A very Isumi-heavy volume. Isumi is trying to gain confidence and experience in China by playing against young Go pros. Although he's initially worried that he might be accomplishing the opposite, he struggles and sticks with it, and the experience pays off. Then it's back to Hikaru, who's still resisting Go to the point of refusing to help his former Go club friends. Isumi comes back to Japan and asks Hikaru for a rematch, during which Hikaru breaks down in tears: "I couldn't find Sai anywhere I looked...and now I found him here." (In a move he played against Isumi.)

I hate to say this since I know so many people, particularly professional Go players who've read this series, love him, but Isumi isn't really one of my favorite characters. I suppose it was nice seeing him again, working hard to build up his confidence, and his struggles are likely much more realistic than Hikaru or even Akira's experiences with Go. Still, it was a relief when the volume turned back to Hikaru, despite Hikaru's guilt and grief.

That said, the damage Hikaru was doing to his professional Go career by continuing to forfeit matches made my stomach hurt. Could he catch up to Akira at this rate? Could he be fired at some point, and how many more matches could he forfeit before that happened?

But man, that ending elevated the volume. Isumi tends to come across to me like a "reliable big brother" type, so it was kind of nice that he was the one to see Hikaru break down. While I loved that Hikaru found Sai in his own Go playing style, I still really want Sai back...

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

I had fears that with Sai's departure, the series would continue on a path of inevitable decline. That fear seemed to have been justified in this volume with a tangent to the story with a side plot involving Izumi's training in China. However, all my fears were set aside once the story seemed to make use of Sai's absence with some strong drama over the aftereffects and Hikaru's reaction to this new change in his life. With Hikaru alone, this volume brings up the important question of "What is Hikaru's motivation with Go with Sai no longer around?" The answer we get at the end was particularly pleasing. ( )