Kakegurui

Before this anime aired, I thought it was going to be trash in all honesty, but after the first episode, i was impressed with the art that MAPPA has got to offer, since the trailer did not even motivate me and thought it was just another anime that is trash and not unique at all and the characters would be a nuisance but it turned out to be the opposite.

From just watching 5 episodes, the series seems to be very fun and entertaining with many moments with high tension and not following the cliche of the anime of the main character always wins and more ... gives you a different look on different perspectives and other than that, it is also rewatchable with a memorable MC and opening and ending which stands out this season. Even though the story might have some flaws about gambling, it is enjoyable seeing how everyone cheats and in the end, I find this anime to have a very high potential and surely might be one of MAPPA's best anime yet. Has some flaws and is also pretty faithful after reading some of the manga chapters while waiting for each episode to air and I recommend it to everyone who loves watching high stakes related anime and is pretty unique in the anime media but not so much in the manga.

Kakegurui, an anime that solely revolves around the idea of social stature, as well as your life in general, all depend on your ability to gamble. Of course in some arbitrary wealthy high school.

Before I start rating the anime, I want to first state that I intended on dropping this anime after the first episode. This was due to the fact that in the beginning, the way the characters acted came out as cringe and cliche to me. I will explain this further in the review.

Story: 6/10: The story of this anime takes place at Hyakkaou Private Academy, and it starts off with your ... classic and cliche hot transfer student, to which one of our protagonists was forced to show her around the school. I'm sure there could have been plenty of other ways to approach this, but it was necessary in order to lead up to important dialogue which in turn strengthens the bond between these two characters. Throughout the story so far, our two main protagonists have been sticking with each other, one being useless, and the other being a complete genius. What really made me stay was the introduction of the student council. They were shown as bosses, and since the gambling battles that took place before their introduction were very intense, you could imagine how it would be going up against these "bosses". This is what kept me going. Well that and the insane plays and reads that took place.

Art: 9/10: The art is absolutely fantastic. The reason I'm not rating it a 10/10 is because sometimes it's a little too much for me. The artists did an amazing job reflecting the mood with certain facial expressions. But I wasn't ready for what was to come, even though I knew that this anime would be filled with horror and intensity, I still wasn't prepared. There isn't much to say about the art other than how crazy good it is.

Sound 5/10: I'm a little disappointed with the sounds, and how it couldn't complement the art as much as I wanted too. Especially in scenes where they go energetic and crazy, or when the opponent is suffering from a crises because they are losing, the soundtrack really isn't attention grabbing. In fact, I'm paying more attention to the art without realizing that there is an OST playing in the background, because it's not fit for the occasion. Hopefully this will change in the future.

Character 7/10: The characters in Kakegurui bring insanity to a whole new level. Even if they are introduced as kind or calm at one moment, the next they'll be engulfed by this eerie aura. It's surprising to say the least. The only problem that I have with this, is that they are trying too hard. When the characters have their occasional insanity tick, it feels like it's way to forced, and what would seem to be eerie and creepy just ends up being cringe. I would hope they include some development in the main protagonist rather than just keep him as some useless moral compass for our other protagonist.

Enjoyment 9/10: Despite all these negatives, I've been really enjoying this show. As said previously, I'm a big fan of hard reads and insane plays, which is why this anime has got me hooked. Not only that, but I feel as if it has a lot of potential, especially with the development of character and the upcoming battles (I haven't read the manga).

Overall 7/10: Overall, this is a good anime to watch. I'm not too sure I would recommend this to anyone so far, but as the show progresses my opinions are prone to change, so right now a final conclusion would be meaningless.

Overall i'd say this serie is worth a 8.5. I explain why not a 9 or 10 with the cons at the end of my review.

Story 8/10: A school anime, how original huh ? Well but this school is different, isn't about the typical single classroom with the male MC and the typical cliche classmates.

In this school everything is about gambling, gambling is life. The serie introduces you about what's going on since the episode 1 and keeps you asking for more after each episode.

Also, isn't regular gambling, the games aren't the usual ones everybody knows like blackjack or roulette, they aren't also the ... most complex games neither, the key is the gambling, betting ridiculous amounts of money and trying to win by cheating if possible.

Art 9 & Sound 10 : The art is good, characters faces are something memorable. But the music is just outstanding, the opening is kinda unique and so is the music in it. The sound deserves a solid 10, it goes just too well with the anime theme.

Characters 10/10: In this anime u will see some of the most mental broken girls you won't find in like 9/10 of series out there, starting by the female MC. I rate this a 10 because i didn't find any classic cliches that most animes uses nowadays and because there is a very nice combination of characters personality and a very good use of faces expressions (watch to understand this)

The cons (which aren't really bad anyways):

- The story doens't seem to be anything big or special, it's pretty clear who are the "baddies" and where the plot is trying to go.
- The gambling games could be more sophisticated or original.
- The school theme is way too overused so is the elitist student council, this anime would have worked perfectly in any other environment

I would like to nitpick and address the negative points only, as the positive points already have been well demonstrated on the other reviews.

As long as anime tropes go, Kakegurui emphasizes on the insanity of the characters when gambling, creating the feeling of tension on the average watcher, and making the experience dull for some, due to the series repetitivelly demonstrating the characters as insane.

It also overuses cool and edgy personality tropes, making some of the character unidimensional, but still appealing to watch for the average otaku.

After the gambling scenes, the character reveals its hidden strategy, making for an unpredictable twist. But during the gambling ... itself, it gives no hints as to what is the strategy, leaving no room for the audience itself to make deductions.

Kakegurui is an outstanding anime that I loved the moment I saw it. There isn't much I want to go too deep into, but this is what I thought of it:

The story was pretty original in my point of view, as I haven't seen anything else related to gambling. I think what really topped Kakegurui off was it's capitalization of your skill at gambling being what determines your social status; it's truly, by definition—awesome. I really do look forward to seeing what the conclusion to this anime is, and I hope that the male lead, Suzui, get's more screen time then he already does, and ... I also hope that he has more involvement with the plot, considering he is labeled as a "main character." I'm not saying I dislike the fact that he's a main character, it's just that I've seen characters from other anime being the same length in season, having them being put as "support" even though they've received 10x the screen time. But, I guess it's just because how important his character is and all that. Blah blah.

The artwork is truly outstanding. I adore the detailed close-ups of the character's faces during scenes of suspense, as it unbelievable boosts the level of enjoyment that I receive while watching it. Not only the artwork is what I think is good—the soundtrack is amusing as well. Both are something to look forward to.

In summary, I give Kakegurui 10/10 despite the fact that it's still an ongoing anime.

Kakegurui starts strong from the first episode and makes you want to keep watching.
I ve only watched 6 episodes yet and i can say that every episode is interesting and i haven't gotten bored at all.

It reminds me of No Game no Life where a character is a genius and always knows how to win... Only that here is with gambling and not with generic games.

Story: 6

Well, the story isn't magnificent, it's very bland but quite unique, a high school with gambling.
It's also very well displayed and you can't get lost or get confused.

... Art: 8

The art style is very unique in my opinion, and there are many good shots to emphasize the emotions of a character.Also the op is amazing

Sound: 7

The voice acting is pretty good but not sth special. Same goes for the soundtrack. The opening is good, quite interesting and really fits well with the craziness of this anime.

Character: 7

There aren't many characters in this series, but all of them are different and interesting in their own way. I love the main character and the way she can change personalities, from cute and kind to psycho and intimidating.

Enjoyment: 8

I really enjoy this series and it's really hard for me to get bored.

Overall: 7

I think Kakegurui is a very good anime overall, it's quite unique and original, from its art style to its plot, and i think it's worth your time. If you liked No Game no Life you will like this too.

So, I decided to drop it after episode 7. Not for any particular reason; it was actually a pretty enjoyable episode but I felt that it was a natural end to a mini arc (which I consider to be one for each member of the student council) so it felt like an okay place to stop.

The artwork is great - loved all the different facial expressions. Not just the crazy ones, but ones used for comedic purposes, or simply to highlight how beautiful some of the girls are. This, for me, was the highlight of the entire show - the music is pretty good but ... nothing outstanding and the characters I find to be just above average.

Leading in from that last point: the array of characters, on the surface, are pretty cool and diverse in both personality and design but I never felt it go anywhere. This show is pretty shallow on character development, save for perhaps Jabami and Mary, but even with them it felt like painfully slow baby steps watching them develop...

Overall, my enjoyment was just slightly above middle of the road. I could have continued with the last 5 episodes left to air, but as I mentioned before, this felt like a comfortable places top stop. I can't see any kind of "plot twist" beyond this point that would shake up the show enough to keep my interest, and I feel like I can completely predict how the last 5 episodes are going to play out. I might be interested in picking this series back up in the future though, if I find out that the plot gets some kind of shake up down the road. If it's more of the same though I'll have to pass.

I'd say give this show a try if you've already blown through all the great stuff because it's not TERRIBLE. But don't expect anything life changing either.

Welcome to Hyakkaou Private Academy, a gambling paradise where success is rewarded with wealth and prestige and those who fail are punished with massive debt and dehumanization. In this twisted establishment, taking big risks and cheating profusely are a commonality amongst the school's student body. While many may be turned off by these extreme conditions, protagonist Jabami Yumeko, a major gambling addict, finds herself right at home when she transfers to the academy. She doesn't have any elaborate plans or aspirations and only desires one thing; the ecstatic feeling she derives from gambling.

WARNING: The plethora of psychotic lesbians in this anime may be too much ... for the weak of heart to handle. Proceed with caution.

The male protagonist in the show is Ryouta Suzui. He's basically your average guy and falls under the "I'm useless and have to rely on the heroine to do everything" trope. His primary purpose is to serve as the juxtaposition to Yumeko's character so that her damaged psyche and general insanity is made more apparent. And not just her, but practically every other member of the cast as well, who all seem to add their own little bit of crazy to the show. Seriously, some of these characters make the infamous yandere Yuno Gasai look like a domesticated housewife in comparison.

Kakegurui's plot is really quite simple. There's no intricate story at play and characters (with the exception of the twintailed blonde Meari) don't receive much development. This anime instead focuses on a multitude of unique games played by the characters. Now these aren't fun family matches. They are games with high stakes played by demented yet intelligent characters, and it's just a thrill to watch.

Of course, these games are incredibly exaggerated in order to engross the show's audience. The producers are even able to make a basic game of rock-paper-scissors intense. Now while I'm sure this approach didn't work on everyone, it was enough to entertain me personally and keep me invested in the anime, so I'd say that Kakegurui's presentation was a success. The highlight of these gambling matches was when Yumeko managed to turn the tables on her foes with her amazing analytical skills and luck. It was so fun watching her completely own her opponents.

I just love the distorted faces made by the characters in this anime. Whenever they're experiencing a high or a low during a match, the characters always seem to have amazingly detailed and demented expressions. Their visages often made watching them gamble even more enjoyable and managed to make them seem crazier than they already were. The rest of the animation was often high in quality as well, and it assimilated with the soundtrack quite nicely.

I was really tempted to give Kakegurui a lower score. The story is quite simplistic (bordering the nonexistent range) and there really isn't an explanation on why the school is so fixated on gambling. Also, I found myself constantly wondering things like where the heck are the teachers? I guess they were massacred by the student council. I wouldn't put it past that group of psychos. The fact that only one character had any marginal development while the rest remained generally stagnant was also a negative factor against Kakegurui. But the show is just so damn entertaining. It's honestly one of the most enjoyable seasonal anime that I've seen in awhile. And while the characters aren't that developed, they make up for it with their eccentric personalities. Yumeko commanded my attention every time she appeared on screen, and the majority of her gambling matches were intense and fun to watch, even if they were over dramatized and often served no significant purpose.

Kakegurui is clearly not for everyone. In fact, from a technical standpoint, the anime is actually quite poor. But unlike many other shows that I've seen, Kakegurui was able to make me not completely focus on its shortcomings thanks to its its explosive cast and atmosphere. If you're into the game and/or physiological genre, then I'd recommend giving Kakegurui a chance. And if you have a thing for crazy women, then you don't want to miss out on this anime. Trust me.

[On Going Review, I have seen all episodes thus far]
Didn't know what to expect from Kakegurui, but boy am I hooked.

This is quite the anime with the story and the characterization at the forefront of what makes this so great to watch.

Kakegurui is taking something that seems as simple as gambling and diving into its darkest depths and intricacies. The anime picks apart what makes gambling so fun for some but so frightening for others and really gives a refreshing take on what it means to put everything on the line. The fact that his high stakes gambling is the driver for the ... social ladder that exists at the school is yet another plus to the whole story. It isn't something that is completely original but the execution is captivating. The sheer gravity this gambling system holds seems inhumane and brutal at times and it draws you deeper into the show.

The characters and how they are personified is the other strong point for the show. These are really complex characters, across the board. The MC Jabami is an extreme wildcard and it is tantalizing watching her develop as the show carries on. She is truly enthralled with the ecstasy that comes from gambling, so much so that some would say she is mad. She comes off as someone who would just watch the world burn for the sake of it. Jabami is the motor that propels the show forward and the fuel that sparks a change in the characters that surround and come into contact with her. She is truly OP and a monster but since the basis for this show is gambling the outcomes can never be 100% assured. It's a real thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat as you watch the matches

Jabami isn't the only complex one, the rest have their motivations and certain relationships with gambling and I think that this is the shows strongest point. For some they only care for the money that comes from gambling, others care for the joy of gambling itself, some care about the high that comes from the possibility of losing it all. These many characterizations of gambling are shown all over the characters. Sometimes it comes off as a little TOO fan service oriented, especially with the immense focus and prominence of female characters in the show. There's lots of sexualized behaviors stemming from the gambling as well, but it really sells how deep gambling can go. It's kinda of a step up from what you may be familiar with in Shokugeki no Souma.

The run of the show focuses on Jabami, her introduction to the school, the development as she is shown to be quite the wildcard and her many battles with the ruling body at the school, the Student Council. It feels very much like the run of the mill boss battle in a way as she topples each rung on the pyramid for a chance to go 1v1 with the president of the student council. The student council is quite diverse and Jabami herself is Pandora's Box personified, we are still learning and have so much more to learn about her.

The art is great, it looks quite nice all around. The highest praise has to be given to the facial expressions these characters are given as they gamble, it's true artistry. My one reservation is the use of CG to animate some of the more fluid moments that require a higher level of dynamic movement. These moments are few and far between thus far, but they do stick out like a sore thumb.

So far the pacing has been great. The characters are unraveling and revealing in a well timed and interesting way. I am very much looking forward to seeing how the battle between Jabami and the student council unfolds.

The past 5 or 6 years there was a trend called "best girl" anime. The whole thing revolves around pushing the main waifu front and center for the purpose of selling the manga. This gets exaggerated with the anime because now she needs to sell the manga AND merch.

Enter Yumeko Jabami, her character intro in the theme song AND the show is boobs first. I'm not joking, We first get a shot of her bouncing chest with the theme song saying her name over and over THEN her face. That's not a good start.

Because everything revolves around her the rest of the "story" and ... plot suffers. The school is called Hyakkaou Academy. An elite school for the rich to.... ummmmm... Gamble?

No seriously where are the teachers in this? Why are there no classes? All you ever see is students gambling or bullying each other to where it seems more like a prison than anything. That's what I mean, it's not important for this to even feel like a school. Jabami is a gambler so that's all there needs to be in this school.

The sad part is, for how much they make this revolve around this one character, they failed at making her look good. Seriously the way she "gambles" is so stupid it would only work because the plot said so, I mean really really REALLY stupid to where it's boring to watch because the only way for her to win is "because plot" each and every time. There are no mind games, no deception or clever maneuvering like the show advertised. It's just Jabami is awesome, she wins the world! Bow before your ultimate waifu!

The other characters in the show are there to make her look good. Mary is the lancer/rival type who exists to lose to the awesome Mary Sue. Ryouta is the damsel in distress that needs to be saved...etc.

Made by Studio Mappa the art and animation here is beautiful, the crazy and edgy expressions look good. Even the voice acting and music are great. However the writing, story and plot are so bad nothing can really save it.

All it is a Mary Sue waifu with extra edginess to it. The show has nothing more to offer.

Kakegurui sends us to an elite school where betting decides not only the future of the student, but also the future of his assets and career. For me it is something unheard of in this area. Although I've seen RPG series of games to fantastic fantasy worlds where life is based on games, Kakegurui [at least for me] has brought something unprecedented in proportion to the bets in a realistic way! I intend to be a bit truthful in my criticism, without overdoing it like some people who have entered the show and have often made revisions ahead of time, before they even have even ... tried a few episodes. The psychological part of Kakegurui for me worked a little more towards the middle, however, it fell a little from the middle to the end. Even then, there were parts that even if they did not work, sometimes they could get some tension in others. You can count on the fingers the episodes that were psychologically strong and others that were somewhat weak.

In this respect, we can get the director's attention. And while I keep in mind the number of episodes that I may consider psychologically "weak," I will not do it here, as I believe people should check for themselves, and also spoiler. I also want to point out that there has been a lack of better [and deeper] development of some characters, which I believe is a deficiency of the adaptation itself and the number of volumes that have been adapted, not having to do with direction. And even though there is not a deep development of the main characters, [something I reiterate: it has to do with the volumes that were adapted, it is not the director's fault, but the arches being adapted] was at least interesting to see how some characters evolving , albeit infrequently, in order to become auxiliaries in the saga of the main protagonist. Kakegurui was an interesting journey through the betting world in a dress never seen before [by me at least], and I recommend it to anyone who likes the theme. Although this first adaptation did not bring a darker aspect of the elite bets --- as the play proposes --- I believe that for whoever finishes it the manga will be able to reserve great surprises.

Plot:
Obsession, repression, insanity, and thrill-seeking, these are all topics primarily emphasized in Kakegurui. What was interesting in the show was that gambling, for me, was really just a tool to deliver a message; because if we are to judge Kakegurui simply as a gambling show it would be plain awful. The setting is rather generic as the show occurs in a school, although to be fair it is a rather “special” school that is built on gambling. The hierarchy is constructed based on who has the most money, which the general rule of thumb anywhere, and who is the most competent gambler, meaning who is ... the most adept in psychological warfare. Consequently, fortunes can be overturned since practically all students are engaged in gambling their assets away with hopes of securing their immediate and long-term futures; giving those who are financially disadvantaged a chance at a better life, or so it would seem. The first few episodes were very intriguing as we are introduced to how the organizational construct within the school functions. The school employs a system similar to the one demonstrated in Assassination Classroom, where a specific class (a social class in the case of Kakegurui) is designed for those at the bottom of the pile; who are naturally repressed, ridiculed, and discriminated against by their peers. Individuals who accumulate large amounts of debt sink into the lowest tier possible within the hierarchy, a social class known as “house pets” whose job is to basically be used to increase the morale of other students. The system would incentivize students to continuously enhance their gambling skills by showing them what would happen if they are to fail, a message conveyed by the misery that house pets usually suffer. On the other end of the spectrum, you would have the student council who sit on top of the food chain and basically dictate everything that goes on in the school and are the ones responsible for implementing and maintaining the contemporary structure.

All was working just fine until our main character, Jabami Yumeko, arrives and turns the system on its head, as is expected. Now, this all sounds nice and interesting, but things start to turn south as the show progresses and the world building rather comes to a halt. Many things in the show seem illogical or perhaps unexplored, we were never shown what the role of instructors or even adults was in general, which is very odd since they are within a school. The show depicted the school as being an independent organization functioning with minimal interference from the principal or teachers, as the only ones who actually wielded any form of power and were in charge of basically everything were the student council. This becomes more apparent as the show progresses since members of the council seemed to have the ability to do anything including having interrogation rooms or even weaponry. We do not really know how the council came to hold so much power or who granted a student council so much authority. The show justifies the extensive jurisdiction of student council members by stating that they hail from prestigious families whom are highly influential and are the root cause for students have such vast authority. Furthermore, even if we are to overlook such elements the show grows to become rather repetitive and formulaic, unfortunately, as Jabami Yumeko battles a new villain each week in order to reach the top; defeating each opponent in rather similar and predictable means.

Animations:
The animations in the series were just fine meaning that they were not bad nor special, but rather represent the standard you would expect of a modern day anime. Although, I must say that two things stood out while watching; the facial expressions of students and the fanservice. I must admit, I was not a fan of either. The facial expressions that were displayed by many of the characters were rather disturbing, especially at the beginning of the show, though luckily they tuned things down towards the end. Meanwhile, the fanservice was rather distasteful to say the least; as characters would normally become increasing aroused as the stakes would go higher. Though their heightened “sensations” were depicted in a rather disconcerting manner as characters would exhibit suicidal tendencies rather than pleasurable emotions, which was a turn-off for me. Though on a positive note their uniforms looked really good.

Music:
The ending for the series was the one musical piece that stood out for me, I really enjoyed its rather “hip” style. I did not enjoy the opening so much, though I was interested in the images it was showcasing which displayed and foreshadowed some of the events in the anime. I do not recall paying much regard to the music that was playing during the show, as no single track attracted my attention through the anime; which rather means that it was neither bad nor good.

Characters:
I think this is the dimension that the series suffered the most. I honestly did not care for any of the characters, including Yumeko, Suzui, and Saotome, even though they are considered to be the main cast. In fact, asides from Yumeko whose name was brought up 100 times each episode, I had trouble memorizing the names of any of the characters. I felt disconnected from all of them, especially that the show did not explore their backgrounds, motives, and experiences; despite the presence of adequate material to go on. A fine example of this would be not displaying the relationship of Yumeko and her sister, who is supposedly bedridden in a hospital. The show simply does not explore issues that are considered essential for the progress of a solid plotline. Another seemingly important issue that was not explored in-depth was what were the true motives for students who are apparently poor to join such a prestigious school, aside from money? Plus what prevents them from leaving immediately once they become house pets? Issues that could have easily been explored if the spotlight was given to Suzui for an episode or two. Moreover, I truly wished that the show had focused on the morality of having such an oppressive system, showing the life that house pets have to endure; something that, again, could have been focused upon if Saotome was given some screen time off the gambling table.
Though on a more positive note I did enjoy the political game that was played between students, where alliances would constantly shift depending on who is in power and what certain situations require.

Overall:
Nonetheless, despite all the downsides of the show I still found it entertaining at the very the least. I came back to watch it every week even though I knew what the outcome was going to be, and that is where the show’s value lies, entertainment. It never really attempts to do anything more than being an episodic anime that gives its viewers an injection of adrenaline week in week out. Although, question marks will be raised as to whether the show will be given a chance to rectify its errors in a second season since the series received an anime exclusive ending. Either way, I can recommend the show for those who want a spike of adrenaline from a series that relies on the psychological aspects of stress in general, and gambling in particular, to thrill its audience. Though be prepared for an anime that goes directly into its main themes, without giving much thought to any other sideline or underlying concepts.

Thank you for reading

You know, a bad show, to me, is not simply a matter of the quantity or size of the flaws you can find in it, however it is that you decide to measure such an arbitrary idea, but what kind of flaws it has. I can deal with some plot holes, for once (I mean, even the almighty FMA has 2 big ones at the end) as long as the work can properly contextualize them and not make me care. Members of the cast being inconsistent, though, make it tougher to stomach. I’m also not someone who asks for absolute realism, but simply verisimilitude and ... consistency. Disregard all of those and the work starts to go sour for me. The worst offenses, though, are when the work becomes morally bankrupt, when it asks me to sympathize and side with people who are clearly contemptible. Kakegurui is one of those shows.

Story and Characters

Well come to Hyakkao Academy, the land of insane teenage gambling, horrendous abuses of power and blatantly criminal acts of bodily harm. The school is supposed to be a place for the children of the filthy rich, but most definitely the filthy, where the future elite of Japan is meant to be prepared for a future where they’d lead the business of their families. In this institution, gambling is not simply a pass-time students can engage for their own enjoyment, but a core part of the social-structure of the school. Since the current student council president took over, she instituted a system where students who stack too much debt become “cattle”, considered second class among their classmates and have to remain subservient to the students with more money. Obviously, they also become primary target for bullying. For the viewer who shares that pesky desire to have the elements in the story making sense, this plot point will immediately raise a number of eyebrows, so let’s go bit by bit.

First, how is this system even allowed existing? None of the students here are of legal age, so they should never be allowed to gamble outrageous amounts of money from their parents net worth. Is this a version or Japan where legal restrictions for underage gambling don’t exist? If that’s the case, what about the restrictions for underage driving, drinking and sex? None of these are even mentioned, so I suppose the gambling premise is entirely based on “don’t think about it, bro”. Now, you might at this point throw at me my previous statement about realism vs. verisimilitude, but let make it clear: that goes for simple stuff, like my tsunderes being a bit more violent than what the real world would tolerate or children being a bit more mature than normal, it doesn’t apply for a universe where an entire legal system seems to operate backwards.

Following the fact that the existence of this scenario is a contradiction in itself, why would anyone enroll their children in a school like this one? These students are supposed to be future business leaders, people with enormous responsibilities in their hands, so a cast system that allows them to be bullied, humiliated and sometimes even physically harmed by their classmates goes completely opposite to the goal their education is supposed to provide, that of shaping them into capable, resolute and strong-willed adults. I’m not sure any parent would allow their children to frequent a place like this if such practices are not only allowed, but incentivized. Then there’s the money issue: the students make their bets with money from their families, which means that they are stocking up on massive debts their parents will have to pay. At long-term, this set up would make the cost of such education extremely expensive, making this school a lot more trouble than is worth. The list of absurdities doesn’t stop there, but let’s get to know the cast before we can dive head first into more nonsense!
Jabami Yumeko is the main culprit of the story. She generally keeps a playful and polite demeanor, but shifts to intense obsession when it’s time to gamble. I’m pretty sure she is supposed to be a sociopath! Not a realistic depiction of a sociopath, though, but what fiction believes a sociopath to be like. Truth be told, Yumeko is no more than a Mary Sue. It may seem like a stretch to claim this, since general misconception is that this kind of character is also supposed to be virtuous (or at least framed as such by the narrative, even when the audience can clearly see that the opposite is truth), but she does have the basic traits of a Mary Sue: she clearly has complete disregard for how much money she bets, the supply of money or her disposal is not even hinted at in the anime, so in how much danger she’s is unclear, at no point displays any signs of being the least bit worried, constantly displaying the face of someone who’s always on top, even though her behavior is so needlessly risky. Ironically, at one point she even drops this gem: “To realize one’s ambitions, risks must be taken”. Funny, since she seems to have no ambition besides having a gambling playground for herself.

Besides being nice to the already shitty-characters from the main cast and keeping a constant sweety-kitty-diabetes façade when not gambling, is there any reason for Yumeko to be seem as an actual force for good in this narrative? When it comes to motivations and general personality, she’s no less psychotic, abusive, deceiving, manipulative and sadistic than the members of the student council (or any other scumbag in this school), so what are the guaranties that once her main source of entertainment in the school is gone, or at least significantly diminished, she’ll bring any positive change to the status quo? And even if she does, do any of these characters actually deserve it? They’re all simplistic, poorly realized figures and most often just despicable people, despite the laughable attempts from the show on making them sympathetic by introducing last minute backstory.

Suzui Ryouta, the closest friend to Yumeko, is an inconsistent pussy. He strangely seems to have no problem talking to multiple attractive girls at school, but from the first moment Yumeko enters the scene, becomes strangely flustered when first interacting with her. Besides that, his role is essentially to tell the audience how risky her situation is when she makes a crazy bet and to be mesmerized when she pulls off a victory out of some strategy the audience has no knowledge off.

Momobami Kirari is the student council president, or Seitokaichou in Japanese, responsible for the creation of the cast system in place in Hyakkao Academy. She sees her fellow schoolmates as pets she can control and play with, as well as manipulate to gain power, although the goals she wants to achieve with such power are not explained in the story. Through an outrageous ass-pull in episode 11 (not a Deus ex Machina, stop using this term wrong) she proves to also be willing to backstab her own fellow student council members, which leads me to question how would anyone ever trust and help this bitch again, when she can betray them on a whim.

Other members of the student council that matter are:

- Ikishima Midari, who’s completely insane for life-threatening thrills and CARRIES A GUN TO THE SCHOOL! Seriously, how is this ever allowed? Why would anyone accept be put into a school that looks more like an asylum for demented shitbags?
- Yomozuki Runa, the loli dressed in a bunny hoodie who helps Seitokaichou on her schemes, gleefully plotting against the other members;
- Kaede Manyuda, the treasurer of the student council, very ambitious and arrogant, quick to dismiss the students he doesn’t consider worthy enough of battling him. By all accounts, he’s the least awful creature in the cast;
- Sumeragi Itsuki, another crazy bitch, who likes to collect nails from other students, which she rips off whenever they lose to her in gamble;

So, besides allowing its students to be bullied and made into servants, potentially putting them in emotional distress that can severely affect their learning, this schools also allows bodily harm to be inflicted on them, as well as bets that involve possible death. Not crazy enough for you? The institution is also equipped with special sealed rooms, for when Ikishima feels the need to “arrest other students” for her games. Let me spell this out again: this crazy cunt KIDNAPS people and locks them into special cells where she can bet on deadly games with them, using a FIREARM! Do you see why this setting is so hard to buy into?

As soon as Yumeko arrives at the institution, her one and only goal is to gamble with every strong opponent she can find, climbing the ladder until she can get the opportunity to challenge Seitokaichou, so the bulk of the narrative is focused on the multiple games she engages in with other members, occasionally crushing their spirit by revealing the manner they cheat, before beating them. Not always successful, though, as early on she manages to lose a serious bet, although it’s implied that was only possible through cheating, and becomes a pet. Interestingly enough, as soon as a previously successful character suddenly becomes a pet, it seems their winning record is instantly forgotten by the scumbag token extras, who immediately shift to bully mode. If you’re like me and has near zero suspension of disbelief for stories where everyone is an asshole, you’ll have a hard time with this one.

As Yumeko uses her status as a pet to attract and challenge other student council members, she finally reaches the top members, challenging first Manyuda and ultimately the president. This is the point where the anime turns simply from rage-inducing bad to morally bankrupt filth! Through a seriously logically questionable trick played with the help of Sumeragi, who has an old grudge with Manyuda, they lead him into betting such a high amount of money, that the loss of that game would put him indefinitely subservient to the student council president and destroy his influence in the council, as well as potentially compromising his future and relationship with his father. Yes, it’s that serious! So, of course, he loses and the defeat is followed by Yumeko and Sumeragi gleefully explaining how they manage to reach their ridiculously contrived victory, with the final blow being delivered by the president, by telling him “You’re fired”, making him snap and pass out. In the follow up, Yumeko and Sumeragi discuss what just happens and the way their dialogue is frame tries to imply they had the moral high-ground, somehow. That last bit, to me, is the most infuriating part.

Seriously, what exactly was Manyuda’s crime that was apparently so much more despicable in relation to the other students? Seitokaichou introduced a cast system that locks students into the role of cattle, where they remain subservient and bullied by other students, Sumeragi, who now we’re supposed to root for, used to rip people’s nails off, which basically amounts to torture, and Midari makes bets with people’s lives; Am I really supposed to believe that this guy is so much more deserving of having his livelihood and future sadistically crushed because he underestimates his fellow students? When did arrogance become the worst of crimes? I call this idea bullshit and this anime a hypocritical piece of toxic waste.

By the way, the ending is a complete cop-out too.

Presentation

So, do you like variety of facial expression for your characters to help flesh them out as credible, or at least likeable human beings? Tough luck, baby, here it’s ahegao up the ass for you!

For those not aware of what I mean, “ahegao” is the term in Japanese for the orgasm face, which despite the definition is not relegated exclusively for porn, but also used in comedic fashion to convey when the character goes through emotional ecstasy. You might have noticed by now that Kakegurui is quite the fan of quantity over quality, and it’ll sure run that trope into the ground whenever it’s needed to convey that the fuck-sticks it passes for humans in the story are going through anything that might be classified as excitement. IT’L ALL THE BLOODY TIME! Whenever someone pull off some maneuver to outsmart or cheat their opponent in a gamble or even when it’s simply to explain the “genius” plan, they will pull off insane orgasm faces and laugh like maniacs. Of course, the biggest offender here has to be Yumeko, because someone up in Valhalla hates me.

When it’s not ahegao, it’s contorted maniacal expressions every antagonist feels the need to break into when they feel superior and about to win on a game, or when they try to be threatening. It’s quite laughable, actually, when bunny-loli tries to pull one of these off, as if the show seriously thinks she is in any way the slightest bit scary. Seriously, any of the girls in the main cast can break her in half and this attempt from the show is just pathetic! Characters seem to break into such expressions almost to the same degree as the ahegao, as if to painfully remind you to not ever expect anyone here to have personality any deeper than a spit puddle, and that subtlety died and we buried its corpse when we allowed this disgrace to be written, published and animated. Along with the stupid story, the presentation here is another big problem for the anime, due exactly to the habits just mentioned.

Is the voice acting of any help? Not really, although not as egregious as the horrendous faces, no character really demands anything more than two different modes of acting, so it’s nothing to write home either.

Personal Ramblings

It genuinely felt like this anime was specifically crafted with the perfect combination of traits that can make my blood boil. From the sickening emphasis on the disgusting faces, to Yumeko’s insufferable “kind and innocent girl” demeanor, along with the inconsistent, impossible to buy into setting and the fact everyone here is a douchebag, this whole show was intensively infuriating to watch.

I swear, I’m not really that hard of a person to please, and it’s not like I can’t enjoy a story where characters are also morally bankrupt or just outright evil. I mean, two of my favorites are Shiki and Black Lagoon, and I don’t think you can say the main characters in those shows are safely good people, what I ask is simply that the show frames that exactly as it is, not as if the horrible people on screen are supposed to be likeable or admired in any way. I am fascinated and genuinely find likability in well written morally ambiguous or evil characters, and I admire characters who display the responsibility and strength of morals I wish I had in my personality, but when the moral center of your story is a selfish, manipulative sociopath who can’t be trusted to have anyone’s well-being in mind, I say you got your priorities kind of backwards!

Now, if you excuse me, I’ll look for something trashy to wash away this memory.

fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
... this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible
fuck an actual review, this shit garbage, ass doo doo, don't watch it, id rather watch paint dry
this is stanky
horrible

I've never reviewed something that has yet to finish. Although I'm seeing a lot of premature high scores given by other users. I feel those reviews are based off enjoyment as there is no substance in Kakegurui. I'm going to explain why this anime is not worth any of your time.

This is an in depth spoiler free (as much as I can be spoiler free) analysis of Kakegurui episodes 1-7.

I wanna start off in a weird place

Sound/Voice Acting: 4/10

All of the voice actors feel amateurish and don't have that much flair. Characters like Yameko and Ryouta are passable but there are two ... really bad voices for characters I want to address. I can tell Ms. Udono is trying but her voice for her character is just very unfitting and irritating. Now Udono doesn't have a lot of experience under her belt so I can't judge her too harshly but when making a big budget adaptation you should TRY not to get inexperienced voice actresses. Personally I blame the direction and irresponsibility of the studio over the low experienced actress.

And one other voice that is just so fake and atrocious is borderline unbelievable. Like I was legitimately disappointed when I saw the voice actress for Midari Ikishima. It was none other than Mariya Ise herself. The VA for Stocking Anarchy and Killua in 2011's HxH. She is incapable of voicing this character. Her crazy voice is just as fake and poor as her crazy laugh. I find her performance in this work to be incredibly bad. Her tone and acting is so forced. Every scene hearing her is tedious. Now she's not working with a good script and the direction probably sucks but she's so much better than this.

The music is good I guess. It's not perfect for every situation or memorable. The Op is good but it wouldn't find itself on any Top 100 openings. The low score on the sound is prominently due to the lack of solid actors.

Story: 1/10

They are in a school that allows gambling and that can decide your life for you if you get in too much debt. It's insane and there's been no good explanation. Midari is capable of carrying a weapon on campus and bullies try to rape other students in this high class school. The Student Body also are capable of inflicting bodily harm against the students without any repercussions. ( SPOILER example: Midari, who was threatened to have her eye taken out and took it out herself to prevent the shame and to get it over with. ) This show isn't like Prison School though. It wants us to take it seriously and adds no comic relief to the atmosphere. The author probably just didn't get the memo, that Prison School was a psychological comedy that didn't try to make you take its bizarre concept seriously but the dilemmas and punishments in Prison School gave a real sense of stakes and urgency. Prison School also had great characters, a lot of psychological elements, and was hilarious.

Why it fails as a gambling anime:

It stretches suspension of disbelief and doesn't give us insight on the reasoning behind the characters deductions. Yameko just tends to magically call out the cheating of her opponent with a contrived explanation that we never even get to see. Seeing Yameko's dissection of the cheat would actually add more depth to her character. Give you a sense of humanity and urgency in her. The thrills are also non existent. Every situation and stake is extremely low and since Yameko is the love child of a Gambling Mary Sue and Yuno Gasai (What an amazing combination) she will never lose that great of something. The most she'll lose is money but she throws that around so who cares? Even when she has a gun in her face we still know shes gonna be okay. She's perfect in every single way. Right? She never has really any human reaction. So we can't relate to her and put ourselves in her situation. Remember this.

Every episode is VERY formulaic. Like same thing every time with almost no difference. This makes the thrills and stakes nonexistent. The show is extremely unentertaining unless you have underdeveloped taste or have turned your brain off. After thorough dissection there is nothing necessarily redeemable or well executed about this story. Which is extremely unfortunate because I like gambling and cute girls.

Characters: 1/10

Dear god. No character in this anime is anything more than one dimensional. Yameko is a perfect gambler who wins without even having to work for it. We don't feel any humanity in her. And because of this we cannot relate to her whatsoever. As she is completely emotionless until she starts shit talking. She has no depth or layers as a character. She is so perfect. She finds out the villains way of cheating without us even hearing or seeing it. And the anime isn't smart enough to where we are given the opportunity to figure it out ourselves. The opponent who is cheating gives a nonsensical, not-foreshadowed scheme in their head like any bland shounen villain. It's so convoluted. Yameko's only character traits are she's crazy but acts like she's not and she's a sore winner when she magically finds out how the opponent is cheating.

A character I believed I would like's name was Meiri. As she is a cocky ass who contorts her face to bizarre, funny expressions in the first episode and acts like a boring shounen mustache twiddler until she is humbled by Yameko in that episode. I expected that by destroying Meiri in the first episode they were gonna build her character up through the entire season. Honestly, that's how you can make a cocky character like Meiri likable. Give them a taste of their own medicine. There is even a scene where Meiri is forced to clean up a mess, after being laughed at and left in the lunch room alone. I felt genuine sympathy because I felt like that would be a pivotal moment for her character. Then we see her accumulate EVEN MORE DEBT by the culture club representative and see that her pride is shattered and she is completely humiliated. But I clearly gave this show way too much credit. Now I thought this would lead to an arc where Meiri realizes she relies too much on cheating to gamble and gets too cocky before the cards are shown. And she'd blossom into this great, smart, analytic gambler. NOPE, SHES YAMEKO 2 BY EPISODE FUCKIN 4. She stays bland, stagnant and becomes another boring character.

The final lead is Ryouta Suzui. He just... reacts and sometimes helps Yameko. Literally could be written out so easily. He's one dimensional too. He feels like a side character. I actually forget he's there sometimes.

Everyone is one dimensional.

All the antagonists and side characters are JUST crazy. Some are a lil crazier than the others. Like some will cum while playing. And I guess you're supposed to get intimated or aroused when the crazy girl cums when she's winning or thrilled. That's it. The insanity is so over saturated in the anime it stops being unique, entertaining, or unexpected.

Which makes how everything plays out very boring and predictable.

Art: 7/10

The art is very reminiscent of Prison School but it doesn't go to the extent of Prison School or do it frequently enough. All the crude facial contortions happen on almost every character in the same situation with the same face so it's not well executed or unpredictable or entertaining or funny or intimidating, etc. The budget is very clear though and I can't say its not at least a 7/10 through aesthetic alone. As you kinda get the tone through the art even though the tone is super ridiculous in the story and scenario.

Enjoyment: 1/10

Now I don't mind anyone enjoying this but lets be real; this anime is horrible. Everyone is just enticed by the attractive character designs.

And I tend to repeat myself but often the most serious criticism of a show is usually the kind you hear and throw around the most.

It is a predictable, overly formulaic, shallow, boring, low thrills, poorly written, poorly executed, complete mess of an thriller anime with terrible characters who don't develop or evolve.

Right now this is without a doubt one of the worst anime of 2017. Up there with Berserk and World End. I really did wish I could like this show but almost everything it tries and does fails miserably.

I have been watching anime for a long time. Hell I’ve just been on this planet for a long time.
Throughout that time I do not remember a situation where I was so fixated on one certain aspect that completely capitulated everything else.
That is where I am with the faces in Kakugurui.
These issues with obnoxious faces is nothing new for me and can be seen in my Daily Lives of High School Boys review as well as my opinions on Drifters.
But Kakegurui has achieved a level of obnoxious faces into a territory that has not been explored that I shall deem as egregious ... faces.

The show’s art style is presented in a way that resembles sadistic hentai with these faces.
I for one am not a masochist nor a sadist that will get enjoyment from an entertainment medium that way.
I also am not a hentai fan so when add the sweat and the lips/drool helps take it to that egregious level.

This shows theme is based on a school where gambling gets you to the top of the totem pole.
I for one am someone who likes the game of poker. I watch the World Series of Poker every year. I even had a favorite poker player in Phil Hellmuth.
So I was optimistic that at least like the action in Drifters I can find satisfaction in the gambling of the show.
Unfortunately the gambling we got was a mix of redundant themes and girls over-powering on masochism.
But even if the gambling was more satisfactory it is hard to enjoy any battle of strategy when your bombarded by egregious faces left and right.

Now by this point I already had all these negative feelings towards Yumeko. This is more than just "compulsive gambling".
So enter stage left a Yumeko on steroids named Midari Ikishima.
During her dedicated episodes is where I just lost all hope for this show because when you put the theme of death into the show that changes everything.
This isn’t about riding the economic train to the top of a gambling school.
Your bringing in the theme that you can actually die in this school. That put that stake in the heart for the setting.

Midari is apart of the student council that are the main villains of the show.
They are a conglomerate of individuals that have come together to hold a monopoly on the school.
The basis of the show is for Yumeko to take them down one by one.
The entirety of the show continues to try and make the student council even more sadistic than Yumeko herself.
They try to establish a higher-level sadism that is not accepted to make you not like these characters.
But if you already have Yumeko pass that level the effect is just completely negated.

When considering my rating for the show I need to remember that the bottom score is not a 0 but a 1.
So to not give this show a 1 out of 10 are there enough aspects to push something up to a 2 and so forth.
Basically every character was doing these gambling orgasms. It is the same issue the entire show.
Even when they gave me an architype that I tend to enjoy in a villain in glasses.
The enthusiasm dwindled away quite quickly thanks to once again from Yumeko’s gambling orgasms.
So I can confidently say that the Characters, Enjoyment, and Art are all a 1 out of 10.

I’ve already covered how the setting is disseminated. But we do have progression. There is an end game to the show.
They do not waste much time with frivolous OVA content. That is something I can put up as a 2 out of 10.
Now bringing it up to a 3 out of 10 is another story. There was a lot of empty transition from going to the next student council member.
There also was never a proper hierarchy build out so I can understand the level of difficulty increasing.
They don’t really have much time to build up to it though. Their goal seemed to be to have the main event match-up in this entry.
I can settle on a borderline 3 out of 10 with the story.

So what it comes down to is music. I tend not to deviate my music score much from the rest of the show.
I tend not to value it that highly. The ending song is okay but I do have major issues with the performance from Tia in the OP.
There was a real turn-off for me listening to this nasally running on voice she used in the song.
I’ve skipped the OP every time since episode 2. So with that I’d have to give another 1 out of 10.

I haven’t given a show a 1 out of 10 since 2015 and if I was going to pull the trigger to change that. Right now feels like the right time.
I’ve never experienced something so off-putting in anime like Kakegurui and it is going to be a benchmark for me when it comes to off-putting themes.
If anything is as off-putting as the egregious faces and gambling orgasms then it will be a contender for a 1 out of 10 on my rating scale.
Some people are complaining about having an original ending but for me this was far gone before that. This is an abomination of the highest order!

(Introduction)

A show about rich high school student, stupidly gambling there lives away for kicks but everything changes a little bit when compulsive Psycho Gambler with Red-Eyes Black Hair Jabami Yumeko enter the scene. To literally give the student council, who doesn’t do anything but sit around all day, an intense facial workout. Get ready to be amazed by Studio MAPPA's artistry, for almost every single character in this show have the ability to make ridiculously funny faces that will give Reddit some temporary memes to play with.

Get mind-blown to the intensely good animated atmosphere of Kakegurui Gambling, which are the few things I found ... respecting in this show. And If you ever get lost what the heck is going on during the middle of the gameplay, don’t worry, after every match, Jabami and the gang will explain everything in front of your face. So sit back and relax, don't think much. Which is kind of a shame because some games in the anime look original enough in my eyes that they seem like a very fun party game to crush your friends with.

(Story/Plot/Writing) (4/10 Mediocre) (W/ Light Spoiler)

When I read the anime synopsis for the first time, I found it kind of fresh. I barely see any high school anime that heavily focus on gambling and then after I finish it. I found it no different from any “Cliché Highschool” Tropes and I see it more stupid than your average high school anime. The show's main story in summary is about a new student that will rebel against the antagonistic “’ Student Council Hierarchy”. Our insanely daring protagonist will cross obstacles to reach the top to have a chance to rival the Big Fish of the school, this is not Kill La Kill Right?

While actual School stuff is non-existent in this show. The majority of the time I only see students gambling around the school. And why would they even bother to study or do sport that will benefit their future if the school has a shitty ranking system that will only measure student performance base on their gambling skills? The school being a setting has lost its meaning. You can replace the school with a casino or a gambling den that requires its attendees to wear high school uniforms and you will not find any difference.

The thing I found this anime stupid is the school is too dumb to exist. On all accounts, it’s a facility that raises scammers than potential elites that will benefit the country or the world. Yeah, you heard me right! 100 percent of the student who wins their gambling games cheat their way to win, just like in real life. A school that makes rich people lose their hard earn fortune because of their dumb spoil rich brats gambling away their money. Is that Legal? It's ridiculously funny and unreal. It made me remember an incident related to kids spending on their parents’ credit cards on microtransaction on videogames then eventually incurring massive debts in the process. This is literally what this pea brain student currently doing in the school. Lots of students get a quick buck sure but a lot of them lose a lot of money that they didn’t even own or earn by themselves.

To me, if these students came from influential families or rich corporate bodies. Then in one way or another, the school gambling shenanigans can actually affect the economy. Imagine a large company supplying products, services, and jobs suddenly got bankrupt not because of natural economics but because their child accidentally bet 90 to 100 percent of the company stocks because why not! That will be hilarious to see.

It also feels like a shounen anime where the protagonist gets friends along the way by savagely beating them up first. But in this anime instead of using brute force as a normal person will do to get what they want. Every conflict in this show is resolved by gambling. I can also say it’s similar to Yugioh but instead of stakes is getting vanish in the shadow realm when you lose. The person loses their dignity and tons of money. And sometimes block their freedom to choose what they want to do with their lives.

If you are watching this show to learn how gambling works or to educate yourself on the pro and cons. Hoping to get the edge you needed to win big in your local casino or make a fortune in Las Vegas. I am sorry to tell you that’s not going to happen. The games they used in the gambling itself are not that even smart or impressively complex either in my opinion. I didn’t learn anything in this show because the game itself is so lazily written. The show has the balls to explain everything at the last minute just to say they didn’t magically win because the author showed them the script. I find it dull, boring, and uninteresting for the most part.

(Characters Only Main to Talk About) (5/10 Average but Entertaining) (W/ Light Spoiler)

Honestly, I don’t like any single character in this show. The only thing I find joy watching them, aside from the funny faces they make. Is the lunacy when they discover they did a lot of dumb things or realize they are incompetent people tend to: Overestimate their own skill levels, bunch idiots. A lot of people here have serious cases of the Dunner-Krueger Effect except for Jabami Yumeko, she is a mary sue in this show. She is never been wrong even though her behavior and motives are questionable on many levels.

Side Characters on this show are more like archetypes in my eyes. They have personality but they don’t have any significant depth or identity of their own for me to care but they are entertaining to watch. Like for example, Jabami is the Marysue, Mary is a lesser Jabami, Ryouta is a walking mouthpiece, Midari is a bitch, Kirari is your typical Edgelord Student Council President, Runa is a Loli, Yume is a Pop Idol, Itsuki is a lesser bitch, and Kaede is your glasses guy. And to take account. What I said is not a pure spoiler by the way.

If you watch the Opening of the show "Deal with the devil" by Tia or the very first episode. This will be definitely your first impression of them and if it is, congratulation they remain like that for the duration of 12 episodes. Don’t expect significant character development or changes. We do get some itsy-bitsy background story but that is what you have for putting some levels of depth on your characters. And Personally, that is not enough to make them memorable or stand out. It exposed how poorly written they are.

(Technical Stuff) (Art & Animation 8/10 Very Good)( Music and Sound Design 6/10 It's Ok)

I am going to compress all my opinion on the technical stuff here. My final verdict for the animation and music on this show is that it's good and very good in fact for a TV series. I think MAPPA did a good job in making the atmosphere of the gambling more enjoyable to watch and bonus points for the funny faces too. OP song is fun to watch but definitely not the music I want to listen to or kept in my music files. ED song is fine, fun to watch for 1 to 3 episodes and after that, I no longer care. Background music is also good in adding substances to the gambling vibes. And that’s the only positive I can say in the show if only the characters and scriptwriting were the same quality then it will be truly an enjoyable experience.

(Enjoyment/ Bias Personal Opinion) (6/10 I still Enjoy even I have issues with it)

I think I said everything why I found it enjoyable and annoyingly bad

(Final Thoughts) (Overall 5.2/10 just an average flavor of the season type of show)

I like anime when the stakes are high and the risk is very outrageous. Especially it is batshit insane at times. But in this anime, I really don’t see any heavy risk involve. It loves to use BIG NUMBERS! To show the audience how extreme the situation is but the problem, it really doesn’t properly demonstrate that you will take the situation seriously. It gives the illusion that a simple game has BIG consequences but in reality, it's not. It tries hard to become serious by hyper exaggerating a lot of stuff which ended up becoming funny than grim.

Characters don’t serve as people in this world but are similar to crazy cartoon characters that are there to add aesthetic value to the show. Ever wonder why they look extremely slutty because that is their purpose in the first place. “Sex Appeal”.

Ever wonder how casinos bait people into gambling even though people know in nature they might lose?

Simple,” Money, Bright Light, and Colors and Sex”

That is more than enough to hook a Man to Gamble

In Kakegurui Case, that’s how it establishes its audience in the first place

One of the oldest tricks in the book.

And you got Scam!

This is first time I am writing a review for an anime.

While watching initial episodes I thought that this anime was too simple and easy. Now I take that back... My view changed from 6th episode and now after watching 11th episode, I thought I did a criminal act for belittling this anime as an atonement I am writing this review.

I don't have much to say about it though. This anime gave me chills... Ahhh I get a chill through my spine when the characters clench their teeth and bet everything they have... literally everything. All emotions are illustrated in such a way that ... you never feel bored. This is all about emotions... All about excitement.

Thank you!!

*No Spoiler Concise Review*
TL;DR: If Kaiji and Shokugeki no Soma had a forbidden love child, you get Kakegurui: a show that throws all realism out of the window and the female MC orgasms every time she whispers "Kakegurui" or "Let's Gamble."
[Story: 3/10 , Characters: 5/10, Art: 8/10, Sound: 6/10, Enjoyment: 5/10]

What is Kakegurui? It's a psychological mystery anime where the MC, Jabami Yumeko, a transfer student, starts attending Hyakkaou Private Academy, a normal school by day & a gambling heaven/hell by night, whose sole purpose is to teach their rich spoiled brats in the art of dealing with money & manipulating people. This show throws ... all realism out of the window and declares that the best gamblers are those who are addicted to gambling, not those who stay calm. This show is both sexy and risky. It's always fun to watch a naïve sexy self destructive intelligent gambler destroy and toy with the school government because she finds it fun and stimulating. Viewers will soon realize that the outcome will always be the same, yet it's the 'how' that makes this show great. If you are into gambling and you love psychopaths yet cute characters then this anime is for you!

The premise is very straightforward. It's your run-of-the-mill high-school anime where the MC wants to throw a wrench at the flawed school council system. This time the entire school council are epic/loaded Boss Gamblers. How do you get to the top? Through boss battles of course. Here's a fun fact, they are all cheaters, except the MC of course. She just wants to get her fix of orgasms through the thrill of gambling. The show revolves around Yumeko and Suzui, both archetypal foils of one another, trying to unearth the "system" and win the boss battles to reach the top, aka face the Student Council President. Although the start of the show was amazing, mid-way the story takes a huge nose dive of boredom and it barely comes back up with the anime having an original ending instead of staying true to the manga. Guess, MAPPA isn't fully sold on the success yet for second season despite going all out by bringing together director Hayashi Yuichiro (Garo: Divine Flame) alongside writer Kobayashi Yuichiro (Attack on Titan) and Akita Manabu (Fullmetal Alchemist ) as character designer.

Though the story is very predictable, aside from figuring out how each gambler is cheating, it's the characters that really fuels the fun in the show. The MC, Yumeko, is a naive beautiful kawaii girl on the outside but inside she's an intelligent yuri obsessed psychopath who needs to gamble to quench her compulsive gambling addiction. Juxtapose her with Suzui, her partner in crime, who is just there to make viewers feel smart because all the other characters in the show are psychopathic gambling geniuses. The members of the student council, despite being one-dimensional, are all unique from one another as seen through their gambling personality and the type of games they like to play. The epic Boss, President and Yumeko, if looked at closely, are just same psychotic characters on the inside except their outer characteristics are inverted from each other. Moreover, what really accentuates the characters in this show are the voice actors. The voice actor for Yumeko, played by Saori Hayami, just steals the show. Who knew the calm lady like seiyuu from AnoHana could portray the role of a horny psychopathic addict.

Aside from its predictable story and one-dimensional characters, the show does a phenomenal job in the art, animation & sound department. Nothing short to be expected from studio MAPPA. The OP, Deal with the Devil, is actually a refreshing change from usual Jpop to classy jazz for that smooth chill vibe. The background score really heightens every tense mood in the anime and just overhypes every little reveals. The ED song is alright but not as good as the OP song. The character designs were toned down to reflect better on screen compared to the actual manga. However, the crazy psychopathic facial expression of each characters and the shrills that captures every thrills really hammers down the central slogan of "Let's Gamble." Hands down, the show has great camera working, much like Edgar Wright with its cut scenes that adds a lot to the plot. Moreover, the blended CGI animation with bold vibrant colours really brings out the inner psychopath that exists not only in the characters in this show but in our hearts.

Overall, Kakegurui is just one of those crazy psychotic animes you want to watch because you love going on a thrill ride fully knowing the end destination. Though the anime will have an original ending the show is a faithful adaptation of the manga. If you love gambling and you love cute characters having earth-shattering pseudo orgasms while getting their gambling fix, give this show a watch. It's different yet same as other game related shows like Kaiji and NGNL. Anyways, give it a watch and tell me later how fast you caught on how the Boss Gamblers were cheating.

P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!

So, there’s this gambling den where people risk their future. Money is power in capitalism and the more you have the more powerful you become. Ok, it makes sense so far… And then it stops making sense because the gambling den is a freaking high school, where the only thing that is not going on in there is learning. Everybody is acting like a horny lunatic and the author wants us to believe the educational system is fine with letting its young people to become unstable gambling addicts.

And yes, I know it’s not supposed to be a serious anime. It’s trash entertainment for immature people, ... but I have seen many who tried to defend the show as a psychological thriller and a character study, by making it sound like it’s all about the effects of gambling on rich people, as well as how the whole thing is a social experiment aiming to create a new breed of super humans. All that are overshadowed by the constant ahegao faces everyone is making. It’s not a serious show, don’t believe the pretentious overthinkers. It’s a shitty ecchi series about people getting orgasms while gambling and the animation makes sure to point that out every 10 seconds. It’s sleazy fetishism with little to no substance, and those claiming it’s more than that, do it for the sole purpose of making it sound like the deviant crap they are watching are intellectual masterpieces.

Back to the… plot if one can call it that, the status quo is broken by a transfer student. Of course. That is the only reason you need for having high schools in modern anime. Instead of having to be creative, you just let the plot write itself, by following the exact same formula, every single time.

So, they gamble and the first game they play is a rehash from Kaiji. Only with no strategy since there is no way to know how many cards of each type there are. Which means it’s all random bullshit. They try to make it sound like there are tactics, but it comes down to dumb luck and how well someone is cheating at the games. Plus, the horny protagonist will always find a way to win, just because. As much as the theme tries to be an allegory for materialism, it fails to prove it by having it all coming down to a lucky draw. It’s not a smart show either.

Furthermore, for a gambling series, there is no actual tension, since the only thing that is at stake is money. Fortunes come and go in every episode, and although that seems to be ruining the lives of those who become broke, we never see the effects of it, besides becoming errand boys for horny bitches in a high school. Woah, what a dreadful life it is to not have money, yet still going to a prestige school and doing a few chores for horny bitches, who are most likely having sex with you for the heck of it.

If that wasn’t enough, the main girl in the show is so ridiculously rich to the point she doesn’t care how much money she wins or loses, therefore she is not really risking anything. Her objective has nothing to do with making money or making sure you are not going to lose them. The premise is betrayed almost immediately, since everybody gambles because they are addicted to gambling, and not because they risk everything for a better life, like in Kaiji.

Down to it, the series is fairly one-note. There is no variety in personalities, since everybody is the same closet psychopath. The games differ but play out in the exact same way and don’t connect with one another, thus there is not much of a plot. There is not even much of a worthwhile objective. Every character is self-destructive, and has no long-term plans other than cumming in his underwear while gambling. It gets tiresome and cringy very fast. Rewatch Kaiji and don’t even bother with this one.