The BEST episodes of Hikaru no Go
Every episode of Hikaru no Go ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Hikaru no Go!
Shindou Hikaru, a 6th grader, finds an old go table in the attic of his grandfather's house. He sees some blood stains on the go table, and tries to wipe it off... when a ghost dressed in Heian period clothes pops out, and takes over his body. The ghost happens to be Fujiwara no Sai, a member of the court during the Heian period. Sai was one of the two men who was assigned as the go tutor to the emperor. The other tutor was envious of Sai, and challenged him to a go match - whoever wins gets to stay as the court's go master. Sai's opponent cheats during the match, and before Sai could say anything about it, the opponent accused Sai of cheating. Sai was banished from the court, and because of regret and anger, he committed suicide. But as with all unrepented souls, Sai was unable to leave the material world... until he is able to master go, and get one step closer to kami no itte, or god's hand.
#1 - The Thousand Year Answer
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 11/6/2002
When the match comes to a close, Sai is left the victor. However, when Hikaru discovers a flaw in the game that not even Sai was aware of, Sai finally realizes why he was allowed to return to the world of the living.
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#3 - Don't Win
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/5/2002
At a Friendly Go festival, Akira was invited to play a 4-way game with a council member and his three assistants. Though originally told to lose the game, Akira decides otherwise when the council member shows disrespect to Go by placing a cup on a Go board. Akira displays his amazing prowress by forcing a draw on all 4 players. Ashiwara feels that Akira should take it easier by just participating in the pro games but Akira just mutters to himself 'But he passed the prelims to the pro exams'. Meanwhile, Hikaru grows his mastery of go at the Heart of Go salon where he learns how to force a draw in 2-way/3-way games.
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#4 - That Same Old Smile
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/26/2003
The match between Hikaru and Akira comes to an end. Hikaru tells Akira that one day, he will tell him everything. At night Hikaru has a dream, with a surprise visitor! At the end, the song “Get Over” is played as we see everyone throughout the series. The Go world is changing and a younger generation has arrived!
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#5 - The Most Inconsiderate Act
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/19/2001
The Go Sallon Yuki goes to doesn't mind giving him money for winning games, but they are tired of him cheating to get it. They hire a skilled player who pretends not to know anything about Go to teach Yuki a lesson. Unfortunately, Yuki falls for the trick and ends up betting 10,000 yen (about $90). Can Yuki manage to defeat this skilled player?
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#6 - And So They Began to Run
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/5/2003
The Go world is moving. Everything is changing. Hikaru has won his first comeback match and dives into his next one. Isumi is taking the Pro Exam and is on his way to becoming a pro like Waya, Hikaru, and Ochi before him. Akira is beating high level dans. Ogata has taken yet another title. The Go world is shifting; a new wave is coming with Akira in the lead. But Kuwabara will not allow them to surpass him just yet...
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#8 - Sai vs Meijin
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 9/11/2002
Hikaru got a call that the Meijin is to play him in the first new dan series. Hikaru denies Sai's request to play instead. Both Master Kuwabara and Mr Ogata were surprised by each other's interest in Hikaru. Orchi, Waya and Akira also came by the Institute to watch the match. Hikaru decides to let Sai play with a 15 moku handicap instead of the 5.5 moku handicap given to new pros. Hikaru/Sai took a unprecedented half hour to decide on his first move while Sai contemplates on how to play the game.
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#10 - Three Weeks Isn't Enough!
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 7/24/2002
Realizing that Hikaru is getting stronger, Ochi swallows his pride and decides to ask Akira for help. When Akira tells Ochi about the game Hikaru played against Su-Young, Ochi realizes that Hikaru is a serious threat and that three weeks might not give him enough practice. However, Ochi still doesn't understand why Akira is obsessed with Hikaru, forcing him to show Ochi the match at the Go Salon from two years ago, the game where Hikaru destroyed him!
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#11 - Ogata vs Honinbou
Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 5/8/2002
Ogata and Kuwabara Honinbou continue their set of matches for the Honinbou title. They are on their final match, both having won the same number of games. When Ogata plays a sealed move for the first time, will he be able to follow up his actions and defeat Kuwabara?
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#12 - A Painful Match
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 9/18/2002
Hikaru/Sai spends half hour to decide on the first move while the others are having a field day discussing Hikaru. With a 15 moku handicap Hikaru set for Sai, Sai decides to attack early by baiting a trap for Meijin (Touya Kouyou) but which the latter is too careful to fall into. However, the Meijin sense a formidable presence around Hikaru, similar to the pressure he feels when playing against a seasoned Pro. Though Hikaru lost the game, the Meijin indicates that he would like to play Hikaru again without any handicap. Hikaru and Sai had a mini-debate about when Hikaru' going to let him play again. Akira further wonders about who Hikaru really is when his father confirms he would like to play Hikaru again.
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#14 - Akira Bears His Fangs
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/24/2001
After confronting Hikaru, Akira challenges him to a rematch. As they sit down to play, Sai notices Akira's fangs bearing down on him. Will Sai go easy on Akira, or will he crush him? And, what will happen when the Meijin challenges Hikaru to a game?
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#15 - Discovered Weakness!!
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/17/2001
With the recent defeat of the Meijin's son, Hikaru goes about his day normally. However, Akira is obsessing over the game he lost. He won't do anything but stare at the Go board and replay the game that he lost. When he gets word that Hikaru is at a Children's Go Tournament, he rushes there hoping to confront Hikaru and ask for a rematch.
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#16 - Eternal Rival
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/10/2001
Sixth grader Hikaru Shindo stumbles upon a mysterious Go board with a blood stain on it. Before he knows it he's hearing voices, one voice to be exact. The voice of an ancient Go instructor, Sai of the Fujiwara. Sai occupies a space in Hikaru's mind. Hikaru is the only one who can see, hear, or talk to Sai. Sai's one and only desire is to play Go. But he can only do that via Hikaru's body. However, Hikaru has no interest in playing Go. Will Hikaru allow Sai to play? And who is this mysterious young boy, Akira Touya?
#17 - The Match of Revelation
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/6/2002
Players who have been following Sai's net matches attended the 20th International Amateur Go Tournament in Japan. A commotion occurs at the mention of Sai's name as everyone is trying to who out who he is. The commotion caught the attention of Ogata and Akira. When Akira and Sai engaged in a match over the net, the former is reminded of his first match with Hikaru. Akira discontinues the match so as not to disrupt the ongoing tournament but fixes a date for a match with Sai which happens to be on the first day of Akira's Pro exams.
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#18 - Shindou vs Touya
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/12/2003
The long awaited day has finally arrived. Hikaru Shindou V. Akira Touya! The two reminisce about the past and the last time they played. It was a little over two years ago. They have both grown stronger since then. They sit down. Hikaru places one black stone and Akira places five white ones. Hikaru is black and will go first. Akira is white and will go second. Hikaru places his first stone down on komoku. Both of them are excited and the match they have both been waiting for has finally arrived…
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#19 - The Road to Becoming a Pro
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/27/2002
Kishimoto (Kaio's first board) played a match with Hikaru to find out his real strength and expressed his puzzlement as to why Akira sees Hikaru as a opponent when he's not as strong. Through Kishimoto, Hikaru realises the widening gap between Aikaru and himself and that it would be impossible to catch up with Akaru with Hikaru's current pace. All fired up, Hikaru decides to start off with enroling in the Insei program with becoming a Pro and defeating Aikra as his goal. However, he failed to realise that Inseis can't participate in Amateur tournaments. Thus, he's being forced to make a choice between being a Insei or quitting Haze Jr's Go Club.
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#20 - To the World of the Pros
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 9/4/2002
Having defeated Ochi, Hikaru has gained Akira's respect, and Akira is now awaiting their next match. As Hikaru wonders how his life will change now that he's become a Pro, Hikaru's mother confronts Waya's parents for advice on what to do. Also Sai begins to feel that he is no longer needed by Hikaru.
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#21 - The Pro Exam Begins
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/26/2002
The Pro Exam has finally begun, and the intensity reaches new heights after the pairings are chosen. Everyone seems so tense, except for Hikaru, who is unusually calm. Thanks to Waya and Isumi, Hikaru has learned how to handle the pressure. However, could their actions have turned Hikaru into a real threat?
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#22 - There Is Only One Winner
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/12/2002
Isumi, Waya and Hikaru decides to go to a recommeded Go Salon and Hikaru bumps into a rude young boy at the convenience store. Sai advises Hikaru not to pursue the incident as he senses that the young boy had some issues with himself. Upon entering the salon, the trio realised that it's a Korean Go salon (Koreans are known for their strength/domination in the Go world)and that the rude young boy is the owner's nephew called Su Young - a Korean insei-equivalent. Back at the institute, the editorial team was discussing Japan's poor performance in the world stage and Korea/China's domination. When Hikaru challenges Su-Young to a match, it turns into a Korean Vs Japan fight-out. The owner recounts Su-Young's history to Isumi. Su-young has been a very promising young talent who rose quickly through the ranks but a losing streak demoralises him to the extent of almost quitting Go and his parents sent him on a holiday to Japan. As the game starts, Hikaru vows to win and let Su-Young remember
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#23 - Forever Inside You
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/19/2003
The game between Hikaru and Akira wages on. They are both into the game and excited about it. Meanwhile, Amano tells news of a junior Japan, China, and Korea Go Tournament. It’s for experienced Go players under the age of 18. Everyone is worried because they have no one who could stand a chance against Korea, or even China, except for Akira. Amano says that they have Hikaru and the new wave that’s coming…
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#25 - Kaga in Shogi Club
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/31/2001
Akari invites Hikaru to the Haze Junior High festival. Hikaru reluctantly goes, but cannot find Akari anywhere. So, while walking around he stumbles upon a group of kids around a Go board. Tsutsui, the head of the Haze Junior High Go Club, is holding a competition. The prize is a book entitled "Assorted Tsumego from Touya Meijin's Matches". After seeing this Sai is eager to win it. But, can he with the sudden appearance of the Shougi captain, Kaga?
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