Tetsuya doesn't celebrate genius, it mourns it. Every hand is a conversation between two people who have nothing left but their skill and their pride, and watching someone lose isn't cathartic, it's devastating because you understand exactly how they failed. The mahjong itself isn't window dressing; it's the only language these characters have to say things they can't speak aloud, and by the time you learn the game well enough to follow what's happening, you've already fallen for someone who's about to get destroyed by it.

Shinjuku in 1947 is a hard place to live. Money is short, food and basic necessities are hard to come by, and some residents turn to gambling just to get by. Tetsuya, a wanderer, spends his days in mahjong parlors, where he beats his opponents with ease. Then he meets Boushu-san, a player of intense skill, and realizes that his own abilities still fall short. The series is a sports drama built around mahjong.