effex | The Totally Epic HikaGo Reread

effex

~Volume 9 of Hikaru no Go~

Chapters 70 - 78

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

effex

My copy of volume 9 hasn't arrived yet and works been keeping me too busy to read the whole thing online - I'm only on chapter 72 [sheepish]. But I'm working on it! We'll get to the pro exam yet.

* The title page to chapter 71 is super cute. Akira + bitty kids = best thing ever.

* Akira's hair must be super fine and well conditioned to swing around like that during the four vs one match. Or maybe there's a fan just off panel?

Edited Date: 2010-07-07 08:04 pm (UTC)

From:

lacygrey

Akira has gorgeous hair in this one, especially when he's being dramatic about taking that tutoring job!

I think that he's drawn to look older when he's playing go, like in the 4-way match,

but younger and cuter in more relaxed situations like in the chap 71 title you mention.

From:

onkoona

I know what you mean!
RL (as in my back acting up) is keeping me from getting grabs done!

Akira's swinging hair thing:
I think it's supposed to look cool
I guess opinions differ; he's still a sissy nerd. Luv him anyway.

From:

onkoona

(I'm going to have to owe you some, as my back is not complying.)

33-2
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/23109.html

33-3
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/23403.html

34-1
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/23696.html

34-2
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/23874.html

34-3
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/24156.html

35-1
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/24359.html

35-2
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/24752.html

35-3
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/24987.html

more to follow...
Hopefully I'll be able to post 36 tonight as I'm upping it right now. (goes slow)
The rest will follow asap. Hopefully tomorrow, but can't promise

From:

effex

Maybe not so much 'older' as 'very intense' - the event organizers comment on it - which in turn makes him look... older, heh. More mature.

From:

effex

Cool, yeah, and also to add more visual ~drama~ to a kid sitting at a table.

He is such a nerd [pats him fondly]

From:

effex

Don't rush - take care of yourself. And thank you again for putting these up!

From:

lacygrey

We meet some more memorable minor characters:
That obnoxious councillor who hates to lose.

And someone rather nicer: Hon Suyong

And suddenly Japanese professional go gets put in the international perspective.

I liked, in the manga, how the arguing between Hikaru and Suyong was translated by one of the adults who looks rather amused.

From:

effex

Eh, Hikaru's already 14? Time sure does fly.

From:

lacygrey

Uggh, sorry. I hope you feel better soon.

From:

onkoona

I strongly disagree with Ashwara's chewing out of Akira about wasting his talent like that.

For Japan to start winning, like the jouranlista are dispairing at, they'll have to start doing the work, and this IS the work!

From:

onkoona

That councilman is horrid, but I guess he's what real live Go pros run into all the time.

I'm looking forward to seeing Hon-kun again!

From:

lacygrey

Ashiwara’s reaction ♥ to Akira’s 4 game draw.

Once again we have parallel scenes between Hikaru and Akira, both facing four gobans this time.

From:

onkoona

Thanks guys!

ep 36:
36-1
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/25321.html

36-2
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/25522.html

36-3
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/25784.html

the volume is not over yet, more to follow.

From:

effex

Sai's smug 'I see what you did there' face is hilarious. Go, Hikaru, go!

From:

lacygrey

Ashiwara looks better here in manga to my mind.
This is shortly followed by that moment when Akira 'isn't bothered atall' about Hikaru having got through the pro exam preliminaries!

Is Amano the journalist wearing a wig?

From:

onkoona

God I hope that's a wig, it's horrid!

From:

onkoona

My favorite picture in this vol.!

From:

lacygrey

Yes! Yes! Yes! only he and Hikaru saw it!
But Sai is increasingly becoming just an observer.

Still, something thats a nice touch and a bit spooky too is how people automatically make space for Sai in places like the go salons and the train without even knowing he's there.

From:

effex

\o/

And that's the end of volume 9 for me! And it closes with Akira being obsessive about Hikaru, as is only appropriate.

Ahh, this was a good volume - I really like the spirit and determination of the pro exam arc, can't wait to start the next volume <3

From:

effex

Oh, I was just thinking that! There's always space for him, no matter how crowded the train gets or how many people group 'round to watch Hikaru play. Don't think ether of them notice.

From:

effex

I don't think it's a wig - looks like he shaved the bottom part of his head and left the top poofy. Not a good choice.

From:

lacygrey

We do get to see a lot of detail of this game with Suyong. I looked it up at a go site and apparently its a game that really took place between two Korean female professionals.

List giving this and other games that Go enthusists have spotted in the series

From:

effex

Ooh, I was wondering where he games were coming from! No way were they making them all up themselves.

From:

lacygrey

It looks better on Ochi ^_^

From:

onkoona

Oh yes, they are all real. But the don't always end in the Manga at the same moment as in reality.

I've had to figure out the end moves of the "big one" for my story, and originally it was played out where as in the Manga, one sides resigns. that is also why they can talk with such accuracy about the winning margin; normally, with a win by resignation you don't play it out so there is no "won by X moku" moment....

From:

lacygrey

The group shot on this page is funny that way.

From:

onkoona

Ochi looks like a super nerd. Those glasses don't help any.

In the character guide there is a two page spread about insei hairstyles. I guess a lot of thought went into it...
Arg.

From:

onkoona

I haven't checked but I'm guessing the pro exam is going to be a multi volume affair....

From:

effex

Oh, I don't doubt it. It takes months in the story, after all!

From:

onkoona

Promo shots don't count.

But I think the whole everybody-makes-room-for-the-ghost thing is just poetic licence.

in vol. 1 the teacher walks right through him.
I think they got bored with odd drawings the situation would produce, so they made room for him.

From:

onkoona

and the last bit for this volume:

37-1
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/26094.html#cutid1

37-2
http://onkoona.livejournal.com/26157.html#cutid1

phew!
Now I'm going to find myself a cold something to drink; they're saying it's gonna be a heat wave here soon!

From:

lacygrey

Ah, the character guide. What language do you have it in? When

wingblossom translated the Sai Heian side story from it into English (here) I was really surprised that an official English translation had never been made. I read the book in French and think its interesting that there's no hint that the manga will continue beyond vol 17. But we can discuss that when we get there - or else they'll be spoilers!

From:

lacygrey

Yes, but it would be a shame if he was being perpetually sat on or obscured by other characters. There was a nice ficlet by

blue_cage about this I remember (second one down, beware spoilers!).

The insei line-up picture was from the front of a chapter (66), where the pics are rather imaginative and frequently nothing to do with the canon. Obata was apparently allowed to draw anything he liked and the picture was always a surprise for Hotta. So Sai sometimes does unlikely or impossible things like carry a goban!

From:

lacygrey

Thank you for the rest of the grabs. I hope its not too hot. If you're following the FIFA this weekend then all the best!

From:

onkoona

I have it in the original Japanese. if there is a french one about I want it! It wouldn't be the first french Manga that I own. (Nor the first 'bande dessinée')

(off quickly checking Vol 17...)
Ah, I see their point.
Yes, this discussion needs to wait until later.

As far as I know the official English translation is also not complete at Vol. 20 but does seem to be ongoing.
We may all have to read the last vols. online...

From:

onkoona

Small piece of info: the German translation is at least as far as vol. 22.
Just came across it on ebay...
That probably means they're going all the way to the end (if they haven't already; I'm too lazy to check)

http://www.sparriese.com/NeueBilder2/9783551780171.jpg

From:

onkoona

Hey, just came across vol 19 of the french translation !

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BX0XHAJTL.jpg

From:

onkoona

I don't need to follow the fifa; my neighbors will inform me quite loudly if anything noteworthy happens. They have so far.
However, I may breakdown and watch the one on Sunday. Sort of, of national importance, and all that...

(sorry straying off topic)
Or maybe not, after all in the pro games it's likely to come down to the very last game, to determine the true winner(s)...

From:

lacygrey

Yes, the French translation goes through to the end (vol 23). What I meant was that I think that the character guide was written in its original Japanese version at a time when the continuation beyond 17 either hadn't been written or the go ahead for publication in Shonan Jump had not been confirmed.

Good luck searching for a copy of the guide.

From:

onkoona

Ah, I see.
I actually have the Japanese version, and I just ordered the french version (now that I know that it exists).

Yes, it was written around the time of vol 17. The timeline in the back doesn't go further than vol 17.
And consequently all the characters that are introduced after vol 17 are not in there. Maybe they were planning to publish a part two, but the whole HnG thing just peatered out, so maybe the right time never came up. Really disappointing...

You see this a lot with Japanese art books and character guides; the first X vols or eps. get all the attention in guides and art books, but the later stuff gets ignored, because they'd have to be in a guide or art book that would have to published after the show is over. And the show usually isn't over until popularity has dwindled, and why would you publish something on to a waning market?

So no guide for the later bits. Too bad.

From:

tsukikage85.livejournal.com

I've been absent from the last couple of discussions because of having fallen behind, but after finishing this volume I decided to just say screw it and not try to catch up.

Man, Akira's face on the bottom frame of page 86 (of the Japanese edition) is so... if looks could kill. And then on the bottom panel of the next page he's so mild-mannered again. Sometimes I wonder if Akira has multiple personalities or something.

It's so funny seeing Ashiwara all stressed out and crying from frustration.

The scene at the Korean go salon was definitely good practice for my katakana reading speed. ^^;

Man, Hikaru's face when he realizes Yun-sensei's praising *him*, and Sai's face when Yun-sensei thinks Sai's game was actually Hikaru's... And again when Hikaru's talking about erasing Sai from Touya's mind... I've said it before and I'll say it again: Obata-sensei is amazing at depicting emotion.

Gotta ask, am I the only one that ended up just staring at Akira's neck in that first shot of him at the computer? I think I'm starting to understand why the Japanese traditionally found the neck to be so erotic. ^^;

DRAMATIC HAIR IS DRAMATIC!

Finally, I'm thinking I should dress up as Igoemon for Halloween. Who's with me?

From:

effex

Don't worry about keeping up - the reread loses all it's fun if it turns into a chore!

Mmm...not multiple personalities, just...reserved. He's got a lot of self-control for a 14 year old, but I'm not surprised things occassionaly seep out.

Finally, I'm thinking I should dress up as Igoemon for Halloween.

Pictures or it didn't happen!