“Saki, a mahjong-hating prodigy, joins her school's club, befriends rivals, and aims for the national championship.”
Saki
咲-Saki-
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AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Saki, a mahjong-hating prodigy, joins her school's club, befriends rivals, and aims for the national championship.
Due to childhood circumstances, first-year high school student Saki Miyanaga hates anything related to mahjong. When she does play the game, she keeps a low profile to avoid standing out. One day, her friend Kyoutarou Suga drags her along to the school's mahjong club. There, she meets Nodoka Haramura, the champion of the previous year's national middle school mahjong championship, and Yuuki Kataoka, a fellow club member. As the club play a few rounds, Saki attempts to hide her talent. However, the club president, Hisa Takei, notices Saki's unusual playstyle. Realizing her potential, she puts Saki's real ability to the test—proving her to be more talented than expected. This revelation damages Nodoka's pride, and their relationship gets off to a rocky start. Saki ends up joining the club, and after clearing up the misunderstandings between her and Nodoka, friendship blooms between them. As Saki slowly warms up to mahjong once again, she and the rest of her club only have one goal—to win nationals!
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 32 sampled reviews
What 32 viewers settled on.
Polarized
σ 1.87 · split reception
4.8 pts
Recommenders 8.5 · others 3.7
↓ 2.38
Running avg · Jun 2009 → Apr 2021
- 9 “Visually appealing and entertaining, the anime delivers fun without requiring any grasp of mahjong jargon like Tsumi, Dora, or Rinshan Kaihou. No prior knowledge of the game is needed to enjoy the...”
- 10 “Taco-powered Yuuki and the promise of yuri pairings deliver delicious camp, yet the series treats mahjong like forgettable side salsa and saddles its heroine with an east-wind-only curse that turns...”
- 9 “I loved how the anime turns a girl who once hated mahjong into an unstoppable force at the table, making impossible wins feel exhilarating. Watching friendships form through shared love of the game...”
Watch Order & Related
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- Format 25 × 24′ eps × min
- Total runtime 10h 00m all episodes
- Aired Apr 2009 – Sep 2009 Spring 2009
- Source Tv media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-4258 catalog
Produced by
- TV Tokyo Producer
- Square Enix Producer
- Sotsu Producer
- Lantis Producer
- Pony Canyon Producer
- KlockWorx Producer
- TV Tokyo Music Producer
- Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club Producer
- Sotsu Music Publishing Producer
- Future Vision Music Producer