Reread: Volume 02: Game 012

[verys]

萌芽
Gem

This chapter originally appeared in the 15th issue of Weekly Shounen Jump in 1999.

Material from this chapter was adapted into anime episode 6 (美しい一局, "A Game of Beauty").

This chapter takes place in February of 1999.

Chapter Summary

Akira is shocked to see Hikaru participating in the tournament, and wonders why he's dressed up in a middle schooler's uniform. He pushes his way through the crowd until he's standing right behind him, and watches the game.

Sai guides Hikaru through the game. Sai advises Hikaru not to simply play like a doll, but to feel the flow of each stone. Sai plays the game to teach Hikaru, and notes that he has awakened.

Kaga resigns his game. He notices that Touya's watching the games, and goes to see what he's so captivated by in Hikaru's game.

Tsutsui's resolve is weakening and he's almost ready to resign when he notices his opponent make an exploitable mistake. Tsutsui immediately takes advantage of the situation and regains his confidence. He recalculates their positions and determines that he will be able to win. His opponent, intimidated by his precision in yose in the previous game, resigns.

Tsutsui, jubilant, goes to celebrate with Kaga, but sees his chair is empty. He sees everyone is watching Hikaru's game. Black resigns, and while he succumbs to tears, he is congratulated on his game by Yun-sensei.

The proctor announces Haze as the winner of the tournament. The crowd is amazed that Kaiou lost.

At that moment, Takada notices Hikaru and recognises him, calling him out as a sixth grader. The proctor questions them, and Tsutsui is quick to take the blame. Regardless, Haze is disqualified, and Kaiou is declared tournament champions.

Hikaru's first concern is about the go club, but then he notices Akira standing off to the side. Akira tells him that Hikaru had played a beautiful game, and laments that he wasn't the one to play Hikaru.

Kaga eases Hikaru's mind by admitting that what he had said earlier to fire Hikaru up was just lies.

Akira tells Hikaru that he truly understands that in order to achieve the Hand of God he has to overcome Hikaru, and that he won't run from Hikaru anymore.

Sai prompts Hikaru to see if he felt a little something from the game they just played. Hikaru agrees, and understands now that Sai really is an amazing person. He reflects that Akira and his serious gaze is looking directly at Sai and that Akira is determined to chase Sai with his full strength, and that he might succeed. Hikaru knows he's far away from both of them, but he's taking his first step.

Games Played

Kaga Tetsuo vs. Kaiou Middle School First Board
Result: Kaiou Middle School First Board wins by resignation
Inspiration: unknown

Kaiou Middle School Second Board vs. Tsutsui Kimihiro
Result: Tsutsui Kimihiro wins by resignation
Inspiration: unknown

Shindou Hikaru (actually Fujiwara no Sai) vs. Kaiou Middle School Third Board
Result: Shindou Hikaru (actually Fujiwara no Sai) wins by resignation
Inspiration: Kanda Ei 7-dan vs. Oka Mitsuo 6-dan on 19 July 1990 in the Ooteai

Thanks to ヒカルの棋譜 and My Friday Night Files for identifying this game and making it available for download!

Featured Characters

• Fujiwara no Sai
• Kaga Tetsuo
• Shindou Hikaru
• Takada
• Touya Akira
• Tsutsui Kimihiro
• Yun-sensei

First Appearances

• Yun-sensei

Featured Locations

• Kaiou Middle School

Commentary

I'm not really clear on why this chapter title was chosen. The Japanese title is 萌芽, meaning like sproutling or seedling, often used figuratively as is the case here. I'm trying to think of an English turn-of-phrase involving the word "gem" that has the same sort of meaning; the closest I can come up with is "diamond in the rough" which has a very different meaning IMHO. I'm wondering if the translator used "germ" (as in germination, not cooties) and the editor was like "lol, funny typo". Anyone have any ideas on that front?

Doesn't Akira look super cute wedging his way through all these taller middle school students?

OH MY GOD CHUBBY BABY HAND LOOK AT HIS SUPER CUTE BABY HAND

Yeah, seriously, what the hell is this dillhole doing here?

Go Tsutsui! Well spotted! Pry apart his defences!

That's right, Tsutsui is frickin' BALLER and don't you forget it! Respect!

oh Tsutsui you are so cute in both these panels I just can't handle it I can't

I really wish we got a name for this guy because he's so incredibly earnest and beautiful and I want to write all the fic ever about him. Also they gave him really dazzlingly lovely purple eyes in the anime, which is obviously the correct choice.

Obata-sensei does such adorable reaction faces <3 The whole gang looks great here!

Kaga's pretty sweet and understanding about Hikaru's Touya Akira thing from this moment on. It's interesting to see the gears turning in his head in this moment.

Oh, Akira. He grows out of his tiny bb phase much earlier than Hikaru does, and I think this is the most incredibly twelve panel of him in the manga. I love how earnest and full of sincerity he is, the little darling.

YEAAAAAAH TOURNAMENT CHART YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS IT MEANS COLD HARD FACTS

Round 1:

• Kaiou vs. Hamachi
• Tai vs. Iwana
• Ayu vs. Sawara
• Haze vs. Kawahagi

Round 2:

• Kaiou vs. Tai
• Sawara vs. Haze

Round 3:

• Kaiou vs. Haze YEAAAAH LAST MAN STANDING KAIOU WINS

I think if I were on the Kawahagi or Sawara teams I'd be pretty hacked off about things.

Hikaru, get out of the way; you in your stupid panel are cutting off the list of the girls' teams :(

Comments

[kexing]

Ahhh, I love everyone in this chapter!! Everyone!! Look at Tsutsui’s face when he wins!! It is so adorable! And it is so sweet that the first thing he does is to try and tell Kaga because he is so proud. They have the cutest relationship!

This is also the chapter when I really, really started to love Akira. He sees the guy who basically crushed his self-confidence play an awesome game. But instead of just running away or getting angry again he just loves go so much he runs towards it. It takes a very special courage so it makes me really happy. And Hikaru is really starting to get impressed by that dedication (and spoiled by the attention). Epic destiny <3

Kaga is really weirdly understanding of Hikaru and Akira. This is the guy who tore up a book because Touya Akira pissed him off so much and now he is all calm and smirking. Well, I guess Hikaru making his fanboy face is really hard not to smirk at, but still. I would really want to know what the heck Kaga is thinking here. Personally I sort of chose to believe that seeing Akira again made Kaga realize that he totally has gotten over his past and just wants to go and play shogi!

Also, now the period when Hikaru and Akira dramatically say each other’s names with exclamation points really begins. Someone should make a drinking game but I am pretty sure they’d die.

[verys]

Ohhhhhh man, that panel of Kaga. That knowing look inspired me to Photoshop that part and see just how much I could skew the shipping potential of the scene with the fewest number of edits; it is a RIDICULOUS look Kaga gives!!

I think this chapter is the last time Akira ever addresses Hikaru with an honorific (though I'm not 100% on that; corrections welcome!).

[chagrined]

DID U SAVE THE RESULTS OF THAT PHOTOSHOP EDITING??

[verys]

It turns out it's not even that funny because it reads AS IF YOU WERE READING HIKARU NO GO, which I guess is pretty funny because oh man this canon is seriously a gift to shippers everywhere.

[chagrined]

GAME 12
-haha i love akira pushing his way through the crowd
-oh tiny hikaru in ur huge borrowed junior high uniform <3
-now kaga's back to calling tsutsui "kimihiro" after calling him "tsutsui" that one time last chapter, FUCKING VIZ
-CRY CRY CRY KAIO THIRD BOARD
-YO, YUN SENSEI!
-oh hi touya here, just hanging out smiling at you like a creeper
-lol i love how after touya says it's a beautiful game kaga smirks and quips "that's right," lol kaga
-i like how much taller touya is than shindou here
-"i understand that i have to overcome you" => "i understand that i have to come over you" => "oh, so i just need to fap off and ejaculate onto shindou and then i'll be good to go?" yes touya, yes.
-hikaru looks incredibly wonky on page 110, IT'S PROBABLY MOSTLY THE HAIR well combined with the huge uniform haha
-"and knowing touya, he's going to succeed" -> HIKARU U MET THIS KID WHAT, OK THREE TIMES NOW? AND U R ALREADY SUCH AN EXPERT ON HIM? LOL