When streaks keep going, they are unbroken. When you win a hand within the first go-around of your riichi call (with no calls interrupting), your win is unbroken. In the third week of the M-League 2023-24 season, both these senses of unbroken were on display. From teams and players continuing their wins, to players quickly winning their riichi calls, the M-Leaegue madness continues. Also this week, we had a player winning their first M-League game, a South 4 where all four players were within the 20,000’s range and a player returning to the table after a long absence. Let’s not take a break and get right into it, shall we?
Sometimes the wall is generous. It gives you the right tiles at the right time, giving you comebacks, big hands and rare yaku. In the second week of the M-League 2023-24 season, we saw all that and more. From waiting patiently with damas leading to epic improvements, to perfect uradora flips, the wall provide all the anticipation and excitement we hoped for. Also this week, we also saw a two-hand comeback, yaku that we’ve only see about a half dozen times and even a sanbaiman! With a whole pile of highlights waiting, let’s jump right into it, shall we?
When the 2022-23 season ended, we sat patiently, waiting for M-League to return. Now, after months of waiting, we are back for a new season of M-League! This week, we had a team and multiple players making their debut, new graphics and new goods for fans. We also had some classic M-League plays of sneaky waits, ura flips, and even a yakuman chance! With so much to discover in this first week, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Opening Ceremony
At 17:30 JST on September 18, 2023, the opening ceremony for the 2023-24 season began. With Matsushima Momo as the MC, all nine teams were introduced. The Beast Japanext was introduced first, then the rest of the teams went afterwards going in reverse order of the 2022-23 final standings. Each player walked up the stage individually through four aisles in the crowd.
The M-League 2023-24 season officially begins next week! With the new season about to start, let’s take a look back and see my picks for the top 5 plays of last season.
The 2023-24 Season starts in just over two weeks! Today, we will be going over all the new things that have been announced over the past few months to get you ready for this upcoming season.
In a news release published on August 3, 2023, M-League revealed the schedule for the 2023-24 season.
The M-League 2023-24 regular season will start on September 18, 2023 and end on March 29, 2024. Games will be played each week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 19:00 JST, with the exception of the the final week of December, when there will only be games on the Monday and Tuesday, and the first week of January, when there will only be games on Thursday and Friday.
With the addition of the newest team, the Beast Japanext, the number of games in the regular season has increased from 188 games (94 days, 94 games per team) to 216 games (108 days, 96 games per team). With the top 6 advancing, the semifinals will remain 30 games long (15 days, 20 games per team). The finals will keep the same format as well, staying at 16 games (8 days) for the top 4 to duke it out. In total, 28 additional games (14 days) have been added to the 2023-24 season.
For your convenience, I have created a Google Calendar of the schedule (with times in JST), as well as one for each team. There is also an iCalendar (.ics) file that you can download to put the schedule on your computer’s calendar.
Any mistakes are purely my own. If there is any discrepancy between the calendar and the official M-League schedule, the official M-League schedule is correct. For those wondering, the featured image above with the nice format was released in an official M-League press release with the image being found here.
On June 30, 2023, the M-League 2023-24 draft took place and seven new players were drafted. Today, we’ll take a look at which players each team drafted and learn more about them.
In a BSJapanext exclusive special program, it was announced that the BSJapanext team will officially be named “BEAST Japanext”. The team also revealed their logo, the eight candidates for their Draft Audition and the format of the tournament.
Name and Logo
BEAST Japanext incorporates the company’s name as well as representing a fierce and brave entity, just like the team.
Their logo (and presumably team mascot) is a wolf with the stylized letters “BS” on its mane. It also features the team’s name with the letters “BS” highlighted.
Eight Audition Candidates
In addition, the broadcast revealed the eight players that will be taking part in the draft audition. One by one, they players were called on their phone live on air.
Takeuchi Genta (竹内 元太)
The first player to be chosen was Takeuchi Genta (竹内元太) from Saikouisen. Takeuchi is the current title holder for Saikouisen’s top league. He was doing a livestream watch-along when he got the call and answered it live on his stream.
The next player to get the call was Asai Takaki (浅井堂岐) from NPM. He is the current title holder for NPM’s highest league. Like Takeuchi, Asai was doing a watch-along when he got the call.
The 6th player to be announced was Arai Keibun, the winner of the saikouisen league back in 2013. Like many others, he was doing a stream when he got the call.
After a commercial break for added suspense, the final player was announced. A familiar face for fans of M-League it was none other than former U-Next Pirates player Ishibashi Nobuhiro!
After all eight players were named and contacted, the tournament format was announced on the broadcast and posted on the team’s website.
Players will be split into two groups (Group A and Group B)
Each group will play 4 games
The top player from each group advances to the finals
2nd and 3rd advance to the semifinals
2nd and 3rd players from the previous round will play 4 games for the semifinals
1st and 2nd from the semifinals advance to the finals
The four finalists play 4 games and the top player will be guaranteed a spot on the BEAST Japanext!
Top: Groups A and B (1st advances to finals, 2nd and 3rd advance to semifinals Middle: Semifinals (1st and 2nd advance to finals) Bottom: Finals (Winner gets drafted)
Qualifying rounds will take place on June 3 and 4, the semifinals will take place on June 10 and the finals will take place on June 17. All broadcasts will start at 12:00 JST and will be shown live on the ABEMA Mahjong Channel.
With the broadcast over, the team updated their website and created their Twitter handle @BEAST_Japanext, ready to keep fans informed with all the latest information!
In the 2020-21 season, M-League implemented a new regulation stating that teams that fail to make the finals two years in a row with the same team must change their roster. Because the Akasaka Drivens were 7th in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season with the same players, the team was forced to make a change.
Murakami Jun was the Akasaka Drivens’ second round pick back in the inaugural M-League draft in 2018. With his help, the team was able to become the first-ever M-League champions. The year after, he was 2nd place overall for highest season score and 3rd place overall for 4th place avoidance. The year after that, he repeated his 4th place avoidance performance to take the bronze position two years in a row.
Unfortunately, he has had some difficulties recently, getting 30th overall two years in a row. In the 2022-23 season, it took until February 14 before he was able to get his first win of the season.
In his news release message and tweet, he said that the past five years have gone by in a blink of an eye, thanked everyone one for the support and that he will continue to work hard so that he may one day be on the M-League stage again.
Maruyama Kanako joined the team in the 2019-20 season after the league allowed each team to have 4 players and implemented the mixed gender rule. A relatively unknown player at the time, the Akasaka Drivens aimed to pick a player with promise and train them up. This surprise pick was dubbed M-League’s “Cinderella Story”. In her very first game, she was in last place going into the last hand. While in riichi, she passed on a ron that would put her into 3rd place in order to try for 1st. The gamble paid off and she ended up winning a baiman tsumo on her last draw for 1st place, the most impressive M-League debut ever.
However, her overall record has not been the greatest, being positive for only one season and failing to make the top half of the standings in any of them. In the 2022-23 season, Maruyama couldn’t get a win until February 10, more than a year from her previous M-League win.
In her news release statement and tweet, she said she had many wonderful experiences in the league over the past four years and was grateful for all the people who helped her grow.
With the departure of Maruyama, the team must pick a female player in the June 30th draft in order to satisfy the league’s mixed gender rule.
The M-League Watch team would like to thank Murakami and Maruyama for all the fun and excitement they brought to the league and wish them good luck on all their future mahjong endeavours.
M-League Watch 
