Kobayashi Ritz | Saki (R13)

Japanese: 咲-Saki-
English: Saki
Type: Manga
Volumes: 15 +
Chapters: 166 +
Status: Publishing
Published: Feb 3, 2006 to ?
Genres: School, Sports, Slice of Life, Seinen
Mangaka: Kobayashi Ritz (Story & Art)
Serialization: Young Gangan

Synopsis: Miyanaga Saki is a high school freshman who doesn't like mahjong. Ever since she was a child, she would lose her New Year's gift money during her family mahjong game. If she won, her parents would be upset, and if she lost, well, she lost. As a result, she's learned to play in such a way that her score always remains plus/minus zero: not good enough to win, but not bad enough to lose. When we meet her, she's being dragged to her school's mahjong club by an old friend. How will a girl who hates mahjong, yet has become adept at the game as a result of her upbringing, survive in this environment?

Related Series

Saki - Achiga Hen - Episode of Side-A (Spin-Off)

Sakibiyori (Side Story)

Shinohayu - The Dawn of Age (Spin-Off/ Prequel)

Toki (KOBAYASHI Ritz) (Spin-Off)

Ritz (Other)

Adaptation

• Saki Picture Drama, 
• Saki Zenkoku-hen, 
• Saki

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1

Ends at Vol 11, Chap 106

Groups Scanlating

/a/nonymous

/u/ Scanlations

Akio Translations

Amerika Hikikomori Kyokai

Musashi Quality

Null

Rinshan Kaihou Scans

TMNBE Scans

Yuri Project

anime-rg

Licensed in English

Yen Press (4 digital volumes, ongoing)

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates

Main characters

Saki Miyanaga (宮永 咲)

Saki Miyanaga is a first-year student at Kiyosumi High School in Nagano Prefecture and the title character of the manga "Saki". She grew up playing mahjong with members of her family but came to dislike the game because she would lose her otoshidama (New Year's money) if she lost and be scolded if she won. Because of this Saki, developed the ability to end her games with a net score of ±0 in order to avoid winning and losing against them. Over the years, this playing style became a subconscious habit, and she no longer attempts to win a mahjong match.

After her parents separated, Saki remained with her father in Nagano while her older sister Teru moved to Tokyo with her mother. She eventually lost touch with her sister but is aware that Teru has become a top mahjong player in her high school. Upon entering Kiyosumi, Saki is invited by her childhood friend Kyoutarou Suga to visit the school's mahjong club. She reluctantly agrees and proceeds to play several rounds with fellow first-year students Nodoka Haramura and Yuuki Kataoka. Club president Hisa Takei becomes aware of Saki's ability to manipulate her score during the match, to the other members' astonishment.

Both Nodoka and Hisa confront Saki, and she agrees to return to the mahjong club for another match. Saki continues to display the ability to manipulate her score, but Hisa develops a strategy for her to be able to win the match rather end it with no net score. Upon experiencing the excitement of winning a mahjong match against people outside her family, Saki decides to join the club. She grows close to Nodoka and makes a promise with her to reach the national team tournament, where Saki seeks to reconcile with Teru.

Hisa Takei (竹井 久)

A third year student and the president of the Kiyosumi Mahjong Club. She is also the president of the Student Congress Coucil at Kiyosumi High School, heavily emphasizing the "Congress" part of the name.

A very intelligent and confident girl, she is able to effectively read the weaknesses and strengths of people, inside and outside of Mahjong, and apparently is a seasoned veteran of Mahjong, even to the point of being on friendly terms with a Professional Mahjong player. She is also able to comprehend concepts quicker than most.

Her playstyle revolves around taking chances; while risky, she takes her time, waiting for effective hands that often come out of nowhere, surprising her opponents and taking advantage of their cautious play-style. She always takes in the flow of the game in stride, finding opportunities in what other players may find to be dead-end scenarios. Despite the risks she takes, she prefers to play this way, believing it to truly reflect who she is and that she wins more easily when betting against the odds.

Nodoka Haramura (原村 和)

Nodoka Haramura is a first-year student at Kiyosumi High School in Nagano Prefecture and a protagonist in the manga "Saki". She is also a supporting character in the spin-off manga "Saki: Achiga-hen episode of side-A". She has played online mahjong since a young girl and develops a eventually passion for it. Her father, who works as an attorney, disapproves of Nodoka's interest but does not prohibit it. Because of her mother's work assignment, her family usually moves to a different city every two to three years. She moves to Nara Prefecture prior to her final year in elementary school and soon enters Achiga Girls' Academy for middle school. While in Nara, Nodoka befriends Shizuno Takakamo and briefly joins Achiga's mahjong club.

Nodoka's family moves again after one year at Achiga to Nagano, where she enters Takatoobara Middle School and meets Yuuki Kataoka. The two join its mahjong club and meet younger teammates Hiroko Murohashi and Maho Yumeno. Takatoobara enters the prefectural middle school mahjong tournament the following year but does not qualify for the national tournament. However, Nodoka qualifies in the individual tournament and proceeds to win the national championship. She begins receiving much publicity after winning the national title, and the media often exaggerates her skills as a mahjong genius. Her family plans to move again after she completes middle school, but Nodoka wishes to remain in Nagano and enter Kiyosumi High School with Yuuki. Her father reluctantly agrees, and she aims to also win the national high school championship in return.

Upon entering Kiyosumi, she meets fellow first-year student Saki Miyanaga is devastated by the fact that Saki possesses skill in mahjong that surpasses her own. Nodoka's initial contempt for Saki eventually disappears, and the two grow closer to each other with the promise of reaching the national high school mahjong team tournament with Yuuki and their senior teammates.

Yuuki Kataoka (片岡 優希)

Yuuki is a high school first-year student who attends the same school as Saki and is a member of the mahjong club. She is highly skilled, though cannot stay focused and makes more mistakes as the game progresses, so she is made the first to play at the mahjong tournament. She is often seen eating tacos, which increases her skill when playing mahjong. Additionally, food with names similar to tacos, like takoyaki can increase her skill partially as well.

Source: MAL