![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hostilecrayon posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
hikarunogoThe Epic Hikago Rewatch: Episodes 15 and 16
Gah! Sorry this is so late. I had a paper to write and then I had other things to do, and I got distracted and ugh. But here it is!
This week’s character spotlight is Morishita Shigeo!
Waya’s teacher and a 9-dan, Morishita seems to take issue with the Touyas and those who study with them! Some might say the Touyas are his eternal rivals – only they don’t seem to know it.
What do you think of Morishita and his crew? (Feel free to answer this one with ROT13!)
Get ready for some Net Go!
Recaps:
Episode 15 – The Player on the Net
Right off the bat, we’re told that Touya is taking the Pro Exams by Touya Go salon customers, even though he had initially decided to wait. Ichikawa says that Touya told her he’d quit the Go club because it didn’t matter anymore – it was just a detour. (YOU’RE TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THAT, TOUYA.) Meanwhile, Shindou is at the NCC Cup Tournament with Tsutsui. They watch the exhibition game for a bit, Shindou thinking about how horrible it was of him to steal Sai’s game with Touya and how it was bad for Touya, too (OH THE FLASHBACKS, MY HEART, IT’S BREAKING), and he’d like to let Sai play more but he’s so strong, and eventually he can’t stand it anymore (and hadn’t been paying attention anyway), so he gets up to wander into the lobby.
Sai cries a bit, but then Hikaru notices people playing Go on the computer and goes to check it out. Shindou watches while he gets an explanation, and when the kid he’s watching loses a lot of stones, he marches off, causing his opponent, Zelda (dlkfghldjfkghdlkfgh WAYA TIME) to make a snide remark. Then Shindou learns about the anonymity of the internet! (And I keep having to remind myself this was in like, 2000, when people were still explaining it as tubes. XDDD) The clerk asks him if he’d like to try it, but he declines, instead asking the guy to teach him more about operating it.
At the Haze Go club, Mitani is teaching Akari, and Tsutsui is surprised to find Shindou gone. Mitani says Shindou said something about the internet and went to the Internet café Mitani’s sister works at. They discuss their summer plans, and Akari says she will recruit female members in the fall, adamantly saying that team matches are more fun than individual matches. Everyone agrees, and they decide to meet once a week during the summer.
At the Internet café, Hikaru has Mitani’s sister get him to the Net Go website. Sai wonders what Hikaru is trying to do, and he tells him he’s going to let him play all the Go he wants, which excites Sai. Hikaru talks a little about Mitani, telling Mitani’s sister that Mitani is a good go player, and when she asks him if Hikaru is good, he looks to the side and says he’s okay, he guesses. (Poor Hikaru of the lost confidence.) Hikaru asks if it’s really okay to play for free, and she says to just not tell anyone and only when she’s there. Then Hikaru is choosing a username, and when Sai asks if he can really play all he wants, Hikaru enters ‘sai’ as the username.
We see the person chosen the represent USA in the international amateur tournament get challenged to a game by Sai right after he says he heard Japan was getting weaker. We also see the Netherlands amateur representative play Sai. His students talk about how amazing he is until he stands up in shock, having been totally defeated by Sai. He thinks he’s been playing a Pro. Already we can see people start to wonder who Sai is. When they leave, Hikaru declares they’re going to come back and play every day for the rest of summer.
Episode 16 – Who is Sai?!
Hikaru gets a message in English, and Mitani’s sister translates it as saying Sai is too good and asking if he is a professional player. He says the player was just weak, and he doesn’t want to reply, so she shows him how to exit the chat screen. Sai wonders how they can play Go with so many people on the computer and hilariously taps it with his fan and asks them to come out. Hikaru says playing foreigners is troublesome and decides to play a Japanese player this time. Then he sees Zelda (WAYA~!) and, remembering he’s likely a kid, challenges him to a game. Sai is amazingly excited about getting to play more Go. THEN WE’RE TREATED TO OUR FIRST SHOT OF WAYA~! He’s shocked and wants to know who Sai is. Hikaru asks how he is, and Sai says he’s stronger than anyone else they’ve played online. Shindou is surprised when Zelda resigns, but Sai says that because he is strong he can accurately and quickly judge the situation. Hikaru asks Mitani’s sister to write ‘I’m strong, aren’t I?’ to Zelda, who replies “Who are you? I’m an Insei!” (Yet again, we see the Insei seed planted in Hikaru’s head.) He leaves, thinking about how Zelda being an Insei means he’s aiming to be a pro.
Waya is in the middle of the pro exam, and at lunch he keeps thinking about Sai. He looks around at all of the other people taking the exam, when he sees Touya. (TOUYA~!) When he says Touya’s name, everyone stops to look. Then the whispering starts. People knew he was taking the exam, but they didn’t know what he looked like. Fuku says he knew it was Touya because he’s playing him and he doesn’t stand a chance. (Poor Fuku.) Waya grapples with him, telling him someone aimed at being a pro shouldn’t give up so easily. Touya asks them if they’re Insei, and Fuku offers way too much information, heh, saying yes, it’s his first time taking the exam and it’s Waya’s third. Fuku despairs over a loss on the first day and Waya tells him to make a comeback. Touya watches with a look of bewilderment. (Which makes me feel all the sads, because really, it’s like he doesn’t even comprehend this sort of friendship, and how sad is that?) Fuku asks him if something happened and he tells him about the strong player who beat him and boasted about it. He thinks he’s definitely a pro. Touya interjects, saying ‘would a pro really say that?’ which irritates Waya, who tells Touya he’s not talking to him.
Meanwhile, international players are discussing him, talking about how strong he is and how many challenges he gets all the time. We find out more and more people are taking notice and watching his games from all over the world. Slowly, people are starting to figure out that Sai is not a pro, and someone even suggests he could be the God of Go. People are obsessing over him, and the amateurs vow to find out who he is when they go to Japan for the International Tournament. Waya, thinking about when Sai appeared, realizes that he plays during the day when most people have jobs, and coupled with the immature message, Waya theorizes that Sai is a child. He also realizes that Sai’s Go has changed.
At the International Amateur Go Tournament, everyone is hoping to find Sai, but they settle into their matches first, hoping to bring home the trophy. Waya is also there, looking for him. Morishita talks with the organizer about how Go is spreading globally. Waya is called over by Morishita, his teacher, who wants him to play foreigners who finish their games. We also find out that Waya made it through the Pro Exam tryouts with three wins and one loss to Touya. Morishita tells him he better not lose to him during the real exam. Waya tries to tell Morishita about Sai, saying there’s a really strong player, but Morishita just says Touya. Waya tries to explain further about the internet and how it can’t be a pro but he’s stronger than an amateur, but when Morishita asks how strong, Waya pauses and he loses interest. Waya goes to check if Sai is online, but he’s not, and as Waya leaves, Sai signs on, unbeknownst to Waya.
Waya walks around the tournament looking for Sai. He watches the Japanese amateur game, but it’s not Sai, though another amateur player approaches and mutters ‘Sai’, and as Waya is about to say something, Morishita calls him away to play an amateur. The episode ends with everyone thinking about Sai.
Possible Discussion Questions:
Net Go! So many people love this part of the series – this is an open inquiry! What do you like about the Net Go episodes? Tell us all your feels!
Why do you think Hikaru chooses to only reply to Zelda? What do you think of his message?
With all the love I have for Waya, I’m always a little pushed out of shape when he tells Touya he’s not talking to him. Why do you think he does this after having only just met him?
Why do you think Morishita dismisses Waya’s obvious concern when he’s trying to tell him about Sai? How do you feel about this?
The chat is still going strong, churning out ideas and fics and pictures and just tons of good fun! The next official chat (AKA when we actually watch episodes XD) with be on April 7th at 7:30PM PST! What time is that in the rest of the world? Chat is here!
Gah! Sorry this is so late. I had a paper to write and then I had other things to do, and I got distracted and ugh. But here it is!
This week’s character spotlight is Morishita Shigeo!
Waya’s teacher and a 9-dan, Morishita seems to take issue with the Touyas and those who study with them! Some might say the Touyas are his eternal rivals – only they don’t seem to know it.
What do you think of Morishita and his crew? (Feel free to answer this one with ROT13!)
Get ready for some Net Go!
Recaps:
Episode 15 – The Player on the Net
Right off the bat, we’re told that Touya is taking the Pro Exams by Touya Go salon customers, even though he had initially decided to wait. Ichikawa says that Touya told her he’d quit the Go club because it didn’t matter anymore – it was just a detour. (YOU’RE TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THAT, TOUYA.) Meanwhile, Shindou is at the NCC Cup Tournament with Tsutsui. They watch the exhibition game for a bit, Shindou thinking about how horrible it was of him to steal Sai’s game with Touya and how it was bad for Touya, too (OH THE FLASHBACKS, MY HEART, IT’S BREAKING), and he’d like to let Sai play more but he’s so strong, and eventually he can’t stand it anymore (and hadn’t been paying attention anyway), so he gets up to wander into the lobby.
Sai cries a bit, but then Hikaru notices people playing Go on the computer and goes to check it out. Shindou watches while he gets an explanation, and when the kid he’s watching loses a lot of stones, he marches off, causing his opponent, Zelda (dlkfghldjfkghdlkfgh WAYA TIME) to make a snide remark. Then Shindou learns about the anonymity of the internet! (And I keep having to remind myself this was in like, 2000, when people were still explaining it as tubes. XDDD) The clerk asks him if he’d like to try it, but he declines, instead asking the guy to teach him more about operating it.
At the Haze Go club, Mitani is teaching Akari, and Tsutsui is surprised to find Shindou gone. Mitani says Shindou said something about the internet and went to the Internet café Mitani’s sister works at. They discuss their summer plans, and Akari says she will recruit female members in the fall, adamantly saying that team matches are more fun than individual matches. Everyone agrees, and they decide to meet once a week during the summer.
At the Internet café, Hikaru has Mitani’s sister get him to the Net Go website. Sai wonders what Hikaru is trying to do, and he tells him he’s going to let him play all the Go he wants, which excites Sai. Hikaru talks a little about Mitani, telling Mitani’s sister that Mitani is a good go player, and when she asks him if Hikaru is good, he looks to the side and says he’s okay, he guesses. (Poor Hikaru of the lost confidence.) Hikaru asks if it’s really okay to play for free, and she says to just not tell anyone and only when she’s there. Then Hikaru is choosing a username, and when Sai asks if he can really play all he wants, Hikaru enters ‘sai’ as the username.
We see the person chosen the represent USA in the international amateur tournament get challenged to a game by Sai right after he says he heard Japan was getting weaker. We also see the Netherlands amateur representative play Sai. His students talk about how amazing he is until he stands up in shock, having been totally defeated by Sai. He thinks he’s been playing a Pro. Already we can see people start to wonder who Sai is. When they leave, Hikaru declares they’re going to come back and play every day for the rest of summer.
Episode 16 – Who is Sai?!
Hikaru gets a message in English, and Mitani’s sister translates it as saying Sai is too good and asking if he is a professional player. He says the player was just weak, and he doesn’t want to reply, so she shows him how to exit the chat screen. Sai wonders how they can play Go with so many people on the computer and hilariously taps it with his fan and asks them to come out. Hikaru says playing foreigners is troublesome and decides to play a Japanese player this time. Then he sees Zelda (WAYA~!) and, remembering he’s likely a kid, challenges him to a game. Sai is amazingly excited about getting to play more Go. THEN WE’RE TREATED TO OUR FIRST SHOT OF WAYA~! He’s shocked and wants to know who Sai is. Hikaru asks how he is, and Sai says he’s stronger than anyone else they’ve played online. Shindou is surprised when Zelda resigns, but Sai says that because he is strong he can accurately and quickly judge the situation. Hikaru asks Mitani’s sister to write ‘I’m strong, aren’t I?’ to Zelda, who replies “Who are you? I’m an Insei!” (Yet again, we see the Insei seed planted in Hikaru’s head.) He leaves, thinking about how Zelda being an Insei means he’s aiming to be a pro.
Waya is in the middle of the pro exam, and at lunch he keeps thinking about Sai. He looks around at all of the other people taking the exam, when he sees Touya. (TOUYA~!) When he says Touya’s name, everyone stops to look. Then the whispering starts. People knew he was taking the exam, but they didn’t know what he looked like. Fuku says he knew it was Touya because he’s playing him and he doesn’t stand a chance. (Poor Fuku.) Waya grapples with him, telling him someone aimed at being a pro shouldn’t give up so easily. Touya asks them if they’re Insei, and Fuku offers way too much information, heh, saying yes, it’s his first time taking the exam and it’s Waya’s third. Fuku despairs over a loss on the first day and Waya tells him to make a comeback. Touya watches with a look of bewilderment. (Which makes me feel all the sads, because really, it’s like he doesn’t even comprehend this sort of friendship, and how sad is that?) Fuku asks him if something happened and he tells him about the strong player who beat him and boasted about it. He thinks he’s definitely a pro. Touya interjects, saying ‘would a pro really say that?’ which irritates Waya, who tells Touya he’s not talking to him.
Meanwhile, international players are discussing him, talking about how strong he is and how many challenges he gets all the time. We find out more and more people are taking notice and watching his games from all over the world. Slowly, people are starting to figure out that Sai is not a pro, and someone even suggests he could be the God of Go. People are obsessing over him, and the amateurs vow to find out who he is when they go to Japan for the International Tournament. Waya, thinking about when Sai appeared, realizes that he plays during the day when most people have jobs, and coupled with the immature message, Waya theorizes that Sai is a child. He also realizes that Sai’s Go has changed.
At the International Amateur Go Tournament, everyone is hoping to find Sai, but they settle into their matches first, hoping to bring home the trophy. Waya is also there, looking for him. Morishita talks with the organizer about how Go is spreading globally. Waya is called over by Morishita, his teacher, who wants him to play foreigners who finish their games. We also find out that Waya made it through the Pro Exam tryouts with three wins and one loss to Touya. Morishita tells him he better not lose to him during the real exam. Waya tries to tell Morishita about Sai, saying there’s a really strong player, but Morishita just says Touya. Waya tries to explain further about the internet and how it can’t be a pro but he’s stronger than an amateur, but when Morishita asks how strong, Waya pauses and he loses interest. Waya goes to check if Sai is online, but he’s not, and as Waya leaves, Sai signs on, unbeknownst to Waya.
Waya walks around the tournament looking for Sai. He watches the Japanese amateur game, but it’s not Sai, though another amateur player approaches and mutters ‘Sai’, and as Waya is about to say something, Morishita calls him away to play an amateur. The episode ends with everyone thinking about Sai.
Possible Discussion Questions:
Net Go! So many people love this part of the series – this is an open inquiry! What do you like about the Net Go episodes? Tell us all your feels!
Why do you think Hikaru chooses to only reply to Zelda? What do you think of his message?
With all the love I have for Waya, I’m always a little pushed out of shape when he tells Touya he’s not talking to him. Why do you think he does this after having only just met him?
Why do you think Morishita dismisses Waya’s obvious concern when he’s trying to tell him about Sai? How do you feel about this?
The chat is still going strong, churning out ideas and fics and pictures and just tons of good fun! The next official chat (AKA when we actually watch episodes XD) with be on April 7th at 7:30PM PST! What time is that in the rest of the world? Chat is here!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Net Go
Date: 2012-04-03 11:29 am (UTC)In short I LOVE NET GO.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 08:43 am (UTC)I guess Hikaru replying to Zelda might have something to do with him "knowing" Zelda from before, knowing that he's most likely a kid too. Or maybe it was just a spur of the moment, after Sai had said how good Zelda was.
Waya's hostility really is strange... but maybe he's been hearing so much about this miracle child of go that he's already fed up with him, even though he doesn't know Touya at all.