Posters and billboards revealing that the Akagi manga is coming to an end have been spotted at numerous Tokyo train stations over the weekend (particularly along Japan Railway's Yamanote line in Tokyo). The posters give the manga a precise finale date of February 1, 2018, so there's still a year to go. However, the news is still somewhat shocking as the manga has been ongoing for 27 years.
Nobuyuki Fukumoto launched the manga in 1992, which currently has 33 volumes and 12 million copies in print worldwide.
Studio Madhouse produced an anime adaptation in 2005, which consisted of 26 episodes.
While mahjong is a game that is often played with family and friends, it is also a game that is played in the darkest corners of society. Nangou is a compulsive gambler who has accumulated debt over three million yen. In a last ditch attempt to clear his record, he decides to wager his life on a game of mahjong with the mafia. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, Nangou only moves further from the prize and closer to death. When all hope seems lost, the game parlor is suddenly intruded upon by Shigeru Akagi, a young boy on the run from the police. Desperate to turn the game around, Nangou hands the game over to Akagi after teaching him a few of the rules. The mafia can only smirk as Akagi sits down to play. However, they soon come to learn that Akagi is a natural-born gambler. An imposing figure who does not fear death. One who is destined to become a legend.