- Differences between anime and manga. -

The very fans of the manga version won't be deceived by its screen adaptation. Actually, this one is pretty much faithful to the original paper version. We made fun of pointing at the little 'treasons' though. They are very few but we can find them through a careful search.

This is the only real regret. During the first episode, Hikaru playing against his grandfather or Hikaru coming to one of his local Go lessons (the second 'encounter' with Akota) are two scenes which have been erased from the anime version. That means that the first game against Akira has also become the first game played by Sai. It's a pity when you come to think that the beginning of the paper version seemed much more logical.

Actually when Hikaru wanted Sai to play a game with his grandfather he didn't know anything about Go so that he couldn't play in accordance with Sai's instructions. He didn't even know the name of each point on the board. That is why he started to go to the local Go lessons given by Shirakawa (and he went there several times).

Like any animation cast on TV (and mainly meant for a young audience) Hikaru no Go is no exception to the censorship.

- Smoking damages your health.

Even if Kuwabara, Amano and Ogata never miss a chance to light a little one and smoke, anybody cannot pretend the same special treatment. For instance the cigarette of Kaga, who is still under age, that he stubs out on the goban has been skilfully replaced in the anime version by… a chewing-gum ! (which still is a sacrilege !)

- Vomit is rotten !

During the first episode (chapter one in the manga) Hikaru feels nauseous because Sai is sad by learning that the young boy he will haunt neither like Go nor wants to play. In the manga Hikaru copiously vomits on one of his classmates. This scene has been suppressed in the anime version (surely considered as too disgusting) and Hikaru merely goes to the toilet.

- Bet some money, very naughty !

When Hikaru plays the shin sodan series against Toya Meijin, Kuwabara suggests to Ogata that they should bet on the winner. In the manga, both take out a 10 000 yens note (they're pretty rich by the way !) whereas the bet just remains a friendly one in the anime version.

You may have already noticed that in the paper version the fonts are different whenever a foreigner speaks during Sai's games on the Web or Isumi's journey in China for instance. In the animation Le Ping speaks Japanese to perfection. Besides the Japanese grammar seems to hold no secret for the American amateurs Go players. (and THIS is really suspicious ! lol) But I can imagine well that the screenwriters would consider making Chinese or Korean or Dutch dialogues a difficult task. But in this way it is hard to understand well every scene especially during Isumi's journey in Pekin where he's supposed to not understand what is saying around at all. It reinforces the feeling of isolation but this kind of scenes loses its meaning or has been suppressed.

On the other hand, the original soundtracks are magnificient and the noise made by the stone cliking on the Goban is a reel asset for the animation. So then the game played between Isumi and Hikaru during the pro examination truly becomes a great tensed moment marked by the repetitve beep of the clock. In the same way during the 'revenge' between Hikaru and Isumi in the bedroom of Shindo, I just think that the scene is more beautiful in the animation where Sai's fan suddenly appeared to Hikaru in order to show him the move to make on the Goban. In the paper version Hikaru just realizes that Sai is alive in his Go skill by staring at the Goban.

The added scenes are very short and their importance is rather slight.

Even so we noticed :

- A few scenes during the pro examination added to reinforced the dramatic tone : Honda who cries and gives up taking the bus or Isumi walking alone in the rain… That surely brought tears to everyone's eyes. Boo-hoo !

- Isumi getting on Ogata's car to visit Hikaru and then go to the Go club. Even if I pretty like to see two of my favourite characters together in the same closed place, this scene doesn't bring anything special and I even think the passage is quite illogical. Ogata seems selfish enough for not being worried about Hikaru and not doing anything about it (in the anime version we can even see Amano call Ogata to talk about it). Plus he isn't supposed to know Isumi (not even any other insei ! If he should…). So it doesn't bring much interest but we just have had the opportunity to see the lovely red car once again ! ^^

- One episode (the 50th) is completely dedicated to Sai's introspection and his memories about his first encounter with Akira or Hikaru's evolution… etc. Except that there is some beautiful pictures which present Sai among flowers, this episode doesn't bring much interest. People who watched the animation from the beginning will be a little bored.

In any way, the missing scenes except the end were not really important.

- The stone paper scissors game between Hikaru and a drunk Ogata has been erased. Boo-hoo ! But why ?

- Only two of the six short stories in the 18th book have been brought on TV (they may not be the best of them all). But they are well included in the story.

- And no surprise : the end of the manga (from the 19th book) is still not completely adapted for TV. The animation only relates the first part of the story which offers a first ending in the 17th book. (The 18th book is a collection of parallel short stories). So the anime version stops here. Even so the end titles give us some outlines about what is going to happen next. A special episode sums up the 19th and 20th book and the continuation seems to be planned.

In order to have fun we also pointed at some other little differences :

- Nac Donald is an important place in the animation.

Do the screenwriters like the fast food ? Besides that in the anime version the well-known brands have been skilfully renamed (no disguised publicity !) the Nac Donald where Hikaru takes his lunch with his insei friends is more present than in the paper version. Especially when Waya offers to Hikaru to join his class of Go lessons. In the manga Waya and Hikaru juste talk about the subject during an ordinary lesson whereas in the animation they meet at the Nac Do to discuss about it.
You're gonna ask but what does that change ? Nothing at all except… the diet of Waya and Hikaru ! (Hey ! That is too bad ! They are not supposed to get fatter !)

- Bold Akira.

After the disconcertig game between Hikaru and Toya Meijin played for the shin shodan series, in the anime version Akira dares question his father about this disturbing game. This scene may have been added in order to make us understand well that the Meijin has not been fooled by Hikaru's game… Better to repeat it once again !
In the manga Toya junior seems too shy and keeps his thoughts for himself.

If you saw other differences, don't hesitate to tell us !

- Actors' voices (seiyuu) in japanese. -

• Hikaru Shindo : Tomoko Kawakami


• Sai Fujiwara : Susumu Chiba


• Akira Toya : Sanae Kobayashi


• Akari Fujisaki : Yumi Kakazu


• Shinichiro Isumi : Kenichi Suzumura ( Kamui in X)


• Yoshitaka Waya : Reiko Takagi


• Kousuke Ochi : Yôko Matsuoka


• Koyo Toya : Eizô Tsuda


• Kuwabara : Rokuro Naya


• Seiji Ogata : Keiji Fujiwara ( Maes Hughes in FMA)


• Kimihiro Tsutsui : Makoto Tsumura


• Yuki Mitani : Yû Asakawa

- Episodes list. -

	1. Eternal rival
	2. Discovered weakness !!
	3. Akira bears his fangs
	4. Kaga from shogi club
	5. Prediction of an awakening
	6. The beautiful match
	7. I won't play against you
	8. The plot in the rain
	9. An irritating presence
	10. The third member
	11. Worst possible action
	12. You are first board
	13. Each's decision
	14. The third match up
	15. The player on the net
	16. Who is Sai?
	17. Game of memory
	18. Akira vs Sai
	19. Hikaru's strenght
	20. The next step
	21. Haze go club
	22. Insei exam
	23. The room of profound darkness
	24. Oza vs Akira
	25. Sai's lessons
	26. The greatest wall for Hikaru
	27. The place I'd like to return to from time to time
	28. The young lions tournament
	29. Honinbo Kuwabara
	30. Ogata vs Honinbo
	31. It's coming! Pro exam
	32. The last day of the preliminaries
	33. Team assembled
	34. Can't win
	35. Only one winner
	36. My name is. . .
	37. Main test begins
	38. Challengers
	39. Moment of evil
	40. Whereabouts of the win
	41. Three weeks won't be enough
	42. The first passer
	43. Waya vs Hikaru
	44. Desesperate life
	45. Hikaru vs Ochi
	46. The last day of the pro exam
	47. The world of pros
	48. Sai vs Meijin
	49. An ambiguous game
	50. Sai Fujiwara
	51. Kurata 6 dan
	52. Hikaru vs Akira
	53. Sai's confession
	54. Excited mind
	55. Sai vs Koyo Toya
	56. The thousand years answer
	57. Let me play Sai!
	58. One-color go
	59. Koyo Toya's retirement
	60. Goodbye Hikaru
	61. Sai has disapeared
	62. Hiroshima's strongest player
	63. I won't play anymore
	64. The Keicho flower vase
	65. Isumi's go
	66. Tha fated encounter
	67. Isumi tested
	68. Forfeits
	69. The determined visitor
	70. Sai was here. . .
	71. First return game
	72. From this game. . .
	73. Shindo vs Toya
	74. Always with you
	75. The same old smile
	Spécial. Road to Hokuto cup