Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen

Quick Thoughts:
Promising start marred by pachinko.

Story:
Season 2 picks up some time after the end of the 1st season, with more debt accumulated. A familiar face picks him up and drops him off at an underground camp to work off his debts. This arc lasts about nine episodes and the second, and final, arc takes up the remaining 17 episodes. I think the first arc was solid; we get all Kaiji's mindgames, scheming, trickery and charisma displayed in full effect. The second arc was the worst in the entire series in my opinion, mainly due to its pacing issues. The first few episodes provided good setup/backstory, ... but main conflict was drawn out way too long. It didn't help that the type of gambling being done wasn't particularly interesting either. I thought the ending was good though, very fitting for someone like Kaiji.

Art:
Art quality seemed about the same as the first season. One guy's face bugged me a bit (like an ugly mix between Kaiji's and Hajime no Ippo's artstyle) but the rest of characters looked pretty good. I liked most of the visual metaphors, although I think too many were used in the second arc.

Enjoyment:
I didn't enjoy this season as much as the first, but that's mostly due to the pacing issues. I did enjoy the focus on more traditional gambling rather than the saw-like death games from before.

Tension and Tedious are 2 completely different things!
and it's clear Kaiji season 2 feels there is no distinction between the two.
Unlike season 1 this addition just drags...and drags...and drags! on and on and on.

Everything Else in the show is perfectly fine. the score is intense, the animation is crips clean, the voice acting is solid. but the single deathblow season 2 has is it's TERRIBLE dragged out pacing. it's not that noticeable in the first half of the season but it really begins to show during the second half.

And this is where the Tension vs Tedious bit comes into play. The big final gamble of ... the series which starts around halfway the season and goes on all the way to the end. and every episode from this point on consists of only 2 things. 10% of the episode is dedicated to the next "cheat" our pro-/antagonist uses to counter the other. and the other 90% is showing their emotional reaction to either achieving or getting denied their goal.

You can do this for...3...maybe 5 episode since were talking "final boss" in this case. but anything beyond that just makes most of the episode feel like padding. and geez 12 episodes of padding was a frustrating sit. it's not a good thing when I'm yelling "GET ON WITH IT" at my screen. accompanied by skipping trough large portions of the latter episodes without missing ANYTHING important.

I'll go as far as saying this season could easily have been 12 episodes long it was re-cut correctly, while still have enough room to build tension without feeling rushed

believe it or not. This is the best thing I have ever watched. Everything is great except kaijis tringle nose.
You must Watch it, Masterpiece.

Story 10/10
Characters 10/10

Unique blend of psychological thriller and gambling elements, making it stand out in the anime world.
Fans of the psychological thriller and gambling genres are likely to enjoy Kaiji
The art style suits the gritty and intense atmosphere of the story
The characters react to their insane situations in ways that feel all too human – from desperation to cunning to downright panic.

NOT Spoiler free. You have been warned!

After such an amazing first season, how does the second one hold up.

We enter the second season of Kaiji to find Kaiji down on his luck. He still has a huge debt hanging over him and he spends a lot of time gambling still, trying to win as much money as possible. We then find Endou, who's complaining about his latest job, which is finding and bring in Kaiji.
Turns out it's really easy because he find Kaiji almost right away, Kaiji notices Endou and instantly starts asking to go into another survival game saying this time he knows he ... can win for sure since he was so close last time, however he is knocked out and taken to the underground hell that was touched on only a little in the first season.
The second season has only two arcs really, the first being playing chichiro in the underground and then Kaiji getting a small parole time and playing an extreme version of pachinko on a machine called the bog, which is beaten gives an extreme payout.
The story this time isn't nearly as good as the first season, the chinchiro is pretty entertaining and has some interesting tactics but overall it's not nearly as well written or complex as the first season, there's just way too much restrictions now, he's in the underground and when it comes down to it, it really is just chinchiro, there's no extra element to it really.
The pachinko arc also has some interesting strategies, the bog is so broken that the only way to win is to cheat your way through it, the various ways that Kaiji counters the bogs defences are interesting but the main issue is that the pachinko arc can be so slow. They must of had way more episodes then they knew what to do with cause while the same amount of episodes did like 3-4 arcs in the first season there's only 2 here. The start and most of the pachinko arc is actually really enjoyable and whole not as good as the first season it's still really good. But it starts to drag real bad and it stays that way for a fair while and then once all is said and done the last two episodes are also a joy to watch.

Kaiji is so much more relatable now then in the first season, due to Kaiji advanced thinking and crazy schemes the first season defiantly made him cool but unrelatable, it was a joy to watch but Kaiji is more relatable now which is both a good and a bad thing. Very early on he caves into the underground a temptation of beer and snacks that they can buy with money exclusive to the underground, the money can also be used to buy one day pass’ to the outside world though and so that's what Kaiji wants to age up for.
But as I said he caves in and we even see these scenes of him trying to justify it to himself. Stuff like how if he saves all the money he will have enough by six months but he will also have some left over, so he can use the leftover money for beer and snacks. Later he then starts saying that he can just wait for seven months to get the outside pass and he keeps pushing it back and making excuses.
This is me all the time, I do the same kind of thing with my money and I also hate myself for it once all is said and done so watching this gave me a little chuckle but I totally felt for Kaiji as he tried to fight temptation and once he failed kept trying to justify it he exact same way I always try to justify myself.
However Kaiji being more human and normal also has its issues, toward the end things get real bleak and Kaiji out of nowhere becomes a real coward, he has extreme fear of losing which is fair but he straight up cries and tries to ask for a draw, this is something that season 1 Kaiji never did. No matter how bad the situation got Kaiji would just think up a new plan and try his best to escape the situation but new Kaiji breaks down way more easily. Plus even when Kaiji is going to win it's not some epic situation where he's got a smug look on his face and his filled with confidence. But his crying and yelling in basically relief, I get it, do but season 1 Kaiji was just much different to how he acts now.
Overall Kaiji still has some crazy tactics but he also makes a few mistakes and fails to see things as well as he use to, he definitely is still able to pull off some crazy stuff but it doesn't seem as cool. This change has its good and it's bad so overall I'd say that if I were to give just Kaiji a rating it would be about the same as season 1 Kaiji but just for different reasons.

Endou actually has a surprisingly large amount of importance this time. We see him at the start of course but since Kaiji is underground for the first arc we don't see him till the second arc and even then we don't see him right way. First Kaiji goes along with a gambler named Sakazaki and tried to help him best the bog, however once this fails and Kaiji takes over trying to come up with his own plan he decides to try and get some help from Endou, since he needs more funds and someone with the kind of connections that Endou has.
Endou is also facing large amounts of debt and is going to be in serious trouble if he can't pay it back and there is even the risk of being sent to the underground. Once some interest is worked out and the division of the jackpot is worked out he decided to help out despite thinking there's only a 50% chance of winning.
Endou doesn't really do too much outside of this, once Kaijis attack on the bog begins there's only really two characters that matter. However I still like Endou being included, he defiantly ads some extra dynamics and seeing how his situations has changed overall is rather interesting and in the end he ends up taking a ton of kaijis share of the money since Endou loaded more money to Kaiji in a dire situation and thus Kaiji signed without looking, because of this the interest was absolutely insane.
Endou is a massive dick but he was needed and I liked him being there since he still worked for the enemy and all.

I also mentioned someone named Sakazaki, this is an old man who works as a night guard. He has a wife and daughter but they left him due to his financial issues, he wants to beat the bog so he can buy a house and show his family that he is reliable and win them back into his life, however his a hopeless gambler. Kaiji and Sakazaki meet shorty after Kaiji is out and Sakazaki shows Kaiji the bog and explains its massive payout, he asks Kaiji for help in besting it and offers a share of the money to him if they win. However the plan fails and Sakazaki falls into despair, he stole money from his boss in order to get more chances at the bog and now he's gonna be in serious trouble if his boss finds out.
Once his plan fails Kaiji takes control and tries to figure out a plan for beating the bog and he does, he thinks up ways to break down the bogs defences and then has Sakazaki help him with the win.
Sakazaki actually plays a very critical role in the plan overall and is definitely needed. Plus his the whole reason the second arc even really happens. However the show doesn't forget what it's characters are for and makes sure to use him to show greed and how horrible humans can really be. Sakazaki releases on Kaiji so much and takes extreme risks to help him out and then as soon as Kaiji loses a chunk of his share to Endou, Sakazaki goes to make a quick escape saying ‘I better go before he starts begging to take some of my share.’ Once again showing what the first season really focused on, it's nice that it here in Sakazaki even if the that point isn't really there much at all.

Lastly there's Ichijou the main antagonist, he is the manager of the casino with the bog, the casino is also run by the Teiai Corporation, so Kaiji once again is still fighting them. Ichijou can basically be considered the third in command, he is he favorite manager of tonegawa’s replacement so it basically puts him in third place and he claims that once the head dies off he will defiantly be made the second in command.
Ichijou is extremely prideful however his pride and cockiness are his downfall as he fails to see what's going on and is way to lax with letting Kaiji get into a winning position, he keeps thinking he's in the lead and thus turns down potentially outlets and doesn't stay on the defensive enough.
Ichijou is also a straight up Cheater, he has multiple devices that he can use to activate more defenses for the bog. Stuff like a sensor that facts a set of flipper making it impossible for any balls to get near the jackpot. Ichijou goes in and out of his confidence, the situation and how likely Kaiji is to win changes a lot and ichijou actually helps Kaiji to win and destroys his own defences in the end.
Ichijou was an interesting enough antagonist, he has some clear if not very basic goals and motivation, he definitely is cocky and overconfident to the point of self destruction just like how in the first season tonegawa does the same thing, he lost because of how advanced of a thinker he was. And now ichijou loses because of how much manipulation of the bog he had at his disposal.

Overall the characters are a whole lot better this time, last time they weren't really focused on that much since it was more about people in general, plus the first season is just full of death, people die so much in that. Now each characters is given motivations and they stay around for the whole thing and don't just die off, there's also a much bigger range with Endou being on kaijis side, Sakazaki actually living through it unlike ishida from last time and the villain is also just a lot more fleshed out and also has a lot more to fear, tonegawa only wanted to win because he was scared of losing his position and the boss.
However ichijou is going to have to go underground to make back his extreme loses if Kaiji wins the jackpot, plus he hasn't even got to his second position yet, his just shy of getting there, he was so close but didn't get there when he feel. Tonegawa at least got to enjoy his position for a long time before it was taken away. Overall I just felt for them more and liked the lot of them more.

The art style is the same as last time, I still love the bold outlines on everything and it's still got insane metaphor imagery which is a lot of fun to watch as it's way more over the top then it needs to be. However like I said the show drags a lot and so I did start to get tired of seeing some similar or same metaphor imagery used. Plus a lot of the shots used for the pachinko machine showing the balls doing something was reused a lot and that slightly annoyed me. Plus Kaiji is so desperate to win that his crying a lot, all the people watching him are cause they want him to win as it will show them that any loser has hope. Sakazaki and Endou want him to win just as much as Kaiji wants to himself so they also have tears and whenever ichijou is scared of losing he als has intense tears.
The tears are way too intense for me, there think and really runny and apparently endless, the just flow out of Kaiji endlessly for the like the last 4 episodes, it's a bit too much and I did start to despise it towards the end, it just get a bit too much.
Once again the voice acting was done well, absolutely no issues there.
Everyone was cast well and did an excellent job, although I have my issues with the narrator. He's always there, sure he was always there in the first season but he just annoys me this time, it's mainly because of how much the show drags this time, he ends up repeating a lot of the same stuff and his voice just gets real stale as it always the same tone unlike everyone else who has changes in there voice to match there emotion obviously. But the narrator's endless presence and lack of emotion makes him really stale real fast and I just wanted him to shut up towards the end.
The sound is questionable, while there's is the good old ZUWA ZUWA, I feel it's used a bit too much this time around, towards the end it kinda lost its meaning and it felt like it was just thrown in there whenever, the background music is fine but it's mostly bland plus the can't hear it over the sounds of pachinko.
It's very likely not many of you had been in at a pachinko arcade before or played real pachinko, I have and the show defiantly nails what it sounds like, the balls endlessly clicking and clacking around. But it's a pain to hear especially as this arc drags on and it is just always in the background, it's not too bad early on and it's really good that they nailed it, but it's too perfect. Which gets on my nerves, while I shouldn't get mad at the show for this since they just made it accurate, but this is based off my enjoyment dammit and this did hamper it to a degree.
The opening is great, I absolutely love it's high energy rock and high volume. It's very intense and strong and I love it, I also found myself head banging to the start of it almost every single episode. The ED is alright in terms of music but my god is it creepy and whenever I was watching in a public place like my uni I just felt slightly awkward and really hoped that no one would see since it's just a little intense. But it works and it didn't really make me like it less.

I liked Kaiji I really did, the second season was a really good watch and if you liked the first one then there's no reason why you should dislike this one. It's not as good but it's still really good and in the same vain as the first season. However it also has better characters and the presentation is kind of a mixed bag of better and worse but overall I'd still rather watch the first season rathern then this. Towards the end I slowed down on watching this and I definitely wasn't enjoying it as much as this review would make you believe, but the overall enjoyment was high for me and the final episode is really good, I like it a lot so they was a worthy payoff for me which made the final slog worth it. I kinda keep going back and forth here but that's because I want you to really know what i find good and what I find bad and the reasons for it. Also no matter what way I look at it I have very conflicted feelings about this show and what was worth it and what wasn't. Most of its issued can come back to it dragging on for way more then it needs, it's to build tension and make for a big payoff with its great end but it causes more issues then things it helps, either way it's still a very good show.

With that in mind guys I have to Kaiji: against all rules 7/10.

I'm writing this review after watching both seasons back to back, This anime is so well written that I forgot time while watching this anime. This anime shows the reality of people's greed, lust and how ugly and despicable people can get when money is involved. Season 1 was just perfect in every aspect, the pacing, the plot development, and the characters were just top-notch, On the other hand, Season 2 started really solid and the underground arc was fantastic as well, but things got bland in between starting of the bog machine arc. But still, it was great season 2 with a fitting ending ... to it, I really enjoyed this anime and I hope they come back for season 3 with new challenges cause Kaiji is still flat broke in the end of season 2.

To keep it brief:
The first season of Kaiji was a fantastic gambling anime, with the exception of the bridge crossing, but the character driven drama made even that lull in the tactical aspect of the anime enjoyable.

However, this season went a bit overboard with how slow some games are drawn out for, in particular, Kaiji vs the Bog goes on for an excruciatingly long number of episodes, and debatably it's long enough to diffuse tension, which is the opposite of the goal.

Another recurring problem was the narrator and characters repeating some phrase upwards of three times for emphasis. Though this in itself ... is an innocuous, effective technique, I felt as if it were slightly overused in this season, which ultimately pulled me out of the experience whenever it happened.

The final problem I had with Kaiji - Against All Rules, is they changed something that made season one very enjoyable. Though watching the characters come up with strategies and ways to combat the other person cheating, the real joy is from realising all the information needed to figure out the same strategies were shown to us. This however, does not happen in the last stand off this season. There is a moment where Kaiji overhears something in a bar that becomes crucial to his plan that is not revealed to us until many episodes later, exactly when that piece of information became important. Although it is a common theme for mysteries to withhold tiny bits of information until the big reveal, it is unfortunate that Kaiji does not stick to the old formula where everything is revealed to us beforehand.

Criticism aside, this was still an enjoyable anime and the character animation was done very well, succeeding in invoking fear and relief in the audience. Definitely worth giving it a watch.

The 2nd season of Kaiji is not as impressive as the first season. It still has some of the same elements that made the first season so successful and so addicting, yet it falls short in other areas. The story continues from the events that took place at the end of season 1. The first arc is decent. The second and final arc is sluggish and it becomes apparent that it is forcefully dragged out to fill 26 episodes. The lack of strong antagonists in this second season as well as the lack of philosophical elements by "villains" to question hero's actions are some of ... the key issues.

Overall, it is an enjoyable sequel and an interesting watch, but do not expect the awesomeness of the first season.

My first review on this site so i am going to make it short. (Zawa)


I was all aboard the first season of kaiji that i binged watch it in about two days so I had high expectations for this season as well. It started off well and I really enjoyed it up until later on in the series on the second arc. i wont spoil anything but it dragged on way longer than it needed to. it was like the story board artist gave up and just rinse and repeat the same premise of the last episodes until it ended. I was ready to ... just drop the anime and move on, but I pushed through it. The ending was not as satisfying as it would have been if the story board artist did a well enough job but I am not blaming them at all. I guess it is hard for them to make a 26 episode long anime with little source material so I gave it a pass.

Story: Guy gets put in shitty situations

The way they portrayed it gives it a 10/10

Art: I think nothing is wrong with the art style

It was good 7/10

Sound: ...

ZAWA ZAWa ZAwa Zawa zawa 5/10

Character: Showed us how shitty people can be

7/10

Enjoyment: Up until episode 19 was pretty good

8/10
Overall: It was a good intense show but because of the drawn out episodes

I have to give it a 8/10

English Version:

Overall: (7.8 / 10)

The first impressions that I have left at the end of this 2nd season are quite divided, on the one hand it ended up being truly better for our protagonist and his new companions this time, unlike what he had to suffer in the outcome of the first. However I feel that after all this ended up being the shadow of its prequel.
I really didn't feel like he was transmitting the same thing as the first adaptation. At the beginning a Kaiji more decimated than he knew how to be was observed, although later he would return to be the one ... that had excited us previously, However it is inevitable to think that both the games, as antagonists and even that drama and tension that gave a feeling True life-threatening for our main character was truly inferior in this sequel.
The biggest problem in my opinion ends up being in its only 2 games that spanned, and especially the second with "El Pantano" which received a strict 18 chapters!, And although I usually complain when most of Animes choose to take a Rhythm fast and dizzying in history, it is not pleasant to see 9 chapters in a row of a character sitting in a Pachinko machine, it is understandable that they had to show all the tricks of the game, explain and circumvent them on stage, but there were many others where they could have compressed minutes.
In short, it has been a pleasant trip through these 52 chapters of this title and although I want a 3rd season, I see it really complicated considering that 9 years have passed since its broadcast and above all because the studio in charge Madhouse is not too friendly with the continuations ...


-Version en Español:


General: (7,8 / 10)

Las primeras impresiones que me quedan al cabo de esta 2° temporada son bastante divididas, por un lado terminó siendo verdaderamente mejor para nuestro protagonista y sus nuevos compañeros en esta ocasión, a diferencia lo que le tocó sufrir en el desenlace de la primera. Sin embargo siento que al fin y al cabo esta terminó siendo la sombra de su precuela.
Verdaderamente no sentí que me transmitiera lo mismo que la primera adaptación. Al comienzo se observo un Kaiji mas diezmado de lo que supo ser, aunque mas tarde volveria siendo el que nos había emocionado con anterioridad, Sin embargo me es inevitable pensar que tanto los juegos, como antagonistas e inclusive ese drama y tensión que daban una sensación de verdadero peligro de vida para nuestro personaje principal fue verdaderamente inferior en esta secuela.
El mayor problemas en mi opinión acaba radicando en sus tan solo 2 juegos que abarcaron, y sobre todo el segundo con "el Pantano" que recibido unos estrictos 18 capítulos!, y si bien suelo quejarme cuando la mayoría de Animes opta por tomar un Ritmo rapido y vertiginoso en la historia, tampoco es agradable ver 9 capítulos al hilo de un personaje sentado en una Maquina de Pachinko, es comprensible que debían mostrar todos los trucos del juego,explicarlos y sortearlos en escena, pero hubo muchos otros donde pudieron haber comprimido minutos.
En fin, ah sido un viaje grato por estos 52 capitulos de este titulo y aunque deseo una 3° temporada, lo veo realmente complicado teniendo en cuenta que han pasado 9 años desde su emisión y sobretodo por que el estudio encargado Madhouse no es demasiado amigable con las continuaciones...

i definitely enjoyed part 2 of kaiji more than part 1, i think the main reason for this is that part 1 seemed quite unsure of its tone at times, and part 2 seemingly finds its stride quite quickly.

it still has some of the main weaknesses however, the main one being the pacing, which I think has probably turned a lot of people away from Kaiji in the past. you have to get really invested in the story to try to forget that you have literally spent 16 episodes watching balls bounce around. the only actual irk of this to me is when they ... actively reuse the same shot like 10 times, other than that, any Kaiji viewer should be used to the slow pacing by now.

other than the pacing issue - the story is sick. definitely prefer the first 10 episode arc just like in part 1 just because these initial arcs are often a little simpler and less drawn out due to the significantly smaller stakes. (less than 1mil yen vs 750mil yen) but the pachinko arc is great too.

the art as always is very cool and we've all learned to love the quirks and stylizations well used by mad house by now for scenes of panic, indignation or triumph. the animation is more fluid in part 2 and there are more cool experimental renderings and metaphoric cutaways for the studio to flex their creative muscles.

zawa ZAWA the sound is obviously great. the intro and outro are insanely catchy and i'm already missing hearing Zawa ZAWA in the other stuff i'm watching now.

we spend much more time developing characters in this part, but the show clearly has to pick and choose which characters it has time to work with. we lose sight of Hyodo's no.2 as soon as Hyodo shows up and even Hyodo doesn't seem to have a finale or even meet Kaiji which felt odd. Endou and Sakazaki are great, though, and Ootsuki and Itchijou are both well developed and formidable opponents. however once again I have to say I found Ootsuki a more captivating villain, despite Itchijous development.

I really enjoy Kaiji, and I hope after the success of the Tonegawa spinoff (which I'm watching next), Madhouse returns for another part. I'm probably gonna have to just read the manga though.




god i love the food porn of the first few episodes

i enjoyed part 2 a lot more than part 1 because it seems to have found its stride - part 1 seemed unsure whether it wanted to be comedic or dramatic but part 2 finds a good blend. it still has a few of the same weaknesses - an insanely slow pacing being the most notable but it becomes so intertwined with the style and story of the show that by this point it doesn't bother you. it's hard to ignore however that kaiji part 2 is basically just an ad for the second live action kaiji movie and literal pachinko machines.

i'm enjoying part 2 a lot more than 1 because it seems to have found its style - part 1 seemed unsure whether it wanted to be comedic or dramatic - but part 2 finds a good blend. that intro is fucking awesome. but what's up with the difference in art style for Myoshi?

Kaiji is an amazing show and i would reccomend it to any one who loves a good thriller.

But season 2 is lackluster in my opinion. It's a step down from the first season and by a step down i mean like 10 steps down.

Im kind of spoiling the next few lines so read at your own precaution





...
In the beggining kaiji meets endou again and hoping to get another shot for a big win but he doesent know that endou doesen't arrange those kinds of things anymore since the guy who worked for Hyoudou got fired( i dont remember his name). He gets send to an underground facillity since he is an minor debtor.

Now here the problem starts he meets his boss and he tells him that there are gambling nights and he gives him a loan so he can gamble.The gambling happens and they play chinchiro.What kaiji doesen't realize was that the boss of their underground facility plans to put him in more debt because of the loan he took from the him. In the end kaiji gets crushed and his paycheck is cut in half because he needs to return the money he was given. The boss(dont remember his name) also lures other people in with the same kind of plan and they are named the forty-fivers because they get half of their pay-check. Now a few days later kaiji figures out that the boss was cheating and that's how he was able to win when he wanted to- He figured it out cause a player in his group was a forty-fiver and he took track of every roll a player got and by looking at the notebook he learned that he was cheating. Kaiji goes to the group and tells him that the boss cheated but he doesen't tell the group of the forty-fivers how he cheated just that he did and that he developed a plan on how to get there money back and potencially more.They try to save up money for the final moment and they endure the "torture" the boss is giving them. They in the end deceive the boss and win the game with 18 million perrica which is like 1,6 yen.

The problem i see is that there is not a lot of risk involved. What i mean by that is from the first season it wasen't just a matter of will i win big or not. It was more than that, the question was am i willing to risk my life for money and am i willing to cause other people pain for the sake of money?. He bets his life on the line for money but realizes that he wants to life more than anything so he tries to outsmart the system.


We see kaiji in the first season being a very kind person and he was the only one in the bridge show that didn't push the person in front of him to his death.But he is also a person who later on in the series wants to achieve that big win because he knows that he will never achieve that kind of money by working in a supermarket.


The only thing that it has inherited from the first season is that it's very tense. Like you watch an episode and your like that was it?. You want to see what happens to kaiji will he outsmart the gamble or won't he. It pulls you in because you want to see if he hits big or will he fall down to the pits of hell.

The last arc of the anime involves around the casino arc.Kaiji devises a plan for the bog which is a pachinko machines but the balls are 4,000 yen each, but as i mentioned again like there's really no life threating risk involved. Yes if he loses he will be send to the underground facility and the show does a good job of portraying the intesity of the situation. It's literally do or die but it kind of is not you'll still live even if your send down there to pay your debt. And really your just living a live underground and its not like your alone it's kind of stupid that they went down that route.You even have like a market where there a beers, some decent food and nuts. It's not the best and yea you would be happier living someone thats not undergrounds, but in my eyes its really not that bad.

The last thing that bugs me is that Kaiji was able to beat the bog so he can save himself from his debt and his "friends". You can see the thing that bugs me is the word friends, the reason it bugs me is because the show doesent really show that they were really friends that they joke around have a laugh every once in a while and things like that. It was just like Oh you have a plan to win money, I trust you!!. I mean kaiji did convience them to trust them but that trust is build on him wanting to take revenge againts the boss in the undergrounds. In the end Kaiji gets scammed yet again by endou because he didn't read the fucking contract like come on. He uses his 60 million he had left to save his "friends" and they celebrate.

Also the thing about endou like he agreed to help kaiji in beating the o so unbeatable bog and in the moment it was happening it genuently felt like endou was happy for helping kaiji but in the end he takes money from him because he didn't read a contract. I mean it is Kaiji's fault for trusting everyone like a idiot but again when i was watching this it felt like endou really was glad for helping Kaiji and in the end he just backstabs him.

The only thing that was alright about the last episode was that Kaiji didn't want to see his "friends" because he didn't have any money. The black suit was forgiving and gave him some money to go host his friends and that was kind of nice because it shows that there are people who don't just want to use others for the sake of their own greed. It shows there is a good side to humanity and bad ones.

This series just fundamentally fails to understand how suspense works. The main characters are incompetent, and either cause problems for themselves through their own idiocy, or just enter scenarios where you, the viewer, immediately know what's going to happen long before it does. This series equates misery to suspense, and just ends up being unpleasant and annoying.

It also feels like this series is, in a weird way, expecting you to want to see everyone suffer. From the editing, to the ultra-telegraphed "twists" to the bulk of the season just being joyless failure, I have to ask what a fan of this show even gets ... out of most episodes. It is a legitimately grueling viewing experience which doesn't feel like it's trying to be fun, or even tense. Again, this is not truly a psychological thriller because you know what's going to happen. The editing, writing, and weapons grade foreshadowing spell out every bad thing that happens long before it does, *promising you* the nasty turn of events that's going to happen and then just reveling in it once it happens. It lacks the basic sense of mystery to actually make the story suspenseful. Instead it's just a long string of infuriating events which never actually gets entertaining.

Hope, despair, tension, anguish; all of these can be found in this follow-up season of Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji. Although it picks up shortly after where the first season left off, it wastes no time in setting up a brand-new story arc for Kaiji to struggle through.

The first thing that you’ll notice about the second season in comparison to the first one is the change in the level of stakes involved. In the first season, there seemed to be a climb of more and more dangerous and high-level stakes being involved with the various story arcs until they ended up being extremely deadly. However, this season ... does not follow this trend and instead it lowers the stakes, especially towards the start, to the point where no one’s life is really on the line and the consequences of failure aren’t actually that bad. I’ve seen this factor be used as a point of criticism to say that the show is not as exciting as it used to be, but I personally enjoyed the lowered stakes as a nice change of pace for the series and a more grounded approach. After all, this is the Kaiji series, where everything is brilliantly made into an emotional and psychological battlefield which can turn even the most seemingly mundane situations and games into something thoroughly engaging and entertaining. The season is set up to contain two back-to-back story arcs, of which I thought were about the same level of quality. The arcs both have their own antagonists that come equipped with a gang of lackeys that compete against Kaiji and co.

Aside from the return of Itou Kaiji himself, the anime also features a slew of returning characters from the previous season as well as plenty of new ones. The anime does a good job of making the new antagonists into despicable villains like the ones in the first season, which is great because it makes it easier to sympathise with Kaiji as he is inevitably cheated by them in rigged games.

The art and animation are the essentially the same as the first season. It still has that striking art style that you know from the first season, and the animation quality has neither decreased nor improved to a noticeable degree. Like the first season, it also has that signature exaggerated design during basically every scene and those metaphorical depictions of how the characters feel in relation to their current standing during the games.

You’ll hear the iconic floating sound effects that have been taken from the manga which have become synonymous with the Kaiji series many times throughout this season, accompanied by the familiar booming voice of narrator. These, combined with the epic and grand-sounding music, create such a lovable and engaging atmosphere to accompany the emotional roller coaster of a story which makes the anime all the more enjoyable.

Overall, I thought that ‘Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen’ was a very enjoyable and compelling anime. If you enjoyed the first season but are on the fence about watching this one (possibly due to the fact that it has a lower mean score) I recommend that you give this a watch.

Cyranical's Kaiji Season 2: Against All Rules anime review
By: Azrael Rex B. Anacleto aka "Cyranical" Let's get it!!!


Kaiji Season 2 continues the story of our glorified gambling addict Kaiji. He is now on the run from Teia after losing the gamble against Hyodoi from the final arc of season 1. While covering his tracks he eventually runs into Endou, the same loan shark that got him in debt in the first place; he asks him for another gamble claiming that he will not make any more mistakes plus he will win it all this time. Due to Tonegawa's demotion after his loss to our hero, ... Endou himself is in a bit of a financial pickle; so he decides to drug Kaiji and take him to the underground labor camp so he can work to pay off his debts. While Kaiji is inside the camp, he makes various plans against new enemies in order to get the one day outside pass claiming that he will gamble on that said day in order to buy his freedom.


Pros:
-Still explores real life themes of pain, disappointment; gambling addiction; corruption and betrayal like its predecessor; which is fantastic for this sort of anime.
-Has a good Opening Song.
-Continues the plot and premise of our protagonist Kaiji trying to gamble his way out of debt once and for all, while making different types of enemies; and putting himself in the most inhuman advantages ever; incidentally he pulls them off cause anime I guess.
-Has a good, satisfying ending.
-Has a good soundtrack




Cons:
-Has a bad ending song.
-Is an inferior season compared to the first one.
-The two arcs that it has are not that satisfying, exciting, plus breathtaking like they were in its predecessor. To elaborate the gambling against Otsuki arc wasn't even that good, it was just mediocre; sure it did have its moments but most of those came towards it final phase; not in its earlier phases which is not gonna cut it for a Kaiji arc; meanwhile the Bog Arc has bigger problems.
-This season has pacing problems, a good example of this is The Bog arc, it is way too drawn out, how many episodes do you need in order to beat a goddamn Pachinko machine; like jeez okay at the start it's pacing was okay and it did peek my interest on how he was going to beat it; but as more and more episodes just felt wasted by him just repeatedly trying to beat it; it just become super stale and boring; we even have a freaking recap episode for Christ’s sake; that's how you know we are just trying to pat out more episodes; plus when the anime production is going downhill as well. Back then I could watch multiple episodes of this show every day, but during The Bog arc I just felt so drained and bored that I only watched one or two episodes of this show every other day; that is how stale this arc is; which is disappointing because Kaiji is known for its breathtaking and exciting arcs.


Overall Kaiji season 2 is not as good as the first season because of production, pacing; and it's arcs just being more lackluster. It does still have some positive points though such as it having a good Op, a good soundtrack; same premises and concepts like it did in S1; in addition to that it also has a pretty reasonable ending. This season is not really that bad, it's just below the standards that the show has set for itself; let me put it in a much more easier way to comprehend this season is just mid. Though if you are a fan of the series and the manga then this is worth the watch, just be wary of its sudden decline in quality. In conclusion I give Kaiji Season 2 also known as Kaiji: Against All Rules a 6/10 for my overall anime rating. Thanks for checking out this anime review Cyranical out!!!

Having one of the highest highs as well as the lowest low in the animated series, Kaiji season 2 is a mixed bag. Similar to the first season, your mileage will vary depending on how invested you are in the game and the risks. This is especially true for this season as a certain game goes on for quite a long time compared to previous ones. The overall story, characters, and music are great and it is shown perfectly in the first arc, but again in regards to a certain game the pacing falls a bit flat. If you enjoy Kaiji give it a try ... but be warned of said game.

The side characters are hardly developed at all this season, rather Kaiji has become the gambling guru and uses them, with everyone following along without much complaint.

Kaiji himself doesn't end up losing his bad habits and hasn't even found a better use for his skills learned through his life and death gambles.

First gamble was great. Slow build up until the final reveal, where all the plans of Kaiji, the mistakes of his opponent and the gambles Kaiji took to capitalise on those mistakes come together.

Second half, not being against a human, rather a machine, the variables were much fewer and more predicable. There was no ... room for psychological games and gambles, once Kaiji had things set up the path was clear and dragged on way too long.

They drag pachinko episode too long, that i lose interest on this anime, unlike card game machine game are less interesting to watch and they drag that like what 8 episodes? It get boring real fast. Repetitive, get tired of waiting because for one the art style is not my favorite to begin with but season 1 got interesting plots so i try to watch till end anyway.. but season 2? starting with this pachinko machine, i get boring, every next episode i question myself how many time they want to drag this?

Recommended? not really
Not recommended? also not

It is up to your personal taste, but ... seriously if you like Haruhi Suzumiya loop episodes, maybe you can finish this season with ease.

Season 1 worked extremely well because it allowed for the exploration of the human psyche by pitting the most broken and desperate men against each other with their lives on the line, perfectly providing the opportunity to display the main character's ironclad desire to never let these evil games of chance turn him into somebody he's not, while showcasing deep strategy from the smartest players who best all of the systems they're forced into at all odds.

Simply put, Season 2 handles this poorly.

Throughout this 26-episode season, Kaiji only plays two games of "chance," with only one of them being against another human.
The first arc starts ... off slow due to our rather despondent Kaiji following the events of season 1, but ultimately returns to a satisfying battle of deception in the end as Kaiji slowly regains his senses.

The problem with this season lies in the fact that a large majority of the season is spent following Kaiji's
battle against... a pachinko machine.

There was no psychological battle between gamblers against all odds, no exciting turns of events, and the absolute worst pacing imaginable. If you had even the slightest grievance with any of the pacing of season 1, this season is sure to leave you disappointed with its constant redundancy and lack of any meaningful progression each episode.

Although the stakes are the highest they've ever been, the final gamble couldn't feel any less important, and Kaiji's character isn't given the same opportunity to shine. A very disappointing sequel to a great season 1.

As a stand alone series, this isn't a good anime. I don't recommend this to anyone unless their a die hard fan that can accept any faults

While watching the show my partner commented,
"Every time I've come in here it's been the same scene repeatedly."

The show is exhausting with its padding, repeating plot points, preventing character growth for more "story", over explanation, constant recaps and more that I'm defiantly forgetting. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen is the definition of dragging its ass. Compared to its parent series that has over double the story in the same amount of episodes its just a Disappointing, frustrating waste of a ... story.

There are some decent points to the story that are overshadowed by the drawn out filler. Most of the bog episodes until the end can be skipped because they amount to rolling pachinko balls over and over with an obnoxious narrator telling the viewer the obvious. Character development was non-existent from the previous series, would have liked to see more interesting arc from Kaiji. Minor point, but the crying and melodrama took me out of the anime time and time again. Worth addressing that many compare this show to Kakeguri. I find that comparison to be unfair since Kakeguri is more ... of a modern creation. With that said, shows like Kaiji could benefit from the direction modern anime has turned. We rarely see such filler in modern anime and story is often more self-contained in shorter 2-3 episode arcs. Particularly in this genre, there would have been a benefit from diversity of games and perhaps a less static plot would allow for more character growth. It is pretentious to consider that every review of an anime on this site needs to be a thesis. Even the Pulitzer prize winning Roger Ebert did not make all of his reviews essay's particularly when a shows faults can be summed up in a few points.