Sai desperately wants to play a game against Hikaru, but Hikaru figures they can play anytime. He does let Sai play against a drunken Ogata (figuring Ogata would be too drunk to notice Hikaru playing like Sai), but then he's too tired to play what turns out to be Sai's last game against him. When he wakes up, Sai is gone. He hunts for him at every possible place Sai might be - all the places associated with Shusaku - but he's nowhere to be found. Finally Hikaru realizes Sai's not coming back. He decides to quit Go, promising that if Sai ever does come back, he'll let him play all of his games and never play on his own again. Akira is confused and worried about Hikaru.

Oh man, it sucks that I had to skip volume 14. The "story thus far" section in this volume helped, but I really wanted to see the full match between Sai and Toya Meijin.

It still surprises me how soon Sai's disappearance happens. There are still eight volumes to go, and one of the series' most prominent characters is gone. I loved the way Hotta and Obata depicted his last moments, though. Very beautiful, sad, and startling. Hikaru's grief was well-done, too.

The flow of this volume was occasionally a bit odd, and Hikaru's hunt went on longer than I'd have liked and came across like a Shusaku tour in manga form. Overall, though, this was an excellent and sad volume.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

Bye-bye, Sai. (hey! it rhymes!) ( )

http://genusshrike.dreamwidth.org/192288.html ( )