17 - The Proof of Genius

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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.)
[01:16] Nar
    The monster of the
    Showa Era, Washizu Iwao.
[01:20] Nar
    He's amassed untold riches and power,
[01:23] Nar
    and now he uses it to gamble on
    young people's lives for his pleasure.
[01:28] Nar
    In order to hunt down this monster,
[01:30] Nar
    Akagi, the genius from the
    darkness, stands up to him.
[01:33] Nar
    Akagi will bet his very life's blood.
[01:37] Nar
    Washizu will bet the
    remainder of his fortune.
[01:40] Nar
    The battle that may bring
    either to ruin has begun.
SIGN    Episode 17
SIGN    The Proof of Genius
[01:52] Nar
    Washizu's riichi misses its mark.
[01:55] Nar
    Akagi takes the 1,000 points,
    and the corresponding one million yen.
[02:07] Nar
    East Hand 2.
[02:08] Nar
    The dealer is Washizu.
[02:11] Nar
    After losing the previous hand,
    his opening hand isn't good.
[02:16] Nar
    Compared to Washizu's bad starting
    hand and bad draws, Akagi is doing well.
[02:21] Nar
    In only the fourth turn...
[02:23] Yasu
    Good.
[02:25] Yasu
    One away from tenpai.
[02:27] Nar
    It's not an impressive hand,
[02:28] Nar
    but winning it would mean bumping
    Washizu out of the dealer's spot.
[02:32] Nar
    Then on the fifth turn...
[02:34] Nar
    Yasuoka draws a red dragon.
[02:37] Yasu
    If I make him call this red dragon,
[02:40] Yasu
    Akagi will probably be in tenpai
    with a 2 or 5 of bamboo wait.
[02:43] Yasu
    In that case...
[02:45] Yasu
    All right, Akagi.
[02:47] Yasu
    Call it.
[02:50] Aka
    Pon.
[02:53] Yasu
    Good.
[02:57] Nar
    This game is between
    Akagi and Washizu alone.
[03:00] Nar
    Since his own points don't matter,
[03:02] Nar
    it makes sense that Yasuoka
    would try to help Akagi.
[03:05] Nar
    In this instance, he lets Akagi call
    the red dragon to get him into tenpai.
[03:09] Nar
    He then quickly deals into his hand.
[03:11] Aka
    Ron.
[03:13] Aka
    Red dragon, one dora. 2,000.
[03:20] Was
    You trash...
[03:23] Was
    You're not worth my time.
[03:25] Was
    Even if you wanted me
    out of the dealer's spot,
[03:29] Was
    your hand was ideal because
    all you had to do was wait
[03:32] Was
    for Yasuoka to deal into it
    with the red dragon.
[03:36] Was
    And you took that for nothing
    but a quick 2,000 win.
[03:41] Was
    You're an idiotic coward.
[03:43] Was
    Since you're so slow,
    let me teach you a lesson...
[03:47] Was
    on the most effective way
    to play Washizu Mahjong.
[03:51] Was
    The strongest weapon...
[03:54] Was
    Riichi.
[03:59] Oug
    This one's rough.
[04:01] Oug
    He has so many black tiles.
[04:03] Oug
    If he's going for a mentanpin,
[04:05] Oug
    there are any number of possible waits.
[04:08] Oug
    In an extreme case,
    he could even have a chiitoitsu.
[04:17] Was
    You moron.
[04:18] Was
    You don't even have the
    right to worry about it.
[04:23] Was
    Hey.
[04:26] Was
    Ron.
[04:28] Was
    Riichi, ippatsu, tanyao.
[04:34] Was
    And the reverse dora is...
[04:35] Was
    I got one.
[04:37] Was
    So it's a mangan.
[04:39] Was
    Do you understand now?
[04:41] Was
    The terror that is Washizu Mahjong?
[04:46] Nar
    The riichi and the instant
    deal of the winning tile is
[04:49] Nar
    one of the most powerful ways
    to team up in Washizu Mahjong.
[04:54] Nar
    Even with the cheapest hand,
    a riichi ippatsu is worth two han.
[04:58] Nar
    If a reverse dora is added,
    it instantly becomes a mangan.
[05:02] Was
    I'm 100% certain you've got
    no chance of winning
[05:06] Was
    with that gutless playing style.
[05:08] Was
    You may avoid direct hits from me,
[05:11] Was
    but you can't keep me from outranking you.
[05:14] Was
    Come on, boy.
[05:16] Was
    Attack me, if you want to survive.
[05:20] Was
    But if you're too scared,
    just sit back and die.
[05:27] Was
    Well, even if you decide to attack now,
[05:30] Was
    that mangan put me
    2,000 points ahead of you.
[05:36] Was
    If you want to survive,
[05:38] Was
    you have to attack, and attack,
    and get ahead of me.
[05:41] Was
    Discard the tile that will decide your fate.
[05:45] ---
    Close the differential between us.
[05:48] Was
    By making it through that carnage,
    that danger, you will see
[05:54] Was
    the faint light of your hope to survive.
[06:01] Nar
    He is right. With this type of team play,
[06:03] Nar
    it is impossible to stay ahead
[06:05] Nar
    with defensive playing
    or winning quick hands.
[06:09] Nar
    That is to say, little tricks
    are absolutely pointless.
[06:12] Nar
    Since assisting each other is
    allowed in this one-on-one battle,
[06:15] Nar
    he will eventually lose.
[06:19] Nar
    Declaring riichi and then having another
    deal immediately into your hand
[06:23] Nar
    is not only efficient,
[06:24] Nar
    but one could say that it is standard.
[06:28] Nar
    This strategy has no less
    than three strong points.
[06:32] Nar
    First, as demonstrated by Washizu,
[06:36] Nar
    by adding 2 han with the
    riichi ippatsu combo,
[06:39] Nar
    one or two reverse dora will suffice
    to make it an expensive mangan hand.
[06:43] Nar
    The second is its speed.
[06:46] Nar
    The time between a tenpai and
    a win is completely eliminated.
[06:52] Nar
    And so long as your teammate has
    that tile, your wait can be anything.
[06:56] Nar
    A side wait, a closed wait,
    or even a single wait.
[07:01] Nar
    All of them can lead to an ippatsu win.
[07:05] Nar
    And most importantly,
    that sense of safety.
[07:08] Nar
    The moment you declare riichi,
    the next player deals into your hand.
[07:12] Nar
    In other words, you get the
    benefits of declaring a riichi
[07:15] Nar
    without the danger of having
    to immediately discard anything
[07:18] Nar
    that is not your own winning tile.
[07:20] Nar
    Only the tile you discard when
    declaring your riichi must pass.
[07:24] Nar
    It's expensive, fast, and safe.
[07:27] Nar
    In other words, the most effective strategy.
[07:32] Oug
    He's got no choice now
    but to join him in the ring.
[07:39] Oug
    It has its dangers,
[07:43] Oug
    but he has to play along with this duel.
[07:46] Oug
    Akagi...
[07:51] Nar
    Akagi is one tile from tenpai.
[07:56] Oug
    The problem is what comes next.
[08:05] Oug
    Is he in tenpai?
[08:07] Oug
    If he's not declaring a riichi now,
[08:09] Oug
    it probably means his
    underling doesn't have
[08:11] Oug
    his winning tile in his hand.
[08:14] Oug
    He can always do it once his
    underling draws the tile he needs.
[08:19] Oug
    But if Akagi plays into his hand
    before that, he'll get a direct hit.
[08:24] Oug
    He'll just have to say "ron."
[08:26] Oug
    It's a rock-solid strategy.
[08:29] Oug
    He should just assume that Washizu
    is in tenpai and play safely.
[08:33] Oug
    From what I can see,
[08:35] Oug
    it looks like the 4 and 7
    of bamboo are dangerous.
[08:39] Nar
    In this hand, the dora is the 6 of bamboo,
[08:41] Nar
    so with Washizu's 6 of bamboo,
    his wait is most likely for the 4 and 7,
[08:45] Nar
    or the 5 and 8, of bamboo.
    These are the danger tiles.
[08:49] Nar
    He may also possibly be using
    two 6 of bamboo as his pair.
[08:54] Nar
    There is another danger area
    around the 6 of circles,
[08:58] Nar
    implying a 4 and 7, or 5 and 8 wait,
    making those tiles very risky.
[09:06] Oug
    He's in tenpai.
[09:08] Oug
    Now he's got a 5 or 8 of characters wait.
[09:11] Oug
    But of all things, he'll have
    to discard the 7 of bamboo.
[09:15] Oug
    That's the worst!
[09:18] Nar
    It's an extremely risky tile, and
    the exact tile he's waiting on.
[09:22] Oug
    You've got to keep that tile, Akagi.
[09:31] Oug
    That's crazy!
[09:33] Oug
    That's the...
[09:39] Oug
    Did you deal into his hand?
[09:41] Oug
    Did you?
[09:54] Oug
    It passed!
[09:59] Oug
    Why could he deal such a risky tile?
[10:05] Oug
    Did he somehow know that it was safe?
[10:09] Oug
    That the 7 of bamboo would pass?
[10:18] Oug
    The 5 and the 8 of bamboo passed, too.
[10:20] Oug
    Which means he probably has
    the two dora as the head
[10:25] Oug
    and he's waiting on the 4 and 7
    of circles, or 5 and 8 of circles.
[10:28] Oug
    Since he knows what
    Washizu's waiting on,
[10:31] Oug
    he doesn't have to worry about
    dealing into his hand anymore.
[10:34] Oug
    He just has to avoid the risky
    tiles, stay vigilant, and win.
[10:38] Oug
    If he wins with the
    5 and 8 of characters,
[10:40] Oug
    Akagi will continue to be the dealer.
[10:43] Oug
    He can catch up to Washizu.
[10:45] Oug
    And if he draws it himself,
    he can take the lead.
[10:47] Oug
    He can bring the luck that's gone
    to Washizu back to his side.
[10:56] Oug
    He had to draw the 5
    of circles, of all things.
[10:59] Oug
    This is one of those last four risky tiles.
[11:03] Oug
    He has no choice but
    to hold on to this one.
[11:05] Oug
    It's still only East Hand 4.
[11:08] Oug
    He can't take that risk.
[11:09] Oug
    It would be reckless to
    discard that tile now.
[11:20] Oug
    You're crazy!
[11:22] Oug
    What the hell are you thinking?
[11:25] Oug
    That's too much.
[11:30] Was
    I see.
[11:31] Was
    I guess you're not completely worthless.
[11:37] Was
    Even if they notice the
    second discard pile,
[11:40] Was
    they usually don't get so bold...
[11:45] Was
    Usually.
[11:49] Nar
    At this point, Washizu is waiting
    on the 4 and 7 of circles.
[11:55] Oug
    The second discard pile?
[11:57] Oug
    What's he talking about?
[12:07] Oug
    I get it.
[12:08] Oug
    That's what he's talking about.
[12:11] Nar
    Why does Washizu not declare a
    riichi despite being in tenpai?
[12:16] Nar
    There could be only one reason:
[12:18] Nar
    His underling doesn't
    have his winning tile.
[12:21] Nar
    Seen another way,
[12:23] Nar
    all of Washizu's underling's tiles
    become safe tiles, as well.
[12:27] Nar
    It is a veritable "second discard pile."
[12:31] Oug
    Why didn't I notice that sooner?
[12:36] Oug
    Akagi used this to discard the
    7 of bamboo and the 5 of circles.
[12:43] Oug
    It's amazing that he could notice a detail
    like that under this kind of pressure.
[12:46] Oug
    That's Akagi for you.
[12:48] Oug
    What is truly amazing,
    though, is that he was able
[12:53] Oug
    to bet his life on this observation.
[12:58] Nar
    Washizu is also undoubtedly feeling
    some admiration for this audacity.
[13:03] Nar
    Because the second discard pile could
    also potentially be used to lure Akagi
[13:08] Nar
    into dealing the winning tile,
    using the transparent tiles as bait.
[13:13] Nar
    Yet, Akagi threw all those doubts away.
[13:19] Oug
    That is exactly what makes him
[13:23] Oug
    Akagi Shigeru.
[13:26] Oug
    He can win.
[13:29] Oug
    In this hand, he discarded two
    tiles that should have been
[13:32] Oug
    impossible to discard,
    and maintained his tenpai.
[13:36] Oug
    It might not be much, but he can
    still win this hand before Washizu does.
[13:42] Oug
    He can draw the winning tile.
[13:54] Was
    Tanyao, tsumo, two dora. Mangan.
[13:59] Was
    This is what Mahjong is about.
[14:02] Was
    You can play a perfect game...
[14:03] Was
    no, better than perfect...
[14:07] Was
    and you'll still fall short.
[14:10] Was
    You can give your very best and still die.
[14:14] Was
    It's Mahjong where,
    no matter how hard you fight,
[14:16] Was
    you die when your time comes.
[14:19] Was
    Is that not so, Akagi?
[14:25] Nar
    The game is going in your favor.
[14:27] Nar
    You thought you've made it.
[14:29] Nar
    And yet your opponent draws the
    winning tile, with maddening ease.
[14:33] Nar
    It is not a question
    of talent nor strategy.
[14:35] Nar
    Once the opponent draws the
    winning tile, it is over.
[14:39] Nar
    Even Akagi is powerless to stop this.
[14:44] Nar
    Akagi has 26,000 points.
[14:47] Nar
    Washizu has 40,000.
[14:49] Nar
    That's a difference of 14,000 points, and...
[14:52] Was
    It's time to pay the bonus.
[14:58] Nar
    Blood is drawn.
[15:05] Nar
    Whenever Akagi and
    Washizu exchange points,
[15:09] Nar
    whether through a tsumo
    or the obvious direct hit,
[15:12] Nar
    it costs Washizu one million yen,
[15:16] Nar
    and Akagi 100 CCs of blood
    for every 1,000 points.
[15:23] Nar
    This time it was 4,000 points,
[15:25] Nar
    which means 400 CCs of blood.
[15:28] Nar
    He must fill one 250 CC tube
    and add 150 CCs to another.
[15:35] Was
    Now we're starting.
[15:37] Was
    The real game has just begun.
[15:40] Nar
    That's right.
[15:41] Nar
    This is Washizu's vampire Mahjong,
[15:44] Nar
    demanding the very
    blood of his opponents.
[15:47] Nar
    That reality has been set into motion.
[15:52] Yasu
    This is harsh.
[15:53] Yasu
    This is too harsh.
[15:56] Yasu
    If he gets three more tsumo like this,
    that will already be 1,600 CCs.
[16:02] Yasu
    He'll be barely conscious.
[16:03] Yasu
    By the fifth withdrawal, he'll have
    reached the fatal amount of 2,000 CCs.
[16:08] Yasu
    He can't possibly keep this
    up for six East-South matches.
[16:11] Yasu
    There's no way.
[16:13] Nar
    Yes.
[16:14] Nar
    The gap between Akagi and
    Washizu is 14,000 points.
[16:17] Nar
    Herein lies the problem.
[16:20] Nar
    Unless Akagi regains the lead,
[16:22] Nar
    at the end of this hand,
    he will have to pay
[16:24] Nar
    the ranking bonus of 20,000 points,
[16:26] Nar
    that is to say, to have
    2,000 CCs of blood drawn.
[16:29] Nar
    That is certain death.
[16:32] Oug
    That'll be the death of him.
[16:36] nar
    A dark and ominous cloud
    hangs over the table.
[16:39] nar
    The game moves into the South round.
[16:45] Was
    It's laughable.
[16:47] Was
    He wanted this reckless
    rate of 2,000 CCs of blood
[16:50] Was
    being worth 20,000 points,
    and look at him now.
[16:54] Was
    Trash.
[16:57] Was
    Though, he did show a little aptitude.
[17:01] Was
    I was impressed by his bold
    utilization of the second discard pile.
[17:08] Was
    But it was nothing more
    than a little trick.
[17:12] Was
    That's not the way to
    grab hold of this game.
[17:15] Was
    He's the one who chose 2,000
    points over a mangan hand.
[17:22] Was
    That was the moment you drove
    the luck from your side.
[17:28] Was
    You may be able to avoid
    dealing into my hands,
[17:30] Was
    but that's all you'll be able to do.
[17:33] Was
    Once you've lost the favor of
    Lady Luck, you can't get it back.
[17:37] Was
    The good draws will
    come to me first.
[17:41] Was
    That's inevitable.
[17:44] Was
    Dark demons live in
    the world of Mahjong,
[17:49] Was
    and what they appreciate is maturity
    and elegance more than childish tricks.
[17:56] Was
    That is to say, my style.
[18:06] Was
    I'm already close to tenpai.
[18:10] Was
    That's no fun.
[18:13] Nar
    If he deals the 5 of characters,
    he will be in tenpai.
[18:15] Nar
    It would be a tanpin,
    sanshoku, with one dora.
[18:18] Nar
    If he declares riichi,
[18:20] Nar
    his underling will be able to supply him
    with the winning 2 of circles right away,
[18:25] Nar
    netting him the ippatsu bonus
    and giving him a haneman.
[18:27] Nar
    If he gets even one reverse dora,
    it increases to a baiman.
[18:30] Nar
    It is the ideal shape.
[18:32] Was
    This is pointless.
[18:34] Was
    This win will end it all.
[18:38] Nar
    Currently, there is a 14,000
    point gap between them.
[18:40] Nar
    With this win, that gap
    would become 26,000 points,
[18:44] Nar
    with the potential to rise to 30,000.
[18:47] Nar
    Reversing the situation after
    that would be impossible.
[18:52] Nar
    Akagi's death would be certain.
[18:54] Was
    So that's it?
[18:57] Was
    That was no fun.
[19:00] Was
    But I guess that's street
    kid Mahjong for you.
[19:07] Was
    Riichi.
[19:11] Aka
    Nope.
[19:15] Aka
    Tanyao, one dora. 2,600.
[19:19] Was
    A single wait for the 5 of characters?
[19:21] Was
    He took the 5 of characters
    that would naturally come out
[19:23] Was
    if I were to go for a sanshoku.
[19:27] Was
    Was that on purpose?
[19:30] Was
    Coincidence?
[19:32] Was
    No, he planned it.
[19:36] Was
    Just before, he discarded the 6 of circles,
[19:38] Was
    which proves this 5 of characters
    wait was no coincidence.
[19:41] Was
    It was intentional.
[19:45] Nar
    Had he kept the 6 of circles in his hand,
[19:48] Nar
    his tenpai would have looked like this.
[19:51] Nar
    He would have been had a 4-way
    wait for 1, 4, 7 or 6 of circles.
[19:55] Nar
    Yet he threw away that four-way
    wait for this single 5 of characters wait.
[20:00] Was
    I get it.
[20:06] oug
    Th-Thanks.
[20:11] Was
    Pretty good.
[20:13] Was
    Any other kind of play would be boring.
[20:16] Was
    It would have been horribly dull if you
[20:19] Was
    hadn't shown at least this
    little flash of talent.
[20:23] Was
    Fight back.
[20:25] Was
    Come back at me with
    everything you've got.
[20:30] Was
    Show me that very last
    shred of resistance
[20:33] Was
    when I've got you backed into the corner.
[20:36] Was
    That, for me, is the ultimate pleasure!
[20:47] Nar
    The genius from the
    darkness, Akagi Shigeru.
[20:51] Nar
    The monster of the
    Showa Era, Washizu Iwao.
[20:54] Nar
    Two monsters that live
    in the world of shadows.
[20:57] Nar
    Their deathmatch continues.
[21:00] Nar
    Who will be the one to fall into
    the pitch-black void of obliteration?
[22:16] Nar
    Next time, "The Cursed Tiles."
SIGN    Next episode
SIGN    The Cursed Tiles