowledgment of Sai’s passing, and essentially,Hikaru’s acceptance of his mentor’s “death” inHikaru no Go, a significant step in his coming-of-ageas he begins to rely on himself. But in reflecting on Sai’s departure, there’s one final, noteworthy aspect of his character I can’t help but consider and its importance to Hikaru as he grows up.
Fujiwara no Sai Was Hikaru Shindo’s Father Figure
Another Round of Go with the Old Man?
Fujiwara no Sai was like a father figure to Hikaru, whose dad, Masao, was not maliciously absent, just a typical salaryman whose appearances boil down to a brief implied cameo in the finale.Sai was there for Hikaru’s formative events, discovering his passion for Go, climbing the ranks as an insei, becoming a professional, and making a name for himself.
Sai also spotted subtle things, like how Hikaru’s friend Akari had romantic feelings for him. While Sai’s vanishing was crucial as a major step for Hikaru to grow up, it’s still difficult to see him go. Sai’s absence left Hikaru aimless, yet his impressions as a player and a major part of Hikaru’s life left a clear mark, as shown in Hikaru’s furious gameplay in episode #62, along with his yearning to see Sai observing him play.
Sai was a perfect mentor and the wonderful father figure Hikaru deserved, and his vanishing is all the more heartbreaking.
He was a responsible teacher, always gentle when it counted, while giving Hikaru space to show his talents when the moment called, such as in his match against Suyong, to reignite the passions of other young players indirectly. Sai was a perfect mentor and the extraordinary father figure Hikaru deserved, and his vanishing is all the more heartbreaking.
In experiencing Sai’s vanishing, I remembered drastically mishandling the first time my father departed for a business trip. I couldn’t handle such key figures in my upbringing suddenly gone, even temporarily. While my father is still a part of my life, it’s hard to not look at this series as a powerful reminder of the transitory aspect of life and how important it is to face it. In a way,Hikaru no Goreminds me of how to face this sudden loss and not feel lost in confronting it.
