Hikaru no Go (棋魂)

Who, who's there?

-That's, that isn't the best move.

It's not even a good move.

Oh, Akari.

My grandpa's place is just up ahead.

-Hikaru, I told you we should have gone straight home.

-Grandpa, Grandpa, we're coming in.

Are you sure this is OK?

Oh, yeah.

This place is just full of junk.

Let's get out of here, Hikaru.

This place is creepy.

Should you be touching that?

-Well, my parents cut off my allowance

after I got only eight points on a social studies test.

Hey, maybe this is worth something.

Hey, check it out.

It's a five in a row board, right?

An old Go board.

I wonder if my grandpa used to play on this?

Oh, I bet we could get a lot for it.

You sure this is OK?

Don't worry.

I bet Grandpa's forgotten all about this old board.

I'll just brush the dirt off and shine it up a bit.

Good as new.

That's funny.

This stain here isn't coming off.

Uh, what are you talking about?

What stain?

This one.

Show me.

Right here.

Huh?

There's nothing there.

Look.

It's right here.

You can see it.

-That's what I've been trying to tell you.

You can hear me?

You can really hear what I'm saying.

I don't see a stain.

Who, who's there?

Stop it, Hikaru.

You're scaring me.

At last.

I have found the one.

Grandpa, is that you?

I'm going home.

-To the gods I offer my gratitude.

For once again, I can finally, I can finally

return to this world.

Hikaru, what's wrong?

Hikaru?

Help, something's wrong with Hikaru.

Who are you?

I am Fujiwara-no-Sai.

Sai, what are you?

-During the Heian period, I held a position as a Go instructor

to the emperor in the capital.

It was such a happy time for me, to be

able to play Go every day.

One day, the other instructor approached the emperor

with a suggestion.

He said, sir, I believe you only have need for one instructor.

Please allow the two of us to play a game

to decide who shall keep their position.

Oh, OK.

So you played a game, right?

Who won?

The game was dead even.

Everyone's attention was focused on the board.

It was only by mere chance that I saw it.

There was a white stone in his Go bowl.

He waited for an opportune moment,

and then he slipped the stone in with his prisoners.

You mean he cheated?

-And then, just as I was about to protest, was that?

Scoundrel.

Just now, I saw you take a black stone from your bowl

and place it among your prisoners.

What?

But I just saw you do the same thing

with a white stone from your bowl?

-What a pitiful attempt at an excuse.

While all eyes were fixed on the board,

you shamelessly took one of my stones from your bowl

and placed it among your prisoners.

-No, you are the one who did that.

Silence.

That's enough.

I refuse to believe that two members of my court

would commit such a discourteous offense within my presence.

Now, on with the game.

-Unable to calm myself with this disturbing turn of events,

I lost the game.

I was banished from the capital.

My reputation tarnished by the allegation of treachery.

I had no other skills, no way to make a living.

Two days later, I cast myself into the river.

Unable to find peace, my soul was trapped within a Go board.

It seemed like an eternity, until one day

on the island of Enoshima in the Setto Sea.

I heard a child's voice.

His name was Torajirou.

Sweet child, if you are able to see

the stains of my wretched tears, then perhaps you

have some small space within your soul

in which to house my own.

Torajirou was an aspiring Go player.

And by the age of 20, he had surpassed his teacher.

He became known as Honinbou Shusaku the 14th.

Honinbou Shusaku?

-But Torajirou fell victim to an epidemic.

And one night in his 34th year, his time came.

-So those must've been his blood stains on the Go board.

Does this mean you appeared to me because you still

want to play Go?

-Yes, for I have yet to play the Divine Move.

-Hey, Hikaru, I heard you rode in an ambulance yesterday.

Hmm?

Yeah.

Uh, Hikaru?

-Hikaru, are you feeling all right?

What happened to you yesterday?

You know, I'm not really sure.

When I woke up, it was already morning.

-Pass them to the person behind you.

All right, then.

Begin.

Uh.

Ooh, a history test.

You, again?

Is everything all right?

Uh, I, yeah, sorry.

-Then, please sit down and continue with the test.

Yes, ma'am.

So yesterday wasn't a dream.

'Twas no dream.

And what's your name, again?

It's Sai.

You really love Go, don't ya?

Oh, yes.

-And you really want to play Go, don't ya?

Yes.

Too bad.

I don't think I'm ever going to play the game.

Ahh.

Ugh.

What's wrong?

Is he all right?

What did you do to me?

Nothing.

I, I didn't do anything.

Hikaru, are you OK?

I'm worried, Hikaru.

Do you want to see the school nurse?

I think I'm OK now.

-You must have felt my intense sorrow

at the thought of not being able to play Go again.

-Man, a thousand years of disappointment

is hard on the stomach.

Couldn't you, ya know, go bother someone else?

Probably not.

Uh.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to play once in a while.

Huh?

But my head belongs to me.

And don't talk to me unless I talk to you first, agreed?

Agreed.

Oh, what was his name, again?

10 more minutes.

If you're finished, you can go back

and double-check your work.

Oh, I can't remember.

Hey, Sai, you know anything about the Tempo reform?

-Tempo, the one started by counselor Mizuno?

Huh?

Yeah, that's the guy.

I remember him well.

We played a game of Go at the castle once.

A fascinating--

OK, that's enough.

You know anything about Perry?

Perry?

-Perry, the guy with the black ships and stuff.

Ah, you mean, Commodore Perry.

That's the one.

Which bay did Perry sail into?

Uraga Bay.

He certainly caused quite an uproar.

Uraga.

Hey, Sai?

Yes?

-You can pretty useful sometimes.

-What are you mumbling to yourself about?

Are you finished?

Almost.

Well, keep at it.

How rude.