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Being the arc immediately after Kaiji's previous victory, some will expect to move into an arc about a big dramatic match between Kazuya and Kaiji. If that's what you expect, you will be let down. This arc has an incredible story, but be wary that it's one that breaks free from the formula.

The set-up for this arc is an ideological battle between Kazuya and Kaiji. Kaiji finds out the core of Kazuya's motivations, and we learn some of his background as a result. The core belief that Kazuya holds is that people, media, society, and so on, all promote an image of humanity that is ... fake. Behind the facade, people are ultimately self-serving and looking out for number one; themselves. Kaiji vehemently disagrees with Kazuya. The commentary is not subtle in the least, but really allows the story to get down to the question of "who's right?"

When the early chapters spell out what this arc will be about, it's not joking. Instead of facing Kaiji head-on, we get a story full of twists and turns where Kazuya puts this to the test with his special friendship-testing device. Kaiji is a spectator but this is not a bad thing. The arc concentrates on fleshing-out the new characters and waging this war of ideals, and it's fantastic because of it. Though the gambles in Kaiji are a big draw of the series, philosophical and societal questions are an integral part as well.

The story and signature Fukumoto art is exciting and great, but overall the arc is divisive. The formula had so far been using a gamble to introduce subtext, whereas here it is flipped. We know the subtext from the start and watch the gamble to answer a question, of which Kaiji is not directly involved in. In spite of this the arc is strong and most importantly, allows the overall story to continue in a meaningful way.

This review may contain small spoilers, though I have avoided any major plot points.

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji continues Kaiji's struggles and is the arc directly after where the anime leaves off. If you had watched the second season of the anime, you might even recognize that the ending theme was an animation of some of this arc's early scenes where Kaiji is forced into cohabitation with Mikoko.

Quickly, the story thrusts Kaiji into a situation where he gambles for more than he's worth, a mainstay of the series at this point.

The characters in this part, both old and introduced, are compelling. Kaiji's opponent is absolutely ominous ... and helps makes this my favorite part in terms of characters. Coming from the second arc of the series where he fights The Bog, I felt that the combination of characters, situation, and game played are all better and more exciting -- if you understand riichi mahjong, it's even better.

I've thought quite a bit about whether you need to understand mahjong to enjoy this arc. And really, while you don't need to, it would of course enhance the experience. I myself had been playing mahjong for more than a year by the time I read this arc and the logic used in the game is not anything bizarre that a normal player wouldn't learn if they played for more than a week or two. Some of the terminology may be lost on someone unfamiliar, but even then it doesn't often matter. There is just one scene in particular that I wonder what someone unfamiliar would think, because without working knowledge of the game the scene loses some tension and panic. Overall, it should not impact the reader too much.

It also helps that it is the trend that the games played in the Kaiji series are modified, usually simplified, versions of real games. Or, original ideas where the rules can be deep but understanding the game at face value is simple. This is to say, I think the way the game is explained suffices. A lot of the complexity of mahjong is eliminated, and the type of game it is is summed up perfectly very early on when they reveal the name and rules.

If you have enjoyed the previous Kaiji parts or want more of what the anime offered, don't be intimidated by mahjong. The reward is what I believe to be the best arc.