Fukumoto fans unite! I don't usually see any threads about these gems (Kaiji, Akagi, Gambling Emperor Zero, Buraiden Gai, Strongest Legend Kurosawa, Ten, Seizon Life, Gin to Kin, etc). For those who don't know what these are, they're actually very popular in Japan! There are live action films for Kaiji (starring the Death Note Light actor) and Akagi, and fabulously animated series for Kaiji and Akagi.
Many of the series involve intense, death-defying situations, mostly centered around gambles and corrupt, sadistic villains. The writing is hardly ever archetypal, and the author creates memorable characters that you can cry and cheer for.
gaia_spoonsWho's your favorite character from the Fukumoto series? What about your favorite gamble? gaia_spoons Have you ever come up with any better solutions that would help the characters out of the terrible situations they're put in? gaia_spoons Which non-animated series would you want to see animated the most? gaia_spoons How cool is it that fans have animated parts (like Akagi's memorial in Ten) on Nico Nico Douga?
I'm ashamed to say I never heard about Fukumoto's amazing works till a month ago, when I accidently watched Kaiji's second season op and ran to download the anime. I knew it's going to be epic, I fell in love with the art (what can I do, I love unique art xD that's why I also love Jojo) and wasn't dissapointed when I watched the anime. Great story that kept me on edge till the end, really twisted and unexpected. To think you can make such a deep and brutal story from gambling, It's perfect! Also I loved how Kaiji wasn't your typical hero, he had his pathetic and hopeless moments, something you don't see in other animes.
Now I'm watching Akagi, i'm on episode 20 and as expected, it's amazing!
everytime I finish an episode I run to watch the next one because I have to know what happens!! and thanks to the anime I got into Mahjong haha!
Oh yeah and Akagi is nuts, his character is so interesting and different from Kaiji.
It's funny that even the good characters have ulterior motives that makes them bad, you can't really say there's "good" characters because everyone has ulterior motives and it makes it even more interesting, I think those motives are the ones that put the characters in a dangerous situation where they're close to death.
Also the evil characters are well developed and have charisma that makes them really cool but at the same time makes me want to punch their face xD
Unfortunately I don't have much time to read manga but I did start Buraiden Gai, and I would love to see it getting an anime! but like I said i'm quite new so I don't know about all the mangas, they're probably awesome as well.
Ahh yes, Fukumoto is a genius. I always tell my friends to at least try watching Kaiji but they're get scared by the art, sheees -.-.
But it feels like his works are really underrated (outside Japan) and it's a real shame : I admire his works but feel quite lonely that I can't share this admiration with others xD that's why i'm sharing it here.
I've only ever watched the Akagi anime. That said, I still loved it. It had a way of gripping me and keeping me interested that I didn't quite expect from an anime about gambling.
I hear the manga gets a little ridiculous though, which while not a bad thing, might not exactly be something I'm interested in. Maybe I'll give it a shot one day.
I'm ashamed to say I never heard about Fukumoto's amazing works till a month ago, when I accidently watched Kaiji's second season op and ran to download the anime. I knew it's going to be epic, I fell in love with the art (what can I do, I love unique art xD that's why I also love Jojo) and wasn't dissapointed when I watched the anime. Great story that kept me on edge till the end, really twisted and unexpected. To think you can make such a deep and brutal story from gambling, It's perfect! Also I loved how Kaiji wasn't your typical hero, he had his pathetic and hopeless moments, something you don't see in other animes.
Now I'm watching Akagi, i'm on episode 20 and as expected, it's amazing!
everytime I finish an episode I run to watch the next one because I have to know what happens!! and thanks to the anime I got into Mahjong haha!
Oh yeah and Akagi is nuts, his character is so interesting and different from Kaiji.
It's funny that even the good characters have ulterior motives that makes them bad, you can't really say there's "good" characters because everyone has ulterior motives and it makes it even more interesting, I think those motives are the ones that put the characters in a dangerous situation where they're close to death.
Also the evil characters are well developed and have charisma that makes them really cool but at the same time makes me want to punch their face xD
Unfortunately I don't have much time to read manga but I did start Buraiden Gai, and I would love to see it getting an anime! but like I said i'm quite new so I don't know about all the mangas, they're probably awesome as well.
Ahh yes, Fukumoto is a genius. I always tell my friends to at least try watching Kaiji but they're get scared by the art, sheees -.-.
But it feels like his works are really underrated (outside Japan) and it's a real shame : I admire his works but feel quite lonely that I can't share this admiration with others xD that's why i'm sharing it here.
There's no shame!! It's sad that they're not as popularized in the West since people don't favor art styles that aren't "beautiful". I'm so glad you enjoyed Kaiji though - they really did a stellar job with the anime and making Kaiji a lovable character despite his weaknesses.
Hehe, I have yet to understand all the Japanese mahjong terms to fully enjoy Akagi! He's definitely a different type of character compared to Kaiji, and almost has no weaknesses (especially his character in the anime - in the manga he sweats sometimes and buys energy drinks before a match). He mellows out and becomes a more chill character in Ten though (when he's an old man), which I enjoy more than his extremely taciturn and "cool" character in youth.
My favorite characters from the many series are Kaiji and Zero - Zero is a genius with a golden heart, but is still made interesting by having moments of failure or uncertainty. He really puts forth everything for his friends, but his trust is given with discretion. Kaiji is a total lovable woobie, but the readers/viewers still admire and respect him for his choices and tenacity.
Ohhh, that's great! C'8 I'm not too much of an anime watcher - I mainly go to manga sites when I seek entertainment since episodes play out slower than a chapter. There are definitely stories that are more suitable for one medium compared to the other though. ^^
Thank you for sharing!! ;v; It always makes me super happy to meet people with the same tastes!
I've only ever watched the Akagi anime. That said, I still loved it. It had a way of gripping me and keeping me interested that I didn't quite expect from an anime about gambling.
I hear the manga gets a little ridiculous though, which while not a bad thing, might not exactly be something I'm interested in. Maybe I'll give it a shot one day.
That's fantastic! I'm ashamed to say Akagi was the series I found hard to get into, since I didn't take the time to learn the Japanese mahjong terms... Gambling certainly doesn't sound like an appealing genre since most people think of casinos, but a lot of Fukumoto's gambles are like complex, deadly puzzles that prey on a person's sound mind and guile.
Haha, the manga doesn't really have a resolution thanks to Washizu shenanigans (still ongoing), but remarkably the latter part of Akagi's life has already been written in his other mahjong series, Ten. I would like to continue it some day too, when I've studied up on mahjong! ^^
I'm ashamed to say I never heard about Fukumoto's amazing works till a month ago, when I accidently watched Kaiji's second season op and ran to download the anime. I knew it's going to be epic, I fell in love with the art (what can I do, I love unique art xD that's why I also love Jojo) and wasn't dissapointed when I watched the anime. Great story that kept me on edge till the end, really twisted and unexpected. To think you can make such a deep and brutal story from gambling, It's perfect! Also I loved how Kaiji wasn't your typical hero, he had his pathetic and hopeless moments, something you don't see in other animes.
Now I'm watching Akagi, i'm on episode 20 and as expected, it's amazing!
everytime I finish an episode I run to watch the next one because I have to know what happens!! and thanks to the anime I got into Mahjong haha!
Oh yeah and Akagi is nuts, his character is so interesting and different from Kaiji.
It's funny that even the good characters have ulterior motives that makes them bad, you can't really say there's "good" characters because everyone has ulterior motives and it makes it even more interesting, I think those motives are the ones that put the characters in a dangerous situation where they're close to death.
Also the evil characters are well developed and have charisma that makes them really cool but at the same time makes me want to punch their face xD
Unfortunately I don't have much time to read manga but I did start Buraiden Gai, and I would love to see it getting an anime! but like I said i'm quite new so I don't know about all the mangas, they're probably awesome as well.
Ahh yes, Fukumoto is a genius. I always tell my friends to at least try watching Kaiji but they're get scared by the art, sheees -.-.
But it feels like his works are really underrated (outside Japan) and it's a real shame : I admire his works but feel quite lonely that I can't share this admiration with others xD that's why i'm sharing it here.
There's no shame!! It's sad that they're not as popularized in the West since people don't favor art styles that aren't "beautiful". I'm so glad you enjoyed Kaiji though - they really did a stellar job with the anime and making Kaiji a lovable character despite his weaknesses.
Hehe, I have yet to understand all the Japanese mahjong terms to fully enjoy Akagi! He's definitely a different type of character compared to Kaiji, and almost has no weaknesses (especially his character in the anime - in the manga he sweats sometimes and buys energy drinks before a match). He mellows out and becomes a more chill character in Ten though (when he's an old man), which I enjoy more than his extremely taciturn and "cool" character in youth.
My favorite characters from the many series are Kaiji and Zero - Zero is a genius with a golden heart, but is still made interesting by having moments of failure or uncertainty. He really puts forth everything for his friends, but his trust is given with discretion. Kaiji is a total lovable woobie, but the readers/viewers still admire and respect him for his choices and tenacity.
Ohhh, that's great! C'8 I'm not too much of an anime watcher - I mainly go to manga sites when I seek entertainment since episodes play out slower than a chapter. There are definitely stories that are more suitable for one medium compared to the other though. ^^
Thank you for sharing!! ;v; It always makes me super happy to meet people with the same tastes!
I really don't understand why some people prefer art style over story :c anyway most of the popular animes today are kinda boring and the art is not original at all.
I think characters with weaknesses are way more interesting because they're more human and you can understand their feelings of being betrayed or lied to.
Actually before watching Akagi I spend half a day (maybe more?) learning about the game, watching a 3-4 hours tutorial about all the rules and meanings and reading on the net. It really helped me to understand the basics of the game, of course I still don't remember the Yaku's too well so I pause and check on google but it doesn't ruin the atmosphere to me xp
but I agree, Kaiji is a bit easier to understand because the games are simple but Mahjong have so many rules so you need to at least know the basics before starting it.
Ah but I do wish Akagi showed a bit of emotion, like getting stressed haha, in reality i'm the one getting stressed xD just shows how good they built the atmosphere.
I'm definitely going to read the manga versions when I have the time (i'm a slow reader :c)
Also, it's related to the animes but I think the music in Kaiji/Akagi is amaaaaaaaaaazing, one of the best ost I ever heard. emotion_kirakira
Edit: I just finished Akagi! It was really good but I was disappointed they didn't show the rest of the match against Washizu :cccc do they show the whole match in the manga?
The Kaiji anime was great, I loved it! I still can't believe a season of almost entirely pachinko could be so suspenseful, haha. I don't know anything about mahjong, so I've been putting off watching Akagi. I have also never got around to reading any of Fukumoto's manga before, even though I'd like to. Is there one that would you recommend reading first? I'm not sure if I should just start with Kaiji since it's familiar or start something new.
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