I agree that the ending is not to die for, and this manga does have other things that can be handled in a better way..
But, nevertheless, it was also a great story for me. Yes, ending is important but its not all there is in a story. I will just continue this with my imagination....

Note: The rivalry is the best, easily wins among all other I have read/watch to date. But, friendships were sacrificed, so yeah.. not good, overall. Still, the BEST in rivalry. LOVE IT.

... Last updated on January 25th, 2023, 6:38pm

I read this yesterday on a whim.....

This filled up my life with passion and a new sense of vitality. I loved this manga through and through, and sobbed when that inevitable moment came. (not gonna spoil this one for ya, but u will definitely know what I mean when the moment comes.)Anyways, I didn't expect to pull through all the chapters and still like it, but somehow I managed to read until the very end and love it all the way through.

All the characters, EVEN THE SIDE CHARACTERS, develop immensely by the end of the series, and you are left with the feeling that you have known these fictional people all your life.

... Last updated on July 7th, 2014, 9:02pm

I loved it, loved, loved loved it. But, I hated the ending. It was the most tragic ending I have ever read and this manga isn't even a tragedy (although there is the issue with Sai). It was so disappointing. And I get you know "open-ended" and "amibiguous", but this is just ridiculous. No questions have been anwsered.

(I heard she was sued because she based one of the Korean (I think) guys faces after some guy.

... Last updated on April 24th, 2009, 2:03pm

It's a good manga and all, we've all heard it, but here is my rant:

Shindo's "depression" (you know what i'm talking about) drove me nuts! Argh! I just wanted to kick that whiny little brat in his balls until he screamed for mercy....

Another complaint is the awful ending. Frankly, it was a cowards ending. The story was good, but largely due to the ending you feel that after 23 volumes little have been accomplished.

The possible romance was not explored and the earlier characters were left behind. Looking back it might have been the natural way the story developed but it still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Again, nothing accomplished on that front.

If the ending had been better i would've given this a 9.

... Last updated on April 28th, 2008, 1:59pm

I would have given it a 10 if it weren't for the fact that it ends abruptly and feels incomplete.

Very good manga. Really exciting and all play on it is very cool.
After the 17 isn't so good and the ending sucks, however is a cool manga.

this manga is amazing!!!!one of my favourite mangas of all time!!!!!i've never heard of Go before but this manga has taught me a lot!!;) I really like the artwork and the most impressive part is the great storyline. I enjoyed watching the characters' development especially Hikaru. Yes I agree that he has changed a lot especially after Sai .........:'( I couldn't help by cried several times starting from vol 15 and at the end of the story. I don't really like the ending though. It could have been better given a captivating story from the beginning, however a must read for all manga fans out there!!!!I wish I could read more so I'm gonna go for the anime after this. I hope the anime is not as sad as the manga though. Even now after a week i've finished reading it, I still got those teary eyes whenever i'm thinking about some of the scenes!!;)

Edit by mod: WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD


This is perhaps one of my all-time favorite mangas! No other one made me this excited, or this obsessed. I think I actually went a little crazy from Akira's total bishie-ness near the end of the series.. XDXD
Though you might think at first that a manga about a *game* would be boring and have a shabby plot/characters, Hikaru no Go actually turns out to be interesting! The Go games are like matches, and even though there are limitations because people reading the manga probably aren't pros like Shindo-kun, or haven't even heard of Go, the tension visible on each character's face, and the descriptions of what happens certainly make up for it.
Shindo-kun is bratty and spoiled, and yes, I *really* wanted to strangle him around volumes 13 and 14, but even though he's just a kid, you can understand him (or at least understand why he does the things he does). It's really gratifying to see him mature throughout the manga (as well as get cuter XD), and now that I've finished the series, I can see that he really does change a lot because of that one day in the very beginning: Sai... (*sobsob*)
The other characters are really interesting as well, and in combination with the great art and amazing plot, Hikago is a manga worth reading, especially if you like shounen, or don't really mind the lack of romance.
And the ending is fabulous, as well! I really regret it ended at 23 volumes.. ;;__;; I wish I could read more!

I love the Hikaru no Go manga, the anime isn't too shabby itself. I wasn't quite hooked by the storyline either but since it was so highly recommended I had to try it myself.

The thing that makes this different from other Shounen manga is definitely the progress Hikaru makes as the manga continues on. It's easy to relate to him because of his stubbornness, his fear of losing, his cowardice and then seeing him overcome all of it.

I really love Hikaru and Akira's rivalry though. It's intense where you're not sure who exactly is going to win, which is what makes it a rivalry. In the Shounen I've read, the main characters with rivals aren't usually rivalries in the first place. (i.e Naruto where Sasuke pretty much shows him up all the time).

What made the manga great to utterly amazing is definitely Sai. He made the manga funny, interesting, intense and absolutely heartbreaking (in that good way).

I recommend this manga for everyone.