# 2 - The Awakening of Talent
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**
The year is 1958.
**[01:14] ---**
A thunderstorm was raging that night...
**[01:17] nar**
The night the genius who descended
into the darkness, Akagi Shigeru,
**[01:21] nar**
the one who would come
to be known as the man
**[01:23] nar**
from the godly realm,
saw his legend begin.
**[01:27] nar**
Akagi had agreed to play for a man
struggling with debt, Nangou.
**[01:30] nar**
While playing against the yakuza,
his talent begins to awaken.
**[01:36] ryu**
Riichi.
**[01:43] yas**
*This guy... how could he discard*
**[01:45] ---**
*that tile so calmly against that riichi?*
**[01:49] ---**
* He's a complete novice,*
* no matter how you look at it.*
**[01:52] yas**
*Those guys don't get it, either.*
**[01:55] yas**
*Somehow, for all his insane discards,*
**[01:57] ---**
*he never deals into anyone's hand.*
**[01:59] yas**
*I don't know if it's intuition or insight,*
**[02:03] ---**
* but either way, I'm sure he was*
* the kid from last night's incident!*
***SIGN*** Episode 2
***SIGN*** The Awakening of Talent
**[02:17] nar**
It's South Hand 1. Ryuuzaki.
**[02:23] ryu**
Riichi.
**[02:31] yas**
*Again?*
**[02:32] yas**
*He's lucky no one called that...*
**[02:35] yas**
* How can he keep discarding*
* these dangerous tiles so easily?*
**[02:39] yas**
*Is this the luck he was born with?*
**[02:48] yas**
* With this hand, you'd probably*
* want to discard the 5 of bamboo...*
**[02:53] yas**
* But it's unwise, since it's clear from*
* the discards that it's an ura suji.*
**[02:56] yas**
* On top of that, it's a dora.*
* You simply can't discard that.*
**[03:00] yas**
* Since he can see where all four*
* of the 3 of characters tiles are,*
**[03:03] ---**
*he should discard the 2 of characters...*
**[03:07] nan**
H-Hang on a sec!
**[03:11] nan**
I know asking you to read the tiles in
**[03:12] ---**
the discard pile is too much to ask for,
**[03:14] ---**
but that's just too crazy.
**[03:17] aka**
Is this tile that dangerous?
**[03:20] nan**
That's Ryuuzaki's ura suji.
**[03:23] nar**
Ura suji is, for instance, getting a
3 of bamboo with a hand like this.
**[03:27] ---**
The 6 of bamboo will be discarded.
**[03:29] nar**
In Mahjong, this mechanism
makes it very likely that
**[03:31] ---**
the wait will be for a 2 or 5 of bamboo.
**[03:34] nan**
On top of that, the 5 of bamboo is a dora.
**[03:36] aka**
Dora?
**[03:37] nan**
A dora is a handy tile
**[03:38] ---**
that gives you an additional
han just for having it.
**[03:43] aka**
I didn't know that.
**[03:46] aka**
But that doesn't matter.
**[03:49] nan**
Hey!
**[03:53] aka**
See, this one went through.
**[03:56] nan**
You idiot!
**[03:57] ---**
If you keep playing like that, you'll eventually...
**[04:03] ryu**
Ron.
**[04:07] nan**
What?!
**[04:07] yas**
Waiting for a 2 or 5 of characters?!
**[04:10] nan**
Don't tell me...
**[04:12] aka**
I knew it.
**[04:14] ---**
I figured this area was
the most problematic.
**[04:17] nan**
Why?
**[04:19] yas**
How did you know that?
**[04:20] aka**
I heard the voices.
**[04:22] guy**
What?
**[04:24] aka**
Everybody's distracted by the noise
**[04:26] ---**
and simply can't hear their voices.
**[04:29] aka**
But I can hear them.
**[04:31] ---**
The voices of the three groups of discards.
**[04:37] nar**
In the end, Ryuuzaki loses
first place again this hand.
**[04:43] nar**
After the sixth game,
Nangou is at +49.
**[04:46] nar**
Only two games remain.
**[04:49] ryu**
This is ridiculous.
**[04:51] ---**
We're getting beaten by that amateur kid.
**[04:54] ryu**
At this rate, I'm going to have to shoulder
**[04:59] ---**
that scumbag's three million yen debt.
**[05:02] ryu**
Call Yagi. Call our rep player, Yagi!
**[05:06] guy**
Yes, sir!
**[05:08] yas**
None of this makes any sense.
**[05:12] yas**
You only started playing
Mahjong a few hours ago,
**[05:15] ---**
yet not only have you not dealt
into Ryuuzaki's hand once,
**[05:18] ---**
you also came out on top.
**[05:21] yas**
Can you tell us...
**[05:23] ---**
What you're seeing right now?
**[05:30] aka**
Detective,
**[05:31] ---**
what would you discard from this hand?
**[05:36] yas**
The south or west wind, I'd say.
**[05:39] aka**
Then, let's say those honor
tiles have been taken care of.
**[05:42] aka**
How about this hand?
**[05:45] yas**
8 of characters.
**[05:47] aka**
And from this one?
**[05:49] nan**
7 of circles!
**[05:51] yas**
7 of circles...
**[05:53] aka**
Detective, do you see the difference
**[05:56] ---**
between this 7 of circles
and the 8 of characters?
**[05:59] yas**
Difference?
**[05:59] nan**
What?
**[06:01] aka**
At first glance, it appears the 7 of circles and
8 of characters were discarded similarly.
**[06:04] aka**
However, they hold completely
opposite discard information.
**[06:08] aka**
When the 8 of characters was discarded,
it wasn't connected to
**[06:11] ---**
any wait in our hand.
**[06:13] aka**
On the other hand,
this 7 of circles is connected to
**[06:15] ---**
a wait and is therefore a dangerous tile.
**[06:18] aka**
If you were to classify discards in Mahjong,
**[06:20] ---**
there are essentially two groups.
**[06:22] aka**
Those in the safe zone,
and those in the danger zone.
**[06:25] aka**
Of course, there are tiles that don't
**[06:27] ---**
clearly fit into either group and
aren't much more than noise.
**[06:30] aka**
If you include that,
you have three groups.
**[06:33] aka**
Every discarded tile can be 100% explained
**[06:35] ---**
with these three groups.
**[06:38] aka**
Do you remember these discarded tiles?
**[06:42] yas**
Those are Ryuuzaki's tiles
when you discarded the dora.
**[06:46] aka**
Right. Nangou-san tried to stop me,
**[06:49] ---**
but to me, it was clear that it would pass.
**[06:53] aka**
He discarded the 6 of bamboo too early.
**[06:55] aka**
That means the 6 of bamboo's worth was lower
**[06:58] ---**
than the 9 of circles and 8 of
characters that came after,
**[07:00] ---**
meaning he had none
of the surrounding tiles.
**[07:03] aka**
Even if he did, they would've been
closer to the 2 or 3 of bamboo.
**[07:06] aka**
But that possibility also disappeared
**[07:08] ---**
when he discarded the 1 of bamboo
after drawing it in the eighth turn.
**[07:11] aka**
He had no bamboo tiles left.
**[07:13] aka**
From the early discard of the 6 of bamboo,
**[07:15] ---**
it was basically clear that he had
no bamboo tiles left in his hand.
**[07:19] aka**
The area around the
6 of bamboo is a safe zone.
**[07:21] aka**
But the area around the 1 of
characters that he'd clung to
**[07:23] ---**
until the sixth turn...
**[07:25] aka**
combined with the discarded
4 of characters afterward,
**[07:28] ---**
made it pretty obvious that he was
waiting for a 2 or 5 of characters.
**[07:32] aka**
Meaning that this 1 of characters
**[07:34] ---**
was the classic example of the danger zone.
**[07:38] aka**
This is how I classify my opponent's discards.
**[07:42] aka**
And the tile that didn't fit in either category...
**[07:45] aka**
This is the noise I mentioned earlier.
**[07:49] yas**
Noise?
**[07:50] nan**
Noise, huh?
**[07:51] aka**
Ryuuzaki has a bit of a habit.
**[07:54] yas**
A habit?
**[07:57] aka**
That time, Ryuuzaki...
**[08:00] (Flashback) ryu**
Riichi.
**[08:01] aka**
After declaring riichi,
he looked at his tiles,
**[08:04] ---**
then glanced to the left end of his hand.
**[08:08] ryu**
The left end...
**[08:09] aka**
Yes. That means he
looked at his character tiles.
**[08:13] aka**
He was double-checking
that he was in tenpai.
**[08:17] aka**
From that moment, the chance of him
waiting for circles was also gone.
**[08:20] ---**
He was only waiting for
character tiles, namely 2 or 5.
**[08:25] yas**
*He's a monster!*
**[08:26] yas**
* He only started playing*
* Mahjong a few hours ago*
**[08:28] ---**
* and has already uncovered the*
* essence of the discarded tiles!*
**[08:31] yas**
*And his insight is frightening...*
**[08:34] yas**
*Ryuuzaki is no match for him.*
**[08:36] ---**
*He's already surpassed him by far.*
**[08:38] yas**
*The talent of a genius has awakened in him.*
**[08:46] nar**
The showdown resumes.
**[08:48] nar**
It's the seventh game, the third
East-South match since Akagi joined.
**[08:54] nan**
*I'm counting on you, Akagi.*
**[08:56] nan**
*Stay on this wave and finish it!*
**[09:02] nar**
It's as if Nangou's prayer worked.
**[09:04] nar**
Akagi's doing well again
in this East-South match.
**[09:07] nar**
After the East round,
**[09:08] ---**
Akagi is in the lead, 22,000 points ahead
**[09:10] ---**
of the second place Ryuuzaki.
**[09:12] nar**
It seems as if this East-South
match is already decided.
**[09:15] nar**
But then...
***SIGN*** Yagi Keiji
**[09:24] nar**
The rep player, Yagi Keiji, arrives.
**[09:27] ryu**
Yagi! I've been waiting for you!
**[09:31] yag**
Ryuuzaki-san, I hear you're
having a tough time.
**[09:35] yag**
I've seen the kid's tiles,
so I can't play this hand.
**[09:40] ---**
Shall I start in the next hand, then?
**[09:43] ryu**
Could you?
**[09:44] yag**
Don't worry, we still have
the entire South round to go.
**[09:47] yag**
I'll win this East-South match for you.
**[09:51] nar**
At that moment, Yagi didn't even
consider Akagi to be an opponent.
**[09:55] nar**
That's only to be expected.
**[09:57] ---**
After all, Akagi is a middle school student.
**[10:02] nar**
However, his opinion would quickly change.
**[10:09] nar**
The match resumes.
**[10:10] nar**
The dealer's first discard...
**[10:13] ryu**
Pon.
**[10:14] nar**
Ryuuzaki calls once.
**[10:16] nar**
Is it a rush?
**[10:19] nar**
And now, Akagi's first draw.
**[10:22] nar**
A pair of red dragons.
**[10:24] yas**
*He's lucky.*
**[10:25] yas**
* Since he's in the lead,*
* an express ticket to early victory,*
**[10:28] ---**
* like the red dragon pair,*
* is just what he needs.*
**[10:32] nar**
However, Akagi had a certain hunch...
**[10:36] yas**
What?
**[10:38] nar**
The next turn, he discards another red dragon!
**[10:40] nar**
Yasuoka can't believe that he
discarded the red dragon pair.
**[10:43] nar**
At that moment, Ryuuzaki thinks...
**[10:48] ryu**
*Keeping the red dragon won't do any good.*
**[10:52] nar**
But in the next turn...
**[10:56] ryu**
*Damn it!*
**[10:59] nar**
And the turn after that...
**[11:03] ryu**
*Crap!*
**[11:05] ---**
*If I hadn't discarded the red dragon...*
**[11:13] ryu**
Pon!
**[11:15] nar**
Akagi's reason for discarding
his pair of red dragons
**[11:17] ---**
finally becomes apparent.
**[11:20] yas**
*He has such a keen sense that*
**[11:21] ---**
* he smelled the daisangen just*
* from the white dragon being called.*
**[11:24] yas**
*He foresaw the danger.*
**[11:26] yas**
* The strange move of dropping*
* the two red dragons*
**[11:28] ---**
*killed off Ryuuzaki's potential daisangen.*
**[11:32] nar**
A few turns later,
**[11:33] ---**
Akagi is one tile away from
completing a sanshoku.
**[11:37] nar**
But, seeing that Ryuuzaki
can win any time...
**[11:40] aka**
Chi.
**[11:42] nar**
Without any remorse, he throws
away the sanshoku...
**[11:46] aka**
Ron.
**[11:49] nar**
...and takes a 1,000 point win.
**[11:54] yas**
* He moves quickly.*
* His insight is spot on.*
**[11:57] yas**
* A normal player would be*
* hesitant to drop the sanshoku,*
**[12:00] ---**
* but this kid knows how much that*
* hesitation would slow him down.*
**[12:06] yas**
*His sense is miles ahead...*
**[12:08] yas**
*Ryuuzaki is simply no match for him.*
**[12:11] yas**
* It's like a shootout between a scoped*
* rifle and a crudely modded gun.*
**[12:17] yas**
* He'll be shot down*
* without having a chance.*
**[12:19] yas**
*The only concern now is this man, Yagi Keiji.*
**[12:29] ryu**
You want to keep observing him
the rest of this East-South match?
**[12:31] yag**
Yes. We're 23,000 points behind,
and it's already South Hand 2.
**[12:37] ---**
To turn it around from here,
I'd have to overextend quite a bit.
**[12:40] yag**
And that kid's actually quite formidable.
**[12:44] yag**
I heard he's a beginner.
**[12:47] ---**
That makes him even more eerie
as an unknown quantity.
**[12:51] yag**
It's best to not underestimate him.
**[12:53] yag**
Observing him for the rest of this
East-South match is safest.
**[12:57] nar**
The match resumes with South Hand 2.
**[13:01] yas**
*I see. This guy isn't stupid.*
**[13:05] yas**
* Did he pick up on Akagi's*
* talent with one glance?*
**[13:08] yas**
*The opponent's only a middle schooler.*
**[13:10] yas**
* Most people would want to show*
* off in a situation like this.*
**[13:12] yas**
*His restraint is admirable.*
**[13:14] yas**
* He's definitely a higher*
* ranked player than Ryuuzaki.*
**[13:21] nar**
Akagi's one tile away from tenpai.
**[13:23] ---**
It's already the eighth turn.
**[13:30] yag**
What?!
**[13:33] nar**
At that moment, the player before Akagi
**[13:35] ---**
was in tenpai with a
junchan sanshoku hand,
***SIGN*** Junchan (jun chanta) - A "pure" chanta with terminals in each set, and no honor tiles.
**[13:37] nar**
with a closed wait for an 8 of bamboo.
***SIGN*** Closed wait - Waiting for the middle tile in a sequence.
**[13:41] yag**
*How did he avoid discarding the 8 of bamboo?*
**[13:44] yag**
*From the previous player's discards,*
**[13:46] ---**
* it would've made sense to discard his*
* least useful tile, the 8 of bamboo.*
**[13:50] yag**
* He sensed that the 8 of*
* bamboo is dangerous and*
**[13:52] ---**
*discarded the 5 of bamboo instead...*
**[13:55] yag**
*What can this kid see?*
**[13:59] nar**
The following turn.
**[14:03] yag**
*I can't believe what he just drew.*
**[14:05] yag**
*Not only does he seem to see
through everybody's hands,*
**[14:07] ---**
*he also has incredible luck.*
**[14:09] yag**
*An 8 of bamboo triplet...*
**[14:13] yag**
* He basically holds all the winning*
* tiles of the player before him.*
**[14:18] nar**
The turn after that.
**[14:24] aka**
Riichi.
**[14:27] nar**
Akagi declares riichi with a wait
for the 2 or 5 of characters.
**[14:30] nar**
The detective Yasuoka, watching from
behind him, doesn't notice anything.
**[14:33] nar**
Obviously, neither does Nangou.
**[14:35] nar**
However,
**[14:37] nar**
a shock runs through Yagi.
**[14:40] yag**
*Riichi after discarding the 6 of circles...*
**[14:42] yag**
*That was a mistake.*
**[14:44] yag**
*If he had to declare riichi from this hand,
he should have discarded the 5 of circles.*
**[14:48] yag**
*If he drew a 4 of circles,*
***SIGN*** Kan - Four of a kind that is revealed to the other players.
**[14:49] ---**
*he could have declared kan, as well.*
**[14:51] yag**
Since that would give him
a draw from the dead wall
**[14:53] ---**
and an additional dora indicator,
**[14:55] ---**
there was no choice but
to discard the 5 of circles.
**[14:57] yag**
* In other words, his riichi*
* should have looked like this.*
**[15:00] yag**
*Why didn't he do it that way?*
**[15:04] yag**
* I bet he thought that he couldn't*
* declare kan after declaring riichi.*
**[15:07] yag**
*He still is just a beginner.*
**[15:10] yag**
*I can beat him.*
**[15:11] yag**
* I'll take advantage of that*
* opening and destroy his game.*
**[15:15] yag**
* The smarter they are, the worse*
* they stumble once thrown off balance.*
**[15:21] nar**
In the end, Akagi dominated
the seventh game.
**[15:25] nar**
If Akagi wins one more game,
**[15:28] ---**
all of Nangou's debts will be paid off,
and it will all be over.
**[15:33] ryu**
Can you win?
**[15:34] yag**
Just trust me.
**[15:37] yag**
Except...
**[15:40] yag**
I have a request.
**[15:44] yag**
Don't you think this is an unfair fight?
**[15:49] aka**
Unfair?
**[15:50] yag**
Yeah. Think about it.
**[15:52] ---**
Ryuuzaki-san, your opponent up to now,
**[15:54] ---**
will lose a tremendous amount
of money if he loses.
**[15:57] yag**
And, as his rep player,
**[15:58] ---**
losing to an amateur will mean
that my career will be over.
**[16:03] yag**
But what about you?
**[16:05] yag**
If you lose, only Nangou will be in trouble.
**[16:10] yag**
You won't lose anything.
**[16:13] aka**
What are you getting at?
**[16:15] yag**
It's quite simple.
Let's make a personal wager.
**[16:19] yag**
100,000 yen on one East-South match.
**[16:22] yag**
I realize that you can't get
that kind of money right now.
**[16:26] yag**
That's why I'm willing to
accept a substitute for it.
**[16:31] aka**
What kind of substitute?
**[16:33] yag**
One finger for 100,000 yen.
**[16:36] yas**
N-Now just a minute...
**[16:39] aka**
Sure.
**[16:41] ---**
If it's the same.
**[16:42] yag**
The same?
**[16:44] aka**
Yeah. You don't look like you
have that kind of money, either.
**[16:49] aka**
If you're willing to equally pay
with a finger when you lose,
**[16:53] ---**
I don't mind.
**[16:54] yag**
*You little shit...*
**[16:56] yag**
Of course, I accept.
**[16:58] yag**
Don't forget what you just said!
**[17:02] yas**
*He didn't see that coming.*
**[17:04] yas**
*That was just a bluff.*
**[17:05] ---**
* He tried to scare Akagi and*
* overwhelm him with pressure.*
**[17:10] yas**
*This kid parried that elegantly.*
**[17:14] yas**
*He's got guts.*
***SIGN*** - Eighth Game -
**[17:18] nar**
When gambling, having something to lose
**[17:21] ---**
changes the game fundamentally.
**[17:24] nar**
When there's nothing to lose,
**[17:26] ---**
one's intuition and concentration
are the deciding factors.
**[17:29] nar**
But when there is something at stake,
**[17:32] ---**
those abilities alone will
not carry you to victory.
**[17:35] nar**
It doesn't matter how well you
can read your opponent's hands
**[17:37] ---**
if you can't trust your own conclusion.
**[17:40] nar**
If you lack the capacity
**[17:42] ---**
to entrust your fate to your
conclusion, it's all meaningless.
**[17:46] nar**
Which means your will to trust yourself,
**[17:49] ---**
your soul, is what is being tested.
**[17:53] yag**
Riichi.
**[17:59] nar**
Yagi is in a closed wait for a 7 of bamboo.
**[18:02] yas**
*Yagi is already bluffing.*
**[18:05] yas**
*With a hand like this, you'd usually wait*
**[18:07] ---**
*for a two-sided wait before declaring riichi.*
**[18:09] yas**
*But he went for it without hesitation.*
**[18:11] yas**
*A preemptive breakaway riichi.*
**[18:13] yas**
*Yagi wants to see how Akagi will react.*
**[18:16] yas**
*The nature of the game has changed.*
**[18:20] nar**
Now Akagi is in tenpai, as well.
**[18:22] yas**
This is interesting.
**[18:24] yas**
If Akagi hasn't wavered,
**[18:26] ---**
he'll determine that the
7 of characters discarded
**[18:28] ---**
in the second turn is a safe zone,
and discard his 6 of characters.
**[18:31] yas**
But if there is any doubt in his heart...
**[18:35] nar**
But Akagi doesn't hesitate.
**[18:39] yas**
*He's a chicken game survivor after all.*
**[18:42] yas**
*Discarding this without wavering*
**[18:44] ---**
* already places him in a realm*
* common people will never reach.*
**[18:47] yas**
*There is no hesitation at all.*
***SIGN*** - Next Turn -
**[18:52] nar**
Akagi's next draw.
**[18:58] yas**
* He made the 6 of characters pass, but holds*
* on to the winning tile, the 7 of bamboo.*
**[19:02] yas**
*A precise read...*
**[19:04] yas**
* Along with a strong heart that allows*
* him to utilize it under pressure.*
**[19:08] yas**
* Akagi Shigeru's most*
* outstanding talent is...*
**[19:13] yas**
*the ability to trust his own judgment.*
**[19:16] yas**
*His unwavering heart.*
**[19:20] nar**
Yagi's plan to crack Akagi with
pressure utterly fails.
**[19:25] nar**
It seemed as if the game's flow
was in Akagi's favor when...
**[19:36] yas**
*No! That's Yagi's winning tile!*
**[19:39] ryu**
*Why?*
**[19:41] ryu**
*Why didn't you win with that tile?*
**[19:44] yag**
*This is my plan.*
**[19:47] ---**
*I don't need to win this trash hand.*
**[19:52] yag**
* If I don't win, Akagi will*
* probably win East Hand 1.*
**[19:57] yag**
*But that's all right.*
**[20:01] yag**
*Akagi will pick up some points,*
**[20:03] ---**
* but along with them,*
* he'll pick up some doubts.*
**[20:06] yag**
* Those doubts will eventually hit*
* him hard, like a body blow.*
**[20:09] yag**
* Once he starts questioning*
* his own judgment,*
**[20:12] ---**
* he will seriously doubt himself towards*
* the end, when the pressure's on.*
**[20:16] yag**
*Then, he's likely to make a bad discard.*
**[20:19] yag**
* That one mistake can be*
* fatal in a match like this.*
**[20:24] yag**
* I've survived in this*
* world longer than you.*
**[20:27] yag**
* The way I keep myself alive*
* is different than yours.*
**[20:30] yag**
*You're already half-caught in my trap.*
**[20:35] nar**
But in the 15th turn...
**[20:39] yas**
*There it is! Ryanpeikou, pinfu, tsumo!*
***SIGN*** Ryanpeikou - A double sequence, here 33-44-55 and 77-88-99. Pinfu - A hand of only sequences and a 2 or more sided wait.
**[20:42] yas**
*Mangan!*
**[20:49] nar**
Akagi does not take the win.
**[20:52] yag**
*That bastard... could he...*
**[20:55] nar**
The unwavering heart
of the genius Akagi.
**[20:59] nar**
The endless schemes of Yagi.
**[21:01] nar**
The quiet duel to the
death between two rivals...
**[21:05] nar**
The night of legends continues...
**[22:16] nar**
Next Episode: "The Sinister Scheme."
***SIGN*** Next Episode
***SIGN*** The Sinister Scheme