Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku (ムダヅモ無き改革, Reform with No Wasted Draws, also known in English by its initial subtitle The Legend of Koizumi) is a Japanese satirical
mahjongmanga series by Hideki Ohwada. It was initially irregularly serialized in the Kindai Mahjong Original manga magazine published by
Takeshobo, then switched to bimonthly serialization on Takeshobo's other mahjong manga magazine Kindai Mahjong in April 2009. An anime adaptation was released on February 26, 2010 as an
original video anime.
The premise of the manga is that international diplomacy is settled on the mahjong table, with real-life politicians depicted as masters of mahjong. The Japanese title is a parody of
Junichiro Koizumi's slogan, "Reform with No Sanctuary" (聖域無き改革, Seiiki Naki Kaikaku).[3]
Plot
In a world where all politics and diplomacy are settled via no-holds-barred mahjong battles by world politicians,
Junichiro Koizumi settled scores with the United States, North Korea, and Russia before retiring as Prime Minister of Japan. However, he is recruited by the Vatican to be one of the five world leaders to counter a new international threat: the Nazis, still alive, who settled on the Moon and established the
Fourth Reich. The Nazis challenge the world leaders to a best-of-five mahjong match to the death on the
Guiana Highlands, but the battle is interrupted by the news of a rebellion on the Moon. After
Adolf Hitler returned from the match on Earth and put down
Erwin Rommel's rebellion, he beckons Koizumi to the Moon to finish the match. After a tremendous battle, Hitler is defeated while Koizumi becomes stranded on the Moon, his fate unknown. After Koizumi is presumed dead on the moon, the Japanese government under the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) established the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps (MJ-13) in an effort to make up for the loss of Japanese mahjong power. However, the LPD lost the
2009 elections to the
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who promptly tried to eliminate the newly established corps in the name of fiscal restructuring. The MJ-13, headed by Koizumi's hidden son Matajiro Sanada, duels three mahjong greats selected by the DPJ in a battle to decide the fate of the corps. Sanada defeats the incumbent prime minister
Yukio Hatoyama in the last round, which causes the latter to lose power. It is then revealed that the LDP is planning to retrieve Koizumi from the Moon through Japan's space agency
JAXA, and that MJ-13 was established to prepare for an upcoming war.
A challenge is issued to Japan to send five mahjong greats to the disputed
Senkaku Islands, where a mysterious "red box" is threatening the safety of nearby fishermen. The ruling DPJ does not want to get involved in the controversy for fear of angering their Chinese masters, to the point of sending ninja assassins to try to kill Sanada, who desires to sail to the islands to investigate. Eventually, in the face of falling public support, the DPJ strikes a deal with the LDP to call an election early, which the LDP
wins and promptly sends the MJ-13 to the Senkaku Islands. There they discover an abandoned
Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier being overtaken by
Red Guards, and a preserved
Mao Zedong inside the dreaded "red box". Mao challenges Japan to five mahjong matches, with each of the 5 main islands of the Senkaku Islands being the wager. Mao cites his ambition to claim the islands for his Neo
Chinese Soviet Republic and eventually reclaim China from its current leaders, who he thinks have betrayed the communist cause. After Japan defeats Mao, winning all matches along the way,
Lenin himself summons the mysterious figure "Mask of Mahjong" as his aide to challenge Japan to a final match. The "Mask of Mahjong" defeats Lenin in the first round, and is revealed to be Junichiro Koizumi being controlled by the head of
Leon Trotsky. The war ends with the ambitions of the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic broken, and Koizumi and Sanada reuniting as father and son, both acknowledging each other's mahjong powers.
After a two-year hiatus since the end of the "Senkaku Islands Bloody Battle" arc, the manga resumed in 2017 with a sequel centering on the imperial princess Hako Mikado (御門葩子) playing against foreign adversaries such as American president
Donald Trump.[2]
Characters
Though based on real-life politicians, the characters are, as the manga's disclaimer notes, "works of fiction and not really related to any real-life people".
The
Prime Minister of Japan, the main protagonist of the story's first arc. Armed with a natural talent for mahjong, passed down from his grandfather
Matajiro Koizumi, Junichiro defends Japanese interests and integrity against the heads of the world's superpowers, even after his retirement from politics. Signature skills include "Goumoupai" (轟盲牌, scraping tiles with a tight grip to make white tiles, or change the numerical value of tiles), "Rising Sun", a 13-tile wait (
Kokushi Musou) won by Tsumo with the 1-Pin, symbolizing the
Japanese sun, and "The Beginning of the Universe" (all white) which is the single highest scoring hand in the series. He is voiced by
Toshiyuki Morikawa in the anime adaptation.
Member of the
Japanese Diet who is perhaps overly eager and enthusiastic about the privileges of being a Diet member and admits his greatest fear is losing his status and "going back to being a
NEET". He was held hostage by the Americans twice to lure Koizumi to the mahjong table. Though doubted by his peers who think he won his seat by fluke, Koizumi acknowledges Taizō as a bringer of luck. He appears in "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" arc as the trainer for the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps. He plays better when in his underwear, a reference to when he was stripped during early chapters by Koizumi's opponents. He is voiced by
Jun Fukuyama in the anime adaptation.
Another Diet member, she appears as the Prime Minister's aide and provides relevant commentary about the state of affairs on the mahjong table. Harbours hidden feelings for Koizumi, which she knows will be unrequited. She is voiced by
Shizuka Itō in the anime adaptation.
The
Minister for Foreign Affairs who eventually becomes the Prime Minister of Japan. Known as an able sharpshooter (since he represented the Japanese shooting team in the
1976 Summer Olympics) and plays mahjong in support for Koizumi. He is voiced by
Kinryū Arimoto in the anime adaptation.
The Prime Minister of Japan. In a game against Russian president Vladimir Putin, he places Koizumi's son
Kotaro Koizumi in place of his missing father. The swap is seen through by Putin, and Abe is shamed into committing
seppuku. The public was told that he resigned due to
diarrhea. He returns as prime minister in 2012, his abdomen now reinforced with metal.
Former Japanese
Minister of Defense and now Secretary-General of the LDP. As Minister of Defense, he creates the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps to compensate the drop in Japan's mahjong might due to Koizumi's absence. It is at his suggestion that the Corps' funding be cut, so that the Corps' mahjong training can be put to the test in their struggle to save the unit.
The leader of the LPD when the party became the opposition party. Despite his bookish demeanour, he wields mahjong power befitting of a party leader, to Matajiro Sanada's surprise when Tarō Asō called a match to test Sanada's power. Winning hands include the "Cosmic Cycler" (
Four concealed triplets).
Once leader of the opposition, he made his first appearance sexually harassing Yukari-tan. Obsessed with transfer of power when the LDP was in power. As one of the power brokers of the DPJ, he is not above making under-the-table deals with the LDP to ensure the interests of his party and those of his own.
Prime Minister of Japan, first of the
Democratic Party of Japan to put the traditional
Liberal Democratic Party out of power. In the OVA, he is an obedient puppet to the Chinese leadership. It turns out he acts this way because he had been infested by a squid-like alien. In the manga, he is the primary antagonist of "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" arc and a puppet leader assuming the form of a
Flatwoods monster pushed to the fore by the DPJ brassmen. Known for his
political gaffes, which are referenced in his play style, where he commits Chombo (foul plays that force all players to rebuild their hands) when he gets unfavorable hands before winning all his points back with one high scoring hand. Voiced by
Keiji Fujiwara in the OVA.
The alien-like wife of Yukio Hatoyama. She is his partner in the manga and reveals that she is a skilled player in her own right, having played in seedy underground mahjong parlors, which is reflected in her tendency to threaten her opponents. Despite her rough language and her and her husband's otherworldly behavior, it is made clear that she and Yukio love each other deeply. Voiced by
Hitomi Nabatame in the OVA.
The State Minister of Government Revitalization, she relentlessly screens the numerous bureaus established by the LPD, including the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps, as part of the fiscal restructuring by the new DPJ government. She challenged the corps to three mahjong matches with the nation's mahjong greats of her choosing to decide the fate of the Mahjong Corps. Being the second player of these three matches, her exaggeratedly propped up collars served as receivers of secret communication signals from her sister Rinhō (リンホー) across the table.
The
Social Democratic Party representative. Once opposed the rocket carrying Koizumi to the moon on the grounds that it might be used militarily, against the
constitution of Japan, but was ignored by the main characters. She later appeared alongside Takako Doi in the first of three matches to decide the fate of the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps.
Main character of "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" and "Battle for Senkaku Islands" arcs. Originally the captain and
commander of the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Destroyer Takao scouring the Indian Ocean for
Somalian pirates, he got enlisted into the newly established 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps for his mahjong skills. Unbeknownst to him, he is Junichiro Koizumi's illegitimate son. Signature skills include Fire "Riichi" (using the Goumanpai 轟盲牌 and switching the neighboring tile with his opponents's next draw), Tomahawk Attack, and Blast Off Riichi.
An engineering officer from the
Technical Research and Development Institute of the
Ministry of Defense. A "human computer" who "sold his soul to science", he wears
tesla coils up his sleeves to optically jam his opponents' vision of the mahjong tiles (based on the
Philadelphia Experiment), and has phenomenal powers of computation, able to calculate whatever hand his opponents have assembled.
Three blind itako residing in the sacred
Mount Osore, able to channel dead spirits onto themselves as
spirit media. Sought by the Japanese government to find a way to defeat Hitler, the itako summoned the three mahjong greats of the
Yalta Conference who defeated Hitler in the past:
Winston Churchill,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
Josef Stalin. The itako's life energies gave out after accomplishing this feat and died.
Ayano Shijō (四條 絢乃)
A young woman working for
JAXA who handled all communications to and from the moon during Koizumi's match with Hitler through ASIMO. After demonstrating her determination against JAXA being scrapped, she played alongside Reiji Inui in the match against Renhō. Despite knowing nothing about mahjong beforehand, she compensated by
speedreading mahjong guide books and used her intellect to devastating effect during the match.
Humanoid robot created by
Honda in 2000. It appears as Koizumi's partner in his match with Hitler and Tristan on the Fourth Reich's Moon base. It has the ability to change the appearance of tiles using a holographic projector, among other "ASIMO weapons."[4] It returns in as Sanada's aide in the final match against Lenin and the mysterious "Mask of Mahjong".
Usagi Aoi (蒼井うさぎ)
A former idol of the
Shōwa era who insists she's still active. She enjoys immense popularity throughout Asia, even among the Communist Chinese Red Guards. She fights against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic in a mahjong match as part of a
plea bargain to clear her drug-related charges. Her character is based on
Noriko Sakai.
The 43rd
President of the United States, a gambling prodigy since his days in Texas. A man who believes that the ends justify the means. During a game of mahjong against Koizumi in a Japan-U.S. summit in
Okinawa, where the stakes are an
F-15 Eagle for every 1000 points, Bush suffered a humiliating defeat despite ganging up on Koizumi 3-on-1. He played Koizumi again in Dallas with his father, but lost again. His moves include "
PatriotTsumo" and "
Bush DoctrineRiichi". He is voiced by
Nobuo Tobita in the anime adaptation.
The 41st President of the United States, often referred to as "Papa Bush". In his mind, he was disgraced by the Japanese twice: the first is when he was being shot down above
Ogasawara in World War II, the second is when his son was defeated in Okinawa on the mahjong table. He summoned Koizumi to the
Texas School Book Depository in
Dallas (by kidnapping Taizō) in order to settle the score with mahjong. In the end, he sacrificed himself to save his son from dying at the mahjong table against Skorzeny. His special move is the "
Apocalypse Now Ron" (where "ron" is winning by picking a discard). He is voiced by
Tesshō Genda in the anime adaptation.
The former
United States Secretary of State. He utilized the advanced technologies of the United States to catch people cheating in mahjong. He served during Papa Bush's match against Koizumi and Bush's match against Skorzeny, and both times he and his high-tech unit failed to detect the true nature of their opponent's sleight-of-hands.
Also formerly Secretary of Foreign Ministry of the United States. Defeated by Trump in the election in Mahjong, she was exhausted and forced to retire after the events.
The 45th President of the United States, who himself has his power of building wall and regarded as a tyrant and arrogant. However, it is revealed that his arrogance is just a facade, and he deliberately lost the match against Hako Mikado to test her strength and prepare to defeat a hitherto unknown foe.
The leader of
North Korea. A rogue who uses underhanded tactics to ensure his own victory, such as attempting to assassinate his opponent Koizumi in order to incapacitate him. He is also a sore loser, as seen when he lost against Koizumi and Aso, he launches a missile in retaliation. His special move is the "Democratic People's Riichi", where he declares riichi while discarding a north tile. He was blown overboard the
USS George H.W. Bush by jet engine exhausts after his loss and had most of his body eaten by sharks, but he returned as a mechanical cyborg. He is voiced by
Misugi Ootori in the anime.
The eldest son of General Kim. He replaces the anonymous North Korean official for the mahjong match on the USS George H.W. Bush for the OVA. He wears
Mickey Mouse ears (in reference for his real-life attempt to sneak into Japan "to visit Disneyland" using a false identity) and is shown to have relations with
Macau. He is voiced by
Wataru Takagi.
The second
President of Russia who rose from being a
KGB officer. A stoic man who mastered
judo and
sambo, and hid needles in his hands. He came to Japan to play mahjong with the members of the Japanese Diet as part of a Russo-Japanese Summit, sending Japan into massive debt with his winning streak. Special moves include "
Kolkhoz Riichi" and the "
Baltic Fleet" (
Four quads of bamboo tiles, worth 1,583,296,743,997,800 points in total because they were playing without point limits) as well as the "
Siberian Express Ron". He is voiced by
Jōji Nakata in the anime adaptation.
Third Russian President, playing a secondary position to Putin in the match against Wagner. To support Putin, he used the "
Sovkhoz Riichi" to fool Reinhard into thinking that Medvedev has more than he put up. In the end, Medvedev sacrificed himself so that Putin could finish his "
Siberian Express" (
Nine gates).
Former British Prime Minister who came to watch the Russo-Japanese match in the secret basement of the
National Diet Building. Had once played Papa Bush with the
depleted uranium tiles Putin and Koizumi were playing with.
The Vatican
Pietro (ピエトロ, Pietoro)
A white knight serving the pope, playing as his aide on the mahjong table. Once saved Koizumi from a North Korean abduction and led him to the battle in the Vatican.
The Pope 265th of the Vatican. Summoned Koizumi to test his strength in order to counter a new global threat. Capable of
walking on thin air and reenacting the first seven days of the
Genesis on the mahjong table, accompanied by a boys choir. His special moves are the "
Sainte-Trinite" (
DaiSanGen) and "
Logos" (
All honors).
The 13th Ukrainian Prime Minister. A woman of many faces. She was recommended by Putin to be one of the Earth representatives in place of Margaret Thatcher because of her
health concerns, since Tymoshenko was the strongest woman in Europe in Putin's mind. Putin calls her a gas witch. A warrant is issued for her arrest, and it is shown that she is in prison by the end of the series. She is voiced by
Rina Satō in the anime adaptation.
Once called the "Most Dangerous Man in Europe", Skorzeny was the one who infiltrated the Vatican to bring a message from the
Fourth Reich. After Earth's leaders accepted Hitler's challenge, Skorzeny returned by a
Nazi UFO. He, along with Rudel, are Papa Bush's opponents for the third match between the Earth Alliance and the Fourth Reich. He is killed by Powell's snipers when he is caught cheating; he is unrepentant, taking a puff of his cigarette and telling Powell to "Eat shit and die." before being shot, he survives long enough to defeat Bush and Powell before dying of his wounds. Signature moves include "
Operation Greif" (
All terminals and honors), "
Operation Panzerfaust" (
Three colour triplets), and "
Operation Eiche" (a riichi in coordination with Rudel's hand).
Wagner's partner in the match against Putin and Medvedev. Despite trying to complete his mission to defeat the Russians, Reinhard's advances did not impress the prideful Wagner. Though a loyal officer himself, he is not able to comprehend Medvedev's act of self-sacrifice.
The demonic doctor otherwise known as the "Angel of Death". An overall perfectionist who has a deep fascination with twins and the medical sciences. He was able to accomplish a number of medicinal feats that include
biological engineering,
human cloning, and
resurrection. Hands include "Where are the twins?!" (
Seven pairs) and "
Designer children" (
Single suitseven pairs), exemplifying his obsession with twins.
Mariel (マリエル, Marieru)
Mengele's personal nurse attendant. She had been biologically engineered so that she could determine the
mahjong tiles by only using her ears, restructure mahjong walls with invisible speed, and serve as the new host of Mengele's brain.
The much-feared "King of Airstrikes" who is also the "Greatest Enemy of the Soviet People". His battlefield experiences as an ace pilot have led to a heightened sense of awareness that allowed him to sense the situations on the mahjong table. Specializes in coordinated air and land attacks, signified with his hands "Nosedive Bomber" (
Straight through) and "
Iron Crossfire" (
Balkenkreuz; in coordination with Skorzeny's riichi).
The main antagonist of the original series and charismatic
Führer of Nazi Germany and "The Greatest Evil of the 20th Century" who is capable of making people with insufficient resistance into willing followers with a glance. Can turn into a "
Super Aryan". He is killed during a duel with Koizumi and ASIMO by Koizumi's final Rising Sun, his soul is then dragged into an eternal game of Mahjong against the spirits of the Allied Leaders.
The fictional grandson of
Joseph Goebbels, a
Hitler Youth born on the moon, making him a mondenkind. Plays alongside Hitler against Koizumi. Like Hitler, he can also transform into a "Super Aryan".
Isolde Goebbels (イゾルデ・ゲッベルス, Izorude Gebberusu)
The twin sister of Tristan Goebbels. Plays as Hitler's partner against Benedict XVI. She made her escape from the lunar "
Valhalla" when it crumbled after Hitler's defeat.
German general during World War II. Plays alongside Rommel, but is killed by Hitler for his deprecatory remark against the pope, who Hitler had defeated.
The 14th Dalai Lama. Having predicted the resurrection of Mao Zedong through his
mandala, he joined the battle against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic. His special technique is the "Four-armed
Kannon", where he utilizes his invisible mahjong aura in the form of arms to switch tiles into his hand.
The founder of the People's Republic of China and main antagonist in the anime-original story. Throughout his life he had hoped to turn China into lush green farmlands, so he brought this grudge back to the land of the living (represented by
All greens) in the mahjong match against Koizumi in
Tiananmen Square. Voiced by
Kenji Utsumi in the anime adaptation. In the manga, he revived as the leader of the Neo
Chinese Soviet Republic, hoping to win the
Senkaku Islands from Japan and oust the current "capitalist" Chinese Communist Party in a new
Cultural Revolution.
Plays alongside Chairman Mao in the match against Koizumi in the anime-original story. Can be
influenced by Mao to give him the tile he wants. In the manga, he plays the second round after Guzmán and can control
slime molds from the Cambodian jungles to camouflage mahjong tiles.
A Japanese Socialist seeking to form the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic on the Senkaku Islands and start a cultural revolution in Japan. Provides commentary.
The Peruvian leader of the Maoist guerilla organization
Shining Path, smuggled out of life imprisonment by the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic to play mahjong against Japan. Feared for his "Mad Dog" style of play that makes him bite people, even his teammates, for their tiles.
A former idol of 1920s Shanghai who later rose to power during the Cultural Revolution as the third wife of Mao Zedong. She plays against Usagi Aoi in the third round of mahjong to decide the sovereignty of the Sengoku Islands, and kept seeing Usagi as her former actress rival
Wang Ying.
Aide to Mao Zedong during his match against the Dalai Lama. Though he caters to Mao to the point of helping him change clothes, he betrays Mao in the last round.
The final opponent in the match against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic, the founder of the original Soviet Republic. Due to errors in his resurrection, his face and speech became cat-like.
The founder of the
Red Army, and was formerly second to Lenin before he was ousted by Stalin. He merged his head with the body of Junichiro Koizumi and appeared in Lenin's mahjong match as "Mask of Mahjong". Since "Mask of Mahjong" is essentially two people in one, he can nullify incoming mahjong attacks while dealing massive damage to his opponents, two theoretically opposite traits.
Media
Anime
In August 2009, an anime version of Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku was announced with the release of the second
bound volume of the manga.[5] The anime, released on February 26, 2010, is in the form of an
OVA with three episodes, the first being an adaptation of a manga arc and the other two being new stories written by Hideki Ohwada. Episode 1 was uploaded onto
YouTube and
Nico Nico Douga on December 30, 2009 by the producer Kōsei Kawase since they "have no money so [they're] borrowing server space".[6]
Reception
The first
bound volume of the manga was published on September 5, 2008. In three days, the manga was sold out throughout the bookstores of Tokyo, and Takeshobo had to print additional shipments five days after the first publish date.[7] The manga also sold out on
Amazon.co.jp, where the manga once placed among the top 3 on its daily sales rankings.[3] By November, Takeshobo reported that the first volume sold over 150,000 copies.[8] By the end of the series, 2,500,000 copies were sold in total.[9] News commentators attributed the manga's sales to the enduring popularity of the former Prime Minister Koizumi[3] and an increasing awareness of politics in Japan.[7] The manga has been recommended by Japanese politicians
Tarō Asō[10] and
Shigeru Ishiba,[11] both of them caricatured in the manga.
Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku (ムダヅモ無き改革, Reform with No Wasted Draws, also known in English by its initial subtitle The Legend of Koizumi) is a Japanese satirical
mahjongmanga series by Hideki Ohwada. It was initially irregularly serialized in the Kindai Mahjong Original manga magazine published by
Takeshobo, then switched to bimonthly serialization on Takeshobo's other mahjong manga magazine Kindai Mahjong in April 2009. An anime adaptation was released on February 26, 2010 as an
original video anime.
The premise of the manga is that international diplomacy is settled on the mahjong table, with real-life politicians depicted as masters of mahjong. The Japanese title is a parody of
Junichiro Koizumi's slogan, "Reform with No Sanctuary" (聖域無き改革, Seiiki Naki Kaikaku).[3]
Plot
In a world where all politics and diplomacy are settled via no-holds-barred mahjong battles by world politicians,
Junichiro Koizumi settled scores with the United States, North Korea, and Russia before retiring as Prime Minister of Japan. However, he is recruited by the Vatican to be one of the five world leaders to counter a new international threat: the Nazis, still alive, who settled on the Moon and established the
Fourth Reich. The Nazis challenge the world leaders to a best-of-five mahjong match to the death on the
Guiana Highlands, but the battle is interrupted by the news of a rebellion on the Moon. After
Adolf Hitler returned from the match on Earth and put down
Erwin Rommel's rebellion, he beckons Koizumi to the Moon to finish the match. After a tremendous battle, Hitler is defeated while Koizumi becomes stranded on the Moon, his fate unknown. After Koizumi is presumed dead on the moon, the Japanese government under the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) established the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps (MJ-13) in an effort to make up for the loss of Japanese mahjong power. However, the LPD lost the
2009 elections to the
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who promptly tried to eliminate the newly established corps in the name of fiscal restructuring. The MJ-13, headed by Koizumi's hidden son Matajiro Sanada, duels three mahjong greats selected by the DPJ in a battle to decide the fate of the corps. Sanada defeats the incumbent prime minister
Yukio Hatoyama in the last round, which causes the latter to lose power. It is then revealed that the LDP is planning to retrieve Koizumi from the Moon through Japan's space agency
JAXA, and that MJ-13 was established to prepare for an upcoming war.
A challenge is issued to Japan to send five mahjong greats to the disputed
Senkaku Islands, where a mysterious "red box" is threatening the safety of nearby fishermen. The ruling DPJ does not want to get involved in the controversy for fear of angering their Chinese masters, to the point of sending ninja assassins to try to kill Sanada, who desires to sail to the islands to investigate. Eventually, in the face of falling public support, the DPJ strikes a deal with the LDP to call an election early, which the LDP
wins and promptly sends the MJ-13 to the Senkaku Islands. There they discover an abandoned
Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier being overtaken by
Red Guards, and a preserved
Mao Zedong inside the dreaded "red box". Mao challenges Japan to five mahjong matches, with each of the 5 main islands of the Senkaku Islands being the wager. Mao cites his ambition to claim the islands for his Neo
Chinese Soviet Republic and eventually reclaim China from its current leaders, who he thinks have betrayed the communist cause. After Japan defeats Mao, winning all matches along the way,
Lenin himself summons the mysterious figure "Mask of Mahjong" as his aide to challenge Japan to a final match. The "Mask of Mahjong" defeats Lenin in the first round, and is revealed to be Junichiro Koizumi being controlled by the head of
Leon Trotsky. The war ends with the ambitions of the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic broken, and Koizumi and Sanada reuniting as father and son, both acknowledging each other's mahjong powers.
After a two-year hiatus since the end of the "Senkaku Islands Bloody Battle" arc, the manga resumed in 2017 with a sequel centering on the imperial princess Hako Mikado (御門葩子) playing against foreign adversaries such as American president
Donald Trump.[2]
Characters
Though based on real-life politicians, the characters are, as the manga's disclaimer notes, "works of fiction and not really related to any real-life people".
The
Prime Minister of Japan, the main protagonist of the story's first arc. Armed with a natural talent for mahjong, passed down from his grandfather
Matajiro Koizumi, Junichiro defends Japanese interests and integrity against the heads of the world's superpowers, even after his retirement from politics. Signature skills include "Goumoupai" (轟盲牌, scraping tiles with a tight grip to make white tiles, or change the numerical value of tiles), "Rising Sun", a 13-tile wait (
Kokushi Musou) won by Tsumo with the 1-Pin, symbolizing the
Japanese sun, and "The Beginning of the Universe" (all white) which is the single highest scoring hand in the series. He is voiced by
Toshiyuki Morikawa in the anime adaptation.
Member of the
Japanese Diet who is perhaps overly eager and enthusiastic about the privileges of being a Diet member and admits his greatest fear is losing his status and "going back to being a
NEET". He was held hostage by the Americans twice to lure Koizumi to the mahjong table. Though doubted by his peers who think he won his seat by fluke, Koizumi acknowledges Taizō as a bringer of luck. He appears in "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" arc as the trainer for the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps. He plays better when in his underwear, a reference to when he was stripped during early chapters by Koizumi's opponents. He is voiced by
Jun Fukuyama in the anime adaptation.
Another Diet member, she appears as the Prime Minister's aide and provides relevant commentary about the state of affairs on the mahjong table. Harbours hidden feelings for Koizumi, which she knows will be unrequited. She is voiced by
Shizuka Itō in the anime adaptation.
The
Minister for Foreign Affairs who eventually becomes the Prime Minister of Japan. Known as an able sharpshooter (since he represented the Japanese shooting team in the
1976 Summer Olympics) and plays mahjong in support for Koizumi. He is voiced by
Kinryū Arimoto in the anime adaptation.
The Prime Minister of Japan. In a game against Russian president Vladimir Putin, he places Koizumi's son
Kotaro Koizumi in place of his missing father. The swap is seen through by Putin, and Abe is shamed into committing
seppuku. The public was told that he resigned due to
diarrhea. He returns as prime minister in 2012, his abdomen now reinforced with metal.
Former Japanese
Minister of Defense and now Secretary-General of the LDP. As Minister of Defense, he creates the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps to compensate the drop in Japan's mahjong might due to Koizumi's absence. It is at his suggestion that the Corps' funding be cut, so that the Corps' mahjong training can be put to the test in their struggle to save the unit.
The leader of the LPD when the party became the opposition party. Despite his bookish demeanour, he wields mahjong power befitting of a party leader, to Matajiro Sanada's surprise when Tarō Asō called a match to test Sanada's power. Winning hands include the "Cosmic Cycler" (
Four concealed triplets).
Once leader of the opposition, he made his first appearance sexually harassing Yukari-tan. Obsessed with transfer of power when the LDP was in power. As one of the power brokers of the DPJ, he is not above making under-the-table deals with the LDP to ensure the interests of his party and those of his own.
Prime Minister of Japan, first of the
Democratic Party of Japan to put the traditional
Liberal Democratic Party out of power. In the OVA, he is an obedient puppet to the Chinese leadership. It turns out he acts this way because he had been infested by a squid-like alien. In the manga, he is the primary antagonist of "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" arc and a puppet leader assuming the form of a
Flatwoods monster pushed to the fore by the DPJ brassmen. Known for his
political gaffes, which are referenced in his play style, where he commits Chombo (foul plays that force all players to rebuild their hands) when he gets unfavorable hands before winning all his points back with one high scoring hand. Voiced by
Keiji Fujiwara in the OVA.
The alien-like wife of Yukio Hatoyama. She is his partner in the manga and reveals that she is a skilled player in her own right, having played in seedy underground mahjong parlors, which is reflected in her tendency to threaten her opponents. Despite her rough language and her and her husband's otherworldly behavior, it is made clear that she and Yukio love each other deeply. Voiced by
Hitomi Nabatame in the OVA.
The State Minister of Government Revitalization, she relentlessly screens the numerous bureaus established by the LPD, including the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps, as part of the fiscal restructuring by the new DPJ government. She challenged the corps to three mahjong matches with the nation's mahjong greats of her choosing to decide the fate of the Mahjong Corps. Being the second player of these three matches, her exaggeratedly propped up collars served as receivers of secret communication signals from her sister Rinhō (リンホー) across the table.
The
Social Democratic Party representative. Once opposed the rocket carrying Koizumi to the moon on the grounds that it might be used militarily, against the
constitution of Japan, but was ignored by the main characters. She later appeared alongside Takako Doi in the first of three matches to decide the fate of the 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps.
Main character of "The Blood Relatives of a Lion" and "Battle for Senkaku Islands" arcs. Originally the captain and
commander of the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Destroyer Takao scouring the Indian Ocean for
Somalian pirates, he got enlisted into the newly established 13th Autonomous Mahjong Corps for his mahjong skills. Unbeknownst to him, he is Junichiro Koizumi's illegitimate son. Signature skills include Fire "Riichi" (using the Goumanpai 轟盲牌 and switching the neighboring tile with his opponents's next draw), Tomahawk Attack, and Blast Off Riichi.
An engineering officer from the
Technical Research and Development Institute of the
Ministry of Defense. A "human computer" who "sold his soul to science", he wears
tesla coils up his sleeves to optically jam his opponents' vision of the mahjong tiles (based on the
Philadelphia Experiment), and has phenomenal powers of computation, able to calculate whatever hand his opponents have assembled.
Three blind itako residing in the sacred
Mount Osore, able to channel dead spirits onto themselves as
spirit media. Sought by the Japanese government to find a way to defeat Hitler, the itako summoned the three mahjong greats of the
Yalta Conference who defeated Hitler in the past:
Winston Churchill,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
Josef Stalin. The itako's life energies gave out after accomplishing this feat and died.
Ayano Shijō (四條 絢乃)
A young woman working for
JAXA who handled all communications to and from the moon during Koizumi's match with Hitler through ASIMO. After demonstrating her determination against JAXA being scrapped, she played alongside Reiji Inui in the match against Renhō. Despite knowing nothing about mahjong beforehand, she compensated by
speedreading mahjong guide books and used her intellect to devastating effect during the match.
Humanoid robot created by
Honda in 2000. It appears as Koizumi's partner in his match with Hitler and Tristan on the Fourth Reich's Moon base. It has the ability to change the appearance of tiles using a holographic projector, among other "ASIMO weapons."[4] It returns in as Sanada's aide in the final match against Lenin and the mysterious "Mask of Mahjong".
Usagi Aoi (蒼井うさぎ)
A former idol of the
Shōwa era who insists she's still active. She enjoys immense popularity throughout Asia, even among the Communist Chinese Red Guards. She fights against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic in a mahjong match as part of a
plea bargain to clear her drug-related charges. Her character is based on
Noriko Sakai.
The 43rd
President of the United States, a gambling prodigy since his days in Texas. A man who believes that the ends justify the means. During a game of mahjong against Koizumi in a Japan-U.S. summit in
Okinawa, where the stakes are an
F-15 Eagle for every 1000 points, Bush suffered a humiliating defeat despite ganging up on Koizumi 3-on-1. He played Koizumi again in Dallas with his father, but lost again. His moves include "
PatriotTsumo" and "
Bush DoctrineRiichi". He is voiced by
Nobuo Tobita in the anime adaptation.
The 41st President of the United States, often referred to as "Papa Bush". In his mind, he was disgraced by the Japanese twice: the first is when he was being shot down above
Ogasawara in World War II, the second is when his son was defeated in Okinawa on the mahjong table. He summoned Koizumi to the
Texas School Book Depository in
Dallas (by kidnapping Taizō) in order to settle the score with mahjong. In the end, he sacrificed himself to save his son from dying at the mahjong table against Skorzeny. His special move is the "
Apocalypse Now Ron" (where "ron" is winning by picking a discard). He is voiced by
Tesshō Genda in the anime adaptation.
The former
United States Secretary of State. He utilized the advanced technologies of the United States to catch people cheating in mahjong. He served during Papa Bush's match against Koizumi and Bush's match against Skorzeny, and both times he and his high-tech unit failed to detect the true nature of their opponent's sleight-of-hands.
Also formerly Secretary of Foreign Ministry of the United States. Defeated by Trump in the election in Mahjong, she was exhausted and forced to retire after the events.
The 45th President of the United States, who himself has his power of building wall and regarded as a tyrant and arrogant. However, it is revealed that his arrogance is just a facade, and he deliberately lost the match against Hako Mikado to test her strength and prepare to defeat a hitherto unknown foe.
The leader of
North Korea. A rogue who uses underhanded tactics to ensure his own victory, such as attempting to assassinate his opponent Koizumi in order to incapacitate him. He is also a sore loser, as seen when he lost against Koizumi and Aso, he launches a missile in retaliation. His special move is the "Democratic People's Riichi", where he declares riichi while discarding a north tile. He was blown overboard the
USS George H.W. Bush by jet engine exhausts after his loss and had most of his body eaten by sharks, but he returned as a mechanical cyborg. He is voiced by
Misugi Ootori in the anime.
The eldest son of General Kim. He replaces the anonymous North Korean official for the mahjong match on the USS George H.W. Bush for the OVA. He wears
Mickey Mouse ears (in reference for his real-life attempt to sneak into Japan "to visit Disneyland" using a false identity) and is shown to have relations with
Macau. He is voiced by
Wataru Takagi.
The second
President of Russia who rose from being a
KGB officer. A stoic man who mastered
judo and
sambo, and hid needles in his hands. He came to Japan to play mahjong with the members of the Japanese Diet as part of a Russo-Japanese Summit, sending Japan into massive debt with his winning streak. Special moves include "
Kolkhoz Riichi" and the "
Baltic Fleet" (
Four quads of bamboo tiles, worth 1,583,296,743,997,800 points in total because they were playing without point limits) as well as the "
Siberian Express Ron". He is voiced by
Jōji Nakata in the anime adaptation.
Third Russian President, playing a secondary position to Putin in the match against Wagner. To support Putin, he used the "
Sovkhoz Riichi" to fool Reinhard into thinking that Medvedev has more than he put up. In the end, Medvedev sacrificed himself so that Putin could finish his "
Siberian Express" (
Nine gates).
Former British Prime Minister who came to watch the Russo-Japanese match in the secret basement of the
National Diet Building. Had once played Papa Bush with the
depleted uranium tiles Putin and Koizumi were playing with.
The Vatican
Pietro (ピエトロ, Pietoro)
A white knight serving the pope, playing as his aide on the mahjong table. Once saved Koizumi from a North Korean abduction and led him to the battle in the Vatican.
The Pope 265th of the Vatican. Summoned Koizumi to test his strength in order to counter a new global threat. Capable of
walking on thin air and reenacting the first seven days of the
Genesis on the mahjong table, accompanied by a boys choir. His special moves are the "
Sainte-Trinite" (
DaiSanGen) and "
Logos" (
All honors).
The 13th Ukrainian Prime Minister. A woman of many faces. She was recommended by Putin to be one of the Earth representatives in place of Margaret Thatcher because of her
health concerns, since Tymoshenko was the strongest woman in Europe in Putin's mind. Putin calls her a gas witch. A warrant is issued for her arrest, and it is shown that she is in prison by the end of the series. She is voiced by
Rina Satō in the anime adaptation.
Once called the "Most Dangerous Man in Europe", Skorzeny was the one who infiltrated the Vatican to bring a message from the
Fourth Reich. After Earth's leaders accepted Hitler's challenge, Skorzeny returned by a
Nazi UFO. He, along with Rudel, are Papa Bush's opponents for the third match between the Earth Alliance and the Fourth Reich. He is killed by Powell's snipers when he is caught cheating; he is unrepentant, taking a puff of his cigarette and telling Powell to "Eat shit and die." before being shot, he survives long enough to defeat Bush and Powell before dying of his wounds. Signature moves include "
Operation Greif" (
All terminals and honors), "
Operation Panzerfaust" (
Three colour triplets), and "
Operation Eiche" (a riichi in coordination with Rudel's hand).
Wagner's partner in the match against Putin and Medvedev. Despite trying to complete his mission to defeat the Russians, Reinhard's advances did not impress the prideful Wagner. Though a loyal officer himself, he is not able to comprehend Medvedev's act of self-sacrifice.
The demonic doctor otherwise known as the "Angel of Death". An overall perfectionist who has a deep fascination with twins and the medical sciences. He was able to accomplish a number of medicinal feats that include
biological engineering,
human cloning, and
resurrection. Hands include "Where are the twins?!" (
Seven pairs) and "
Designer children" (
Single suitseven pairs), exemplifying his obsession with twins.
Mariel (マリエル, Marieru)
Mengele's personal nurse attendant. She had been biologically engineered so that she could determine the
mahjong tiles by only using her ears, restructure mahjong walls with invisible speed, and serve as the new host of Mengele's brain.
The much-feared "King of Airstrikes" who is also the "Greatest Enemy of the Soviet People". His battlefield experiences as an ace pilot have led to a heightened sense of awareness that allowed him to sense the situations on the mahjong table. Specializes in coordinated air and land attacks, signified with his hands "Nosedive Bomber" (
Straight through) and "
Iron Crossfire" (
Balkenkreuz; in coordination with Skorzeny's riichi).
The main antagonist of the original series and charismatic
Führer of Nazi Germany and "The Greatest Evil of the 20th Century" who is capable of making people with insufficient resistance into willing followers with a glance. Can turn into a "
Super Aryan". He is killed during a duel with Koizumi and ASIMO by Koizumi's final Rising Sun, his soul is then dragged into an eternal game of Mahjong against the spirits of the Allied Leaders.
The fictional grandson of
Joseph Goebbels, a
Hitler Youth born on the moon, making him a mondenkind. Plays alongside Hitler against Koizumi. Like Hitler, he can also transform into a "Super Aryan".
Isolde Goebbels (イゾルデ・ゲッベルス, Izorude Gebberusu)
The twin sister of Tristan Goebbels. Plays as Hitler's partner against Benedict XVI. She made her escape from the lunar "
Valhalla" when it crumbled after Hitler's defeat.
German general during World War II. Plays alongside Rommel, but is killed by Hitler for his deprecatory remark against the pope, who Hitler had defeated.
The 14th Dalai Lama. Having predicted the resurrection of Mao Zedong through his
mandala, he joined the battle against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic. His special technique is the "Four-armed
Kannon", where he utilizes his invisible mahjong aura in the form of arms to switch tiles into his hand.
The founder of the People's Republic of China and main antagonist in the anime-original story. Throughout his life he had hoped to turn China into lush green farmlands, so he brought this grudge back to the land of the living (represented by
All greens) in the mahjong match against Koizumi in
Tiananmen Square. Voiced by
Kenji Utsumi in the anime adaptation. In the manga, he revived as the leader of the Neo
Chinese Soviet Republic, hoping to win the
Senkaku Islands from Japan and oust the current "capitalist" Chinese Communist Party in a new
Cultural Revolution.
Plays alongside Chairman Mao in the match against Koizumi in the anime-original story. Can be
influenced by Mao to give him the tile he wants. In the manga, he plays the second round after Guzmán and can control
slime molds from the Cambodian jungles to camouflage mahjong tiles.
A Japanese Socialist seeking to form the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic on the Senkaku Islands and start a cultural revolution in Japan. Provides commentary.
The Peruvian leader of the Maoist guerilla organization
Shining Path, smuggled out of life imprisonment by the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic to play mahjong against Japan. Feared for his "Mad Dog" style of play that makes him bite people, even his teammates, for their tiles.
A former idol of 1920s Shanghai who later rose to power during the Cultural Revolution as the third wife of Mao Zedong. She plays against Usagi Aoi in the third round of mahjong to decide the sovereignty of the Sengoku Islands, and kept seeing Usagi as her former actress rival
Wang Ying.
Aide to Mao Zedong during his match against the Dalai Lama. Though he caters to Mao to the point of helping him change clothes, he betrays Mao in the last round.
The final opponent in the match against the Neo Chinese Soviet Republic, the founder of the original Soviet Republic. Due to errors in his resurrection, his face and speech became cat-like.
The founder of the
Red Army, and was formerly second to Lenin before he was ousted by Stalin. He merged his head with the body of Junichiro Koizumi and appeared in Lenin's mahjong match as "Mask of Mahjong". Since "Mask of Mahjong" is essentially two people in one, he can nullify incoming mahjong attacks while dealing massive damage to his opponents, two theoretically opposite traits.
Media
Anime
In August 2009, an anime version of Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku was announced with the release of the second
bound volume of the manga.[5] The anime, released on February 26, 2010, is in the form of an
OVA with three episodes, the first being an adaptation of a manga arc and the other two being new stories written by Hideki Ohwada. Episode 1 was uploaded onto
YouTube and
Nico Nico Douga on December 30, 2009 by the producer Kōsei Kawase since they "have no money so [they're] borrowing server space".[6]
Reception
The first
bound volume of the manga was published on September 5, 2008. In three days, the manga was sold out throughout the bookstores of Tokyo, and Takeshobo had to print additional shipments five days after the first publish date.[7] The manga also sold out on
Amazon.co.jp, where the manga once placed among the top 3 on its daily sales rankings.[3] By November, Takeshobo reported that the first volume sold over 150,000 copies.[8] By the end of the series, 2,500,000 copies were sold in total.[9] News commentators attributed the manga's sales to the enduring popularity of the former Prime Minister Koizumi[3] and an increasing awareness of politics in Japan.[7] The manga has been recommended by Japanese politicians
Tarō Asō[10] and
Shigeru Ishiba,[11] both of them caricatured in the manga.