Netflix has released Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler. The series revolves around privileged Hyakkaou Private Academy students. As an anime, it is a novelty, thrilling and unusual. However, the series is filled with the hypersexualization of high school students, which can be hot water territory for some people, coupled with references to sadomasochism. Yandere faces? They are a pretty common sight there, too.
Compared to the origins manga, the series holds back on much of its not-safe-for-work content. Plenty of the social commentary behind the anime is about how gambling is perceived.
Now that we’re talking about it, we’ve laid out why you should check it out!
The Production
The manga started with Yen Press and has been part of Gangan Joker since 2014 – it’s also under publisher Square Enix. Seven and more volumes have already been released. As a result, there is a lot of material that the anime can adapt.
The writer is Homura Kawamoto. Her aide in art is Toru Naomura. Together, they worked on the Kakegurui series with Yen Press. However, when it comes to working with the anime, Yasuko Kobayashi was the one who helped freshen the script up. The veteran writer has had a career of twenty-five (25) years. His first credit was in 1993. Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kamen Rider, and Garo: Divine Flame are part of his roster. As such, it is safe to conclude that the gambling anime would be safe.
The animation studio handling it is Mappa. Mappa stands for Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association and has been very selective with its projects. However, the track record for the projects has been relatively pristine and impressive. It was established in 2012.
A Take On Gambling
If we are to be truthful, Kakegurui has a more serious side to it. It is a discussion about the nature of gambling – perhaps those of us who want to enjoy and have always enjoyed our online bingo Philippines can agree – the anime is more straightforward to relate to. Gambling is inherently risky, and for many, we have to take “calculated” gambles not just in life but also in games of chance. In the world of the anime Kakegurui, the students are gamblers. They do so for social status, standing, and gain. The arrival of a compulsive gambler allows her to disrupt the school’s status quo.
Potential
The world of Kakegurui is rich. Its future is even brighter, especially now that other famous anime and manga have continued to branch into this territory. The franchise already has Kakegurui Twin, and that means more potential. Sequels and spin-offs are another way to enhance the worldbuilding of the franchise. Furthermore, a good argument for this is because of Netflix’s current position. It is an influential streaming platform with plenty of content and anime.
Moreover, Kakegurui is cementing a position of its own.
Regarding quality and potential, the tag team of Kakegurui and Netflix will be a win for the books. Netflix has already produced Attack On Titan, Death Note (not necessarily a product of theirs, but it is part of their roster), and Castlevania. The selection of anime for Netflix is becoming bigger and better!
One thing is for sure: the series will be legendary!
Wrapping Up
Gambling is an activity that is quite controversial. Fortunately, this is a fun series that runs wild with the fun – and the deconstruction of the activity. With its rich worldbuilding and production, Kakegurui will be a great book. We’re certainly looking forward to it!
