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Akagi (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a mahjong
centric Japan
ese manga
, written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
and first published in 1992. It is featured in the weekly magazine Modern Mahjong, and is a prequel to the author's previous work Ten
, in which Akagi's titular character also appears. Due to its popularity, the manga has been adopted into two live action movies, and a 26 episode anime
series which aired in Japan in the fall of 2005.
one evening in 1958, Akagi nonchalantly enters a Yakuza
Mahjong parlor to shake the cops' trail. Even unfamiliar with the rules of Mahjong, his gambling intuition is enough to save a small time gambler, Nangou, and grant him a seat at the gambling table. As the night progresses, the stakes are raised both within the game and for Akagi, who is under the suspicion of local police. However, Akagi overcomes the situation with his tactics, defiant of both life and chance. When he leaves the gambling house, no one present is in doubt of his genius.
During the story arc, Akagi faces and defeats several opponents in Mahjong, each with their own, distinct style of play. Akagi's genius ultimately allows him victory, by defeating the "behind the stage king" of Japan and becoming a legend.
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
centric Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto
Nobuyuki Fukumoto
is a Japanese manga artist well known throughout the Far East for his unique and original gambling ideas, deep psychological analysis of characters and distinct artstyle. Yakuza and gambling are recurring themes in his manga. In English speaking countries, he is known best as the author of Akagi, a...
and first published in 1992. It is featured in the weekly magazine Modern Mahjong, and is a prequel to the author's previous work Ten
Ten (manga)
is a mahjong centric Japanese manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. It was first published in 1989 during Japan's economic boom, when gambling manga became popular.-East:-West:...
, in which Akagi's titular character also appears. Due to its popularity, the manga has been adopted into two live action movies, and a 26 episode anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series which aired in Japan in the fall of 2005.
Story
The story revolves around the Mahjong gambling exploits of Shigeru Akagi. After a death-defying game of chickenChicken (game)
The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove or snowdrift game, is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory...
one evening in 1958, Akagi nonchalantly enters a Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
Mahjong parlor to shake the cops' trail. Even unfamiliar with the rules of Mahjong, his gambling intuition is enough to save a small time gambler, Nangou, and grant him a seat at the gambling table. As the night progresses, the stakes are raised both within the game and for Akagi, who is under the suspicion of local police. However, Akagi overcomes the situation with his tactics, defiant of both life and chance. When he leaves the gambling house, no one present is in doubt of his genius.
During the story arc, Akagi faces and defeats several opponents in Mahjong, each with their own, distinct style of play. Akagi's genius ultimately allows him victory, by defeating the "behind the stage king" of Japan and becoming a legend.
Characters
- Akagi is introduced as a deceptively adult looking young boy, whose spark of genius transcends age and resides in gambling, especially in the game mahjongMahjongMahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
. Throughout the story, Akagi utilizes techniques other gamblers don't dare to, in order to sway his opponents: brazen cheating, extremely risky maneuvers, far-fetched bluffs, a blatant disregard for his own life. These actions make him a heretic among "ordinary" men, yet allow him to unflinchingly defeat his opponents with a level of play that is marked as godly. After gaining mythical status at 13, he disappears for 5 years and resurfaces to become a legendary figure in the whole of Japan.
- A dirty detective who has connections to the underground businessYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
. He is one of the first people to realize Akagi's talents in mahjong, and takes advantage of this to great personal gain. In the manga he also plays the role of narrator.
- The first professional mahjong player that Akagi plays and defeats. He uses techniques to cheat during the game but loses in front of Akagi's ability.
- A blind professional mahjong player. Ichikawa was a player that would play by the book while Akagi incorporated luck into his playstyle. Ichikawa is similar to Akagi in the way that they are evenly matched throughout their 1 on 1 match in Sasagawa Restaurant, however in the end Akagi emerges the victor.
- The representative mahjong player for the Kawada Yakuza group, after he was first discovered by Yasuoka. Despite his physical resemblance to Akagi, his playing style is based solely on mathematical calculations and probability, in contrast to Akagi's natural gambling insight and psychological manipulationPsychological manipulationPsychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
abilities. He lacks the courage required to be a true gambler, making him unable to be beat Urabe by falling for his strong bluffs. He is eventually killed by Washizu for failing to beat him in Washizu mahjong.
- The representative mahjong player for the Fujisawa Yakuza group. He and Akagi fought over thirty-two million yen. Urabe was the person responsible for raising the stakes, so when he was defeated, he was brutally mutilated by the Yakuza.
- An old man who had made a lot of money, and one of the most powerful people in the underground. After building up massive funds from shady dealings in Japan's post-war era, he uses this money to tempt people -especially young people- to bet their lives for the chance to win a large amount of money. He enjoys doing this, so a match between Akagi and Washizu was arranged. Washizu and Akagi played mahjong in an unusual way, of which Washizu calls 'Washizu Mahjong' in which glass tiles replace most of the tiles that make the game different in many ways. Washizu also has his own manga series WASHIZU - ENMA NO TOUHAI.
External links
- Nippon Television Network's Akagi website (Japanese)