The Totally Epic HikaGo Reread - Vol. 12

[effex]

~Volume 12 of Hikaru no Go~

Chapters 97 - 104

Oh man, I haven't read the volume yet and won't be able to until tonight. But here, have the only a little late post!

Comments

to play or not to play

[onkoona]

from chapter 97 onwards:
This is pretty much the beginning of the end, isn't it.
Now that Hikaru's a pro he can't possibly let Sai play through his hands ever again. Sai is starting to suspect this truth, has been slowly feeling it coming for a while now.
First he finds that it's Hikaru that will get all the chances to play the great players, even if those matches will be years away from now.
This is made worse by the fact that Sai NEEDS Hikaru's co-operation and goodwill for absolutely everything. Even something as simple as reading issues of Weekly Go.
And then the call comes; Hikaru is to play Touya sr. for his Shinshodan game. That's really Sai's one and only chance to play his rival. Of course he wants this chance!

And than he tries to force the issue, like he's never forced it before. I don't know if Sai's ghostly excistence ever afforded him any sort of poltergeist powers, but he used to beable to force Hikaru by making him ill. It graces him that he never actually used that on Hikaru and he doesn't use it here. No, instead grasping what he wants pretty much more than life itself, he backs down and relinquishes he rightful place as Touya's true rival to Hikaru. Giving up his only chance.
It says a lot about Sai as a person of integrity.
Damn, I feel bad for him.

Re: to play or not to play

[seventh_sister]

Sai only made Hikaru sick in at the start when he said he didn't want to play Go didn't he? It was his overwhelming sadness that made Hikaru feel sick. I guess maybe as Sai is surrounded by Go all the time now he's not as sad as he would be if he wasn't. He can't play but he still watches the games and reads kifu etc. I guess that would allay some of his sadness at not being able to play himself. Gah did that make any sense whatsoever?

Re: to play or not to play

[onkoona]

Made perfect sense to me.

I think it is more of a case that as Sai teaches his Go to Hikaru that acute connection is slowly severing.
Have you noticed that Hikaru is noticing Sai's moods less and less? At the amateur festival he only realized that Sai was boiling mad when he looked at him; he hadn't _felt_ it at all.
And Sai seems sad all the time now, which Hikaru doesn't seem to feel either.
Nor did he feel Sai's passion at wanting to play Touya sr. Either at the phone scene or when Sai took his place at the Goban at the Shinshodan game. And if the connection had still been there when Sai gave up his place at the Goban, Hikaru would surely have lost his lunch over Sai's disappointment and sadness.
But he didn't, did he.
No, they are growing appart, which is natural I suppose and that is why what happens next is pretty much inevitable.
(This of course is a discussion for vol 15)

Re: to play or not to play

[effex]

The growing apart has always been so heartbreaking for me - it speaks to how self absorbed Hikaru is (in a normal, teenage way, I think) that he's failing to notice or appreciate this guy, his teacher, that he's with all the time. Some of it's got to be Hikaru building natural defenses (all. the. time.), but still.

And then volume 15 happens.