Hikaru No Go is a coming of age story based on the manga of the same title which is in turn based on on the board game Go. The same basic storyline is followed by the manga and anime, with a few small changes between the versions. While exploring his grandfather's shed, Hikaru stumbles across a Go board haunted by the spirit of Fujiwara-no-Sai, a fictional Go player from the Heian era. Sai wishes to play Go again, having not been able to since the late Edo period, when his ghost appeared to HoninbŠShūsaku, an actual Go player of that period. Sai's greatest desire is to attain the Kami-no-Itte – "Divine Move", or the "Hand of God" – a perfect game. Because Hikaru is apparently the only person who can perceive him, Sai inhabits a part of Hikaru's mind as a separate personality, coexisting, although not always comfortably, with the child.
I watched this anime, because it was recommended to me and want to do so, too.
What did I like about this show? First of all the very topic. It was different from the usual: sports and/or "I have to save the world" stuff. I didn't know Go, but let me tell you after watching this anime I even played some matches myself. It is incredibly well told. From an external point of view Go is just a board and a bunch of two coloured stones. But this show depicts the internal conflicts, the strategy and the mental fight behind this seemingly laughable exterior thus creating a rapid and intense atmosphere that made me shivering with expectation and joy.
There aren't a lot of other animes that are able to show such intense emotions as well as a mature story. Don't be fooled by the age recommendation, to truly understand the depth of this anime you might be an adult and still enjoy it.
All of this make Hikaru No Go maybe not the best anime on earth, especially if you are into intense swordsmanship, on that you would be disappointed, but it is enjoyable and far above average concerning it's mental storyplay.
