Japanese Gambling Movie Kakegurui: Elite High-Stakes Gambling for Life and Fame

In Tsutomu Hanabusa’s latest opus, Japanese gambling movie Kakegurui, high-schoolers gamble as part of the curriculum is. In fact, high-stakes gambling is the sole curriculum.

After the hit manga editions and anime television series, the live-action film adaptation of the high-stakes gambling school was finally released on May 3, 2019, as we learned from online casino news in Japan.

Manga is still Japan’s all-time favorite

Since the 1950s, manga has steadily become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry. By 1995, the manga market in Japan was valued at around $6–7 billion with annual sales of 1.9 billion manga books and manga magazines in Japan. Besides the national consumption, manga has also gained a significant worldwide audience. Indeed,  Japanese people of all ages consume manga. To enumerate, the medium includes works in a quite wide range of genres:

• action and adventure
• comedy and romance
• science fiction and fantasy
• sports and games
• business and commerce
• detective
• drama
• mystery and horror

Nothing proves better the genre’s popularity than the fact that Kakegurui manga has sold over 4 million copies.

High-stakes gambling is played at this elite school

In the Hyakkaou Private Academy student hierarchy depends on gambling performance. The institution for the privileged has a very peculiar curriculum. The children of the wealthiest of the elite are learning how to read the opponent and the art of the deal. The students practice through a rigid curriculum of gambling.

Gaming is highly serious, to that extent that winners live like real kings and queens. On the other hand, losers of the games who fall into debts are treated like animals and are forced to wear collars. After all, students sometimes bet their fortunes, or in some cases, their lives.

The arrival of a compulsive gambler oversets the school’s flow

When an ace gambler student arrives at the school, things get messed up. The new arrival aims to defeat the ever-successful student council president. Since she is a compulsive gambler, only plays for the thrill of it. Thus, the game turns into a real power struggle.

Finally, the endless rivalry culminates at a school-wide gambling contest. Besides the entertainment, the movie also contains a serious amount of information regarding the rules of the games played.

So, after watching it, you might also want to join King Billy Casino and try what you have learnt!

The movie set reminds you of a 007 casino

However, the events are sometimes predictable, the climax is certainly surprising the viewers. Indeed, the movie is exciting and gripping, it can be considered a harsh critique on society, with tense competition and no second chances.

• the film is based on a popular manga
• run time: 119 mins
• set in high school
• gambling is part of the curriculum
• winning comes with prestige
• losers wear collars

Also, it is interesting that most of the best gamblers of the elite school are girls. That might be one reason why fans are totally into the story. The depicted high school appears like an amazing casino for high rollers.

Apparently, the movie industry doesn’t lack gambling or casino-related movies, however, Kakegurui is a particular one. Online gambling sites in Japan predict the success of the hit movie. Most of the characters in gambling movies are well into adulthood, or old. But, in Kakegurui, the settings, and the characters are outstanding. As well as the consequences of the battles and the presentation of the high society are innovative.

Well, if you like schoolgirls in short skirts, high stockings, the move is totally for you! Also, if complicated and detailed rules of various games of chance seem like fun to you, you will like the Japanese gambling movie Kakegurui. 

And in that latter case, you might want to see our review about King Billy Casino as well.