The classic Go manga "Hikaru no Go" sparked a massive surge in Go learners when it was serialized and animated. It remains one of the few wildly successful Go-themed works, and its iconic plot and character development are still fresh in many fans' minds.
Recently, at the "Hikaru no Go Original Art Exhibition" in Japan, manga artist Yusuke Murata, who was an assistant to Takeshi Obata (the artist for "Hikaru no Go") at the time, not only reminisced about his work memories but also revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes secret: the manga's crucial Go boards were originally intended to be CG. However, they were actually "purely hand-drawn" by an assistant with incredible artistic skill – even more accurate than CG! This little story immediately sparked heated discussion after it was revealed.
Yusuke Murata himself saw photos shared by netizens visiting the "Hikaru no Go Original Art Exhibition" and exclaimed, "Ah, the nostalgia!" He recalled being just an assistant back then, and while his own drawings weren't anything special, he was fortunate enough to contribute some drafts.
Murata explained that when he was an assistant on "Hikaru no Go," the plan was to use CG for the Go boards. But then, they discovered an artist who could hand-draw Go boards with incredibly precise perspective, creating a more natural and three-dimensional look than any computer could. This artisan even developed a unique technique, using wood-grain screen tones and applying them "segment by segment" according to the perspective, making the board details even more realistic. From that point on, every single Go board in "Hikaru no Go" was hand-drawn, becoming a legendary case in the history of hand-drawn manga.
And who was this unsung hero? None other than Masane Muroi, who was an assistant alongside Murata at the time and is now also a manga artist. In fact, after seeing the netizen's post, Muroi himself responded, saying, "Back then, I spent all day just drawing Go boards and stones. I don't even remember what the characters' homes looked like!"
Masane Muroi also shared, "At first, I didn't understand the rules of Go at all. I even made mistakes like leaving captured stones on the board – it was a nightmare! But after slowly learning the rules, I became the dedicated Go board artist."
Muroi-sensei generously shared his "hand-drawn Go board technique," including how to use one-point perspective to draw precisely angled board grids, emphasizing that this method can also be applied to drawing scenes like building windows or sliding doors. He lightheartedly quipped, "Though it might not be much use for today's digital art generation," he added that these techniques have actually become part of digital drawing skills, so they're not entirely without benefit.
Many netizens, however, didn't realize that Yusuke Murata and Masane Muroi were once assistants to "Hikaru no Go" artist Takeshi Obata. This revelation unexpectedly brought to light the true master behind the Go boards, adding a delightful little anecdote to the "Hikaru no Go" legacy.
via： togetter