(L) Saki manga

[NeutralZero]

just read the recent trans of 99... and the adviser's question is a bit worrisome like she had a counter Saki plan... Wonder how would Saki's member react after her return. Especially Nodoka...

[Used Can]

Originally Posted by tarajis

A lot of people are upset with the outcome of the quarterfinal at Side B... especially with Himematsu advancing... and Toyone crying her heart out...

Am I the only one who's happy that Retard Master's (I only remember her from Scam Saki) team passed? Seriously, normal girls advancing? I really do hope they do well later.

Now all I want is for Senriyama to qualify and I'll be completely happy, but well, Achiga, MCs, plot-armour... you know the drill.

I do expect tables full of monsters in the individuals. This makes me sad Koromo didn't enter, but well.

[Xacual]

Originally Posted by NeutralZero

just read the recent trans of 99... and the adviser's question is a bit worrisome like she had a counter Saki plan... Wonder how would Saki's member react after her return. Especially Nodoka...

I'm kind of expecting the counter plan to work at first and then Saki will actually go serious mode again and the advisor will realize she underestimated Saki's evil.

[orangejuicetang]

Well, depending on how canon the anime individual tournament matches were (seems like they were canon), Saki can be shut down hard if the other three players team up against her.

[XGeneral2000]

Originally Posted by orangejuicetang

Well, depending on how canon the anime individual tournament matches were (seems like they were canon), Saki can be shut down hard if the other three players team up against her.

In theory, all you need to do to stop Saki is prevent her from using kan; Hisa attempted this by using as many runs as possible to maximize the number of specific tiles in everyone's hands, preventing Saki from getting all four of any of them. Then Momo kind of screwed it up, but the strategy should work. But Saki's gotten better (aka more tanoshevil), so she may even be able to disrupt that.

[King-Slayer]

Originally Posted by XGeneral2000

In theory, all you need to do to stop Saki is prevent her from using kan; Hisa attempted this by using as many runs as possible to maximize the number of specific tiles in everyone's hands, preventing Saki from getting all four of any of them. Then Momo kind of screwed it up, but the strategy should work. But Saki's gotten better (aka more tanoshevil), so she may even be able to disrupt that.

Thats right, Saki was shut down for along time during that match. Then as you said Momo kinda screwed it up by wanting revenge for her lover.

As for the chapter itself not much to say except, im extreamly sad that Miyamori isn't advancing. I do hope to see Saki get her butt handed to her by Nodoka about not trying as hard as she could have or something then get her butt kicked in the next match ( I'm mad at Saki, can you tell?)

[Qilin]

I guess old habits die hard, huh?

After reading this chapter, I guess it's pretty clear now that Saki wasn't consciously acting to eliminate Miyamori and Esui. It was all done so that she could get a final score of +/- 0. The remaining question now is whether she aims for that score consciously or otherwise. After all, I don't think she's the kind of person that would flaunt her skill needlessly in front of everyone.

What would Teru say when she looks at this match's record?

[Xacual]

Originally Posted by Qilin

I guess old habits die hard, huh?

After reading this chapter, I guess it's pretty clear now that Saki wasn't consciously acting to eliminate Miyamori and Esui. It was all done so that she could get a final score of +/- 0. The remaining question now is whether she aims for that score consciously or otherwise. After all, I don't think she's the kind of person that would flaunt her skill needlessly in front of everyone.

What would Teru say when she looks at this match's record?

Well this was before Achiga and Teru's match timeline wise.

[Myssa Rei]

Indeed, wasn't there a panel showing how Awai and Sumire were actually viewing the match with interest when the match started?

[Lestaki]

Originally Posted by Qilin

The isn't so much that she performed badly, but that it was the least interesting of her rival schools (Himematsu) that got 2nd place. I doubt the reaction would have been as strong if it was Esui (expected result/long overdue development) or Miyamori (fan favorite) that progressed to the semi finals.

It's less a question of competence, and more an issue of popularity.

If I recall a recent school popularity poll correctly, Himematsu is actually really popular in Japan. Like, they came second overall popular, which is pretty crazy when you consider they haven't been in the manga for very long. I personally like them since they're a scrappy bunch who don't seem to have any powers outside of Hiroe's trashtalk and general luck. Suzu might have a power but it never seems to work. It's a pity Suehara is a really poor man's Yumi but what are you going to do.

I also wonder if the author wanted to get Eisui out of the way. This game was something close to their worst case scenario since Jindai was at full power for exactly one hand, their vice-captain got shut down all but one time and their Captain had to deal with Saki, and they still came close to victory because their winning hands are that absurd. If they performed more in line with their full potential in the next game, Saki would have to do rather more work, even allowing for Rinkai.

I do wonder if Saki aimed to let Himematsu through since on this showing they were the weakest of the three other schools, but I also wonder if that was a mistake, given Suzu may yet 'explode' and now Suehara is being thrown some kind of bone.

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by Lestaki

If I recall a recent school popularity poll correctly, Himematsu is actually really popular in Japan. Like, they came second overall popular, which is pretty crazy when you consider they haven't been in the manga for very long. I personally like them since they're a scrappy bunch who don't seem to have any powers outside of Hiroe's trashtalk and general luck. Suzu might have a power but it never seems to work. It's a pity Suehara is a really poor man's Yumi but what are you going to do.

I am aware of Himematsu's popularity in Japan of course, but based on experience (in /a/ mostly), hardly anyone ever talks about them outside of Hiroe (occasionally paired with her sister). They're virtually a non-entity as far as discussions here and there are concerned.

Originally Posted by Lestaki

I do wonder if Saki aimed to let Himematsu through since on this showing they were the weakest of the three other schools, but I also wonder if that was a mistake, given Suzu may yet 'explode' and now Suehara is being thrown some kind of bone.

I'm personally convinced that eliminating Miyamori and Esui was just a means to an end for her. The end here being a score of +/- 0.

[Lestaki]

Originally Posted by Qilin

I am aware of Himematsu's popularity in Japan of course, but based on experience (in /a/ mostly), hardly anyone ever talks about them outside of Hiroe (occasionally paired with her sister). They're virtually a non-entity as far as discussions here and there are concerned.

I'm personally convinced that eliminating Miyamori and Esui was just a means to an end for her. The end here being a score of +/- 0.

Most teams have a couple of face players at best. Eisui's second and third players are almost completely anonymous. Miyamori does better, I suppose, but I've never personally seen the appeal. And while only Hiroe gets talked about, she gets talked about quite a lot, since she's quite memorable. Putting all of that aside, of course, who is popular here doesn't amount to a hill of beans in terms of who goes through in the manga.

I don't discount the possibility Saki was kingmaking as well as getting +/-0, since right now she's basically utterly inscrutable to the audience but clearly in control of the entire game. We haven't heard her inner monologue in god knows how long.

[Qilin]

Originally Posted by Lestaki

Most teams have a couple of face players at best. Eisui's second and third players are almost completely anonymous. Miyamori does better, I suppose, but I've never personally seen the appeal. And while only Hiroe gets talked about, she gets talked about quite a lot, since she's quite memorable. Putting all of that aside, of course, who is popular here doesn't amount to a hill of beans in terms of who goes through in the manga.

That might be so, but it at least explains why the reception to Himematsu's comeback was generally skewed towards the negative over here.

[tarajis]

Originally Posted by Lestaki

I don't discount the possibility Saki was kingmaking as well as getting +/-0, since right now she's basically utterly inscrutable to the audience but clearly in control of the entire game. We haven't heard her inner monologue in god knows how long.

Yeah, just what's been going on inside her head lately? The smile she showed at panel 12 after giving her thanks for the game is kind of off... it's like her mind came from "I must defeat them all to meet Teru-neechan" to "I must defeat them fast to find a washroom." and the way she set off at the last panel is like she seriously need to use the washroom...

[Peanutbutter]

Remember, Saki hasn't take off her socks and shoes yet.

[Lestaki]

Originally Posted by Qilin

That might be so, but it at least explains why the reception to Himematsu's comeback was generally skewed towards the negative over here.

I like it myself. I generally feel like Eisui and Miyamori have shown us all they have to offer mahjong-wise, outside more random powers for Toyone, whereas Suzu is an obvious unfinished story for Himematsu. It's also nice to see a result more unexpected than Eisui, the team anointed by the highest power level and longest build-up, going through. But ultimately I feel that way because I like Himematsu most of the three, which is entirely subjective. We can agree to disagree on that, but Himematsu has its fans over here.

[Key Board]

I don't understand what Saki's intention was

I guess we'll know next month, but for now I'm drawing blanks

[The Green One]

Saki's +/- 0 has been her survival instinct in Mahjong since she was little, it's how she's been able to control her points to avoid winning or losing in games, and obviously it makes her skilled enough, or incomprehensible enough, to win reliably against Teru the queen monster herself.

This is just how she exerts her maximum, at the moment, ability to control the game and accomplish her goals which now actually involve winning. Almost all the players with "special" skills rely on them to unleash their maximum power, Saki's really isn't the Rinshan Kaihou, but her freaky point manipulation abilities which she happens to accomplish most frequently with the Rinshan. In every game she's won in the series she's controlled the table and game this way, it's just how she rolls. With the English translation of 99 we have a bit more context, it seems it really wasn't intentional by Saki that Himematsu advance, it's just the results of the seating, a different arrangement would of caused a different result. Saki may have been aiming for +/- 0 which involved the specific player sitting in a specific spot scoring a specific hand which happened to be Himematsu by chance.

Sure maybe the author arranged that but not Saki. The scene about the advisor asking Himematsu's captain, who's name currently escapes me, if she wants to get stronger then Saki, I suppose that's to give her something to keep her competitive in the next round. Saki's smile on page 12 seemed to be more of just a normal, "Alright, round complete and I won!"

From all the previews from the anime it's obvious that Saki will win again in some fashion to make it to the finals, this tournament is more of her journey and evolution to reach the Champion level class and take her place on that stage. This game was her debut in the nationals to show off what she's capable of doing. The next round will be where she undoubtedly faces her first true test of her skill as well as hereself, how she overcomes that will determine just what kind of girl will advance to face her destiny.

The evil freaky +/- 0 monster, or something else entirely.

[Myssa Rei]

Originally Posted by Peanutbutter

Remember, Saki hasn't take off her socks and shoes yet.

This reminds me of a recent Pixiv comic, where, in the response to Saki taking off her socks and shoes, Yumi takes off her skirt, and Koromo her blouse... Which leads to Kana asking the judge of she could take off her panties, which doesn't make much sense, since panties don't exist in Saki...

[Key Board]

I'm wondering why she does that, since she promised not to hold back

so obviously she's using this plusminus zero offensively in some way, but I just don't see it yet.