A. Wake. (Also Hikaru 3)

Alright, so! I read the third book, started on the fourth. But I need to finish writing up the third before I can really get into the fourth, so tonight I'll be doing the review thing. It's been a crazy sort of week, what with work hours and yesterday I stayed up a solid 24 hours because seriously, guys, doughnuts.

Anyway, H to the 3. I really am enjoying the series by this point. I will say that there are parts where I have to mock a bit (lovingly!) but so far I enjoy it about as much, maybe more, than any other popcorn read. It's much better than Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, which I enjoyed VERY much despite the ridiculous premise.

In this specific review, I want to talk about the concepts of resigning, cheating, and the maturating of Hikaru. The first two are pretty intimately tied to how I see Go, and why I enjoy reading about it, but not necessarily playing. The latter, however, is more tied into the book, so I'm going to start with that.

Hikaru is already far different than how he was portrayed in the initial installments. He's more intense about Go, more willing to play by himself without Sai's intervention. To me, that shows a more mature view of the game and consequently, life. He's growing up. Witness his reactions with the cheating cheater who cheats. Hikaru isn't exactly scandalized by the cheating, but is concerned about the reputation of his Go club, and even more, worried about Yuki, particularly when the owner of the Go salon that Yuki cheats at gets the Left Handed Man to "teach him a lesson." Hikaru is incensed that it would happen, and annoyed that Yuki would be treated like that. Sai is equally offended, though for purely different reasons. Between the two of them, they are ANGRY, and, at least for Hiaru, being angry because of principles and not because of some external stimuli, is kind of a big deal. Watching Hikaru cognitively develop is cute, and watching his interactions with Sai can just be adorable at times. He's a bit less playful than Calvin, but he's still pretty squee-worthy without being overly written. And he still thinks girls are icky.

Now for resignation and cheating. A lot of the former goes on in Hikaru, but very little of the latter. Interestingly, though resigning is part of the culture of Go and something that, as far as Chew has told me, is "okay" to do, Hikaru puts a lot of emphasis on it with regards to preteen boys teasing each other about it, which I find hilarious. It's so realistic. I don't care how right and okay it is, kids WILL find a way to tease each other about it. Just like having a different color hair or braces or anything else, kids are kind of little monsters to each other.

On a personal level, I don't like resigning--the concept or the actuality of it. I'm much too stubborn to ever ever do something like that. It is not okay to give up ever, because what if a tornado happens, or your opponent, like, dies in the middle of a game from malaria or something. Then you win, right? And yes, I recognize the improbability of the previous statements, but blahblahblah I'm super stubborn. So, that means that when Chew and I did play a few games, I wouldn't resign because that's Not An Okay Thing, and would usually be a little mournful about having to take handicaps. Not only did that make the game very frustrating for a beginner, but also made the game frustrating for Chew, who was trying to teach me in what really is the best way--from experience. For those of you who know anything about astrology, that's what happens when two Scorpios compete; for those of you who think astrology a load of bull, simply consider that both of us strive for 100% completion for ANY video game we play, and that'll give you an idea.

So, when I see the kiddos making little anime sadfaces over resigning a game, I sympathize. Resigning sucks, even those it does serve a valuable purpose in the game--namely, allowing a honorable and fair way for the loser to take his ball and go home while allowing him to save face and preventing chairs and boards being thrown.

As for Yuki's cheating habit, it made me laugh. As my nephew says, it isn't cheating if it helps you win, and I think Yuki lives by that. While I can flippantly say that cheating is simply going out of socially conditioned rules and if going outside of those rules helps, welp, that might be okay, I can see that such a rationalization wouldn't fly in Go.

Go, in particular, is a VERY ritualistic game, with a certain set of behaviors that are simply not acceptable. Because Go is such a ritualized, formal game, it seems somehow worse to cheat while playing that than, say, Candyland. I have to wonder where Yuki picked up his habits--he must have been cheating a while, if for no other reason than the fact that he's so damn good at it. Personally, I hope for a little more development there.

I'm sorry if this blog isn't quite as well structured as some of my previous posts have been. Chew just got Allen Wake, and I'm sitting here watching the progress. Oh my god, it's a good game. It's the type of game I would love if it weren't for the fact that I've mostly been spoiled on it already from Chew's playings. That being said, each new plot twist brings with it fresh horrors, and the idea of a writer trying to solve a mystery of his own devisings is one that particularly appeals to me. I'd highly recommend it. I'd also highly recommend NOT playing it while alone, because that's just a bad choice. It isn't hard horror, but it IS the sort of game that's going to make you jump a few times, particularly with the noises. Ah god, the noises.

Right now, Chew and I are debating about whether or not the title/main character's name has to do with awake, as in the state of not being asleep, or a wake, as in part of a funeral. Both can be possible, but with the theme of nightmares versus reality, I'd say it's more likely to be the former. Chew immediately thought of the latter, then went on to compare the game to the movie Inception, which I think is a fantastic comparison. Thoughts and opinions?