Reviews

Akagi, a truly in depth world of mahjong. Akagi is a great read and well worth it for fans of gambling stories and very detailed psychological conflicts. Akagi is a great way to get into Mahjong or just enjoy a story centering on Mahjong's mechanics and techniques. Going into Akagi I had little exposure to mahjong. The little exposure I have includes Mahjong Solitaire online games I played when i was younger and scenes of it in different manga. Now, you do not really need exposure to enjoy this story, it explains some details and its relatively safe to figure it out as you read with a bit of side research if you are actually interested in fully understanding the mechanics of Mahjong. Akagi is a very wordy very in depth detailed narrative of a young mans journey through his gambling addiction. The story is exciting and interesting with tons of great side characters. The art style is so unique and has a great feel to it. Some of the hypest moments come from the accounts of the observers during the Mahjong matches and such, since this story does include few other games. The last arc is one of the longest arcs I have ever read and includes so much detail narratively it can be overwhelming. This story is best suited for readers with great patience and interest in absorbing a psychological narrative. I personally was a bit annoyed by the repetitive nature of the narrative, however that does not mean it is poor writing. Some readers might love that aspect of the story. I am likely being impatient, the arc is a one verses one with so many ups and downs, the writing certainly does not take anything away from that. The way Fukumoto writes his climaxes makes my heart thump so fast, I do not even know what is going to happen. Finally, Akagi is an enjoyable read and worthwhile for those who love great characterizations and complex Mahjong battles.