Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Shiota
I Didn't Ask for a Go Goblin, But I Got One Anyway (And Now I'm Invested)
Let's get one thing straight: I mainly watch anime to see people punch planets, not place pebbles. So, when a friend described Hikaru no Go as "a kid gets haunted by the ghost of a board game enthusiast," I expected to be bored into a coma. I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. This show is a Trojan Horse filled with emotional turmoil and sentient haircuts.
The plot is thus: Hikaru, a normally-functioning child who enjoys the finer things in life (like not being possessed), stumbles upon a Go board with baggage. This unleashes Sai, a spectral entity who is one bad day away from being a Go-themed Disney Princess. He floats, he flounces, he has a wardrobe that would make a romance novel cover model blush. His entire after…
Read at the sourceJumpforfarts
I can see why this show might not appeal to some. It's about an obscure board game after all, but within that niche this anime tells an insanely compelling story to near perfection. Broader topics that anyone can relate to are illustrated through the narrow but focused lens of Go, and that lens is crafted with an attention to detail that shows an immense love for the game. I think anyone who has found a passion like that, which expands in your heart the more you explore it, will find Hikaru no Go's story just as entrancing as the proclivities themselves. It's entertaining, honest, and inspiring all at once. The editing keeps an engaging pace while conveying the nuances of the characters. The art direction is dramatic and inventive, using surrealism and realism tastefully in accordance with…
Read at the sourceJet_Suzuyaki
I must admit that I wasn't expecting to like this anime so much, but the fact is that I had a great time watching it.
The subject is original, the characters are endearing, Obata's designs are very well done, the story manages to involve you quite strongly despite a rather slow pace, which manages to make Go very cool to watch, and there's lots of other really cool stuff.
I'd still like to emphasize two things that I find very successful:
Firstly, the Hikaru/Akira rivalry, which is the main thread running through the anime and which is very well written, with one of them pushing the other to take up Go and the other pursuing a chimera that will make him change his way of playing in the presence of Sai's game through Hikaru's intermediary. So both progress in Go and evolve as their rivalr…
Read at the sourceTemplergun
Very unique Anime.
I am not a big fan of sport like animes but this one here is top notch. Some might argue it's not a typical sport but i am putting it in the same category, it's a very centered topic which the whole anime evolves around and it's simply amazing. I remember binging the entire anime and afterwards getting into GO for quite some time, downloading GO Apps on my phone and playing non stop myself for a few months. I have never been as inspired to do something in the real world as it was depicted in an anime.
Read at the sourceDompa112
Wow never thought this one would get me this invested. I have very little prior knowledge to GO. Know what it is but never played and dont know a single rule before watching it. Not much into sports or game shows either. Its usually more like One outs, that has a more psychological twist to it, or Akagi (Mahjong).
Hikaru no go is more lighthearted show. Sure theres some psychological battles going on but not really in the same sense as the previously mentioned. But despite that i ended up really enjoying it. Great characters. Very relaxing show. Hikarus journey. The matches. Its just enjoyable all the way through 75 episodes. Loved the small segments at the end when they had a women, i think her name was Yukari and two kids explaining GO.
Music: Wow didnt think a show like this would h…
Read at the sourceMailo91
Hikaru no Go is a shining example that a fantastic shonen anime can be created without excessive violence, tragic backstories, or the world-saving hero trope. Instead, the characters engage in intense battles of intellect rather than physical prowess. If anyone ever claims that board games are boring, this series will prove them wrong.
The Go matches in this anime are not only well-executed but also highly captivating, keeping the spectator on the edge of their seat. The central theme of the series revolves around pushing oneself forward, confronting new challenges, and embracing difficulties head-on.
An intriguing aspect of Hikaru no Go is the focus on character development and personal growth rather than defeating a clear antagonist. Characters strive to improve themselves and surpass…
Read at the sourceJoshox
This anime brought me into a new and unique story perspective that you won’t find in almost any other entertainment. Very few shows, anime, and movie Can make you feel for a board game and for characters the way this anime does. I was very new to Go when I first watched this anime, but I had such an appreciation for its complexity and attachment to character by the time it was over. I began to see go in all parts of my life and I remembered the quotes of characters in significant moments.
The first couple episodes draw you in and then the anime gets a little slow around the 3-5 episode range if I remember correctly. Once you get past this first slow bump, the anime will have you hooked.
Furthermore, the anime is a bit older and the animation isn’t anything like modern shows nowadays, but…
Read at the sourceNew_World13
In the interest of keeping things short and sweet I would say I definitely recommend this anime. Even if u know absolutely nothing about go (like me). The interpersonal drama in the show really elevates the excitement of the sport. I would say if you like sports anime you will like this. The music is very good and MOST of the characters are likeable and make you root for them. My one criticism is the main character is not very likeable. He can be kinda annoying but this part of his character was made up with sai (his go ghost instructor). Although the end left a bit to be desired.
Read at the sourcejontoki
Hikaru no Go is old, rough around the edges, and perhaps not about the most enticing of subject matters. And the game of Go itself appears to be plain and simple. For both, there is gold underneath the veneer. There's a reason why a 20 year old long running shounen with perhaps the least appealing art from anything made 20 years ago maintains it's 400 ranking on MAL. And indeed, why a game with only a few simple rules and one type of piece has been the longest continually played game in human history and remained relatively unchanged since it’s inception, with the 4000 year old legacy being carried by tens of millions around the world today.
For Hikaru no Go to be good, Go would need to be good as well. Go is not quite like chess or shogi, games more than worthy of novelization and more t…
Read at the sourceTanatloc
DISCLAIMER: You don’t need to know anything about the board game “go” to watch/enjoy this anime. I really liked this anime while not knowing this game existed before I watched it. Also this review contains minor spoilers from ep 1.
Plot/Story This anime is about the board game “go”. The MC Hikaru finds a go board in his grandfather's house and meets a ghost named Sai that only he can see. The ghost is an ancient go instructor for the Japanese Emperor in the Heian Era. Hikaru knows nothing about the game but lets the sai play by following his instructions. In a go salon he met a kid the same age named Akira, he’s a genius at the game for his age. Hikaru shows interest in the game and makes akira his rival, here begins hikaru’s journey in the go world.
Animation/Design I liked the art but…
Read at the sourcearesendez88
A 75 episode sports anime about an ancient board game? From the early 2000's? Whatever I'm bored, this might be ok, can't be that good right?
WRONG!
This anime is a classic shounen sports anime, and now I understand why. It has everything you want in a typical shounen sports anime, and more. The board game aspect that is just black and white stones being laid on a wooden grid.That might sound boring but that's the great thing that every sports anime has in common. It takes something that you might not be as familiar with and it MAKES you interested in it and it makes you appreciate it. Hikaru no Go is no different in this regard
My favorite character in this show is Sai, no question. At first I wasn't sure about this idea of a 1000 year ghost being the reason our young protagonist star…
Read at the sourceMidousujiAce
Great anime for children. Competitive drive is well portrayed and you learn life lessons about discipline. Not too bad for adults to follow in on while watching with family.
Biggest disappointment is the show feels like it ended early and had a lot of life to reach the full potential of all characters and the children don't reach full adulthood, and a promised action never occurs (the special move explained in ep. 1.) The lack of this special move, the lack of highest tier GO play, and the dropping of many characters including main characters towards the end of the series and throughout takes the story from a 9 to a 4 and my overall rating from 10 to 7. Like, I really wish it went one more season to get to about 100 episodes and wrapped up the characters in a way that could tie everythin…
Read at the sourceSarariGal000
For me, Hikaru No Go is the magnum opus in the world of anime or at least in its genre. The key to it, just like in any major work, especially from the technical point of view, is consistency.
Everything is consistently good in this anime, the art, the storytelling, the sound, especially the characters, despite their abundance and amount of episodes.
I am not the person that gets easily invested in anime, especially if its longer than 25 episodes. However Hikaru No Go dragged me right in. Producing such an engaging 75 episode story about Go does require a certain level creative craftsmanship, maybe a stroke of genius even.
Some may find its weaker points by pinpointing certain misogynistic or xenophobic aspects but for me it just adds to its sensibility. Part of Hikaru No Go's attrac…
Read at the sourcepekopekochinchin
For me Hikaru No Go is one of my favorite anime/manga of all time. I first discovered Hikaru No Go when I was 10. I rediscovered the anime and had some of the best times of my life. For me the story of Hikaru becoming a professional Go player and the different obstacles he has to overcome is just phenomenal. This just resonates personally with me. It has some of the greatest story telling in anime. The characters are amazing and well written. The rivalry between Hikaru and Akira is just amazing.The art style is just fantastic, this might be my opinion but I prefer the lates 90s and early 2000s era the most. To top it off the great soundtrack, whenever there is a heartfelt moment the soundtrack just hits you emotionally. I won't go into depth because I want you to watch it and be amazed fro…
Read at the sourceCallesthe
What to know before reading this review:
I will touch upon the story core theme/messages, and address whether the show has an open or closed ending. I made sure to not include any concrete story points that may count as spoiler, and there are no content warnings for this review!
TL;DR? Here is some quick recommendation keywords: coming of age, engaging characters, great pacing, healthy character development, emotional, unforgettable music score, cathartic (open) ending.
CW: one subtle reference to suicide. Otherwise, none that I am aware of.
Story: 10
Hikaru no Go is a great coming-of-age story about a young boy named Hikaru, who we follow over multiple years on his grand journey of becoming a professional go player. The story will send us a heartfelt message about how we can't have eve…
Read at the sourceSaikaEternal
I'm here to tell all the people sitting on the fence, unsure about whether they should watch it or not, to jump off the fence and dive into Hikaru no Go because it is that excellent of an anime. I put off watching it for years because I was not won over by the synopsis, and only decided to watch it when I'd finished a lot of newer animes (which left a sort of bland after taste), because I was simply out of animes to watch!
I didn't expect to find myself completely immersed in the world of Hikaru no Go, led forward gently episode after episode, each day feeling closer and closer to the characters in the anime. This is an anime where the characters lead the mangaka, and not the other way round. As a novice writer, I found that thrilling! I felt like I was truly watching the lives of real p…
Read at the sourcePixelB
I finished watching and reading Hikaru no Go after starting it 6 days ago.
Truly an old, but definitely not forgettable shounen show about something we westerner's have no idea about: Go. Let me be clear here, you really don't need to have any prior knowledge and require no research to watch Hikaru no Go. Some people say: "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but in my experience, the cover art of a book, anime, TV show, etc, tells a lot about the show. It showcases the art style, creativity, characters, and the overall feel of the show. To me, Hikaru no Go's cover art was sort of "meh," especially considering how old it is. But, the synopsis was interesting, it had good reviews, and I have enjoyed anime about things similar to Go, such as Mahjong and Shogi before. So after putting this sh…
Read at the sourceSwaftey
What makes this anime so interesting?
At it's core, all Hikaru no Go is about a boy playing Go with a ghost. It shouldn't be enjoyable, yet it is.
However, it's premise is not representative of the anime.
Watching someone grow and mature, even if it's at a board game, is great. The author has taken such a simple premise and transformed it into something entertaining and gripping; it's very admirable.
The first 15 or so episodes are casual and fun to watch, but it only kicks in when a certain goal is set. After that, you'll be constantly reaching for the next episode. My only wish is that it could've continued longer; it could've easily gone on for another 75 episodes with all the potential matchups. Strangely enough, it ended when a rivalry had only just begun.
Overall, I enjoyed i…
Read at the sourceGhostShadows
If you love chess, you might fall in love with this anime.
I didn't understand the game, but somehow I was drown to watch the next episode.
I don't think it's easy enjoy the action that they try to create. However, I'm happy with the anime.
I love to see more to know the end. and I'm still writing because they need a longer review.
This is my first review and I am pretty sure it will be my last.
So,, let me tell you something about me. I hate English. I hated it so much when I was in school, but to be fair, I love the leverage it gives me.
Oh, Nice!
it seems like I can finally submit my review ^_^
One last thought.. I'm learning Japanese now. Yappy.
Keep smiling everyone..
Read at the sourceJezza_G
Given the story line, I didn't have a lot of expectation going into this one and ended up pleasantly surprised. There are no amazing episodes, just a good paced, easy to watch story that was an enjoyable way to pass the time. It was even tempting to learn how to play go after watching this.
The art wasn't spectacular, but I liked the subtle aging of the young characters as they grew over the two or so years this series takes place.
After the series finished, even though it wasn't mind blowingly amazing, I often thought about it and ended up re-watching the series again and then writing this review.
I strongly suggest looking past the boring sounding story line and giving this anime a go. It might just surprise you.
Read at the source
