Akagi: Difference between revisions

[[File:cit_akagi.jpg|link=Badass Normal|right]]

 

Tokyo, 1958. A 13-year-old kid, [[Villain Protagonist|Shigeru Akagi]], drives off a cliff in an rigged game of chicken, swims to safety and walks into a [[Mahjong]] parlor, where a man with heavy debts is gambling his life with the [[Yakuza]]. Despite having never played before, and given only a few minutes to learn the rules, he proceeds to crush his opponents. This becomes his modus operandi: breaking hardened gamblers into shells of their former selves with a deadly mix of intimidation, [[The Chessmaster|cunning]], and [[Million-to-One Chance|monstrous luck]]. This is the start of the genius Akagi's legend in the underworld.

 

 

* [[Absurdly High Stakes Game]]: Akagi actually refused to play unless Washizu increased the wager to ''ten times'' the usual rate. This meant each mistake was more fatal, as Akagi would lose ten times more blood than usual. Ohgi wagered an arm as well, indicating his faith in Akagi was unshakable.

** On the flip side, that meant Washizu would lose money at ten times the usual rate as well, {{spoiler|eventually being driven into bankruptcy and being forced to wager his own blood.}}

** The sixth episode is titled "The Talent Of The Villain". This refers ''to Akagi''.

** Akagi has some standards, though - he despises people who try to gamble without risking anything, either by rigging the game or not intending to honor the outcome from the start.

** Well, actually in the scene where Akagi gets a sword cut, he ''is'' seriously scared, because he knows that he ''will'' be killed if he refuses to back down (he lived through that due to [[Born Lucky|a coincidence beyond his power to predict]]). You can see him sweating and hesitating, for the first time in the manga. Of course, this makes his decision to reject the demand of Yakuza who hold him at swordpoint even more [[Badass]].

** Ohgi. His response to being told to bet an arm on a game of Mahjong is simply, "I don't mind." His expression doesn't even change.

* [[Born Lucky]]: Akagi, Washizu, {{spoiler|and Fake Akagi, to a lesser extent.}}

* [[Butt Monkey]]: Yoshioka. Every time he shows concern for his boss, Washizu, he gets scolded and/or hurt.

* [[Catch Phrase]]: The Akagi Chuckle. Oh yes. At least once per match, with a fan favorite being

* [[Character Title]]

* [[Cheaters Never Prosper]]: Oh yes they do.

* [[Demonic Possession]]: Washizu seems to get help by demons to get his desired tile, a 1 Pin.

* [[Despair Event Horizon]]: Anytime Akagi is down in points or the opponent has a huge lead. Not for Akagi, though, but rather everyone else around him.

* [[Dirty Cop]]: Yasuoka. Akagi lampshades this fact early on, when Yasuoka agrees to setup a rematch, acting as the middleman.

* [[Dirty Coward]]: Nakai.

* [[Disposing of a Body]]: Fake Akagi's burial was interrupted and his corpse was discovered.

** Then we get to the (manga-only) fifth han-chan session against Washizu... {{spoiler|and find that Akagi wins by an ''overwhelming 120,000+ points''. Adding in the rank bonuses, that means Akagi wins over 200 MILLION yen in one session alone.}} The sixth han-chan session starts off with a reversal, with Washizu taking an early 99,000 point lead. However...

* [[The Dragon]]: Suzuki to Washizu.

** What Akagi vs Washizu ''literally is'', due to the drawing of blood on ''both'' sides, following Washizu's bankruptcy.

* [[Easy Impersonation]]: Fake Akagi, who only has two things in common with the titular hero: white hair and a pointy nose.

* [[Evil Laugh]]: Urabe has a pretty unnerving one in his [[Villainous Breakdown]].

* [[Heroic Second Wind]]: Happens after {{spoiler|Akagi loses a total 2000cc's of blood}} {{color|white|and again after losing a total of 2300cc's.}}

** Also used in the [[Mahjong]] sense, as rounds are named after the cardinal directions (ie East Wind and East Round).

* [[House Rules]]: Mahjong has plenty, but Washizu Mahjong adds a slew of them. For instance, they play with an unusual set of tiles; three out of four are transparent.

* [[Invincible Hero]]: Akagi never loses a game. He may lose a match now and then, but never a game. Ever. See [[Foregone Conclusion]].

* [[Karma Houdini]]: Washizu avoids any consequences from his murders via blood loss, [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|due to his not-so-unlimited amount of funds used to bribe everyone involved.]]

* [[Large Ham]]: Washizu, increasingly so.

* [[Loose Canon]]: ''[[Washizu Lord of Mahjong Hell]]''.

* [[Losing Is Worse Than Death]]: Played straight by Akagi. He even gloats over this point to Fake Akagi a few times.

* [[Mahjong]]: Duh.

* [[Million-to-One Chance]]: Where the opponent's draws will seal Akagi's fate, but almost never come to pass. Washizu seems to be [[Born Lucky|an exception]].

* [[Ordinary High School Student]]: Averted. Akagi is anything ''but'' ordinary for a thirteen-year old.

* [[Purple Prose]]: The Narrator uses some... ''interesting'' metaphors.

* [[Quit Your Whining]]: After Washizu gains an enormous lead of 99,000 points (each player ''starts'' with only 25,000; the game does ''not'' end early if a player's score is negative, unlike regular Mahjong rules), [[The Lancer|Yasuoka]] starts to think the situation is hopeless. Then [[The Hero|Akagi]] tells him to snap out of it, and that [[Rousing Speech|victory will be theirs in the end]].

* [[Read'Em and Weep]]: Whenever Akagi reveals his winning hand to his flabbergasted opponents.

* [[Screw the Rules, I Have Connections]]: [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|Having money]] isn't enough to get the law off your back; Washizu has connections stemming from the end of [[World War II]] which allow him to get away with murder.

* <s>[[Screw the Rules, I Have Money]]</s> [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|Can't Screw The Rules I Have No More Money]]: Washizu, at least, up until volume 22 of the manga. Washizu, not one to let Akagi get away with a victory by default (he's won ''ALL'' of Washizu's ''six hundred million yen'' at this point), keeps the last round going by {{spoiler|agreeing to bet his own blood}}, like Akagi had been doing all along.

* [[Speak of the Devil]]: When Nangou prays for a miracle, even if it's the devil, guess who finally shows up. Later, when facing Washizu, Akagi is portrayed as a ''literal'' red devil.

* [[Spin-Off]]: Recently got its own prequel spin off in the form of ''Washizu: King of Mahjong Hell''.

* [[The Magic Poker Equation|The Magic Mahjong Equation]]

* [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]]: Akagi delivers one to Washizu after the infamous 1-pin scene.

* [[The Reveal]]

* [[The Unfettered]]: Akagi.

* [[Villainous Breakdown]]

* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: Crucifixion? [[Demonic Possession]]? {{spoiler|MOTHERFUCKING RESURRECTION?}} Remind me, what game are we playing again?

** Well, based on Ryuuzaki's thoughts, he probably gets saddled with Nangou's (cancelled) debt, and Yagi probably loses (several) fingers, based on the threats made towards Akagi.

* [[Why Won't You Die?]]: Washizu insists that Akagi should be dead by all accounts after drawing a total of {{spoiler|2300cc's (actually 1800cc's plus 500cc's of ''transfused'' blood}}. Akagi simply says that so long as the gamble is unfinished, he will remain alive.

* [[Wise Beyond Their Years]]: Despite not knowing much about Akagi's background, it's obvious that he has experienced a lot for a 13-year old.

* [[Yakuza]]

* [[You Can Barely Stand]]: Go ahead, guess who says this to Akagi. See {{spoiler|every single mention of the severe blood loss events on this page}}.

* [[Younger Than They Look]]: Akagi in the anime, pre-[[Time Skip]]. When Akagi tells Nangou he's 13, Nangou's response is changed from "Yeah, you look it, too" in the manga to "Really? You don't look it" in the anime.

* [[You're Insane!]]: Everyone thinks Akagi is insane for all the stunts he pulls. Washizu is also plenty insane, ''and he acknowledges it''.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Seinen]]

[[Category:Anime]]

[[Category:Manga]]