Saki: A charming and moving story of girls' mahjong "Saki" is a TV anime series that aired on TV Tokyo in 2009, and is based on a popular manga serialized in "Young Gangan" (Square Enix) by Kobayashi Ritz. This work tells the story of beautiful girls developing friendship and love through mahjong, and established a new genre called girls' mahjong. Below, we will introduce the appeal and highlights of "Saki", as well as its background and related works in detail. story The main character, Saki Miyanaga, is a shy high school freshman. She has a miraculous way of playing mahjong, winning every game with a plus or minus zero score. When Saki meets Nodoka Haramura, who has a genius way of playing, she decides to join the mahjong club. The story follows the two of them as they grow together, competing against various rivals in their quest to reach the top of the national tournament. character The charm of "Saki" lies in its unique characters. The main characters are introduced below. Kiyosumi High School- Miyanaga Saki : Her voice actress is Kana Ueda. She is shy and clumsy, but has incredible mahjong skills. Her growth and friendships are at the heart of the story.
- Haramura Kazu : Her voice actress is Koshimizu Ami. She is a genius beauty who has won the individual competition at the National Junior High School Mahjong Tournament. She meets Saki and begins to notice her.
- Yuki Kataoka : Her voice actress is Rie Kugimiya. She has a lively and energetic personality and loves tacos. She has a high winning rate in the East round, but tends to lose momentum in the South round.
- Hisashi Takei : Voice actor is Shizuka Itou. She is the captain of the Mahjong club and also the student council president of Kiyosumi High School. She plays around with her opponents with a style of play that ignores theory.
- Mako Someya : Her voice actress is Ryoko Shiraishi. She speaks in a Hiroshima dialect and is good at dyeing. When she takes off her glasses, she remembers scenes from past games while fighting.
- Kyotaro Suga : Voiced by Jun Fukuyama. He is the only male member of the Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club and Saki's childhood friend. Although he is still a beginner at mahjong, he is captivated by Kazu.
Ryumonbuchi High School- Touka Ryumonbuchi : Voiced by Minori Chihara. A beautiful and intelligent young lady who likes to be the center of attention. She has a strong rivalry with Nodoka.
- Kunihiro Hajime : Her voice actress is Shimizu Ai. She is known for her restraints and star-shaped fashion, and is Touka's personal maid. She distanced herself from mahjong after an incident that occurred at a mahjong tournament in elementary school.
- Sawamura Tomoki : Voiced by Ohashi Ayuru. A quiet girl who loves computers. She uses a PDA and a laptop to gather information.
- Jun Inoue : Her voice actress is Yuko Kaida. She has a boyish and mannish personality, and plays mahjong while sitting in meditation. She has the skills to control the flow of the game.
- Amane Irodori : Voiced by Kaori Fukuhara. A girl whose origins and background are shrouded in mystery, she is called "a child loved by tiles" by professional mahjong player Fujita. Despite her young appearance, she has powerful skills.
Kazekoshi Girls' High School- Mihoko Fukuji : Voiced by Yui Horie. Captain of the Mahjong club, she is ranked number one in the school. She has a kind personality and is trusted by the club members, but she also has a sensitive side.
- Kana Ikeda : Her voice actress is Rika Morinaga. She is ranked second in the school rankings and is a talented student who admires Fukuji. She will risk her life to fight for Fukuji.
- Yoshitome Miharu : Voice actress: Kanzaki Chiro. An attractive girl with glasses and short hair, she is a top-ranked member of the mahjong club at Kazekoshi Girls' High School.
- Fukahori Sumiyo : Voiced by Mitsuki Saiga. A plump girl, she supports Fukuji and works to gather information. She fights hard to win the prefectural tournament preliminaries.
- Bundou Seika : Voiced by Matayoshi Ai. A girl with narrow eyes and distinctive features, she quickly rises to fame in the mahjong club at Kazekoshi Girls' High School and is selected as a member of the team for team matches.
Tsuruga Gakuen- Yumi Kajiki : Her voice actress is Yu Kobayashi. She is a calm and thoughtful girl, and a talented mahjong player at Tsuruga Academy. She plays while sensing the flow of the game, but she also has a passionate side.
- Momoko Higashiyoko : Voiced by Momoko Saito. A quiet girl who joins the mahjong club and shows off her unique style of play.
- Tomomi Kambara : Voiced by Natsuko Kuwatani. She is a carefree girl who is always smiling, and is the captain of the Mahjong club. She leads the club together with Kajiki.
- Senoo Kaori : Voiced by Ryoko Shintani. A timid girl who is forced to join the club by her childhood friend, Kambara. Although she is a beginner, she has shown skills that put veterans to shame.
- Mutsuki Tsuyama : Voiced by Kokoro Nanasawa, she is a quiet and honest girl who aims to compete in the national tournament with the Tsuruga Academy Mahjong club.
Background "Saki" was produced by GONZO Studio 5. It was directed by Ono Manabu, character designed by Sasaki Masakatsu, and composed by Watanabe Tsuyoshi. The show is notable for its adorable character designs, which make use of the know-how it has cultivated through "Strike Witches," and for the powerful visuals of the girls' mahjong matches. Yamamoto Hironori also supervised the hand records, and was particular about the realistic depiction of mahjong. Broadcast information "Saki" was broadcast on TV Tokyo affiliates from April 5th to September 27th, 2009. It consists of 25 episodes, each 30 minutes long. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo affiliates, AT-X, and ShowTime, and was also streamed online. The broadcast schedule is as follows: - TV Tokyo: April 5, 2009 to September 27, 2009 (Every Sunday 26:00-26:30)
- TV Aichi: April 6, 2009 to September 28, 2009 (Mondays 26:28 to 26:58)
- TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting: April 7, 2009 to September 29, 2009 (every Tuesday 26:23 to 26:53)
- TV Setouchi: April 8, 2009 to September 30, 2009 (every Wednesday 25:18 to 25:48)
- TV Osaka: April 10, 2009 to October 2, 2009 (every Friday 27:35 to 28:05)
- TV Hokkaido: April 14, 2009 to October 6, 2009 (every Tuesday 26:00 to 26:30)
- AT-X: May 6, 2009 to October 21, 2009 (Wednesdays 10:00-10:30)
- Biwako Broadcasting: October 2, 2009 to March 26, 2010 (Every Friday 26:00-26:30)
- Kagoshima Television: December 3, 2009 to May 27, 2010 (Every Thursday 26:20-26:50)
- MONDO TV: July 19, 2012 to January 10, 2013 (Every Thursday 24:00-24:30)
- BS Japan: April 3, 2014 to September 18, 2014 (Every Thursday 26:28-26:58)
Theme songs and music The theme songs and insert songs of "Saki" also enhance the charm of the work. Below are the main songs. Opening Theme- OP1 : Glossy: MMM (episodes 1-14)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composition and Arrangement: Nijine
- Vocals: Hashimoto Miyuki
- OP2 : blooooomin' (episodes 15-25)
- Lyrics, composition and arrangement: Little Non, Takahiro Ando
- Sung by: Little Non
Ending Theme- ED1 : Glossy: MMM (episodes 1 and 25)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composition and Arrangement: Nijine
- Vocals: Hashimoto Miyuki
- ED2 : Warm Welcome to Wonderland (episodes 2-6, 8, 9, 11-14)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composer: Koshiro Fukumoto
- Arrangement: Takahiro Ando
- Singers: Saki Miyanaga (Kana Ueda), Kazu Haramura (Ami Koshimizu), Yuki Kataoka (Rie Kugimiya), Mako Someya (Ryoko Shiraishi), Hisashi Takei (Shizuka Ito)
- ED3 : In a Cruel Wish (episodes 7, 10, 16, 18, and 22)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composer: rino
- Arrangement: Nijine (Glory Heaven)
- Sung by: Miyanaga Saki (Ueda Kana), Haramura Kazu (Koshimizu Ami)
- ED4 : I'll be waiting for you in the square universe (episodes 15, 17, 19-21, 23, 24)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composition and Arrangement: Tomoya Kinoshita
- Singers: Saki Miyanaga (Kana Ueda), Kazu Haramura (Ami Koshimizu), Yuki Kataoka (Rie Kugimiya), Mako Someya (Ryoko Shiraishi), Hisashi Takei (Shizuka Ito)
Insert song- IN1 : Warm Welcome to Wonderland (episode 20)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composer: Koshiro Fukumoto
- Arrangement: Takahiro Ando
- Singers: Saki Miyanaga (Kana Ueda), Kazu Haramura (Ami Koshimizu), Yuki Kataoka (Rie Kugimiya), Mako Someya (Ryoko Shiraishi), Hisashi Takei (Shizuka Ito)
- IN2 : Glossy: MMM (episode 24)
- Lyricist: Aki Hata
- Composition and Arrangement: Nijine
- Vocals: Hashimoto Miyuki
subtitle The subtitles of each episode of "Saki" symbolize the development of the story and the growth of the characters. Below are the subtitles of all 25 episodes. - Game 1: Encounter (April 5, 2009)
- Game 2: Game (2009/04/12)
- Game 3: Conflict (2009/04/19)
- Game 4: Tossed Around (2009/04/26)
- Game 5: Training camp (May 3, 2009)
- Game 6: Opening (2009/05/10)
- Game 7: Tradition (2009/05/17)
- Game 8: The night before (2009/05/24)
- Episode 9: Opening of eyes (2009/05/31)
- Game 10: Beginner (2009/06/07)
- Game 11: Prank (2009/06/14)
- Game 12: Awakening (2009/06/21)
- Episode 13: Slight fever (2009/06/28)
- Episode 14: Existence (2009/07/05)
- Game 15: Monster (2009/07/12)
- Game 16: Collusion (2009/07/19)
- Game 17: Nightmare (2009/07/26)
- Game 18: Connection (2009/08/02)
- Game 19: Friends (2009/08/09)
- Game 20: Sisters (2009/08/16)
- Game 21: Reminiscence (2009/08/23)
- Episode 22: Promise (2009/09/06)
- Game 23: Serious (2009/09/13)
- Game 24: Summer Festival (2009/09/20)
- 25th station: Nationwide (2009/09/27)
Related Titles "Saki" has been expanded beyond just the original manga and anime to include a variety of related works. Below are some of the main related works. - Saki Picture Drama : Short episodes inserted between the main anime story, depicting the characters' daily lives and backstories.
- Saki Achiga-hen episode of side-A : A spin-off that tells the story of Achiga Girls' Academy, a rival school of Kiyosumi High School. It was made into an anime in 2012.
- Saki - Zenkoku-hen : A sequel set in the national tournament, it was made into an anime in 2014. The members of Kiyosumi High School face off against the best schools in the country.
- Sakibiyori : A four-panel comic that depicts the characters' daily lives, with a humorous story that differs from the original.
Evaluation and Impressions "Saki" established a new genre called girls' mahjong and gained many fans. It has been especially praised for the individuality and growth of its beautiful characters, as well as the portrayal of friendship and love through mahjong. In addition, the rules and strategies of mahjong are carefully depicted, so even beginners can enjoy the game. The animation was also of a high standard, and the cuteness of the characters and the intensity of the mahjong scenes captivated viewers. In particular, the attention to detail of director Manabu Ono and character designer Masakatsu Sasaki can be felt in the work. The theme song and insert songs also add to the atmosphere of the work, earning it high praise from fans. Recommended points The reasons why we recommend "Saki" are as follows: - Beautiful characters : The beautiful characters are all charming and full of personality, and you'll be touched by their growth and friendship.
- Realistic depiction of mahjong : The rules and strategies of mahjong are carefully depicted, so even beginners can enjoy it. In addition, under the supervision of Hironori Yamamoto, who supervises the paifu, you can enjoy realistic mahjong scenes.
- A moving story : The tale of the girls aiming for the national tournament is moving and memorable, especially the friendship between Saki and Nodoka and their confrontations with their rivals.
- High-quality animation : Produced by GONZO Studio 5, you can enjoy the cuteness of the characters and the power of the mahjong scenes.
- Attractive music : The theme songs and insert songs add to the atmosphere of the work and enrich the viewing experience. The singing voices of Miyuki Hashimoto and Little Non are particularly impressive.
Conclusion "Saki" established a new genre called girls' mahjong, and is a moving work that depicts the growth and friendship of beautiful characters. The realistic depiction of mahjong, high-quality animation, and attractive music have all captivated many fans. There is also a rich selection of original manga and related works, allowing you to enjoy the work even more deeply. Please try to experience the world of "Saki". |
