History Manga / Akagi

Undoubtedly the most popular of Fukomoto's works, this series laid several of the tropes that would go on to be reused in ''Manga/GamblingEmperorLegendZero'' and ''{{Manga/Kaiji}}''. It's also well known for being almost entirely about the battle between [[BottleEpisode two men:]] Akagi himself and the series' main villain, [[EvilOldFolks Washizu.]] The duel went on for over ''twenty real life years'', and comprises over half of the manga. While it's an exhausting read, this mental battle is truly epic despite taking place in a dark room while huddled over a table.

* SpinOff: Recently got its own prequel spin off in the form of ''Washizu: King of Mahjong Hell''.
** Even more recently, ''Ten'' got its own ''sequel'' spinoff in the form of ''[=HERO=]'', taking place three years after [[spoiler:Akagi's death in ''Ten'']].
** Interestingly, neither spinoffs are written nor drawn by Fukumoto himself; he is credited as an assistant (what with all of the characters being his creations and all.)

* CoolOldGuy: Ichikawa. He recognizes Akagi as special from right out the gate and doesn't cheat until Akagi does it first. [[spoiler:While he does fall prey to overconfidence and an inability to go all out like Akagi does, he gets away relatively lightly and even makes a cameo in ''HERO'', some 50 years later. This is notable because Ichikawa outlives Akagi.]]

* [[WhyWontYouDie 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.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Akagi in the anime, pre-TimeSkip. 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.

It should be noted that this is a {{prequel}} to ''Manga/{{Ten}}'', where an older Akagi is one of the major characters. See also ''Manga/{{Kaiji}}'' which so far is the only other manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto to get an anime adaptation.

The series ended with 36 volumes after [[LongRunners 27 years of serialization]].

* FightUnscene: The final two han-chan sessions of the Washizu arc are not shown in the anime. The manga, which is still ongoing, does show these. And it is even [[CrazyAwesome crazier and more awesome than what the anime showed]].

Undoubtedly the most popular of Fukomoto's works, this series laid several of the tropes that would go on to be reused in ''Manga/GamblingEmperorLegendZero'' and ''{{Manga/Kaiji}}''. It's also well known for being almost entirely about the battle between [[BottleEpisode two men:]] Akagi himself and the series' main villain, [[EvilOldFolks Washizu.]] The duel went on for over ''twenty real life years'', and comprises over half of the manga. While it's an exhausting read, there's no doubt that there has ever been a mental battle quite as epic as this one, despite taking place in a dark room while huddled over a table.

* CoolOldGuy: Ichikawa. He recognizes Akagi as special from right out the gate and doesn't cheat until Akagi does it first. [[spoiler:While he does fall prey to overconfidence and an inability to go all out like Akagi does, he gets away relatively lightly and even makes a cameo in ''HERO'', some 50 years later.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: Every single opponent.

Tokyo, 1958. A 13-year-old kid, [[VillainProtagonist Shigeru Akagi]], drives off a cliff in an rigged game of chicken, swims to safety and walks into a TabletopGame/{{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, [[TheChessmaster cunning]], and [[MillionToOneChance monstrous luck]]. This is the start of the genius Akagi's legend in the underworld.

* BittersweetEnding: The Washizu Arc ends with [[spoiler: Akagi alive and having won the duel, but Washizu is still alive and both are dissatisfied with the conclusion. And if you've read ''Ten'', then you'll know that this lack of challenge haunts Akagi for the rest of his life.]]

* TheHeroDies: For real [[spoiler:at the end of ''Ten''.]] In the ''Akagi'' manga, it turns out to be a NotQuiteDead moment [[spoiler:both times]].

* PyrrhicVictory: [[spoiler: How Akagi sees the end of his match with Washizu. For most of the game, Akagi had been in an overwhelming lead, but the last round was when Washizu started to gain the upper hand and almost win before dying of blood loss for real. Because of that, Akagi felt like he didn't truly earn his win.]]

** Much later, in the manga, we find out that [[spoiler: Akagi ''also'' got a blood transfusion of 500cc's, having already deduced the true nature of Washizu Mahjong.]] See the [=CMoA=] below.

*** This is actually underselling this feat of luck while drawing the winning tile was a 3 in 8 chance. That is only one part Firstly, Yasuoka had to draw the tile to advance Washizu hand of which there is one in the pile of 18, Then to prevent Akagi from dealing into Yasuoka hand by drawing Doras tile to increasing the value of the hand making it too expensive to deal into. 3 of the 17 would do that then the get the other tile he needed to advance his own hand there were only two left the 5-man which he drew. Then he had to draw a new Dora that would up yasuoka hand value of which there are two now. then he needs to draw the fourth and final tile to close kan again one his turn. Just doing all of the that with the 3 in 8 chance shoots this from reasonable 3/8 to a insane one in 1,392,300 and it gets worse cause final dora is the one remaining 5 man that boost already insane hand which is a one in nine of happening. this shots those odds to an insane 1 in 8,353,800. and This is not counting Suzuki or Akagi final draws which could have thrown a wrench in by taking the last 5 man making Washizu's hand far weaker. Put simply this is god-like luck.

** Inverted in the manga only fifth han-chan session; Washizu actually has a 3/8 (37.5%) chance of drawing the winning tile, which will result in Akagi losing 600cc's of blood at once. [[spoiler:Washizu draws it, and Akagi loses a grand total of 2000cc's.]]***This is actually underselling this feat of luck while drawing the winning tile was a 3 in 8 chance. That is only one part Firstly, Yasuoka had to draw the tile to advance Washizu hand of which there is one in the pile of 18, Then to prevent Akagi from dealing into Yasuoka hand by drawing Doras tile to increasing the value of the hand making it too expensive to deal into. 3 of the 17 would do that then the get the other tile he needed to advance his own hand there were only two left the 5-man which he drew. Then he had to draw a new dora that would up yasuoka hand value with more dora of which there are two now.then he needs to draw the fourth and final tile to close kan again. Just doing all of the that with the 3 in 8 chance shoots this from reasonable 3/8 to a insane one in 1,392,300 and it gets worse cause final dora is the one remaining 5 man that boost already insane hand which is a one in nine of happening. this shots those odds to a insane 1 in 12,530,700. This is not counting Suzuki or Akagi final draws. Put simply this is god-like luck.

** Inverted in the manga only fifth han-chan session; Washizu actually has a 3/8 (37.5%) chance of drawing the winning tile, which will result in Akagi losing 600cc's of blood at once. [[spoiler:Washizu draws it, and Akagi loses a grand total of 2000cc's.]]