tapir: Go Seigen? (2012-06-22 23:44) [#9512]

moved from Seigen no Go

This page is a discussion on the theory that Hikaru no Go is based on the life story of Go Seigen and his friends.

1. In the animne and manga, Hikaru is a boy who learns "Shusaku's Moves" and is considered by those he plays go with as an incarnation of Shusaku. This is exactly what Go Seigen's reputation was in his early years, "A lesser incarnation of Shusaku", due to his close adherrence to Shusaku's style of play.

2. The point is made several times that Sai's play is "as if Shusaku had learned Modern Fuseki". Go Seigen is often credited, along with Kitani Minoru, as creating the "modern style" out of a Shusaku style. However - Go Seigen has also somewhat modified his ideas on the modern style creating a somewhat hypermodern style, much like what is said to happen in Hikaru no Go.

3. Not convinced yet? In the anime and manga, Hikaru and two of his friends visit a korean go club and are asked to play handicapped versus the local korean strong players (in real life pros, but in the anime/manga someone of the same age as Hikaru, a kid). This mirrors a story of Go Seigen when Go Seigen, Kitani Minoru, and friends visit Korea and are said to have been asked to play Handicap versus Koreans. Needless to say Go Seigen won his games earning new respect among Koreans too, just like what Hikaru does in Hikaru no Go.