Ep 47. Into the World of the Pros

Hikaru No Go is an anime about a boy named Hikaru Shindo, who found a mysterious old Go board at his grandfather's attic one day. When he touched it, a ghost from the Heian period named Fujiwara no Sai appeared before him, only to reveal that he was the spirit of an ancient Go master and he possessed the board. Hikaru sets forth on a journey into the world of Go, and through that, he begins to understand much about life itself.

In episode 47 of season 1, Hikaru finally enters the professional world of Go and participates in the Hokuto Cup, a tournament for young pros from five different countries in South East Asia. Hikaru is excited to play against some of the best young players in the world, and he also wears a new shirt he made for the occasion.

As he enters the Grand Hotel, the tournament setting, he is stunned to see the many famous Go players he has only seen before on TV. Hikaru becomes intimidated knowing that this is the highest level in Go and feels like he doesn't belong there. With all the elite Go players around him, he becomes even more nervous, fearing that he might not pass the first round.

His best friend Akira Toya, a young Go prodigy who has been his rival since childhood, greets him at the lobby. Akira tells Hikaru that he had drawn him in the first round, which makes Hikaru feel even more uneasy. This is his chance to prove to Akira how much he has grown since they last played, and he doesn't want to lose in the first round.

As the Hokuto Cup begins, Hikaru watches the opening ceremony, where each of the players is called upon to come up to a platform and address the crowd. All of them except Hikaru take the elevator to make their appearance, but Hikaru chooses to take the stairs. Although it makes him sweat, he feels like it's his only way of standing out and making a statement.

As the tournament starts, Hikaru and Akira play their match. The game was intense, and the tension between the two young players is palpable. Hikaru is determined to win, but Akira is not going to make it easy for him. The game goes on for a long while, and the two are evenly matched in terms of skill. In the end, Hikaru makes a desperate move that catches Akira off guard, and he takes the game.

In the post-game interview, Hikaru says that he feels honored to have played against so many great Go players and that he never imagined he'd come this far. He expresses his happiness at having made it as a professional, and says he wants to play more and more difficult games from now on.

The episode ends with Hikaru returning home, where his friends are eagerly waiting for him to tell them what happened. They are thrilled that he made it into the pro ranks, and they also think his shirt he made for the occasion is pretty cool. The episode concludes with Hikaru looking ahead to his future games, ready to take on the world of professional Go.