In the Universe where Touya-meijin is Inui

[mousapelli]

I'm so puzzled by why Hikaru no Go is such a good anime. It's about a board game! Every time I rewatch it seems like my enjoyment of it only multiplies. At the start of the 2nd junior high tournament I was totally seized by love of Mitani/Tsutsui/Hikaru as a team, specifically the three of them, but then also I was thinking about how the thread of the show is how Hikaru knits these people into groups around himself while Touya cannot seem to connect to anybody at all, ever, except Shindou, or maybe especially Shindou.

I also love the part where he tells his father very seriously that Shindou is all that he can think about. I just always wonder if in that scene Touya-meijin is thinking to himself "Chance of grandchildren...0% percent." But since he purposely picked out Shindou as Touya's bride rival right at the beginning, maybe not lol.

Tell me it's a really terrible idea to start writing the AU where Touya is haunted by his father's ghost this whole time and when Shindou shows up with Sai tagging along they are both completely relieved that there's another kid with a ghost demanding they play this stupid board game, and then the two ghosts are demanding to play each other all the time while Shindou and Touya are incredibly long-suffering together. It's a terrible idea, self! Don't do it!

Also somehow i'm suddenly struck by how young Sai looks. I wonder how old he is when he dies? Early 20s? Late teens? I feel like I want to write fic where Hikaru doesn't get him until he's older and they're much more like equals rather than teacher/child, and I don't feel like he'd have long to wait either.

Comments

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Heian-era courts tended to skew incredibly young by our standards. Sai was probably barely out of his teens (if that), poor lad.

I would so read that ghost fic. Would SO read.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

I guess it's just in comparison to how little Hikaru looks at the beginning, but I totally never realized how young sai looked, and now that I've noticed, I can't figure out how I never noticed before. It makes me want teenage hikaru and teenage sai fic kind of a lot!

it kind of explains a lot about Sai too, lol.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

I remember when I was rereading Sei Shonagon (in translation!) and thought for the first time, "The Emperor was fourteen/fifteen and the Empress seventeen or so. My God, they were just kids!" The whole atmosphere of the Heian court suddenly made sense. It was one giant sleepover.

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Nonsense, those are great ideas! *is an evil enabler*

[issen4.livejournal.com]

I just always wonder if in that scene Touya-meijin is thinking to himself "Chance of grandchildren...0% percent."

You too? ^_^

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

If I want to tell people what it's about, I don't say, "It's about a board game." I say, "It's about discovering you want something so very very very much."

I just always wonder if in that scene Touya-meijin is thinking to himself "Chance of grandchildren...0% percent." *has gigglefits*

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

"It's about discovering you want something so very very very much."

Perfect!

[flonnebonne]

Man, I'll have to remember that line when I try to introduce people to the series. "It's about a board game" does not work!

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

I think it does work if you present your own bewilderment at the fact that you love it despite the fact that it's about Go. It's been around long enough at this point that most people will have seen others go on about it before you say anything anyway.

[flonnebonne]

That might work--will have to try it out. I'm not good at selling stuff!

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

see, I don't feel that way at all. I feel like, assuming the person knows me well enough that i'm recommending anime to them, they will realize that if i love something this much in spite of the fact that it's about a board game, then it really must be something. Especially with this one, I don't feel like there's any point in hiding the fact that they're going to watch people play this game about 90% of the time.

lol i forgot about Kaga beating up Mitani for giving Hikaru crap. FUNNY.

[chiharu.livejournal.com]

Mannn idk why that series is so addictive either :/

MITANIIIIIIIIIII.