Saki – What do you see? (Part II – A comparison with Onee-chan)

This is in response to a question posed by kappa145 about Saki’s senses. And yes, she does have a sensing power. Its blatantly obvious by now in the manga. Of course no one actually notices or they look at it as unimportant because hey! look a this! Flashy amazing lightning spewing flower blooming Rinshan!

So yeah, Saki’s other abilities often went unnoticed. This will be an exploration of her sensing ability. 😀

As I’ve said in the previous post, Saki can feel people’s aura. That is no brainer and not really distinguishing since most occult player can do that. But, what actually distinguish Saki is her range. She felt Koromo’s freaking aura from miles away.

Saki is really sensitive to this aura fluctuation. That it was her most crippling weakness in the first season. This was what caused her defeat by Fujita. If you noticed the moment Fujita walked in, Saki knew and she spent the entire match like a mouse getting stared at by a snake.

But, its also a boon. Saki sensitivity allowed her to find Momo in the individual. Really, Momo should be found in three ways. One, do a Nodoka and don’t care about presence at all.

Option two is what Saki did. Go the opposite direction and care too much about presence and aura that you’ll be hyper sensitive enough to notice that there is a lack. . A lack of presence should logically leave a hole that is noticeable to those hyper sensitive. Saki noticed that playing with Momo is like playing a computer. No presence at all. So she used her experience playing digital to pinpoint where the lack of presence is.

I suspect that most people won’t be able to do it. We become accustomed to those things around us and computers is one of those. For example a fish would probably not notice water. The same is true with us and air.

Anyway, the hypothetical third way of beating Momo’s ability. Directly cancel the power. That should do it. ^^

But, I digress. This is about what Saki sees.

Another notable thing about Saki is she knew what is in the dead wall. There is no if or may about this. SHE KNOWS!

 

Hey look! Saki knows what tile she will get the next turn and then she knows what tile she will get from the dead wall! 

If you look at the Quarter match as well. Its pretty obvious that Saki knows what the dora is and where they are located before they are revealed. She even used a similar  tactic against Koromo and Kana.

Anyway, this is the extent of what we know for sure of Saki’s sensing power. Below this is WMG time.

Teru as we know has a magic mirror that can see her opponent’s soul.

Its freaking powerful. For the price of not winning one hand, Teru knows your playstyle and even how you use it. What strategy you most likely will use against her, etc, etc, etc.

The only way to beat this mirror is CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Meaning you have to improve on the match itself. Pretty hefty condition there and something that can’t be planned for.  ^^

Anyway, let’s go back to the question that urged me to make this post. Do you think Saki has something similar?

The answer: Yes I do. 

Then, what do you think it is?

I always like to compare the Miyanaga siblings. They are quite an interesting foil for each other actually. Even their names and motif. And I thought, if Teru is “shine” and what she sees is what is. Saki is “bloom”, and she sees is what is not.  

Shine when applied to a person is this according to Mirriam.

a.  to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished 

b. to perform extremely well 

Take a look. This also shows what Teru sees when she used her magic mirror. Kuro for example, she is very good at gathering dora. When Teru used her magic mirror, she will know this.

Its also an adjective for how Teru is. Teru is eminent, conspicuous and distinguished. She performs extremely well.

On the other hand, bloom is:

a. to mature into achievement of one’s potential 

b. to appear or occur unexpectedly or in remarkable quantity or degree 

This is also perhaps what Saki sees. The person’s potential. Saki sees what you could be. 

Take a look at the person that Saki has been scared of recently. It was Maho. Maho presently is not very powerful. If Teru looked at Maho, she will think she has an interesting ability but will not be scared of her because Maho at present is not a threat to her.

But, if my speculation is correct. Saki should see Maho’s potential. And that scared her.

Saki also said that of Kyouko. Kyouko presently is not powerful. But, if Akasaka’s theory proved true. Then, Saki might have seen Kyouko’s potential and she thought that she might not be able to win against it.

This will explain Saki’s ridiculous ability to overestimate almost everyone. Because, Saki sees what people could be at the present. It means she is always basing herself against stronger versions. And probably why her perspective is borked.

If you think about it Saki’s ability is all about “potentiality.” Making a hand suddenly bloom from a cheap hand into a large hand is an obvious example. But, her rinshan kaihou is also one. A yaku that can only be gotten by drawing from the tiles excluded from the games and one who can immediately explode your score by opening doras. It even gave you a yaku to win. Something that should not be  there before.

Even, the above example of sensing is about potential. Saki knows the dora before they are revealed and thus knows the hidden potential of a hand. Saki knows what shape a hand will roughly form in.

But, as said before its also something of a weakness. Take a look at after the chankan that Yumi did.

Saki thought that Yumi will chankan her for Kokushi. Guess what? Yumi is building a Kokushi but its no where complete to actually chankan Saki.

This is a possible weakness, potential can go unfulfilled after all. Sometimes people don’t rise to the occasion.

But, sometimes they do.

In the same match, Kana was hopeless. She was about to give up. ‘ Kana wasn’t a determinator before this match as evidenced by Coach Kuno being dismissive of her She was actually in despair and does not believe she can win

But, she experienced character development to turn into what we now know as her greatest strength. And guess, who gave her a nudge and factored Kana’s character development in her match?

ITS SAKI. Saki gave her the points to start with. Saki facilitated the path to the dora that Kana will get with her calls. Saki gave the hope that it was possible for Kana to have a comeback. And at the tail end of the match, Kana has developed a new determination.  

Such determination that…

She really believes that she can do tenpai thirty times in a row with Saki and Koromo in the table.

 

Enough to throw a yakuman away!

This actually impressed their previously hard ass coach very much.

Even, Koromo was surprised. As said in the anime, she did not factor Kana not winning. Who would actually? Sometimes if your losing that badly, you would like to win with a big hand. Go out with a bang. Even if the hand if played with will result in your loss. Who thinks that someone will think of the slim chance of tenpai thirty times in a row?

Kana has become admirable in a way. And Saki knows that. she would or will be. This Kana will not take the win that will result in her loss.  And because Saki believed or perhaps “knows” this. Saki won.

Even, Koromo’s change of heart could factor in Saki seeing Koromo’s potential change and helping pave the way.^^