So how does Twin differ from the rest? Well, firstly it delivers on much of what makes Kakegurui in general appealing. Very high stakes gambling with a ton of tension, very wild characters, expressive visuals and terrifice voice acting. However, it has some aspects that I definitely like more.
For starters, the characters are way more...sane. I know that sounds weird, but if you know Kakegurui, you know what I mean. First of all, the absolute nutcases like Yumeko and Kirari aren't here yet, so that alone drops the insane-o-meter by several points. Besides that, Mary is as cerebral as any other key player, but has clear intentions and understandable goals, which makes you understand her much better and even root for her. She shows an unexpected amount of sympathy and compassion and the cast of likeable supporting characters manage to bring the best out of her. Even Sachiko, the de facto main villain of this story, is definitely cruel, but still in a reasonable and engaging way. The main Kakegurui story is like watching a car crash - it's euphoric mayhem that may end up costing lives, but it's an entrancing spectacle so you just cannot look away. Meanwhile, Twin is a more classic underdog story, the average but clever girls stepping into the lion's den and challenging the ones at the top.
The moments of outsmarting also felt even more satisfying here. I can't quite put it down, but it almost felt as if the gambles were more like puzzles to be solved. They were very difficult, sure, but a solution exists if you're clever enough to find it. They felt more like intellectual challenges rather than the outlandish death games that they were portrayed as in the main series. The gambles also made sense and the stakes were high, but were also more real and had clearer consequences. It wasn't just different people flexing their wealth or their lack of concern for their own well-being or that of others, the characters gambled because they had specific goals and winning these games was necessary to achieve those goals. The crossing of these different ambitions is also a major driving force behind the conflicts in this story.
Also, one more sidenote, the music in this series was the best in my opinion, in particular the opening and ending.
So overall, this was a really nice surprise for me. It's really enjoyable from top to bottom and I highly recommended. Honestly, I was just bummed out that it was so short, this definitely had the potential to be a full season. Mary definitely makes for a compelling protagonist. Also, I wonder what happened to her in between this and the main story. She's surprisingly kind here but by the time we meet her again, she's become just as cruel and selfish as the others. But, I guess living with bloodthirsty sharks tends to rub off on you and your only choice to not get eaten is to become one of them...
