# 11 - The Foundation for Despair
Source: [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GRZX45ZVY/akagi)
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
**[01:12] nar**
Even though victory is
in reach for Fake Akagi,
**[01:14] nar**
he lets it slip away at the last moment.
**[01:17] nar**
The wager is doubled from
16 million to 32 million.
**[01:21] nar**
Just as Akagi predicted,
**[01:23] nar**
Fake Akagi is pushed further and
further into the corner by Urabe.
***SIGN*** Episode 11
***SIGN*** The Foundation for Despair
**[01:31] nar**
East Hand 1, ninth turn.
**[01:38] kaw**
Can we call in the real Akagi?
**[01:42] kaw**
This man is no good.
**[01:44] kaw**
There's something he lacks.
**[01:45] ish**
Something Fake Akagi lacks?
**[01:48] kaw**
Yes. He's missing the most crucial
quality that gamblers must have.
**[01:53] kaw**
He doesn't have a sense of the moment.
**[01:57] ish**
A sense of the moment?
**[02:03] fak**
Pinfu, tsumo. 700, 400.
**[02:08] kaw**
What he believes in is the
ideology known as probability.
**[02:13] kaw**
But when 32 million is riding
on a single East-South match,
**[02:16] kaw**
you need something more
than just probability.
**[02:20] kaw**
The ability to sniff out the tiles.
**[02:22] kaw**
At this point, he needs to be able
to pick them with pinpoint accuracy.
**[02:27] ish**
But that's...
**[02:28] kaw**
He needs to be able to
do that to be relevant.
**[02:32] kaw**
All he can do is make shallow calculations.
**[02:36] kaw**
He won't be able to win like that.
**[02:41] nar**
East Hand 2, 14th turn.
**[02:44] nar**
Fake Akagi is in tenpai.
**[02:46] fak**
If I go for a double pon wait on
the 3 of bamboo and 7 of circles,
**[02:49] fak**
drawing it myself will get me a san ankou.
**[02:51] fak**
But considering that the
7 of circles is the dora,
**[02:55] fak**
a tanyao with two dora is enough.
**[03:01] ura**
*A 3 of bamboo from his hand.*
**[03:02] ura**
*He's in tenpai.*
**[03:04] ura**
*But he still isn't declaring riichi.*
**[03:07] ura**
*I guess he concluded that it's not possible*
**[03:10] ura**
*given how few tiles are left.*
**[03:13] ura**
*That's weak, bro!*
**[03:15] ura**
* If you have a good hand,*
* you've got to be greedy!*
**[03:19] ura**
*With that sort of meticulous play style,*
**[03:21] ura**
* you won't be able to put*
* pressure on your opponents*
**[03:24] ura**
*or bring luck on your side.*
**[03:26] ura**
*Your play style is so timid.*
**[03:29] ura**
*I'm going to be much bolder than that.*
**[03:32] ura**
Bro, do you accept opens?
**[03:34] fak**
Open?
**[03:35] ura**
The 2 han open riichi.
**[03:39] kaw**
We do in theory.
**[03:42] ura**
All right.
**[03:43] ura**
Riichi, open!
**[03:49] fak**
*He actually did it!*
**[03:51] fak**
* And a double pon wait on the*
* red dragon and the 3 of circles?*
**[03:55] fak**
* There are already two red*
* dragons in the discards.*
**[03:57] fak**
*He's only got the 3 of circles to wait for.*
**[03:59] fak**
*He must be kidding.*
**[04:01] fak**
* There's no way that my three-way*
* wait will lose to this!*
**[04:06] fak**
*Damn it!*
**[04:08] ish**
Urabe's play style is crazy.
**[04:12] ish**
He discarded the 5 of circles
and declared riichi,
**[04:13] ish**
which means that he could have
had a two-sided wait, too.
**[04:17] kaw**
If he had gone for the two-sided wait,
a tsumo would have netted him 7,800.
**[04:21] kaw**
But if he goes for the san ankou,
with a tsumo he'll get a proper mangan.
**[04:26] kaw**
And if he gets reverse dora
for any of his triplets,
**[04:28] kaw**
opening the riichi will boost
him to a dealer baiman.
**[04:32] kaw**
He could finish everything
with this one hand.
**[04:36] kaw**
Plus, he probably feels it.
**[04:40] kaw**
He can smell it...
**[04:43] kaw**
The winning tile.
**[04:44] kaw**
The premonition that he'll
draw the 3 of circles.
**[04:48] ish**
*Could it be...*
**[04:49] fak**
*Don't draw it!*
**[04:59] nar**
He didn't get the ippatsu,
but in the next turn...
**[05:04] ura**
Tsumo.
**[05:06] ura**
Open, tsumo, san ankou. Mangan.
**[05:09] ura**
Oh, wait, I got three reverse
dora, so it's a baiman.
**[05:15] ura**
Sorry, bro.
**[05:18] fak**
*No way.*
**[05:19] fak**
*This is unbelievable!*
**[05:24] kaw**
Ishikawa, it's no use.
**[05:26] kaw**
He's out of the question.
**[05:28] kaw**
Letting him continue to play
will only widen the wound.
**[05:33] kaw**
Call Akagi!
**[05:35] kaw**
We must fight a demon with a demon!
**[05:43] ish**
Akagi!
**[05:44] ish**
You need to come right now.
**[05:45] ish**
Our rep player is being torn apart.
**[05:47] ish**
We need your help.
**[05:50] aka**
Urabe started winning?
**[05:51] ish**
Yeah, that bastard got cocky
and kept raising the wager.
**[05:55] ish**
It's at 32 million now.
**[05:57] ish**
Please, Akagi!
**[05:59] aka**
I'm sorry, but I don't feel like it.
**[06:02] ish**
What are you talking about?
**[06:04] ish**
Nobody but you can do it!
**[06:05] ish**
Akagi!
**[06:06] aka**
What about Osamu?
**[06:09] ish**
You mean the kid with the freckles?
**[06:11] aka**
Yes, why don't you have him play?
**[06:14] ish**
That's not funny.
**[06:15] ish**
This isn't an opponent
an amateur can handle.
**[06:18] aka**
Ishikawa-san, keep the wager secret
from Osamu and let him play freely.
**[06:23] aka**
He might do quite well.
**[06:24] ish**
Quite well isn't enough, Akagi.
**[06:27] aka**
Do what you like.
**[06:28] aka**
If Osamu doesn't play, neither will I.
**[06:31] ish**
Akagi...
**[06:34] ish**
So you'll play after Osamu?
**[06:37] ish**
If he plays, you play?
**[06:39] aka**
Well, yeah.
**[06:42] nar**
It's East Hand 4.
**[06:46] nar**
Osamu has just become dealer.
**[06:51] osa**
* Is it really okay for*
* me to be playing here?*
**[06:54] osa**
* Didn't they say something*
* about the wager being 500,000?*
**[06:59] osa**
*Five hundred grand, huh?*
**[07:03] nar**
Osamu is in tenpai.
**[07:05] osa**
I'm in tenpai.
**[07:07] osa**
If I discard the 3 of circles,
**[07:08] osa**
I'll get a double pon wait for the
7 of bamboo and the north wind.
**[07:10] osa**
Should I just stick with
that since I'm the dealer?
**[07:14] osa**
*But I'm 38,000 points behind first place.*
**[07:17] osa**
* If I play too defensively,*
* I'll never take over the lead.*
**[07:20] osa**
*Let's play it big.*
**[07:24] ---**
*Ah...*
**[07:25] kaw**
*Not bad.*
**[07:27] nar**
Osamu dismantles his tenpai and
goes for a tanyao, sanshoku hand.
**[07:31] nar**
Later, that proves to be a good call.
**[07:34] nar**
A few turns later...
**[07:37] nar**
Tenpai.
**[07:38] nar**
An ideal tanyao, pinfu, sanshoku.
**[07:40] osa**
Riichi!
**[07:42] kaw**
* Usually, people would buckle under*
* the pressure of a 32 million wager.*
**[07:48] kaw**
* Despite his appearance,*
* he plays quite calmly.*
**[07:52] kaw**
*I heard he was a filler until Akagi comes,*
**[07:55] kaw**
* but it looks like he's not*
* completely useless, either.*
**[08:00] osa**
Tsumo!
**[08:01] osa**
Menzen, pinfu, tsumo, sanshoku.
Mangan! 4,000 from all!
**[08:06] nar**
Osamu picks up momentum with this win.
**[08:10] nar**
Moving on to bonus hand 1,
he gets another tsumo.
**[08:14] osa**
2,700 from all.
**[08:16] nar**
Urabe, who was barely visible
before, is now almost in reach.
**[08:21] nar**
The distance is a mere 11,200.
**[08:24] nar**
A mangan or higher will cause an upset.
**[08:30] guy**
He's not bad.
**[08:32] guy**
Even though entering the game dead
last can be relaxing in a way,
**[08:35] guy**
it's like he's not affected by
the 32 million wager whatsoever.
**[08:41] osa**
*Thirty-two million?!*
**[08:43] osa**
*Thirty-two million...*
**[08:49] osa**
*He kept quiet*
**[08:50] osa**
* because he figured a wager that*
* high would make me nervous.*
**[08:54] ---**
*Thirty-two million...*
**[08:56] osa**
*What's going to happen if I lose?*
**[08:58] osa**
*Debt?*
**[09:00] osa**
* But what if I win?*
* Even a 10% cut would be...*
**[09:04] osa**
*3.2 million.*
**[09:08] nar**
Osamu's starting hand.
**[09:11] osa**
*The 8 of circles is the dora.*
**[09:13] osa**
* A tanyao with three dora will*
* be enough for an upset.*
**[09:16] osa**
*I want to win with this hand.*
**[09:18] osa**
*If I win, I'll be in first place... if I win...*
**[09:23] osa**
Chi!
**[09:25] osa**
Chi!
**[09:27] ish**
*Not good.*
**[09:28] ish**
*His calm play style from before is gone.*
**[09:31] ish**
*You had luck on your side...*
**[09:32] ish**
* You should have just have kept*
* playing like you have been.*
**[09:36] nar**
Osamu was in tenpai after just 6 turns...
**[09:39] nar**
But he can't draw this
closed wait 4 of circles.
**[09:42] nar**
He can't draw it.
**[09:43] nar**
He can't draw it.
**[09:45] nar**
And in the 10th turn, Urabe...
**[09:47] ura**
Riichi.
**[09:50] nar**
Two turns later...
**[09:53] osa**
*Go through!*
**[09:54] ura**
Ron!
**[09:56] ura**
Riichi, honitsu, one dora. Mangan.
**[10:00] osa**
*He got me.*
**[10:01] osa**
*He used up all of my winning tiles.*
**[10:04] osa**
*That's why he declared the riichi.*
**[10:06] osa**
* It's like he could see*
* through everything I did...*
**[10:08] osa**
*I can't do this.*
**[10:11] aka**
Want to switch, Osamu?
**[10:13] osa**
Akagi-san!
**[10:24] osa**
Urabe is 28,400 points ahead.
**[10:28] osa**
But are you sure about this?
**[10:30] osa**
There's 32 million riding on this match.
**[10:33] osa**
You'll be entering in the South round,
and almost 30,000 points behind.
**[10:36] osa**
There's no guarantee that you will win...
**[10:38] aka**
You're so stupid.
**[10:40] aka**
Is that what you were
worrying so much about?
**[10:44] aka**
None of that matters.
**[10:46] aka**
It's someone else's money.
**[10:48] aka**
We can be totally carefree.
**[10:49] osa**
Akagi-san, how could you say that?
**[10:51] aka**
It's simply the truth.
**[10:53] aka**
The ones who should be nervous
are the yakuza men behind us...
**[10:57] aka**
and Urabe.
**[11:00] osa**
Urabe?
**[11:01] aka**
Think about it.
**[11:03] aka**
Who's the one person who can stand
to lose this match the least?
**[11:06] aka**
Urabe's the one who raised the
stakes to this ridiculous level.
**[11:10] aka**
He won't get away with a
**[11:12] aka**
"Sorry, I screwed up in the
end, and lost 32 million."
**[11:15] aka**
He'll have to pay,
with cash or his blood.
**[11:19] aka**
The pressure he's feeling
right now must be immense.
**[11:27] ish**
*I see.*
**[11:28] ish**
*Akagi's right.*
**[11:29] ish**
*I was too fixated on the point difference*
**[11:31] ish**
* and had lost sight of the crucial piece,*
* the mental state of the opponent.*
**[11:35] ish**
*It shows again that Akagi,*
**[11:38] ish**
* Akagi Shigeru, is the only*
* one we can rely on.*
**[11:40] nar**
The game resumes.
**[11:42] nar**
South Hand 1.
**[11:44] ish**
*All right, show me...*
**[11:46] ish**
* My first sight of Akagi Shigeru*
* playing Mahjong in five years!*
**[11:49] ish**
*How is he going to play?*
**[11:52] nar**
But contrary to Ishikawa's expectations,
Akagi doesn't do anything special.
**[11:59] nar**
Ordinary hands.
**[12:01] nar**
Even his single han riichi is dodged by Urabe.
**[12:04] ura**
Tsumo.
**[12:08] nar**
And in South Hand 2,
**[12:10] nar**
just like before, Akagi immediately
declares riichi after getting into tenpai.
**[12:16] ish**
*Why, Akagi? Why aren't you doing anything?*
**[12:20] ish**
* Shouldn't you have at least waited*
* for that hand to get better?*
**[12:27] ura**
*What's this kid planning?*
**[12:31] ura**
* It seems like a tenpai*
* without any points behind it,*
**[12:33] ura**
* but I'll just have to play along*
* and keep an eye out for now.*
**[12:36] ura**
* At least until I can figure*
* out what he's doing.*
**[12:41] ura**
* The worst would be for him*
* to have the west wind dora.*
**[12:44] ura**
*That'd be an instant mangan.*
**[12:48] ura**
*What the...*
**[12:49] ura**
*The dora passes?*
**[12:52] ura**
*That's the third west wind.*
**[12:54] ura**
* The possibility that he's*
* got any dora is gone now.*
**[12:57] ura**
* So is he going for a*
* sanshoku with the lower tiles?*
**[13:02] nar**
But that possibility also
disappears as all four
**[13:05] nar**
of the 4 of bamboo and 1 of
circles tiles appear in the discards.
**[13:09] ura**
*In that case...*
**[13:10] ish**
*There's his winning tile!*
**[13:12] ish**
* If he gets lucky with the reverse*
* dora, it could go to 5,200.*
**[13:16] ish**
*Why doesn't he declare his win?*
**[13:18] ish**
*It's a direct hit off the opponent!*
**[13:22] nar**
In the 15th turn,
Urabe gets a tsumo win.
**[13:27] ura**
*A win, huh?*
**[13:28] ura**
* But with just pinfu, tsumo,*
* iipeikou, it's only 2,700.*
**[13:32] ura**
* Three more turns and*
* the hand ends in a draw.*
**[13:34] ura**
* Instead of taking this cheap win,*
* I'll take a look at what he has instead.*
**[13:42] nar**
Inexplicably, both Akagi and Urabe
ignore their winning tiles this hand.
**[13:48] nar**
It ends in a draw.
**[13:49] ura**
I'm in tenpai.
**[13:53] ish**
*A 5 or 8 of bamboo wait?*
**[13:55] ish**
*Urabe could have won in the 15th turn.*
**[13:59] ish**
* He ignored that on purpose just*
* to take a look at our hand!*
**[14:03] ish**
* He sensed what we would want to*
* avoid the most and came straight for it!*
**[14:08] ura**
All right, Akagi-han.
**[14:10] ura**
Let's see what your riichi was made of.
**[14:13] ura**
Show me your preemptive riichi.
**[14:20] aka**
Sorry, I wasn't in tenpai.
**[14:24] ish**
Akagi!
**[14:25] ish**
I understand that you
don't want to show it,
**[14:27] ish**
but the 8,000 point penalty
is too much right now!
**[14:30] aka**
It's cheap if you consider I'm buying
something with these 8,000 points.
**[14:34] aka**
Urabe picked up the points
and widened the lead for now.
**[14:38] aka**
I'm buying three turns in
the future with these 8,000.
**[14:42] ish**
Three turns in the future?
**[14:44] aka**
Yes, at the very end,
**[14:46] aka**
the three turns that will decide
the outcome of the match.
**[14:49] aka**
I will advance,
and Urabe will retreat.
**[14:53] aka**
These 8,000 are an unavoidable expense
**[14:55] aka**
to arrange the time and place for victory.
**[14:59] aka**
The foundation.
**[15:02] nar**
But now the difference between
Akagi and Urabe is 45,800.
**[15:07] nar**
This sort of gap could
be called hopeless.
**[15:11] ish**
* He won't be able to turn*
* the tables with tsumo wins.*
**[15:13] ish**
*He'll need direct hits off the opponent.*
**[15:17] ish**
* But if someone of Urabe's*
* caliber is playing defensively,*
**[15:20] ish**
*you'll never be able to get a direct hit.*
**[15:22] ish**
*In a normal match,*
**[15:24] ish**
*Akagi wouldn't have a chance to win.*
**[15:26] ish**
* Now all he can rely on*
* is a tidal wave of luck,*
**[15:29] ish**
* the kind that only comes once in*
* a hundred... no, a thousand years.*
**[15:33] ish**
*A miracle surpassing all logic*
**[15:35] ish**
*that will give him baiman or yakuman hands.*
**[15:41] ish**
*What a boring starting hand.*
**[15:44] ish**
*It's lackluster.*
**[15:45] ish**
*No sign of any tidal wave.*
**[15:51] ish**
*That's the worst draw he could get.*
**[15:53] ish**
* Getting three foreign*
* wind tiles is the worst.*
**[15:56] nar**
No.
**[15:57] nar**
That is not the case.
**[15:59] nar**
Actually, drawing the
east wind was the sign.
**[16:01] nar**
A sign for the 100-year tidal wave
that would dwarf normal waves!
**[16:10] ish**
*I don't believe it.*
**[16:12] ish**
*With just three effective draws,*
**[16:14] ish**
* he's already gotten so close*
* to a yakuman hand.*
**[16:18] nar**
Eighth turn.
**[16:21] ish**
*San ankou.*
**[16:23] ish**
* With him, I just can't*
* predict what will happen.*
**[16:26] ish**
*He's far beyond the realm of ordinary men.*
**[16:29] ish**
*But now Urabe's the issue.*
**[16:32] ish**
*It looks like he's got a quick hand, too.*
**[16:33] ura**
Pon!
**[16:36] ish**
*He's probably in tenpai now.*
**[16:39] ish**
*Probably a chinitsu or honitsu of characters.*
**[16:41] ish**
* And probably waiting on multiple*
* tiles in the lower end.*
**[16:45] ish**
* This is the moment of*
* truth for Akagi's hand.*
**[16:48] ish**
*Suu ankou... Will it end as an illusion?*
**[16:51] ish**
*Or will it become reality and bear fruit?*
**[16:58] ish**
*He got it!*
**[17:00] ---**
*Suu ankou, tenpai...*
**[17:03] ish**
* What's more, with this hand*
* he can get it from a ron, too!*
**[17:07] ish**
It's a bit risky, but he should
discard the 4 of characters here
**[17:10] ish**
and wait on the 5 of bamboo for now.
**[17:12] ish**
Then he can switch to a more
ideal single wait later.
**[17:21] aka**
Riichi.
**[17:23] ish**
*No!*
**[17:24] ish**
*Unthinkable!*
**[17:26] ish**
*Why a riichi?*
**[17:27] ish**
*Why?!*
**[17:28] ish**
*And why the multi-sided wait?*
**[17:29] ish**
* If anything, you'd have to go for*
* the guaranteed suu ankou single wait!*
**[17:33] ish**
* Why didn't you wait*
* for the 5 of bamboo?!*
**[17:36] aka**
Open.
**[17:40] ish**
* I have no idea what's*
* going on anymore.*
**[17:45] kaw**
There's nothing strange about this.
**[17:47] kaw**
This is Akagi's logic.
**[17:49] ish**
Akagi's logic?
**[17:50] kaw**
Akagi predicted that Urabe was waiting
for the 1, 4, and 7 of characters.
**[17:55] kaw**
So he can't discard the 4.
**[17:58] kaw**
If he can't discard it,
he can't change his hand,
**[18:00] kaw**
so declaring riichi isn't too strange.
**[18:02] ish**
Yes, but I don't think it
was necessary to open it.
**[18:06] kaw**
Akagi figured that nobody would
discard a 4 of characters.
**[18:10] kaw**
Look at the discards of
the player before him.
**[18:13] kaw**
He was out of the game early on.
**[18:15] kaw**
He won't discard any character tiles.
**[18:17] kaw**
If anybody were to do it,
it'd be the player after him.
**[18:20] kaw**
In the unlikely event
that he would discard it,
**[18:22] kaw**
Urabe would win because
of the head bump rule.
**[18:25] kaw**
Either way, there's no way
that Akagi could win
**[18:28] kaw**
with a ron on a 4 of characters.
**[18:30] kaw**
If he can only win with a tsumo,
**[18:31] kaw**
then it doesn't matter
if his hand is open or not.
**[18:35] kaw**
And that open riichi has another goal.
**[18:39] ish**
Another goal?
**[18:40] kaw**
The open suu ankou is a threat,
**[18:44] kaw**
in order to force Urabe to compromise.
**[18:47] nar**
Boss Kawada was half-right.
**[18:50] nar**
Urabe was indeed waiting for
the 1, 4, and 7 of characters.
**[18:53] nar**
Akagi had guessed correctly.
**[18:55] uraw**
*Suu ankou, open riichi?!*
**[18:58] uraw**
*That's too crazy, you idiot!*
**[19:01] uraw**
*Damn it!*
**[19:02] uraw**
* If Akagi gets the suu ankou,*
* he'll whip past me in one shot.*
**[19:13] uraw**
*Don't tell me...*
**[19:23] uraw**
*My heart can't take this.*
**[19:26] uraw**
*At least he didn't get the ippatsu.*
**[19:28] uraw**
* But there's no need for me*
* to overextend myself here.*
**[19:30] uraw**
Boss Kawada.
**[19:32] uraw**
You don't have the silly rule here
that dealing into an open riichi
**[19:35] uraw**
will turn it into a yakuman hand, right?
**[19:38] kaw**
No, we don't.
**[19:40] ura**
*Then...*
**[19:42] ura**
*I'll deal into his hand!*
**[19:43] kaw**
*There it is.*
**[19:44] ish**
*Is this what Akagi was aiming for?*
**[19:46] ish**
* A direct hit off his opponent*
* that we thought was impossible.*
**[19:51] ish**
* So the suu ankou was a threat to*
* force Urabe to discard this winning tile?*
**[19:56] kaw**
*This gives him at least a mangan.*
**[19:58] kaw**
* If he gets reverse dora,*
* it could go up to a baiman.*
**[20:01] kaw**
* While everybody is getting too*
* excited in this gambling room,*
**[20:04] kaw**
* he makes such a realistic*
* and bold prediction.*
**[20:07] kaw**
*A calculated strategy.*
**[20:09] kaw**
* He's the real deal,*
* without any shadow of a doubt.*
**[20:15] ura**
What's up?
**[20:16] ura**
Why aren't you checking
the reverse dora?
**[20:18] aka**
Stop dreaming.
**[20:20] aka**
We keep playing.
**[20:21] aka**
I have no intention of
picking up cheap points.
**[20:27] ish**
A-Akagi...
**[20:29] aka**
Urabe took his hand
apart to deal into mine.
**[20:33] aka**
He wrongly assumed that this deal
would work out and defanged his hand.
**[20:39] aka**
In other words, he doesn't have
a hand he can fight with.
**[20:43] aka**
Then let's advance.
**[20:45] aka**
I'll advance as much as he retreated.
**[20:49] aka**
I'll end him with this suu ankou.
**[20:52] nar**
Urabe's failed plan,
**[20:54] nar**
Akagi Shigeru's uncompromising fight,
**[20:58] nar**
and the foundation for
the next three turns...
**[21:01] nar**
Akagi closes in on Urabe,
slowly but surely.
**[22:16] nar**
Next time,
"The Magic of Coincidence."
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