Tag Archives: Kakegurui

Final Thoughts: Kakegurui

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

It seems as though the show I will be talking about today left just as quick as it came. Kakegurui was indeed an action packed gamble fest, just as advertised, and while my feelings on the show overall are somewhat mixed, there was still plenty that had me enjoying it from beginning to end, including anime’s favorite gambling girl Yumeko.

Source: Heroxyz on Deviant Art

With that being said, here are my final thoughts:

Gambling has Stakes, Usually

One of the criticisms that was levied against the first season was that it quickly went from an interesting take on the gambling genre to a sort Shonen power fest in which the bets got bigger and more unnecessary for seemingly no reason other than trying to cheaply raise stakes. While I don’t fully agree with that criticism, I can certainly understand where it comes from. The show’s first season started out pretty harmlessly, with Yumeko showing that she knows a thing or two about gambling, but by the end of it, people were literally betting away their life in order to play. Now, the reason I don’t fully agree with the criticism is because of Yumeko, who seems to be representative of gambling herself. She’s unpredictable, insane, and always willing to go as far as possible to get the most thrills, and she throws herself on everybody, driving them to go as far as humanly possible. Indeed, Yumeko is the toxicity of gambling embodied in a high school girl, and in that context the insane stakes actually make a lot of sense.

Creating Investment Through Facial Expressions

One of the more consistent, and arguably more famous, elements of Kakegurui is the famous faces of the characters in the show. When any of them are feeling a strong emotion, or are getting more emotionally invested in their gamble, their faces contort in extremely animated ways. The most famous of these faces is, of course, Yumeko’s herself, but there are plenty of other notable ones.

These faces are effective in a couple of different ways. One, because of their exaggerated nature, it becomes extremely easy to tell the emotions that the characters are feeling, and two, because these faces are generally not pleasant to look at, they make it much easier to feel what the characters are feeling, because in that way they are much more human.

Where Does Ryota Stand in All This?

From the very beginning Ryota has always kind of seemed like an irrelevant character in Kakegurui’s story, which is why the fact that he still has so much screen time kind of bothers me. The only real purpose he’s had in the series in either being Yumeko’s play thing near the end of season one, or helping her by calling other people to come gamble in her place, i.e. Mary near the midpoint of season two. I do think that he is also maybe representative of something, in the same way that Yumeko is, but for as much as I have thought about it nothing really comes to mind. I also do not think he is a bad character, mostly that he’s underdeveloped, which brings me to my last section:

Season 3

As the show has now caught up with the source material that spawned it, the possibility of a season three soon is unlikely. Because of this, my feelings about the ending are as follows:

I do also hope they do something with Ryota and allow him to grow as a character, cause otherwise he will also be boring and not good.

Conclusion

Kakegurui is a deceptively enjoyable show. Despite having a few somewhat grading downfalls, the show is still enjoyable enough to watch all the way through and feel like it was worth your time, especially if you like anime that revolve around gambling and games. Give it a watch if you have time.


What do you guys like about Kakegurui? Let me know in the comments below. If you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal:

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If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

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Top Five Most Anticipated Anime of Winter 2019

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations


With what was honestly one of the best anime seasons to happen in a while now behind, it is time once again to look forward to a new season. This is not to say that the upcoming season has nothing to offer. Far from it, in fact. With new seasons for older shows and some exciting new releases, here are my top five most anticipated shows of winter 2019

5. The Rising of the Shield Hero

It is not a new piece of anime criticism to say that the Isekai genre, for the many pieces of legitimately fantastic art it has spawned, has become incredibly stale. Still, though, I find myself drawn to, and even excited for, The Rising of the Shield Hero. Part of this is attributed to the absurd amount of praise that was given to the light novels, which I still have not read. However, another part of me just attributes my anticipation toward the staff working on it. The director, Takao Abo, has done episode direction for a number of other shows, including Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, Eureka Seven, and Made in Abyss. So, hopefully, something great comes out of this.

4. Dororo

I would be lying if I said that there were not times when the main thing to draw me towards a new anime was the studio producing it, and this just so happens to be one of those times. Studio MAPPA has created a lot of great shows, including one of my favorites Terror in Resonance. The subject matter of Dororo does seem interesting, though. Hyakkimaru and Dororo must travel the countryside looking for the demons who hold his missing body parts after Hyakkimaru’s father sold them away for power. I definitely see a lot of potential in the show, so I hope it turns out well.

3. Revisions

Mecha anime are almost never my go to, and a lot of the time I usually just ignore them. However, Revisions seems like it could be a legitimately interesting anime. I like the premise of the entirety of Shibuya getting transported into the future, and having to work with the people who are living in the future in order to save the world. The one other thing that does bother me is that it looks like the animation will be largely CGI, but if the show’s quality is high then I do not think it will be that big of a deal.

2. The Promised Neverland

I’ve been curious about The Promised Neverland for a while now, especially since the summer when someone I met at Anime Midwest recommended the show a lot. In fact, she said it was one of her favorite manga series that she had read in a while. The premise of the story is incredibly interesting, focusing on a group of orphans who learn about the true nature of why it is they are there in the first place. My only concern is how well the said premise will be executed. However, considering that Studio Cloverworks, who are currently finishing up what is probably one of my favorite shows in a while, Bunny Girl Senpai, I am not too worried about it.

1. Kakegurui Season 2

It might seem a little unfair to put a second season at the top of my most anticipated list, but it is the truth. Kakegurui’s first season was a show that I went into, as I do most shows, with little in expectations. I mean, a show about gambling in which the loser receives a punishment? It sounded a lot like a much edgier Yu-Gi-Oh. It turned out, however, that the show was incredibly high in quality. It did become somewhat boring in that the stakes of the show’s bets ended up becoming absolutely meaningless, but what kept me interested was the reaction of the show’s main character Yumeko. I am excited to see just how the show will change it up and how the main conflict will resolve.


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If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

This Week in Anime: Death Note, Vinland Saga, and More…

Welcome, weebs and authors alike, to The Aniwriter

This week has a pretty diverse but short amount of news. Some of it you may or may not have been expecting, and some you might have already known about. Either way, let’s get into it.

“Death Note” Film Made by Netflix to Receive Sequel

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It was announced recently by Netflix that a sequel film to Adam Wingard’s 2017 Death Note adaptation is in the works. Currently, not much is known about the film, including whether or not Wingard will return to direct it. However, Greg Russo, a writer for “Mortal Combat” and the upcoming “Resident Evil” movie, is currently working on the script.

Many were unsure of the potential of a sequel to Netflix’s live-action rendition of Death Note because of the film being met with middling reviews. However, Wingard had previously pitched the live action version as a trilogy but was given a single movie instead.

Kakegurui Second Season to Air in January 2019

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It has been confirmed this week that Kakegurui’s second season, which was confirmed for production earlier this year, is scheduled to be released in January of next year. The announcement was made in tandem with the announcement for a second season of the show’s live-action drama counterpart. It has also been confirmed that all of the previous staff will be returning for the season and studio MAPPA will again be handling the production.

The story of Kakegurui centers around a school where your ability to gamble determines your social status, and if your really bad, you might even become a slave. However, none of this scares the school’s newest transfer student, Yumiko Jabami, who sets out to have the ultimate gambling experience.

 Crunchyroll to Release Original Content Through Elation Studios

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Elation, the parent company of Crunchyroll and VRV, announced yesterday that they would be opening a new division dedicated to creating original content. Named Elation Studios, one of the divisions first projects will be an original series on Crunchyroll named High Guardian Spice, a show about four girls going to school in order to be Guardians, protectors of the magical realm.

Elation Studios will be headed Magaret Dean, who formerly worked at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and is the current president of Women in Animation. The Studio’s first project High Guardian Spice is being created by Raye Rodriguez, who has said that he’s been a lifelong anime fan. Audu Poden, the director of Animaniacs, will be mentoring Rodriguez during the show’s production.

Vinland Saga Staff Revealed

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The official website for the production of the highly popular manga Vinland Saga announced on Monday the show’s key staff and released a visual for the show. Shuhei Yabuta, who has previously directed Inuyashiki, will be directing the show, and Studio Wit, responsible for Attack on Titan and The Ancient Magus Bride, will be handling the production. Additionally, the animation director for Hunter X Hunter Takahiro Abiru will be handling the character designs.

The story of Vinland Saga centers around Thorfinn, the son of one of his clans greatest warriors. However, one day his dad is killed by a mercenary group, and in order to get his revenge, Thorfinn joins the group. This decision gets him involved in the possible overthrow of England.

Article Shoutouts

And now for this week’s awesome articles

Anime Clubs?

Chloe from The Spooky Red Head wrote about her recent experience in an anime club at her university. Not to give any spoilers, but her experience wasn’t exactly positive, to say the least. Still, a fun an interesting post, and one you should definitely give a read.

A City of Gold?

Mel from Mel in Anime Land released their OWLS post today and talked about an anime that I was not aware of called “The Mysterious City of Gold.” Also very much worth reading, so you should check it out.


What do you guys think about this week’s anime-related news and featured articles? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support The Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

This Week in Anime: 1-25-18

Welcome, all, to this week’s edition of your need to know anime news. A lot of good announcements for Netflix viewers, as well as some interesting industry insight. I did not mean to alliterate there, but it happened. Anyway, another installment of This Week in Anime. Here ya go:

Naotoshi Shida Comments On the Relationship Between Budget and Quality in Anime Productions

Naotoshi Shida, a well-respected animator whose past work includes things like Dragon Ball Z, Death Note and Toriko, recently discussed the idea of the link between a show’s budget and its overall quality. Many would reasonably assume that the more money a show has, the more talent they can afford and thus a better show, but Shida disputed this, saying on Twitter “Budget and quality are not related, but if the budget is too low, staff will not gather.”

Even with a lot of the cost-cutting measures studios take to make production more cost-efficient, It often costs anywhere from two to four million USD on the low end, and that is for shows that are expected to do poorly because of the time they air on TV, generally between 11 PM to 4 AM. To me, this serves as yet another example of why the industry needs serious reform. Paying young animators well and fostering a talented environment will mean that studios in the future can do more with less.

Kakegurui, Children of the Whales Coming to Netflix Soon

With Netflix being more involved in the Anime Industry as a whole, many of the recent shows that are getting hyped up as best of the season are being made Netflix Exclusives. Two of those shows, Kakegurui and Children of the Whales are being released to the platform in a matter of weeks. Children of the Whales, a show that aired in the Fall of 2017, is scheduled to be released on March 13th, and Kakegurui, which aired in Summer of 2017, is scheduled to be released on February 1st.

Kakegurui

Children of the Whales

Personally, I’m excited. Both of these shows looked extremely entertaining when they were first previewed, and based on what other fans have said, they are definitely worth watching. So, I’m all in.

Castlevania to Return in the Summer, Says Writer

Many were surprised and intrigued by Netflix’s Castlevania anime, and has since gained the approval of those who have watched it. Fans fell in love with its high production value and callback to a beloved video game franchise. Warren Ellis, a writer for the show, tweeted on January 19th that “We’re coming back this summer, for eight episodes…”

https://twitter.com/warrenellis/status/954460793814376448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crunchyroll.com%2Fanime-news%2F2018%2F01%2F20-1%2Fanimated-castlevania-to-return-with-season-2-this-summer

As someone who has only seen one episode of the show’s four episode first season, I am still excited about this. The show’s first episode was more than enough to give it my seal of approval, and this announcement is exciting.

No Anime Film Was Selected For The Oscars

Anime films often get snubbed in the west by critics and different award shows because of their just being different, and this year was no different. Out of the five Anime films that were up for a nomination, including In This Corner of the World, A Silent Voice, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Napping Princess, and Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale. Here are the films that were nominated:

I’ll be honest, I do not think all of the anime films that were under consideration this year deserved to be nominated. However, when The Boss Baby makes it into the nominations over A Silent Voice, we have a serious problem. In no way was a mediocre Dreamworks movie more deserving of an Oscar than one of the best things KyoAni has ever produced. The Academy really got things wrong here.


What are your thoughts on the stories this week? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos! Also, if you like what your reading, consider pledging to my Patreon to support this blog.

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This Week in Anime: 1-11-18

Welcome back, everyone, to another installment This Week in Anime. Some big announcements as well as some industry news. No point in a super long intro, though, so let’s get started.

Director of Pop Team Epic Didn’t Read the Source Material Before Taking the Job.

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In an Interview with Buzz Plus News, Director Jun Aoki admitted that he had never read the Pop Team Epic manga before directing the anime adaptation. He initially thought the series would be extremely easy to direct, so he did not bother reading the material. He also admits that is not the case and has had the series creator Bkuk Okawa at his side for every episode.

Exploitation in the Manga Industry

Yawara no MIchelangelo

Shunsuke Kakuishi, the author of Yawara no Michelangelo, recently wrote a blog post detailing his time under Norifusa Mita, and how much of his time there was clouded by bad industries practices. The post was written as a response to Mita’s claims in an interview with Yahoo New’s Japan that he treated all of his employees with respect and that they never worked overtime. In the post, Kakuishi disputes this, saying that he worked overtime every week, including sometimes where his work time would spill over into his days off. Kakuishi also worries about other assistants in the industry who might be facing similar or even worse conditions, as he admits that his conditions were some of the better in the industry.

Bakemonogatari Gets a Manga Adaptation

Bakemonogatari

Fans who are interested in Bakemonogatari but who do not want to watch the anime can rejoice, because now it will be a manga. The Manga adaptation was announced by series creator NisiOisen on Twitter and will be released in Kondasha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine.

Kakegurui Gets a Second Season

Kakegurui

Fans can also rejoice about the Netflix exclusive gambling anime Kakegurui, as the show has officially been greenlighted for a sequel. The announcement came in the middle of last week. Currently, however, there are no other details about the anime’s release, other than that there will be one.