Hikaru versus girlfriend

[Kirby]

I think the idea of having a "rival ghost" of Sai is interesting. It didn't happen in the manga, but it's an interesting observation of how the story could have unfolded.

[CSamurai]

You also reference what most people consider "important in life," you also use the word "sane". All of these tend to be loaded terms that people unconsciously employ that create and reinforce implicit social norms. To use another example, often extroverted people will view those who keep to themselves with a similar kind of pity and view them as lacking "what's important." Certainly they are welcome to have their values, but it's very easy to step from that to a general atmosphere that excludes differently inclined individuals from a sense of 'normalcy'.

I find this observation rather interesting. As someone who is most definably /not/ sane, I tend to be very aware of people who's behaviour is well outside accepted social norms for sanity. This is why I use terms like that.

Notice, I never said what I consider important in life. My values are quite skewed, and well into the abnormal. But those aren't what we're really discussing.

Akira, as observable in the first book, is not what would be defined by modern psychology as a well adjusted individual.

While I often defend the 'Abnormal Viewpoints are Still Valid Viewpoints' banner, there are times when weird is just weird, and an obsession that takes over your entire life to the point that you eschew all other activities, well, that's one of the definitions of weird in a rather large book all about weird.

Back nominally on topic, I really enjoy reading your girlfriend's take on Go and on manga. Seeing her getting a greater understanding of the japanese culture is a neat bonus to introducing her to her first manga. I think HNG is a really interesting choice as a first manga, and I will start checking the blog regularly to make sure I don't miss any updates.

EDIT: Also, Chew, have you told her that the creator/pro behind HNG is a woman? I wonder if that would colour her reading of the interactions with girls and women in the book?

[RazorBrain]

. . . there are times when weird is just weird, and an obsession that takes over your entire life to the point that you eschew all other activities, well, that's one of the definitions of weird in a rather large book all about weird.

I live near the US Olympic Training Center and have had the opportunity to get to know several Olympians and wanna be Olympians. They can be more like Akira than different I've watched one medalist's life fall apart because that person was focused solely on Olympic glory.

I'm one that agrees with the statement above. The funny thing is that Western culture seems to embrace this form of weird as something to shoot for: "Higher, Faster, Stronger!" Perhaps it should be "Obsessive, Compulsive, Unbalanced!"

[Chew Terr]

Also, Chew, have you told her that the creator/pro behind HNG is a woman? I wonder if that would colour her reading of the interactions with girls and women in the book?

Yes, she was surprised and interested to hear that, and that may inform her further impressions of the gender interactions in the books.

I'm happy that she's enjoying the series, as it's kind of a good introduction to go from the perspective of "I can listen to people talk about this game and care about what they're saying, even if I only kind of understand the rules." Hikaru no Go is an interestingish story, wrapped in "go light", which is plenty, from the perspective of "sharing your boyfriend's interest". Similarly, it was nice to enjoy Pride and Prejudice, especially as our cat is named "Darcy". More later, time for lunch.

[wms]

I finished P&P, and ended up enjoying it, to my surprise.

You shouldn't be surprised! P&P is a great book. Jane Austen is a very good writer. People who haven't read her stuff sometimes think that she writes weepy romances, and the movies of her books don't help that much, but in reality her books are funny and sarcastic.

[Chew Terr]

I finished P&P, and ended up enjoying it, to my surprise.

You shouldn't be surprised! P&P is a great book. Jane Austen is a very good writer. People who haven't read her stuff sometimes think that she writes weepy romances, and the movies of her books don't help that much, but in reality her books are funny and sarcastic.

Fair enough! In my defense, I didn't expect to like it because I thought I had read it in high school and disliked it, but it turned out that I was confusing P&P with a different book.

[ketchup]

I was talking to ketchup actually, but then you replied to to my post directed to him.

I just want to clarify, I am quoting a funny line in the blog post. Nothing I said myself. I guess I made my post a bit unclear. I went back and edited it so it might be a tiny bit more clear.

[LocoRon]

I’m sure Sai’s rival possesses one of the opposing characters,

Funny, I've always got the impression that Touya Meijin was similarly possessed by a ghost, especially after Akira's encounter with the Haze Junior High principal, in which he was talking about how he used to play Go with the older Touya... and there was a building then that was rumored to be haunted.*


*This is my recollection of the anime, it may slightly off, and it may also not have been in the manga

[Chew Terr]

Feel bad for bumping the thread, but she finally got to Post Four, after NaNoWriMo and holiday stuff. Figured I'd share, since it seemed to go over well previously.

[Jordus]

Awesome! I've been waiting for the next post!

[ketchup]

Nice to see this active again!

[wessanenoctupus]

Just read her posts, really interesting perspective.

I like that she seems to be understanding you more.

Its kinda cute that she says chew like 7 time sin the last five lines of post 3

[riddleraven]

Hmm. You might've gotten the better end of the deal since P&P is so much shorter than this entire series of manga. xD But at least you're both enjoying your reads.

I love Pride and Prejudice but it took me a long time to get to that point. I hated the book until I started to like the newest movie, which I had disliked at first. I just didn't believe that Mr. Darcy was actually a good guy! I really believed in Elizabeth's prejudice of his pride. She threw away the prejudice but I could not at first. I can really see it now though.

As for Hikaru no Go. I was more obsessed with Inuyasha, the first anime I watched, more involved with every aspect of it. Whereas until someone brought it up in this thread I didn't even know the writer of HnG was female! But when I watch Hikaru no Go I enjoy it so much more than almost anything else I've watched. And it's definitely because of Akira. He's so insanely compelling to me. I know he's just a character and probably not a particularly amazing one to anyone else. And no one in real life is that intense... But I LOVE his intensity. It's so exciting. He's really obsessed with Hikaru/Sai and I'm obsessed with that. But anyway. It's obviously not only because of him that I love the show so much. I think Go is really cool and that's why I've come all the way to these forums!

I enjoyed hearing your girlfriend's perspective of the show. I posted some comments on her posts. She is clearly one of the people who's not as obsessed with Akira as me though. xD Which is fine. I think I'm alone in that. xD