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Episode 16 – The Mahjong Game of Destruction
August 31st, 1965. 10:30PM. Genius Akagi Shigeru versus Monster Washizu Iwao.
The blood-drawing device is carted in by one of Washizu’s underlings, but Akagi barely spares it a glance. It’s a huge black monstrosity that works by depressurizing its tubes like a syringe. Each tube holds 250ccs, so Akagi will be dead by the eighth tube. They symbolise Akagi’s life, measured in blood.
Akagi will die no matter how much he begs for mercy. “How about it?” asks Washizu, fishing for a reaction.
Akagi chuckles. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” He’s not intimidated by Washizu’s theatrics. However, Akagi wants to have one thing changed…
The wager isn’t enough to kill Washizu. Akagi wants the wager to go up tenfold.
Everyone is stunned, but then Washizu slams a fist on the table. It’s stupid! Why would he wager 200 million yen on the life of some random kid?!
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Akagi agrees with him. “20 million is already an overestimation for a street punk with no background like myself,” he readily admits. No, the problem is that his 2,000ccs is equivalent to 200,000 points, and that 200,000 points is also equal to 20 million yen. What Akagi wants is for that 20 million to be worth 20,000 points, instead.
If Akagi managed to win 500,000 points, then he could take away Washizu’s 500 million yen. Washizu’s destruction would be within Akagi’s reach.
Washizu lunges out of his chair, knocking it over. Is Akagi stupid?! How could Akagi possibly survive six sessions with only 20,000 points?! If Washizu came out ahead of Akagi in any of the sessions, Akagi would die immediately due to the ranking bonus, and that’s without the Tsumos and direct hits! There’s no way Akagi could survive!
Akagi laughs softly. Oh yes, he could. But unless Washizu sets 20 million yen for 20,000 points… he can’t kill the old man. Akagi smirks.
Washizu is dumbfounded by Akagi’s nerve. He orders Ohgi to explain to “this trash” who he is, and that the match isn’t some game, using his cane to make his point.
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Ohgi bows and apologises for Akagi’s disrespectful attitude. However, Washizu is the one who doesn’t understand, not Akagi. Tonight will be a true match; Akagi is no sacrificial lamb. He could make it with 20,000 points. “He is an assassin we have prepared for you!” Ohgi declares boldly. “He is the one who will kill you!”
Washizu doesn’t believe it. He is Washizu Iwao, ruler of the nation, and he will not endure this insult! He slams the cane down on Ohgi’s shoulder and jabs him in rage. “I’ll crush you, Ohgi!” he growls.
Ohgi calmly grabs the end of the cane. “Excuse me, but the situation has changed.” Washizu has used up a huge chunk of his fortune on bribes to cover up Fake Akagi’s murder. All he has left is the manor and some securities. They are worth about… 500 million yen. That’s about 50 million USD. Compared to what Washizu used to have, it’s almost nothing. Just enough to leave the country.
Akagi picks up a transparent 5 Pin and examines it, turning it this way and that, not interested in Ohgi’s exposition.
Ohgi grins. “I’m not afraid of you anymore.” He takes a firm hold of Washizu’s stick and throws it back.
“Ohgi, you bastard!” hisses Washizu.
The masks are off. They’ve come to take Washizu’s entire fortune, all 500 million of it.
Ohgi asks Washizu to bring his entire fortune into the room. Each human life should be worth that much, and that would be the only way to match Akagi’s death. Washizu’s own ruin is worth the same. Either Akagi will win 500,000 points and steal Washizu’s remaining funds, or Washizu will wipe out Akagi’s 20,000 points and kill him!
They want Washizu to bet what’s left of his fortune?! Ludicrous! And Ohgi’s all talk! Washizu will bet his entire fortune and Akagi will bet his life, but Ohgi will lose nothing. Washizu can’t have that, especially after being forced to listen to Ohgi’s long-winded speech.
Washizu slams down his cane on the back of a chair, breaking the wooden stick. He pants in agitation. A beat later, he grins. Washizu has an idea; he will have Ohgi bet his arm. The moment Akagi dies, Ohgi will lose an arm.
Ohgi doesn’t even blink. “I don’t mind.”
The room is stunned. Washizu spells out the situation for Ohgi, just in case he doesn’t know what he’s going to lose. Any money that Akagi manages to win is void when he dies. Washizu will take back the money and Ohgi will lose an arm. Is the underboss really okay with that?
“I don’t mind,” repeats Ohgi.
Washizu’s eyes widen in shock. Akagi smiles to himself.
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After a beat, Washizu cackles and tells his underlings to bring out his 500,000 million yen fortune.
Yoshioka begs Washizu-sama to reconsider. If he were to lose that money – not that Washizu would lose, of course…
“I can’t lose!” interrupts his master. “There isn’t the slightest chance I’ll lose.”
The worried underling completely agrees with him. Washizu won’t lose the wager. However, it would still be a good idea to have insurance, just in case the unthinkable happens. “Was it not through insurance that you were able to build your adamantine life?” argues Yoshioka. He’s not telling Washizu to ignore Akagi and Ohgi’s insult, but to make it two Han Chan sessions instead of six. No matter how much Washizu loses…
“That’s absurd!” rages Washizu. Then Akagi and company would just run off with what they managed to win!
“To prevent that,” Yoshioka continues bravely, “only you will have the right to continue or stop the match after every two sessions.” If Washizu is close to finishing Akagi off after the second session, then he can continue. If his luck is bad, then he can stop the game right away. It’s not cowardly; it’s the minimum insurance required for such a big match. Besides, since Akagi was the one who raised the stakes, it’s only right for Washizu to have such a privilege. The rest of Washizu’s underlings look on in agreement.
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After some thought, Washizu decides to go with Yoshioka’s advice and demands that Ohgi agree to this condition.
Akagi, Ohgi, and Yasuoka have a smoke break and strategy meeting. What are they going to do?
It doesn’t matter to Akagi. Washizu’s privilege will have no effect on the game. Once they begin, Washizu won’t be able to stop. In fact, Washizu has dug his own grave with that meaningless rule. “He’s killed his own chances of winning with this reckless act,” says Akagi, but he doesn’t explain any further.
The match finally begins. One of Washizu’s underlings rubs a cotton ball over a spot on Akagi’s left forearm, sterilising it. The needle sinks in. Washizu grins in anticipation while Ohgi and Yasuoka watch anxiously. Another underling wheels in the rest of Washizu’s fortune. 500 million yen.
The four players (counterclockwise: Washizu, an underling, Akagi, and Yasuoka) shove the tiles into the hole in the Mahjong table. Washizu tosses 20,000 points in Akagi’s direction. That’s all he’s getting.
They build their hands, drawing from the hole. Ohgi wonders what kind of playing style would be most effective in a game where one can see his opponent’s tiles. Akagi will have to play defensively, thinks Ohgi. He’ll die otherwise. The 20,000 points could be wiped out in an instant.
Washizu is having fun. How will Akagi play? Akagi talked a big game; he’d better not play mundanely. An ordinary player would struggle with 200,000 points, never mind 20,000. 20,000 points is suicide; Akagi would have to be a genius just to maintain a 1% chance of survival, and not just any genius, at that.
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You must have the instinct that transcends human comprehension. You must have senses that overpower all. You must have that godly talent, and you must be insane! Your sense of reason must be gone! You must be damaged as a human being! No matter what the situation may be, you cannot fear it!
Do you have that insanity within you, Akagi?!
Washizu gets into Ten Pai and declares a preemptive Riichi to test Akagi. Akagi will also be in Ten Pai if he deals his 4 Man, but that 4 Man might be Washizu’s winning tile. Washizu might have dealt his 2 and 3 Man as a trap, thinks Ohgi. Akagi should play it safe.
Akagi considers the hands around him and deals his 6 Pin.
Ohgi is satisfied. Akagi is playing defensively. Washizu cackles to himself. Akagi discards his Pin tiles, keeps his 4 Man, and goes into Ten Pai with that. Yasuoka deliberately deals into Akagi’s hand immediately afterwards and Akagi goes out for 2,000 points. The cop happily loses 2,000 points to Akagi. An easy win.
Yes, this is the best way to play, thinks Ohgi.
Washizu, however, isn’t impressed. Akagi will die all too soon if he plays like that. If he’d dealt the 4 Man, then Washizu might have dealt into his hand with the 7 Pin. He could’ve gotten a Man Gan, minimum. Instead, Akagi had settled for an easy 2,000 points from his buddy, Yasuoka. It was cheap.
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Ohgi disagrees vehemently. What Akagi did was just fine. Ohgi leans towards Akagi. “Washizu’s only speaking through hindsight,” he says urgently. “Don’t let him taunt you, Akagi. He’s only doing that to get you to play more offensively.”
Washizu’s grin doesn’t waver.
Akagi smiles. It could be a taunt, but Washizu’s argument is sound.
The old man laughs, but Akagi isn’t done yet. Things aren’t as simple as they seem.
Washizu stops smiling.
“You’ll find out sooner or later.” And Akagi laughs.
The battle has begun.
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OPINION
I am pleased to announce the launch of the AKAGI WILL DIE Counter! Yes, every time a character says or thinks that AKAGI WILL DIE (or some variation thereof), the AWD counter goes up by one. Well, give or take a few (I’m not counting all that carefully). Starting now, we’ll take a look at the totals at the end of the series and see which Washizu episode takes the prize!
AWD Counter: and the total for Episode 16 is…
*drumroll please*
SEVEN! Thanks for your contribution, Washizu-sama! AKAGI WILL DIE!
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Washizu has some very strange murals in his Mahjong Room of Doom. Let’s see… there’s one of demons eating people, and another one of crucified Jesus… Another touch added by the animators when Akagi made the jump from manga to anime. It’s the Final Boss Battle, so you’ve got to have some random religious imagery. Next thing you know, somebody will be sprouting wings.
It’s so considerate of the bad guys to sterilise Akagi’s arm first before sticking him with the syringe. We wouldn’t want that wound to get infected, now would we? It would suck if Akagi survived Washizu Mahjong, only to get gangrene or something.
I feel sorry for Yoshioka. He seems to be a loyal servant, though his master doesn’t act like he appreciates it. And Washizu just broke his spare cane. How many of those things does he have, anyway? If he broke one every time he got mad, it would really add up. Canes aren’t cheap, you know.
And Fake Akagi is getting revenge from the grave. He apparently reduced Washizu’s almost-infinite fortune down to 500 million yen just by dying. Who knew it would cost so much just to cover up one lousy murder? Brush-head is a bigger pain-in-the-ass dead than he was alive!
Nice checklist from Washizu there. The only way an opponent can survive is if he’s all of the following:
- Genius.
- Instinct that transcends human comprehension.
- INSANE.
- Damaged as a human being.
Hmmm… now who do we know who fits this description..?
Hey, Yasuoka is actually doing something for a change! It looks like he and Akagi are going to play as a team against Washizu. Yasuoka seems calm and competent, so he should do alright. Here’s hoping he doesn’t mess up Akagi’s Master Plan, whatever it may be.
Comments
Mcsweeney
14 Apr 2007, 22:26
I love how Akagi lights up the ciggy. SO COOL, SO COOL.
ddraggy
15 Apr 2007, 13:43
Agreed. Damned if I can pinpoint exactly what it is about Akagi smoking that gets me, but GAH TOO COOL *takes a dozen screenies that she won’t use*
AWD
16 Apr 2007, 10:31
Brilliant.
silvananoir
24 Jul 2007, 06:28
I’ve said this to myself many times, but am finally willing to admit it. I’m in love and lust. God Akagi is sexy.
ddraggy
24 Jul 2007, 22:17
It’s weird how it hits, isn’t it? First, it’s “The art, it BURNS”, then it’s “Hey, Akagi’s pretty cool”, and then it becomes “GAH. COOL. WANT.” Let me know if you wanna see some nice Japanese fanart.
silvananoir
30 Jul 2007, 14:41
I know, at first the art was weird. Then acceptable, then awesome. And before I knew it, I’m thinking to myself “Huhn…well yeah I’d do him.” The next step is, “WOW so cool, I’m in love. No other shall ever compare, TAKE ME AKAGI TAKE ME NOW.” God, I need a boyfriend…
sir_seagill
22 Aug 2007, 22:39
hehe, for me it started with interest – style. Maybe I got bored with the typical anime look and liked this new change.
but yea, Washizu likes talking about death yea?
The cop has the most benefits in this game, if he wins he takes a portion of the winnings and if he loses he loses nothing.
Yay, for fake Akagi~ he finally did something useful 😀
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