"Why? Why does Yuli always die? Is time unchangeable in this story? And what about the Beta world line? Even if they reach it, the Yuli they save won't be the same Yuli from the Alpha world line, right? It'll just be a parallel universe version of her."
"I don't get it either... I thought once the daily-life plot was over, I'd understand more, but now I realize I was too naive."
"Poor Yuli, dying over and over again... This reminds me of Re:Zero, but this time, it's not the one who dies that's suffering—it's Rintarou."
"I agree, Rintarou has it rough."
"Yeah, compared to Yuli, Rintarou's suffering is worse. He has to watch someone he loves die repeatedly, unable to do anything about it. If it were me, I'd probably lose hope."
"It seems like the Porter loves to play with this concept. Re:Zero had the protagonist reviving after death, and Madoka Magica had Homura traveling through time. Time travel can really inspire a lot of stories."
"Exactly. Even Claire's Inuyasha uses time travel as a major element. But look at some domestic comic artists—they just keep recycling the same ideas without innovating. That's why, even though the Porter loves to throw in tragic moments, I still appreciate his work. At least it feels fresh."
"Appreciate? I can't stand him! His Hikaru no Go protagonist is driving me nuts!"
"What happened now?"
As soon as fans of Steins;Gate began discussing the latest chapter, fans of Hikaru no Go chimed in, stirring up curiosity about the series.
Hikaru no Go had become a major hit in the sports manga genre.
Its popularity and sales had soared, nearly surpassing some of the most well-known sports manga in the country. In Japan, it was said that Hikaru no Go had sparked a resurgence of interest in Go, with more children participating in tournaments. This led to record-breaking participation in youth Go competitions and high school Go tournament qualifiers.
The impact of the manga was so profound that it sparked debates in Japan's Go community about whether modern players were better than those of the past.
The international success of the comic even caught the attention of national media outlets, with shows like CCTV in China highlighting the series, further driving more readers to check it out.
It was even said that Go in China had seen a small uptick in interest, partially thanks to the comic.
But why were some readers suddenly upset with the main character?
Curious, some readers began reading the latest chapters of Hikaru no Go.
Soon enough, they figured out why.
At this point in the story, Hikaru had finally become a professional Go player. However, as he discussed future opponents with Akira Toya, his mentor Sai began to feel uneasy.
"What about me?" Sai thought as he watched Hikaru excitedly plan for the future. But Hikaru didn't even seem to notice.
This particular scene caused an uproar among readers.
Though Hikaru was the protagonist, Sai—his mentor and a supporting character—was actually more popular among fans.
With his good looks and exceptional Go skills, many readers were drawn to Sai more than Hikaru. In fact, much of the manga's fanbase had become deeply attached to Sai, beyond just their love for the comic itself.
Sales of Hikaru no Go merchandise featuring Sai—whether it be T-shirts, mugs, or figures—far outpaced those of any other character.
So when tension arose between Hikaru and Sai, it was natural that many fans sided with Sai.
"What does this even mean? Is Hikaru being ungrateful? If it weren't for Sai, Hikaru wouldn't even be a pro Go player!"
"Exactly! He just became a pro, and now he's already tossing Sai aside. How could he forget who taught him everything?"
"This protagonist is so frustrating."
"Come on, he's just a kid. He probably hasn't thought everything through."
"Here we go again, the classic 'He's just a kid' excuse. Who isn't a kid? Haven't you heard? Men are boys until the day they die!"
"Do you read Gintama too?"
"Of course! If you like Gintama, we're brothers now."
"Hold on, did you not pay attention? Those were Sai's inner thoughts. He didn't say them out loud."
"Really? I must've missed that."
"Yeah, but Sai can still feel it, right? Hikaru clearly doesn't want Sai to play in his place anymore. But Sai lives for Go—if he can't play anymore, what's the point of his existence?"
The tension between Hikaru and Sai had left many readers feeling uneasy, but the following chapter took things even further.
For example, when Sai tried to study a game from a newspaper but couldn't turn the page since he was a spirit, he had to repeatedly ask Hikaru for help. Hikaru's growing impatience during these scenes only fueled more frustration among readers.
On top of that, Hikaru was scheduled to play Akira Toya in the New Pro Championship.
But Sai insisted that he should be the one to face Akira's father, Toya Meijin.
These moments of conflict were enough to leave readers feeling conflicted, but they were also eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
After all, Sai and Toya Meijin were arguably the two strongest Go players in the story, so their battle was bound to be a legendary match.
But would Hikaru let Sai play?
That was the burning question on everyone's mind.
"I swear, if the Porter has Hikaru refuse to let Sai play, I'm done with this manga!"
"If only Sai had ended up with Akira instead of Hikaru. Akira seems way more respectful."
"I agree. The story would've been so different from the beginning."
Online discussions were buzzing with speculation.
There were debates about what would happen next in both Steins;Gate and Hikaru no Go. Fans were eager for the upcoming chapters, and it seemed like everyone had their own theories.
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For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates