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hikarunogoSo, I was looking through my LJ this evening and found a most interesting post. Apparently, back in 2008, there was a Hikago meme going around. I can't quite recall if it was a friending meme, or a getting to know you meme, but it is a meme, and it was Hikago-centric.
Having found said meme, I thought I would share it with all of you. ♥ We can maybe use this as a friending meme (I know I don't have everyone friended, and I'm sure that there are other people who don't, as well) as well as a getting to know you meme since there are a lot of new faces around fandom. (I mean, 2008 was five years ago...)
Feel free to answer the questions in the comments or, if you prefer, to post it on your journal and link back to it. Whatever floats your boat.
Also? If you have done this one before c.2008, and you can find it, feel free to link your old responses to your new ones. It's interesting to see how people's thoughts about the series have changed.
Having found said meme, I thought I would share it with all of you. ♥ We can maybe use this as a friending meme (I know I don't have everyone friended, and I'm sure that there are other people who don't, as well) as well as a getting to know you meme since there are a lot of new faces around fandom. (I mean, 2008 was five years ago...)
Feel free to answer the questions in the comments or, if you prefer, to post it on your journal and link back to it. Whatever floats your boat.
Also? If you have done this one before c.2008, and you can find it, feel free to link your old responses to your new ones. It's interesting to see how people's thoughts about the series have changed.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 01:24 am (UTC)My friend D gave me a copy of the manga with other things, although I read a fair portion of the other things first. I was drawn to Hikaru no Go though, because there was a lot of tenipuri friends who seemed to be fans.
2. Manga or anime?
Manga.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
Reading process:
Hmm, this manga seems alright. MUST READ NEXT VOLUME. MUST READ NEXT VOLUME NOW. Ogata's right, who is Isumi really? SFJLDSKFJLDKFJ CHINESE ARC AMAZING.
Fandom Process about a month later:
Eh. I'll read it if it pops up on the flist.
*gets stuck in a moldy basement where there is like snow and shit.*
I think I will go check out the archives for my shiny new fandom.
*reads through archives.*
*reads through bookmarks lists*
*joins LJ community*
*adds fanfiction rss feed as a bookmarklet*
.... And that is when the madness started.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
Yes. I think the best way to sum it up is, I be Qem.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
I started hng_prompts. lol. Yes on the others - I've done bits and pieces for them.
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
WHY MUST YOU BE SO CRUEL TO MAKE ME PICK ONE.
I'm fond of Sai, Hikaru, Waya and Le Ping!
7. Why do you like him/her?
Because they are fun! :D
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
I'm not sure Sai realises that is a quality he carries. Le Ping I suspect thinks it's his best. Hikaru and Waya are somewehre in between.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
Hikaru & Sai in the series.
Waya & Isumi
Le Ping... He seems closed to Yang Hai with what we see but I doubt that they are best friends. I've seen some theorise Zaho Shii.
10. What do they like about each other?
I suspect Waya is very fond of Isumi's wallet. :3 More seriously, I think Waya appreciates Isumi's sense of responsibility - I think it's something Waya likes a lot having proper senpai, being a proper sempai/Kouhai. I think Isumi likes Waya's outgoing nature and the way that Waya can easily draw new people into the fold etc as I feel Isumi is not very outgoing on his own behalf.
Hikaru and Sai appreciate each others qualities when they are not driving each other nuts.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
Zelda: *HATES THOSE LOSERS THAT JUST QUIT WHEN THE OPPONENT IS WINNING*
12. Why do you think that is?
BECAUSE IT IS ANNOYING.
13. Who is your least favorite character?
That guy that Waya punched Mashiba.
14. What do you not like about him/her?
He's annoying. Probably one of those losers who drop out of online games when they are losing.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
Sai! :D
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
Yes.
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
KUWABARA/OGATA.
18. Why do you like this pairing?
BECAUSE THERE LOVE IS PURE, AND SNARKIFUL.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
YES! So much evidence! You thought all that teasing was platonic?
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
They make the other feel alive and challenged. :D
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
ahahahahaha pregnacy. ahahahahaha.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
I think it is an individual thing. About reaching your potential and going beyond it. Playing a game with your opponent that seems utterly challenging and yet perfect, where you are in sync - and it's not a matter of mistakes, but growth and opportunity.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
The funny thing is, I think they all find traces of it, the ones that play go, that's why they keep on playing to find more and get a bigger hit.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
I suspect at this point in time, Ogata.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Is Ogata a geek?
Geekiest geek that ever geeked.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 01:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 01:36 am (UTC)2. Manga or anime? Both have aspects that I love. I prefer the flow of the manga, but I like the sounds (the music, the voice acting, the sound of the stones, etc.) enough that I can't explicitly state it as a preference.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been. Uh... If you are my good friend (whether online or irl), we have talked about Hikago. It is at the basis of some of my best relationships, and is one of the things I always come back to.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do? I am now! Ficcing, podficcing, a tiny bit of arts-and-crafts... I took several years off from pretty much all fandoming, but this is what I chose to come back to and I don't regret that decision at all. Hikago fandom is the best fandom.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
6. Who is your favorite character in the series? More and more, I wonder if that's even possible. Every time I turn around, still, there is another character who wants my attention and wants me to notice how awesome they are. Hikaru is my favorite to write in fanfic, though?
7. Why do you like him/her? Hikaru is, in a lot of ways, your standard Shonen Jump protagonist. But those ways where he's different... where he stays a brat throughout canon even as he grows as a person and a go player, where he has elements about himself that are not perfect, where he loses much more often than a normal protag does... I love all of that.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself? No one likes those less than stellar parts of themselves, but they're what make characters rather than caricatures. Hikaru probably doesn't even recognize his own attributes like his amazing charisma anyway, because once he finds his one thing (go and Akira because they're a package deal), then he knows focus.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)? In a lot of ways, Hikaru doesn't have one. He is friendly with a lot of people and forms relationships easily, but his deepest relationships (Akira and Sai, arguably) are marked by things that keep him from being able to make that ultimate connection. Waya is probably the closest thing he's got otherwise.
10. What do they like about each other? They they play go and are around the same age (and, for Waya, that Hikaru is not Akira). I don't think it takes much there. XD
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.) Ko Yeong-ha.
12. Why do you think that is? Canon says it's because of misinterpretation of stuff about Shuusaku. Fanon says it's because Hikago wants a piece of that.
13. Who is your least favorite character? Sai.
14. What do you not like about him/her? He's the catalyst for the whole story, so I can't hate him for that, but as a character, he rubs me the wrong way constantly. I like a character who is a little more consistent in their behavior and who generally understands the world around them.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first? Sai. He'd he so sad from a lack of go that he would move on.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here. ... I don't like the idea of Kuwabara having sex with anyone. But anything else goes! (Or at least will if written well. ^_~)
17. Which pairing is your favorite? AkiHika is still my favorite.
18. Why do you like this pairing? I live rivalry pairings already, for the most part, plus I love what the characters bring out in each other. On their own, Hikaru is kind of manic and Akira is a little stoic, but together they are perfect beings of light or something. XD
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing? Is it canon? No. Can you squint and it seems like the entirety of canon is pre-slash? YES.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)? They are rivals who bond over their rivalry to become friends. The aforementioned drawing things out of one another helps, too.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)? In theory, yes.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved? The Hand of God, rather than a single move, seems to be a playing style wherein the player is able to control the game and play perfectly. It's utopian go, but the striving toward it makes it exist in the minds of the players and it is certainly achieved small-scale by the better players.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first? I think that no one will find it. Hikaru has the best chance, in theory, but as long as he has a strong rival, he won't be able to wrest the control away that's needed to obtain the Hand of God.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying? Ogata. He's certainly capable of obsessing over things.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Does Tsubaki wear fundoshi? Yes. Yes, he does. Under those jeans and motorcycle leathers? He's got the buns split and on display. XD
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 01:46 am (UTC)2. Manga or anime? I love them both but the anime is my favorite b/c MUSIC and SEIYUU.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been. Boners. Three solid days of boners.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do? I do boners.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
6. Who is your favorite character in the series? TOUYA
7. Why do you like him/her? B/c boners.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself? TOUYA LOVES BONERS
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)? His boners
10. What do they like about each other? ... *stares*
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.) Pants
12. Why do you think that is? BONERS DON'T LIKE PANTS
13. Who is your least favorite character? n/a
14. What do you not like about him/her? lack of boners
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first? SO TOUYA IS STRANDED ALONE IN A CABIN WITH A BONER. TRAGICALLY HE IS WEARING PANTS WHICH PROVIDES THE CONFLICT OF OUR STORY. YES. I WOULD READ THAT FIC.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here. Yes I support all of the pairings.
17. Which pairing is your favorite? Touya/boners
18. Why do you like this pairing? ... *stares*
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing? ONE WOULD PRESUME THAT TOUYA HAS BONERS
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)? ... *STARES*
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)? SO TOUYA IS FORCED TO WEAR A CHASTITY CAGE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME RENDERING HIM INCAPABLE OF HAVING BONERS. YES. I WOULD ALSO READ THAT FIC.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved? ............I am pretty sure this relates to boners.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first? SO EVERYONE ON THE SHOW IS IN A GIANT ROOM AND THEY ALL HAVE BONERS AND THERE IS A GIANT ORGY AND THEY WANT TO SEE WHO WILL ACHIEVE THE "HAND OF GOD" FIRST. CORRECT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying? ....... *STARES REALLY HARD*
25. Now make up your own question and answer it: Boners.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 03:11 am (UTC)It's been so long I REALLY don't remember. IIRC, it was recced to me, and I watched it. Might have been
2. Manga or anime?
I'm an anime girl through and through.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
Hikago has been the most welcoming, adult, rational fandom I've ever been in. I've made some firm friendships in this fandom. It's changed my life, literally.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
I used to be active. Now I'm one of those people you ask to be on a committee because you have a seat on a committee that needs filling and you know I'm the responsible type who, if I say yes, really do mean yes. I occasionally fic (see latest round of Deathmatch) but I have to be dragged into it.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
I've been in a few rounds of Blind Go, recorded fic for iHikago (and had some fics recorded ♥), and most recently, I took part in Deathmatch (go White Suit Society!), but I've never been good at exchanges.
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
Isumi.
7. Why do you like him/her?
His weaknesses are my weaknesses. He second-guesses himself, self-sabotages, listens around corners... oh Isumi.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
*laughs* I'm sure he hates them. I know I hate them in me.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
Waya.
10. What do they like about each other?
Waya's outgoing and friendly, which takes the pressure off Isumi to be the same. Isumi likes taking care of others in his own way, and my headcanon says he doesn't have any siblings, so Waya's the brother he never had. As for Waya, I think that Isumi is the older brother he never had, and Waya takes care of Isumi in Waya's own way, too. Waya can be the life of the party, and he can find other friends to be party guys (Hikaru comes to mind.) Isumi is... the steady, studious, serious one, the one who never laughs at your serious problems, the ear you can pour your troubles into, the guy who's got your back.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
*laugh* Ochi.
12. Why do you think that is?
Ochi dissed Isumi, which pissed Isumi off?
13. Who is your least favorite character?
Gokiso, I suppose. (He's the pro who arranged for the fake-goban salesman to be at the go convention.)
14. What do you not like about him/her?
The man clearly has zero sense of integrity and abused his power and position for personal gain. I hate corrupt officials.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
Isumi, Waya, and Gokiso, stranded in a small cabin together? *groans* I suppose I can see Isumi and Waya arriving to find Gokiso there (or Gokiso stumbling in when Isumi and Waya are already there.) I would much prefer no one die and that they all get rescued by search teams.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
Oh, DO I. *laughs* Let's just say, yes, I do, and leave it at that.
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
I'll just wave my pet Ogata/Isumi flag. There are tons of others, but this is the one I LOVE LOVE LOVE.
18. Why do you like this pairing?
It's really hard to say. Part of me wonders if my own relationship with my husband is kind of like Isumi (me) and Ogata (my husband). My husband is a lot more charming than Ogata is, though.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
I really don't know. I like to think that Ogata's interest in Isumi was piqued when Kuwabara expressed an interest in Isumi. When Ogata looked closer, he liked what he saw. But for Kuwabara, though, Ogata would never have noticed Isumi. (Oh Kuwabara, you old manipulative matchmaker.)
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
Well, from Ogata's POV, Isumi reacts to teasing irresistably. Isumi is Ogata's favorite plaything. ^_^ Isumi goes with things, making him the perfect foil to Ogata's manipulation. On the occasions when Isumi DOES get a backbone due to it being something he cares about, though, Isumi doesn't back down at all, which increases Ogata's respect for him. Isumi has a mind of his own, but doesn't see the need to force his ideas or opinions on anyone else.
From Isumi's POV, Ogata's a man who cares about doing what's right, but plays devil's advocate with himself all the time. Ogata's serious about go, about doing things right, about going all in. Ogata does what Ogata wants, and to hell with the rest of the world if they don't agree with him, but Ogata only wants to do things that are rational, even, dare I say, righteous. Except, Ogata makes no bones about being idealistic--he knows what's possible, what's out there, and he can imagine devious things. Ogata's mind is not pure, but he doesn't want to drag anyone else with him. It's... there's something there. It's hard to explain or express.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
I have no doubt. In fact, one of my WIPs touches on this very thing.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
*laughs* Every time someone asks me this question, I point to
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
Who knows? I don't.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
Touya Kouyou will probably get there first, since Kuwabara seems determined to outlive him.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Q: Chicken chicken chicken, chicken chicken chicken chicken?
A: Chicken. Chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken chick-chick-chicken cluck.
If you don't get it, this video might help: http://youtu.be/yL_-1d9OSdk
no subject
Date: 2013-01-07 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 11:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-10 07:03 pm (UTC)(That is to say, that was the most gallinaceous thing I'd ever seen!)
no subject
Date: 2013-01-10 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 04:17 am (UTC)I was in a general shounen daze a few years ago and discovered it at the same time as I discovered Hunter x Hunter and Naruto. Back then there was almost no fandom at all and I drifted away from it. This year I rediscovered some of my Hikago manga and went “Shit, this is even better than I remembered it!”
2. Manga or anime?
Manga.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
Love and joy
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
Vaguely? I mostly lurk, but I have had some involvement!
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts, fifthmus.)
I submitted a fic to fifthmus this year. That is the first time I ever actually let a wider community read any of my fanfics :D
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
Touya Akira
7. Why do you like him/her?
I find him adorable and I like that his reaction after being crushed by someone who seems like such a beginner isn’t to protect his own pride but to fight. And I love that he loves Go so much and is so oblivious about other people. And, to, be honest, he is a bit lonely and that is something that usually endears me to a character.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
I think that Touya uses very little time to self-reflect.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
During the anime and manga Ashiwara, give it a year or two after that I think Shindou will be.
10. What do they like about each other?
Ashiwara and Touya are like brothers, I think and have known each other a long time. Plus I think they are both pretty mild tempered and nice when it comes to social interaction (well Touya is obviously not mild tempered when it comes to interacting with Shindou but that is pretty much an anomaly.)
Shindou and Touya have Go obviously. Plus that they really respect each other and seem very at ease together despite all the yelling. And they both seem to crave each other’s attention.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
Uhm, I don’t know if he dislikes people all that much. But probably that man he played that four way tie with.
12. Why do you think that is?
Because he was disrespecting Go and that makes Touya furious.
13. Who is your least favorite character?
I seriously don’t think I have one. I sometimes find Isumi a bit boring maybe.
14. What do you not like about him/her?
Like I said, sometimes I find him a bit boring, but I certainly don’t dislike him and I love all his friendship moments with Shindou and Waya.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
Well, that depends which the best friend was. If we go with Shindou he would absolutely die first because he and Touya would start arguing about Go and then Shindou would dramatically stalk of in to the snow storm. If it was Ashiwara I think they would survive until rescue.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
Yes. Gah all of them? Because there are very few that I don’t like.
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
Akira/Hikaru <3
18. Why do you like this pairing?
Because for me Hikago is not only a brilliant anime it also is a pretty lovely love story.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
Weeell. I don’t think it is really possible for any shounen anime to be more subtexty.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
Go obviously. But on the other hand at least Shindou got pretty obsessive before he even really loved Go. I think they complement each other and that both gave the other something they needed. Shindou got focus and Touya got inspiration.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
Man now I almost wish that I had chosen Kaneko/Mitani as my main couple so I could write an essay about how they would be dramatically torn apart by Touya Kouyo's disapproval:P But to answer the question: Yes, I am pretty certain that they could. Well pregnancy would be a bit surprising maybe but hey, Shindou was haunted by a ghost for years; he would manage. I think that they would always be drawn back to each other. Touya Kouyo's disapproval would be hard for Touya but on the other hand he has a history of being thoroughly disobedient towards everyone when it comes to Shindou so they would be alright, I think.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
Yeah, but I think there is still a long way to go (ahahah, I kill myself).
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
Like I said, I think there are several generations before anyone could reach it. But if it could be reached today I would say Shindou or Touya
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
Seconding Ogata.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Will Shindou actually ever tell anyone about Sai?
I don’t know, but I hope so!
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 04:22 am (UTC)Link my 2008 version here.
1. Beginning with the obligatory question: how did you discover Hikago?
Picked up the manga whilst working at Media Play because I thought I would try something that wasn't yaoi or shounen-ai. Look where that got me. =P
2. Manga or anime?
Actually, I think I prefer the manga to the anime these days. Don't get me wrong: the anime is super fun and it's amazing to see the age transformation of the characters, but I like the feel of the manga and the art is amazing.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
My Hikago experience has been varying lately. XD Originally, I started poking my head in for the fic, then got dragged into it and modded blind_go for a while. After stepping down from that because of various dramas, I disappeared for a while, only to really reappear this year. Aside from playing around in chat, I mostly try to keep my head down.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
I'm... not really active, not anymore. I write the odd fic and participate in challenges on occasion, but I would say I'm once again fading into obscurity. Which is fine by me.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
The latest round of
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
Yashiro.
7. Why do you like him/her?
He's constantly striving for approval, and pushing himself. Also, I love his stupid hair. XD
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
I think that he's ignores the striving and rationalizes it as preparing for the future. I know he loves his hair. XD
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
Probably Touya and Shindou for various reasons.
10. What do they like about each other?
I think that Yashiro likes their frankness. They don't pull punches, and I think Yashiro appreciates that. As for what they like about him? He's sexy. XD And he gives good go.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
His father.
12. Why do you think that is?
They just don't understand each other.
13. Who is your least favorite character?
Isumi.
14. What do you not like about him/her?
He's boring. His character just falls flat to me.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
Um. Honestly? Probably Touya. I don't see him stripping down to keep warm. XD
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
I support a lot of pairings, which are mostly too numerous to list at this point. XD
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
Yeong-ha/Yashiro and Saeki/Ashiwara.
18. Why do you like this pairing?
They're fun and have the potential for various kinds of dynamics depending on the situation.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
Not for Yeong-ha/Yashiro. That is all for the lulz despite all of the serious fic out there. XD For Saeki/Ashiwara, yup. Read the manga, yo. Read the manga.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
For Y/Y, I think they see a challenge in each other. Whether or not this is going to work long term is up to whether either of them is willing to admit that it's more than a fling. For Saeki/Ashiwara, friendship and camaraderie. They have a lot in common. I think the relationship works because Ashiwara is willing to make it work.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
Y/Y... Long distance, yes, if they want it to. I think that Saeki/Ashiwara can survive anything because Ashiwara is just that damned stubborn. XD
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
Still don't think it does.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
See above.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
Touya Kouyo, probably.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it: But what about the girls?
I'm of the firm belief that the women in the series need more love and that het is okay. Not everyone is gay (it's not statistically possible). And when in doubt? Pair them all together. ♥
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 06:24 pm (UTC)2. Manga or anime? Both! I love the manga for the way the story is told and the lovely, lovely art (and, okay, for the Koreans, shut up), but the anime will always have a special place in my heart. The soundtrack! The seiyuu! The amazing direction which somehow made board games exciting and suspenseful!!
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been. I've been in and out of fandom since BG 1 (though I didn't write until BG 2). At times, I've been pretty well-known (and was once accused of being a BNF, which is frankly hilarious and removed from reality, but that's another story...); lately I think I'm an artifact/obscure. But this is the one fandom I have never been able to quit - every time I try, I come back. It's like gravity. I don't even know.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do? Kind of? I write occasionally, and periodically go to chat. I still beta a lot.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
6. Who is your favorite character in the series? Ko Yeong-ha.
7. Why do you like him/her? I like his cockiness, because he has the chops to back it up. I also find his desire to troll everyone frankly hilarious. In some ways, he reminds me of me, which is probably not a great recommendation of my personality, but there you have it. Also, he has fabulous hair. The lack of Ko Yeong-ha in the anime is one of its main flaws, imho.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself? I'm sure he likes his hair XD Actually, I think he's pretty self-confident in general. I think he loves being a troll, or else why would he do it? I sometimes think he and Kuwabara need to have a trolling contest (Kuwabara would win, but it would be a hell of a competition).
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)? He seems to be really friendly with Su-yeong, and their relationship - what we've seen of it - shows that Yeong-ha can in fact be a genuinely nice person, if he cares about someone.
10. What do they like about each other? They're not far apart in age, and they have go in common, so I think that's where the friendship came from. I also think Su-yeong doesn't take the trolling seriously.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.) I can't think of anyone in particular, but... incompetent people are a safe bet. I mean, that whole Shuusaku thing was the result of incompetence, and Yeong-ha expressed great disdain for it (before taking it and running with it, because hey, why not?).
12. Why do you think that is? See above.
13. Who is your least favorite character? I mean, I hate the Mashiba and Gokiso people like the next fan (they're meant to be unpopular). From fandom's pet characters, I find Tsutsui bland and I genuinely don't see the appeal.
14. What do you not like about him/her? Bland, with a side of bland, topped with bland. Also, I'm not fond of Kaga/Tsutsui, and Tsutsui usually appears in fic in that context.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first? The incompetent person dies first, natch XD
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here. Uh, yeah. So many. The three cornerstones for me are Yeong-ha/Yashiro, Akira/Hikaru, and Saeki/Ashiwara. I'm also fond of Isumi/Le Ping (I might be the only one) and Waya/Shigeko (so cute!).
17. Which pairing is your favorite? Yeong-ha/Yashiro. I can't even hide it.
18. Why do you like this pairing?I don't even know anymore. I read this massive French fanfic once, and the only thing that stuck with me was the Y/Y. I introduced the pairing to English-language fandom. I like the idea of them challenging each other, because Yashiro is brash as hell and Yeong-ha is a troll, and just. Fireworks.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing? Uh, no. This is literally the only pairing I ship in any fandom where I cannot find a shred of evidence. It doesn't seem to matter.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)? I think they would play off of each other, and there would be snark. I think both of them would (secretly or not so secretly) get off on the snark. Also, they're both absurdly good-looking, so that's a plus, right? XD
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)? Separation, yes. Infidelity? Hmm, maybe yes, depending on circumstances. Pregnancy is kind of a wtf - who got who pregnant? I can't even contemplate this without laughing. And disapproval rolls right off of Yeong-ha, so I doubt something so minor would phase them.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved? I think it has to stay metaphorical. The idea is that flawed humans aren't capable of perfection - but strive for it anyway.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first? See above.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying? Sai would have, had he not already died for a much more mundane reason. Touya Kouyo seems the most likely candidate.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Are you going to write more Nase/Akari? I'd like to say no, and I don't even ship it, but the truth is...... probably. Sigh.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-03 09:31 pm (UTC)I got the first volume from the library looong ago. Unfortunately, that was all they had, and though I liked it, I wasn't immediately hooked (at least not stronlgy enough to start buying it.) Back then I probably hadn't even heard about scanlations, so that was it about Hikago in my life for a while. In 2010 I came across the title somewhere, remembered I'd kind of liked it, and started reading it online. And was properly hooked this time.
2. Manga or anime?
Manga, maybe... if not for any other reason than being longer than the anime. And in general I like reading more than watching. Though like so many others, I too like the music and the seiyuu of the anime.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
The first time I can actually say I'm really in a fandom. That's something, I guess.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
Write, mainly. In general I tend to be something of a lurker... usually I just wrote and read fics. I'm hardly the most active/social here, either, but hey, here I am, in a community. Wow.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
Just blind go, so far. I hoped to get something done for Fifthmus, but didn't happen.
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
Sai.
7. Why do you like him/her?
Thinking of it, I wonder if I would have said Sai some time earlier. Might have gone for Hikaru, or maybe Isumi. It might be that as I've recently been writing so much about Sai, I've kind of grown more fond of him. Sure enough, I've always liked him - he's a bit tricky character with such varying moods, but nevertheless.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
Umh. Did I say there anything that'd fit this question... hmm. Does Sai like being a "tricky character with varying moods"? I wonder.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
The player on the other side of the goban?
This is kind of hard... Hikaru would be the obvious answer, and maybe it is him, after all. Their relationship isn't the easiest, but they are still close and he's clearly dear to Sai.
10. What do they like about each other?
What does Sai like about Hikaru? His energy, I'm sure. And his developing go, certainly, despite it all. And what does Hikaru like about Sai... hmm. Well, he clearly does like Sai a lot. But what is it in Sai... eh. Can I just say he likes Sai as a whole, and move on? ^^;
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
Cheaters.
12. Why do you think that is?
Well what would you think?
13. Who is your least favorite character?
I don't know. I guess I'll have to say Mashiba. This series doesn't really have characters I'd dislike.
14. What do you not like about him/her?
Kind of obvious, I guess. He's so self-important and annoying.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
Somehow it feels it might be Sai. Unless he's already dead, of course.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
I'm open to pretty much all pairings, but I guess what I read most are Hikaru/Akira, Hikaru/Sai, and Hikaru/Akari (romantic or friendship, but I just like Akari, and want to give her a chance sometimes.)
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
I guess I'll have to say Hikaru/Akira...
18. Why do you like this pairing?
The passion.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
If you look for it.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
First of all, the rival, of course. But their focus on each other, and way they bring out new sides in each other, could lead to so much more. I wonder how their relationship would develop as they grow older, though. Somehow they're so... involved, that something could go wrong, I guess.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
I'd imagine so, but I guess there could always be something that'll end any relationship.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
I have seen pretty many different definitions of hand of god, and I've not yet quite figured out what it means to me, so it's a bit difficult to answer this question. But I think that yes, probably... at least in some form it should be achievable. (Don't ask me now which form.)
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
I'd like to think it'd happen in a game between Hikaru and Akira, but which will play it... dunno.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
Hikaru. (And Ogata and the meijin, and maybe Akira too...)
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
I don't have a question (or maybe I could form a question to which this'd be an answer, but not bothering), but just wanted to say that I don't think I've ever read/watched anything else that'd have made me this interested in something totally different: in this case the Heian age. Actually, here's a question: can anyone rec any good reads about it? Though chances are I've already read it, I guess...
no subject
Date: 2013-01-04 05:10 am (UTC)2. Manga or anime? Manga. The anime is fun but I can consume the manga a million times and it doesn't take me forever and a day to do it. Plus it's easier to skip around to the scenes I love.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been. Feels everywhere. When I first read it, I didn't have anyone to explode feels all over, so it was a private sobfest and love fest. Even after I discovered HnG fandom on LJ I kept away. SHYNESS DOES THINGS TO YOU MAN.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do? Now I am? Back then I definitely wasn't. I write mostly, and do horrible horrible things with photoshop and texts from last night.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
6. Who is your favorite character in the series? It's a forever changing race between Hikaru and Yashiro.
7. Why do you like him/her? Hikaru is just so earnest and likable while still being flawed. Yashiro is hot and likes taking chances with his game and focused.
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself? I would say yes.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)? They can be each other's best friend now that they know each other. They just need to be dorks together forever, and have Touya bail them out of trouble.
10. What do they like about each other? The fact that they like taking chances with their game, they don't play traditionally if they don't have to.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.) Ko Yeong-douche.
12. Why do you think that is? Douchiness.
13. Who is your least favorite character? Ochi.
14. What do you not like about him/her? He's serious to the point of it being a joke. Dude you're a kid, lighten up just a bit.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first? Ochi. Hikaru loses patience and shoves him outside into a snowbank.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here. I support all the pairings. I love rare pairs omgomgomg talk to me about pairings that don't exist, I will find a way to justify why it could work.
17. Which pairing is your favorite? A year ago I would have answered AkiHika, but I am way burned out on that. Right now it's KiyoHika.
18. Why do you like this pairing? Because it's an interesting dynamic, and they would be stupidly cute together.
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing? Not as such, but their bickering is adorable and I love me some bickering in my ship so.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)? The fact that they both play go at a really high level. And also that they could do things other than go together. IDK just go read all my fics about them ever they explain better than I could.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)? This is a question wrongly asked, I think. Any relationship has the chance to be both a yes and a no, depending on how it started, and how it developed.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved? I don't think it can be achieved, but it's this higher goal worth striving for. In a game like Go, it's hard to say whether anything like "the perfect hand" or "the perfect game" is probable, since there are so many combinations as to make the concept of perfection pretty subjective toward an individual's play style.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first? The God of Go.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying? Hikaru. That kid will die trying to chase Sai's dreams.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it: No I'm bad at this, sorry XD
no subject
Date: 2013-01-04 07:43 am (UTC)1. Beginning with the obligatory question: how did you discover Hikago?
I watched the Hokuto Cup anime. Although I had seen the manga in shops for a while, it wasn't until the anime that I found myself falling in love with it.
2. Manga or anime?
Anime, then manga, then anime.
3. Describe your Hikago experience, whatever it might have been.
Lovely experience, one associated with wonderful memories.
4. Are you active in the fandom? What do you do?
Not so much in recent years due to RL. I recced fics and wrote fanfic.
5. Have you participated in any of the Hikago challenge communities? (E.g. blind_go, ihikago, hng_prompts,
Yes to blind_go and fifthmus.
6. Who is your favorite character in the series?
Hikaru! And also Kuwabara.
7. Why do you like him/her?
Because Hikaru's so much the typical Jump main character at first, but he develops introspection not only quickly, but also in a really natural way - partly due to the nature of the game and also because of his relationship with Sai. I see him as someone who wants to be honest with himself and I respect that. Not to mention his rivalry with Akira!
Kuwabara is awesome. He's shrewd and sneaky and not a very nice person, but so what?
8. Do you think this character likes those qualities about him-/herself?
About Hikaru: yes
About Kuwabara: hell yes.
9. Who is this character's best friend (in your opinion)?
Hikaru's best friend is Akira, but he would probably tell you it's Waya or Isumi, because in his brain Akira is in another category altogether.
10. What do they like about each other?
Go!
With Waya, it's way they support and know each other, plus they are roughly the same age, etc.
11. Whom does your favorite character dislike most? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a Hikago character.)
Ko Yeongha?... Though I have my doubts.
12. Why do you think that is?
I think Hikaru dislikes Yeongha because of what Yeongha said about Shuusaku, but Hikaru is (I think) incapable of truly disliking anyone who is devoted to Go.
13. Who is your least favorite character?
...Ogata. (Haha, I'm going to get bad vibes from this, aren't I?)
14. What do you not like about him/her?
He manhandles kids (aka Hikaru). Dude, that is not on.
15. Imagine this scenario: your favorite character, the best friend, and the disliked person are stranded in a small cabin in the middle of the woods during a heavy snowstorm. They have nothing with them except what they were carrying during their mountain hike. Who dies first?
I am incapable of answering this.
16. Do you support any pairings? If yes, please list them here.
Yes.
17. Which pairing is your favorite?
Hikaru/Akira? Also Le Ping/Isumi.
18. Why do you like this pairing?
In a way, Hikaru/Akira is also the story of Hikago, isn't it?
19. Is there any canon evidence for this pairing?
Noooo. But the suggestions are suggestive.
20. What do you think they see in each other? What makes their relationship work (or not work)?
One day, they're going to find the Hand of Go together.
21. Could their relationship survive something catastrophic (e.g. separation over long distances/time, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy, Touya Kouyo's disapproval, etc.)?
This is a series where one of the main characters continued to exist for more than a thousand years despite being dead.
So, yes.
22. In your opinion, does the Hand of God exist, and can it be achieved?
See above.
RL-wise, no.
23. Assuming that it does exist and can be achieved: Which character do you think will find it first?
Maybe Hikaru and Akira. But it could easily be Touya Kouyo and someone else.
24. Assuming that it does not exist and cannot be achieved: Which character is most likely to die trying?
Touya Kouyo.
25. Now make up your own question and answer it:
Is there ever go to be a female winner of a title game?
Yes, more than one, and consecutively too.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 11:31 pm (UTC)