S01) Hikaru no Go
Year: 2001
Produced by: TV Tokyo
Writer: Hotta Yumi
Artist: Obata Takeshi
Source: About Hikaru no Go
Comment: This animated series began on TV Tokyo on October 10, 2001
and ran for several years. The Go consultant was Umezawa Yukari, the Pro
from the Nihon Kiin. Hikaru no Go won the Excellent Work Award at the
Tokyo International Animation Fair 2001. Now dubbed in English (area-1).
S02) Weiqi Shaonian (Go Youngsters or I-Go Youngster)
Year: 2006
Source: Chinese TV web site
Produced by: Central China TV Children's Channel
Comment: Historical anime set in Chinese featuring children, lots of fighting and
of course a lot of Go scenes in every episode. We see Go games, close ups of
boards and a lot of Go tension between the fighting as we follow the career of
young Liuer Jiang. The second series aired in 2009 (both have 26 episodes) and
it has, in 2018, become available, on Showcase TV, with English translation.
16A) Bananya
Year: 2016
Watch: Crunchyroll
Comment: This series of short three minute episodes for children features a cute cat that lives
inside a banana. At 30 seconds in of episode 3, "Bananya Watches TV", Bananya sees a Go game
being displayed on the screen for a few seconds as the channel changes from one channel to
another. We see a black stone played adjoining another one and then a white large knight's move.
The narrator says in translation "Oh, that was a good move. Not that I would know." We then see
shot of most of the board. It turns out the channel changing is caused by Baby Bananya using the
remote as a trampoline!
15A) Wild Kratts
Year: 2015
Cast: Martin Kratts, Chris Kratts
Source: IMDB
Watch: YouTube
Comment: This American cartoon series about saving endangered wildlife features Go in
Season 4 Episode 4 "Pangolin Resuce". Each episode starts and ends with live action
of the presenters introducing the animals. In the animated section the brothers fly around
the planet in a giant green turtle ship, that is also a submarine, and using technology gain
super powers to rescue the animals. In this episode they get a call to China to save their
pangolins. Whilst awaiting the ship to arrive, Yi and Duyi sit outside with a Go board on a
table. We see an aerial view of the board which does not showa real game, the stones
are in the squares and the player holds the stone with finger and thumb. Luckily the heroes
rescue the pangolins from the evil Gourmand who wants to make smoothies from them.
14A) Tonari no Seki-Kun (My Neighbour Seki)
Year: 2014
Source: Wikipedia
Watch: Crunchyroll
Comment: With a subtitle of "The Master of Killing Time" this series of short (7.39 minute)
animations is about a school boy called Seki Toshinari who sits at the back of class and
indulges in complicated distractions without ever being caught by the teacher, such as
producing his own animation as seen in the opening credits. His distractions are narrated
as complicated stories by the girl who sits next to him Yokoi Rumi, who usually gets the
trouble from teacher for being distracted. In episode 1 Seki makes a long line of standing
dominos and in episodes 2 and 8 heroic battles are acted out on a Shogi board drawn on his
desk.
Episode 4 is entitled "Igo" and starts with Seki reaching in his bag for his Go bowls. He
started to place stones on the board and Yoyoi hopes, as she does not know the rules, she
will not be distracted, despite the loud clicks. However soon she realises he has drawn
a bear and a rabbit on a seemingly multi-lined board. Yokoi imagines this is how pros
play with a commentry about rabbit and bear moves. After the animals fight they combine
to form a new black and white character which then fights with its shadow self. The bear
and rabbit appear again in a flashback during episode 20.
12A) Area No Kishi (Knight in the Area)
Year: 2012
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: In episode 24 of this soccer anime, a game of Go is played by two managers,
one of whom compares Go strategy to soccer. The play in a Go club and we see the
board position and one of them take a black stone from his bowl.
11A) Hunter x Hunter
Year: 2011 on
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: In episode 102 the characters have a Goban and start to learn. "It make take
more time than Shogi" and "It may look simple, but it is a complex game" are two
quotes. As they play they discuss the strategy of disrupting your opponent's rhythm.
11B) Nichijou
Year: 2011
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: One version of the opening credits a Go board can be seen. The boys belong to the
"Igo Soccer Club" and can sometimes be seen at their Go boards. One says in one episode
that they should be studying their Go problems as they are the Igo Soccer Club.
09A) Summer Wars
Year: 2009
Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda
Source: IMDB
Comment: In this movie, Kenji meets his girlfriend's Grandma (aged 90) when she
is kneeling next to a tradition goban, with bowls, having just been reviewing
a game from a book (9.5 minutes in). Later on they play cards using the goban
as a table.
07A) Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
Year: 2007
Writer: Shun Matsuera
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: One episode of this martial arts anime mentions Go as an example of a territory game.
05A) Bleach
Year: 2005
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: In episode 318, Ukitake and Shunsui are seen in period costume sitting on a raised floor
with a Goban between them. One kneels and the other sits with his legs over the side of the platform.
No stones are seen, but there is the familiar click when one of the players places a stone.
The episode is called "Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire".
Also Go is seen in episode 258 "Stray Snake, Tortured Monkey"; Kurosaki Ichigo comes home
and finds the occupants have fallen asleep watching television which is now showing Go.
05B) Code Lyoko
Year: 2005
Directed by: Jerome Mouscadet
Source: IMDB
Comment: In Episode 29 "Exploration" of this sci-fi series, where the
young characters leave reality to fight in a virtual world, Yumi and her
father play Go at home on a board on a low table. They both pass and the
father claims to have won by 5. However Yumi reminds him that as she is
white she wins by .5 after komi. However, from the board close-ups, they
have stopped before the game is properly over.
05C) Tenjou Tenge
Year: 2005
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: In Episode 26 (the last and one of straight to video episodes) of the anime Tenjou Tenge, about
a long running martial arts feud in a school, two men are playing at a Go board (at 7:40), presumably
teachers in the staff room. A white stone is placed to put three stones in atari to create ko for life
of a big group. The opponent says "That was an impressive move." A this point two girls fighting with
katana fly in though the window and the board is upset before they run off. The white player requests
his opponent to come clean and admit he flipped the board.
04A) Otogi Zoshi
Year: 2004
Directed by: Mizuho Nishikubo
Source: IMDB
Comment: In this violent period drama, a very brief scene (2-3 seconds)
at the beginning of Episode 3 you see an ancient painting, presumably
from the Tales of Genji, to signify the Heian period. At the left end
of it two people are shown playing Go.
03A) Gunparade March
Year: 2003
Directed by: J. C. Staff
Source: IMDB
Comment: In episode three for a brief moment you see a white stone
being played on a board, just as the students are called away from
their leisure.
02A) Tenchi Muyo! GXP
Year: 2002
Source: Wikipedia
Watch: YouTube
Comment: This science fiction series is about a boy enlisted in the galaxy police. In
Episode 15, action is set on the space ship "Kamidake" which is controlled by the
mental thoughts and emotions of a furry creature called Fuku. The three girl members
of the crew are recalled for a briefing on the mother ship, which is an oasis of calm
with trees and water. They have to return to rescue their ship from prates and at
17:14 hurry past a couple who are kneeling at a Goban, playing and drinking tea.
They are not disturbed in anyway by the commotion.
99A) Ruroni Kenshin (Samurai X)
Year: 1999
Directed by: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
Source: IMDB
Comment: This historical anime OVA series (as opposed to the TV series or
the movie of the same name) shows traditional boards in the background.
In the first episode, one of the main characters plotting the downfall
of the shogunate is seen playing Go on a Go ban against a woman, when
a man comes in to the room and informs him some loyalists have
discovered a plot meeting and are assassinating revolutionaries.
97A) Dr. Slump
Year: 1997
Writer: Akira Toriyama
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: There have been various series and movies of this anime,
featuring an inventor and a robot girl called Arale, and sometimes
there are scenes with Go in.
96A) Case Closed (Meitantei Conan)
Year: 1996
Directed by: Mike McFarland
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: In one episode the solution to an enigma is found "written" in braille
on a Go ban.
89A) Ranma 1/2 - "Big Trouble in Nekonron, China"
Year: 1989
Directed by: Shuji Iuchi
Source: IMDB
Comment: At the start of this movie, a giant panda and a man are sitting
playing at a goban. We see the board close up, from the side and above.
The are undisturbed by a fight in the garden over trying to steal some panties.
88A) Top wo Nerae! (Gunbuster)
Year: 1988
Directed by: Hideaki Anno
Source: IMDB
Comment: In a scene, in episode 4 of this sci-fi series, the female character speaks
with her instructor who is seated at a low chair in a tatami room on a spaceship.
His sword at his side, he is placing stones on what looks like a traditional Goban.
However there is a dial on the side of the ban and one shot is looking up through
the ban at him, so perhaps it is a Go computer.
87A) The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari)
Year: 1987
Directed by: Gisaburo Sugii
Source: IMDB
Comment: There is supposed to be a Go scene in this animated adaptation.
86A) Dragon Ball
Year: 1986
Writer: Akira Toriyama
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: This anime series, based on "Journey to the West" ("Monkey"),
has some scenes with Go in.
73A) Doraemon
Year: 1973 on
Source: Wikipedia
Comment: The robotic cat that travels back from the 22nd century to aid the boy Nobita,
is seen in one episode reading a Go book and placing moves on a small Go ban.
Last updated Thu May 14 2020. If you have any comments, please email the webmaster on web-master AT britgo DOT org.