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55th out of 578 books
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1,799 voters
Hikaru no Go: Descent of the Go Master, Vol. 1 (Hikaru no Go #1)
DESCENT OF THE GO MASTER
Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Ho board in his grandfather's attic - and that's when thing get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the...more
Hikaru Shindo is like any sixth-grader in Japan: a pretty normal school boy with a two-tone head of hair and a penchant for antics. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Ho board in his grandfather's attic - and that's when thing get really interesting. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the...more
Paperback, 187 pages
Published
May 2004
by VIZ Media LLC
(first published May 5th 1999)
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Mar 08, 2009
Karin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
funny,
manga,
young-adult-fiction,
ghosts-and-spirits,
gaming,
go,
borrowed-from-the-library
Another one of those manga where you wonder how long the storyline is going to keep you entertained given the topic. In this first volume, Hikaru is looking for things to sell so he can make some money. He comes across an old “Go” board (a sort of Japanese checkers game) in his grandfather’s house and he notices that there’s a strange stain across the board – a stain that’s not apparent to anyone else. Then a spirit of Sai, an old “Go” instructor to the emperor appears to him and tells him that...more
Jun 07, 2013
S. J.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Manga lovers, teenage boys and girls, people interested in manga
Recommended to S. by:
Professor
I'm not going to do a full review of this series, mostly because I'm going to be borrowing these books piecemeal and therefore they won't be very consistent.
I was first introduced to this series in college when I took a short term (through the month of January) class on Go. The professor was not only teaching us how to play but also the history of the game and its place in Asian society. We watched a couple of episodes from the anime and read some of the manga. Most people probably weren't to t...more
I was first introduced to this series in college when I took a short term (through the month of January) class on Go. The professor was not only teaching us how to play but also the history of the game and its place in Asian society. We watched a couple of episodes from the anime and read some of the manga. Most people probably weren't to t...more
Jan 11, 2011
Immen
added it
I'm not going to add all 23 volumes, but yeah, I've read them all, multiple times, and also watched the anime, which is exactly faithful to the book, multiple more times. Yes, it's about a board game. It's yet another coming-of-age-story-framed-by-playing-a-sport-where-we-count-board-games-and-ballet-as-sports story (Japan, you have weird genres), but goddamn, it's really good! It's got the best characters, the best art (by Obata Takeshi (who also did <>) (This guy has an evil sense of hum...more
I have a bunch of manga on my shelves I have never gotten around to reading, as I'm not really into modern manga. But I picked this up on a whim because I have always been fascinated with the game of go, even though I never got beyond the rank beginner level.
The basic premise is a typical silly manga plot: Hikaru Shindo is an eleven-year-old boy who discovers an ancient go board. It turns out that the board is possessed by the spirit of a Heian-period go master, who then begins haunting Hikaru a...more
The basic premise is a typical silly manga plot: Hikaru Shindo is an eleven-year-old boy who discovers an ancient go board. It turns out that the board is possessed by the spirit of a Heian-period go master, who then begins haunting Hikaru a...more
I was at BookExpo a few years ago and stopped to talk to the representative at the Shonen Jump booth. I asked what Manga series they would recommend for a person, well, like me. This was the series she recommended. This is my fourth Manga series. (I would recommend DeathNote to anyone who wanted to give it a try.)
The premise: an ancient Go Master's spirit decides to tag along with a contemporary sixth grader in hopes that in teaching his host how to play the game of Go he will get to eventually...more
The premise: an ancient Go Master's spirit decides to tag along with a contemporary sixth grader in hopes that in teaching his host how to play the game of Go he will get to eventually...more
i wanna know more about the game GO now. pretty interesting plot. i usually love or hate manga and graphic novels, but found this one compelling, although not super. i can see the appeal for kid readers, though, and think im gonna get the whole series for my summer school class.
Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta
1. Genre: Graphic Novel
2. Summary: Hikaru is a sixth grade boy who finds an old bloodstained Go board game in the attic. He rubs the board trying to get the stains off and this releases a ghost named Sai. Sai was an ancient Go master and becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness. Through Hikaru he begins playing Go again because he wants to attain the perfect game by playing “the Divine Move.”
3. Critique:
a. Area for comment: The characters behave consistently throug...more
1. Genre: Graphic Novel
2. Summary: Hikaru is a sixth grade boy who finds an old bloodstained Go board game in the attic. He rubs the board trying to get the stains off and this releases a ghost named Sai. Sai was an ancient Go master and becomes a part of Hikaru’s consciousness. Through Hikaru he begins playing Go again because he wants to attain the perfect game by playing “the Divine Move.”
3. Critique:
a. Area for comment: The characters behave consistently throug...more
This was an excellent, excellent series. The reasons are three-fold. First of all, it made the game of Go seem really exciting and I actually went out and learned to play it so that I could understand how hard it is to play. (It's really friggin hard!) Secondly, there were NO romantic side stories. None. THANK YOU. It doesn't always make sense to throw in some sort of subplot about love. And lastly, I was wildly dissatisfied with the ending, my heart aching for a different outcome and yet totall...more
เริ่มอ่านเล่มนี้ครั้งแรกในห้องน้ำโรงแรม ครั้งไปเที่ยวทะเลสักแห่งกับครอบครัว
เกิดนอนไม่หลับเลยลุกขึ้นมานั่งอ่านการ์ตูนในห้องน้ำ(เพราะคนอื่นหลับหมดแล้ว)
อ่านเล่มหนึ่งจบแล้วอยากกรี๊ดดด .. ติดมาก ชอบมาก .. แต่เอาไปเที่ยวแค่เล่มเดียว T_T (ก็มันเพิ่งออกอะ)
เกิดนอนไม่หลับเลยลุกขึ้นมานั่งอ่านการ์ตูนในห้องน้ำ(เพราะคนอื่นหลับหมดแล้ว)
อ่านเล่มหนึ่งจบแล้วอยากกรี๊ดดด .. ติดมาก ชอบมาก .. แต่เอาไปเที่ยวแค่เล่มเดียว T_T (ก็มันเพิ่งออกอะ)
Hikaru no Go is a Japanese manga about a Middle-School boy who discovers a ghost only he can see and begins to learn the ancient game of Go. It is funny, light-hearted and a very, very quick read. The light-hearted nature of the book gives if only with the purpose of pure entertainment, exploring no real themes or deep thoughts. But as a first book into the world of Manga and Graphic novels go, it's a pretty good one. The plot is simple and the vocabulary is no different. It is good for anyone a...more
Yumi Hotta, Hikaru no Go: Descent of the Go Master (ViZ, 1998)
It's kind of hard to imagine a manga about one of the world's oldest games being as absorbing as Hikaru no Goactually is. This first volume of the series gets things off to a fast start, with the ghost of a master Edo-period go player awakening and attaching himself to Hikaru, a sixth-grade class clown who knows nothing, and cares less, about go. As the volume goes on, however, he finds he has something of an affinity for the game, ev...more
It's kind of hard to imagine a manga about one of the world's oldest games being as absorbing as Hikaru no Goactually is. This first volume of the series gets things off to a fast start, with the ghost of a master Edo-period go player awakening and attaching himself to Hikaru, a sixth-grade class clown who knows nothing, and cares less, about go. As the volume goes on, however, he finds he has something of an affinity for the game, ev...more
My first manga. Let's just say I don't see a lot of manga in my future. So cheesy! Also, the main character is this hot-headed, angsty guy. Reminds me of that twit Harry Potter. But, I'm mildly interested in go these days, and these books are super quick to read, so I'll likely continue with the series.
Reading right to left was pretty easy to get used to. The thing I'm having a hard time getting used to is the ghost of the ancient go master in the story: It's just hard for me to imagine this cha...more
Reading right to left was pretty easy to get used to. The thing I'm having a hard time getting used to is the ghost of the ancient go master in the story: It's just hard for me to imagine this cha...more
This book is about a 12 year old boy named Hikaru who gets a ghost inside of him. The ghost encourages Hikaru to play go and tells him what moves to do. Hikaru is now a really great Go player and wants to play with better opponents. The ghost must play the divine move before she will leave Hikaru alone.
I picked this book up because I wanted to see what it was about because the title seemed weird but it was interesting.
I finished this book because I wanted to learn about the old game called Go an...more
I picked this book up because I wanted to see what it was about because the title seemed weird but it was interesting.
I finished this book because I wanted to learn about the old game called Go an...more
Grades: 7 to 12 Genre: Manga, Sport/Game
One day while rummaging in his grandfather’s attic, Hikaru Shindo finds a Go board, a traditional Japanese board game, with a mysterious blood stain on it. Fujimara no Sai was a champion Go Player and is now a ghost who has been haunting the board for years. Sai doesn’t want to move on in life until he has preformed the “Hand of God,” a very difficult Go move. In an attempt to appease Sai, Hikaru goes to a Go parlor and lets Sai use his body to play Go wit...more
One day while rummaging in his grandfather’s attic, Hikaru Shindo finds a Go board, a traditional Japanese board game, with a mysterious blood stain on it. Fujimara no Sai was a champion Go Player and is now a ghost who has been haunting the board for years. Sai doesn’t want to move on in life until he has preformed the “Hand of God,” a very difficult Go move. In an attempt to appease Sai, Hikaru goes to a Go parlor and lets Sai use his body to play Go wit...more
This review is for the series as a whole.
Sports manga based around the old Chinese board game go. Hikaru finds an old go board in his grandfather's attic. He seems to be the only one who can see the blood stains on it - and he's definitely the only one who can see the Heian era go player, Sai, who hovers over Hikaru's shoulder and frets at him because he won't play go. Despite this, it's not Sai who sparks Hikaru's interest in go - it's Touya Akira, the young player Hikaru's own age whose drive...more
Sports manga based around the old Chinese board game go. Hikaru finds an old go board in his grandfather's attic. He seems to be the only one who can see the blood stains on it - and he's definitely the only one who can see the Heian era go player, Sai, who hovers over Hikaru's shoulder and frets at him because he won't play go. Despite this, it's not Sai who sparks Hikaru's interest in go - it's Touya Akira, the young player Hikaru's own age whose drive...more
This is an incredible manga series (and, for that matter, anime - although for the anime, I'd really recommend the fansubs, as the English release is agonizingly bad). And the thing is, it shouldn't be this good. It's about a bunch of Go-obsessed people. Who talk about Go. And play Go. And argue about Go.
And yet it's the most compelling, involving, and fun manga I've ever read. Partly, this is because of the characters - Shindou Hikaru, Touya Akira, and Fujiwara-no-Sai are realistic and interes...more
And yet it's the most compelling, involving, and fun manga I've ever read. Partly, this is because of the characters - Shindou Hikaru, Touya Akira, and Fujiwara-no-Sai are realistic and interes...more
book 193 of 1000
Hikaru is just your average kid. One day, while going through his grandfather's stuff, he finds a bloodstained GO board. Figuring he can get a couple of dollars for it, he picks it up and suddenly meets Sai, the ghost of an ancient GO master. Said has been unable to move on to the next realm because he could never perfect the divine move, and now he's sharing skull space with Hikaru. Will Hikaru, who hates GO, be able to pacify Said, who lives and breathes the sport?
Hikaru is just your average kid. One day, while going through his grandfather's stuff, he finds a bloodstained GO board. Figuring he can get a couple of dollars for it, he picks it up and suddenly meets Sai, the ghost of an ancient GO master. Said has been unable to move on to the next realm because he could never perfect the divine move, and now he's sharing skull space with Hikaru. Will Hikaru, who hates GO, be able to pacify Said, who lives and breathes the sport?
Um, you know what? This story is actually kind of great! Hikaru, a 6th grade boy who is remarkably unphased about being possessed by an ancient, vengeful, board-game obsessed ghost, is forced to learn the ancient strategy game "Go" against his will. Once he begins to play, however, he realizes how much he actually enjoys the game, and gets sucked into the surprisingly epic world of competitive Go playing.
I am now determined to learn to play this game myself.
I am now determined to learn to play this game myself.
1 like · like · see review
Jul 17, 2012
Liz
added it
For a game that I couldn't care less about, somehow this book made me care, and made me love reading it. I sometimes just sat and looked at the pictures and just enjoyed looking because the art was so beautiful. I'd recommend this to anyone but the most immature teens...since it has some interesting family and societal themes that may not resonate with everyone. But honestly, one of my highest recommendations for a calm, cerebral manga.
Oct 16, 2008
Wyn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Recommended to Wyn by:
I found it browsing the library shelf
A typical schoolboy...yes! A slighly spastic and/or freakish ghostie...check! A game NO ONE knows anything about...we've got it!!
I loved this book SOOOOOOOOOOOO much...it has to be one of my favorite manga EVER! The art is fantabulous (the same artist as Death Note) and the characters are hilarious.
It is about a boy name Hikaru (OMG...how'd I know???? ...check the title, loozahs) who is in his grandfather's attic looking through his stuff, when he finds this old Go board with bloodstains on it....more
I loved this book SOOOOOOOOOOOO much...it has to be one of my favorite manga EVER! The art is fantabulous (the same artist as Death Note) and the characters are hilarious.
It is about a boy name Hikaru (OMG...how'd I know???? ...check the title, loozahs) who is in his grandfather's attic looking through his stuff, when he finds this old Go board with bloodstains on it....more
Things I learned from this book:
- backbreaking persistence can sometimes bear personal, professional and metaphysical benefits instead of restraining orders.
- spending all your days sitting down, playing go in cramped spaces with an exhausting schedule does not necessarily inhibit a young boy's ability to become TOTALLY HOT as long as he's working up a sweat by sexing his eternal rival across the goban.
- outside interests and go are pretty much mutually exclusive.
- Don't piss Sai off with your s...more
- backbreaking persistence can sometimes bear personal, professional and metaphysical benefits instead of restraining orders.
- spending all your days sitting down, playing go in cramped spaces with an exhausting schedule does not necessarily inhibit a young boy's ability to become TOTALLY HOT as long as he's working up a sweat by sexing his eternal rival across the goban.
- outside interests and go are pretty much mutually exclusive.
- Don't piss Sai off with your s...more
I didn't even get to the end of this. I was bored to death. How can an entire plot hinge on some doofus playing a game of Go with a ghost? Why should I care? Good God...
I suppose this just isn't my kind of series. I like the art and drawing style, really I do, but I can't stand the storyline. Where's the action? The drive? 20 pages into the thing and I am ready to fall asleep. What's up with that?
I suppose this just isn't my kind of series. I like the art and drawing style, really I do, but I can't stand the storyline. Where's the action? The drive? 20 pages into the thing and I am ready to fall asleep. What's up with that?
Standing in for the whole series.
I love this manga so much. Ghosts and go just go together wonderfully. It's written wonderfully and in such a way that I was never bored and genuinely found go to be an intriguing and fun game. In fact I've gone on to learn how to play it. On the 'net. ;)
Honestly my love for this series can't be contained within a review.
I love this manga so much. Ghosts and go just go together wonderfully. It's written wonderfully and in such a way that I was never bored and genuinely found go to be an intriguing and fun game. In fact I've gone on to learn how to play it. On the 'net. ;)
Honestly my love for this series can't be contained within a review.
I haven't read this manga except for the last three volumes but I have seen the whole anime and the anime apparently fallows the manga closely. This is one of my favorite ones. When you see the title you might think how on earth a manga about the Go game can be interesting and this long !!!! But this is truly an amazing story. If you like shounen materials and spirited competitions you should read this book. Well I can't stop myself from declaring how much I love "Sai" ... he is funny, beautiful...more
(Writing this after having finished v. 2)
Hmm. I'm not blown away, but I'm interested enough. Go seems like a cool game, and the cultural aspect is really intriguing. The art is solid, even beautiful at points, and Sai is just adorable. I'll pick this up as I find it at the library, but won't go out of my way for it.
Hmm. I'm not blown away, but I'm interested enough. Go seems like a cool game, and the cultural aspect is really intriguing. The art is solid, even beautiful at points, and Sai is just adorable. I'll pick this up as I find it at the library, but won't go out of my way for it.
One of my all-time favorite mangas, in my opinion Hikaru no Go is a textbook for how to write comics for a younger audience -- or any audience, frankly: a thorough investigation of a topic (in this case, the game of Go) interleaved with universally interesting stories of frustrated desires (no fisticuffs required).
I didn't really like the beginning all that much. The situation of the main character(in view of other people) talking to himself, having mood swings, and yelling for no reason, for some reason I just can't stand reading that kind of situation. But once I got past that it was great and the plot was interesting.
Hikaru no Go was my first introduction to go. The series begins with Hikaru meeting an ancient ghost, Sai, who taught an ancient go prodigy (who was a prodigy in real life). There is a lot of humor but as the book (and series) progresses it becomes more important to understand go to understand some of the humor and intensity.
Jan 30, 2010
Nenia Campbell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
we-dont-need-no-stinkin-fandubs,
x-series-bk-1
I really liked this book. At first, I was a bit leery about reading a children's manga about a board game, but it was really intense! And I learned a lot about go and its history. This is a long series, though, so I am wondering how long they can drag out the concept. Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait and see!
Hikaru needs some money so he goes through al of his grandpa's junk to find some stuff to sell when he comes across a Go game board. He wipes off the dust and he Sai's soul goes in him and he teach Hikaru how to play the game of Go. This is a very good beginning book for a series it was freakin' funny also.
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Yumi Hotta (堀田 由美 Hotta Yumi, most often written as ほった ゆみ) is a Japanese mangaka, best known as the author of the best-selling manga and anime series Hikaru no Go, about the game of go that is widely credited for the recent boom of the game in Japan. The idea behind Hikaru no Go began when Yumi Hotta played a pick-up game of go with her father-in-law. She thought that it might be fun to create a...more
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Mar 26, 2011 02:28pm