M-League Starts with a Bang!
It doesn’t seem that long since the first season of M-league finished, but after a summer recess, the ultimate professional riichi competition is back!
Bigger means better?
This time, we’re bigger with one extra team in the form of Sakura Knights!
#Mリーグ2019 遂に開幕しました！
— 岡田紗佳?おかぴー (@sayaka_okada219) September 30, 2019
開幕日はパブリックビューイングでの解説でしたが、面白い試合すぎて刺激をたくさん受けました。そして、明日はサクラナイツの初戦です！内川さんが先発でいきます！皆さん応援してください！ pic.twitter.com/Rtsiw97J8P
The teams are bigger and more diverse! Each team had a chance to draft up to four players, and each team has to have at least one female representative.
And we even have new uniforms with more options.
Female pros dominate the start of the season
The female professionals of the event were determined to show they were more than just the products of positive discrimination, dominating the first day. Kurosawa-pro and Uotani-pro won the first day of the season.
M-League’s players also had their own personal surprises in store! Kurosawa-pro announced that she had gotten married after her win. Luck in love and mahjong must be related?!
観てますかぁ？！ pic.twitter.com/zoMy2EhHpx
— 黒沢咲 (@kurosawasaki) September 30, 2019
M-League is clearly not going to rest on the laurels of a first successful outing. Mr. Fujita has his sights to grow the venture even further than its already impressive domination of the scene. None of what we’ve seen so far is revolutionary enough to turn current fans off. Yet it remains to be seen whether tweaks to the formula are enough to bring new fans into mahjong.
Certainly the gentle nod toward including female representation is to be applauded. We at Riichi Reporter can only hope it will mean more women taking up the great game.
Extra coverage for M-League foreign fans
Almost all of you will be able to watch the games live outside of Japan and for a few days after on streaming for no charge over the Abema app. Donnie is currently working on a guide for all of you. Expect that later this week.
And our friends over at ReachMahjong.com have promised more detailed coverage of M-league this season so keep us all bookmarked!