This is one such article that you really should be reading.

Freemont: Well, I guess nature is prone to whimsy!

maybe its okay that i don't know what the fuck is going on. i don't always care that much about thinking of theories or really even having a logical through-line. shift tones wildly, have stuff happen seemingly out of nowhere, it's more true to life or something idk. just make me feel things, make me have to think about what i'm feeling and why.

it's mostly very very bad

fukumoto's works are the one exception

there's like, 2 or 3 i could recommend if you're a Real Mahjong Pervert, but the thing is like, i can recommend akagi/ten to anyone they're just stunning works of fiction

none of the rest can really break the Niche barrier of "would have any real value to anyone outside of my specific hole i live in" imo. occasionally they get Other Niches As Well (saki's niche of "cute girls doing cute sports" and "often pedobait", the one that has the pope playing mahjong against hitler's... racism and southpark-esque humor, etc.) but they never rise above it like fukomoto's works can imo

i'll take any recommendations you have but i'll warn you i've probably read them and gone "this was mid"