Saki (manga)

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Saki
Saki volume 1 cover.jpg
Cover art of the first Japanese manga volume featuring the title character Saki Miyanaga
咲-Saki-
Genre Sport
Manga
Written by Ritz Kobayashi
Published by Square Enix
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Gangan
Original run February 3, 2006 – ongoing
Volumes 10 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by Manabu Ono
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Studio Gonzo, Picture Magic
Network TV Tokyo
Original run April 6, 2009 – September 28, 2009
Episodes 25 (List of episodes)
Game
Saki Portable
Developer Alchemist
Genre Mahjong
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released
  • JP March 25, 2010
Manga
Saki Biyori
Written by Saya Kiyoshi
Published by Square Enix
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Gangan
Big Gangan
Original run June 17, 2011 – ongoing
Volumes 2
Manga
Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A
Written by Ritz Kobayashi
Illustrated by Aguri Igarashi
Published by Square Enix
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Original run September 2011 – April 2013
Volumes 4 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A
Directed by Manabu Ono
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Studio Studio Gokumi
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, AT-X
Original run April 9, 2012 – May 25, 2013
Episodes 16 (List of episodes)
Game
Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A Portable
Developer Alchemist
Genre Mahjong
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released August 29, 2013
Anime television series
Saki Zenkoku-hen
Directed by Manabu Ono
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Studio Studio Gokumi
Original run Q2 2014 – scheduled
Portal icon Anime and Manga portal

Saki (咲-Saki-?) is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ritz Kobayashi. The story revolves around a first-year high school girl named Saki Miyanaga who is brought into the competitive world of mahjong by another first-year, Nodoka Haramura. The manga has been serialized in Square Enix's Young Gangan since February 3, 2006, and has been collected into ten tankōbon volumes in Japan as of December 2012. A 25-episode anime adaptation by Gonzo aired between April and September 2009 on TV Tokyo.

A side-story manga illustrated by Aguri Igarashi, Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A (咲 Saki 阿知賀編 episode of Side-A?), was serialized between the September 2011 and April 2013 issues of Monthly Shōnen Gangan, with an anime adaptation by Studio Gokumi airing between April and July 2012, with four additional episodes airing between December 2012 and May 2013. A third anime adaptation, Saki Zenkoku-hen (咲-Saki-全国編?), is in production by Studio Gokumi and will begin airing in Q2 2014. A gag manga series by Saya Kiyoshi, Saki Biyori, began serialization in Young Gangan from June 17, 2011.

Contents

Plot[edit]

Main article: List of Saki characters

Saki Miyanaga, a high school first-year student, hates mahjong because her family would always force her to play it and punish her regardless of the outcome of the game. Due to this, she learned how to keep her score at zero, neither winning nor losing, a skill said to be more difficult than actually consistently winning. However, her friend from middle school, completely unaware of such circumstances, convinces her to visit the school's small mahjong club upon entering into high school. After the club discovers her ability, they recruit her permanently and convince her to win instead of breaking even. She easily does so with her skill and discovers a new love for mahjong, along with a friendship with her fellow club member, Nodoka Haramura. This leads the team to enter the prefecture's high school mahjong tournament with the goal of reaching the national high school competition.

The side-story manga, Saki: Achiga-hen episode of Side-A, is based in the area around Yoshino, Nara and follows a girl named Shizuno Takakamo, an old friend of Nodoka's, who used to be in Achiga Girls Academy's mahjong club together. A few years after the club disbanded and the two split up, Shizuno spots Nodoka on television as she makes her stride in mahjong. Wanting to see her old friend again, Shizuno decides to revive the Achiga Mahjong Club so that she can face Nodoka in the inter-high national championships.

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

See also: List of Saki chapters

Written and drawn by Ritz Kobayashi, the Saki manga series is serialized in Square Enix's biweekly seinen manga magazine, Young Gangan.[1] Serialization began on February 3, 2006, and is still ongoing, with a new chapter in every issue. Square Enix is also collecting the chapters in tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on December 25, 2006, and as of March 24, 2012, nine volumes have been released.[2]

A 4-koma series written by Saya Kiyoshi, Saki Biyori (咲日和?), began serialization in Young Gangan from June 17, 2011. The first volume was released on March 24, 2012; two volumes have been released as of August 25, 2012. A spin-off manga series written by Kobayashi and illustrated by Aguri Igarashi, Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A (咲 Saki 阿知賀編 episode of Side-A?), was serialized in Square Enix's Shōnen Gangan magazine between the September 2011 and April 2013 issues.[3][4] The first volume was also released on March 24, 2012; four volumes have been released as of November 24, 2012. A new manga project by Kobayashi and Igarashi has been announced, which Kobayashi has revealed to be a Saki related work.[5][6]

Anime[edit]

See also: List of Saki episodes, which lists both Saki and its spin-off, Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A

An anime adaptation of Saki was announced in the 24th issue of Young Gangan.[7] The series was adapted by Gonzo, directed by Manabu Ono, and written by Tatsuhiko Urahata,[8] From episode fifteen onwards, animation production was done by Picture Magic. On January 31, 2009, a 105-second promotional video began streaming on the anime's official website.[9] The series aired on TV Tokyo and its affiliate stations between April 6 and September 28, 2009.[10] It is also streamed with English subtitles on Crunchyroll.

A 12-episode anime adaptation of Saki: Achiga-hen aired in Japan between April 9 and July 2, 2012 and was also simulcast by Crunchyroll.[3][11][12] Ono and Urahata return as director and writer and animation production is done by Studio Gokumi. Four additional episodes aired on AT-X between December 24, 2012 and May 25, 2013.[13][14] A third Saki anime series, titled Saki Zenkoku-hen (咲-Saki-全国編?, lit. Saki: National Tournament Chapter), will begin airing in Q2 2014.[15] Ono and Urahata again return as director and writer under Studio Gokumi.[16]

Music[edit]

The Saki anime series has five pieces of theme music; two opening themes and three ending themes.[17] The first opening theme is "Glossy:MMM" by Miyuki Hashimoto used between episodes 2 and 14; this was also used as the ending theme in episodes 1 and 25. The second opening theme is "Bloooomin'" by Little Non used between episodes 15 and 25. The first ending theme is "Netsuretsu Kangei Wonderland" (熱烈歓迎わんだーらんど Enthusiastic Welcome Wonderland?) by Kana Ueda, Ami Koshimizu, Rie Kugimiya, Ryōko Shiraishi, and Shizuka Itō used in episodes 2-6, 8-9, and 11-14. The second ending theme is "Zankoku na Negai no Naka de" (残酷な願いの中で Inside a Cruel Wish?) by Ueda and Koshimizu used in episodes 7, 10, 16, 18 and 22. The third ending theme is "Shikakui Uchū de Matteru yo" (四角い宇宙で待ってるよ Waiting For You in the World of Rectangles?) by Ueda, Koshimizu, Kugimiya, Shiraishi and Itō used in episodes 15, 17, 19-21, 23-24. For Saki: Achiga-hen, the opening theme is "Miracle Rush" by StylipS, while the ending themes are "Square Panic Serenade" performed by Aoi Yūki, Nao Tōyama, Kana Hanazawa, Mako and Yumi Uchiyama and "Futuristic Player" by Miyuki Hashimoto.[18][19] For the additional Achiga-hen episodes, the opening theme is "Tsu Ba Sa" by StylipS.[14]

For the PSP game, the respective opening and ending themes are "Kimi ga Waratte Kureta kara, Kyō mo Yume no Tane o Makō (Kimi Tane)" (君が笑ってくれたから、今日も夢の種を蒔こう。-キミたね-?, lit. "Because You Make Me Laugh, The Seeds of Dreams Will Bloom Today As Well") and "Bakuhatsu Shidō Revolution" (爆発始動レボリューション Bakuhatsu Shidō Reboryūshon?, lit. "Exploding Startup Revolution"), both performed by Little Non. For the Achiga-hen PSP game, the opening theme is "Moment of Glory" by Miyuki Hashimoto.

Video games[edit]

A mahjong video game was unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo International Anime Fair,[20] and later released on April 22, 2009.[21] Gonzo collaborated with Sega in developing the arcade mahjong video game based on the series, and it is based on the MJ4 Ver.C network mahjong game.[22] The game includes a Saki Single Mode, where the player can play with Saki characters instead of matching-up with opponents online. Another mahjong video game was developed by Alchemist for the PlayStation Portable,[23] and was released in March 2010 in Japan under the name Saki Portable. A sequel, Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A Portable, will be released on August 29, 2013.[14][24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Saki manga official website" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  2. ^ "Goods section at Saki's anime official website" (in Japanese). Gonzo. Retrieved 2009-05-02. 
  3. ^ a b "New Saki TV Anime Project Launching". Anime News Network. June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Saki Episode of Side A Manga to End in March". Anime News Network. February 6, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013. 
  5. ^ "Saki Episode of Side A's Kobayashi, Igarashi Plan New Manga". Anime News Network. March 7, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013. 
  6. ^ "Ritz Kobayashi's personal website" (in Japanese). Ritz Kobayashi. March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013. 
  7. ^ "Saki Mahjong Manga to Get TV Anime from Gonzo in 2009 (Update 2)". Anime News Network. 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  8. ^ "Staff and cast at Saki's anime official website" (in Japanese). Gonzo. Retrieved 2009-05-02. 
  9. ^ "Saki High School Mahjong Anime's Promo Video Streamed". Anime News Network. 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  10. ^ "TV Anime Saki Broadcast Information Unveiled! And Also New Character Information!!" (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  11. ^ "New Saki TV Anime to Adapt Saki Achiga Spinoff". Anime News Network. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011. 
  12. ^ "放送情報" [Broadcast News] (in Japanese). Studio Gokumi. Retrieved March 2, 2012. 
  13. ^ "Saki Episode of Side A Anime to Air 3 More Episodes". Anime News Network. June 9, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012. 
  14. ^ a b c "Saki Episode of Side A's Special Episodes to Air in December". Anime News Network. October 28, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012. 
  15. ^ "Saki's National Tournament Arc Anime to Air Next Spring". Anime News Network. March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013. 
  16. ^ "Saki's National Tournament Arc Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. October 28, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012. 
  17. ^ "CD goods section at Saki's anime official website" (in Japanese). Gonzo. Retrieved 2009-05-02. 
  18. ^ "StylipS to Sing Saki Achiga-hen Mahjong Anime's Opening". Anime News Network. February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012. 
  19. ^ "エンディング・テーマ 「Square Panic Serenade」" [Ending Theme "Square Panic Serenade"] (in Japanese). Studio Gokumi. Retrieved March 2, 2012. 
  20. ^ "TAF 2009: Bishojo Mahjong Anime Saki is to come out as a Mahjong Game". Gigazine. 2009-03-18. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
  21. ^ "Saki's Arcade Mahjong Game Came Out!". Gigazine. April 24, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  22. ^ "MJ4 Ver.C's Exhibit at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2009" (in Japanese). Sega. 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
  23. ^ "人気アニメ『咲-Saki-』がPSPのゲームに! 夏コミ・アルケ祭2009 ぷちで発表" [Popular Anime Saki Gets a PSP Game! Summer Comiket / Arukesai 2009 Small Announcement] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
  24. ^ "Saki Episode of Side A PSP Slated for August 29 With Limited Edition". Anime News Network. June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013. 

External links[edit]

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