Akagi: The Genius Who Descended Into Darkness and the anime Akagi: The Legend of Mahjong are representative works of Fukumoto's works that depict the younger days of the legendary gambler "Shigeru Akagi," and are based on the theme of gambling, which is always close to ruin. I would like to introduce the genius who is called the legendary gambler, Shigeru Akagi, who continues to win with his madness and overwhelming talent.
Who is the legendary gambler, Akagi?
Akagi, a legendary figure in the world of gambling, was originally a character that appeared in "Ten: The Perfect Boy of Tenwa Street," and this work is a spin-off of that work. As the series has continued for a long time, more spin-off works have been produced, and the impression of the original work has faded, but it is actually a genuine spin-off work.
Akagi's background
He has been a white-haired ruffian since he was in middle school, and his background, parents, and birthplace are all shrouded in mystery. Akagi: Mahjong Legend, broadcast in 2005, ended with the title "His fight with Washizu is passed down as a legend, and he later reigns over the underworld as a man of the divine realm." However, in "Ten: The Man of Tenwa Street," he reigns over the underworld, but he retires after a few years because he hates being tied down.
What was Akagi's first appearance as a man of the divine realm?
He first appeared in front of Nangou, who was facing a yakuza in a mahjong parlor to settle his debt. He was 13 years old at the time. He had just finished a chicken run due to a dispute with a group of delinquents, and had taken refuge in a mahjong parlor to avoid the storm and the police. Nango sensed something strange in the atmosphere and asked Akagi, who didn't even know the rules of mahjong, to play as a substitute.
Akagi's talent blossoms
Despite barely knowing the rules of mahjong, Akagi quickly grasps the essence of the game and develops his sense for it. He has a mind that can grasp the essence of mahjong, insight that can grasp the essence of his opponents, luck in games and gambling talent that can grasp the flow and not let go, and the courage and judgment to cheat brazenly even in tense situations are outstanding, so his opponent Ryuzaki is no longer an enemy and the battle becomes a battle with pinch hitter Yagi.
Why is Akagi so strong? This is the secret of Akagi's strength!
An outstanding mind!
Despite only just starting to play mahjong, Akagi has an outstanding mind that understands the essence of mahjong and analyzes the strategies of his opponents. Although Akagi appears to play by intuition, he is actually carefully considering probabilities and reasons behind the scenes. Some of Akagi's strategies are difficult to understand from a materialistic perspective, but in Akagi's mind, they are firmly based on reason and profit, and they hit the nail on the head.
Unparalleled insight!
Akagi's strength is his ability to psychologically corner his opponents and restrict their actions. This is common to all of his opponents, and he has the rare insight to do so. Specifically, he shows a strategy of seeing through Urabe's true nature as a person, that of "withholding answers," and exploiting that. The important thing in mahjong is how to make your opponent feel fear, and Akagi has won many games using this insight as a weapon.
The courage to stay calm in any situation!
Even in situations where losing would mean ruin and would make anyone shrink back, Akagi always remains calm. If it is to his advantage, he will boldly cheat in front of the crowd, and will always choose the best move even in situations where his own life is in danger. In a chicken run between delinquents, if he sees that he has a higher chance of survival by stepping on the accelerator and falling into the sea with force, he will step on the accelerator without hesitation, even if it is something that an ordinary person would hesitate to do, as long as it is to his advantage.
Unbelievable luck!
He has the intelligence, insight, and courage of a gambler, but he also has the luck to draw a useful tile at the most crucial moment. Sometimes he shows a godlike draw, but even so, Akagi remains unwavering and calmly does what he has to do.
The more insane it is, the more interesting it is! Akagi is a daredevil!
The source of Akagi's strength, which allows him to remain calm in any situation, is his lack of greed. Akagi has no attachment to material things, and he spends all the money he has bought through gambling in a few days. He does not even attach to his own life, so he does not care even when he is preparing for death and shrinking back, and even thinks that he would be happy to be ruined by the madness of gambling. The reason Akagi does not care about his own life is because there is a "profit" in it, and the line that Akagi uttered in the first episode, "I would be saved if I died," says it all. However, there are also parts where he enjoys gambling, including ruin, rather than "profit."
Daredevil Selection ①
In the first episode of Akagi, Akagi comes to the mahjong parlor on his way home from a chicken run that was caused by a fight between delinquents. Akagi starts the chicken run at a disadvantage, and the only way to overturn the premise is to "fall into the sea without braking and fall in deep water." Although Akagi falls without braking, he survives without a single injury.
Daredevil Selection 2
Akagi won the game in which he bet on clearing Nangou's debt, but he demands a double push with the money he got. Of course, if he loses, he will be ruined or even die, but Akagi has no reason to lose, so he naturally double pushes...! After that, he naturally double pushes even after winning the battle against Ichikawa...! Akagi won't stop double pushing until one of them is completely dead, but the other one backs down and the game ends.
Daredevil Selection ③
Akagi, whose blood was drawn by Washizu's tsumo in a mahjong match, refuses to replenish his blood despite repeated chances to do so. He even smacks a cigarette into the blood he has drawn, cutting off his own escape route. This was a strategy to get Washizu, who is in a position where he can withdraw at any time by admitting defeat, to continue the match.
Akagi Character Introduction Summary
This time, we introduced Akagi's main character, Akagi Shigeru. Among the many works by Fukumoto, Akagi is a character with a different dimension of strength, and the more insane his actions, the more interesting and fascinating his charm. Akagi is a masterpiece that took 20 years to complete, but it is now complete. The showdown with the strongest enemy, Washizu, is one of the highlights of the work, so be sure to check it out! The anime also ends halfway through the Washizu arc, but it is very well done, so I recommend it!
