Episode17 »

Episode 17 – Proof of Genius

Akagi seems to be doing well; he has just won 2,000 points from Yasuoka and another 1,000 points from Washizu’s failed Riichi. 1 million yen. A good start.

Washizu is currently the dealer, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Akagi’s game is in good condition and he gets another fast, cheap hand. Yasuoka notices, makes eye contact, and deals a Chun for Akagi. Akagi Pons it and is now in Ten Pai, just like that. Since it’s a one-on-one match, Yasuoka’s points mean nothing. Yasuoka is giving his points to Akagi and backing him up.

Yasuoka draws a 5 Sou, Akagi’s winning tile, and deals it. Another easy Ron for Akagi. 2,000 points.

Washizu is very disappointed in Akagi’s performance. Akagi is going for fast, dirt-cheap hands instead of waiting for better ones, not even bothering with Riichis. He’s an imbecile and a coward. Allow me to educate you, since you’re on the slow side, thinks Washizu. He’ll teach Akagi the most effective way to play Washizu Mahjong…

Next round. Washizu declares a Riichi. Ohgi is stressing out over the amount of opaque tiles in Washizu’s hand. The winning tile could be almost anything. Washizu laughs at the underboss. There’s no point in Ohgi thinking about it.

Washizu glances at the underling playing beside him. “Oi.”

The underling deals a 6 Pin.

“Ron.” It’s a Riichi, One Shot, Tan Yao, one Reverse Dora. Man Gan.

Now does Akagi understand? When you declare a Riichi and the next player deals your winning tile immediately afterwards, it becomes a One Shot. The hand automatically becomes a minimum two Han. If there are any Reverse Dora (drawn after a Riichi win), it becomes a Man Gan. Basically, all you have to do is wait until your partner has the winning tile in his hand before declaring a Riichi. Since most of the tiles are transparent, your partner will know which tile you need. This is the most powerful form of team play, not what Akagi and Yasuoka were doing before. It’s worth a lot, it’s fast, and it’s safe.

Akagi could avoid dealing into Washizu’s hand all he likes, but Washizu will beat him in rank. Once that happens, the ranking bonus will kill Akagi. Akagi must take the offensive if he wants to survive.

If he’s too scared, then he should just sit back and die.

Akagi has little choice now but to play the same way and start taking risks. Cheap wins bummed off of Yasuoka won’t cut it.

The game continues. Washizu is probably in Ten Pai, but he hasn’t declared a Riichi. The old man’s underling probably doesn’t have his tile, so he’s waiting until he can go for a guaranteed One Shot Riichi. Akagi should play assuming Washizu is in Ten Pai, thinks Ohgi.

Akagi draws. He’s now also in Ten Pai, but he must deal his 7 Sou for it, one of the tiles that Washizu might be waiting on. It’s extremely risky; if he deals into Washizu’s hand, it will be a direct hit. Akagi must play it safe!

Akagi’s eyes dart from hand to hand, quickly analysing the situation. He makes his decision and deals the 7 Sou.

What are you doing?! mentally screams Ohgi. “Did you deal into his hand?!” Ohgi can’t bear to look. “Did you?!”

Washizu cackles.

And doesn’t move.

The 7 Sou went through.

Ohgi is relieved, but he doesn’t understand how Akagi could deal such a risky tile. Was Akagi certain it would pass?

Washizu deals a 5 Sou, cackling. The 5 and 8 Sou, the tiles that Ohgi was basing his assumptions on, also go through. That means he has the Dora pair and is waiting on the vein of 4, 7 Pin or 5, 8 Pin! reasons Ohgi. Okay, in that case, Akagi doesn’t have to worry about dealing into Washizu’s hand. He knows what kind of tiles Washizu is waiting on. Akagi should avoid the risky tiles and play defensively now, thinks the underboss.

Akagi draws the 5 Pin, yet another dangerous tile. It’d be reckless of Akagi to deal that tile-

Akagi quickly glances to his left and deals the 5 Pin without hesitation.

Ohgi is stunned. How can Akagi keep doing this?! It’s too much!

Washizu cackles in glee. “I see. I suppose you’re not complete trash,” he concedes. Akagi smiles at the faint praise. “Even if one notices the second pond,” continues Washizu, “he cannot always be so bold. Normally, that is…”

We get a shot of the old man’s hand. Washizu is actually waiting on a 4 or 7 Pin.

Ohgi stares at the table. Second pond? What is Washizu talking about?

Akagi again looks to his left before discarding a tile. It passes.

Realisation dawns on Ohgi. Washizu didn’t declare a Riichi because his underling didn’t have his winning tile. Therefore, all of the underling’s visible tiles can be considered safe. It’s rather obvious, if you think about it. That was what Akagi was looking at: the “second pond”.

Ohgi is amazed that Akagi was able to figure that out under such a stressful situation… and that he’s willing to bet his life on it.

Washizu was praising Akagi’s mentality. The second pond could’ve been a trap to lure Akagi into dealing the winning tile, but Akagi threw away all suspicion and went with it anyway. Akagi has what it takes to win.

Washizu draws a 7 Pin. Tsumo. Man Gan.

Akagi played a perfect game, but it’s over once your opponent draws the winning tile. Talent and strategy are meaningless. You will die no matter how much you fight, no matter how well you play.

Akagi has 26,000 points. Washizu has 40,000. Difference: 14,000.

Plus the special bonus payment.

The device is activated. For every 1,000 points, Washizu must pay 1 million yen… and Akagi must lose 100ccs of blood. Washizu’s Tsumo cost Akagi 4,000 points. 400ccs.

The real game is finally beginning.

Akagi sits there and watches impassively as his blood is drawn into the waiting tubes. The vampiric nature of Washizu Mahjong is becoming a reality.

Ohgi is worried. If Washizu gets three more of these wins, Akagi will be in no condition to play. Akagi won’t survive this Han Chan session, never mind six of them. The difference of 14,000 points, plus the rank bonus, will kill him.

The next round begins. Washizu is rather disappointed; Akagi’s stupid “20,000 points for 2,000ccs” is going to kill him before they’ve even really started. Ah well, at least Akagi did show some minimal talent. That shameless playing style by taking advantage of the second pond was something else. However, stuff like that isn’t enough to turn a game around. Akagi’s wussy playing style in the beginning ruined his game later on.

Within the darkness of Mahjong lies the Devil who favours the composed and sonorous over those who play little tricks.

They favour Washizu’s playing style.

He cackles. He’s in Ten Pai. So much for Akagi. After he deals his 5 Man and declares his Riichi, Washizu will have a Hane Man, or a Bai Man if he gets any Dora. Once Washizu wins with this hand, the difference between him and Akagi will be 26,000 points. It’s over. Well, that wasn’t much fun. I suppose he was nothing but a street punk after all.

Washizu discards the 5 Man. “Riichi-”

Akagi reveals his hand and smirks. “No go.” Tan Yao, Dora 1. 2,600.

He was waiting on that one 5 Man.

It was no coincidence; his discards make it clear. Akagi threw away a four-way wait on a 1, 4, 7, or even a 6 Pin for Washizu’s 5 Man.

An underling gives Akagi’s winnings to Ohgi. The underboss accepts it, somewhat startled.

Washizu laughs happily. The game is finally getting interesting. Akagi has some talent after all! Yes, he’s looking forward to seeing Akagi’s final struggle as he desperately fights for the last of his life.

OPINION

And now for another thrilling installment of the AKAGI WILL DIE Counter! Our hero is slowly creeping ever closer to his demise… or is he? So, let’s see how this episode did (give or take a few), shall we?

AWD Counter: and the total for Episode 17 is…

*drumroll please*

FIVE! Washizu-sama leads the pack with three, Ohgi chimes in with one, and even the Narrator speculates that AKAGI WILL DIE! Jeez, Akagi’s cheerleaders are doing a lousy job; the best praise comes from Washizu of all people.

~~~

And so the Washizu Mahjong goes on. Akagi may have drawn first blood, figuratively speaking, but literally drawing blood trumps a lousy million yen every time. Washizu is worth 500 million yen, Akagi. If a million fell out of his pocket, he wouldn’t even bother picking it up (well, except to prevent others from picking it up because it’s HIS money, KEKEKEKE!). He’d probably make Yoshioka crawl around on the ground and pick it up with his teeth or something. That’s what underlings are for.

Ohgi, why are you flipping out over Akagi’s willingness to bet his life on a gamble? IT’S WHAT YOU BROUGHT HIM FOR. That’s what Akagi does. If Ohgi didn’t want somebody who took insane risks or followed his instincts, then he should’ve just grabbed a random rep player off the street and suckered him into playing Washizu Mahjong, instead. And then the poor bastard would die like Fake Akagi. Washizu would leave the country and finally croak, and Akagi would run to some gambling den to get his own head chopped off in order to relieve his terminal case of “I’M BORED OF LIVING”.

Yasuoka’s been strangely quiet, hasn’t he? He sits there, more or less minding his own business, and gets all of one line. No inner monologues or “GAH! THAT TILE IS TOO RISKY!” from Yasuoka. He’s just letting Akagi get on with it. Why can’t Ohgi do that?

Washizu’s poker face is a humongous unwavering toothy grin. He cackles when he draws his winning tile. He cackles when he doesn’t draw his winning tile. The old man is having fun no matter what happens. Well, knowing Akagi, that will change soon enough. Washizu is all about seeing his opponents’ dawning terror. Akagi… couldn’t care less whether he lived or died. I imagine that if Akagi actually lost and had his 2000ccs sucked out, all he’d do is laugh and slooowly keel over, splat, live long enough to see Ohgi’s arm hacked off, The End.

…AND THEN HE’D RISE AGAIN AS AN UNDEAD MAN-EATING ZOMBIE (not that you could tell the difference, really).

Love that shot of Akagi in the desert, by the way. All those dead people around him add a certain je ne sais quoi to it.

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Comments

zzo38
28 Apr 2007, 13:53

Now I think I know why he can always win… He can see through all the tiles!

ddraggy
01 May 2007, 23:02

Bah, Akagi doesn’t need any silly Washizu Mahjong gimmicks to see through tiles; he’s practically psychic! He can hear their noise!

zzo38
21 May 2007, 01:23

I think that this opaque/transparent is interesting, if you have an opaque tile, you know that no one else has a duplicate opaque tile. It also makes the game very different.

Maybe sometime I should make a Washizu Mahjong game on the computer. With options such as traditional/Riichi, number of opaque/transparent tiles, money/blood simulation calculations, etc.

zzo38
21 May 2007, 03:38

Maybe the power actually will go out, and both Akagi and Washizu will be saved.

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