New Go Manga: 9 Dan Girl

7 Likes

This looks awesome, but it seems like these are fractions of a larger story. Is that true? Or maybe this story just leaves me wishing there was more detail.

2 Likes

I read a few chapters and while yes she does play go its not really about the game so much as it is about the sexist politics on women in go. It was pretty cringe in what I read. Lines like “if you were a boy I would teach you” or “women cant win a major title” or “a woman’s job is to get married” It stops just short of saying women have smaller brains than men. I figure she is gonna persevere and win but its about her struggle as a woman and earning acceptance not her struggle with go from what I have seen. This doesn’t make it a bad story, but its just not what I want to read. They didn’t even talk about the actual game in the chapters I did read. The one real game you see doeasnt mean much and its about psyching out your opponent more making sound moves. Like at one point the other player smiles and it freaks her out and she loses. I mean that stuff does happen but that’s not what go is about.
This may apple to some but I just don’t need the drama in my life.

5 Likes

Welcome to the community Jack :slight_smile: thanks for your input! Totally fair, perhaps they thought making the manga about go would lead to them being directly compared to HnG which is a big weight to carry.
Totally fair that it’s not your cup of tea, honestly I don’t need any more drama right now either!
I haven’t had a chance to read it yet so I can’t share my opinion but I think it’s cool that Go is featuring in more media, even if it isn’t the primary focus. :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Yeah it needs more exposure but this is kind of casting go in a bad light. It may get better though. It was just a few chapters I read so it may have just been doing some world/character building. The story may become a masterpiece that justifies the harsh start for context. I mean she has to come out on top in the end… right?

1 Like

I read half of it, but it’s not really good.
It seems to me the autor of the story doesn’t really know GO well.

Does she at least start laying the smack down on the haters? Please say yes!

1 Like

It actually is what I want to read. Still the way it is written doesn’t appeal to me.

2 Likes

Maybe this one instead:

4 Likes

FWIW, it’s good to remember that the gender roles in Japan are still much more rigid than in most of what we refer to as The West:

So yeah, I can see how this particular manga is shining a light specifically on that rather than focusing on the game itself…

1 Like
I don’t know if/how this would change anything, but it seems 9 Dan Girl is Chinese.

Possibly the only way they could get it published?

1 Like

The struggle it depicts is totally based in reality. The writing is the downfall of this manga in my opinion. The themes it is trying to portray could have been much more expertly portrayed and captured.

4 Likes