Hikaru no Go’s Spiritual Successor Emerges in Kodansha’s New Series

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In contrast to sports manga that continually capture the masses with their gripping storylines based on popular team games, there’s a distinct sub-genre that maintains its popularity by focusing on the tension generated from playing intricate tabletop games instead. A notable representative of this manga category is “Hikaru no Go“, a series published in Weekly Shonen Jump, which chronicles Hikaru Shindo, a boy who stumbles upon his grandfather’s shed and unwittingly summons the spirit of Fujiwara-no-Sai, an eminent ancient Japanese Go player from the Heian era. Longing to play Go once more, Sai inhabits Hikaru’s mind to keep playing the game and chase after the “Kami no Itte” – the divine move.

Back in 1998, Hikaru no Go was an exceptional read with over 25 million copies sold and earning numerous awards as a manga. Its impact has been hard to surpass, yet it appears that another series, Go to Go, is now being serialized, much like Fujiwara-no-Sai discovered a successor in Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata’s Hikaru no Go.

Go to Go Works as an Earnest Successor To Hikaru no Go

Titled “Go to Go,” this captivating series was born from the creative mind of Hasuo Toto and published through Kodansha’s seinen imprint, Young Magazine. The story revolves around Akiyama Kosei, a young prodigy who has excelled in various fields such as baseball, soccer, and academics. However, despite his outstanding abilities, he has had difficulty mastering the ancient game of Go. After giving up on it in middle school, Kosei decides to revisit the game during high school, leading him down an unexpected path.

Although “Go to Go” does not feature the supernatural elements that boosted “Hikaru no Go”‘s popularity, it shares a profound understanding and enthusiasm for the game at its core, which was also a significant aspect of Shonen Jump’s classic narrative. Remarkably, the themes in “Go to Go” bear a striking resemblance to those found in “Blue Period,” where the protagonist is extraordinarily skilled in all aspects of life except one area that consumes his entire being.

This story revolves around a familiar scenario where someone becomes excessively driven by ambition towards a single passion or pastime, yet finds it difficult to grasp. It’s a challenging and intriguing climb, filled with both frustration and reward, which makes the central theme of this manga even more captivating – that is, an ancient board game like Go, much like chess. In this game, players aim to outmaneuver each other by controlling more territory using stones, a battle of wits that demands complete mental focus from the participants. Given its complexity, it’s an ideal choice for a medium like manga, as it allows the author to delve into the characters’ thoughts, emotions, and struggles through matches. The manga “Hikaru no Go” expertly portrayed this concept using Hikaru and Fujiwara-no-Sai’s unique shared mind gimmick, while it appears that Hasuo Toto is employing a similar approach to make Kohei’s journey more compelling.

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2025-03-19 19:14