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The four players you see above are the four players that played in the final game of the M-League 2021-22 Semifinals. All four of them were in charge of their team’s fate, whether their team would make it into the finals or be left. Tensions were high in the final quarter, with some tears being shed in the interviews. There’s so much to get into, so let’s get into it, shall we?
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
We are into the third and final week of the M-League 2021-22 Semifinals! After the games ended last Tuesday, teams looked at what they needed to do. They set their game plans into motion and tried to position themselves for the final stretch. The luck of the dora came to some. The luck of the ippatsu came to others. From hanemans to close yakumans to comebacks, this quarter was big for both players and fans. With all that, let’s get right into it, shall we?
On March 31, the first M-League Premium Night in almost two years took place. M-League fans went to the EX Theatre Roppongi to interact with players, watch the game and enjoy M-League together with other people.
On April 3rd, the Kadokawa Sakura Knights announced that Sawazaki Makoto (沢崎誠) would be hospitalized after the semifinals to receive treatment for “Primary myelofibrosis”. To read more about the statement, please read: Sawazaki Makoto to Receive Hospital Treatment After Semifinals, Will Sit Out Finals
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
Sawazaki Makoto (沢崎誠) of the Kadokawa Sakura Knights, who placed 2nd in the individual standings in the M-League 2021-22 regular season, will be receiving hospital treatment after the M-League 2021-22 Semifinals and will miss the finals if the team qualifies.
Sawazaki and the team made the announcement on April 3 through Twitter an a video statement on Youtube. In the statement, it was revealed that Sawazaki has a condition called “primary myelofibrosis” and will be admitted to the hospital for a “hematopoietic stem cell transplantation”, more commonly known as a “bone marrow transplant”. His treatment will take several months.
【沢崎誠選手の入院に関するお知らせ①】
— KADOKAWAサクラナイツ🌸 (@kadokawa_sk) April 3, 2022
当チーム所属の沢崎誠選手はご病気の治療のため、セミファイナルシリーズのサクラナイツ最終試合日（4月7日）以降に数ヶ月間入院されることとなりました。
詳細は添付画像をご覧ください。 pic.twitter.com/g95n0qxCrB
Notice in regards to the hospitalisation of Sawazaki Makoto
We sincerely thank you for your ongoing support for both M-League and the Kadokawa Sakura Knights.
Sakura Knights member Sawazaki Makoto will be undergoing treatment for Primary Myelofibrosis after the end of the Semi Finals series. He will be hospitalised for a number of months following the last semi finals match on the 7th of April.
* The treatment he will be undergoing is hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and requires hospitalisation.
For this reason, if the Sakura Knights make it to the Finals Series, Sawazaki will not be taking part in it.
We apologise for the worry caused, and thank you all for your continued support for Sawazaki
Translation of the statement released by the Kadokawa Sakura Knights
Primary myelofibrosis, also known as “(Chronic) idiopathic myelofibrosis”, is a rare disorder where the formation of scar tissue in the bone marrow interferes with the body’s ability to make blood cells. This disorder affects around 1.5 in 100,000 to 1 in 500,000 people.
After the news was released, players from various teams wished him a quick recovery that that they will be waiting for his return.
沢崎さんも松ヶ瀬さんももどかしいだろうと思います https://t.co/Y6twvFHlVc
— 滝沢 和典 (@TakizawaRenmei) April 3, 2022
ご快復をお祈り申し上げます。 https://t.co/feLumlZWYT
— 近藤誠一 (@sei1k) April 3, 2022
ご快復をお祈りします🙇♀️🙇♀️ https://t.co/TT5PIi1SWL
— 東城りお (@RioTojyo) April 3, 2022
少し長い入院になるようですが、沢崎さんの完全復活を楽しみに待ちましょう‼️
— 黒沢咲⚡️ (@kurosawasaki) April 3, 2022
みんなで気を送るぞー！まずはセミファイナル後半戦頑張ってください☺️ https://t.co/nEzKF57Xi6
待ってます。また決定戦の舞台で熱い戦いができる日を！ https://t.co/pOKXhMa9Ga
— 佐々木寿人 (@sasakihisato) April 3, 2022
沢崎さんなら必ず元気に回復して、マムシの麻雀を皆さんに魅せてくれるでしょう！ファイナルは三人での闘牌になりますが、「僕がいなかったらそりゃあ負けるよなあ」なんて言われないように、必ず優勝シャーレを退院祝いに持ち帰りたいと思います🌸 https://t.co/CplHqBhxF6
— 岡田紗佳🌸おかぴー (@sayaka_okada219) April 3, 2022
We at M-League Watch would also like to wish him good health and a speedy recovery so he can come back and impress us at the mahjong table once again.
With the games on Tuesday coming to an end, we are officially halfway through the M-League 2021 Semifinals! Tensions, pressure and emotions have been high the past few games. This quarter, we saw some old friends, some dragons and a closed honitsu. We also had a dora tanki, two valuable uradora, three valuable uradora and other dora nonsense! With all that, let’s get right to it, shall we?
With the Akasaka Drivens and Team Raiden eliminated from the semifinals, we saw some of their players helping with the commentary.
On March 25, Maruyama Kanako (丸山奏子) and Suzuki Taro (鈴木たろう) of the Akasaka Drivens were guest commentators commentating alongside Matsushima Momo.
On March 29, Setokuma Naoki (瀬戸熊直樹) of Team Raiden was commentating alongside Kobayashi Misa. Kurosawa Saki (黒沢咲) was supposed to be commentating with them, but she was feeling unwell. So, Setokuma brought a mini version of her into the commentating booth to be with him.
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
The semifinals of the M-League 2021-22 season have begun! Six teams are vying for the four spots in the finals! As always the competition was fierce. This quarter, we had a tie, a player beating another by 100 points and two kans of great importance. We also saw an old friend that we hadn’t seen since April 29, 2021! With all that, let’s get right to it, shall we?
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
The M-League 2021 Semifinals begin on March 21! Today, we’ll take a look at which teams will be playing, how they got here and what they will need to do to succeed.
Continue reading “M-League 2021 Semifinals: The Teams”
There will be 24 games played in total for the semifinals, with each team playing in 16 of those games.
Each team carries over half of their score from the regular season (rounded up to the nearest tenth)
| Rank | Team | Regular Season Score | Semifinals Starting Score |
| 1 | U-Next Pirates | +377.1 | +188.6 |
| 2 | Shibuya Abemas | +328.2 | +164.1 |
| 3 | Konami Mahjong Fight Club | +249.0 | +124.5 |
| 4 | EX Furinkazan | +184.4 | +92.2 |
| 5 | Sega Sammy Phoenix | +184.2 | +92.1 |
| 6 | Kadokawa Sakura Knights | +177.0 | +88.5 |
Games will take place every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from March 21 to April 8. All games will start at 19:00 JST.
The top 4 teams with the highest score after the semifinals will move on to the 12-game finals, where they will compete to win the 50 million yen grand prize and the M-League championship plate.
This is it. The last week of the regular season. Four games for each team and then it’s over. For two teams, these four games will be the last games they will play this season. The battle for the league MVP award brews. Teams try to take the lead in the standings. With action keeping us on the edge of our seats, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
At the end of next week, the regular season will finish and six teams will have passed the first test. Beyond that, they will have to pass a second test before moving on to the final challenge. In the 21st week of M-League 2021, teams and players know that the end of the regular season, the semifinals and the finals are just around the corner. They are trying to get their team in a good spot. They are studying and practicing and figuring out the best strategy against their opponents. And through this study and practice, fans get to see some amazing plays! From a team on a mini-comeback to some perfect timing, a rinshan to a yakuman tenpai, fierce competition was on full display. With all that, let’s get right to it, shall we?
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
The end of this week marks the last full week of February. And as February turns to March, fans and players know that the regular season will soon end. In the 20th week of M-League 2021, teams were fighting for position and fighting for their life. This week, we had some hard decision to make, hands taken to the limit and some great luck. We also had repeated wins, timely wins and surprising wins. With all that, let’s get right into it, shall we?
Intro | Highlights | Results | Standings
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