It is now March, the final month of the M-League regular season. Team and players are getting into high gear, knowing that this may be their last chance at an award, their last chance at advancing to the next round. This week, the 24th week of the M-League 2023-24 season, teams and players marched forth and did things. We had the second-highest score so far this season, a mangan to baiman upgrade and a second player breaking +300.0pts in the individual standings. Also this week, we had a double riichi, a big rinshan and a player who rarely calls making three calls in the same hand! Let us go on ahead and get right into it, shall we?
The man you see in front of you is Suzuki Taro, a Saikouisen mahjong pro and a player with the Akasaka Drivens. During the first M-League draft back in 2018, three teams fought over him and it took a random draw to decide which team he would go to. This week, the 23rd week of the M-League 2023-24 season, he did something amazing. Also this week, we had a double riichi, surprise uradora and even a rinshan! With M-League history being made, let’s get right into it, shall we?
When one team gains points and another loses points, that is a swing. In a single game, a team can make up a 100.0pts deficit by getting 1st while their opponent is in 4th. Understanding how your actions will not only affect your score but also your opponent’s is how you take advantage of swing. In the 22nd week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we had two big swings, one at the top and one at the bottom. Both swings have a very big influence on how the rest of the regular season, the semifinals and the finals will go. Also this week, we had back-to-back ippatsu wins, a lot of 3 sou wins and even a furiten yakuman tenpai! I’m glad you swung by, so let’s get right to it, shall we?
When playing mahjong, it’s important to put your heart into it. If you put your all into it and believe in yourself through the most difficult of situations, you may just end up on top. In the 21st week of the M-League 2023-24 season, players didn’t give up and, through furiten riichi calls and surprise baimans, went on to make comebacks. Also this week, we had chinitsus in back-to-back games, the classic shortcut to haneman and a lot of dragons collected! I’d love it if you keep reading, so let’s get right into it, shall we?
Mahjong is full of calls. Calls for triplets, calls for sequences, riichi calls, calls for wins and calls to the gods for their winning tile. In the 20th week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we saw many of these calls in centre stage, from dragon calls to flush pursuits to important riichi calls. Also this week, we had direct dama hits, a takame ippatsu win and an expensive suji trap. Call your friends and join in, let’s get right into it, shall we?
A single action can result in a big shift in a game’s flow. These shifts create changes is game results, rankings and standings. In the 19th week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we had players winning suprise hands to change the mood at the table and final hands that caused a shift in the standings (even when that win didn’t directly benefit them). We also had a player getting three limit hands in a row, another who faced two riichi calls head on and player getting their first 1st in their M-League career! Let’s capitalize on this opportunity and get right into it, shall we?
In mahjong, one of the keys to winning is to be faster than the next fastest player. And what better way to show your speed than to make your mark on the first turn possible? In the 18th week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we had two double riichi calls and a quite a few ippatsu wins. Also this week, we had a player climbing up from the bottom, a furiten ippatsu tsumo and even a yakuman tenpai! Let’s wrap this intro up quickly and get right into it, shall we?
When you sit down to play a game of mahjong, you never know what’s going to happen. Many different yaku, different hand possibilities and many choices to make. In the 17th week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we had a great variety of hands, from a near immediate dealer haneman, to a 1,000 points hand to move into 1st place to the classic north tanki. Also this week, we had a lot of sanshokus, a certain 6-game streak and even a chiihou! Kind of…
With so many different things to cover, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Chiihou!!!
Before the start of each game, the staff go through a mock M-League game to make sure that all the equipment can cameras work and that everyone knows their cues. During this rehearsal, one of the staff members got a chiihou! This staff member even made a brief appearance during the first game’s interviews. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t an official M-League game, they did not receive a lifetime supply of noodles.
Teams and players face a lot of challenges and losses to the point that recovering seems impossible. But they didn’t drown, they couldn’t seem to die. With the hard-won wisdom they have earned, they came up from the bottom and took their shot. In Week 16 of the M-League 2023-24 season, we saw many examples of resilience, from a player going from 4th to 1st in the last hand to a team at the bottom getting triple-digit gains. Also this week, we had a whole lot of sanshoku, a yakuman tenpai immediately ended and a 3-way riichi battle with three uradora at stake. You’ve waited for it long enough, so let’s get right into it, shall we?
As 2023 turns into 2024, many things begin anew. New hope for the future, new energy to do well and M-League returns from its short break! In Week 15 of the M-League 2023-24 season, we had teams rising, a tense fight for the top of the individual standings and a rare yakuman opportunity. We also had new merch, new special tournaments and a new M-League record! Let’s start the new year right and get right into it, shall we?
For the purposes of this article, Week 15 counts the games on December 25, December 26, January 4 and January 5.
With the game finishing so quickly, they decided to have another short exhibition match with four hands and friendly banter to the max. This game was released on ABEMA TV immediately after the broadcast finished.
Pro Baseball New Year’s Mahjong Exchange Tournament
On January 1 and January 2, ABEMA TV broadcasted the Pro Baseball New Year’s Mahjong Exchange Tournament featuring professional baseball players and you favourite M-League celebrities. After two days of action, former M-Leaguer Maruyama Kanako won the final game after having just a 900 lead going into South 4. With her win, she was awarded with a golden tile and a new AMOS REXX III.
All five games (Games A, B, C, D and Finals) can be watched for free on ABEMA TV.
2024 M-League Bromides
To start off the year, M-League released a number of new fortune bromides available to be printed at any Lawson Print store for 300 yen.
M-League Watch 