In Tokyo's Chiyoda district, at the prestigious private middle school, 1st-year Class A, it was break time.
"Hey, Shinpachi, do you know if there really was someone like Fujiwara no Sai in Japan's history?" asked Haru Amamiya, a classmate of Shinpachi Matsuda. He sounded puzzled and curious as he turned to Shinpachi for answers.
"I'm not the Shinpachi from Gintama, idiot!" Shinpachi Matsuda snapped back after being momentarily stunned by Haru's question. Then he realized what Haru was referring to and smiled, "Wait, so you've been reading Hikaru no Go too? Weren't you the one who said you'd never touch a Go manga?"
"Well, you know... things change!" Haru scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
He recalled how adamant he had been when Hikaru no Go first started serializing, telling Shinpachi he'd never waste time on a Go manga. Now, he felt a bit embarrassed.
But pushing that embarrassment aside, he refocused on his question, "Forget about me reading the manga. Was Fujiwara no Sai really a historical figure? The manga got me curious."
"Nope," Shinpachi waved his hand dismissively, "Sai is completely fictional, and so is the other Go master, Sugawara no Michizane."
Shinpachi had been curious about this himself when he first started reading the manga. He had looked through historical records and even asked his father, only to confirm that Fujiwara no Sai was purely a creation of the story.
"Oh... really?"
Haru looked visibly disappointed after hearing Shinpachi's answer.
Their conversation piqued the interest of another classmate, Kudo Shunichi, who had been listening in. "Is Hikaru no Go really that good?"
Kudo had glanced at the manga a few times in Weekly Shonen Jump, but it hadn't grabbed his attention. After all, to him, Go seemed like a boring, slow game for old men, especially compared to more exciting games like chess or even tic-tac-toe.
What kind of story could possibly make a friend like Haru, who had no interest in Go, suddenly care about it?
"It's awesome! I never knew Go could be this interesting! You should definitely check it out," Haru and Shinpachi said in unison.
Then Haru, as if he'd just remembered something, added, "Hey, Kudo, aren't you the popular blogger? If you recommended Hikaru no Go on your blog, it'd totally blow up!"
Kudo hesitated. "Well... I'll give it a try. If it's as good as you guys say, I might post about it."
He wasn't going to make any promises just based on his friends' recommendations. After all, if the manga turned out to be dull, it could hurt his blog's reputation.
"Don't worry! You'll love it!" Both Haru and Shinpachi gave him a thumbs-up, flashing smiles that mirrored the energy of Naruto's Might Guy.
Later that day, after school, Kudo headed home.
He wasn't part of any after-school clubs, so he usually went straight home. As soon as he got there, he was met with his parents' usual nagging, telling him to stop staying inside so much and socialize more.
Frustrated, he ate dinner as quickly as possible and retreated to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Finally, some peace and quiet.
Pulling out recent issues of Shonen Jump, Kudo planned to check out Hikaru no Go, curious to see what all the fuss was about. After all, if Haru, who had always dismissed Go, was hooked, there had to be something special about it.
The first chapter introduced the main characters.
But by the second chapter, when Hikaru Shindo beat Akira Toya, Kudo felt an undeniable sense of satisfaction.
For a moment, he imagined himself as Hikaru. When Hikaru defeated the genius Akira, Kudo shared in the victory, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment.
He immediately recognized Akira as the classic rival character who would likely challenge Hikaru again and again throughout the story—just like in other sports manga.
But as he read on, Kudo realized that Hikaru no Go was different from typical sports manga.
Akira Toya wasn't just some disposable character meant for Hikaru to repeatedly outshine. In fact, Akira soon defeated Hikaru, which surprised Kudo.
Normally, in stories like this, the hero losing would make readers dislike the rival character, but Akira's seriousness, dedication, and humble nature made it impossible to hate him.
This unexpected turn in the plot drew Kudo further in.
After a while, Kudo let out a deep breath.
The manga was brilliant. It completely broke away from the usual sports manga formulas.
Honestly, the story was simple. There were no flashy twists, no mind-blowing plot points, but it was engrossing. Kudo found himself turning page after page, unable to stop.
And the reason was simple...
"It's the realism," Kudo whispered to himself.
Everything felt so authentic. Unlike typical sports manga, where the drama was exaggerated for excitement, Hikaru no Go felt grounded in reality. It portrayed the Go world in a way that was both informative and engaging, from local Go parlors to school Go clubs and professional exams. He figured future chapters would probably dive deeper into Go competitions, title matches, and tournaments.
The manga provided a complete view of the Go world through Hikaru's journey. Despite its calm tone, the story was incredibly compelling.
Not only was the Go world portrayed realistically, but so were the characters.
There was Ogata, a Go player who was immensely talented but prone to mental breakdowns under pressure. Then there was Kashiwagi, who quit playing Go after realizing his lack of natural talent. And there was Ochi, who was strict with himself, competitive to the point of being hostile to others, but still a developing youth.
Each character naturally showed the harsh realities of professional competition, where the pursuit of excellence was endless, and there was always someone better.
At first, Kudo had wondered how a story about two people quietly sitting across a Go board could work. After all, the game seemed too calm for exciting storytelling.
But the manga cleverly focused on the psychological battles between the players.
Through expressions of focus, tension, and composure, the story highlighted the subtleties of high-level Go matches.
"This is going to be huge..." Kudo muttered to himself.
Satisfied with his judgment, he decided he would definitely feature Hikaru no Go on his blog.
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