Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
bergars
There's a place for the unbeatable, overpowered protagonist in many places. However, it's not fun here.
"Akagi" is one of those series that I never try to give a chance (until now that I finish absolutely everything I start). A game is introduced, and that game's the star of the whole show, but, I don't know the game. At which point does a series fail when it disengages the audience because of the main plot point?
The titular, Mahjong, is one of those very complicated games (at first sight for me) that deliver opportunity for mind games. Schemes, tricks, cheats, gambling, all is fair game. The macabre aesthetic with characters having this very pointy, expressive nature that fits the vibe to a T; introducing us to the grimy qualities of an underground world of gambling. Yet, at some poin…
Read at the sourceGirafro
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 never heard 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 con…
Read at the sourceproxime
What makes an animated show work so well when it's actually barely animated? That's the sort of question Akagi seeks to answer, and it does so marvelously by displaying the following: iron-tight writing, stellar voice acting, and a real weighty sense of tension and stakes--even if you know Akagi will win in the end.
How does it all work? For one, the writing isn't held back when it comes to the primary conflict of which each arc surrounds--Mahjong. While it would be very easy for a show dedicated to displaying how ridiculously powerful its main character is, the anime shows little interest in letting Akagi win through ass pulls and random high value hands. Instead, each and every game gets a thorough explanation of each and every move by Akagi and his opponent, bringing even the most unaw…
Read at the sourceliteraturenerd
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…
Read at the sourceTraesket
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 26 episodes).
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…
Read at the sourceShadowpower69
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's a 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, in…
Read at the sourceA_Fine_Egg
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 on…
Read at the sourcekarlstein12
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 of losing 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…
Read at the sourcetuva
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 might be 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…
Read at the sourcelilithilk
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 the first 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, rein…
Read at the sourcemorphious1
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 perfect at 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
T…
Read at the sourceifaistos
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".
Read at the sourceDueTomorrow
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) is that 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 wh…
Read at the sourceDarklonestrife
Oh, Akagi... Akagi, Akagi, Akagi... What can I say? This is the first Anime that I have ever seen that dealt with gambling. The means of gambling is with a game called Mahjong. I did not know the fundamentals and basic rules of Mahjong when I watched this. Looking back at it, I certainly wished I had taken the time to learn Mahjong. The reason for this is because all Akagi did was left me with numerous boring moments, frustration, and a bitter taste in my mouth. And maybe, just maybe I could have appreciated and enjoyed Akagi a little bit more, but it's just not that great folks. I'm sorry. On to the review...
STORY... As mentioned earlier, the plot revolves around Mahjong. There are a total of 3 arcs, if I remember correctly, and within each arc, the ante is raised to a higher level whic…
Read at the sourceZeroDesolation
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 the tools. 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,…
Read at the sourceHr0n
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 - y…
Read at the sourceGuest82
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.
Read at the sourceMaster10K
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. This formula is fairly repetitive, as each time there’s a match with a tougher opponent but it proves effective. That is unt…
Read at the sourcebigjig
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't help 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)…
Read at the sourceEnerccio
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, each episode 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:
Anima…
Read at the source