We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ā Albert Einstein
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From the pairing sheet you share with us, I discover only now that some western players were seeded in the first round!
Ok they didnāt accomplish anything noticable but still.
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Last time they didnāt have any chances at all. When they started inviting it was only 1, so itās already good that they are inviting 4 now. Stanislaw also almost beat Tu Xiaoyu and the commentators also mentioned that itās hard to tell the difference in strength in the opening anymore.
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A youth Go manga is drawing the keen attention of the Go world, which faces the challenge of popularization
Youth spent on Go: Growth beyond setbacksā¦ āGo to Goā (Five and Go)
āGo to Go,ā a manga about a high school student who battles rivals in the world of Go, is currently serialized in āWeekly Young Magazineā (Kodansha). This marks the first weekly manga series with a Go theme since āHikaru no Goā (Shueisha), which concluded approximately 22 years ago. Hasuo Touto (32), the author of the original work, states, āThe theme is a battle to reclaim the past self that was lost through setbacks.ā
The protagonist, Akiyama Kousei , was exceptionally talented in sports and other areas, earning him the moniker of a prodigy. However, when he started playing Go in sixth grade, he suffered continuous losses for three months against five peers at the local Go club. This first experience of defeat in his life caused him to lose confidence in other areas as well, leading him to become an ordinary first-year high school student. When he learns that one of the five who defeated him is now challenging for a professional title, he dedicates himself to playing Go once more.
āThereās often a feeling that you actually have potential, but youāre just overshadowed by those around you being too strong,ā says Hasuo. āThe initial important theme was that the well the protagonist, who was like a āfrog in a well,ā was immersed in, was actually as deep as the deep sea.ā
The way the protagonist grows through battles with nearby geniuses is reminiscent of Shindo Hikaru and Touya Akira from āHikaru no Go.ā
Supervision for the manga is provided by Iyama Yuta, the Go worldās leading titleholder (35), and Terayama Rei, a six-dan professional who is also knowledgeable about Go from older eras (34). Go board layouts that appear in the work even include matches from the Edo period. Terayama explains, āIāve selected games so that even people unfamiliar with Go can grasp the atmosphere. For those who are knowledgeable, thereās also the enjoyment of analyzing what kind of Go games are being used.ā
When playing Go, you hold a stone between your index and middle fingers to lift it and place it on the board. This action sometimes eloquently conveys the playerās feelings more than words. Nakazato Haruna, who was not familiar with Go and is in charge of the artwork, also visited the Nihon Kiin (Japan Go Association) and local Go clubs in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. She says, āIām drawing while looking at my own hand, being careful not to make mistakes in the moves that Terayama-san taught me.ā
The reaction to the serialization is spreading beyond the Go world. Hasuo comments, āI felt pressure, but there were also responses like āI could get interested even though I donāt understand Go,ā so I think there was at least some meaning in releasing the work.ā
Residing in Fukuoka Prefecture, Hasuo aspired to be a manga artist, wanting to draw emotionally moving scenes, but his efforts didnāt initially bear fruit, and he drifted away from drawing after getting a job. With increased time at home due to marriage and the spread of COVID-19, he picked up his pen again and won the Monthly Newcomer Award from Young Magazine in November 2022 through an introduction from a manga artist friend. He quit his job at the end of last year and began to seriously pursue the path of a manga artist. āPerhaps the only driving force that allowed me to become a manga artist was that I was hanging on by a thread and hadnāt given up.ā
The first volume of āGo to Goā will be released on May 7th. The tactics and playing styles that appear in the manga are based on the actual Go world. āIām drawing with an awareness of what kind of playing style each character would have. If the manga can spark interest in the world of Go, I think readers will enjoy it even more as they read on.ā
Go-themed Manga Also a Hit in South Korea:
Besides the famous āHikaru no Goā, there are other Go-themed manga. āHoshizora no Karasuā (Hakusensha, all 8 volumes) is an unusual combination of shojo manga and Go, depicting the growth of a girl aiming to become a professional Go player. In South Korea, where Go is popular, the webtoon āMisaengā (āIncomplete Lifeā) was a huge hit and was adapted into a drama. The title refers to a weak stone whose life or death is uncertain. A Japanese translation, āMisaeng ā Incomplete Lifeā (all 9 volumes), has been published by Kodansha.
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@discobot quote
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