M-League Watch

On May 28, 2026, the Sega Sammy Phoenix announced that they would not be renewing Asai Takaki‘s contract for the 2026-27 season.

In Takaki’s comments on Twitter, he says it was “team changes” (編成の都合) as the reason why he was dropped.

Takaki expressed disappointment, especially since his doctor gave him the okay after experiencing a subarachnoid hemorrhage which sent him to the hospital earlier last season.

His teammates (who all had their contracts renewed) expressed gratitude for the two years they competed with each other, with Genta saying that it would be “awesome to compete with him again, but next time as an opponent”.

Takaki was drafted by the Sega Sammy Phoenix in the 2024-25 season as the 2nd overall pick. In the 2024-25 season, he was part of the team effort of getting no 4ths in the semifinals (the first team ever to accomplish the feat) and the team eventually went on to win the championship.

However, he finished 26/36 in his first season with a -215.3pts result (including a yakuman deal-in), and a -81.7pts result in the most recent season.

Earlier this month, Takaki wrote a note regarding the sudden hospitalization and his recovery, and indicated that more about it will be written and released in August.

The M-League Watch team would like to wish Takaki the best of health and the best in his continuing mahjong journey.

In Games #13-14 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, it’s clear that the finals are coming to a close. Every move carries great weight, not just for the player but for the whole team and all their fans. And with multiple limit hands and great comebacks, this final Thursday was an enjoyable day to watch.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators of the day are Kobayashi Misa and Saikouisen’s Kouno Naoya.

After a quick look at the action on Tuesday, we looked at the standings.

The EX Furinkazan has a strong lead of 133.8pts, though with four games left to go, even the 4th place Team Raiden has a chance.

Intro | Game #13 | Game #14

Games #11-12 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals were another set of incredible games. Momentum was the key, and this momentum helped break records. Gaining points and points and more points, a certain team had a very strong lead by the end of the day. And it might not be the one you’re thinking of.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators for the day are Erikawa Maiko and former U-Next Pirates player Asakura Koushin

After a brief review of what happened on Monday, we took a look at the standings.

The standings are quite close at the top, with the Beast X holding a slim 3.5pts lead over the Konami Mahjong Fight Club. However, neither the EX Furinkazan nor Team Raiden are out of the picture (like we saw with the Beast’s performance on Friday that sent them from 4th to 1st).

And with that, we were off!

Intro | Game #11 | Game #12

Sometimes there are days where there are big swings in the standings. And then there are days when there is not much change between the start and the end of the day.

The fifth day, Games #9-10 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, was the latter.

But, even though the standings didn’t shift, the day wasn’t useless. It showed off the skill of the players and gives some insight to their strategies. And as they analyze those strategies they (and fans) get to see if they pay off.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators for the day are Furuhashi Takashi and former Akasaka Drivens player Murakami Jun

After rewatching someof the highlights of Friday (and watching in awe of the Beast X’s comeback), we looked at the standings going into today.

Thanks to Beast X’s big gains on Friday, they are in the top spot, but the Konami Mahjong Fight Club isn’t far behind. The EX Furinkazan and Team Raiden are still in contention, but they have some more work to do.

After our players were inroduced and sat down in their seats, the first game of the day began!

Intro | Game #9 | Game #10

Today, during Games #7-8 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, monumental things happened. A big win and a big shift in the standings changed everyone’s expectations about these finals. And today proved that absolutely anything can happen in M-League.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our two commentators are Kobayashi Misa and former Konami Mahjong Fight Club player Fujisaki Satoshi.

After the commentator introductions, we took a look at the standings going into today.

The Konami Mahjong Fight Club has a good lead over the rest of the pack, but a single 1st by any of the teams can shift the standings.

Intro | Game #1 | Game #2

Into the second quarter of the M-League 2025-26 finals, Games #5-6, the quality of play was on display. Head-to-head battles and runaways, fighting for 1st place and those trying their best to keep their team in the mix. And even if the standings don’t move, the competition keeps getting hotter and hotter.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our main commentator of the day is JPML’s Furuhashi Takashi. Joining him are Takeuchi Genta and Daigo Hiroshi of the Sega Sammy Phoenix.

Going into today, the Konami Mahjong Fight Club holds a good lead. The space between 1st and 2nd is about the same as 2nd and 3rd, with 4th place not far behind.

Intro | Game #5 | Game #6

Tuesday is Day 2 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, featuring Games #3-4 of this competitive competition.

During these two games, the key theme was the finish. In both games, players secured their 1st place spot after making comebacks near the end of the game. A good start might be good, but a strong finish can decide who will be the champion.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Erikawa Miko sits in the commentary booth, joined by Akasaka Drivens members Watanabe Futoshi and Asami Maki

After a rundown of the format, we took a look at the standings going into today.

The EX Furinkazan holds the lead they had going into the finals, widening it in the first day. The Konami Mahjong Fight Club is competitive for the spot, though, while the Beast X and Team Raiden lag behind.

Intro | Game #3 | Game #4

After 330 games and almost 8 months of mahjong action, it all comes down to these final 16 games. After these upcoming 8 days of games are played, our M-League 2025-26 champion will be crowned.

In the first two games of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, we had explosive starts in both games. With a hidden honitsu and a comeback in the first and an unstoppable force in the second, we were in for a treat.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

At the start, we were introduced to our two commentators: Hiyoshi Tatsuya and Tsuchida Kousho, one of the most famous duos in mahjong commentary.

After all four of our teams were introduced, we took a look at the standings.

The EX Furinkazan holds the top spot to start the finals, but with 4th place just 147.1pts away and a lot of direct hit opportunities available, it’s anyone’s game.

After our four players for the first game were introduced, we were off!

Intro | Game #1 | Game #2

In just one month, six teams are cut down to four. A combination of big building, advanced attacks and decisive defensive (and a little luck) will prove which four teams are worth of fighting in the finals.

In Games #13-18 of the M-League 2025-26 semifinals, we had quite an interesting mix of yaku, from chanta to honitsu to haitei. And with extreme results on both ends of the extremes, the standings had quite a shift.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Intro | Standings