Influenced by the latest chapter of the Hikaru no Go manga, the ninth episode of Hikaru no Go Season 2, updated on Friday, achieved a new high in viewership ratings, reaching 0.32%, once again ranking first among drama series premiering this season.
As for the anime, it continues to air and is currently among the top three new anime series premiering this season.
After several days of
searching on Google, the buzz surrounding Zuo Wei's death in Hikaru no Go has gradually subsided.
The latest chapter of the Hikaru no Go manga was naturally released on Wednesday.
This week's plot didn't involve much major plot development.
It focused on Jin Guang's process of accepting Zuo Wei's disappearance.
From initially believing Zuo Wei had simply hidden away, to finally confirming Zuo Wei's inability to return and experiencing an emotional breakdown, he felt deep guilt after searching everywhere and finding Zuo Wei missing.
He felt he had been so demanding of Zuo Wei, who simply wanted to play Go, and believed Zuo Wei's disappearance was due to his selfishness.
So he decided to quit playing Go in exchange for Zuo Wei's return.
The disappearance of Zuo Wei last week was already heartbreaking for fans, and this week's episode, with Jin Guang's crying, triggered their emotional reactions again. After this chapter's release, Go fans online were once again devastated.
Aoba was subjected to a day of harsh criticism.
However, Go's popularity ranking still held a slight lead with just over 910,000 votes, placing it first in the magazine.
It was now February, and the nomination ceremony for the annual manga award that Xia Jing had received was scheduled for two days later.
This televised awards ceremony, due to the massive attention from Go fans, had already reached peak viewership before it even began.
Xia Jing 's cowardly behavior during winter break had fueled the growing resentment among Go fans.
Everyone was hoping Go would win Best Manga of the Year.
But they were also wondering what would happen if Go didn't win the grand prize, and the camera focused on Xia Jing's face – would he show a regretful expression?
Unfortunately, reality rarely offers such dramatic scenarios.
Go was simply too amazing among the new manga series this year.
For five consecutive weeks, it held the number one spot in the Fantasy Comics magazine rankings.
As of the day of the awards ceremony, the average sales per volume of the manga reached 9.81 million copies.
Its online rating of 9.7 before the ceremony was held was the highest among all currently serialized manga in Fantasy Comics!
Aside from the fact that its subject matter might limit its commercial value, Hikaru no Go is an epic manga in every respect.
Compared to other new manga created in other magazines this year, it's a clear case of overwhelming superiority.
As for Xia Jing, who was the center of attention, when he stood on the awards stage and the host asked, whether intentionally or unintentionally, "Will we still see Zuo Wei?", Xia Jing didn't mince words, directly answering the camera, "Of course, how could Zuo Wei completely disappear?"
This ambiguous statement ignited the emotions of all Hikaru no Go fans that night.
Although Xia Jing didn't say anything particularly significant, everyone's anticipation intensified.
However, what these fans didn't understand was the meaning behind Xia Jing's words!
This foreshadowing would only be revealed in later episodes.
After Hikaru no Go won Best Manga of the Year, Xia Jing, who was still a few months away from turning eighteen, immediately threw himself into his work.
He basically stopped reading online comments about the fans' criticisms regarding Zuo Wei's disappearance. As for the popularity of Hikaru no Go, it began to stabilize, with around 900,000 votes per week.
It maintained its number one position in the magazine with a lead of tens of thousands of votes over Origin Chronicle.
The scenario that outsiders thought would cause the popularity of Hikaru no Go to collapse like an avalanche after the disappearance of the popular character Zuo Wei did not happen at all.
Even the manga's plot did not focus on Go itself, but rather on the protagonist Jin Guang's mental journey.
After Zuo Wei's disappearance, he deeply reflected on his behavior and became increasingly disgusted with himself. He even made a decision that if Zuo Wei did not return, he would give up Go.
"I, I will not play Go anymore!" This was Jin Guang's final decision.
He began to miss the Go League team matches.
He also ignored the activities of professional Go players.
Jin Guang, the former Go prodigy, now began a normal school life, resolutely avoiding Go.
However, his friends in the Go club at school, such as Shang Gu and Xiao Ming, were still playing Go.
Jin Guang left the Go club to become a professional player, but they continued to challenge Jinghai Middle School, the strongest opponent in the school Go team competition, year after year.
Jin Guang was tormented by Zuo Wei's disappearance, tormented by the fact that despite his promise to never play Go again, his gaze was still unconsciously drawn to the radiance emanating from his former friends who loved Go...
[If I play Go again, Zuo Wei... will never come back!]
Even now, Jin Guang, unaware of why Zuo Wei disappeared, stubbornly believed that Zuo Wei's departure was due to his selfishness in preventing him from playing. After the latest chapter was released, and three weeks of reflection, the anger of most Hikaru no Go manga fans had largely dissipated, especially after Xia Jing's words at the awards ceremony:
[How could Zuo Wei have completely disappeared?]
Xia Jing's account comment section is starting to return to normal.
"So, when is Zuo Wei coming back?"
"He'll come back, right, Aoba-sensei!"
"If Zuo Wei comes back, Jin Guang and Zuo Wei can play each other evenly! They both love Go, there's no need to force one to play and the other to not!"
"Exactly, we used to criticize Jin Guang for being selfish, saying he wouldn't let Zuo Wei play a single game. But it wasn't to the extreme of not letting Jin Guang play a single game!"
"This episode brought tears to my eyes! Jin Guang loves Go just like Zuo Wei!"
"The school Go club is truly Jin Guang's white moonlight. Whenever Jin Guang is in a difficult situation, coming to the Go club always heals him somewhat.
" "In this episode, watching the Go club members diligently playing against the Jinghai Middle School Go club, did Jin Guang recall the time he and Zuo Wei sneaked in as elementary school students and almost became champions?"
"I vote for Hikaru no Go every week. Please, Aoba-sensei, let Zuo Wei come back!"
"Stop keeping me in suspense. Jin Guang has missed many matches in the Chinese Weiqi League without explanation. If this continues, he'll soon be dismissed by the team, and no one in the professional Go world will be willing to sign him."
"The fourth week since Zuo Wei disappeared. I miss Zuo Wei!"
"Teacher Qingye, please stop being so depressing. Please draw something cheerful next week!"
At home, while Su Mingxi was looking at the storyboard for the final chapter of the Hikaru no Go manga, Xia Jing was also reading the comments from Hikaru no Go fans on his account.
"Sigh..." Xia Jing sighed.
Although the original plot was like this, Xia Jing couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the countless Zuo Wei fans who would be heartbroken when the next chapter was serialized.
"This... is this the plot of the final chapter of Hikaru no Go?" Su Mingxi finished organizing the storyboard and closed her eyes to savor the feeling that the final chapter of Hikaru no Go brought her.
"Xia Jing... you really are a manga genius." After a long time, Su Mingxi finally said.
"This time, you're not blaming me?" Xia Jing asked in surprise.
"It's been almost a month since the 'Left Wei Disappears' storyline started serialization, and I haven't seen a single angry fan complain that Hikaru no Go is bad. But when they criticize you, the author, I understand that the 'Left Wei Disappears' storyline is absolutely excellent and meaningful... Hikaru no Go fans just can't accept the storyline, but that doesn't mean they can't see the crucial role it plays in the manga!" Su Mingxi shook her head and said softly. "
Left Wei's disappearance is what allows Jin Guang to completely transform from a mischievous little boy into a mature Go player, someone who doesn't need Left Wei's support to walk alone and reach the end of the bright path Left Wei pursued." "
And for the past three weeks, you've been depicting Jin Guang's spiritual transformation, right?"
Xia Jing smiled slightly upon hearing this and changed the subject.
"Next week in the Hikaru no Go manga, after Isumi returns to Japan and plays against Jin Guang, resolving Jin Guang's inner conflict, the story will be completed... that's when the final chapter of Hikaru no Go will appear. I might draw some side stories in future volumes of Hikaru no Go."
"Side stories?"
"For example, after the ending, Jin Guang and Shi Liang team up to play against young Go players from the island and peninsula regions, like Hokuto Bu."
"Or for example..."
Xia Jing thought for a moment. In the original manga, there was also Kondo Hikaru's miraculous entry into the highly competitive Kisei title challenger circle as a first-dan player, and then his first match against Honinbo title holder Kuwabara... and his miraculous victory with a 1.5-point advantage.
But actually, after Zuo Wei disappeared, these storylines often lacked a sense of immersion for the viewers.
Moreover, since it was confirmed that the original manga didn't have a clear ending, and the manga's popularity was declining during the serialization after Zuo Wei's disappearance.
Xia Jing naturally didn't plan to serialize these storylines. Instead, he would follow the example of the animation production team in his previous life, ending Hikaru no Go near the most classic and memorable point in the story where Zuo Wei disappears. An
open ending should naturally be placed at the most unforgettable point, not after the readers' melancholy has subsided and their attention has shifted from Zuo Wei's disappearance to the Hokuto Cup.
That would be a bad ending!
"Side stories. Will they be published as standalone volumes?" Su Mingxi asked.
"That's right," Xia Jing said.
"To avoid disrupting the integrity of the main manga, that's my plan!" Xia Jing smiled.
"I'll report this to the manga publisher. But since you'll have time to publish side stories, why not think more about the new manga... Try to start the new manga within two years of Hikaru no Go ending." Su Mingxi nodded at this point.
"Two years?" Xia Jing asked in surprise, his expression strange.
"I know this is harsh, but I still hope you'll do your best! Don't let yourself be inactive in the manga industry for three to five years."
"Although you're considered a top-tier manga artist now, you've only been in the industry for a short time! Less than two years! If you remain silent for too long after Hikaru no Go ends..."
Su Mingxi looked at Xia Jing.
"Your fans."
"They'll forget you!"
Two years...
Two years is enough time for Xia Jing to finish a manga.
Unexpectedly, Su Mingxi's requirement for Xia Jing is to release a new work within two years.
Life is short, even if Xia Jing worked like a horse every day at high intensity, he might not be able to transfer even a tenth of his masterpiece from his previous life to this world. How could he waste two years?
But Xia Jing wasn't planning to say much now, after all, finishing Hikaru no Go was the most crucial thing.
Mid-February...
the ninth volume of Hikaru no Go was released before the Lunar New Year.
Because each chapter of the manga is at least forty pages long, each volume only contains about three to four chapters of the manga content.
The entire Hikaru no Go manga series is expected to reach around twelve or thirteen volumes in China, but
it's currently at volume nine, and the average sales per volume are approaching nine million. If things continue at this pace, it might reach ten million volumes before the series concludes.
Regardless of the backlash Aoba receives from fans due to Zuo Wei's death, the Chinese manga community has finally understood. While
the long-term impact on Hikaru no Go will be significant, the short-term effects are minimal.
Current fans still love the manga and are hoping for a resurrection and return for Zuo Wei.
Those who are jealous of Aoba and want to see the manga's popularity plummet will have to wait until those fans lose patience.
As for the criticism Aoba receives?
What does it matter?
It didn't affect the long lines of Hikaru no Go fans outside bookstores on the day of the ninth volume's release.
And now, it's almost Chinese New Year.
Because the Hikaru no Go manga sold over 70 million copies across Xia Kingdom, Xia Jing's profits from Huanmeng Group were enormous.
To date, the pre-tax royalties from the manga alone exceeded 70 million Xia Kingdom currency, and even after taxes, Xia Jing still received nearly 40 million. Adding to this other copyright collaborations, animation adaptation fees, TV drama adaptation fees, and merchandise sales revenue...
in just one year, Xia Jing's take-home pay from Hikaru no Go approached 50 million.
This is despite the limitations of Hikaru no Go's subject matter and its relatively low commercial viability.
But for Xia Jing, this was enough. He
spent New Year's Eve alone, receiving New Year's greetings from the Su sisters, Su Mingxi and Su Qingxiao, as well as his homeroom teacher and his two best friends, Song Yulan.
During the New Year period, Huanmeng Comic continued its serialization.
The Hikaru no Go storyline disappeared, and Jin Guang, dejected, decided to stop playing Go, shifting the focus to Isumi.
In the original manga, Isumi went to China, where he was thoroughly thrashed by a group of young Go prodigies before returning to Japan to achieve professional status.
In reality, Japanese Go proficiency after 2000 was indeed a level below that of China and South Korea, making the original manga's plot reflect this.
In the Chinese version, Xia Jing arranged for him to study in the Korean Peninsula.
Simultaneously, the story also interweaves the plot of Jin Guang, who, after giving up professional Go, stops participating in competitions and instead leads a decadent life at school.
The story of *Hikaru no Go* unfolds along two parallel lines: Isumi's defeat in the peninsula and Jin Guang's absence disappointing many professional players.
The overall atmosphere of the manga is quite depressing.
However...
even so, *Hikaru no Go* remains number one in fan voting on Huanmeng Comic, although the number of votes declines slightly each week, from a peak of 960,000 votes to the latest 890,000.
Meanwhile, *Yuan Zhan Ji*, in second place, saw its fan votes surge to 870,000 during the Spring Festival due to a dramatic plot climax.
In the past two weeks, Hikaru no Go fans and Genshin Impact fans have started arguing again.
"This is Hikaru no Go's true strength. Honestly, it only held number one in the Genshin Impact comic magazine for two months, what's so great about that!"
"Exactly! Genshin Impact held it for three years and no Hikaru no Go fans are this arrogant! Now it's funny, the author Aoba messed up by killing off a popular character, and now the popularity is plummeting. I'm making a prediction: this manga will fall from grace within a month, and Genshin Impact will reclaim the number one spot!"
"But Genshin Impact held number one in Genshin Impact for three years, and never had a week with more votes than Hikaru no Go's 960,000. Save your breath, Genshin Impact fans. I just want to laugh."
"Li Mu is currently the number one manga artist in the Genshin Impact Group. That Aoba guy shouldn't bother with this."
"Alright, stop praising Li Mu. A manga that should have ended two years ago was dragged out for so long. Can you honestly say that the plot of Genshin Impact in the last two years wasn't just a bunch of contrived later additions? Although it's still popular, is the quality of the manga as bad as the first 150 chapters?"
"Heh...you make it sound like Aoba isn't either? Who would end a top-tier popular manga when it's still popular? Just you wait and see, Hikaru no Go will definitely have all sorts of world championships later on. If the protagonist doesn't win seven or eight titles, you Hikaru no Go fans will never see the ending of this manga!"
During the Spring Festival, the Huanmeng Group's official website almost became a battleground between Hikaru no Go fans and Genshin Impact fans, with a large number of fans from both sides attacking and criticizing each other.
If it weren't for the fact that Huanmeng Group's voting system required real-name authentication, the fans from both sides would probably have already started giving each other a lot of negative reviews and low scores.
However, the higher-ups of the manga group were happy to see this.
The fans arguing with each other was also a way to generate buzz.
Furthermore, Li Mu, the author of *Source Chronicles*, held the top spot at the Huanmeng Group for three years thanks to this manga
. His attitude had become arrogant in recent years, and he'd become increasingly temperamental when faced with the group's commercial demands, refusing to participate in New Year's Eve activities several times. Qingye's rise to prominence with *Hikaru no Go* also taught them how to properly balance the relationship between manga artists and groups.
If you have ability, the group will allocate resources to you; that's how you become a top manga artist in Xia Guo.
But there are countless capable manga artists in Xia Guo; many are just waiting for an opportunity to shine.
February ended, March arrived...
Xia Jing's final semester of high school officially began.
Several weeks had passed since the chapter about Zuo Wei's disappearance was serialized.
The extreme fans had mostly calmed down.
Some flowers had already bloomed on the slope leading to school, their vibrant petals filling the air with their fragrance.
Xia Jing wore his school uniform, but among the students heading up the slope, he was undoubtedly the most conspicuous, surrounded by a large group of students pointing and whispering.
Manga, dramas, anime...
how many students didn't engage with any of these three forms of entertainment? Someone with this kind of self-discipline in high school is truly
one in a million! If your offline entertainment includes reading comics, watching TV dramas, or watching anime, then for the past few months you've inevitably been watching the season's number one TV drama, the season's number one anime, and currently the top-ranked serialized manga in Xia Country... *Hikaru no Go*.
In school, you could say that most people are fans of *Hikaru no Go*.
Every semester there's the same old opening ceremony.
But this semester the school adds a little something extra: Xia Jing, as an "outstanding" student, gets to give a presentation on his creative journey after the teacher's speech.
After all, a student's literary work being adapted into the current number one TV drama in Xia Country—isn't that a kind of educational achievement?
After his presentation, back in the classroom, Su Qingxiao naturally approached him, her expression complicated.
"The group has decided that Hikaru no Go will end within six weeks. My sister also informed me that to fill the void left by Hikaru no Go's ending, the Huanmeng Group will hold a serialization meeting next week... My new manga will also participate in this serialization meeting!"
"Congratulations, Su Qingxiao, keep up the good work!" Xia Jing paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled at Su Qingxiao.
"Aren't you even a little bit reluctant?"
"Reluctant?" Xia Jing asked.
"What's there to be reluctant about? I decided the ending of Hikaru no Go. For a top-tier manga, the creator can freely decide its ending point, isn't that the best thing?"
"This might be the best manga you'll ever have! A normal person would be upset, right?"
"You have so little confidence in me?" Xia Jing laughed.
"I'm still confident that I can draw a manga better than Hikaru no Go in the future."
Su Qingxiao looked carefully into Xia Jing's eyes, not seeing any pretense for the sake of face, and after a long while, she leaned back in her chair and said dejectedly.
"Honestly, how can the gap between people be so huge! I have absolutely no confidence in next week's serialization meeting... We're the same age, and I even debuted earlier than you, but you've already reached the top of Huanmeng Comic, while I'm worried about how to even get a serialization slot in Huanmeng Comic!"
"Don't compare yourself to me," Xia Jing emphasized again.
"Even excluding me, you're already one of the most talented young comic artists in Xia Country... You were qualified to submit your work to the Huanmeng Comic serialization meeting at seventeen
. Even if you don't succeed this time, there's always next time, and the time after that. Even if you dedicate a year or two to working your way up in Huanmeng Comic, being able to get your comic serialized in this magazine before you turn 19 is already a once-in-a-decade, even once-in-twenty-years genius in the comics industry."
"But how can I exclude you? You're always in front of me, and my sister goes to your place every week to get her comic manuscript..." Su Qingxiao said speechlessly.
"Using Hikaru no Go as an example... You're Shi Liang, and I'm Zuo Wei... No matter how good Shi Liang is, he can't beat Zuo Wei!" Xia Jing laughed, saying that some things are better left unsaid.
"If I weren't a staunch materialist, I'd think you had a ghost like Zuo Wei teaching you how to draw manga! Your romance manga is top-notch, and your Go sports manga is also at the top..." Su Qingxiao sighed, then held out her hand. "
Let's give each other a high five. After all, next week's serialization meeting is thanks to the completion of Hikaru no Go. Pass on your good luck to me, and I'll inherit your serialization spot in my manga!"
Xia Jing paused, then smiled and gently patted her hand.
"Good luck.
In early March, the official website of Huanmeng Group announced news that shocked the entire comic book industry in Xia Country.
Huanmeng Group's popular comic, "Hikaru no Go," would end within six weeks.
On the day of its conclusion, the author of "Hikaru no Go," Aoba, would hold a fan meeting and Q&A session in Shanghai. Fans could apply for tickets to the Aoba fan meeting on the official website...
The lengthy announcement, though concise, exploded like a nuclear bomb among the "Hikaru no Go" fan community, leaving even the entire comic book industry in Xia Country completely dumbfounded. "
Hikaru no Go" is ending?
Are you kidding me?
[Remember this website's domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, super considerate, 𝑡𝑤𝑘𝑎𝑛.𝑐𝑜𝑚 super convenient]
Everyone said that the popularity of "Hikaru no Go" declined after Zuo Wei disappeared, but in reality, "Hikaru no Go" is still Huanmeng Comics' number one most popular work.
The manga's volume sales are skyrocketing, so who would want to end a manga at a time like this?
The Genmei Group certainly wouldn't do that, so
the reason this manga is ending... must be Aoba's doing.
After this news broke, a group of Hikaru no Go fans couldn't stay silent any longer and started talking out.
"What was Aoba-sensei thinking? Hikaru no Go is ending like this?"
"This manga sold almost nine million copies last month, right? It's ending like this?"
"That's outrageous. How could it be!" "Has
Aoba-sensei lost his mind? It's incomprehensible."
"This can't be real news, right? Is it April Fool's Day?"
"How could Hikaru no Go end in six weeks? The drunken game between Zuo Wei and Fang Xu was foreshadowing, right? And Shi Yang did mention wanting to play another match with Sai before his retirement. In reality, Jin Guang and Shi Yang never actually played against each other. According to the plot, there should be a scene where Jin Guang learns all of Zuo Wei's skills and then plays against Shi Yang. And Kuwabara, he's so interested in Shinko, how could there not be a scene where he plays against Jin Guang? Most importantly, Shi Liang and Jin Guang... these two haven't played against each other even after becoming professional players!"
"Is this a rushed ending?"
"That's unlikely! A bad ending only happens when the author runs out of ideas, the world-building is pretty much complete, all the enemies have been defeated, and there's nothing left to draw but they keep going. Even we ordinary readers can come up with so many interesting plot points, why wouldn't Aoba-sensei? The main and side story structure of this manga can support at least dozens or even a hundred more chapters!" "
Exactly! Don't you guys even look into the format of the World Championship? Let alone the process of reaching the finals, even the finals themselves often involve three-match or five-match battles. If Aoba-sensei chose to serialize any one of the championship matches, it would be at least twenty chapters. These plots are so interesting, and they're all income!"
"Hikaru no Go's manga volumes are guaranteed to sell over ten million copies each. Aoba-sensei can serialize a volume every month. Even without considering other income, Hikaru no Go's manga alone can earn ten million a month from the collected volumes. How could it possibly end? What reason would Aoba-sensei have to end it?"
"Could it be that he's really made enough money and is preparing to retire from the manga industry? Does he not want to draw manga anymore, which is why he ended it so quickly?"
"He only made tens of millions and he's already quitting? He should at least make a few hundred million more before retiring! How can a seventeen-year-old genius always be thinking about lying low and retiring?"
"Besides Aoba having made enough money, I can't think of any other reason why he ended Hikaru no Go. The upcoming storylines are easy to draw, the work has a lot of popularity, and the commercial profits it can bring him are very substantial... How could he possibly end it?" "
Is it possible that he's too sensitive, and was brought to tears by the fans who were criticizing him for letting Zuo Wei die, so he ended Hikaru no Go in a fit of anger?"
"Impossible, he's a top-tier manga artist, how could he be so sensitive? It's their business if others criticize him, but you earn tens of millions every month, why are you afraid of being criticized?"
"That's a bit ridiculous, if that's really the reason." "
It sounds like a choice an immature seventeen-year-old would make, but that's... too irresponsible of his manga."
Online, various people are speculating about why Hikaru no Go ended.
As for the media professionals in the comics industry, they didn't care about such things, and sensational headlines and articles kept popping up.
[Genius manga artist Aoba loses confidence after being fiercely criticized by fans, decides to end Hikaru no Go
and retire from the manga world!] [Cyberbullying has caused the Chinese comics industry to lose another genius; Aoba may return to a normal student life after ending Hikaru no Go!]
[Having made enough money, he's given up. Aoba's attitude towards his manga Hikaru no Go is extremely poor; ending the work at its peak of popularity is a highly irresponsible attitude.]
[A seventeen-year-old with no ambition; Aoba's career ceiling as a manga artist is clearly limited. Reaching the top spot on Huanmeng Comic is enough for him to become complacent, even considering ending the series. He never thought about making Hikaru no Go a long-term serialization, aiming for the top spot in the Chinese comics industry!]
[Rumors circulate online that Aoba, the author of the Hikaru no Go manga, is in a relationship with a classmate during high school and is behaving intimately with her at school...] At
her villa, Su Qingxiao, reading the reports from a group of unscrupulous media outlets online, nearly choked on her own blood. Could this gossip really involve her?
Who else could it be but Su Qingxiao, the classmate reported by the media for behaving intimately with Xia Jing?
"Xia Jing just finished Hikaru no Go normally. Who are you people here to judge?"
After seeing the comments section below the article where Hikaru no Go fans were cursing Xia Jing's female classmate, Su Qingxiao couldn't hold back any longer. She logged into her account and confronted these people.
As for Xia Jing...
it was, after all, a hugely popular manga with an average volume sales of nearly ten million. Within China, the manga, TV series, and anime had tens of millions of followers. The fact that
Hikaru no Go's ending would trend on social media and be sensationalized by the media was entirely expected.
At this moment, he didn't need to do much.
He simply opened his phone, logged into his creator account, and sent a message:
[The ending of Hikaru no Go is a normal ending! The plot of the final chapter was created at the same time as the first chapter. This is the ending of Hikaru no Go that was planned from the beginning; it's definitely not a bad ending, so please rest assured!]
He copied and pasted the message and sent it to multiple accounts.
Xia Jing knew that what Hikaru no Go fans were most worried about at this moment was the bizarre and distorted comments about a bad ending circulating online. His words might not eliminate these opinions, but at least they could reassure the die-hard fans of Hikaru no Go.
Moreover, ending Hikaru no Go here was much better than the original manga ending with the final battle of the Hokuto Cup.
The original ending was both open-ended and closed-ended; the protagonist team didn't win the Hokuto Cup despite all the content, and the final ending was the protagonist losing.
At least if it ended at this point, Xia Jing felt that as a first-time manga reader, he would only feel a sense of loss and reluctance, but he wouldn't think it was a bad ending!
After Xia Jing's remarks, the uproar among Hikaru no Go fans online subsided considerably. However, some detractors remained, eager to see how the manga could achieve a satisfying ending for most within six weeks.
Soon, another Wednesday arrived, and the latest chapter of Hikaru no Go was released.
Early that morning, Xiao Yueyao waited outside the bookstore.
Three days ago, when Huanmeng Group announced the end of Hikaru no Go, she felt uneasy.
How could the manga be finished in just six chapters?
But after Aoba's announcement, she chose to trust Aoba's basic integrity as the creator of Hikaru no Go!
He couldn't possibly treat this manga so casually, could he? She
quickly bought the magazine and returned home.
Xiao Yueyao took a deep breath and opened the magazine.
The story continued from the previous chapter.
Shang Gu and others at school also saw in the newspaper that Jin Guang had missed several professional Go matches for several months.
The scene of Jin Guang leaving the Go club to become a professional Go player was still vivid in their minds.
His carefree attitude towards his chosen path after becoming a professional Go player severely angered Shang Gu.
[Jin Guang, we're challenging Jinghai Middle School again this year. You'll never have that opportunity again. How about it, envious...]
The comic depicts Jin Guang's dejected expression.
He likes playing Go, but he likes Zuo Wei even more!
If the way to bring Zuo Wei back is to stop playing Go, then he'd rather never play Go again.
"Will that work?" Xiao Yueyao blinked.
Zuo Wei disappeared after fulfilling his wish.
Does his return have any potential connection to whether Jin Guang plays Go or not?
Or is this just Jin Guang's wishful thinking, Jin Guang... atoning for not letting Zuo Wei play Go in the past?
The perspective shifts to Isumi, who has returned from studying on the peninsula.
Isumi, who was brutally defeated by a group of peninsula geniuses for a year, returned to Xia Kingdom after defeating all the players who had tormented him.
Upon returning, the first thing he heard from He Gu was that Jin Guang had decided to quit Go.
Isumi, of course, was deeply resentful...
He and Jin Guang had fought fiercely for the last professional Go player qualification, each a formidable rival.
He was too old to stay at the dojo, so to continue his professional Go career and improve his skills in his final year, he traveled alone to a peninsula thousands of miles away, where he faced ridicule from other players—all for the sake of improving his abilities.
And what was Jin Guang doing after winning that professional qualification?
Xiao Yueyao, seeing this, was also angry.
Even if Zuo Wei had disappeared, Jin Guang's actions were absolutely wrong and irresponsible.
Seeing Isumi criticize Jin Guang in the manga, she even felt a secret satisfaction.
But ultimately, the manga *Hikaru no Go* is about Go.
All the conflicts are resolved through Go...
Isumi wanted to persuade Jin Guang to return to the professional arena.
Jin Guang, however, fearing Zuo Wei wouldn't return, refused, and their argument ultimately turned into a game of Go.
This was the nightmarish game between Jin Guang and Isumi, where Isumi resigned after taking back a move.
Isumi wanted to finish that game, starting with that one wrong move.
Making a mistake wasn't the issue; the key was taking it back. Isumi wanted to understand whether Jin Guang could have won if he hadn't ruined that move, given his significant advantage.
[Jin Guang, play against me, for me, to resolve my inner conflict, so I can participate in this year's professional Go tournament without regrets... Let's finish that game!]
Xiao Yueyao's eyes reddened as she read this, looking at Isumi's earnest expression in the manga. That subtle emotion she felt when reading the Hikaru no Go manga resurfaced.
Who said Hikaru no Go would have a bad ending?
Isn't this exciting?
Isn't this touching?
Even though Isumi died dozens of chapters ago, Aoba had already planted a plot point for him here.
It's obvious that the turning point in Jin Guang's decision to stop playing Go after Zuo Wei's disappearance lies here. Jin Guang can stop playing Go for himself, but could he be so cold-blooded as to ruthlessly reject the plea from Izumi, who had been kind to him?
If he were such an absolutely selfish person, how could he decide to stop playing Go just because Zuo Wei disappeared?
You say that Aoba is just running out of ideas late in the series, and that the story is only just ending? Who would believe that
?!
[If I play chess again, Zuo Wei will...]
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. Jin Guang's expression began to waver.
[Jin Guang, can you play one more game of chess with me, just for my sake!]
In a daze, Jin Guang unconsciously sat down at the chessboard.
[Jin Guang, please, just one game!]
[I'm sorry, I... I can't play chess anymore.]
[Jin Guang, I'll go back right after this game, please...]
Xiao Yueyao looked at the comic, watching Jin Guang's hand reach for the chess box, watching his bewildered eyes become clear.
[I, I promise you...]
[Zuo Wei, I'm doing this only for Yi Jiao, not because I want to play chess... Zuo Wei, just one game is okay.] "Zuo Wei... Is it okay... Answer me! Where did you go?"
Jin Guang placed a piece.
Izumi followed closely...
The two placed piece after piece.
But Jin Guang became increasingly engrossed in the game, and he felt conflicted after realizing this.
Xiao Yueyao watched intently.
The blank board was gradually filled with pieces.
Black and white pieces filled the board.
To be honest, after following the manga for two years, Xiao Yueyao still didn't understand how to play Go, but she still watched with great attention whenever such tense matches appeared in the manga.
And at the most critical moment of the game...
Jin Guang used all his calculation power to calculate the board's movement, forgetting that he shouldn't be playing Go, and became completely engrossed in the game...
Zuo Wei's fan appeared and touched the board.
And coincidentally, this was the very spot where Jin Guang was about to place his piece.
Xiao Yueyao was stunned.
Jin Guang was also stunned.
Zuo Wei, has he really come back like this?
Xiao Yueyao got goosebumps, feeling something stirring within her, making her both excited and tearful.
In the black and white comic, as Jin Guang placed his piece, Xiao Yueyao seemed to hear a crisp sound.
Jin Guang turned around, but there was no one behind him...
Zuo Wei's fan from just now seemed like a dream.
Yi Jiao continued to place his piece, but found that Jin Guang hadn't moved.
Tears dripped from the corner of his eye down his chin...
[This kind of move, it's definitely him, he's played like this before... Found him, the Zuo Wei I couldn't find anywhere, I never thought he was here...]
Xiao Yueyao's vision gradually blurred with tears.
She seemed to understand this plot.
But because she understood, she wanted to cry even more.
[Zuo Wei is here, the Zuo Wei I couldn't find no matter how hard I looked, is on this chessboard, is in the game!
[Now the way I want to see you is to keep playing chess.]
[Zuo Wei, I....]
Xiao Yueyao turned the page, but only saw Jin Guang sobbing and wiping away his tears.
"Can I continue playing?"
"Isumi...I, I want to play again."
The game between Isumi and Jin Guang continued, but Xiao Yueyao was already distracted.
In the manga, Jin Guang was crying his eyes out, and she wasn't much better off.
It was the sixth-to-last chapter of the Hikaru no Go manga, a week when many thought Aoba had run out of ideas and was preparing to abandon the series.
But the storyline of Hikaru no Go moved her the most since she started following it.
"Is this what Aoba-sensei meant when he said a few weeks ago that Zuo Wei wouldn't completely disappear?"
Xiao Yueyao flipped through the next page of the manga.
The scene of Shi Liang making it into the top eight in the title match, and Jin Guang going to see his game records, no longer stirred her emotions. All her feelings were drawn to the image of Zuo Wei's folding fan appearing.
From early morning, those in the manga industry who followed Hikaru no Go, the media, and especially the fans, experienced an unprecedented surge in discussion about the storyline.
It was even more heated than the discussion surrounding Zuo Wei's disappearance a few weeks prior!
"I cried!"
"Is this the plot of the manga genius Aoba? He completely changed my opinion of Hikaru no Go in just one chapter. Anyone who says Hikaru no Go is going to have a bad ending, I'll chase their whole family and yell at them!"
"I was also wavering, thinking Hikaru no Go was going to have a bad ending.
" "
I saw goosebumps and tears! Really..."
"My nose is still sore. Zuo Wei, he actually exists in the game!"
"It's the same as the theory that a person dies three times. Physical death, being forgotten, all traces of his existence in the world are eliminated. Zuo Wei's physical death was a thousand years ago, and his spiritual death was in the modern era, but his Go skills, his spirit of pursuing the God's Move, were inherited by Jin Guang. All of these things are in the Go moves played by Jin Guang!"
"It's a plot that makes your scalp tingle! How could Aoba, at seventeen, come up with this plot? Is this the level that a seventeen-year-old can reach, and he even conveyed it to the audience in the manga?"
"So, this is genius!"
"It's such a pity that such a manga will only last five weeks."
"Why?! I still don't understand why Aoba-sensei had to end this manga? Shi Liang made it to the quarterfinals of the Tianyuan Tournament, and Jin Guang returned to the Go world—wasn't that a very interesting plot? Why just gloss over it and end the manga like that?"
"Exactly, I want to see the title match, I want to see Jin Guang and Kuwabara play against each other, and challenge him for the title of Kisei..."
"Is it really just that he doesn't want to draw anymore?" "
Is it possible that Aoba-sensei really came up with a great ending, but a group of outsiders and Hikaru no Go fans just can't accept it, and they're criticizing it without even seeing the ending!"
"What perfect ending? I don't accept it. A manga that ends like this can't be perfect."
"So, Zuo Wei really disappeared, leaving only his Go and spirit to be inherited by Jin Guang, right?"
In just one chapter, the reputation of the Hikaru no Go manga, which had plummeted due to the ending controversy, saw a reversal.
Anyone with even a shred of love for the Hikaru
no Go manga could feel the brilliance of this chapter, the instant emotion after reading it. If the chapter about Zuo Wei's disappearance was the saddest chapter for Hikaru no Go fans,
then this chapter was the one that allowed them to release their grief.
Related searches such as "Zuo Wei lives in Jin Guang's Go" topped the trending charts on major anime websites.
Although many people were still criticizing the manga artist Aoba on these forums today, many of those who had previously criticized him were now reflecting on whether they had gone too far.
Aoba was simply sharing the story that moved him, and he hadn't done anything wrong!
Throughout the day, the Hikaru no Go fans were more united than they had in weeks. Not only were the insults at their lowest, but many fans, regardless of any resentment towards Aoba, voted for Zuo Wei without hesitation after finishing the manga, even after seeing Zuo Wei's phantom.
Statistics from the Huanmeng Group showed a significant increase in Hikaru no Go voting compared to the same period in previous weeks.
The next day, Su Mingxi woke up early, and her sister woke up even earlier.
Both of them spent their breakfast watching online reports from fans and the media about the latest chapter of Hikaru no Go.
"Wow, Xia Jing!" Su Qingxiao exclaimed.
"He reversed public opinion in just one chapter."
"Indeed, very impressive," Su Mingxi nodded.
"Exactly, he's been too inconsiderate in his actions. Although Hikaru no Go is still doing very well right now, if he had continued the serialization for a long time from the beginning, or if he hadn't had Zuo Wei leave the show, the manga wouldn't have faced so much criticism in the last two months."
"In that case, Hikaru no Go would only be a good work in the history of Chinese comics, not a masterpiece!" Su Qingxiao said softly. "
Sister, what Xia Jing values most isn't how much money these comics can make, but whether his work can bring more emotion to Chinese comic fans. You'll understand if you look at his actions from a non-commercial perspective." "
You don't understand," Su Mingxi said.
"Professional comic artists will definitely consider the commercial viability of their work first, not its artistic merit. The reason is simple: the comic publishing platform and the group are commercial companies, not charities."
"If Hikaru no Go weren't a Go manga, and the group couldn't find more ways to monetize it, how could it have ended so easily?"
Su Qingxiao's expression clearly showed her disapproval, but Su Mingxi didn't say anything more. After tidying up the things on the table, she said to Su Qingxiao,
"I'm going to work now!"
She went to the villa's garage, drove her car out, and arrived at the headquarters of the Huanmeng Group in the city center in less than twenty minutes.
Today, as soon as she entered the group's editorial department, Su Mingxi felt the complicated gazes of the group's members.
Hikaru no Go's reputation had been on a rollercoaster ride in the past few weeks. Just when everyone thought it might take off, the death of Zuo Weizhi and the news of Hikaru no Go's ending repeatedly shattered the comic fans' confidence in the work. Just
when everyone thought the manga might be finished and going downhill, Hikaru no Go's popularity would suddenly surge.
This included the opinions of the editorial department members towards Su Mingxi.
How will Hikaru no Go's performance be this week?
Everyone knows it
will rise. How much?
Especially for Yu Shuheng, the editor of Genshin Impact. Every time he thinks he can lead Genshin Impact back to the top of the magazine, this addictive manga always manages to pull off a miraculous comeback.
What to do now?
Hikaru no Go will only last five weeks. If they don't overtake Genshin Impact before it ends, in the manga world's perception, Hikaru no Go will always be ahead of Genshin Impact.
Yu Shuheng is in a bad mood.
He's even more anxious than Su Mingxi about the 9:30 PM results announcement.
But ultimately, that moment has to arrive on time.
Su Mingxi, who was already prepared, didn't hesitate and immediately clicked into the file...
[1, Hikaru no Go, Total Votes: 979,655.]
Su Mingxi had no interest in reading any further.
Hikaru no Go being number one this week was enough.
Moreover, this total number of votes broke Hikaru no Go's own record again.
At this moment, whispers filled the editorial department.
"970,000...? How is that possible? Wasn't it only 890,000 last week?"
"Are Hikaru no Go fans so easily fooled? They've started voting for Hikaru no Go on a massive scale again."
"Why do Hikaru no Go fans forgive so many mistakes? The manga I was in charge of only had two slightly ambiguous panels between the female lead and the second male lead, and its popularity exploded, beyond saving."
"Classic manga and ordinary manga are treated differently! The audience's patience threshold is different too."
"Hikaru no Go is number one again. It can't stay number one until the end, right?"
Putting on her headphones, Su Mingxi blocked out the whispers of her office colleagues. Metal band music filled the headphones, a slight smile playing on her lips, and she began her workday.
For the next two weeks, the storyline of *Hikaru no Go* focused on Jin Guang's professional matches.
Jin Guang returned to the Go world, dominating his opponents with an eight-game winning streak, directly making it to the front page of Go media.
Then, in late March...
the most anticipated match between Jin Guang and Shi Liang began to unfold.
The plot was flawless, and almost all *Hikaru no Go* fans could feel the charm of this part of the story.
In this match, Jin Guang displayed Go skills comparable to Shi Liang's.
Even...
several of his moves reminded Shi Liang of his first match against Jin Guang, and...
the online Go master, SAI.
Meanwhile, during the game between the two, the story also begins to interweave Hong Xiuying, a 14-year-old who had just become a professional Go player in the peninsula region and defeated a 9-dan player, Jin Guang.
The plot also begins to lay the groundwork for the exchange tournament between young Go players under 18 from the peninsula, Japan, and Xia.
The perspective shifts again ,
focusing on the game between Jin Guang and Shi Liang.
The further the game progresses, the more familiar Shi Liang feels with Jin Guang's playing style.
"In you, I can vaguely see the shadow of another person... the shadow of the person I've been chasing for so long!"
Jin Guang has grown to the point where even Shi Liang doubts whether he is truly Sai.
In the eyes of the media in the comic, Shi Liang, Jin Guang, Yue Zhi, and others are the only three Xia Go players who can shine in the exchange tournament.
The foreshadowing of the Beidou Cup unfolds in this episode through a conversation between passersby.
Also, at the end of this episode, during the middle game of Jin Guang and Shi Liang's match...
Shi Liang said to Jin Guang...
"Jin Guang, playing against you reminds me of Sai."
"Unfortunately, I'm not Sai!" Jin Guang denied.
"It is you, he is another you, that person is the Jin Guang I just met, that person... is Sai! There is another person within you!"
The penultimate episode of *Hikaru no Go* ends with these words from Shi Liang.
"It's already the penultimate chapter, and they're still digging holes and adding abrupt endings. Aoba-sensei, you're going too far."
"Next week, Hikaru no Go will end!"
"I've been following it for a year and two months, it's been a long yet fast-paced year!"
"I feel like crying. Zuo Wei, in the end, after his demise, finally someone noticed his existence."
"It has to be Shi Liang! He guessed everything right... I guess he might have mistaken Sai for Jin Guang's split personality.
99
"I want to cry... Hikaru no Go will end next week, what's with this youth exchange tournament?"
"Can Xia Jing-sensei really end this manga with just one chapter?"
"I don't know, brothers, see you next week!"
"See you next week, it's no use saying anything now, I'm not going to criticize Aoba-sensei anymore! Sigh, brothers, if you want to support Hikaru no Go, vote for him now!"
In late March, after the penultimate chapter of Hikaru no Go was serialized
, the official website of Huanmeng Group and the promotional posters at the group's headquarters were all completely changed.
Instead, the group swarmed various distributors with promotional materials for the final chapter of Hikaru no Go.
Platforms, television, subways, buses...
all were advertising that the final chapter of Hikaru no Go would be serialized and released nationwide in the next week's issue of the Gensou Comic magazine