Story
Hotta Yumi's Hikaru no Go is an anime about "Weiqi", an ancient Chinese board game which is now more popularly known in Japan as "Go". Because Go is perceived as neither an easy game to learn, nor an entertaining one to watch, its popularity had been waning in Asia, especially among the younger population. It was beginning to be identified as a game played by elderly men over cigarettes and tea.
It is easy to dismiss this anime as uninteresting and dry, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Hikaru no Go was almost single-handedly responsible for the sharp resurgence of interest in Go all across Asia. The pacing of the story is extremely good and never slows down, except for three rare filler episodes. After all, if an anime is able to make an old man's board game into something young, exciting and compelling to watch, it says a lot about the storyteller's skill.
The story of Hikaru's introduction into the world of Go can be divided into two parts. The first is the one most audiences will appreciate - a straightforward account of a young boy's aspiration and rocky journey to improve his skills in the world of competitive Go. This is a commonly used plot and likely to be familiar territory for fans of Naruto or Bleach. It is, however, the second half of Hikaru no Go to which lovers of quality anime will really be drawn. Hotta Yumi recognises the inherent problem in a "character improvement" story - after the main character becomes all-powerful or all-skilful, there is not much of a story left to tell. Rather than go down this road, she masterfully steers the plot away from Hikaru's technical progression in Go and focuses instead on Hikaru's development into a young adult. At this point, the story turns allegorical. The latter part of Hikaru no Go can best be described as a tale about growing up, the eternal reach for perfection and a young boy's bittersweet encounters with loss and discovery. To me, this is what raises Hikaru no Go far above its peers. The story goes beyond showing the need for constant improvement, to suggest – ever so subtly – a meaning and purpose to the struggle for perfection.
I am loath to discuss the original manga story in an anime review, but truly, my deepest regret about Hikaru no Go is that the anime finished a few episodes short of the manga ending. This is extremely tragic because Hotta Yumi's original conclusion was, in my opinion, a magical and memorable one, befitting the high standards set by the rest of the story. Alas, this was not to be, and as such, I can only rate the anime story as it stands. Even so, the story in this state is still excellent and quite entertaining. It is one I would have no hesitation recommending to anyone.
Animation
Attention to detail was definitely a hallmark of the visual quality and animation in Hikaru no Go. The time elapsed in the anime spans about three to four years, and during this time, there is a distinct change in appearance of the young characters. For example, Hikaru grows from being shorter than his peers and slightly chubby to being tall, slim and lanky. The growth does not happen over the period of one or two episodes, but rather stretches over all 76 episodes and is barely noticeable from one episode to the next.
It is not uncommon in anime to have characters in the same clothing all the time, to simplify the drawing and ensure visual consistency. Yet Hikaru no Go does not fall back on this safety net: characters in the anime rarely wear the same clothes from day to day, and each character's wardrobe is well considered to complement their personality and even their mood! For example, when Hikaru is feeling very much passionate about learning Go, you will see him wearing T-shirts showing the number 5, which in Japanese is pronounced "Go", just like the game.
The urban scenery is well-drawn and quite detailed. Often, as characters move through the city, the background will include little details (newspapers, coffee vending machines, subway ticket machines) which reveal what city life feels like in modern Japan. In fact, there are quite a few references to popular Western franchises like McDonald's and Starbucks - these add to the authenticity of the background scenery.
The use of shadows and shading was extremely effective in the anime as well - enough so that I actually took notice of this level of detail. Clothes and hair interact very well with bodies and faces in all many types of lighting conditions, and actually added to atmosphere of the scene.
The only disappointing aspect of the visual quality was the occasions on which a character is drawn differently than he or she normally appears, resulting in a slightly distorted look (though it is not glaring). Thankfully it does not occur frequently enough to detract significantly from any enjoyment from watching the anime.
Sound
The anime has a decently wide selection of music to complement the dramatic moments in the story. While it amounts to many variations of a few main tunes, I do not believe this to be necessarily negative, as too much variety leads to overload, and detracts from the moment. When watching the anime, I never felt music to be out of place. In fact, I noticed that there was quite a bit of thought invested into selecting the soundtrack to maximize the intensity of each match of Go.
The seiyuu of the main characters all pull off very decent and convincing performances, especially during dramatic moments. A particularly standout performance was that of Naya Rokuro portraying the old and crotchety Kuwabara Honinbo. I do however recall one or two instances of overacting by the seiyuu of secondary characters, which were unfortunate mood breakers.
Character
The characters of Hikaru no Go are unique and imaginative, but remain compellingly human and genuinely believable. Apart from their distinctive personalities, each character also reacts deeply to the changes in the other characters around them. Though this sounds like a basic requirement for a story, I am continually surprised at the number of anime which present characters completely insulated from each other, and whose actions do not garner much more than a superficial response from those around them.
The characters seem to be quite deep and well-researched too. The lives of aspiring and professional Go players cannot be normal, as they must revolve around the all-important examination and tournament schedules, often having to put aside their school, work, or families in order to attain their goals. This is a problem that is recognized and addressed in Hikaru no Go; even in her eagerness to promote the game, Hotta Yumi does not neglect to acknowledge the sacrifice necessary to achieve success in the Go world.
Since there seems to be a lot of general confusion and controversy about the character of Sai, I will also add my own take on this issue. Because he hails from the Heian era of Japan, it should be no surprise that Sai is dressed in effeminate attire, including purple lipstick and earrings, as this was perfectly normal and accepted in that time. In fact, Sai's feminine mannerisms and exaggerated weeping are an accurate reflection of the behaviour expected of an intelligent and cultured man in the Heian period. Therefore, it should go to credit Hotta Yumi for her appropriate portrayal of Sai; whether the audience is of open mind to accept a man behaving like a woman is an entirely different issue.
Overall
Among the anime I have watched, in terms of overall quality and polish, I believe Hikaru no Go to be the only long anime having the potential to rival Monster. I cannot help but feel that Hikaru no Go was the victim of a single poor production decision to leave the story unfinished, as compared to the original manga. I feel that the anime community has been robbed of an exceptional finished product. But even incomplete, Hikaru no Go stands out as truly special anime, and well worth the time to watch.
*To those who feel like they want more of the series after Episode 76 (the New Year's Special), I would recommend reading the manga from Chapter 166 onwards.
