Saki – time for an experiment
I’m sure you are asking yourself what exactly I could mean by “experiment.” It’s simple really. While watching the first episode of Saki, I found myself being fairly entertained by something I know little to nothing about. That being the game of Mahjong. I don’t know how to play. I don’t know the rules. Nada. My little experiment will be to see what will happen if I continue to watch this show. Will I be able to enjoy a show about something I know nothing about? Will I decide to learn how to play the game, or will the show become annoyingly specific to Mahjong players, ruining the experience?
I don’t really think that the last option will be the case. After all, there are plenty of examples of anime based on card games that do well despite the viewers having no real interest in the game.
There is always the off chance that something entirely unexpected will happen, too. I’m sure it will all be very exciting. Well, not for you, probably. Unless you are following the show as well. It sure makes Mahjong seem awfully entertaining with all the lighting, smoke, and sound effects.
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If you ever want to learn the rules, keep in mind that they’re playing “riichi” mahjong, the Japanese version of the game.
It really seems quite over the top.
I’m reminded of the statement that people who learned to play tennis due to Prince of Tennis found that the show was inaccurate about many things.
@Juni : I’m still a bit wary of taking up the game, actually.
@moritheil : Well, I played tennis for about two years in middle school. I wasn’t too good, and it was never really very exciting. Although, smoke and explosions would have helped.
This reminds me of Yakitake Japan!!, which proved that anything can be in anime if showed in a contest or battle. Or humor and fanservice.
Contest, battle, humor, fanservice…
I’d really like to argue that anime can’t be defined in such simple terms, but I can’t seem to think of an anime that can’t be boiled down to a combination of those four. Although, I seem to recalls some type of literary theory that says pretty much the same thing about story telling, not sure though.
I watched the trailer and it involves pseudo angel warriors. ._.
Yeah, while they haven’t appeared in the actual show, there is no doubt that the action scenes can be a little over the top. Personally, I think it is a selling point.