Akagi – The Gurren Lagann of Mahjong Anime

Akagi is a badass.

Akagi is a 2005-2006 anime series about Mahjong. But it’s not really about Mahjong. It’s about kicking ass. And it’s about doing it in a way that mindfucks the enemy.

Akagi is a really difficult series to talk about. It’s hard to quantify what it is exactly. It’s simplistic yet complex. It’s subdued yet exciting. It’s superficial yet incredibly deep. It’s like a shounen fighting series yet it isn’t. What Akagi does extremely well is present itself in a certain light, only to change that presentation in the midst of watching it. You don’t realize things are changing. There isn’t any abrupt bait-and-switch tactic. It moves quickly and subtly, and so deftly that your perception of what is happening can change without you realizing it until much, much later.

So, what is Akagi about? On the surface it features the titular character, Shigeru Akagi, as he plays Mahjong against various opponents. But it’s not about playing Mahjong. It isn’t about strategy or tactics or cheating at Mahjong. Hell, it isn’t even about winning Mahjong. It’s about how Akagi is able to delve into the psyche of his opponents, discover their weaknesses, and exploit them in order to triumph. From the onset you know Akagi is going to win, there’s no question about that. You are watching Akagi to see how he is going to win. This series is really more about the means rather than the end.

Top 30 Anime Openings (with Video Evidence): Part 3

I’m back with the third and final entry in this three part series. This week, the next ten openings will be revealed. There probably aren’t a lot of surprises here, and most are lauded amongst the anime fan community as great openings. There will be, however, a few that I imagine are a bit unexpected. Once you’re done watching, feel free to leave a comment about the entire 30 entry list. Anyway, on to the openings.

Note: Sometimes after watching so many embedded files, Youtube audio files will stop working, or the entire file will load incredibly slowly. If that happens, reload the page, and everything will work again.

10.) Hellsing – A World Without Logos by Yasushi Ishii

Songs just really don’t get much cooler than this one. The jazzy theme melds nicely with the crazy visuals, making for a very surreal experience. It also manages to fit the tone of the series perfectly.

9.) The Big O – Big O! by Rui Nagai

A very catchy song, an homage to Queen, and awesome retro visuals. This is certainly an incredibly memorable opening.

8.) Berserk – Tell Me Why by PenPals

With so much Engrish, how could anyone not like this opening? It’s short, has a scratchy guitar, and just plain rocks. Plus, anything having to do with Berserk is cool in my book.