>>281775440
On the other hand, I autistically told myself that I needed to learn how to play mahjong before I read akagi, even though people would often tell me that I really didn't need to. I do think it was worth learning how to play beforehand. The best example I can think of is that I don't think you can really get how impactful the transparent tiles in Washizu mahjong are if you've never played the game yourself before. Reading through 17 Steps in Kaiji was actually my first introduction to the game, and while I could follow what exactly was happening, it was again the impact of it all that was lost on me. It wasn't until I started playing myself that I really understood how stressful playing a match where both players are in tenpai off the bat would be. I've been meaning to re-read kaiji (and catch up) now that I understand mahjong for just this reason. FKMT does do a great job of making the game (and really, all of his conflicts) understandable for every reader, but there is 100% more to be added when you have personal experiences with the struggles in his story.
I am still a bad mahjong player, though. I know enough to play some soul with the lads while crushing brews, though, and I think that's good enough for me