Hikaru is a sixth grader in elementary school. An important factor in the development of Hikaru's passion for Go was an encounter early on where Hikaru becomes the rival of Akira Toya. At first, he thinks that Go is just for oldsters and he is annoyed at Sai's demand to play, but little by little his passion for Go increases as he plays more and more. From being a member of a school Go club to being an insei and finally becoming a professional Go player (at 14 years old) a year after Akira, Hikaru matures throughout the course of the series. Throughout the series, Hikaru gradually gets taller because the manga volumes are around when he is getting older and playing Go at the same time. Hikaru is often portrayed wearing clothing having the numeral "5". This is a pun on the Japanese common name for five: go. His birthday is September 20th. Part of his strength is his ability to read far into the game very fast, and to make seemingly stupid moves. These moves in fact lure the opponent to doing stupid moves, which Hikaru then traps them by.

With a two-tone hairstyle and a streak of immaturity, Hikaru Shindou finds an old Go board with a hidden surprise - trapped within the Go Board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master! In the blink of an eye, Sai becomes part of Hikaru's consciousness and soon begins to learn the true essence behind this ancient game of skill and strategy. 
 
(Source: Viz Media)

Tomoko Kawakami was a Japanese voice actress. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she was affiliated with Production Baobab at the time of her death.

In August 2008, Kawakami was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which required surgery. During a three-year battle with cancer, most of her ongoing roles were replaced by other voice actresses, although the latter was able to do some voice work until her retirement in the start of the 2010s decade. She died on June 9, 2011 at the age of 41.

Brother of [Gabe Khouth](https://anilist.co/staff/95466). Voice of Edd "Double D" on Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

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Glória Barão is a Brazilian actress, voice actress and translator

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/AnaLobo78) | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/people/Ana-Lobo-Doblaje-y-Recuerdos/100057197150601) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ana_lobo78/)

A Mexican voice actress. She is known for being the Latin American Spanish voice of May in _Pokémon Advance_ and Gaz in _Invader Zim_.

After stumbling across a haunted Go board, irresponsible Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player has taken up residence in his consciousness. In his pursuit of the "Divine Move," Fujiwara-no-Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped interest and genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed Go prodigy Akira Toya!
 
(Source: Viz Media)
 Note: There are 197 chapters total in the original release.

Hikaru is given a phone call asking him to appear in the Japan/China/Korea Junior's Tournament but he finds out he will have to take place in a preliminary tournament to choose Japan's three contestants. Upon discussing this with Akira, he discovers that Akira has already been chosen for the tournament and will not be taking place in the preliminaries. Hikaru then decides not to visit Akira's Go Salon until he takes his place on the team with Akira. That may be tougher than originally planned, as not only does Hikaru have to battle with old friends for one of two coveted spots, but he may have a new challenger, in a promising player from the Kansai Go Institute. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

Alternate version of the story featured in episode 64 that was shown at Jump Festa 2002 and later included with the DVD-BOX. 
 
Unlike the TV series which is digitally processed, this episode is shot on cels.