182 wins, zero chill, and a mysterious girl who destroys egos for fun.
Season 1 • Episode 11
LatestSugata Kentaro used to be one of the most hopeful trainee to be a professional Shogi (Japanese chess) player, but fails at the final test. Now he has become a "Shinkenshi," a gambler who plays Shogi for money, and boasts his 182 wins in a row. But he is devastated when he is beaten completely by a young woman known as "Ukeshi" who takes any challenges and never loses. As Shogi means everything to him, he decides to train himself harder to become the strongest player. Based on a popular comic, this comedy drama is about a young man's exciting journey to reorganize his life through a series of tough challenges in Shogi guided by a mysterious girl.
Acting
Junpei Mizobata's desperate intensity as a man rebuilt by losses.
Direction
Naruhide Mizuta makes Shogi matches feel like knife fights.
Creator
Naruhide Mizuta
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shinkenshi — professional gambling Shogi players — were a real underground phenomenon in 1990s-2000s Japan, making this oddly historical.
The manga ran in Big Comic Spirits, the same magazine that launched Akira and Monster — explaining the dark-tinged comedy DNA.
JP
