Saki Episode of Side A

Note: There are still 4 episodes to find out what happens at the end of the semifinals. I have mixed feelings about Ep 12. I think it was amazing how the story built such an intense battle. Toki completely pushed herself beyond her limits, and she is one of the best characters in the series. She tanked most part the anime. On the other hand, Kuro’s emotional struggle with the doras felt a little bland compared with all the development Toki received. I feel after battle the show was a bit ungrateful with Toki. Anyway, it looks like the end, but it isn’t. Let’s keep going (at least I will.)

What started out, for me, as a burden to watch has now turned into total admiration for the direction the story has taken. It’s very unconventional to see secondary characters become the main focus. The Achiga girls have almost no relevance here, but honestly, that’s fine. Between Kirame’s admirable sense of honour, Toki’s intense and life-threatening sacrifice, and Teru’s overwhelming presence, this part of the story has been an incredible surprise. I’m enjoying every moment. Kuro-chan, just hold on. It’s almost over.

We continue with the same dynamic, conflict, and tension from the previous episode. I like how Toki almost feels like the main character. Her background and character development are some of the most interesting parts of the series, even though I initially treated her like “another girl with health issues.” Sorry, Toki. Kuro remains trapped in the match, even though she’s actually performing better than before. The way the drama is visualized during the game, the effective bgm, and Toki’s story all make this a fantastic episode. Sorry, guys, this isn’t filler, this isn’t a cooldown episode. This is real anime.

It’s quite interesting how the battle escalates in intensity, with the players’ abilities represented through strong winds, fire, and intense power. And poor Kuro-chan is in trouble again. For the first time, I can empathize with a character. She already struggled against Toki in Episode 5, and now she’s once again unable to do anything. Even without understanding the game, you can tell that Kuro previously fought someone incredibly strong, and now she’s facing someone even stronger. She’s completely trapped by the limitations of her own ability. Best episode so far.

Our Achiga girls realize they aren’t strong enough, so they visit a bunch of other players from Tsuruga Academy to somehow become stronger in just one day. I feel like all these girls are characters from the original Saki series. Otherwise, their appearances probably wouldn’t feel so important. I know the story is in a hurry, but the training was incredibly rushed. Since I still don’t understand mahjong, I have no idea whether someone can improve that much in just one day, but I seriously doubt it. But hey, let’s believe in them. After eight episodes, I’ve grown a little fond of the girls (just a little.)

That’s exactly what bothers me. We finally get a normal pace where I can understand some of the drama happening during the mahjong match, but then suddenly, we get the “main character effect,” where our beloved protagonist somehow wins out of nowhere. I understand the whole “heart of the cards” idea (like Yu-Gi-Oh!), but here it feels like, “They have to win because the show must continue.” The good thing is that we now have a subplot involving Harue, which adds some extra flavor to the story.

Okay, the anime is getting better, but at the same time, I still feel a little out of place. It’s like joining a conversation with a group of people and suddenly everyone starts speaking a different language. You can still understand their emotions and connect with them a little, but you have no idea what’s actually going on. I liked that I was able to see there’s some meaning behind Yū constantly feeling cold, and how that feature was uses in the game. Now, it looks like we’re going to see how each of the Achiga girls plays and behaves during a match.

For the first time, I actually felt some excitement about what was happening, because this episode is focused almost entirely on the match, and even if you don’t fully understand the rules, you can still feel the tension because we finally get to see a truly strong opponent. I was also able to empathize with Kuro because we actually see her struggle during the match. That doesn’t mean I want to see the Achiga girls suffer, but these challenges make everything feel a little more real.

The show is becoming more competitive, and we’re finally getting some intensity now that the girls are at the Nationals. I still don’t understand mahjong, though, and I also feel like it might be a good idea to watch the original Saki series first to get a better connection with the story. That memory Kuro has when she first starts playing... gosh, maybe I’m being too harsh, but it felt a little bland for such an important moment. Still, I’m finally starting to feel more connected to the Achiga girls.

Alright, so Bansei is the team that has won the tournament nine years in a row, and then, two minutes later, they lose to Achiga? It’s great when the protagonists win, but I don’t know, give me something. Give me some tension, some emotion. Once again, there are too many moments that deserve more detail and depth, but the pacing is way too fast, and not in a good way. Btw, when I saw this girl, Toki, fainting, my first thought was, “Why is there another girl with health problems?", lol.

Everything is happening too fast, and because of that, I can’t connect with anything that’s going on. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t connect with the story or the characters. I still don’t understand anything about mahjong, and the recurring “comedy” about Yū constantly feeling cold is starting to bother me. Am I missing something? Anyway, let’s keep going.