Akagi is based around its titular character gambling his way to the top of the underworld, his enigmatic prowess for mahjong often turning the tide of certain defeat into victory. Akagi is a cold, relentless character. He cares little for money or for his own life. In the heat of the gamble he stops at nothing less than completely crushing his opponent's will to win... Akagi is the first Nobuyuki Fukumoto manga to get the anime treatment and the anime has been executed surprisingly well. It is with reason that I say, 'surprisingly'. When considering Fukumoto's original, while particulary famous in Japan and Korea, you can'thelp but think that it would be very difficult to animate it well enough to make it appeal to a wide audience. 

Firstly there is the subject matter, Akagi (the anime), as with a number of other works by Fukumoto, basically involves Akagi (the character) playing a couple of games of the Japanese version of mahjong, gambling for keeps. Next Madhouse have kept (thankfully) with Fukumoto's original art style, with all of its unconventional flourishes (read; big noses etc.). And finally, the lead character, Akagi, is not exactly the easiest character in the world to relate to. In short, he is out of this world, nothing short of a true "God of Gamblers". 

With all of this in mind it is 'surprising' just how intense this anime is. In the next couple of paragraphs I'll try and breakdown how this anime overcomes all of the above, making it one of the most original, mind-numbingly insane animes in a long, long time. 

Firstly the mahjong. I have to admit that when I first started watching this anime I knew nothing about mahjong in general, let alone the Japanese version. The good news is that it doesn't really matter. The basic goal of the game and the rules are subtly explained as the anime progresses, and while it does help learn a bit about the different 'hands' everyone is going for it is definitely not a pre-requisite. You see, mahjong is game based on points so it is always pretty obvious who is in the lead, what kind of a hand Akagi needs to win the game etc. The finer points of mahjong all seem to come in to place as the games progress. The anime's direction involves a lot of internal dialogue. The audience is always privy to each characters' thoughts, allowing them to (conveniently) tell the viewer what kind of tile the character in question is waiting for, the number of points the hand they are going for will land them etc. 

Fear not, I can wholeheartedly say that the mahjong in this anime does not form an obstacle in the enjoyment of the anime in any way, shape or form. Like me, you'll probably get really into the game as you watch - The danger associated with having to throw away your tiles (with the possibility of the tile being picked up and used by your opponent as his victory tile) makes the game, and this anime truly absorbing to watch.

The mahjong battles are awesome, leaving you on the edge of your seat the whole time, however the real reason that the mahjong battles draw the viewer in is the interaction between characters, or more specifically, the carefully constructed psychological battles that are played out before our eyes.

The characters cannot be mentioned without some reference to the drawing style, which plays a large role in creating the tone of the series. As with anything Fukumoto, the character designs do take a little getting used to. Yes the characters do possess noses so large that Pinocchio would be put to shame. Yes the characters in general are kind of... angular. Yes there are no busty 2D babes providing you 13 year olds with fan service - Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths... If you watch this anime past the first episode you will (hopefully) realize that these features ARE NOT necessarily bad things.

Firstly the originality really makes it stand out, and as you watch further into the series you begin to realize that the character designs do actually really suit the whole grim, macabre feel of the anime - hey, we're talking about a bunch of men gambling with more than money, with their very lives here -  it's not exactly The Brady Bunch... Trust me, by the time the anime ends you will think that the character design presented in Akagi is the ONLY true way you could represent the vile, ugly nature of underworld thugs. Personally, I love Fukumoto's ouevre. The characters are very expressive and the drawing style is perfectly combined with Hideki Taneuchi's brooding score to paint an intensely bleak pictue of the Japanese underworld circa the 1960's. I'm giving art and sound a 10.

Next, on to Akagi the character. He is a prodigy, an enigma - put bluntly, you are going to have a hard time understanding what he is going through. This is both a good and a bad thing. In a way his absoluteness, his superhuman insight wraps Akagi in a veil of mystery and, to paraphase the Fonz, is what gives him 'his cool'. On the other hand, when the anime ends you feel like you still don't really know anything about him at all. His existence in the anime is kind of like that of a mystery film. He reveals a little of his character, answering one question, only to pose two more... 

Now I like a piece of entertainment that doesn't completely reveal itself to the audience, making each and every one of us think for ourselves about the story's meaning, about what happens next. With Akagi however, this is taken to the extreme. The anime just kind of ends (mid-match). I know, that this is not really the fault of the animators as the original manga had still not ended its run. (At the time of writing the manga is up to 20 volumes and is still ongoing -  the anime version of Akagi ends at the start of volume 13). Having said that though I kind of wished that the animators would have veered from the original manga a bit towards the end, to give it a proper ending. 

For me personally it is such a shame that such an epic anime ends with not a bang, but a whimper, and it has a point taken off it for that... I hold out hope that there is a second season (it doesn't look likely though).

While my review does end on kind of a sour note, let it be known that up until the ending this anime is pure gold, definitely a must see. If it is the mahjong or the character design holding you back, I urge you to give it a try - if you dismiss this one on face value you'll only be missing out on one of the most original, nail-bitingly intense anime series around. (No real biggie:)
      

        Akagi. Once again, I'm strung into a series by merely the name and a brief introduction summary.Well yes, "Akagi" isn't all that of an awesome name in itself, but where I came upon it it was named "Touhai Densetsu Akagi - Yami ni Maiorita Tensai"; "Gambler Genius Akagi - The Legend who Descended into the Darkness". Well, with reservation for translation. In any case, I acquired an episode to have a gander at what an Anime mainly about Mahjong could be able to offer...and if I'd be able to learn anything in the process. Story: 9/10 Akagi Shigeru, a thirteen year old daredevil with an unknown background,stumbles in on a Yakuza quarter, right in the midst of a Mahjong battle. This is the birth of a new legend, as the narrator states, and Akagi has never played Mahjong in his entire life - yet, when taught the basics and (by a fluke) given a chance for a test round, he appears to play like a professional already. And this is just the beginning of the story, as it advances hastily through his career life as an underground genius, who uses clever strategies as well as dirty tricks to win his games.

The layout reminded me a lot about strategy Anime shows, such as Death Note, mainly, even though the stories differ greatly. The main character has a very fuzzy alignment; you can't quite put your finger on if he's really good or evil. He uses strategic tricks that the usual commoner would never have thought about, and the show even goes so far as to explain most of the tricks he pull, and how he reasons when reading the other people by the Mahjong table. And we mustn't forget about the thick layer of special effects that makes the simplest game of Mahjong into a battle of life and death (or worse) (see more under "Enjoyment"). Also, it's not solely based on Mahjong, as the main character is an overall gambler, so we're also acquainted with a streak of Russian roulette and the Japanese dice game Chouhan.

Art: 10/10
Yes, it's an incredible number I'm giving this one point, considering the first thought that probably pops up into most of people's heads as they see the first episode..."these characters are butt ugly." Yeah, that was my initial thought as well. But, it didn't take all that long before I actually got used to this unique drawing style, and came to like it more and more as the show progressed. The rest of the artwork - the backgrounds, the Mahjong tiles - absolutely flawless. When Akagi is faced with a round of the special Washizu Mahjong, where 75% of the tiles are transparent, the rendering of these tiles is simply stunning. And during the dramatic scenes (and there are a few, trust me), the animation goes smooth as silk.

Sound: 8/10
Akagi's voice couldn't be better for the role he plays. Silent, yet sharp. And I imagine his snicker can send icicles down any opponent's spine. No voice actors are especially bad, the music blends in well with the show, and the opening/ending sequences fit very good as well (The opening sequence can sound annoying the first few times, but it really grows on you if you listen to it a few times more). The one thing that racks this score down is that 1)The show has a narrator, 2)He talks a whole lot, and 3)He has a nasal, close to soulless voice. It kinda ruins the effect on the drama that takes place.

Character: 9/10
It's easy reading the characters out, because each of them has a very distinct style of acting. There's the insane gambler Washizu, the dirty cop Yasuoka, the calm top-player Ichikawa and the young and nervous Osamu, among other colorful and charismatic personalities. And Akagi himself is deceitful, perceptive and willing to risk his life for the game...and probably one of the coolest motherf@$kers I've ever seen in action. </personalopinion>

Enjoyment: 8/10
Man, what can I say. It's been a long time since an Anime strung me in so tightly right from the very beginning. The dramatic effect factor plays a large role here - pauses are elongated to create the perfect amount of tension, the Mahjong tiles crash down on the playing table like meteors when played out, and the camera pans in on the facials to capture every drop of agony and clenching there is. And the flow of the story is as good as it can get...or, well, could have been. However, at the last six or so episodes, it stops to what almost feels like a complete halt, during the last, intense game we see Akagi play. It drags along painfully slowly, each tile taking forever to draw and collect/discard, and cuts off short at the last episode at a very abrupt ending, dislocating the otherwise so nice pace the Anime had. Hadn't it been for this snailing in the end, I would probably have rated the show a ten (yes, even considering the narrator), but I cannot allow myself to such for this.

Overall: 9/10
Overall? A must see. If you're into an Anime with knife-sharp strategy and high stakes, this is your pick. And if you manage to acquire Triad's subtitling, they'll provide you with helpful translator notes along the way regarding the Mahjong games (boy, I dunno where I'd been if I wouldn't have had them), if it's unfamiliar terrain for you. Yes, I learned a few bits and pieces about the game, and experienced a great Anime to boot.
      

        Mahjong: For those, who don't know what it majong, it's rather special hazard game, similar to poker, but played with special tiles. There are manzi, pinzi, sanzi, dragon and wind tiles. You must get special hands to win. It's not difficult game and when you play it yourself (either irl or on computer) it's quite addictive. Story and Characters: Basically, there is no standard story. Whole plot is about mahjong games, which take few episodes to resolve. Though there is time flow, it's nothing as standard action story. But this story is all about one person. Shigeru Akagi is his name. Whole story twists around him, eachepisode shows his greatness. Yes, he is more than human, he is god. You must see it yourself, how gar he is, in each play of mahjong he participate. 

Art and sound:
Animation is very good. But character design is very different than usual manga style. First thing you will see is rather big nose. But animation of mahjong tiles is incredible, they totally feel like alive.

I was prejudiced, biased over character design and the fact that anime is about mahjong before I saw it. But I was wrong, sooo wrong. But when I saw first episode later, I knew, it will be the best what I have seen so far (along with Higurashi). Try it yourself, every person who did this, will say the same words as I do.
      

        What would you do if you are faced with death? Would you have the guts to make it out alive or would you become numb and frozen in the moment that you stop thinking completely and succumb to death? Well whatever your answer maybe, it seems that Akagi, the series' main focus, always has a way out whether it be a reckless move or a calm and composed one. The year is 1958, in the dark streets of Japan and in the middle of what seems to be a very long night for Nangou, a neurotic and addictive gambler who is in the verge oflosing his life after the debts stack up against him in a game of Mahjong, versus the shady and infamous Yakuza gang. But unknown to him, in a different scenario a man survives a near death experience after playing a game of chicken, in which two different persons drive a car all the only to brake at the right time in order to avoid falling off from a cliff and lose their life. It happens to be that one of the two participants from the game of chicken has lost his life and the other is on the run after surviving even though falling off from the cliff. This makes the cop, Yasuoka, to go after this survivor in order to arrest him. Back to the Mahjong battle against the Yakuza gang, Nangou only moves even more closer to his death and away his prize money which would clear all of his debt in one go. If something called luck existed, it was completely absent in Nangou's game. All hope seems lost for him with his life lingering in the hands of the outcome of the game and as death seems inevitable, something unexpected happens. The chicken survivor, who is actually our protagonist from the show Akagi, is on the run from the police and intrudes upon the parlour where Nangou is playing a seemingly valueless game with victory nowhere near in sight. There is a knock from the door which gives a momentarily relief for Nangou as one of the gang members stands up and heads for the door. It's a young man seeking refuge from the gang, but is instantly denied entrance and is told to go away at once. But Nangou then disrupts the member saying he was one of his underlings he had called for when he was away from home for a long time, but in the truth it was nothing but an attempt to get hold of as much time as Nangou could to think of a way to get back in the game. 

Nangou sits back and relaxes for a while asking who the young man was explaining the circumstances of his seemingly in vain Mahjong battle to him. Akagi tells everything about him and how he was on the run from the police before running into Nangou. He also gives Nangou a piece of advice, saying that all he could sense in his game play was an aura brimming with fear and no real winning sense. Nangou senses something from Akagi as well. From his personality he feels that he might be able to overturn the game on its head and get Nangou away from death. He explains the basic rules of Mahjong to Akagi, who at the time is completely unbeknownst of the rules of the game. Akagi then sits down to play the game while the gang members could only laugh it off as how a thirteen-year old (Oh shit! Did I forget to mention he was freaking 13?! Well if you just started the anime it's not that much of a  surprise after seeing the art style. I literally laughed my ass out at first when he mentioned he was 13 years of age for as he looked to me he was over 25+!) could defeat them. However this was just a start of a new legend that would succumb into the darkness. Akagi is able to defeat the Yakuza members and save Nangou off his troubles and in the meantime defeated Yagi, a representative player of the Yakuza gang and with it mark his first ever professional victory as a gambler. 

Uptil now you must've learned more about Akagi Shigeru. He is a thirteen year old natural-born gambler who exceeds all expectations and uses any kinds of mean and shrewd tactics to pull off the game. Sometimes he goes to even an extent that he doesn't have any regards for his own life. Nangou is one of the earliest characters in the anime, an addictive but a coward gambler who gets caught in a cat and mouse game against the Yakuza gang members. But luckily for him, Akagi is able to beat them and save Nangou's life, after which he decides to never gamble for money again. A lesson well learnt. Another main character who is featured frequently in the series is the cop-turned-gambler, Yasuoka. He's the cop that chases Akagi into the parlour and witnesses his match against the Yakuza members. He quickly comes to learn that however he maybe young, he is a devil inside that has unthinkable tricks up his sleeve and is a genius in the making.

After the antics of Akagi facing off and winning against the Yakuza members, his next challenge awaits him. Ichikawa is a man in his fifties, blind, yet considered a master in Mahjong. This forecasts an incredible battle between the two with Akagi coming out as the victor amidst extreme tension. This helps cast Akagi as a genius totally unrivaled, unsurpassed and invincible in the format of gambling. Although after his victory against Ichikawa, Akagi quickly disappears into the darkness only to be found five years later by a member of the Yakuza gang. He comes to know that Yasuoka the cop has set up a fake Akagi who seems to be as good the real one, and a showdown against the two awaits. Osamu is another young, amateur Mahjong player working with Akagi in a factory and who keeps follwing Akagi wherever he goes. His main role in the show is to play against Urabe, a gambler who is facing Fake Akagi before his showdown against the real Akagi. Unknown to him that there's a great amount of money involved in the gamble, Osamu actually fares pretty well against Urabe before learning the fact that 32 million yen is on the line. Akagi then interferes him and plays his own battle against Urabe. He is able to defeat Urabe and make him pay his socks off for the amount of money, while making us learn that Osamu was actually made to play to manipulate Urabe and learn more about his skills and habits on the game. He comes to know that Urabe is the type of the guy who waits and see's his opponent through and does not rush towards victory. It's actually a shame that Osamu is nowhere to be seen in the second cour of the show as he had a likeable personality. 

Well after his tie against Urabe, Akagi, seeking a game where one would bet his own destruction, now moves forward to face his final opponent, the lunatic Washizu Iwao. Washizu Iwao is a former World War veteran, a retired police sergeant who had made a great deal of money, an amount more than enough required in one's life. He also has the upper hand over all the politicians and has all the means to rule the nation from the underworld. He is a dark leader. Washizu's style of Mahjong play is quite different from the usual. Transparent tiles which can been seen through completely is used for play among a few opaque tiles. Washizu succeeds at defeating various players and attains a legendary status who has never lost in Mahjong. That is before he faces against Akagi.  
The anime focuses on the growth of Akagi as a Mahjong gambler, and his earlier and younger days in the first part of the show and also his matches against various oppositions before he faces against Washizu Iwao, his final opponent of the series. Whereas in the next 13 episodes the show completely revolves around the tie against Akagi and Washizu lasting for six sessions. It actually gets kind of repetitive after the 13 episode mark. With all the development from start of the show, they could've made it last a little longer but everything's hurried a bit and ended before the second cour of the show begins. This honestly weights down the show a little, because it has such a gripping story from the start, even the ending is a bit abrupt. 

The artwork of the show is quite unsurprisingly the most talked about factor by both the people who have watched it and not yet watched it. However if that's a reason that you're holding back on watching this show I'd suggest you drop that idea at once. 
Sure, the art is... well, crazy to say the least. It takes time for you to getting used to but it infact supports the psychological and intense nature of the show. For a protagonist who is 13, but quite obviously looks 25+, you get the idea that this isn't a show in a stage which could be said ordinary. Infact, this is a completely different Seinen from others not only because it tackles about gambling, but does it in a most unorthodox way. This way it's quite true that the art style is the most suitable for this kind of anime. 
Even for the transparent Mahjong tiles, the effects are beautifully done. The backgrounds have a perfect synchronization to the timeline this anime revolves around, in the 1960's. 

Moving on to the sound aspects of the show. Akagi is voiced by Hagiwara Masato who did the voice acting for Tokuchi Toua as well, the protagonist from One Outs. Akagi's voice has a prominent gambling type of fathom in it. It's as if Hagiwara has a natural-born skill for voice acting gambling roles. His three famous voice-roles that of Kaiji, Tokuchi and Akagi are all protagonists  in any form of gambling. The soundtracks in the anime is done pretty well, with tones adjusted to the tense nature of the show. The opening track remains the same throughout the show and is of a traditional japanese accent which only adds to its premise. The first ending is done by Maximum the  Hormone, more famously known for the second opening in Death Note. The second ending is glorious as well. The visuals are what I really like from the second ending. They accompany the track extremely well and I would pay to watch that majestic walk on a railway track from Akagi. The next thing I'd like to depict is the voice by the narrator. While not over the top perfect, he does his job of explaining the stuff happening pretty well without over-exaggerating. There have been various anime that have succeeded using the narrator for the most part, and while the narrator for Akagi doesn't add to any further reputations for the show, he works on his part pretty well. 

I will finish off by saying Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai is a supreme and classic Seinen about gambling which is executed brilliantly right from the start. A lot of people may not be daring to go into this one because of the concept its made around, the game of Mahjong. While it would certainly help if you knew a little about the game, but even if you are a newbie to it like myself, you'd still be able to comprehend given you give complete attention to the translator notes and the rest of it is explained pretty well by the narrator himself.
      

        Akagi is a Psychological, Sports, Drama about the somewhat unfamiliar game of “Japanese Mahjong”, which manages to capitalize on tension and thrills but it can only be truly enjoyed by the open-minded anime fan (knowledge on Mahjong not required). The story itself revolves around a deceptively young-looking, young boy (Shigeru Akagi), who is a prodigy at the game Mahjong. The good thing is that you don’t necessarily need to know a thing about Mahjong to watch this; you just need to grasp the basic concept in the first couple episodes. The storyline follows Akagi’s numerous accomplishments in Mahjong, as the stakes get higher and higher. Thisformula is fairly repetitive, as each time there’s a match with a tougher opponent but it proves effective. That is until the final match, which ended up being dragged on for almost half the show and didn’t come to a completely fulfilling end.

The characters of the series are all rather one-dimensional and don’t necessarily change or develop as the show goes on, yet Akagi proved to be the only exception. It is pretty hard to find a character that we know what he/she’s thinking; yet is so mysterious, unpredictable and genuinely crazy as Akagi. Apart from that Akagi lacks some depth and any explanation into why he is like that.

The animation for this series is great. A good amount of detail is put into the realistic environments to suit the gritty theme and everything on the screen moves fluidly. Also whenever a game of Mahjong kicks in we get a taste of appropriately used CG that mixes well with the drawn animation. The only issue I have is with the unique but plain ugly character designs; however this can be overlooked due to the nature of the series.

The music on the other hand is the one aspect that I can confidentially say is perfect. The throbbing bass line tunes and sombre guitar melodies go so well with the series and it even helps to intensify the mundane game of Mahjong.

Overall Akagi proved to be fairly entertaining series that transformed such an unexciting game into an intense, psychological, drama. This series had a great sense of imagery as during the matches; every important action is backed by some metaphorical reference. However this has a problem of stopping the flow of the match, especially during the extremely long final match. So if you think you can still enjoy this series then check it out, but first be sure to create some room in your brain for the many complex rules of the game.

^_^
      

        Alright. I can't even do a conventional review for this shit! This is the most confusing anime I've ever seen in my life. It's well directed, well animated, and seems to build decent drama. I just have no earthly idea what the fuck is going on! Did you think End of Evangelion was a little confusing? Maybe you weren't paying close enough attention and you somehow missed what LCL is. "I wanted to watch this for the robot battles and hot chicks, why is everyone exploding into orange goop now?!" Maybe you're asking stuff like "Is this happening during episodes 25 and 26 in Shinji's head?"If Seele always wanted to implement the human instrumentality project, why did they wait this long and provide funding for NERV, who is antithetical to their goals?" "Why did Shinji choke Asuka and then stop?"

Don't worry! Evageeks forum can provide all these answers in 5 minutes. You don't even have to suffer a mild headache. Don't like reading? No problem! There are 200 different video essays on YouTube that explain all of these plot points so that even a small child could understand them in 10 minutes.

Let's imagine you aren't an old Asian lady and don't know how to play Mahjong. Too bad! YOU. ARE. FUCKED! Akagi is NOT here to hold your hand and teach you basics. Akagi ain't like most sports anime. Ping Pong the Animation isn't really about Ping Pong. They go into basic details about the sport, but it's really a psychological drama and coming of age story. Yuri on Ice isn't really about figure skating. They explain some basic stuff about the scoring system and tournament system, but it's really a mushy romance coupled together with a story about a depressed young adult gaining his confidence and drive back. Akagi is about Mahjong. In depth, super technical, professional level Mahjong. If you don't want this anime to skull-fuck you, it's required to spend at LEAST 25 hours researching the ludicrously overcomplicated and confusing rules of Mahjong. How easy is it to learn Mahjong? Combine the complexity and staggering amount of rules from Magic the Gathering with 2 semesters of organic chemistry, and you're almost at the level of Mahjong. 

Imagine the Insane Clown Posse attending a particle physics lecture on electron spin, so they can finally understand how magnets works. At the end of that 2 hour lecture, they would be less confused than the average non-Asian person after an episode of Akagi. I'm not even joking. It's honest to God that bad!

So why a 6? I actually think if I understood Mahjong I might enjoy this. I liked Kaiji well enough and the same director has brought the same signature style here. It gets rather silly and almost Yu-gi-Oh-esque with the shocked expressions and bombastic presentation, but that's just the original author doing his thing. The series just wants to accurately capture the manga and from what I saw at a glance, it appears to be doing a great job. Madhouse delivered as they typically do and I have no complaints from a visual perspective. Not every piece work is made for all audiences. If you don't know Mahjong, this series was NOT made for you. Giving Akagi a low rating is like me going on Goodreads and giving a low rating to some Rabbinic essay on the Midrash that was written in Yiddish 400 years ago in Poland. The author of that scholarly work didn't write it for me, so it doesn't matter if I didn't understand it. That's basically Akagi.
      

        I have a real problem with this series and it has nothing to do with Mahjong, Yakuza, nor the art. It's the Dragonball Z syndrome I dealt with during the last half of the series. Let's start back from the top. Akagi was great fun for someone like me that either just learning Mahjong to someone that's a seasoned player. It's got its feet on the ground better than Saki does while still putting the game on a grandiose scale. Now, I can't go far into this review without mentioning how horribly outdated the art is. What makes it better (or worse) isthat they retained that style from the manga.  Honestly, I had no problems with it, it kind of helped contribute to the overall feel of the series.

The music is fine, dubbing is done very well and background music, while gets repetitive after a while, is still good for what it needs to do.

Now the meat of the series, the story and characters.  The characters are tons of fun to watch, it's not like Deathnote where they drown you in psychological babble that leads nowhere.  It also adds probability and mindset of a Mahjong player and throws the viewer into multiple perspectives.  The supporting characters have such glaring personality flaws that Akagi opens to the world, it makes the series that much more enjoyable since no one seems like the good guy.  All the characters support the story perfectly.  The problem though lies in the last half of the series.

When I'm watching a series in which they feel the need to stretch out one game/match/fight across 12 episodes, it's what I call a waste of time.  It's dramatic, cool I guess, but they could have easily shrunk it down to 3 episodes.  Without spoiling anything, there's a lot of repeated scenes, dialogues and just constantly repeating the problems with the final opponent and Akagi's conundrum, episode after episode.  There was less Mahjong and more of inane narrations and useless banter.  What worse is that the series doesn't have a conclusive ending.

In short, watch the first half of the series, it really is fun and enjoyable. Second half you'll probably be fine missing out on or watching in the background.
      

        Story: With a chin that would make Jay Leno blush and a nose that would leave Corporal Klinger wanting, Akagi is a mysterious 13 year old that tumbles into the middle of a yakuza Mahjong game one late night, where a mediocre Mahjong player is trying to absolve himself of his gambling debts. The entrance of the weird kid, (who is running around in the dead of the night wet as a fish fresh out of water) provides a welcome break for the gambler who is almost at the end of his wits. The story unfolds from there. Akagi, even though he doesn’t know thefirst thing about Mahjong  gets involved in the game, learns it at an amazing speed while keeping his wits about himself all the time. 
The Anime has 3 arcs. First is introduction of Akagi to Mahjong, and Mahjong gambling “community”, second, reinforcement of Akagi’s “divine” Mahjong abilities, and the final arc (For the anime, the manga is still ongoing) : the biggest “baddest” wolf of Mahjong vs. Akagi. 
I don’t know the first thing about Mahjong but that didn’t impact my viewing enjoyment. Obviously if you know Mahjong, you will enjoy it a lot more, but the explanations of the narrator, some “side comments” from support cast etc, relieves the viewer from the burden of having to know Mahjong. 

Characters: Because in this anime in more than any other I have seen, characters go hand in hand with the story, I will talk about the characters before the art and the sound:
[Personal Opinion!]Many claim that Akagi has a death wish but in my opinion he is like the [extremely] gifted kid in a “normals” class. Simply bored out his skull with life, he looks for the ultimate thrill. And there is no bigger thrill than playing with death. He takes challenges on, to entertain himself rather than to prove himself. He pushes his opponents so far where they break, and that mostly is heartbreaking to Akagi; not that he cares for them, but because they were not strong enough to push back. So he wants to keep going on until the limits of reason are meaningless words. 
Nor do I share the opinion that he is cold. The way I see it, Akagi is reason. Reason doesn’t have any emotions. Akagi understands emotions; he just does not have any use for them. Not only for other people but for himself as well. Once, at the beginning of the third arc, for the first time I have observed Akagi experience and show, something akin to fear. (Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion, there were no vocal words exchanged!) He hesitates for a moment before answering a question, fully aware of the impact of that answer. But like I said, he ignores even his own emotions. As disturbing as his opponents find this trait of his, it is also one of the reasons of the “divineness” of his Mahjong skill.

I grew up on Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple (Yes, I am that old :D). Wherever she was solving a murder, she used the characters of her home village St. Mary Mead as keys to her solving the murder; the gist of the matter being: Human nature remains what it is, who or where you are. Akagi seemed to have the same view to me. The characters seemed to represent different attributes:
Nangou: “The Common” He is Joe Average, who took a wrong turn at some point and ended up where he is, when his and Akagi’s roads cross faithfully, changing each their paths forever; 
Yasuoka: “The Corrupt” cop is the person, you feel uneasy when you meet, even though there is nothing wrong on the surface; 
Yagi: “The Pompous” represents the one who is full of hot air and all talk and no real action; 
Ichikawa “The Arrogant”  is the big fish in the small pond so he thinks too highly of himself, because there was nobody to really oppose him before, and so on and so on. 

The characters in this anime may and probably will make you feel uneasy from time to time. But despite that or exactly because of it, you will find yourself getting involved in the story. 

Art: The art is peculiar to say the least. But it wasn’t a style that I needed to get used to nor was it unattractive to me. In a way I have no better words for, this style is exactly what this anime/manga needs. It complements the story, the characters and the mood. 

Sound: This was the first anime that made me realize the importance of seiyuus in an anime. I guess up until Akagi I was lucky to come across seiyuus who have done an excellent job, so that I took it for granted. However my lack of Mahjong knowledge let me concentrate on the characters trying to read the mood. Almost like a blind person trying to walk through a path by the voices. I can honestly say, they do an excellent job. There wasn’t any music in the sense of music but music that affects the mood, and they were done rather well. The whole anime is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock. Even the opening song, where the sound of single Mahjong tile falling is more like a gunshot; creates a tension much like the mirror scene in The Prize (1963) with Paul Newman. (Yes I know, I am just too old to watch anime :D)

One last thing to mention would be the ending. It is like any other aspect of this anime. Peculiar. It is very abrupt yet it still gives a sense of closure. Maybe it would be helpful to mention that the manga is still ongoing, and the game between Washizu (final opponent in the anime) and Akagi is still ongoing. So considering the circumstances and looking at the general style of the anime, a smooth ending is even under normal circumstances not to be expected.

Facit: As much as I like Akagi, I think that it is an acquired taste. There is no real humor to speak of; no boobs bigger than my head, nor any action as in Naruto or Bleach; the story, the characters, and the psychological tone of the anime; even the ending might feel unsatisfactory to some while others like me start swooning over it. But if you like the Hitchcockian tension, you know the moment in a Hitchcock movie, you expect something hideous to happen, and the music goes “dun dun dun” and there are eerie silences with pregnant stares between the characters and then you hear the screeching of the door opening. Everybody turns to face what’s coming, expecting the murderer walk in the door… and it is the tabby cat! And when everybody is smiling at the cat with relief the audience sees a knife stabbing through the air…; well if you like this kind of tension you will like Akagi.
      

        Many years ago I was poking around on WinAmp, looking at the video streams and radio streams that random people were broadcasting. Besides the underground, pirate radios that introduced me to SO MUCH music and the adult content that was rampant I happened on an anime stream. I was just a teenager, maybe 16 or so, and my experience with anime to that point was whatever was on my family's basic cable so Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, Naruto, Bleach, etc. I clicked into some guy streaming anime on WinAmp and what do I find but these ridiculous looking guys playing some kind of board game I'd neverheard of.

It was already deep into the Washizu arc, things were getting wild, and even as someone with no idea I could feel the stakes. I tried to follow the game, I became enraptured. I never saw the conclusion, the stream ended, and I tried to find more episodes. It wasn't too popular, and these were the days of early YouTube and Justin.TV, plus this was a weird niche anime, more episodes weren't easy to find.

Eventually, I watched the whole thing and while I still barely understand Riichi (even as a player, I am terrible) this anime will always have a special place in my heart. I know I'm maybe being too sentimental, but honestly I'll never forget the struggle, the months and years, to watch the rest. While the characters are all kinda weird looking the style is so striking and memorable, the backgrounds are immaculate. 

Akagi, as a show, is thematically about gambling and living on the edge but what makes it special is the psychological horror the titular character inflicts upon everyone. The spaces, the artistry, the immaculate but difficult to describe vibes, it's just a special show.

The technicalities of the game as its played take up a lot of space but its done in a tense way to keep you engaged even if you don't fully understand everything that's being said. You don't need to know what Mangan is, you just know by the way people say it that it's deadly, that a single tile wait is agonizing by the sweat and the tension. I understand how the wordy explanations of EXACTLY what's happening can be off putting but if you struggle to follow it just pay attention to the rest. It all gets laid out and communicated immaculately if you let it ride.

Akagi is a tough recommend, but  I always will try to sell it. It's audacious, how something like this even exists is a mystery. It has no right to be as good as it is, and yet it is. One of my all time faves. Also, that intro is an all time classic.
      

        Akagi: A dark sports drama filled with deception, tension, and lots of Japanese Mahjong. Starring the titular Akagi and his rise to fame and fortune as what the narrator describes within the first episode as the "undefeatable genius of Mahjong". Episodes are intense, drawn out experiences of Mahjong games, explaining rules and building tension to the opposing player's next move. Who will win? Who will lose? A tale of underground yakuza and intense betting on the complex game of Mahjong is told within Akagi's 26 episodes. STORY: 7/10 As stated in the earlier paragraph, the story revolves around a young man by the name of Akagi Shigeru.Unexpectedly thrown into the world of competitive Japanese Mahjong with skilled yakuza, Akagi shows himself to not only be unexpectedly good, but perhaps one of the best players in the world.

There are two huge problems that arise from Akagi. One of which is a spoiler, so please keep that in mind. I will point it out before saying so. The first of these problems is the surprising lack of tension at some points. At times, it can be tense. Terrifyingly so, even. However, the narrator states within practically every episode that he becomes famous, is unbeatable, and is a genius. While you still fear every move for the fact that Akagi could lose, in the back of your mind you continue to wonder whether or not he really can, due to the narrator's praise of him.

The spoiler will be placed at the bottom of the review, past my overall score, for those who are willing to read it. Otherwise, you can feel rest assured any and all spoilers will be kept out of the review until after it is complete.

ART: 9/10
Nobuyuki Fukumoto's art style is fantastic and one that personally inspires me to continue my own art. Lines are heavy, points are sharp, characters are exaggerated. All of this is used not for comedic effect as other highly stylized shows seem to enjoy doing, but instead to further the tension. These stylized faces can easily be bent, warped, or shaped to show intense emotions. The intense line art adds to this, along with the visual "zawa zawa" and the occasional dark, visually muddy art styles. It's all used to further the tension, unease, and fear that the show uses to pull you in. However, if I were to find a flaw, it's that sometimes this art style can make things like long hair and spikes look a tad odd, and it also looks somewhat strange in regular situations, with simple dialogue and uninteresting backgrounds.

SOUND: 10/10
Akagi's soundtrack is stellar. There is no generic song within Akagi. All of it is extremely moody and helps to further the tense moments. Whether its slow, uneasy blues that plays between games or unsettling, slow electronics with creeping tingles that move from one ear to the other to fill you with the sensation of fear. Heavy guitars and slow-paced tunes carry this unnerving feeling throughout its entirety. Fukumoto's classic "zawa" on top of this unsettling and heavy soundtrack leads to furthering the intense atmosphere that Akagi strives for and executes so brilliantly. Not to mention the fantastic OP that is not only unique, but fits perfectly into the tone of the series and one I go back to listen to over and over again.

As for voices, all of them are well cast. The two that I definitely think stand out are Akagi and the narrator. Akagi's voice is cold, emotionless, intense. It comes across not as a simple thug, but much more than that. He almost seems like he could be the boss of the very Yakuza he is facing. He's mean, cold-hearted, a gambler, yet is so confident in himself he has no waver in his voice, and at the same time no cockiness. It perfectly portrays the way he plays Mahjong and the way he lives in general: analytical, confident, and heartlessly. The narrator's voice is similar. It's a cold and placid mutter that tells exactly what is happening. The analytical voice of an aged man, telling the story as if he was himself an avid Mahjong player during a previous point in his life.

CHARACTER: 8/10
The reason that this area isn't a 10/10 is because not all characters are, well, interesting. Some of them are reduced from key character who is integral to the plot to nothing more than simply a man who reacts to the goings on of the current game of Mahjong, or the one who explains rules, which the narrator also does much better. Akagi's character is amazing, as well as the opponents he faces. They brilliantly confuse the viewer by showing more of the opponent's thought process than that of Akagi himself. It shows you what mental fortitude Akagi has, it shows the thought process of his opponent and how easily he can read them. They strengthen the character of Akagi by strengthening those around him and showing just how much of a genius he truly is.

ENJOYMENT: 9/10
Most of the time, Akagi is brilliant. There were a few times I wished things would speed up, simply because the voice in the back of my head knew he wouldn't lose, which broke the well-built tension for me, but that doesn't stop Akagi from being a brilliantly intense joyride the rest of the time for me.

OVERALL: 8/10
What else can I really say about Akagi? I've doted on it pretty much the entire time I've been here. If you're looking for something tense, dramatic, and entirely focused on the inner workings of Japanese Mahjong, well... You're looking for something pretty specific but you hit the jackpot with this beauty of a show.




SPOILER BEGINS -------------------------------------------------------------------
The second problem pertaining to the story is the show's need to "complete" it. The problem is that, during the production of this anime, the manga had been ongoing for a while and was in the middle of the match that the final game of the anime shows. This forces them to leave it on a cliffhanger, as no more of the story had been written up to that point. The ending is unsatisfying and destroys the pacing of the otherwise beautifully paced tense final match.
SPOILER ENDS ----------------------------------------------------------------------
      

        Akagi's story is more like a story that just goes along when something new happens, but it works out. When I first watched it, I didn't really like new types of art animation but I got use to it and it's great. The characters are pretty straightforward after they are introduced. None of them stray from their main path, they continue to do what they started. Overall I'd recommend anyone to watch this anime unless they hate Mahjong or something.
      

        the positives: i watched kaiji first, so it's cool to see akagi screw over the people who screw kaiji on a regular basis. akagi it's a cool mc. the negatives: I knew nothing about mahjong before watching this, and I don't think I learned a single thing after, this anime expects you to know the basics of mahjong (which is fair, I guess, i don't think the autor thought that akagi would be watched outside of japan) so when the sections where they started talking about the plays i was there like "ahhhh i see i see" o i simply didn't read them, cause what for, it's not likei was learning to play mahjong, nor does the anime expects you to learn watching it, so keep that in mind if you plan to watch this.
      

        If you've watched Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor and are curious about its predecessor, this review should be what you're looking for. In terms of art and sound, it matches Kaiji equally; the addition of 'Zawa' would be nice, but it does not make it feel lacking without it. The story is equally good, though for different reasons. Kaiji is about pulling yourself from less than nothing to stand on the same ground as the average person on the street. Akagi is about one man with god-like awareness, skill and luck establishing a legend that only he can. I find it easier to get invested in Kaiji, as it'sa tad more relatable.

Characters were a huge deciding factor in why I think less of Akagi than Kaiji. Akagi is a genius that performs inhuman feats with complete disregard for immediate rewards, instead seeking greater challenges with greater risks. Kaiji is a man that defends his friends even if it means risking his own chances of victory. In the end, Kaiji feels more human, more relatable and most importantly, more likable. Rather than watching events unfold, I'm rooting for Kaiji and easily get very emotionally invested in him and what he's doing.

While Kaiji is about multiple separate and entirely unrelated games, Akagi is strictly about Mahjong. This is likely a huge selling point one way or the other. While Akagi does its best to explain the rules of Mahjong, it can very quickly become hard to follow unless you have personal experience with it. On the other hand, Kaijis independent games have ample explanation and it's much easier to follow what's happening and the logic behind it. If you're not huge into Mahjong, odds are it'll seem like a bloody mess at times, but knowing it could make it much more enjoyable than the games in Kaiji.

The characters and my personal lack of Mahjong knowledge are what cemented Kaiji as better. This may not hold true for everyone, but I hope I explained my reasoning behind it well enough.
      

        To me this anime is by far if not the best, probably the most special anime in terms of story and meaning. Akagi is the anime that fills the gap between what we call rationality and irrationality. CHARACTER= 10 One of the reasons that makes this anime a masterpiece is the way that the character has been designed. Akagi nows that he will survive somehow and he is playing mahjong by betting everything. To him, a meaningless death seems to be part of gambling. Although Akagi's mahjong plaing style is almost perfectat any means you can't identify Akagi as a genious and this is what makes these series so special. Akagi's character is unidentifiable meaning that the last episode of the anime makes you thing if the character really is a genious or just a lunatic with a death wish. 
     STORY=10 
The story is about the legend who descended from the darkness. Akagi. A 13 y old boy- calm, cold, detached, able to psychologically analyze and pick apart the weaknesses of his opponents with frightening accuracy.
     ART= 10 
Personaly i find the design of this anime quite unique in contrast with other anime series. The way the designers depict the shape of the heads is something i havent seen up till now. 
      AKAGI= 10 MASTERPIECE!!!!
      

        If u don't know how to play mahjong's game it get a little difficult to follow it. I don't know how to play this board game. (I thought that in this game u must find the two alike, never-mind me tho) This anime has enough good times. Yeah, make me bored some times but eventually I enjoy it. The sound-tracks amazed me.. and the art of the pic. They have something in-print into them, something I called "time traveling".
      

        It starts out great. The first arc is interesting and the characters and situations feels real, considering. The second arc was basically more of the same but a bit slower and it felt like they didn't really care about it feeling possible anymore. However everything is alright until the last arc when it really falls apart with the introduction of the antagonist. Could hardly keep my eyes on the screen while they explained how insanely evil he is. Maybe it's a bit harsh of me to talk mainly about the last arc but it did go on for quite a bit (13 out of 26episodes).

Both characters and story now starts repeating themselves over and over. Luckely there's only one recap episode and it's rather well hidden. I want to put a higher score in characters because some of them are rather interesting. But then there's the antagonist dragging the score down by sometimes having more than 90% of the dialog in an episode and still only managing to say 3-4 different kinds of things. Either describing what's happening in the game (followed by the lovely narrator who is there to repeat everything everyone says and does), how much he wants to kill or just how god damn amazing he is. The art and design is also rather well done, but is again dragged down by the stupid Joker (from Batman) smile of the antagonist that screams "Look how insane and evil I am!! ohohoho!". I also wanted to put a higher score in story because the introduction and setting there was really well done, it had this interesting noir feel. But once again the last arc is there to mess up the day because here just everything stops evolving. The game is the same game over and over and the game is basically all there is to the story at that point except for the guy who might as well change name to Dr Evil or mr Bond Villain or something just to remove anyones doubt that he for sure is evil.

In conclusion average.
      

        What happens you turn the family friendly mahjong into a living at the edge from fear of death? You get this anime but what truly turns this into a psychological anime is our protagonist's state of mind where he makes his moves. Story: 9 - Nangou is a compulsive gambler who has accumulated debt over three million yen. In a last ditch attempt to clear his record, he decides to wager his life on a game of mahjong with the mafia. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, Nangou only moves further from the prize and closer to death until his saviour comes but that 'saviour' just mightbe someone who's reckless actions may cause you to have the 'almost heart-attack' feeling. Generally I enjoyed this series a lot because I like when a game or sport anime is mixed with the psychological genre as I loved One Outs a lot and this Akagi never fails to you pumped up.

Art: 8 - Well I wasn't too fond of the art but it does get along with this series due to the style matching the atmosphere though the pointy noses are a bit distracting.

Sound: 8 - The sound wasn't too exceptional but it did it's job well to maintain the intense battling atmosphere.

Character: 9 - I would've given the characters and the anime itself probably an 8 or7 if it weren't for Akagi because it was him whom made us anticipate for him,his battles,his opponents and his ultimate victory which raises the level of this anime.

Enjoyment: 9 - I enjoyed this series a lot because it made me look forward to the next episode as it made me excited just for a mahjong game and the bets just made it worth even more. Overall if you can bare the art and you don't mind the psychological genre then you'll definitely like this one.

People who liked: One Outs,Kaiji,Death Note,Saki,Shion no Ou,Chihayafuru and Death Billards will enjoy this series due to some similar elements these series hold.

Overall: 9 - Overall I liked this series a lot as it gave me a nice experience and it's definitely worth a watch.
      

        When I first started watching Akagi, I didn't really like the graphics at all in this anime. Everyone looked really similar to being the same and it just wasn't that great. The more I watched though, the more it went with the anime in a whole so I appreciated how everything looked the more I watched it. After you get a few episodes in, it will suck you in to where you will want to watch the next one. Of course a guy who can look death in the eye and not flinch is interesting enough but using Mahjong as one of thetools.  Mahjong isn't the soul basis of this anime but they gamble a lot so it revolves around the game.  You'll see other aspects of Akagi facing off death through out the anime to show the type of person he really is.

I couldn't really learn how to play Mahjong from this anime, so if you're looking for an anime to help you in that reguards, don't count on it with this one.

Now to talk about the ending.  It gets really good and it really builds you up but towards the end, they repeat stuff repeatedly over and over again.  You'll find yourslef saying enough already and get on with it.  It gets old quick.

They do a very good job of buliding up the end and you're pumped up but then you'll realize this anime ends at 26 episodes.  They cut it off and you don't get to see what they pumped you up for this whole time.  It is truely utter crap.  They should have quit repeating stuff and spent more time coming up with a good ending and not end it with a lameness.  That just kills this anime for me.

So if you can deal with what I've said above, you'll enjoy it to a point but in the end, you'll be disappointed overall as it could have been a top notch anime.
      

        This tv show is like being able to experience the bliss of fishing from the sedentary placidity of your own home. Had fishing not already stolen my weeping heart from the altar on which I had prepared to eviscerate it and shown me the true divinity of the human experience, I would probably be called Akagi_Lover123. Just last Sunday, in the course of my Lake Ontario sojourn searching for the lake's native Chinook salmon, I was challenged to a game of Japanese-style Mahjong by a passing gull. Though the devious avian employed all manner of unique and varied strategy in its favour, the advanced practicalunderstanding of the game only this show could offer allowed me to play a solid enough defensive game to stage a comeback in the south round.
      

        Made a video on it: I made a video: you can find it at my YouTube channel "BasementOtaku" Video Script: Akagi (7/10): There is my rating, if you want to know more about my rating system check the description down below. Time to dive into my potentially spoiler filled review. It is difficult to explain why I enjoyed watching Akagi so very much, as I truly had little idea what was going on during any given episode. The show assumes you understand the rules of mahjong and dives head first into the world of high stakes mahjong games. Whether it is extortion, high level bets, or even aplayer's blood Akagi is a show that runs on tension. It is still startling to me that a show can keep me so thoroughly enthralled in its narrative stakes when I can honestly say I feel I understand less about mahjong than when I started watching the show. Akagi himself isn’t an especially interesting character, he appears to be a full blooded psychopath who enjoys the thrill of high stakes gambling more than anything else. I still don’t know anything else about his character or many of the other characters in the show for that matter, other than how they act when placed in stressful situations, which is truly entertaining to watch. There isn’t much movement in the show and artistic style stays sharp and dramatic throughout, it effectively conveys emotions and helps to produce the oppressive atmosphere in so many of the episodes. I would rate Akagi higher if it had any more depth but I can’t rate it any lower because the thrill ride is just too fun.