Akagi

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Akagi

Akagi-manga.jpg
Series information
Title: Akagi
Medium: manga
Genre: gambling

Akagi is a manga series by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. A prequel to Fukumoto's earlier manga Ten, it went on to surpass Ten's popularity and become Fukumoto's most well-known work (only rivaled by Kaiji) as well as one of the most classic and well-known gambling manga, paving the way for the genre. The series came to be known for its intense high-stakes mahjong matches and its intriguing protagonist, who starts as a fearless thirteen-year-old boy and quickly grows into a legend of the mahjong underworld.

Series

The Akagi manga was published in 306 chapters in Kindai Mahjong magazine and later collected in 36 volumes. The entire series took 27 years to be completed, starting in 1991 and only having its last chapter published in 2018. Almost 4/5ths of the chapters, starting in chapter 57, are dedicated to the manga's final arc, a single mahjong match published over the course of 20 years. A 26-episode anime adaptation aired on Nippon TV from 2005 to 2006. As the manga was not yet finished at this time, the anime ends partway through the final arc.

Characters

See also: List of Akagi characters

  • Shigeru Akagi (Lead Mastermind): A thirteen-year-old boy who barges in a mahjong game organized by the yakuza. Despite having never played mahjong before, Akagi quickly grasps the flow of the game, and his fearlessness, analytical skills, near-supernatural intuition and ability to get in the opponent's head quickly earn him fame as a legendary player.
  • Nangou (Commoner): A compulsive gambler who is indebted to the yakuza. He meets Akagi when the boy barges in a mahjong match where Nangou is trying to win back his debt, and quickly recognizes his potential.

Tricks and Matches

See also: List of Matches in Akagi

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