The fact a manga has been made for a beloved board game, is something very unique. The series sucks you into the world of Go, and you cannot help getting interested. The manga is a wonderful journey, and the relationships between characters and their passion for Go is very touching. You will not be disappointed reading this, except for the fact it ends way to soon. I heard the reason was a lawsuit, but despite that, this manga is revolutionary. It really is a shame that it had to end. The character development is astounding, and the fact that the mangaka and author were able to make Go appealing and very entertaining makes this series successful. Definitely a must read. Everyone, should also watch the anime, it follows the manga, but it the animated series is much more entertaining.

... Last updated on August 29th, 2014, 6:51pm

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

Just as the title suggests: This manga just stops. There is no ending, no big showdown, no conclusion, no epilogue, no nothing.

It was good while it lasted, but it feels so wasteful for not concluding in a proper way. This manga feels worse than many of the axed manga out there.

So, I recommend to you all: DO NOT READ! Not until there is a second series or whatever!

I think Hikaru no Go is quite unique in that it seems to be an addictive, entertaining shounen manga about competitions, rivalry and ambition on surface level but is actually also surprisingly deep and symbolic underneath. The character development of Hikaru, his rival Akira and the mythical spirit Sai are all done really well. They aren't unchanging, static one dimensional characters but change and mature greatly throughout the course of the manga, which was really interesting to read about. I think it was amazing to see how Hikaru's childish naivete and ambition towards the beginning matured into something else. And the depth and development of Sai, who originally seemed to be no different than any other extremely skilled mythical type spirit trope. I think this is some of the best character development I've seen in any manga regardless of genre.

I actually think this is a manga that older readers would enjoy more; it captures the essence of shounen extremely well. It's extremely addictive and entertaining to read, especially during Go matches. I'm not even a fan of board games or things like chess regardless but the battles are nerve wracking and the development of Hikaru's skills and character as he learns things is almost unparalleled.

If it seems like I'm making Hikaru no Go out to be a masterpiece though, that's not what I'm trying to say. It's just a really addicting, lighthearted, humorous story that is surprisingly complex and dark at times.

(Hikaru no Go is very similar to the recent martial arts manga 'Kurogane', except it's more complex, dark and well developed. It also doesn't have as happy of an ending though, so if you're after something way more lighthearted, then go with Kurogane instead.)

Be warned though, although I do highly recommend this, the ending is quite unsatisfying. I had to read fan fiction for 2-3 days straight to relieve the bad feeling the true ending had. (Well not necessarily 'bad' actually, just super, super open ended with an unfinished, inconclusive sort of feeling.)

... Last updated on June 16th, 2014, 5:24am

I never knew I wanted a Go master ghost from the Heian period to haunt me until I read Hikaru no Go.

I am not a shounen reader at all, in fact I kind of dislike it overall, but the author's storytelling ability was so great that it pulled me into the story and got me invested into the characters. I usually hate competitions/power-up kind of stories but omg, I totally hyperventilated when Touya Menji faced off with Sai. It was so awesome!

And come on, Sai is just so adorable. I really like his character development because there's actually development in his character. Usually, in mangas that have a supernatural character following the main character, the supernatural character never gets developed and only serves as a plot device. Every time, Sai defends Hikaru even though he knows others cannot hear him or gets hurt over the possibility of not being able to play go anymore, my heart tugs a little; I seriously wanted to give him a hug. I almost cried when he disappeared. The only thing that stopped me was that the way he left was appropriate for his character journey. After Sai disappeared, a clear void can be felt in the manga, but that just means how awesome Sai is and how central he is to the story.

The unusual friendship between Hikaru and Sai, the friendly rivalry between Hikaru and Akira (who totally looks like that one guy in Spirited Away) are also the highlights of the series. I really like Akira's character too; and the rivalry between him and Hikaru are really good. Akira cared for Hikaru's go playing and vice versa. I don't know why but I feel so nostalgic whenever I see both of them in a scene together discussing go. This is friendly rivalry done right, you hear me Naruto?

I do feel a little bit...off at the ending. After I read the end, I was like "What? It ended?" I had to double checked to make sure if there's more besides the two special chapters. There were some unresolved issues that it makes it seem like this manga got an ax from the publisher and so the author had to ended it prematurely even though he set the manga up to be more.

Edit: I just looked it up and apparently the series was suspended because Korean fans were upset at how one of the Korean Hokuto cup contestants was portrayed. Apparently, it was supposed to end in Japan's win, resulting in a tie across the board, which totally makes more sense. But the publisher interfered, made Japan lost, and suspended the manga. That's one of the reasons why in the end of chapter 189, the last page says "Hokuto Cup end" not "The End." This explains the feeling I had when I was reading chapter 189. The author is really good. He made chapter 189 worked as both an arc's end and series end upon such misfortune. I think that the *way* it ended was apt (connecting the past and the future, new generation succeeding), but how it got there was totally ruined by some unreasonable protesting.

The last chapter was "I Call Out to You," so maybe it was a call out to us. Like how Sai called out Hikaru in the beginning, someone, whether it's Hikaru or someone else, called out to us.

It's such a shame that the manga had to end suddenly due to some crazy outside work. It literally pains me whenever I think about the lost potential. Imagine the last line "Can you hear? Can you hear my voice?" uttered at the right time, after loose ties were ended, and more tribute was paid to Sai. Man, that would have been epic.

Oh well, I still really like it though. The fact that it made me be able to read 189 chapters shounen in one sitting by staying up for 36 hours and to forget to breath for a second just so I could witness the intensity of a scene is enough for me to give it a 10, abrupt ending or not.

Edit: Wow, I just realized the artist for this manga is also the artist for Death Note, one of the other few shounen I like. Interesting connection.

... Last updated on August 7th, 2014, 1:05pm

I've watched/read this several times.
It was my friend and I's inspiration for playing Go. We have each won junior tournaments in the UK!

Its awesome! I was completely immersed in reading this & There's not a single chapter where I was bored. The ending could have been made better(by that I mean all "happy happy") but its still a good ending
Read it & U'l love it

Hikaru no Go is INTERESTING. It simply keeps the reader entertained and unable to stop reading. From the first chapter, the intensity is set at full throttle and is continued throughout the whole series. Everything about Hikaru no Go is animated, and so it is perfect for anyone who is looking for a good read.

Hiraku no Go is manga that makes readers finish the whole series in less than a week. The chapters do not drag out and every frame is done with a purpose. When keeping this aspect in mind, you will not be let down by reading Hikaru no Go.

... Last updated on August 19th, 2012, 3:45am

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.