r/anime • u/wloff • Sep 15 '26
Rewatch Hikaru no Go 25th Anniversary Rewatch: Episode 3 Discussion
The Third Match: Akira Bares His Fangs
◄ Episode 2 | Index | Episode 4 ►
Series Information:
Streams:
Purchaseable:
On Apple TV or Prime Video.
Proverb of the Day:
Tsumego of the Day:
Today's theme: Nets!
Questions of the Day:
- Would you rather fight a dragon or a lion?
- Did you have something as a child you were better at than most other kids your age?
Rewatchers, remember there are first-timers present!
Be careful not to spoil anything that hasn't happened yet in the show. If you wish to discuss something in the future, make sure to hide it under spoiler tags.
Spoiler tags work like this:
[Hikaru no Go]>!Sai is cute.!<
Which becomes: [Hikaru no Go]Sai is cute.
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u/MaskOfIce42 https://anilist.co/user/MaskOfIce Sep 15 '26
First Timer, Subbed
You know, from Akira's perspective, Hikaru really has got to be his worst nightmare. He's put so much work into practicing Go, it is his passion, and then suddenly this other kid appears that doesn't take it seriously but is so naturally good that he can crush him. Like that has to be demoralizing being so crushed by raw talent that it feels like you can't catch up and he's not even taking it seriously. Obviously we know what's actually going on isn't Hikaru is talented, but that he's playing for a thousand year old spirit who has put in that time, but man, I kinda feel for Akira honestly. I haven't seen Ping-Pong yet, but I've heard a bit about it and it reminds me of what I've heard there.
And here's the moment I've been waiting for that had to happen, Hikaru starting to find his own passion for Go. It's kinda a Blue Period lite in a way, where what he's inspired by is the passion that others have, something he wants to feel. He describes it as the intensity they have, clearly something born from all the effort they've put in, but I think it achieves a similar idea, he wants to take this seriously, he recognizes he's out of place and isn't satisfied just letting Sai play through him. I'm curious how the match will turn out, since presumably no matter how good Sai is, it's incredibly difficult to keep up with 1000 years of advancements.
Question 1: Well, if I'm dead either way, I'd at least rather fight a monster like a dragon lol
Question 2: I was better at piano than most of my peers. I took lessons all through high school and while I wasn't doing anything competitively, I still had a lot of pride in my piano playing. Unfortunately nowadays I've let that wane a bit, although I have thought about getting back into trying to play more, maybe learn some new songs again.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Sep 15 '26
It's kinda a Blue Period lite in a way, where what he's inspired by is the passion that others have, something he wants to feel.
That's a nice comparison!
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u/zambonijesus Sep 15 '26
Rewatcher, manga reader, subs
Time for Hikaru to get serious. Akira is a great rival and we get our first intense and dramatic Go match. Hikaru and Akira are nice complementary contrasts in both personalities and life experience.
One thing I like about Toya Meijin is that he's actually a good dad to Akira, which is incredibly rare in anime lol.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Sep 15 '26
One thing I like about Toya Meijin is that he's actually a good dad to Akira, which is incredibly rare in anime lol.
I really liked this part too. Given how serious Akira is about go, I was expecting he would be the type of father who pushes their kid to be the very best (like no one ever was) but the impression I get from him now turned out to be the opposite, which is refreshing.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Sep 15 '26
Rewatcher, 20 years non-player
I remember back in the day that I was finally able to beat the computer by catching it in ladders. Problem 2-1 shows me that I can't do that anymore. I'm terrible at reading the board. But that's why I don't play chess, either.
- Mitsuketa!
- "they seemed so serious" Heda of Aincradshould feel called out
It baffles me that the very idea that Hikaru was cheating never crosses Akira's mind. Such is the seriousness of Go in Japan, I guess.
- So, is Sai going to play seriously, or let Hikaru faceplant? In front of an audience?
- He shouldn't take 3 minutes for his first move? Oh, Right! Akira is going to exploit Sai's outdated conservative playstyle, right?
- Hikaru still hasn't been taught how to place stones properly.
- fucking ROADKILL
- G O
- hey it's that dude
- "hey, I'm not a performing monkey"
I really really love the dramatic music during the games. It's SUPER EFFECTIVE.
I'm surprised Sai is playing so many games in public. Hikaru is going to end up on TV at this rate.
Preview: That guy literally looks like he escaped from Bleach or YYH or something.
Child actors don't grow up happy, on average, it seems. Toss in all the children run through beauty pageants, or those with Asian parent syndrome learning violin or piano. I wonder how all this Go is affecting Akira's development.
Q1: I'm sure I have no idea what Sai is meaning, here.
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u/TrekkiMonstr Sep 16 '26
It baffles me that the very idea that Hikaru was cheating never crosses Akira's mind. Such is the seriousness of Go in Japan, I guess.
How could he? Remember this is like 2001 -- I don't think even a powerful desktop computer could beat a pro back then. Hikaru showed up to the salon alone, and everyone else there seems to be a regular/weaker than Akira, and were visibly not paying attention to their first match.
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u/wloff Sep 16 '26
I don't think even a powerful desktop computer could beat a pro back then.
Heck, even I could beat any go engine from 2001, and I'm no Touya Akira!
It took machine learning to finally develop an AI that was stronger than humans, just ten years ago.
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u/TrekkiMonstr Sep 16 '26
Than Lee Sedol, who we can assume is similarly ~3 stones stronger than Akira. I assume you're right about the 01 engines, but I only had the one data point, so didn't want to assume
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u/No_Rex x2 Sep 16 '26
How could he? Remember this is like 2001 -- I don't think even a powerful desktop computer could beat a pro back then. Hikaru showed up to the salon alone, and everyone else there seems to be a regular/weaker than Akira, and were visibly not paying attention to their first match.
It took a specially written program, running on a strong server to first beat a top human player in 2016. So, any cheating via machine would be completely out of the picture in 2001. You already mentioned having human help. That only leaves cheating as in moving stones, but Akira is good enough to spot that if it happens by remembering the board state at all times.
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u/TrekkiMonstr Sep 16 '26
I didn't mention Alphago because that was beating a top human player, which per the show is 3 stones stronger than Akira. I don't know the state of computer go prior to AG, so I don't know where things stand.
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u/Kain_Shana Sep 16 '26
The Tiger and Dragon represent the balance of Yin and Yang! Opposite but complementary forces that conform the universe. They complement, support and perpetuate each other and together form the whole of everything.
[HnG] I think its a very appropiate metaphor for Akira and Hikaru's rivalry, isn't it?
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u/wloff Sep 15 '26
Rewatcher and your host, E-F subs
Ah, cue that ProZD video about "fansubs" vs "official subs"!
Akira is being extremely dramatic. Of course, he is, what 12?... And you can kind of see where he's coming from. A go prodigy, son of arguably the best player in Japan, dedicated to becoming pro as long as he's been alive, used to being on a whole another level compared to anyone else his age. And then he loses to, seemingly, a complete newbie? I can't even imagine what that could possibly feel like.
Then again, Sai is also being pretty damn dramatic himself. Maybe it's just a go maniac trait and not related to age...?
And Hikaru is the only one feeling left out. What would it feel like to be as intensely involved as all these people around him...?
Poor Akira, kid is devastated. Touya Sr., however, is really, really intense. Chill down, dude! I know you care about your son, but Hikaru is just a child too!
There you go, Hikaru! Learn the cool way to hold the stones!
This episode feels like it flew by in a flash, and there was a lot of emotion and intense games, but not a terrible amount actually happened. Not a whole lot I can think of to say about it.
But maybe, just maybe, Hikaru himself is getting just a tiny bit interested in the game, eh?
QotD 1: I'd probably die either way, so I'll take the dragon. At least it'd be cool to see. And with some luck, it'd be one of those dragons that can turn into a cute girl human form.
QotD 2: I dunno... I learned to read at 3 years old, thanks to an older sister who was upset that her dumb little brother couldn't read yet and kept teaching me. So maybe that? And I guess writing has always come easy to me, too, ever since a very young age.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Sep 16 '26
A go prodigy, son of arguably the best player in Japan, dedicated to becoming pro as long as he's been alive, used to being on a whole another level compared to anyone else his age. And then he loses to, seemingly, a complete newbie
My thoughts keep drifting back to a monologue from a character in Frieren, who bemoans the existence of geniuses who outshine those who have spent centuries perfecting one single piece of magic.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Sep 15 '26
First-Timer no Go, subbed
Man this is some really intense music playing during the section of the match there’s no dialogue at all. I should note I’m complaining about that, it just definitely jumped out at me.
Actually something I will complain about is that it’s kinda hard to tell what parts Hikaru is actually saying out loud to Sai and which ones he’s communicating by thought. Half the time they animate him as literally talking to Sai, it gets no response from the people around him when it should if they hear him talking, so it’s clear he’s not saying literally everything out loud, just some of it. Everyone reacting to Hikaru shouting at Sai is what brought this on.
…that’s… kinda what Akira losing to Hikaru twice would do from Akira’s perspective, isn’t it?
Man, I really do love the ED lead-in. I hope the future EDs also have lead-ins, since I see the show has a bunch of others listed on MAL.
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u/zambonijesus Sep 15 '26
We were introduced to him going through his grandfather's things for stuff to sell...
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u/wloff Sep 15 '26
Man this is some really intense music playing during the section of the match there’s no dialogue at all. I should note I’m complaining about that, it just definitely jumped out at me.
If there's one thing this show teaches you about go, it's that go is always accompanied by an extremely dramatic soundtrack.
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Sep 16 '26
Hikaru is that money-motivated huh?
He's still feeling the sting of getting his allowance cut off.
I hope the future EDs also have lead-ins
I hope so, too!
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Sep 15 '26
Hikaru is that money-motivated huh?
That part was pretty relatable. The game itself doesn't have any draw for me, but I can totally understand the kid wanting to get ahead in life.
Actually something I will complain about is that it’s kinda hard to tell what parts Hikaru is actually saying out loud to Sai and which ones he’s communicating by thought.
Yeah, it did seem a bit inconsistent when people react to it sometimes but not every time. Hikaru really needs to learn how to just think things at Sai rather than blurting them out loud. It's hilarious seeing the reactions from passersby, but the whole town will think he's crazy soon.
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u/wloff Sep 16 '26
I think we just have to accept that the logic is essentially "no one can hear him when it's convenient for the story."
If I had to guess, most of the time he's supposed to be communicating telepathically, but the animators wanted to occasionally animate his mouth moving to make it more interesting visually.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Sep 16 '26
Yeah, that makes sense.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Sep 15 '26
First-Time Viewer no Go
This episode was better than the first two. A strong rivalry goes a long way towards making me more invested, and the character drama between Hikaru and Akira was pretty good. I appreciated that their reactions felt appropriate for their young ages - the way Akira shut down after losing to a beginner who doesn't take the game as seriously as he does, and Hikaru's attempts to cheer him up even though he didn't know what to say to get through to him. And I liked the flashback scenes with Akira's father. It seems like he's the one putting pressure on himself, rather than his father pushing him to follow in his footsteps to become a pro go player. Quite the opposite, he says he can't predict if his son will have a talent for it or not but does possess the qualities he believes would aid him on that path, which is a healthy way of looking at it.
Sai's musings on the game changing since his time were promising too, because it means he may not just be able to easily defeat everyone as some of these new strategies he's not familiar with may present a challenge. That doesn't make the game itself any more exciting, but it does ring true for me as a fan of the duel monsters card game during the original series of Yu-Gi-Oh. The game is so different now 20 years later that I wouldn't be able to jump into a tournament without being confused by the new rules, and hundreds of years have passed in Sai's case. He also has his own independent rivalry going on with Akira, like a mix between wanting to train him as a protege and wanting to compete with him, which could be interesting to see develop.
The ending actually has me curious to see what happens next. Akira's father wanting to determine the skill level of the kid who beat him seems like his motivation comes from being a father first and go champion second, which is the more intriguing angle to me.
I don't see the hype in watching them set down their playing stones a certain way though. That sort of thing just isn't impressive to me.
Questions of the Day:
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u/TradingStoicly Sep 16 '26
First Timer Subbed
Holy crap what an episode! I honestly wasn't expecting Hikaru to play Akira's father! I really felt bad for Akira though. He's worked hard his whole life to be this good and some kid who's never played before has beaten him twice.
I honestly started fearing towards the end of the episode that Hikaru was going to start making his own plays lol. Like he was going to forget what Sai was telling him to do haha.
I understand that feeling of awe when you see someone doing something so cool. It reminds me of the most recent Pokémon VGC World Championships where the winning play was completed with style. It makes me want to be like that person
QOTD: 1. I'd most definitely rather fight a lion lol. Dragons will kill me with their first breath but neither is fun to go up against lol 2. I was a very good basketball player when I was younger. I ended up being the captain of my high school team and first dunked the ball when I was 14. Injuries derailed my progress completely though
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Sep 15 '26
first time baduker hikaru no go to the polls
Hikaru for it to be a joke it should be funny
Sai trying to balance teaching both of them during the same game
lower right 3-4, are the notation not carried through the whole board
the shusaku trap!! and the banger music that plays as the intensity goes up
hilarious Sai is actually trying to learn himself while teaching them both - a true genius
wait what happened to the two pieces Akira captured
the board looked pretty even surprised he resigned
for the sake of Akira's Go play, this may push him to new heights. But it also will maybe ruin his life, Sai how could you
work hard and love the game, well its not natural talent so Akira you have a chance still
thinking on it more, its probably for the best he experiences this kind of adversity you young
why does Hikaru already have GO shirts
Sai youre going to get whooped by papa
are Mai and Yuki playing Go today
i fear this show is very good
my solutions for yesterdays tsumego
B2-1 T15
B2-2 G3
B2-3 O4
I2-1 R16
I2-2 No as it leads to white being able to have multiple liberties. I initially read this as the bottom left of the board, in which case I thought it would be fine since white seems to be pressured there
A2-1 M16. M18 would just get you pinned by J17
A2-2 K5, L4, M4 and then you can ladder/chase either side. Capturing J4 K4 frees the 4 whites
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u/baboon_bassoon https://anilist.co/user/duffer Sep 15 '26
- Dragon because then I get their gold
- Math
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u/cppn02 Sep 16 '26
Dragon because then I get their gold
You're confident you're gonna beat the dragon?
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u/Kain_Shana Sep 16 '26 edited Sep 16 '26
Rewatcher, spanish dub!
I like how Akira yelled at Hikaru but immediately dialed it back to try to be polite. Sadly Hikaru had to say some bullshit to gain his hostility lol I can't even judge Hikaru, I also would consider playing if I was good and saw how much money I could gain from it , but of course I'd like to think I would have more tact.
Well, to be fair, Akira is also very fucking weird. He just chased a kid he barely knows and (from Hikaru's POV) randomly started examining his hands in their second meeting. You can tell he isn't that well socialized lol
I love how Akira is having a full blown anime monologue while Hikaru is just calling him a weirdo.
I just love Hikaru being a brat in general ha ha ha
Sai mentions the Tiger and Dragon, which represents the natural balance of Yin and Yang , in which the Dragon represents the Yang and the Tiger the Yin. [HnG] we are being told very early on how indispensable their rivalry will become, and how their destinies as Go players are linked. They are, cosmically, each other's half. Personality wise, Akira is a Dragon and Hikaru a Tiger, which also matches their color schemes.
Everyone reacting to the Hikaru-Akira game like me during the world cup (?)
I am too animepilled, if the music tells me that this board game is hype, who am I to question it?
Sai and Akira are having a full blown duel while Hikaru is just in the sidelines being confused lol.
And Sai cut Akira down, quickly and clean, Hikaru doesn't even know how to react.
Baby Akira is so fucking cuuute! That bowl cut makes him so cutieful as a baby
I find it rather sweet how Hikaru had his first epiphany about Go while trying to console Akira. He's a rude little shit but he cares
Ogata literally grabbed a random kid off the street and dragged him away, I am calling the police
I 100% believe that Touya Kouyou challenged Hikaru in part to vindicate his poor son who this hoolingan crushed, cuz he can't pick a fight directly with a kid lol
Hikaru being in awe about Kouyou's moves is a mood, he's so cool, and a good dad.
Look at this kid go, placing a stone correctly for the first time
Questions!
1.-Dragon or... Lion? Huh. I think I would fucking die either way, but fist fighting a Dragon would be 100% cooler
2,- I didn't have to study for exams until I was in high school, and I could bullshit my way into a passing grade even during college, does that count?
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u/wloff Sep 16 '26
I find it rather sweet how Hikaru had his first epiphany about Go while trying to console Akira. He's a rude little shit but he cares
Honestly, he's just a typical 12-year-old! He was being cool with Akira from the moment they first met, and he thought he made a friend, even at the children's tournament he was thinking "hey, maybe Akira is here somewhere too". He just had no idea beating Akira had been such a big deal!
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u/cppn02 Sep 16 '26 edited Sep 16 '26
First Timer, subbed
Akira tracket down Hikaru and well...this caught me off guard lol. Trying to think of other subs that used fuck for a character as young and straight laced as Akira and coming up blank.
He did get his rematch though and again gets soundly beaten. At this rate he will drop into a depression lol.
Meanwhile Hikaru gets 'rewarded' for his interference at the tournament by getting to play Akira's dad. I was suprised we go straight there and not having him go up against a sub-boss first.
QotD:
Would you rather fight a dragon or a lion?
A lion I guess? Atleast there's a miniscule chance I't make it.
Did you have something as a child you were better at than most other kids your age?
Not really I'd say. Maybe school but that stopped by the time I entered puberty lol.
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u/semaN_oN Sep 20 '26
You know what, if someone could made a go board and go piece that light up the LED everytime you made a move, that might be helpful for spectators watching on screen. Everyone might have a different opinion though
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u/wloff Sep 15 '26
wloff's go corner #3
Towards the end of the episode, Touya Meijin asks Hikaru to "place three stones". This is known as handicap in go.
Handicap
One of the great advantages go has compared to games like chess is how fantastic and elegant of a handicap system it has.
Essentially, in a handicap game, the weaker player places a number of stones on the board before the game begins. Usually, the placement of these stones is pre-determined: the stones will be placed on the star points in a specific order.
In a handicap game, the weaker player always takes black, and the stronger player takes white. White is traditionally the "stronger player's color", since black has the advantage of moving first (which, of course, is nowadays offset by komi, so it doesn't really matter.)
The handicap system is a fantastic way for players of different skill levels to be able to play a meaningful game with each other. Having stones already on the board gives the weaker player an equalizing edge, but it doesn't change the essence of the game.
Placing handicap stones is utterly normal in go, and there's no stigma against it. If you play a stranger in a casual game, say at a go club or bar, the question is "what kind of handicap should we use", not "should we use handicap or not".
Real Games in Today's Episode:
The second game between Sai and Akira is, surprisingly, a bit of a mystery. No games in known databases at the time contained Sai's infamous kosumi. However, the extended fight shown in the anime does come from a known game: Honinbou Shuuwa vs. Yasui Sanchi, from 1832.
Most likely, the rest of the game was invented by Umezawa Yukari to fit the story.
Let's learn Go: Nets!
Last time I introduced ladders, which is one of the two fundamental methods of capturing stones. The other one is called a net, or geta in Japanese.
This is the basic net shape.
In order to capture the white stone, Black plays 1. You can imagine Black 1 as throwing a "net" over the white stone: Black 1 doesn't directly reduce its liberties, but it completely captures the stone.
If White tries to escape, thanks to Black 1, Black can always block the escape path. The white stone is caught in the net.
A two-stone shape like this can also be captured in a net.
After White 1, no matter how Black tries to escape, the net holds him fast.
A three-stone string is usually too big to capture in net. Here, Black can jump to 2, and White can't stop him, because Black 4 is an atari.
Nets are another basic capturing shape that is vital to remember! Whenever there's a stone you'd really like to capture, the first thing you should ask yourself is: "Is it a net? Is it a ladder?" If the answer is "yes", you can capture the stone lickety-split!