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SPOILERS. Do not read this unless you’ve finished the manga, and are dissatisfied with the last 20 chapters.
Okay, here’s the jam. The first 30 or so chapters were pretty good. The characters were fleshing out in a reasonable way. The plot was interesting, and wholesome. The pacing was good. Honestly, just based off the first 30 chapters, I would have rated this manga an easy 8.5/10. And then somewhere around chapter 50 or so, things started going haywire.
Kenji and Kanako’s relationship took a drastic nosedive. Momoe became a judgmental, guiltless, homewrecker. Kanako went dunzo. Oda… remained, well, almost the same – unambitious, random. It was ... like the characters stopped growing organically, and were suddenly being made to do random things for the sake of “plot” and the impending end of the manga. So I decided to write out this alternate version after chapter 30 onwards, hopefully it gives other readers like me, peace.

After the “Bonsai scene” where Chiyo-baa cuts off both branches from the Bonsai, Momoe takes some time off to reflect on what the best course would be for her. She decides to use her savings to go to Paris and take a professional course at Maison Bleu – she cuts off both branches i.e., boys. She decides that she does not want to be a “puppy” and always rely on Oda or Takahashi for her growth. If she has to choose either one of them, she has to be good enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. She confides in her mom, who gives her the “savings” her dad had left for her. Chiyo-baa ridicules her for making such an absurd choice, but she stands her ground. Later, behind the scenes, Chiyo-baa calls up an old student of hers at Maison Bleu, and tells him that a child with endless potential will be coming soon, and to teach her well. In Paris, Momoe moves into a 3bhk that she shares with 2-3 other girls her age + Miki. Miki scoffs when Momoe tells her that she wants to join Maison Bleu, despite having no idea about the admissions process etc. In true Momoe fashion, when she goes to the School the next day, she is “mysteriously” granted admission, though she has to stay back overtime to catch up with the rest of the class. This leads to her being ostracized and ridiculed by the rest of the students there etc., but she later wins them over.

Meanwhile in Japan, Oda and Kanako go forward with their Sel Dor restaurant. They love each other, but their relationship is beginning to get strained because they both want vastly different things. Oda wants a small eatery and Kanako wants Oda to ascend up the pro-chef ladder. Amour is flourishing and there are clips of celebrity chef Takahashi. The two sometimes think of Momoe. Around 1.5y in, Kanako takes up the job with Hasumi, having found a replacement who can assist Oda in Sel Dor. Hasumi is ambitious and straight forward, traits which Kanako admires. They become good professional partners. It is clear that there is romantic potential there, but they do not pursue it. Kanako is successful in acquiring Le Petit Rabbit. The chef who used to work there, goes back to his hometown to open his own restaurant.
Timelapse of 2 years (showing Momoe mastering various difficult techniques, etc.).

Momoe returns to Japan. She has grown into a beautiful woman, mature and elegant, albeit with her signature innocence. This would be around chapter 40. Having mastered the technical aspect of cooking, Momoe finds something amiss. She still does not know what type of restaurant she wants to open. She feels like a professional, but without a soul. She finds herself walking to an old Sushi bar that her father used to frequent. There she sees an old man who looks like her father. (She experiences the same things she did in the manga in the random old man and son arc). Working at the dingy restaurant (I’ll call it Restaurant X) where people used to drink, she realizes that the chefs at this restaurant are actually amazingly skilled in Japanese cuisine. Despite starting as a waiter, she ends up catching the eye of the head chef there. He takes her in. There, she learns from him, that a true chef cooks to make the customer happy. That cooking is not only about technique, but heart as well.

Back to Oda, he is feeling dissatisfied and unhappy with his work. Sel dor is great, but not what he wanted. He finds out that Kanako was the one behind the Petit Rabbit takeover. In his restaurant, he hears two old guests talk about how the “consommé” (lol) in Sel Dor reminded them of the consommé at restaurant X. Feeling curious, he heads there with Kanako. They order the consommé. Kanako is impressed by it, but is shocked to see Oda’s reaction. Oda reacts to the food emotionally, there’s something nostalgic and heartbreaking about it. He asks to meet with the chef, only to find out that she’s left. When he asks for her name, he is stunned to find out that it is Momoe. Kanako is left unsettled by this development.

After Momoe leaves restaurant X, she makes up her mind to work at a great restaurant until she can save enough money to open up her own place – a cozy, warm restaurant, not unlike the type that Oda desires. While strolling through the city, she chances upon Takahashi, who almost crashes his car when he catches sight of her. He begs her to join his restaurant, unaware of how much she’s grown. Though he finds something different and mature about her – almost as if the little girl from 2 years back had grown into a fine woman.

Momoe joins Amour. The cast there are shocked by the improvement in her cooking skills (sorry had to add some satisfying moments lol). Takahashi, who had invited her out of childish impulse, finds it hard to treat Momoe like a kid. Where did the carefree child go? He finds himself wondering. At the same time, he finds himself conflicted. A thought strikes his mind one day “If it were with Momoe, I wouldn’t mind slowing down”. He does not realize that he has begun to fall in love with her, or maybe always had been. The chefs at the restaurant notice that Takahashi has begun to act differently with women.
Meanwhile, Oda and Kanako decide to break up. What started as a loving relationship has turned into one lined with resentment and bitterness. Oda cannot stand the way Kanako sees cooking as a robotic act almost. Kanako has begun to lose feelings for the listless man she sees before him. Since Sel Dor, Oda hasn’t done anything to further his “career”. Deep down inside, they are both aware of how unhappy they have begun to feel. Out of respect for their childhood friendship, they decide to part ways before things turn worse.

After selling Sel Dor to Hasumi, Oda goes hunting for a place to open his restaurant. He finds a homely property in a busy street that he falls in love with at first sight.
Unbeknownst to him, Momoe has also been eyeing the same property. It’s been 1.5y since Momoe returned and she has decided to rent a property and go independent. Momoe has already spoken to the landlord about the property, but unable to afford the rent, she’s begged him to keep it on hold.
The landlord conveys the same to Oda, when Oda expresses his desire to rent the property. The landlord also conveys the news of a potential buyer to Momoe. “Why don’t you both meet up and discuss?” He advises them both. The interested parties agree to meet at a little restaurant across the street, on the advise of the landlord.

Momoe arrives early, and is surprised to meet Oda there. Without going into details, she finds out about his break up from a few months back. “Then what about Sel Dor?” she enquires. “It’s been sold, and I’m looking for a new place.” “What a coincidence! Me too!”, Momoe replies, “In fact the place I’m looking for is just-“. She stops abruptly and looks at Oda. “across the road?” he completes her sentence. They argue like old times over the place. "No fair Oda san, I was here first. You’ve had your go with Sel Dor, now it’s my turn.” Momoe finds herself acting childish with Oda. ”Aren’t you my student? Haven’t you heard of respect for your elders?” Oda responds equally childishly to Momoe’s complaints. They burst out laughing, it feels like old times again. “Just like old times huh?” Oda finds himself muttering. “Pardon?”, Momoe says. “I really enjoyed the consommé you made in Restaurant X…”, Oda says quietly. “You know about that?!”, Momoe exclaims, embarrassed and surprised. There was a time when a compliment like that would have made her heart burst with joy… “Momoe, why don’t we rent it together?”, Oda suddenly says. Momoe’s eyes widen with shock. It’s been a night full of surprises. Somehow, an old familiar happiness wells up inside her. “Okay.” She agrees, “but I want to name it.”, she says. “What do you want to name it?” Oda asks. “Le Petit Chateau.”, Momoe responds instantly. Oda bursts out laughing, “Childish and imaginative. Just like you.” he says. “Shut up Oda!” Momoe retorts, blushing. Oda stops laughing, a smile on his lips – “Okay.”, he says.

Okay, I got carried away. Anyway, they open up a place and fall in love while working together (Sorry Takahashi). Hasumi and Kanako get together (in a healthy way). Kanako’s mom doesn’t get better, but Kanako learns to live her own life. Hasumi genuinely loves her. Chiyo-baa feels smug about Oda x Momoe. “I knew it a long time back”. She tells herself. Fin.

Immersion: 9/10
For the 2h that I read the manga, I forgot about reality. It really was that effective. It wasn’t so much the characters per se, but the plot that gripped my attention the second I began to read. From then on, it was a continuous ride through well thought out, (unique!) mysteries.

Main character : 7/10
The main character is interesting all right. Though his self professed intelligence is a little too vast and deterministic. He declares theory as dogma and decries dogma as theory. Still, there is reasoned empathy in his thoughts and that’s what I liked. He was a little 2d though ... .

Plot : 8/10
Intriguing, suspense filled plot, with characters that don’t normalise tropes like older men finding high school girls attractive, etc. The only downside was the continuous reference to star signs and birthstones. :/ Felt a little uncharacteristic and threw me off balance. The forced references felt like the author forcefully professing their personal preference in the manga, against the desire of the character created.

Other characters: 5/10
A little 2 dimensional. Overly accommodating of the MC’s philosophical rants. Irl, it’s unlikely his words would’ve been taken very seriously.

I'm here to tell all the people sitting on the fence, unsure about whether they should watch it or not, to jump off the fence and dive into Hikaru no Go because it is that excellent of an anime. I put off watching it for years because I was not won over by the synopsis, and only decided to watch it when I'd finished a lot of newer animes (which left a sort of bland after taste), because I was simply out of animes to watch!

I didn't expect to find myself completely immersed in the world of Hikaru no Go, led forward gently ... episode after episode, each day feeling closer and closer to the characters in the anime. This is an anime where the characters lead the mangaka, and not the other way round. As a novice writer, I found that thrilling! I felt like I was truly watching the lives of real people, and not those in an anime. (though of course, not ALL the extras are fleshed out wholly).

It is so easy to form a bond with the characters in the anime, whether it is Akira Touya, or Hikaru, or Issumi, or Sai, or Touya Kouyo because they have all been created to be distinct in personality. The mangaka has done a wonderful job of creating characters that feel alive because they make their own story. Hikaru no Go does not pander to the audience. No, it is the characters that take the lead and decide where the story is to go. If a character has a weakness, then despite how feel good it might be for the mangaka to have that character succeed, he does not. But this is made up by showing us how hard they either work or give up. Sometimes characters really do unexpected things.

One of the other reviewers pointed out that they were surprised by how often characters were discarded in the story line. This feature is actually one of the aspects of the story that made sense to me and helped my immersion in the plot. As we advance in life, it is inevitable that scores of people are left behind or exit our lives. In some animes, the USP of the main lead is to be friendship and ties focused. This is not the USP of Hikaru or Akira. Hikaru no Go is about characters that have an obsession which drives everything else to the edge of their lives. Nothing is as important as Go.

There is no romance here, there was a potential, but the mangaka did not build up on it. Good choice, since it made the anime feel even more real. There are some animes where the main lead is very nice, and has an equally nice love interest, and everything is very nice, and well, it ends nicely. But Hikaru no Go is not an anime like that. It is an anime with characters which happen to just be the way they are, and they're not willing to date or fall in love just because the mangaka insists that they have to have a muse of the opposite sex driving them on. However, the absence of romance is very natural and matches the flow of the story.

If there's one consistent message in the anime, it is that hardwork is pivotal to success. Yet, facing our fears is easier said than done. In an anime where characters are alive, we can feel their struggles through the screen, we can sense their insecurities, their burning desires, and the weakness they feel in the face of challenge. When they decide to take a step forward, we the audience can feel the forces of insecurity push us back as much as the characters do.

The anime ended earlier than it should have, but I have no regrets about it. The characters became too strong to survive within the screen. If they had continued to broadcast the anime in the high quality manner that they did for the first 55-60 episodes, highlighting each aspect of the journey in reasonable detail, they would've probably faced a huge wall which they'd have to scale.

In fact, I felt it as a viewer too. While watching the anime, I learned so many things about the Go system in Japan that I knew that if the anime was to continue further in the detailed manner it had been going, the Anime producers would encounter a situation where they would have to recreate large complicated plots. Towards the end, (no spoilers don't worry) there were already a lot of competitions happening simultaneously, which if the story were to progress would have made for a complex storyline.

If they had simplified it, the anime would've looked like a shadow of it's former self. Characters that were so alive would've been killed. So, in a way I am glad that the anime ended where it did, especially if the creators did not have the capacity to tackle the story. The characters I love are strong and powerful enough to survive the end of the anime and live on in the realm of fantasy.
Yes, I can imagine the characters grow up into fine adults, though I can't read too far into the future, that is enough for me. Have fun watching Hikaru no Go!! I look forward to rewatching it. :)

I just finished reading the manga last night. It's been around 15 hours since then and I still have this weird feeling of fuzziness about it. I can't exactly pinpoint what it was about the manga that moved me so, the story line was okay and had a few plot holes, the characters were not exactly intense and deep - but I enjoyed the entire series so much that I didn't notice that I'd read 33 chapters when I tapped on my screen to check my progress. That's saying something given that I've been drowning myself in mediocre and sub-par shoujo for a while ... and have become very sensitive to the flow of time.
Regardless, I do believe that this is one manga that you shouldn't hesitate to read. It's endearing, maybe because of the characters, I'm not sure. I definitely enjoyed the ride!

I'm going to make this a short review. I noticed that no one actually highlighted this in the previous reviews.
The story has a gaping plot hole that kills it's fundamental premise. No spoilers here don't worry!
Riddle me this, the main character Tanya was an atheist in his past life who offended God and thus was reincarnated.
He uses science as a justification for his belief.
However:
1. He meets this so called being X before dying which is a highly non scientific manner.
2. Being X reincarnates him, yet he denies that Being X exists. Where is the logic in this?
3. Being X reincarnates him in ... a society where magic is normal. The society also happens to be in the past in an alternate world which indicates being X's control over pretty much everything. Where is the Science in this!
4. Given that the above occurrences fly past current human logic and science - reincarnations and magic, I mean, it would not be difficult for a main character if smart to rethink his stance of atheism. Which brings me to point 5,
5. Which is, Tanya was a sociopath in his past life only concerned with rising the ranks and living easy. I hardly think that he would give up the chance to suck up to being X and end up in a happier universe. He seems to have no issue with sucking up to humans.
6. Additionally, he's reborn as a military ace. The entire point of his reincarnation was for him to learn how to deal with strife. This becomes moot if the guy is reborn as some undefeatable paragon.

Anyways, despite all of that, he refuses to believe in the clear superiority of X, how X has given him everything he currently has for reasons unclear and is even vain enough to think that he can beat X.
Now if he can, that would be interesting. Till then, the plot makes no sense.
Dude doesn't question that he's been reborn, there's magic, he's in an alternate world. I mean.