In the following days, Ren traveled to Japan's Go Association.
The association assigned a professional Go player to assist in the creation of Hikaru no Go, ensuring that the characters' judgments and depictions of the game were accurate. In the early chapters, moves from the Edo period were used, drawing from real historical matches.
However, since Hikaru no Go was going to be a long-term series, the professional players assisting Ren changed depending on who was available at the time. After all, most professional Go players were busy participating in various tournaments, pursuing Go titles, or playing in national leagues, so it was difficult for them to devote extended periods to the project.
In the beginning, this collaboration took place in person, but as time went on, video calls were used to offer guidance remotely.
Thanks to the help of Japan's Go Association, time flew by, and Ren's new manga was finally released in both Japan and China.
Japan
Ai Hina, a young girl, stood in a bookstore, searching for the latest issue of Picca Comics.
This comic publisher was one of the few from China that had established a branch in Japan. Ai had first heard about this company thanks to Ultraman Tiga, a popular live-action superhero series aired on TV Asahi.
Yes, it was the same series that boys loved for its action-packed posing and special effects.
During the opening credits of Ultraman Tiga, Ai noticed the publisher's logo, which piqued her curiosity. She bought one of the company's comic magazines and was surprised to find its comics were not only fun but of very high quality.
Some examples of these high-quality works were Your Name and Fullmetal Alchemist.
Ai especially loved Fullmetal Alchemist. She knew what it meant when a work won an Oscar, and Fullmetal Alchemist had garnered significant international acclaim.
Recently, she had also seen movies like The Garden of Sinners and Fate/Stay Night in theaters, both produced by the same company. This only made her like the company even more.
"Huh?" Ai stopped in her tracks when she saw today's cover of Picca Comics.
There wasn't a comic featured on the cover, but an advertisement instead—promoting a new series in Weekly Shonen Jump. A comic publisher advertising a series from a rival publisher?
That was a bold move!
Even though Ai considered herself well-versed in manga, she was still confused by what she saw.
Wasn't Picca worried that this would affect the sales of their own comics?
The truth was, Ren and his team had wanted Hikaru no Go to be published in their own magazine.
However, despite the fact that Picca's Japan branch had begun to establish a presence in the country, it still didn't have the deep roots that long-established Japanese companies did. Additionally, the Go Association's primary goal was to promote the game, so it naturally wanted Hikaru no Go, the series it had commissioned, to be published in a major, native magazine—Weekly Shonen Jump.
Still, this situation wasn't without benefits.
The first page of Hikaru no Go in Weekly Shonen Jump would include a note saying, "From the renowned Picca Comics master, the 'Fierce Tiger of the Empire,' comes a new masterpiece."
This was essentially a promotional boost for Picca Comics, helping to increase its influence in Japan even further.
"Interesting!" Ai said aloud, curiosity piqued by the ad.
She decided to pick up a copy of Weekly Shonen Jump to see what kind of manga was intriguing enough for Picca to advertise. Grabbing the magazine, she paid for it along with her copy of Picca Comics.
Back home, Ai immediately flipped to the new Go-themed manga.
"Hikaru no Go, huh?"
A manga about Go?
Sports manga?
Ai wasn't one to be pretentious, but she did raise an eyebrow at the idea of a Go-centered manga.
The premise was certainly unique.
But it was too unique, wasn't it?
To be fair, Ai wasn't like most girls her age. She enjoyed things that boys typically liked—such as action-packed manga, fighting games, and even live-action superhero shows.
She could handle sports manga too, whether it was about soccer, basketball, or baseball—at least people were familiar with those sports to some extent, and they had plenty of fans. But Go? Why choose a game with such a niche audience and high entry barrier?
To Ai, Go was just two people sitting stiffly over a board, playing for hours, sometimes even over ten hours. Could a manga about that really be interesting?
It was unique, sure.
But it was too niche.
For people who didn't know Go, reading a Go manga might be as exciting as reading a textbook.
"But this is from Ren, the Porter…"
She thought back to Ren's other works. He had a great track record, producing consistently enjoyable manga. She remembered Cooking Master Boy, another of Ren's works, which had turned cooking into an exciting and fun genre.
Thinking it over, maybe Ren really could make Go interesting.
With a little hope, Ai started reading Hikaru no Go.
As soon as she opened the first page, Ai immediately sensed something different about this manga.
When Fujiwara no Sai appeared before Hikaru, the god-like imagery practically leaped off the page, leaving her in awe.
She read two chapters in one go, then gently placed the manga down.
Ai was stunned.
She had never imagined that a sports manga about Go—something she didn't understand at all—could make her feel so thrilled and engaged, almost like the first time she had ever picked up a manga.
My goodness! This is incredible!
To be honest, when the manga explained some of the Go mechanics, she didn't really understand any of it.
But despite that, she couldn't help but keep reading.
She found herself really enjoying this Go manga!
However, Ai had a lingering doubt.
In the end, it was still a manga about Go.
There were bound to be readers who would see the subject matter and never give it a chance.
"No, I have to recommend this manga!"
Ai felt that if Hikaru no Go could draw her in—someone who didn't even know how to play Go—then this manga definitely deserved more attention.
With that thought, Ai logged into her Line account and headed to 2ch, where she began spreading the word about Hikaru no Go, promoting it to others.
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