Manga 'Gokigenyou, Ikkyoku Ikaga?' Gets Anime Adaptation: Director Kaori, Studio Felix Film
One of the calm yet profound stories of the manga world, "Gokigenyou, Ikkyoku Ikaga?" (How About a Game of Go?), is finally getting a long-awaited anime adaptation. According to the official announcement in Japan, this go-themed manga by Tsukasa Uhana will be brought to the screen by director Kaori (known as Kaori Makita). The animation production will be handled by Felix Film, a studio that has recently made a name for itself with works like "The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest" and "The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter".
The manga was first published in 2020 on Kadokawa's Comic Walker platform. The story follows the friendship between an elderly woman (Nine), a retired professional go player, and a young girl (Chiharu), who constantly moves due to her father's job. This unusual bond, formed over a go board, explores themes of strategy, age difference, and loneliness in each chapter, winning readers' hearts. The series has reached 5 volumes and is still ongoing.
Director Kaori has previously served as assistant director on popular titles like "Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!" (The Eminence in Shadow) and worked as an episode director on the "The Quintessential Quintuplets" series. With this project, she will take the helm as chief director of a TV anime for the first time. Felix Film, meanwhile, is known as a studio specializing in character-focused and warm narratives. They are expected to visually represent a strategic game like Go in an impressive manner.
Although the anime has not yet announced a release date or cast, the announcement has generated great excitement among manga followers. With Go's cultural significance in Japan and the renewed popularity of the focus through works like "Hikaru no Go" in recent years, the aim is to reach a new generation of viewers. More details (voice actor list, teaser visual, broadcast schedule) are expected in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates!
