Aaaand we’re back for another episode of Hikaru No Go! Hikaru No Go episode 9!
Shi Guang helps Chu Ying make a name for himself in the online world of Go. What will happen next?
Hikaru No Go Episode 9 Recap Highlights:
- Chu Ying’s win rate attracts a variety of professional Go players, including Yu Liang
- Wu Di seeks Chu Ying for advice
- Fang Xu wants Chu Ying to reveal himself and Shi Guang needs to make a decision
We’re almost at the double digits! Just one more episode to go! But before that, let’s discuss what happened in Hikaru No Go episode 9!
Rising Fame
Fang Xu grins with content as he listens to the local news. A news anchor reports how WeiDa has been growing quickly.
Ever since the website was released.
But Fang Xu’s employees report that although the number of users has expanded rapidly, it’s still falling below expectations.
Did they think they could grow the website that quickly?
Fang Xu comments that it’s fine to take it slow.
And he plans on getting some advertisements out for his site.
Then someone shows up at the entrance of his office, he’s here to take photos of Fang Xu.
Fang Xu struts and poses as the photographer takes several shots.
Later, on a drive with a lady friend, Fang Xu has the radio on and hears a name he’s not familiar with.
Chu Ying.
Who currently has an unbeaten record on WeiDa.
So the radio host believes this Chu Ying is stealing the founder’s thunder.
Fang Xu gets upset and then pulls over on the street. To ask his lady friend to buy a copy of World of Go.
Thinking he will be on the cover of the magazine.
But it’s actually Chu Ying.
ohhhh boy, so now Fang Xu is jealous of Chu Ying’s fame
Unbroken Winning Streak
Shi Guang sneaks out of the house to head to the nearest internet cafe. But his mother catches him just to lecture him about school work. Because break is almost over.
However she needs to take off for work so she lets him off for now.
At the internet cafe, Chu Ying tests Shi Guang on some of the gameplay strategies and Shi Guang shows his growth.
After all, he helped Chu Ying play 204 games already.
Without any losses.
Then Shi Guang wonders if they should lose just once, just to make it more reasonable.
But then Chu Ying comments that he hasn’t lost for over a thousand years.
So it doesn’t make sense to lose now.
Shi Guang also helped Chu Ying open a blog and it gets thousands of messages every single day.
Making Chu Ying feel like he’s returned to the past.
Between replying to blog messages, posting up puzzles and searching for other players, Shi Guang basically has a full time job on his hands.
But he doesn’t mind doing this for Chu Ying.
Meanwhile, Fang Xu is frustrated with Chu Ying’s rising popularity.
All of his employees have been beaten by him.
But Fang Xu wonders how that is possible.
Meanwhile, Shi Guang pays a visit to Wu Di. Wondering what he’s been up to since he hasn’t been going to the Go club lately.
And reminds him that the holiday party is coming up.
Wu Di replies that he’s been busy with homework but Shi Guang discovers that he’s been on WeiDa.
Chu Ying – Skilled or a Fraud
Instead of focusing on the club.
If the president of the club doesn’t care about the club anymore, should the club still exist?
Shi Guang leaves him some food for thought and leaves abruptly.
Poor Wu Di. He looks like he’s stuck.
Fang Xu pays another visit to Teacher Bai and shares his feelings of success. He feels like everything he’s done up to this point could not beat the feeling of being on the cover of a magazine.
Especially one that focuses on upcoming entrepreneurs.
But Teacher Bai changes the topic to Chu Ying. Because no one knows who he is.
He’s either a fraud or a hidden skilled player.
Teacher Bai doesn’t believe Chu Ying is a fraud.
Shi Guang is at the internet cafe again to play Go but brought his homework along.
As he takes a break to work on some of his homework, he wonders if they could achieve God’s Hand by playing online.
Chu Ying doesn’t believe so as his opponents so far haven’t been skilled enough.
However he wants to continue playing. Because it makes him happy and it feels good to be recognized as the God of Go.
So if Chu Ying is the God of Go, wouldn’t Shi Guang be the creator of the God of Go?
The two exchange greetings. And joke around with each other.
Then all of a sudden, Fang Xu comes online.
And Chu Ying eagerly tells Shi Guang to invite him to a game.
But Fang Xu denies the request and keeps denying them. He wants to meet with everyone who played against Chu Ying first.
So Shi Guang stops requesting and focuses on his homework.
Later, Wu Di sends a friend request and Shi Guang reluctantly accepts.
Wu Di’s Stumbling Block
After that, Chu Ying gets another match request. But Shi Guang needs to focus on his homework.
Chu Ying pleads with him.
Just one more game.
So Shi Guang plays another game before heading home.
After several days of helping Chu Ying play Go on the internet and manage the blog, Shi Guang is exhausted and wants a break.
But Chu Ying refuses to let Shi Guang rest.
Shi Guang ends up at the internet cafe again. And something new happens, he gets a message addressed to Chu Ying.
From Wu Di.
As Shi Guang reads it, he feels Wu Di’s frustration and troubles.
Wu Di wants Chu Ying’s advice because he’s not sure what to do.
He met so many friends through the Go club and wonders if he will lose everything once he quits.
Chu Ying wants Shi Guang to tell Wu Di not to quit but Shi Guang thinks that friends should support him no matter what he decides.
After reading the message from Chu Ying, Wu Di feels a lot better.
And decides to take a break from Go to focus on his studies.
On the day of the club celebration, it’s also Wu Di’s farewell party.
But his friends support his decision.
Investigating Chu Ying
Yu Liang gets invited to a group discussion about Chu Ying’s play style. And wants to play against this Chu Ying himself.
Meanwhile, Shi Guang shares his own thoughts about continuing Go with Chu Ying.
He’s not sure if he can decide at this moment that continuing to pursue Go is the right decision.
Because it will take time to know if the decision was right.
Even though Chu Ying has different thoughts, he respects Shi Guang’s own opinions.
Chu Ying is such a good mentor to Shi Guang who doesn’t have a father figure in his life
The two return back to the internet cafe and a new opponent appears.
Username: Akira.
Shi Guang feels like this name is very familiar and realizes it is Yu Liang.
Chu Ying won’t hold back.
But after a few opening moves, Yu Liang surrenders.
Too many back seat drivers barging into his match.
And then requests a rematch.
Because he wants to know if this person is actually Shi Guang.
As the days pass by, Shi Guang sees that Fang Xu issued a challenge offline to the God of Go.
And wonders how he can play in person. Without showing his face.
But first they need to take care of the match with Yu Liang.
Who is Chu Ying?
Yu Liang puts his pieces down against his invisible opponent. Telling himself that this cannot be Shi Guang.
So who is he then?
Yu Liang admits his defeat but still wants answers.
It’s Chu Ying’s 272 win.
After publicly declaring his challenge against Chu Ying, Fang Xu reserved a conference hall.
For the match.
And spectators, reporters, journalists, etc. have flocked over to watch.
They are all curious about the identity of Chu Ying.
Shi Guang didn’t want to go but feels sorry for Chu Ying. Because he’s a spirit without a physical body.
However, he comes down with a fever.
Chu Ying wants Shi Guang to rest but Shi Guang promised to spread Chu Ying’s fame.
So they head off to the match site.
Meanwhile, Yu Liang shows up to the match site and informs Fang Xu that Chu Ying’s play style feels similar to someone he has faced before.
And he must see this person face to face.
Shi Guang arrives and dons a mask to hide his identity.
Anyone recognize the character? It’s Song Wukong. The celestial monkey who accompanied a monk and a celestial pig on a journey.
But before he can walk up to the podium, someone announces that Chu Ying has already arrived.
At the same time, Yu Liang and Fang Xu hear the announcement as well.
One individual dressed in white robes walks up to the stage and introduces himself as Chu Ying.
But then another shows up.
And another.
The three argue and fight while on stage.
While everyone else just spectates.
Goal Derailed
Chu Ying feels like he’s derailed from his original goal. So it’s better to stick to just discovering God’s Hand.
It’s time to head back.
After Shi Guang turns to leave, Yu Liang sees the back of Shi Guang and wants to chase.
While Fang Xu stews with frustration.
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Comments
Ugh, the feels in Hikaru No Go episode 9 made me tear up again! Wu Di’s own struggles with pursuing Go made Shi Guang realize that he would have to make a decision in the future as well.
But that also means Shi Guang is taking Go more seriously now. Instead of treating it as a chore that he must do.
On behalf of Chu Ying.
Oh and poor Yu Liang! He’s been chasing after Chu Ying all this time, thinking it was Shi Guang.
And then getting disappointed.
Then hopes were flared up again. Sigh.
Even pushing off some of his ranking matches to do so.
What’s next for the Four Musketeers Go club now that Wu Di is taking a break? They don’t have enough players for matches again.
Will they find another player? Guess we’ll find out!
Any thoughts on Hikaru No Go episode 9? Leave a comment below!
