The Epic Hikago Rewatch: Episodes 1 and 2
Feb. 11th, 2012 12:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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hikarunogoIt's time!
Note: I am using a fansubbed version of the anime, so some terms or titles may be different than the official translation.
This week’s Character Spotlight is: Fujiwara no Sai!
Sai’s official title is “The Ghost”, which is pretty self-explanatory.
In addition to this week’s episodes, let’s celebrate Sai!
Sai has many facial expressions - more than anyone in the show, as far as I can tell. Do you have any pictures of Sai making silly faces? Post them in the comments!
Brief Recap:
Episode 1 - The Eternal Rival
Hikaru meets Sai. Sai tells the story of his origins, 1000 years ago. Though Hikaru has no interest in Go, he takes Sai to play anyway. Hikaru meets Touya. Sai plays Touya via Hikaru and wins. Touya realizes it was a tutoring game, and when he finds out Hikaru claims to have never played before, he freaks out, wondering who Hikaru is.
Episode 2 - The Weakpoint Revealed!!
Hikaru starts taking Go classes. He learns of Touya-Meijin. Akari goes to a Go class with Hikaru, but Hikaru gets kicked out for dumping stones on Akota's head and pulling off his wig when he finds him bullying other players. Hikaru goes to the Children's Tournament to watch, but gets in trouble for repeating a comment on a game that Sai said to him. After refusing games, Touya finds out Hikaru might be at the Children's Tournament and runs off to find him. Hikaru runs into Touya-Meijin in the hall, and Sai recognizes him. Touya-Meijin is apprised of the situation and though Ogata protests having not gotten Hikaru's name, Touya-Meijin says that if he is truly that strong, he will appear before them eventually. Outside, Touya meets up with Shindou, saying, "I've finally found you, Shindou Hikaru."
Possible Discussion Questions:
Most of us here are watching this for the second, third, fourth, or even tenth time. But at some point, we all watched Hikaru no Go for the first time. What were your impressions of Hikago that first time watching these episodes? What was it that compelled you to keep watching from these two opening episodes? How is it different than watching it now?
In the second episode, we already see the beginnings of Touya’s obsession with Shindou because of Sai’s Go. What do you think of this? Is his obsession purely related to Sai’s strength, or is there something more (IE desire for friendship/intrigue/other interest)? They make it clear that Touya has no equal in his age bracket – does his loneliness factor into how easily he falls into his obsession with a boy his age who appears to be stronger than him?
We’re only given some brief glimpses of Akari in these episodes, though it’s clear that she’s close with Hikaru, as is most easily seen by how she calls him Hikaru instead of Shindou. What kind of relationship do you think they have at the start of the series? Is she a good friend to Hikaru? Is he a good friend to her? If you had only ever seen these two episodes of Hikago and knew nothing else of the series, what direction would you see their friendship going in?
Those of you who have read the manga know that while the anime mirrors the manga almost perfectly, the sequence of the beginning events are different. Why do you think they chose to change just this part? Do the missing events change anything about the series for you?
Let's discuss it! Also, feel free to suggest other discussion questions to add to this list!
Also, check out the fabulous meta post on the first three episodes - Manga vs. Anime byllamabitchyo!
Remember, please use ROT13 for spoilers!
EDIT: For those of you in the US, remember, you can watch Hikago for free at Hulu!
Note: I am using a fansubbed version of the anime, so some terms or titles may be different than the official translation.
This week’s Character Spotlight is: Fujiwara no Sai!
Sai’s official title is “The Ghost”, which is pretty self-explanatory.
In addition to this week’s episodes, let’s celebrate Sai!
Sai has many facial expressions - more than anyone in the show, as far as I can tell. Do you have any pictures of Sai making silly faces? Post them in the comments!
Brief Recap:
Episode 1 - The Eternal Rival
Hikaru meets Sai. Sai tells the story of his origins, 1000 years ago. Though Hikaru has no interest in Go, he takes Sai to play anyway. Hikaru meets Touya. Sai plays Touya via Hikaru and wins. Touya realizes it was a tutoring game, and when he finds out Hikaru claims to have never played before, he freaks out, wondering who Hikaru is.
Episode 2 - The Weakpoint Revealed!!
Hikaru starts taking Go classes. He learns of Touya-Meijin. Akari goes to a Go class with Hikaru, but Hikaru gets kicked out for dumping stones on Akota's head and pulling off his wig when he finds him bullying other players. Hikaru goes to the Children's Tournament to watch, but gets in trouble for repeating a comment on a game that Sai said to him. After refusing games, Touya finds out Hikaru might be at the Children's Tournament and runs off to find him. Hikaru runs into Touya-Meijin in the hall, and Sai recognizes him. Touya-Meijin is apprised of the situation and though Ogata protests having not gotten Hikaru's name, Touya-Meijin says that if he is truly that strong, he will appear before them eventually. Outside, Touya meets up with Shindou, saying, "I've finally found you, Shindou Hikaru."
Possible Discussion Questions:
Most of us here are watching this for the second, third, fourth, or even tenth time. But at some point, we all watched Hikaru no Go for the first time. What were your impressions of Hikago that first time watching these episodes? What was it that compelled you to keep watching from these two opening episodes? How is it different than watching it now?
In the second episode, we already see the beginnings of Touya’s obsession with Shindou because of Sai’s Go. What do you think of this? Is his obsession purely related to Sai’s strength, or is there something more (IE desire for friendship/intrigue/other interest)? They make it clear that Touya has no equal in his age bracket – does his loneliness factor into how easily he falls into his obsession with a boy his age who appears to be stronger than him?
We’re only given some brief glimpses of Akari in these episodes, though it’s clear that she’s close with Hikaru, as is most easily seen by how she calls him Hikaru instead of Shindou. What kind of relationship do you think they have at the start of the series? Is she a good friend to Hikaru? Is he a good friend to her? If you had only ever seen these two episodes of Hikago and knew nothing else of the series, what direction would you see their friendship going in?
Those of you who have read the manga know that while the anime mirrors the manga almost perfectly, the sequence of the beginning events are different. Why do you think they chose to change just this part? Do the missing events change anything about the series for you?
Let's discuss it! Also, feel free to suggest other discussion questions to add to this list!
Also, check out the fabulous meta post on the first three episodes - Manga vs. Anime by
llamabitchyo!Remember, please use ROT13 for spoilers!
EDIT: For those of you in the US, remember, you can watch Hikago for free at Hulu!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-12 02:33 pm (UTC)The first time I watched HnG was in sessions of five eps at the time. I had seen slow anime before, and knew that was the best way for to deal with that. When I read the manga after I realized I had unwittingly done the right thing as it turned out about 4-5 eps covers on volume of the manga.
One of the reason I think I prefer the anime over the manga is the timing. Since the anime is a running film, the viewer is directed more in what they get to see and when. This means that a nuance that the reader can just gloss over because he's going quite fast, can be pointed out now.
The other reasons are the sound and the color. I findthan when I'm reading manga, the lack of color makes it harder for me to make out the scenes. And I do so miss color. Also I'm very much distracted by the actual process of reading, and don't get enough time to really look at the pictures.
And of course there is the fact that Obata changed/improved his style of drawing over the first few volumes and the anime went straight with the better style from the beginning. I do like the consistency of all those factor in the medium of the anime.
There is going to be a little bit more detail in the manga vs. the anime. That always happens when you go from a book to a film. But I must say that, apart from some reshuffling of scenes in the first few eps, the anime is pretty much a scene perfect rendition of the manga.
I know this for a fact, 'cause when we did the re-read over 1 ear ago, I wrote down every single scene and who was in it and what happened, and I could just copy & past that info straight to the anime re-watch I did myself at the same time.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-12 03:52 pm (UTC)That's actually something that annoys me quite a bit when watching anime. When I read manga, I might realise the importance of a moment in the development of the story or the character, but it doesn't mean it's a situation I want to linger or reflect on right this moment. But watching anime kind of forces that. I want to set my own pace, lingering on scenes that affect me deeply - and not on the scenes someone else decided should affect me deeply.
That's part of why I usually prefer reading manga to watching anime. I also don't mind the changing styles, in fact, I enjoy observing the process of a mangaka developing their style, growing together with their own characters and their story. (Hikaru at fifteen is really really beautiful! *g*)
When I watched Hikago for the first time it was in one go, too. Was a very good weekend about four years ago. :) It's hard for me to stop with a good thing when I know there's more to come, but I'm the type who eats the whole bar of chocolate at once, too.
I don't miss the colour when reading manga and I read so fast I have enough time to enjoy the pictures. And I do linger on the ones I find especially beautiful. But having sound, yes, that's something I love about anime, when the music and the voice actors are as great as they are in Hikago. I often find myself hearing them speak when I re-read the manga afterwards.
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no subject
Date: 2012-02-13 06:20 pm (UTC)