Saki: Zenkoku-hen (2014) — Story, Release Date, Rating

Synopsis:

The series follows Saki Miyanaga and her high school mahjong team as they compete in the prestigious Interhigh National Championship. Driven by a deeply personal motivation – to reunite with her estranged sister – Saki navigates a rigorous tournament filled with formidable rivals. The narrative explores themes of perseverance, familial bonds, and the emotional weight carried by ambition. Set against the backdrop of competitive mahjong, the anime emphasizes strategic gameplay and character development. Viewers will witness the team's dedication as they push their skills to the limit, facing not only skilled opponents but also confronting their own inner struggles in pursuit of a long-held desire. The story offers a nuanced portrayal of competition and personal growth within a unique cultural context.

Trailer:

Streaming Platforms:

Crunchyroll

Episodes:

Episode 1: Hand 1: To Tokyo
Episode 2: Hand 2: Support
Episode 3: Hand 3: Start
Episode 4: Hand 4: East Wind
Episode 5: Hand 5: Gods and Demons
... and 8 more episodes

Characters:

Haramura, Nodoka (Main) - Voice Actors: Koshimizu, Ami
Kataoka, Yuuki (Main) - Voice Actors: Kugimiya, Rie
Miyanaga, Saki (Main) - Voice Actors: Ueda, Kana
Someya, Mako (Main) - Voice Actors: Shiraishi, Ryouko
Takei, Hisa (Main) - Voice Actors: Itou, Shizuka
Akado, Harue (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shindo, Naomi
Akasaka, Ikuno (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Noda, Junko
Amae, Koromo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Fukuhara, Kaori
Anetai, Toyone (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Uchida, Maaya
Arakawa, Kei (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Miyake, Marie
Atago, Hiroe (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Matsuda, Satsumi
Atago, Kinue (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nakatsu, Mari
Atarashi, Ako (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Touyama, Nao
Bundou, Seika (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Matayoshi, Ai
Davin, Megan (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Omigawa, Chiaki
Fujita, Yasuko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Asano, Masumi
Fujiwara, Rise (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Chiba, Chiemi
Fukuji, Mihoko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Horie, Yui
Fukuyo, Kouko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nonaka, Ai
Gibbard, Sakurako (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Oogame, Asuka
Hagiyoshi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ono, Daisuke
Hanada, Kirame (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Arai, Satomi
Hanibuchi, Kumiko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Morota, Kaoru
Hariu, Eri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Fujita, Yumiko
Hirose, Sumire (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Saiga, Mitsuki
Ikeda, Kana (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Morinaga, Rika
Inoue, Jun (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kaida, Yuuko
Iwato, Grandmother (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Suzuki, Noriko
Iwato, Kasumi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ohara, Sayaka
Jindai, Komaki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hayami, Saori
Kainou, Yoshiko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tamura, Mutsumi
Kajiki, Yumi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kobayashi, Yuu
Kakura, Kurumi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Toyota, Moe
Kanbara, Satomi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kuwatani, Natsuko
Karijuku, Tomoe (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Akasaki, Chinatsu
Katou, Mika (Supporting)
Kokaji, Sukoya (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Gotou, Saori
Kosegawa, Shiromi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nagatsuma, Juri
Kubo, Takako (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamada, Miho
Kumakura, Toshi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Morota, Kaoru
Kunihiro, Hajime (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shimizu, Ai
Mase, Yuuko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yoshimura, Haruka
Matsumi, Yuu (Supporting) - Voice Actors: MAKO
Matsumi, Kuro (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hanazawa, Kana
Mihirogi, Uta (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Matsuoka, Yuki
Miyanaga, Teru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nakahara, Mai
Mizuhara, Hayari (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tamura, Yukari
Motouchi, Naruka (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Itou, Kanae
Murayoshi, Misaki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Fujimura, Ayumi
Murohashi, Hiroko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Toudou, Mai
Naiki, Ichita (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shiraishi, Minoru
Nishida, Junko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kosuge, Mami
Noyori, Risa (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yuzuki, Ryouka
Oohoshi, Awai (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Saitou, Chiwa
Oonuma, Shuuichirou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Miyashita, Eiji
... and 24 more characters

Staff:

Oono, Ryousuke (Producer)
Sakurai, Yuuka (Producer)
Shibata, Tomonori (Producer, Planning)
Takahata, Yuuichirou (Producer)
Ono, Manabu (Director, Storyboard)
Iwata, Kazuya (Episode Director)
Nishouji, Yoshihito (Episode Director)
Ooshima, Hiroyuki (Episode Director)
Setou, Kenji (Episode Director, Storyboard, Assistant Director)
Tamada, Hiroshi (Episode Director)
Urahata, Tatsuhiko (Script, Series Composition)
Hidaka, Masamitsu (Storyboard)
Namura, Hidetoshi (Storyboard)
Akasaki, Chinatsu (Theme Song Performance)
Date, Arisa (Theme Song Performance)
Hashimoto, Miyuki (Theme Song Performance)
Hayami, Saori (Theme Song Performance)
Kotobuki, Minako (Theme Song Performance)
Matsuda, Satsumi (Theme Song Performance)
Mizuhashi, Kaori (Theme Song Performance)
Mizuno, Mariko (Theme Song Performance)
Nagatsuma, Juri (Theme Song Performance)
Nakatsu, Mari (Theme Song Performance)
Ohara, Sayaka (Theme Song Performance)
Sakai, Takuya (Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement)
Satou, Rina (Theme Song Performance)
Toyota, Moe (Theme Song Performance)
Tsuji, Ayumi (Theme Song Performance)
Uchida, Maaya (Theme Song Performance)
Yoshimura, Haruka (Theme Song Performance)
Aoki, Takao (Associate Producer)
Fukuda, Jun (Associate Producer)
Hashiguchi, Hayato (Animation Director)
Hatta, Shinsaku (Planning)
Higuchi, Hiromi (Animation Director)
Inoue, Shunji (Planning)
Kobayashi, Ritz (Original Creator)
Matsumoto, Hiroki (Art Director)
Mishima, Akinori (Editing)
Morimae, Kazuya (Animation Director)
Nanba, Hideyuki (Planning)
Narikawa, Takashi (Animation Director)
Nihei, Shigeto (Associate Producer)
Sakai, Takahiro (Animation Director)
Sasaki, Masakatsu (Character Design, Chief Animation Director)
Sekine, Youichi (Associate Producer)
Shimizu, Mika (Associate Producer)
Taguchi, Koji (Planning)
Takechi, Tsuneo (Planning)
Watanabe, Takeshi (Music)

Reviews:

User Stark700 (Score: 7/10):
Saki Nationals – continuing from the prequel known as ‘Saki’ highlights the national arc of competitors as they fight with pride. But to trace back a bit, you might be asking yourself the question: why should I continue to watch Saki? After all, it’s about mahjong, a Chinese game involving four people sitting in a chair moving little board pieces. But to see through this setup is easy once you get into the show as Japan has transformed the mahjong into an art. A beautiful art that requires innovative minds, guts, and skill to surpass the limits of yourself. Basing off the manga of the samename, Saki Nationals details the events of Kiyosumi team at the National tournament, a prestigious event held to test the limits of the players. Of the schools selected includes Miyamori, Eisui All-Girls, Himematsu, and Rinkai All-Girls, Achiga, and Shiraitodai. As with most tournaments go, competitions is to be expected and Saki Nations delivers that with our competitors. Or should I say, cute girls?nnAs a continuation, the series assumes that you are already familiarized with the style of Saki. Chances are if you’re watching this, you probably want to see who will survive and prevail in this national arc. After all, it’s a battle of wits, skill, and testament to see who comes out to the best of the best. Director Manabu Ono returns to craft this season’s story. With his innovative skills already demonstrated from his work from the previous seasons, expect a similar style of presentation. And by that, I mean a tournament of extravaganza. You see, mahjong isn’t exactly a game similar to basketball where you move around often or requires teamwork. Rather, you sit down in a seat and have 3 other competitors not sitting more than 5 feet away from you. The tension is there and stress soon kicks in especially when it’s your turn. But for a show like Saki, it clearly and skillfully engineers this concept by transforming it into a product of eccentricity. By that means, it creates an atmosphere of energy and anticipation. Every competitor makes unpredictable moves and pulls tricks out of their hats from different angles. nnFor what’s worth, there are a lot of characters in the Saki universe. Sure, the titular character Saki is perhaps the most prominent competitor. She demonstrates it too later on in the tournament. Yet, there are other characters such as Hatsumi, Jindai, Koromo, Yuuki, Toyone, Kasumi, Nodoka, among others who shows off their skills. The National Arc highlights these competitors and demonstrate performances at their best. Furthermore, it cleverly uses various flashbacks to effectively show their purpose of being there. The anime furthers this performance by throwing in anime original scenes to illustrate connections. And connections is an important in the Saki world. Even when your teammates aren’t physically there, they are behind the scenes supporting you. A tournament of gameplay with team support backbone clearly shows the strong bond each player has with their school. Saki National pulls…
User nanyatimz (Score: 8/10):
Hmm, I am particularly vexed at what I saw at Saki: Nationals. However, I'd be best to practice prudence and avoid spilling some spoilers. As usual, I'll start in my usual review format. Story is somewhat mouthwatering. It's the nationals, folks! As a direct sequel to the 2009 prequel. There's a lot of directive-ness and I was so glad that even after a long wait, a seemingly closure is somewhat reasonable to expect. Though, that is with regards to the adaptation reference. I am not particularly a fan of Saki manga and I only saw some chapters whenever I whimsically browse for randoms and this isthe case why I ignorantly set a high expectation from the very first episode which is personally aggravating. I had no idea that was it all can offer.nnWell, but in regards to the content, I am fascinated. I am not really a seasoned mahjong player but as far as I can remember, I have played over a thousand games as well. Not as a profession but just a pastime. My grandma who lives in the boonies often gathers her friends on a weekly basis and they played like 5-8 hours mahjong party and as I child, I often sneaked in and watched them play until I became a part of the mahjong table one day. Well one thing is, I do find the wonders Saki brought in the story. They're particularly occult and not feasible but of course, this is fiction so why not let a little imagination mess up with you, right?nnContent-wise, Saki 2014's have upgraded what they offered in their prequel. Newly high-level adversaries, newly tile effects, newly twists, it has all the factors to draw the fans from the original and I must say, they've succeeded and set themselves as a proper sequel. The pacing was still the same as ever, a day-by-day coverage which is I think a lot better than using a time-skip.nnHowever, one point I don't find reasonable was to include a lot of flashbacks which could've added more mahjong footage instead. But well, this is still a minor and a personal rant. Don't get too much on this.nnArt wise, a significant upgrade is visible. They're cuter, much more detailed, the tile effects was more awesome and the boobs, I mean, the character design upgrade is visibly better than the prequel. Why, of course, it's 2014's digital drawing. I have nothing to note here except they've done a really outstanding feature.nnSound wise, the bgms were pretty much retained. It's all about listening to the each character's bgm and their tile effects and I must say, bravo. However, I am not particularly drawn by the OP and ED but again, this is just another personal taste based comment.nnI have enjoyed Saki 2014 until I learned of the sad closure. This is a bit of a problem since telling the very fact might seem to be spoiling so I'll refrain from this. But at the very least, like I said, I…
User kokuborou (Score: 8/10):
I will start by saying that this season is way better than season 1. They managed to focus more on the characters and display their passion and love for Mahjong during these 13 episodes in a beautiful and brilliant concept. The usual fanservice and generic plot that wasted a lot of time in season 1 is no longer present and the characters manage to shine in a good way during the Mahjong games. The story as for those who have seen the first season moves on to the big stage The Mahjong High School Nationals were our 5 girls from Kyousumi must face new challangesand stronger opponents. The Mahjong games are better and more creative and the outcome is unpredictable. The tension is built up in each match and released at the perfect moment and the enjoyment is guaranteed from the first episode until the end.nnThe characters are more interesting and have better playing strategies in this season. Their stories are fleshed out during the Mahjong matches and their unique personality traits as players are evidentiated with the use of the visuals. The visuals also play an important role in depicting the tensed atmosphere and the players mindset during the Mahjong matches and connecting its audience to how they feel by playing on that big stage. The characters reasons and why they ended up in the Mahjong world are more interesting and more impactful on a emotional level for the viewer in this season.nnWhat I didn't like was that Saki and Nodoka had no progress and their development and play style remained the same. What I liked was the focus on the opponents play style , their stories and why they love Mahjong. It was beautiful, emotional and brilliant done. It proves that you can do a lot more in 13 episodes than 26 episodes if you don't waste any time on generic crap and focus on the important stuff. Well done!nnIf you liked the first season you will sure adore and enjoy each minute from season 2 so be sure to watch it so you won't miss out some brilliant stuff that this anime offers.
... and 1 more reviews

News:

Winter 2014 Simulcast List [Update 2/8] (12/26/2013)
'Saki: Zenkoku-hen' to Air in January 2014 (10/16/2013)
Saki: Zenkoku-hen Due in Spring 2014 (03/16/2013)
Manga 'Saki' Goes on Hiatus Due to Author's Injury (02/13/2013)
TV Anime Saki: National Championship Announced (10/28/2012)

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External Links:

Related Anime/Manga:

Saki (anime - Prequel)
Saki (manga - Adaptation)
Saki Achiga-hen: Episode of Side-A (anime - Side Story)
Saki Achiga-hen: Episode of Side-A Specials (anime - Side Story)

Genres: School, Seinen, Slice of Life, Strategy Game
Themes: School, Strategy Game
Demographics: Seinen
Studios: Studio Gokumi
Producers: Lantis, Pony Canyon, Square Enix, TV Tokyo
Rating: 7.4 / 10
Rank: #2428
Popularity: #3943
Users Listed: 38,728
Users Scored: 16,683
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 09/13/2023
Aired: January 6, 2014 – April 7, 2014 (Winter)
Type: tv
Source: manga
Age Rating: PG 13
Episodes: 13
Broadcast: Monday at 01:35 (JST)

Saki: Zenkoku-hen