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
