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EP. REVIEW: Mr. Osomatsu

Throughout the match, viewers are shown each of the Matsuno's individual play-styles, which range from the wildly impractical (Todomatsu) to the downright confusing (Karamatsu, who also serves as this segment's narrator)

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Throughout the match, viewers are shown each of the Matsuno's individual play-styles, which range from the wildly impractical (Todomatsu) to the downright confusing (Karamatsu, who also serves as this segment's narrator)

Karamatsu's play-style wasn't "downright confusing." Mahjong is all about the scoring (and betting). While you want to go out by forming various rummy-like hands, certain hands are worth more than others. Generally the high scoring ones are extremely improbable. In Japanese mahjong there's a scoring limit for hands, yakuman, and that term is also used to refer to hands that score that maximum limit. Karamatsu's play-style is to try to play for only yakuman maximum scoring hands, and not try to win or go out with easier hands. (Imagine say someone who always tries to shoot the moon in hearts.) This results in him waiting around forever and always losing, since someone will of course win long before he manages to achieve a ridiculous hand.

It fits with his character, because he's going for the most outrageous and cool scoring hands, even though it turns out painfully bad for him since it's unrealistic.

Depends on the rules, sometimes games are played with double-triple-and higher(7x yakuman is the highest achievable, I think?), such as in the Ten/Akagi manga. But the tournament in Saki disallows double-yakumans.

And then of course you have Legend of Koizumi which plays without a score limit altogether in the Putin vs Koizumi game. But thats a very impractical rule.

I'm not sure the reviewer's point was that Karamatsu's approach to the game was inconsistent with his personality. My takeaway was that his play-style was confusing in a general sense, regardless of whether or not it suited his character.

Rederoin wrote:

Depends on the rules, sometimes games are played with double-triple-and higher(7x yakuman is the highest achievable, I think?), such as in the Ten/Akagi manga. But the tournament in Saki disallows double-yakumans. And then of course you have Legend of Koizumi which plays without a score limit altogether in the Putin vs Koizumi game. But thats a very impractical rule.

Yes, certainly you're right. I'm not an expert. The basic point is that each character's play-style was reflective of their personality as shown in the other episodes. Viewers have to be somewhat familiar with mahjong to get the jokes.

I wouldn't be surprised if they worked in another serious story before the finale, but at the moment, my money's on the last episode being something akin to the series premiere or the battle-race episode. However, given how consistently unpredictable this series has been, I'm probably way off-base.

However, the idea that a pretty face is all Iyami needs (after being kidnapped no less) to agree to enter the tournament is a tired trope, especially when he assumes she'll be his “reward” if he wins.

I wouldn't be surprised if they worked in another serious story before the finale, but at the moment, my money's on the last episode being something akin to the series premiere or the battle-race episode. However, given how consistently unpredictable this series has been, I'm probably way off-base.