Legend of Koizumi anime

Yes, “The Legend of Koizumi”, a completely gonzo comedy manga in which international affairs are all settled by world leaders playing mahjong that was once described by an eminent critic as “the best manga ever,” has finally seen n anime adaptation. It is being released as an OVA instead of being shown on TV, and will go on sale in late February for ¥2940. (Watch this space for news.) In the meanwhile, the first section has been uploaded to Youtube, and with English subtitles for those, like myself, who can’t follow all the mahjong talk.

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Incidentally, I love all the little references in there, like Kim Jong Nam’s Mickey Mouse ears, recognition that Taro Aso was on the  Olympic rifle team, and a GWB reference everybody will get, but what I really want to see is an adaptation of the storyline that shows Pope Benedict employing ancient Catholic magic to win at mahjong.

8 thoughts on “Legend of Koizumi anime”

  1. Can someone (Benjamin?) give us a short commentary on what’s going on mahjong-wise in this clip.

  2. I’ll leave mahjong details to Benjamin, but you really don’t need to know the mahjong to enjoy this show. In fact, most of it is the equivalent of the cliche movie poker game where the guy with four of a kind loses to the royal straight flush…. or worse. The odds of doing what Koizumi does in this clip are less, I would imagine, than winning the lottery two weeks in a row.

  3. That’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen, and infinitely preferable to real politics.

  4. Yeah, it really only has one joke and went on too long. They don’t really “play” mahjong either.

    Does Benjamin or anyone else know if Saki actually has good mahjong?

  5. Words to ponder: Let not memories bear bitterness and let not hope be accompanied with fears. Let our present thought shape our future reality.

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