Anime 37086 Kakegurui%c3%97%c3%97 Reviews Filter Check 1

SHORT SPOILER FREE REVIEW!

I personally found the first season of Kakegurui quite enjoyable, and I also enjoyed this season, but in the end, both seasons are basically the exact same thing and follow the exact same concept. If you are expecting something different and unique for this season, I'm afraid you might end up disappointed. Kakegurui is all about gambling, nothing more and nothing less. I'm a huge fan of gambling, and seeing an anime all about gambling is something I personally quite interesting, but even if you aren't a fan of gambling, this second season of Kakegurui has some pretty fun moments.

I gotta admit ... that the story wasn't as great as the first season. We already knew that th¡s second season was all going to be about gambling just like the first one, and sadly it doesn't introduce anything as "phenomenal" and doesn't make you feel the same way as watching the first season. (This was in my case.) Overall it's still really enjoyable, but don't go into it having high expectancies (at least story wise).

I enjoyed the Art Style quite a lot, even though it didn't really change after the, you gotta love those absurd and ridiculous faces that some of these characters put up while gambling.

The sound and soundtrack is also pretty good, and once again, not much different from the first season. I personally enjoyed the songs for this OP and ED way more than the previous ones.

We got introduced some new characters in this season, and I really came to like pretty much all of them. I still prefer the original character cast, but nothing is wrong with the new one either.

Overall, Kakegurui×× is an enjoyable anime, but I don't believe it's as great as the first season. If you are into the art of "gambling", this second season has some really interesting new gambles that I really enjoyed watching and discovering. In the end, I'm giving it a solid 8/10. <3

Ever thought of taking a risk, a risk that’d even put your freedom, life into jeopardy just for the sake of THRILL? Well, anyone who’s sane enough wouldn’t do such a thing, that’s what the majority of people would think/say. BUT what if the word sanity itself didn’t exist among the most privileged/rich/ruling families of the world? And everything was just decided on a single game of chance?

Kakegurui features a similar setting in the form of a unique school that prepares its students for such upcoming reality they’d face in their world, that is gambling, while also teaching basic education like normal schools.

However, ... this isn’t it! Kakegurui undoubtedly has one of the best “realistic” facial expressions that normally people wouldn’t make in front of you, and you know precisely why ;). But this show is honest, straightforward and amusing. Plus, those expressions completely add to the mood and make the series more enjoyable. Moreover, it has an impressive execution, and the soundtracks totally enhance the experience! The details included to the expressions like the visual effects in the eyes, etc. further contribute to the experience. And the facial expressions of the characters are very well expressed. Furthermore, the show is very innovative when it comes to the games played during a match. And the mind games and cheatings performed during those matches are very enjoyable. And the games played are pretty straightforward and easy to understand.

Alright, now to the important events that took place prior to this season...

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS

Jabami Yumeko, the main protagonist, transfers to the Hyakkao Academy, a school that prides itself on tradition and prestige, being more than 100 years old is a school where money and your gambling skills are all that matter. And once you’re down on money, you instantly cease being a human and are taken as a “housepet” according to the school rules. And once you’ve plunged to these depths, you can never climb up again and remain the same for the rest of your life. And on her first day, she is challenged by Saotome Mary, the best gambler in her class, to a “friendly” gambling game. Who is later defeated by Jabami, after she figures out the whole scheme behind the game and becomes a housepet after being indebted to her for about 9 million yen. And later she frees Ryouta Suzui, Saotome’s housepet and who helped Saotome during the whole game as to make her win against Jabami, as a slight token of gratitude for making that game stimulating for her.

Now the system of the school works like this, that is... all of the student body donates money to the student council which regulates the gambling throughout the school. The amount you contribute determines your rank, and the rankings are typically announced on an irregular basis. And if you’re in the bottom 100 of the 3,000 student body, you become a housepet. Hence, why the skilled gamblers are the most popular and those who aren’t become the object of oppression. And this all began two years prior to the transfer of Jabami, when Kirari Momobami, the current student council president, took office after transferring to the school and defeating the previous president by gambling for the position. All the elite gamblers were taken into the student council. And by pushing through reforms, the donation and the housepet systems were created. Thus, explaining as to why and how Ryouta and Saotome became house pets. While Saotome’s case being severe, since she was defeated by Jabami on the same day as the donation deadlines.

Itsuki Sumeragi, the only first-year member of the student council and the daughter of one of Japan’s biggest toy makers, who contributed a lot of money to the student council to become a member, takes notice of Jabami after her win against Saotome right after transferring to the school. And challenges Jabami to a card game with the stakes being 20 million yen. But Jabami is defeated and had to pay 20 million yen to her which was impossible for her to and so she again challenges Sumeragi. However, this time the stakes being all of her fingernails and toenails! Nonetheless, Jabami wins this time and also exposes her trickery.

Now with the defeat of Sumeragi, the student council takes notice of Jabami and begins to see her as a threat. And shortly, Jabami challenges Yuriko Nishinotoin, one of the members of the student council and also the president of Traditional Culture Research Club, to a game. But in the end, Jabami losses the game due to an alteration caused by the student council president. And now having a debt of 300 million yen she becomes a house pet. Noting how she was intentionally defeated, Jabami decides to gamble with the mighty president.

And soon after, all of the housepets are given their life plans by the student council. However, they’re once again given an opportunity to repay their debt by participating in the “Debt Swap Game”. For the game Jabami gets paired with Saotome, who had been further debted to 49.6 million yen after her defeat against Yuriko in the same game which took place right before Jabami’s match with Yuriko. Sayaka Igarashi, the secretary of the student council, becomes the judge for their match. Jabami and Saotome play against Kiwatari, who had assaulted Jabami earlier as she was a housepet, and Tsubomi, another housepet, who also used to get bullied by Kiwatari. After an intense mind game, Kiwatari losses and gets 310 million yen in debt to the student council. Which he has no choice but to pay or become a housepet. After receiving the money they had won from the Debt Settlement Party, Saotome becomes a “human” again, however, holds a grudge against the student council for what they had done to her. Meanwhile, Jabami doesn’t repay the debt and decides to remain as a housepet.

Midari Ikishima, one of the members of the student council and who somewhat saved Jabami from getting raped by Kiwatari, challenges Jabami to a gamble before she could challenge the student council president, which ends up in a tie. Meanwhile, we also see the student council president trying to persuade Saotome to join the student council. Which she outrightly refuses to accept.

After the match between Ikishima and Jabami, Kirari leaves the school for the time being to resolve some matters among her family. Acknowledging Jabami as a huge threat to the current student council and the whole school system, and due to the disappearance of Kirari, Yumemi Yumemite, one of the members of the student council and who also works as an idol, takes on the task to crush Jabami with Manyuda Kaede’s assistance, the accountant of the student council. And she soon sends Jabami a letter of challenge… After the dismissal of Itsuki Sumeragi from the student council due to her loss against Jabami, she joins Jabami after hearing the rumors that she was going to challenge Kirari Momobami and asks her to let her be a member of the student council after she becomes the president due to her own personal reasons. After the meeting between Yumemite and Jabami, the stakes are decided that is, if Yumemite won Jabami would’ve had to become an idol while if Jabami won she’d reveal Yumemite’s true personality towards her fans by making them listen to her conversation between both of them, which would end her career as an idol. After a close match Jabami defeats Yumemite and reveals her true personality towards her fans. However, the fans accept her... And then Jabami asks the culprit, who had delivered her the things to threaten Yumemite, to show up. For which Yumemite accuses Manyuda. To which he refuses and urges Jabami to prove it and stakes his position if proven guilty. And then Jabami demands Manyuda to settle it by gambling with the winner being the correct one, which he declines. However, Jabami, who had remained as a house pet, now challenges him to a formal match; a formal match is the one right given to a house pet. With this right, a pet can challenge anyone to a match once, which happens to be a tradition for members of the student council to accept. Manyuda accepts the offer, admitting he had underestimated her and would no longer make the same mistake. The vice president of the student council becomes the judge and decides on playing “Choice Poker”. A game similar to the normal poker, but the one betting more money would get to choose the winning hand, the weaker or the stronger. And placing no limit to how much money one could bet.

After winning the first turn, Jabami loses all of her chips on the second turn. To continue the game, Jabami asks Sumeragi for help, since they were “friends”. After an intense betting to win the choosing decision, both Sumeragi and Manyuda end up betting their own lives, both for the game’s sake being worth 10 billion yen. Which is decided by Kirari herself, and it’s revealed that the vice president, the judge, was Kirari all along. Hence, Manyuda decides to choose the winning hand, but ends up falling into Jabami’s “manipulation” and loses. And thus, the match concludes with him being fired from the student council. And as a result of owing more than 10 billion yen, he becomes a house pet. And going through all of this, Jabami and Kirari finally end up gambling with the condition being that the one who loses leaves the academy. With Yomozuki Runa, the best loli in the whole series (and one of the best lolis in anime), being the judge. And the match ends up with a tie. After this Kirari dissolves the student council.

Now the second season directly picks up from where the first season ended…That is with the defeat of more than half of the members of the student council (5 members) and a tie between Jabami and Kirari. Kirari dissolves the student council and decides to conduct elections for the seat of the student council president, of course through the traditional way i.e. gambling. Moreover, the one becoming the student council president would also rule the Momobami, the chief family of the Momobami clan. And in this election, everyone’s offered an equal chance. Even the human pets can participate.

And since ruling the Hyakkao Academy also means ruling the nation, all of the heads of the -bami families that form the Momobami clan send representatives to take part in the battle. Thus, an all-out battle among all the students begins! In addition, we get to see more of Yomozuki Runa! What more could one ask for?! And we also get to know a bit more about the vice president <3. And the second season retains all of the elements of the first season which made it great to watch, and it even reassures its viewers by featuring Ikishima in the first episode. And the whole season only focuses on the elections.

And the show doesn’t forget about its characters from the previous season. However, some are in detail and for some we only get a glimpse of what they’re doing, which I do think is alright since it’d be unnecessary anyway. And the show tells us all the necessary details we need to know regarding the characters, new or the old ones, and the school. And doesn’t tell us anything which it deems irrelevant like the normal education system in the school, what the teachers do after teaching the students, the adults in this world, etc. And I do think there’s nothing wrong with this, since those details are rather unrequired and add nothing to the plot. So now is the plot the issue? I wouldn’t say so. Since, like I’ve said before, students from powerful families in the political and financial world attend this school and since Momobami Kirari’s family is the ruler of the nation, while she herself being the head of the clan. It’d make sense about the funds of the academy or the rules, etc. Not only this, in Hyakkao Academy students are evaluated through their social status, since studies and extracurriculars aren’t necessary for people who are destined to have power over others. For them it’s rather important to be well versed in tactics, reading an opponent, etc. which are abilities they have to prove and obtain through gambling. So such details are unnecessary and not needed, and criticizing the show because it doesn’t provide these details about something/someone is rather stupid and indicates you never paid attention to the show. Furthermore, the new characters are reasonably decent. And if you like the characters of Kakegurui, in general, you’ll certainly like the new characters as well. And the character development is also decent. It doesn’t leave any of the characters introduced previously behind, but doesn’t show them much either unless they’re involved with something which would somewhat have a significant impact on the plot.

Although the new characters are appealing, in general, they aren’t as good as compared to the previously introduced characters. Unlike them, most of these don’t leave any significant impact on you and are there just for the “sake of gambling”. And once they lose, it’s over, they become irrelevant as if they were never there. And despite having entertaining games the thrill factor has quite dropped compared to its prequel. Moreover, Jabami’s character has been reduced to a “gambling freak” which wasn’t the case in the first season. Despite her love for gambling she did have some other motives too which now have been completely ignored. There’s no depth to her character, and she’s there just so she can gamble and experience the “thrill” and nothing else.

The second season, just like its previous season, has impressive soundtracks and voice acting. Especially the voice acting, the way they instantly change their tones with respect to the situation and convey the character’s feelings is really remarkable and astounding. And if there’s something memorable from this show, it’s definitely the voice acting. Plus, the OSTs played during a gambling match or at any situation completely intensify and compliment the mood. Moreover, the opening and the ending of the show don’t disappoint either.

The animation of the show is of a decent quality and doesn’t have any negative effect on your enjoyment. However, the amounts of details on the faces and other such aspects are impressive. Like the extra little details they add on the faces to make them look more realistic like the nose, the wrinkles, the shading, etc. And this even goes for the eyes. And it’s not frequent when you see these aspects in an anime series. And such detailed faces really add to the excitement and the enjoyment of the viewers, and they can sometimes be really hilarious.

However, those insane faces are not for everyone. But simply discarding the show by using buzzwords like “edgy”, etc. is rather stupid and immature to some extent. And I’d recommend you to pay such people no mind unless they are able to explain how and why it’s bad, etc. I recommend watching Kakegurui to those who enjoy psychological thrillers. And to those who can handle savagery/sadism to some extent and as explained before, to the people who highly appreciate soundtracks, visual effects, etc. And if you liked the first season, you’ll definitely like this one too.

Do you think that this anime will carry a normal school theme. Have you ever thought that living in a school with gambling certainly doesn't think right? But this really happened, tells of a transfer student named Jabami Yumeko who moved to school in mid-semester.

Now that Kakegurui already has two series, the first series only focuses on character recognition while in the second series they focus more on the excitement of the story, as positive about this series, we have the character of chemistry and tense plots. This story is interesting and mysterious, but has a stain that enhances character interaction and links the audience ... with good pacing.

This series has three main characters, but their personalities are very different, so the contrast makes the character clearer. They are not high school students in general with the same generic background as most high school series. The male main character has a kind attitude. Furthermore, he is ironic, sarcastic and with a little sense of humor perfectly executed. The main female character alias is a famous gambler but with adult air that is not normal in this series. I found the background very interesting, but he will experience some unexpected events related to certain games.

Art is expensive. I was surprised by the quality and visual management effects. However, it is not perfect, and from a number of camera angles it can be fixed, but you will not see it. The opening theme they are stretching out is extraordinary. I think they have done a great job doing songs and choosing the right soundtrack.

GAMBLING ECSTASY CONTINUES...

So with the retconed first season's final episode, we continue on with Yumeko Jabami's gambling journey, but with the stakes even higher and a new threat that disrupts Hyakkaou Private Academy's student council, the Momobami clan. The price?, the throne to the whole school and everyone is vying for that spot....with Yumeko just wanting to gamble more of course.

The Momobami clan's inclusion to this second season does change this up a bit especially for the previously "fallen" student council members as they have a chance to redeem themselves to Kirari. So because of the Mombami clan, Kirari setup a voting election, but the ... votes are collected through what..of course gambling and the Momobami clan are mostly seen as the rivals in most of the gambles Yumeko partakes with one of the student council members joining in as it's their chance of showing Kirari their worth as well as taking down both Yumeko and the Momobami clan all at once to change things up a bit. Of course some fo the student council members are allies towards Yumeko, like Itsuki Sumeragi, Yumemi Yumemite and Midari Ikushima and they all have their reasoning in participating, like Midari trying to get back into Yumeko's good graces for instances.

If anything the second season greatly develops what happened to the student council members during the first season and fleshes out their motives of the election but also their personal problems and dilemmas if they lose...heck even the secretary of Kirari, Sayaka Igaarashi gets a whole episode to herself.

So LA talked ALOT about the characters, how are the gambling aspects?, well to say that the stakes are higher is an understatement but hell Yumeko's winning streak doesn't really come into play, it's pretty much the same as her beliefs about gambling in the first season but her motivations and lust for the gamble is somewhat amplified and solidified here in the second season, such as her utter disgust towards Midari during one of the games as it missed her chance for a 50/50 chance of "something amazing" yet Midari killed that chance. If the first season was to show the hierarchical society of the school can be slowly upheaved and broken down by Yumeko, then this second season gets more personal and the games Yumeko goes through, she wants to see the person in their entirety as they gamble their lives away, their motives, their aspirations into the game and apt as whoever wins, wins the entire school and governs it however they want.

The animation done once again by MAPPA, felt slightly like a downgrade in some aspects, LA doesn't know it seemed like the animation dipped at times, but then suddenly have the detailed amazing animation the next, however to say that this is Kakegurui, it still has the same flavour and the crazed faces it's soo well known for and that is mostly helped by...

The voice cast is back and has a new roster of voice actors from the Momobami clan and they have some veterans helping with the cast. For the most part the majority of the new voice cast did well from Yumi Uchiyama, Ayana Taketatsu, Romi Park and Megumi Han. Of course the most notable voice actor within this new extended cast, Saori Hayami still tops them with her crazed long monologues for gambling and add in Minami Tanaka as Mary and we have a pretty hammy voice cast anyways....again expected from Kakegurui. Great voice cast.

Kakegurui XX is what a sequel does well, escalation and development of it's cast and it did just that, LA was a fan of the first season so it's a no brainer that the second season would interest LA. As a sequel, it wasn't the best from Winter 2019, as another sequel absolutely dominated that title, but Kakegurui XX was nonetheless a gambling thrill ride with higher stakes, decent animation, hammy voice cast and progression of both plot and characters that the journey Yumeko went through was well worth it.

Thanks MAL for removing this at first btw 🙂

Orgasms and gambling, can't ask for much more lol

Art/Sound:
Once more, just like in my Dororo review, studio MAPPA is in control of kakegurui and thus it delivers exceptionally in the visual and sound departments! The tracks and voice acting are great; fitting the second season although I deeply miss the old OP! Orgasmic visuals (literally) are still present with tremendous facial details especially in "psychotic" moments, however it's general fluidity could use some improvement! I'd give both sound and art an 8/10!

Plot/Characters:
Alright, I'm not going to shit on the plot too much as the show isn't about ... how good the story is or how devoid of plot holes it is, which it clearly fucking isn't (including the first season!) The story this time is just an excuse to set up Jabami with some more OP, deranged lunatics to fuck around with and jizz in their faces upon winning at a simple game. However, the gambling still hasn't disappointed me personally and has greatly contributed to my enjoyment of this season although I believe the first season's were more intense! The characters remain great and enjoyable to watch, however, as previously stated the new group of characters seem basic and only pose as obstacles to confront the mc! But one character does stand out, that suspicions one with glasses that introduces the new characters to her. Not gonna lie, I'm intrigued! I'd give the story a generous 6 and the characters a 7!

Overall:
I came expecting tension and tits; ecchi shit and edgy shit; thus far, I'm not disappointed and have thoroughly enjoyed it despite its major flaws! I'm looking forward to what else it can bring to the table! It gets an enjoyment rating and overall score of 7!

may contain spoilers

All im going to say is... If you liked first season you are gonna like this one as well. Nothing much changed really. pretty much all of it stayed the same. Yumekos hunger for gambling looks worse than ever! You hate people that think way too much about anime? So do i. i dont like writing anything special so there is that.

Story: 7/10
plot was never the strongest side of Kakegurui. Still i think there is nothing to complain about since most people watch it because how entertaining it is.

Art: 8/10
Art looks way better than in season one imo! ... Its not overdone or underdone. i think it was perfectly balanced (Also i saw someone saying here in reviews something like *art is great but those faces are like so cringy sis i cant.* If you are reading this you realize ahegao faces are BIG thing in kakegurui right? If you dont like it you have no rights to call it out for that imo. those faces are like signature of kakegurui. If you cant sant it then dont watch it, but dont complain about it either. This stands for everyone)

Music/Sound: 9/10
i absolutely love this new opening and ending as well. OSTS are amazing so are voice actors that did great job with this.

Characters: 8/10 Nothing about characters really changed that much. they are still hella interesting and it will probably stay that way.

Overall: 9/10/Entertainment 10/10
i dont like thinking too much about anime. Entertainment should be honestly only fact that matters to you. Thinking too much when watching anime ruins experience. So 9/10 is final score for me.

I was off-handedly recommended this show last season and it quickly became one of my favorite series. Each gamble is an exquisite test of adaptability, awareness and psychological warfare punctuated by feverish lust and unexpectedly tender emotion. Its episodic nature is used to even better effect in this season. I never thought I could get so gutted by an idol episode but there you have it. OP and ED are absolute 10/10s.

But it's the characters that shine the most. Yumeko's perfect countenance is disfigured as you're slowly exposed to how actually crazy she might be. Mary is a sublime foil to her, cruel where ... Yumeko is gentle, determined while her rival is whimsical, the both of them showing how many different ways a girl can be hot and cold. My heart is still beating from Ikishima's bathroom scene from last season and her role as the turgid, suicidal representation of Yumeko's lust for risk is again some sublime characterization. The rest of the cast are just as poignant and make the most of their time in the spotlight.

I don't think the comparisons to Kaiji are at all warranted. Kaiji is insanely good and you could (uselessly) debate the quality of the gambles between the two, but they share very little else in common. This is a really beautiful show about girls with massive tits playing hilariously rigged games and deliriously triumphing, and it should be regarded on its own. If the first season wasn't your jam, this probably isn't going to change your mind, but for those of us in love with Hyakkaou Academy it couldn't have been a better continuation.

In this second season Kakegurui gives us a much better developed story than the first, as expected. In this case, the characters and their particular stories are developed much more, and allow us to understand some of their crazy decisions in the early one. But despite this, the characters do not lose their mystery and unpredictability.

The art of this anime is excellent, its colors and expressions of the characters are very well done. They manage to transmit and cross the screen.

Like its first part, this second part does not disappoint at all, and even digs deeper into the story. I definitely recommend.

It is easy to call this season more of the same. If you liked the first season this is just more of it, so eat it up.
If you were to pick out a difference it would be the motivations of those outside of the main characters
The plot has become about the seat of student council president being up for grabs and the votes being able to be gambled.
In theory, whoever has the most votes become president. And the position of president matters because...(spoiler) Reasons.

Also to keep things interesting they added more high ranking characters that are as sadistic as everyone else. That may be exaggerating, ... but you get the point.
Once again, it is more of the same. Different versions of the same gimmick. It's not boring and it doesn't have an repetitive feel, but if you aren't a fan it isn't going to agree with you.

The music isn't as good as the first season's. And I don't mean because of the sound, but it's purpose. The first season did a better job of telling you what you are in for and how you should feel. It did it quite exceptionally, leaving this one to feel...Meh.

Overall, I'll give it a 7 or 8 out of ten. The animation is fine the waifus still look amazing. It also has a fair share of culture mixed. Not that the culture matters to enjoying it. It also introduces you to games that you kinda wanna play. Give it a watch if you like the first season and it's craziness.

I never expected a season 2 for Kakegurui to be honest but I’m glad there is one!

Kakegurui is what I’d call the epitome of expecting the unexpected. Well, that phrase itself contradicts its own meaning of course and Kakegurui perfectly fits the phrase.

Why does the phrase contradict? Well simply because expecting the unexpected would make the unexpected expected and basically the phrase itself throws you into a loop until the outcome is revealed.

Such is with Kakegurui. In the elite school, gambling is everything and losing a gamble can mean losing your life. Nothing matters anymore if you lose a large bet. What defines ‘large’?

Large can ... mean putting your entire life on the line.. and one single game could mean your life is no longer yours.


So with such large risks, the students of the school tend to cheat. It’s quite the most obvious and logical thing to do. With such large stakes, losing is not an option.

However, the main character as well as some major supporting characters are true to the word gambling. They are gambling addicts.

They do not cheat nor do they tolerate cheating.

Students of the elite school tend to choose their words very wisely and take advantage of even the slightest loophole in the rules of any game.

So, expecting the unexpected.

Our main character really throws us through a roller coaster of emotions.
Anticipation, excitement, pity, envy and many more.

How? Simply by gambling.

Our main character is a true gambler. She loves the adrenaline and the unexpected.

As viewers we experience what the character experiences because even though we have the feeling that everything will play out well in the end, there is also a chance things might not. We as viewers are also taking a gamble on whether things will turn out as we expect.

I’m also getting excited because of the fact that the outcome is really unpredictable. I as a viewer and I’m sure the spectators as well would be anticipating how our main character, Jabami Yumeko can turn the odds to her favour.

The games Jabami gambles in or even other characters gambling usually have the odds against the person invited to gamble and the odds are normally in favour of those that host the game.

But it is always very exciting to see how the odds turn against the hosts or the loopholes in game rules getting exploited back against them.

Some games aren’t even poker cards etc.

Anything goes, from spinning gun barrels and firing, that too counts as gambling.

Gambling is taken to the next level in this anime. Taken to the extreme.


And that’s what I love about Kakegurui.

Orgasms, Gambling, Torture, Drugs, Poison, Weapons and Money

The Essence of Kakegurui. And Kakegurui x x is literally the same thing.

But with much much more interesting characters, gambling games and intense -
Well, everything. Everything is intense. That is the essence of gambling

And well, Kakegurui takes it to a new level








Our voice actors did a great job. They performed the sadistic sides of all our characters perfectly. The sound and chosen music fit in just right.

The art remains decent. Nothing really changed as with the characters. Except that new characters were introduced. New dangerous characters that further reveal some untold truths.

The art is perfect at displaying all sides of the characters. Be it the sadistic side, the fearful side, the anger side and the many other sides.

Like seeing Yumeko turn from the cute harmless girl to a sadistic demonic witch that doesn’t care nor think about others suffering when she’s in a gambling match.
Dreadful but flawless.







This review was written on 03-04-19 and may be outdated. I may have changed my rating due to various reasons.

I really loved the story for this reason - I think it brought a really interesting concept in and was a good way to keep the series going. The first couple episodes were immaculate however despite enjoying it, I just felt it didn't live up to the first season.

The "gambles" in this season mostly felt more like games rather than actual gambles, the escape room could have been great but I just wasn't feeling it. Plus Yumemi and Sayaka take up half the season and they're just kind of shit characters really...

Overall, I can't fault the story, art or music but the choice of ... characters to focus on rather than the new interesting characters along with the shift from gambling to gaming meant I enjoyed it less than the first.

It's more of the same. If you felt the first season was great you'll likely find this season to be as good if not better. If you disliked the first season then Kakegurui×× isn't going to change your mind about the series. That said, if you saw 12 episodes of season 1 and hated it and then came back for more what does that say about you?

Season 2 is about an election taking place at the academy for Kirari's position as student council president. Winning the seat is based on accumulating the most votes from gambles, or from vote donations. A whole new cast of ... characters are introduced. They're really fun and interesting. The gambling was also fun to watch even though I had no idea how the games and/or strategizing worked 90% of the time. Again, it's more of the same.

The problem with this season is that the story has barely progressed after 12 episodes. There's no resolution to the election. Jabami hasn't gotten any closer to gambling with Kirari. That's a point that I feel is worthy of criticism, and one which I clearly acknowledge, but I personally couldn't have cared less. My value in the show comes from the over the top characters, scenarios, sexually suggestive poses, comedy, and great music. It's an incredibly fun show for me to watch. I was hooked into every episode despite seeing close to 0% story progression. So, if you loved Kakegurui (season 1) for those same reasons you'll likely love this season too.

Great OP and ED themes and animations too!

TL;DR Review

Kakegurui xx, is a good anime, but a terrible gambling anime. Season two of "Compulsive Gambler" has the same problem with season one. Yumeko... Never... Loses... She never does. This is one problem in the anime where every single gamble is an all in; because the anime would have no where to go if she loses her life, the Kakegurui xx makes it so that she never loses. Another problem in this anime is that the so called "gambles" aren't even real gambles. When you think of gambling, you think of poker, roulette, and maybe even RUSSIAN roulette. However, gambling in Kakegurui xx is ... just mere competitions where they bet all they have. I mean seriously... Singing is not gambling... Please... Nonetheless, Kakegurui xx was pretty entertaining, because of its animation style, facial expressions, and voice acting. If you want a good gambling anime, watch Kaiji; if you want an entertaining anime, watch Kakegurui xx.

- Spacecraft555 UwU

Kakegurui is a wild ride and the second season confidently delivers on that. This is really just more of the same, so if you liked the first season, this will give you more of what you enjoyed. Overly dramatic gambling series like this aren't usually my cup of tea, but I definitely enjoyed this and I think a lot of people will too.

Firstly, let's just reiterate what makes Kakegurui fun - the visuals are basically the same, meaning they're super expressive, dynamic and over the top, with the overly detailed eyes and mouths being a very unique and distinctive aspect. The sounds and music are ... very dramatic and serve to accentuate the tension of all the scenarios. The voice acting is superb and really captures the outlandish minds of these fascinating characters. There's some mildly ecchi moments with some fanservice but they are presented in a way that doesn't detract from the story. The story is exciting and full of intensity, making these gambles feel more dangerous than the life or death sword fights in other anime.

Now there are some improvements over season one. For example the fanservice is somewhat toned down and I think I like it better this way. Don't get me wrong, I like big oppai as much as the next guy, but the touchy-feely moments of the first season got pretty wild at times. This time round, they're still there, but are more reasonable. The characters however remain anything but reasonable.

The other improvement is the more focused story. The first season was, for all intents and purposes, episodic. There was some connecting plotline, but it was mostly isolated gambles without much impact on one another. This time, there is a strong overarching plot holding everything together and moving things along. The new characters are quite engaging and get to come back at multiple points over the various episodes, so everything feels more connected, which makes sense, this all takes place within the same school they all attend every day after all. The various characters are given enough time to shine and present something different.

I do still have some criticisms though. For starters, although I haven't read the manga, I've found out that this season differs from the source material quite a bit. Now, I don't mind this per se, but the way this has been done may present problems in future. The ending of the season is completely different and is brought about by a character that is not present in the manga. Said manga is also still ongoing and there is more than enough material for a third season, but these alterations to the plot will make it troublesome to flow into the next events.

Speaking of which, I think the ending itself was not the best. All of the major subplots were addressed, sure, but I feel like the final episode felt incomplete somehow. There were plenty of unanswered questions and unresolved problems and yet I noticed that the episode was halfway done and none were getting addressed. The latter half of said episode felt kind of rushed, like the studio just realized how much they have to go through, so they just sprinted through everything in the time they had left. I felt like they could've used maybe one or two more episodes. I know that's atypical but it would've made sense for the story.

Overall, xx delivers on everything the first Kakegurui started and is fun for much the same reasons. There is just some plot jank and some questionable decisions that keep it from true greatness. Also, this series in general is a bit of an acquired taste so not everyone is going to find the appeal. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend giving the first season a watch and if you like it, then xx and twin will be right up your alley as well.

P.S. Takehito Koyasu gets a hilarious cameo in this episode, voicing a character with only two lines in total. I just find that so funny, I feel like he was just in the office visiting friends or something and they just decided to drag him into the booth for this throwaway character just for the hell of it.

SPOILER
Written in Portuguese

AAA eu amo a Yumeko Jabami, o jeito que ela é maluca e super racional ao mesmo tempo é muito legal. O desespero nas expressões faciais são impressionantes, amo esse anime. O jogo que eu menos gostei foi o dos impostos, foi meio sem graça e com uma participação muito mal feita do Manyuda.
Gostei do desenvolvimento da Yumemite, foi maravilhoso, queria ter visto mais a Saotome e o Suzui, mas a participação deles foi até que satisfatória.
Não entendi porque a Ririka foi tão mal usada, fizeram algo excelente com ela no começo, eu estava gostando, mas simplesmente parou e manteve ela como uma ... personagem que só estava com a Saotome, tipo no leilão onde ela não se manifestou com NENHUMA fala poxa, se você para ficar assim não precisava ter tirado a mascara e feito aquele mini desenvolvimento.
O ultimo episódio estava legal porém achei péssimo o final, eu sei que Yumeko é louca mas ela deu os 3 bilhões para a Rei apostar, ai em 3 minutos acontece tudo, foi um simples cara ou coroa, odiei isso, ai a Yumeko ganha, ok, mas depois aparece ela jogando com um monte de gente e perdendo quase todos os votos que ela tinha, WHATTTTT????? Não entendi a necessidade disso, a Yumeko não faria isso, ela juntaria esses votos e apostaria todos com a chefe da família Momobami, seria um jogo digno de ultimo episódio.

Espero que desenvolvam melhor os personagens na próxima temporada, quero muito ver a personagem do hospital que eu teorizo ser a mãe da Yumeko. Vamos ver se esse anime finalmente consiga ganhar um 9 meu.

SS Review
(Short and Salty)

So let’s start off straight away by saying that this anime is about gambling. The story follows this gambling addicted girl who enters an academy which core principles centre around gambling and so chaos ensues. That’s the basic outline of the plot and the chaos caused is due to her actually being good at gambling (subjective) and having lady luck be her guardian angel (figure of speech).

This is the second season and it pretty much picks up where the last season left off. The animation is good, MAPPA has come a long way in their animation and it shows as in the ... past their animation was hit or miss but now it’s pretty on point. Sound is okay didn’t really notice the OST, only thing I can say is the opening is not as good as the last season. Characters are interesting too.

Now…for my opinion.

This season is not as good as the last, mainly because the stakes are just not as high. Let me be specific, the stakes are not high for our main character. But are for the whole “Bami” clan which the main character is a part of but she could not care less about the election. She is mainly there to cause chaos for anyone who does care for this election. In the previous season the stakes were that you’d become a slave (house pet) if you ran out of money to gamble with, which I thought is much more relatable and actually effects the main character and the supporting cast. No one wants that, they even have life plans dictating what you will do with the rest of your life if you lose a gamble.

The stakes were high in the first season.

I find this season lacks the same impact that the first had and has less at stake. Also the gambling games this season were just not as engaging (one was simply an auction for example).

So all in all I did not enjoy this season as much as the first but it was still good regardless. Just not on the same calibre as the first, hope this election will get better the further it progresses. (Also I do read the manga)

7/10

While this season retains the intensity and absurdity of the first, the story falls flat towards the end, and leaves the viewer with a feeling that something more should've happened. However, those who enjoyed the first season for its debauchery will be entertained again.

Although this season introduces a slew of brand new characters, Jabami Yumeko continues to be the most captivating one. In a school full of gambling-obsessed lunatics, Yumeko finds a way to heighten the stakes of every game she partakes in. The pace of the story quickly picks up when the student council president makes an announcement which could shift the status quo ... in a nearly irreversible manner, causing power-hungry individuals to pour in, all eager for a slice of the pie. The only method that Yumeko knows in dealing with threats is to gamble with them.

With the arrival of these new powerful individuals, the gambles Yumeko faces become more complex and risky, but of course that only serves her excitement. Similar to the prior season, the games are ridiculous and entertaining, fueled by Yumeko's insatiable lust for risk. Other characters like Mary and the student council president play a heavier role this time, yet despite this the president's motives and beliefs remain veiled and irrational.

The show is genuinely entertaining, but the last episode is considerably weaker than the rest. The studio had decided to make an anime-original character who gets the spotlight towards the end, but a rushed buildup coupled with a abrupt finish culminated in an unsatisfactory ending. Hopefully, this character's story continues in a third season, but perhaps it would have been more well-paced if this character's story had been reserved for a third season altogether.

This sequel to Kakegurui was a good continuation of the plot, but it left me wanting more. The anime had the same pace and plot as the first but added more characters that seemed lacking and 2D (haha).

I would say for anyone who did not like the first season, there are no giant surprises that will change your mind. As for those who did like the first season, it is quite similar. It has more different kinds of gambling and a new history for some characters which does add suspense.

My rating is a 7 because it was overall pretty good, but did not leave ... much desired and did not have me racing to watch the next episode.

After watching Kakegurui's first season and really liking it, I had high expectations that I would enjoy the second season a lot as well. However, the story and most of its characters disappointed me.

I definitely enjoyed a few episodes from this season, but as I got further into watching I felt myself finding this season less entertaining than the original.

In the first season, the gambling matches were incredibly intense and interesting- but the characters were also quite mysterious as well. Kakegurui xx manages to make the gambling matches suspenseful too, but the suspense really lacks when it comes to the characters.

At first, when the Momobami ... Clan was introduced, I actually felt like they posed a real threat to Hyakkaou Private Academy and its students.. but that soon dissipated as I realized that their threatening nature never went anywhere.

Sure, originally they were all intimidating, but after they just lost while gambling with the main characters, they weren't even scary anymore- nor did they feel like an actual threat.

I was really looking forward to knowing more about Yumeko, The President, and the Student Council's backstories too, but that never really happened as they basically just introduced a bunch of new characters that I just didn't care very much about.

And they didn't even elaborate much on THEIR backstories either.

It also feels pretty disappointing that the Presidential Election never really went anywhere, especially since it was a main component of the characters' motivations this season.

And speaking of the characters, they seemed a bit one-dimensional this season. It would have been a lot more interesting if they chose to develop the main cast more.

All in all, some episodes from this season were very enjoyable as they had very suspenseful gambles, but the story just didn't deliver the conclusions I was hoping for.

Kakegurui Season Two was less exciting than the prior season, but it never failed to excite me as the viewer. Personally, I liked the new plot line they had introduced in this season: Gambling to vote for a new president. The system to count in your votes for the new president had me intrigued. I was a little hazy on how the rules worked, but over the course of twelve episodes, the show helped me truly understand how everything works for the election.

Most of transfer students from the Momobami clan who came to run in the election were quite two-dimensional. There was only one character ... who was given a backstory and had a clear defined goal for winning the election. This character had her family name stripped and had to adopt a new one. She had lived her entire life as a "lesser being" and she ran in the election so she can take back her name and run the clan. She was the only fleshed out clan member. Others just wanted power because of power, and that's not a bad motivation. It just makes them less interesting since their flaws and other characteristics were hardly explored. Other clan members were given backstories, but it just didn't stick right with me and it still made me feel like they were two-dimensional.

Yumeko Jabami hasn't progressed in terms of character, but she has still maintained her interesting attributes.

Mary was extremely fleshed out. She was a sadistic person, but when she truly experienced the pain she had inflicted on others, she turned a new leaf and started acting nicer. She didn't turn into a goody-good girl immediately, and that's what I liked about her. She still acts cocky towards her opponents, but in a more toned down way. She is also a little nice towards Yumeko and Ryota, but she will still act like a tsundere. Her character progression was gradual and in-character.

Ryota is still the background character, but the show gives him more agency. It's not a lot, but it's more bearable than the beginning of season one. But he isn't compelling like Mary and Yumeko.

The current president, Momobami, still acts the same from season one, but her cold, calculating, calm demeanor make me attracted towards her character. Her performance instantly catches me whenever she is on screen.

The story had less stakes than in season one. If you lose a match, you just lose your votes. You don't lose your life and devote it to the life plan that they set up for you like they did in season one. Regardless of the lack of stakes, the games were kind of interesting, but they mainly lost the scary appeal.

If you liked season one of Kakegurui, you'll like the next season.

SCORES:
Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 7/10