Watching 'Kakegurui'

Kakegurui is a manga that is published by Square Enix, starting its run in 2014. It is still running today and has—at the time of this writing—been collected into 10 volumes. The series is written by Homura Kawamoto, and is illustrated by Tooru Naomura. The manga was adapted into a 12-episode anime by Mappa in 2017, which was distributed internationally through Netflix. The second season, Kakegurui xx, is airing in Japan at the time of this writing, however, it is yet to be distributed on Netflix. As such, this piece will focus solely on the first season of the anime.

Kakegurui takes place in the fictional high school of Hyakkaou Private Academy, a school where the elite of the elite attend. However, unlike many other schools, this particular school partakes in extra curricular activities that involve gambling, and anything can be put up for a bet—even students. The narrative follows the new transfer student Yumeko, who manages to cause an uproar as a result of her actions. Beyond that, unlike a vast majority of the student body who gamble for gain, Yumeko gambles simply for the thrill of gambling.

With regards to the way the school is run, the ridiculous amount of power that students wield in this show, and the bright red uniform, had flashbacks of Classroom of the Elite come to the forefront of the mind. Beyond the aesthetic similarities, there are no other comparisons to make between the two shows. What makes Kakegurui unique among anime is the fact that it utilizes a niche fandom within anime: Gambling. With that being said, the show as of this moment does not utilize the full potential of its premise. While the characters drive up bets that border in the ludicrous, at no point does the viewer feel any tension. We are told the consequences, however, at no point are we ever shown the consequences. As a result, it always feels as if all the characters have a safety net below them even if they fall.

The characters range from normal and somewhat relatable to making you question "how someone as unstable as this is not institutionalized yet." The more extreme characters manage to go from zero to 10 on the insanity scale so fast you are more likely to laugh at them than take them seriously in a potential life-ending situation. In addition, in most anime there are characters that are expressive, and then there are the characters who—in Kakegurui—go far beyond the confines of expressive. So much so, to the point that most of the time they are excited, they spit profusely at the screen while talking. This is a Mappa animation, so at the very least it is well-animated spit.

A note of praise that the show deserves is that the characters all look distinct and are easily distinguishable from each other when comparing their unique personalities. This is made simple, as each of their personalities, save for a handful of characters, has their characteristics amplified beyond the level 9,000.

The narrative is what is to be expected from this show. A group of individuals rule with an iron fist, and an unlikely outsider arrives and takes them out one by one, while accumulating a group of trusted friends who are always there for each other. The show does not deviate far from this formula, and what makes it work as well as it does is the fact that the characters are all so outlandish.

As mentioned earlier, this is a Mappa animation and so—at the very least—it is beautiful to look at. The colors are vivid and there is not a single dull frame in sight throughout the show. The show is directed by Yuuichirou Hayashi, who is mainly known for his key animation work in shows such as Trigun: Badlands Rumble, and the films Redline and segment four of Batman Gotham Knight.

The soundtrack by Technoboys Pulcraft Green-Fund has highs and moments of being OK. What they managed to do is create a fantastic villain theme for the character Kirari Momobami, who when on screen with the music playing felt regal; she owned what ever room she was in. This show also has one of the best openings I have seen in a while. "Deal with the Devil" by Tia accompanied by stylistic visuals that were a joy to watch at the start of every episode.

Kakegurui falls into an awkward position. If you were to ask me if it is a good show, I would say no; however, at the same time, it is a show I enjoyed a lot. I knew no more of the characters at the end of the season than when I did at the start, and the narrative was predictable, however, the visuals, soundtrack, and the voice work was so good it compensated for it.

If I were to recommend this, it would only be if you had nothing else to watch and you had 20 minutes to kill for a session of mindless fun.