|
HIKARU NO GO: THE YOUNG LIONS TOURNAMENT (VOL. 7) [ADVANCE REVIEW] |
|
Saturday, 24 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 4:3 FULL FRAME | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 100 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | A | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/27/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/25/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Hikaru gets invited to his first Go study session. Not knowing what to expect, he finds himself invited to the Young Lions Tournament where he can compete against the young pros. Hikaru’s only ranked 18th in the B league. How can he expect to compete against young pros? His preparation for the tournament however leads to a slew of losing games for Hikaru. He begins to lose his passion for the sport. Will he lose all heart as well?
At the qualification rounds, he must rank in the top 16 if he hopes to face Akira Toya at the Young Lions Tournament. But one of his opponents may just realize Hikaru’s secret, about the spirit of Sai following him! Afterwards, the pro exam is coming up and the difference between the pro Go players and the aspiring ones is clearly felt. Does Hikaru have what it takes to face Akira Toya as an equal over the Go board?
More Go drama and suspense in the latest volume of Hikaru no Go. It’s not many shows that have the boldness of having a hero in a sports show be built up on win after win only to fall down after a series of losses. But this show does. Hikaru’s series of losses makes him lose confidence in himself and it causes him to lose the love he has for the game. After the revealing heart to heart Sai has with Hikaru, things will hopefully be on the way up for the hero. What is particularly interesting about this conversation is how it leads into the heart of Sai shown in the last episode of this volume. Although he is happy to be helping Hikaru, the master at Go longs in his heart of hearts to play again, to feel the cool Go stones in his hands and face an opponent who can rival his ability. It is a natural urge for a true competitor who loves the game and seeks to better themselves by facing stronger opponents. Sai’s regret over the loss of this comes across very clearly in this episode. It will be curious to see if something more happens later on if he should seek some satisfaction for his unquenched thirst to play the beloved game again.
There’s an episode with barely any Hikaru at all here. Instead it focuses on his classmates during graduation and the future, or fate, of the Go Club he helped start so early on in the series. It’s a nice segue to see what is going on with his friends that we’ve come to know so well in the anime.
A bit of intrigue occurs when Ogata appears at the Young Lions Tournament and takes a special interest in Hikaru, not Toya. Just what is he up to? Even Toya is drawn to Hikaru while Hikaru is playing, During his observations, will he get a glimpse of something special?
EXTRAS:
Bonus features in this volume include previews of other Viz titles, “Know Your Go” glossary, manga preview, and storyboard and sketches.
IN SUMMARY:
Hikaru no Go is a splendid anime that makes the intellectual game of Go visually dynamic and emotionally engaging. The latest volume sees Hikaru losing games and losing heart. Later, it hits the beginning of the Young Lions Tournament and a touch of intrigue into the series with the latest events. |
