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cimoreneif you've only seen the anime, you definitely shouldn't read this.
the watercolour pages are completely beautiful. and imagine that, touya's suit is painted lavender... although i think it's meant for just a tinted grey. but that must be why it's lavender in the anime. (a lavender suit, dude.)
if ogata was touya meijin's student before akira's birth, since akira is now fifteen or close to it, ogata could be as old as thirty - although he's probably just in his upper twenties. twelve is a bit late to start as an insei. so he's probably twenty-five or twenty-six.
hahaha. a few issues ago i was thinking that the point where akira moves away from home is significant from a slash standpoint, but he would have his own apartment first, almost certainly. hikaru could go there, eventually, much more easily than he could visit akira's parents' house (not that they would disapprove - it would just be less likely). i didn't think it would happen in canon, though! now at fifteen he already brings it up. and now he doesn't have to because his parents are going to be living in china and korea most of the time for the near future. well, i guess now he can bring hikaru home! and they can play in the tatami room. it will be much more pleasant there. (if that actually happens in canon, have your feathers handy, because you may be able to knock me over with one.) then they're all "he's already grown up. oh yeah, shindou-kun graduates this year too." of course the customers at the salon are used to his and hikaru's adorable married behaviour from earlier in the year before hikaru stopped coming.
the new kansai character is kind of cute. and ochi has become more mature over time... unsurprisingly. also more likeable, which goes along with that. and in issue 166 he surprises me, but for him to grow as a person in this way - as a result of a matter of pride - is fitting and very in character. the whole false rivals theme must run through japanese fiction along with the Eternal Rivals thing; it seems to be a natural consequence of it. morishita and ochi are both good examples. it shows that it's not necessarily such a bad thing. their determination just spurs them further along instead of hurting them, even though they can't truly be the touyas' rivals.
waya immediately says, "here i was so happy that i didn't have to play yashiro or shindo but you... ochi, what kind of ego is this?" waya is angry. he doesn't understand. i mean, it's not that ochi's ego isn't involved; he doesn't want to be shamed in front of akira (who granted thought he was the lesser player, but he doesn't actually care either way, really) or in front of anyone else, probably. but he also wants to feel he's the best for himself. how childish of waya, to prefer the easy way by avoiding the opponents he fears.
i feel sorry for waya and his "i can't believe i lost to ochi!" so that probably explains some of his anger, actually. it's really anger at himself. i don't think it's so bad for him to lose to ochi. they're at about evenly matched with each other, aren't they? i wonder if he will eventually grow past ochi? he obviously has some issues still.
ahahha, ogata's little anger management issues are so cute. his eyelashes were gorgeous in that glassesless frame when he was all upset after narrowly beating akira. i don't blame him for hating kuwabara at all, but it's so entertaining how he doesn't bother at all to hide it. he's so rude sometimes!
and oh, the artist really does keep getting better. the shading's been really great, the realism much higher, for the last seven or eight volumes at least, but he also keeps getting better at both those things. the cross-hatching, the textures, the drape of fabric, the shape of eyelids are all incredible. i might have to read some of his other manga just to look at them.
and omg, it's more hikaru/akira adorableness! i guess they had enough of privacy and became comfortable enough to meet in public at the go salon again. "having a good rival is fun, right?" ♥ yes. and oh, i really love akira's black turtleneck shirt. he's so pretty. then they talk about how the god of go must be lonely - that sequence was lovely. and akira says with his sweet little smile, "sounds like a plan that could take a million years." then a moment later, "shall we play?" to hikaru, with another happy little smile.
o.O and then akira waking up in the middle of the night with "uuh... oh...", all sleepy and dishevelled. um, okay, and now touya meijin is playing go entirely by himself in the middle of the night, with the white stones on the wrong side of the board. "father... whose move are you waiting for?" says akira.
akira looks really disgruntled on the cover of #169 to have hikaru looking at that kansai guy instead of at him.
ahahahhaha. then shindo visits his go salon and says happily, "oh yeah. i'll bring touya here sometime." but then everyone gets so excited that he becomes angry and yells "nevermind! there's no way i'm gonna bring him!"
wow, akira is wearing jeans in this panel. i'm positive it's the first time they've ever drawn him in them. but from the shape of the pockets, i don't think there can be any mistake. it's obviously hikaru's influence. ♥ i wonder where else they have gone?
okay... how lame. they misspelled seoul in the captions here.
...
hikaru is going to stay at akira's house before the tournament? o.O; hikaru's really happy, but akira can't just let him leave. he calls after him, "shindo..." and when hikaru's like "?", he says, "let's do our best, since the three of us are representing japan." well... duh.
AHAHAHAHAH, now this korean guy is saying shuusaku's in the past and the pros of the present have nothing to learn from him. okay, who is going to get to crush him? and the reporter is so angry that he TELLS HIKARU. hikaru's little face! XD "that's a guy who will be in the north star cup!"
♥the cover of #172 says, "Touya's Home: A friendship based on fighting?" and then the kansai guy is inset, sweatdropping and going, "are these two for real?" ♥♥! as he walks to akira's place, hikaru is flashing back to the reporter (who looks like horio!) going "shuusaku is of no use!" his little face is angry now. he's got an eyebrow wrinkle of determination and his mouth is thin and tight. now i'm confused though - hikaru says "but it's my first time going there too" and then the kansai guy... yashiro! that's it! says, "so you often play go with touya..." . how does that follow? i mean, they do. but maybe he knew it already? because i don't see how it is the logical conclusion when you've been told that hikaru has never been to his house.
*_* he and touya start fighting before he even makes it into the house. "you got lost? didn't i give you a map?" "it was jsut one wrong turn!" "SEE! DIDN'T I TELL YOU IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I MET YOU AT THE STATION!" "I CAN FIND MY WAY FINE WITH JUST A MAP!" yashiro: "oi..." oh my god, it just gets cuter. hikaru is fighting with akira over the things he says to yashiro too.
the cover of #173 is an adorable chibi page captioned "playing go all night is too much. look, even touya-kun can't go on!" first there's akira dozing off while hikaru and yashiro play (and yashiro yelling at him), then hikaru dozing while akira and yashiro play (and yashiro yelling at him), then yashiro dozing, hikaru yelling at him and akira yelling at hikaru. ♥! and yay, more fighting in this issue! THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER WHO IS GOING TO MAKE THE TEA. i. i. does anyone have a feather? HAHAHA, and then yashiro gets the tea himself when they take a break XD! aw, i like yashiro. he must feel humiliated when kurata says that to him! and he's not that much weaker than akira and hikaru, is he? he's beaten them in the speed go at night repeatedly. AHHAHA, and kurata talks about dinner and akira is like, "! he still wants to eat?" this is so cute. oh, but akira made the tea after all, though the other guy heated the water. i guess he couldn't resist a demand from hikaru that he show off his skill... even if it is just skill at brewing tea.
i wonder if the insult to shuusaku was a mistranslation? su-young seems extremely surprised to hear it in #175. *_* yay, more isumi/waya! isumi's brought waya there to meet the chinese team, and he's like, "i'm looking forward to their shocked expressions." waya gets offended and says, "don't tell me you dragged me all the way here just for that?" isumi says "uh, um, of course not." AHAHHAH, AND THEY'RE REALLY SHOCKED. "a large-size le ping!" "practically a clone!" waya gets more and more angry as they talk. but hey, waya, he says "the waya that you always talked about!" it's not that bad! then waya accepts yan's invitation and isumi immediately says, "i'll come with you. a hotel room is cheaper for two people." oh, yeah. it seems like this is a significant statement: waya is surprised. he instantly says, "...isumi-san?" i wonder if isumi is in the process of making his waya-moves slowly. surely this isn't the first one. they seem to already be back to their always together state. and to be okay with calling each other now.
the shuusaku thing WAS a misunderstanding, but the korean player (yongha, it seems?) thinks it would be 'interesting' to see what hikaru will do when he thinks that yongha disrespected shuusaku. su-young is like ">:?"
the title of #176 is "fighting words"! yan hai-san just thought to himself, 'touya is quite well-mannered. you wouldn't know it from looking at his kifus.' ahh, it's because he keeps the passion bottled up inside. it's alllll for playing go. and for hikaru. :x then yongha gets pissed off and decides to taunt hikaru, so he says "even if he were alive today, he wouldn't stand a chance against me!" ahhahahahah. what a troublemaker!
when kurata tells the team that hikaru "is a shuusaku calligraphy expert", the look on akira's face is priceless. no, i don't think time is going to wither hikaru's mystery! he hasn't told akira about sai yet, i'm pretty sure. oh yeah, akira is completely fascinated again. "tomorrow against china," says akira, "there's no holding back!" even though it was actually the koreans who insulted them... do they only get to play korea if they win?
in #178 it becomes clear that akira is capable of not being polite all the time. "oh please, don't tell me you guys are still spooked by cameras?" :x awww, is seeing ochi there to watch him going to give yashiro back his balance?
towards the end of #179, with hikaru doing worse than expected in the international match, there's a flashback to sai passing over the fan. it looks like i may finally get the sai plot i was looking for in this arc. i've been hopeful since the insult to shuusaku... let's see what happens.
throughout 179 and 180 it also looks like a theme is developing of connection between hikaru's and akira's parallel games. akira's was stronger, but people expressed some doubts at the beginning; now he's made a turnaround as hikaru is apparently about to do the same. now akira's won and come to watch hikaru's game. when he catches sight of the board, he gets that wide, glassy-eyed look again and thinks "this is..." ♥. akira's concentrating face is very pretty in profile.
kurata-san announces he will make hikaru first board against korea to let him fight yongha after all. everyone looks shocked, akira included. er, even hikaru. he's determined to fight for sai, though. and now the korean manager, an (whom kurata also hates) has pissed of yan too and he's telling hikaru "you guys better do well!" ahh, akira doesn't mind hikaru taking the match, he's looking forward to it: he just wants to know about the mystery of hikaru! "but i want to know why he is so hung up on shuusaku." i don't think there's anyone there who knows about the shuusaku pilgrimage after sai vanished. wouldn't it be funny if akira were to hear about that? or was kurata in the room for one of those adult mystery-of-shindou conversations?
they're all going to change for dinner, but akira is still lost in thought. "i want to know the reason shindou cares so much about shuusaku." don't worry, akira. he's going to tell you everything someday.
OH. then hikaru comes out of his room as akira is going into his. he says "shindou... shindou!" all he's saying in his head is... "i want to know... about you..." he pauses for so long, thinking about it, that hikaru's like "touya? hey! touya!" touya flashes back to maybe i'll tell you everything someday and says, "no, nothing," and tells hikaru not to get scared and embarrass them instead. yashiro thinks he's giving him too much pressure! he doesn't realise that pressure from akira is nothing good a good thing. *cough*
yongha, su-young and akira have a conversation in korean about the matchups right before, and hikaru comes in. yongha asks why he has to do it and su-young says "what is shuusaku to you?" akira's look is shocked and riveted, and hikaru's staring off into space with that special lighting from above. he can't answer why at first, and then he seems to get cut off. i wonder what he was going to say. what he manages is "i'm trying... playing go to me is..." the announcer interrupts him then and everyone turns around. akira's hair is still swinging in the next frame and he's got a sweatdrop and a highly displeased frown. he'd rather not wait for the full story, poor guy!
the plot with yashiro's parents... hm. interesting...? god, touya meijin is so cool. ♥♥ he explains to the whole team that akira is going to win because of his obsession with hikaru! does it count as obsession anymore now that they're actually close? well, he's still fixated, so it can.
when hikaru loses and says he plays go to link the past and the future... well, it fits the theme of the whole story, obviously. he's sitting at the board very sombrely and akira finally gets up and says to him, "let's go, shindou. this isn't the end. there is no end." hm, and then they walk away. the last page is "can you hear? can you hear my voice?" - a flashback to sai's first appearance. well, it's very dramatic. i don't know if i like it as the last frame. hmmm.
the watercolour pages are completely beautiful. and imagine that, touya's suit is painted lavender... although i think it's meant for just a tinted grey. but that must be why it's lavender in the anime. (a lavender suit, dude.)
if ogata was touya meijin's student before akira's birth, since akira is now fifteen or close to it, ogata could be as old as thirty - although he's probably just in his upper twenties. twelve is a bit late to start as an insei. so he's probably twenty-five or twenty-six.
hahaha. a few issues ago i was thinking that the point where akira moves away from home is significant from a slash standpoint, but he would have his own apartment first, almost certainly. hikaru could go there, eventually, much more easily than he could visit akira's parents' house (not that they would disapprove - it would just be less likely). i didn't think it would happen in canon, though! now at fifteen he already brings it up. and now he doesn't have to because his parents are going to be living in china and korea most of the time for the near future. well, i guess now he can bring hikaru home! and they can play in the tatami room. it will be much more pleasant there. (if that actually happens in canon, have your feathers handy, because you may be able to knock me over with one.) then they're all "he's already grown up. oh yeah, shindou-kun graduates this year too." of course the customers at the salon are used to his and hikaru's adorable married behaviour from earlier in the year before hikaru stopped coming.
the new kansai character is kind of cute. and ochi has become more mature over time... unsurprisingly. also more likeable, which goes along with that. and in issue 166 he surprises me, but for him to grow as a person in this way - as a result of a matter of pride - is fitting and very in character. the whole false rivals theme must run through japanese fiction along with the Eternal Rivals thing; it seems to be a natural consequence of it. morishita and ochi are both good examples. it shows that it's not necessarily such a bad thing. their determination just spurs them further along instead of hurting them, even though they can't truly be the touyas' rivals.
waya immediately says, "here i was so happy that i didn't have to play yashiro or shindo but you... ochi, what kind of ego is this?" waya is angry. he doesn't understand. i mean, it's not that ochi's ego isn't involved; he doesn't want to be shamed in front of akira (who granted thought he was the lesser player, but he doesn't actually care either way, really) or in front of anyone else, probably. but he also wants to feel he's the best for himself. how childish of waya, to prefer the easy way by avoiding the opponents he fears.
i feel sorry for waya and his "i can't believe i lost to ochi!" so that probably explains some of his anger, actually. it's really anger at himself. i don't think it's so bad for him to lose to ochi. they're at about evenly matched with each other, aren't they? i wonder if he will eventually grow past ochi? he obviously has some issues still.
ahahha, ogata's little anger management issues are so cute. his eyelashes were gorgeous in that glassesless frame when he was all upset after narrowly beating akira. i don't blame him for hating kuwabara at all, but it's so entertaining how he doesn't bother at all to hide it. he's so rude sometimes!
and oh, the artist really does keep getting better. the shading's been really great, the realism much higher, for the last seven or eight volumes at least, but he also keeps getting better at both those things. the cross-hatching, the textures, the drape of fabric, the shape of eyelids are all incredible. i might have to read some of his other manga just to look at them.
and omg, it's more hikaru/akira adorableness! i guess they had enough of privacy and became comfortable enough to meet in public at the go salon again. "having a good rival is fun, right?" ♥ yes. and oh, i really love akira's black turtleneck shirt. he's so pretty. then they talk about how the god of go must be lonely - that sequence was lovely. and akira says with his sweet little smile, "sounds like a plan that could take a million years." then a moment later, "shall we play?" to hikaru, with another happy little smile.
o.O and then akira waking up in the middle of the night with "uuh... oh...", all sleepy and dishevelled. um, okay, and now touya meijin is playing go entirely by himself in the middle of the night, with the white stones on the wrong side of the board. "father... whose move are you waiting for?" says akira.
akira looks really disgruntled on the cover of #169 to have hikaru looking at that kansai guy instead of at him.
ahahahhaha. then shindo visits his go salon and says happily, "oh yeah. i'll bring touya here sometime." but then everyone gets so excited that he becomes angry and yells "nevermind! there's no way i'm gonna bring him!"
wow, akira is wearing jeans in this panel. i'm positive it's the first time they've ever drawn him in them. but from the shape of the pockets, i don't think there can be any mistake. it's obviously hikaru's influence. ♥ i wonder where else they have gone?
okay... how lame. they misspelled seoul in the captions here.
...
hikaru is going to stay at akira's house before the tournament? o.O; hikaru's really happy, but akira can't just let him leave. he calls after him, "shindo..." and when hikaru's like "?", he says, "let's do our best, since the three of us are representing japan." well... duh.
AHAHAHAHAH, now this korean guy is saying shuusaku's in the past and the pros of the present have nothing to learn from him. okay, who is going to get to crush him? and the reporter is so angry that he TELLS HIKARU. hikaru's little face! XD "that's a guy who will be in the north star cup!"
♥the cover of #172 says, "Touya's Home: A friendship based on fighting?" and then the kansai guy is inset, sweatdropping and going, "are these two for real?" ♥♥! as he walks to akira's place, hikaru is flashing back to the reporter (who looks like horio!) going "shuusaku is of no use!" his little face is angry now. he's got an eyebrow wrinkle of determination and his mouth is thin and tight. now i'm confused though - hikaru says "but it's my first time going there too" and then the kansai guy... yashiro! that's it! says, "so you often play go with touya..." . how does that follow? i mean, they do. but maybe he knew it already? because i don't see how it is the logical conclusion when you've been told that hikaru has never been to his house.
*_* he and touya start fighting before he even makes it into the house. "you got lost? didn't i give you a map?" "it was jsut one wrong turn!" "SEE! DIDN'T I TELL YOU IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I MET YOU AT THE STATION!" "I CAN FIND MY WAY FINE WITH JUST A MAP!" yashiro: "oi..." oh my god, it just gets cuter. hikaru is fighting with akira over the things he says to yashiro too.
the cover of #173 is an adorable chibi page captioned "playing go all night is too much. look, even touya-kun can't go on!" first there's akira dozing off while hikaru and yashiro play (and yashiro yelling at him), then hikaru dozing while akira and yashiro play (and yashiro yelling at him), then yashiro dozing, hikaru yelling at him and akira yelling at hikaru. ♥! and yay, more fighting in this issue! THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER WHO IS GOING TO MAKE THE TEA. i. i. does anyone have a feather? HAHAHA, and then yashiro gets the tea himself when they take a break XD! aw, i like yashiro. he must feel humiliated when kurata says that to him! and he's not that much weaker than akira and hikaru, is he? he's beaten them in the speed go at night repeatedly. AHHAHA, and kurata talks about dinner and akira is like, "! he still wants to eat?" this is so cute. oh, but akira made the tea after all, though the other guy heated the water. i guess he couldn't resist a demand from hikaru that he show off his skill... even if it is just skill at brewing tea.
i wonder if the insult to shuusaku was a mistranslation? su-young seems extremely surprised to hear it in #175. *_* yay, more isumi/waya! isumi's brought waya there to meet the chinese team, and he's like, "i'm looking forward to their shocked expressions." waya gets offended and says, "don't tell me you dragged me all the way here just for that?" isumi says "uh, um, of course not." AHAHHAH, AND THEY'RE REALLY SHOCKED. "a large-size le ping!" "practically a clone!" waya gets more and more angry as they talk. but hey, waya, he says "the waya that you always talked about!" it's not that bad! then waya accepts yan's invitation and isumi immediately says, "i'll come with you. a hotel room is cheaper for two people." oh, yeah. it seems like this is a significant statement: waya is surprised. he instantly says, "...isumi-san?" i wonder if isumi is in the process of making his waya-moves slowly. surely this isn't the first one. they seem to already be back to their always together state. and to be okay with calling each other now.
the shuusaku thing WAS a misunderstanding, but the korean player (yongha, it seems?) thinks it would be 'interesting' to see what hikaru will do when he thinks that yongha disrespected shuusaku. su-young is like ">:?"
the title of #176 is "fighting words"! yan hai-san just thought to himself, 'touya is quite well-mannered. you wouldn't know it from looking at his kifus.' ahh, it's because he keeps the passion bottled up inside. it's alllll for playing go. and for hikaru. :x then yongha gets pissed off and decides to taunt hikaru, so he says "even if he were alive today, he wouldn't stand a chance against me!" ahhahahahah. what a troublemaker!
when kurata tells the team that hikaru "is a shuusaku calligraphy expert", the look on akira's face is priceless. no, i don't think time is going to wither hikaru's mystery! he hasn't told akira about sai yet, i'm pretty sure. oh yeah, akira is completely fascinated again. "tomorrow against china," says akira, "there's no holding back!" even though it was actually the koreans who insulted them... do they only get to play korea if they win?
in #178 it becomes clear that akira is capable of not being polite all the time. "oh please, don't tell me you guys are still spooked by cameras?" :x awww, is seeing ochi there to watch him going to give yashiro back his balance?
towards the end of #179, with hikaru doing worse than expected in the international match, there's a flashback to sai passing over the fan. it looks like i may finally get the sai plot i was looking for in this arc. i've been hopeful since the insult to shuusaku... let's see what happens.
throughout 179 and 180 it also looks like a theme is developing of connection between hikaru's and akira's parallel games. akira's was stronger, but people expressed some doubts at the beginning; now he's made a turnaround as hikaru is apparently about to do the same. now akira's won and come to watch hikaru's game. when he catches sight of the board, he gets that wide, glassy-eyed look again and thinks "this is..." ♥. akira's concentrating face is very pretty in profile.
kurata-san announces he will make hikaru first board against korea to let him fight yongha after all. everyone looks shocked, akira included. er, even hikaru. he's determined to fight for sai, though. and now the korean manager, an (whom kurata also hates) has pissed of yan too and he's telling hikaru "you guys better do well!" ahh, akira doesn't mind hikaru taking the match, he's looking forward to it: he just wants to know about the mystery of hikaru! "but i want to know why he is so hung up on shuusaku." i don't think there's anyone there who knows about the shuusaku pilgrimage after sai vanished. wouldn't it be funny if akira were to hear about that? or was kurata in the room for one of those adult mystery-of-shindou conversations?
they're all going to change for dinner, but akira is still lost in thought. "i want to know the reason shindou cares so much about shuusaku." don't worry, akira. he's going to tell you everything someday.
OH. then hikaru comes out of his room as akira is going into his. he says "shindou... shindou!" all he's saying in his head is... "i want to know... about you..." he pauses for so long, thinking about it, that hikaru's like "touya? hey! touya!" touya flashes back to maybe i'll tell you everything someday and says, "no, nothing," and tells hikaru not to get scared and embarrass them instead. yashiro thinks he's giving him too much pressure! he doesn't realise that pressure from akira is nothing good a good thing. *cough*
yongha, su-young and akira have a conversation in korean about the matchups right before, and hikaru comes in. yongha asks why he has to do it and su-young says "what is shuusaku to you?" akira's look is shocked and riveted, and hikaru's staring off into space with that special lighting from above. he can't answer why at first, and then he seems to get cut off. i wonder what he was going to say. what he manages is "i'm trying... playing go to me is..." the announcer interrupts him then and everyone turns around. akira's hair is still swinging in the next frame and he's got a sweatdrop and a highly displeased frown. he'd rather not wait for the full story, poor guy!
the plot with yashiro's parents... hm. interesting...? god, touya meijin is so cool. ♥♥ he explains to the whole team that akira is going to win because of his obsession with hikaru! does it count as obsession anymore now that they're actually close? well, he's still fixated, so it can.
when hikaru loses and says he plays go to link the past and the future... well, it fits the theme of the whole story, obviously. he's sitting at the board very sombrely and akira finally gets up and says to him, "let's go, shindou. this isn't the end. there is no end." hm, and then they walk away. the last page is "can you hear? can you hear my voice?" - a flashback to sai's first appearance. well, it's very dramatic. i don't know if i like it as the last frame. hmmm.
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(no subject)
Date: 21 Jul 2006 05:48 pm (UTC)Oh, and as regards the end of HnG - do you have the special chapters?
(no subject)
Date: 21 Jul 2006 08:06 pm (UTC)and yeah, i downloaded them today but i haven't checked to see if the files are working yet.
(no subject)
Date: 21 Jul 2006 09:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 11:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 21 Jul 2006 09:06 pm (UTC)(As to the rest of your post, Cim, I got to Touya in jeans and went to a happy place from which I shall need some time to return.)
(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jul 2006 10:40 am (UTC)