Akagi after episode 26 - Final Thoughts

I never thought watching people play mahjong could be so riveting. But the people who play mahjong in this show are not just common folks, they are deadly gangsters, a blind champion, a rich maniacal geezer, and other such colorful individuals. Fortunately, one does not need to know mahjong to enjoy Akagi. The show appeals to a broader audience, not just mahjong players. There is frequent narration and character internal monologues of explanation during every game of mahjong. This ensures that even if one does not fully comprehend the mahjong game itself, one will understand the significance of the actions and developments in the game. However, sometimes the play-by-play commentaries are taken a bit too far, and often it becomes repetitive. Or, not content with merely explaining in words, comparisons to metaphors are used. So at times it feels overbearing, but I suppose that adds to the dramatic effect. There are awesome moments to be had when a genius and madman fearlessly challenges characters of immense proportions, to watch Akagi use his cunning wit to mentally deconstruct and exploit each opponent through the means of mahjong. Even if Akagi played any other game (such as chess, poker, or go), the show would be unchanged except for a switch of the medium of interaction, and he still would immortalize himself there. But during one stormy night while seeking for shelter, a young Akagi happened to have stumbled upon a session of mahjong…and the rest is legendary.