Here's what I mean (aka here's how I like watching these shows, respect if you watch differently!):
In Food Wars and in Kakegurui, each character represents one possible approach to their passion. The competitions are essentially showcases of each approach's strengths and drawbacks. This is extremely satisfying because if you pay attention, you can watch each matchup as essentially a series of arguments in favor of one approach over another. In each, one of the biggest strengths of the MC is that they are able to appreciate winning and losing equally.
In Food Wars, the passion is food, and each approach represents a style of cooking --- taken together, all five seasons are more or less a super entertaining textbook on contemporary fine dining. Each character is dedicated to their approach to cooking and has mastered (usually) one skill, technique, or ingredient: perfect sense of taste, perfect use of spices, perfect care for ingredients, smoking/curing, fermentation, etc. You can imagine how fun it is to consider which skill is most important when each chef is trying to make the best dish possible, and they do a great job of using every aspect of the judging to advance the viewer's understanding of each approach. Soma is our hero because he represents everyday hard work --- each battle is exciting because you can always see the potential for his approach to succeed even over more naturally talented chefs. You also get a very cool meta-argument about the benefits of competition versus elitism in the Nakiri Azami arc.
In Kakegurui, the passion is gambling. Each character represents a type of skilled gambler (or talented cheater): Yumeko is a pure compulsive gambler who plays only for the thrill of chance, Mary is a purely self-interested player, Ryota purely plays honestly, Midari purely plays to lose, Kaede is a pure strategist, Sayaka is a pure rationalist, etc. Each game is essentially a super entertaining argument from a gambling textbook which the viewer can follow along with. Once you understand the game, you can predict or understand each character's move as part of the approach that they're committed to. Each approach has its own advantages and is certainly capable of winning, depending on the game and chance. Each matchup is exciting because the question is, 'can someone who loves gambling for the sake of gambling overcome the strategy of xyz-type gambler?'... the writing consistently pushes this question to the point of elegance by playing out each strategy as strongly as possible, so that the viewer can appreciate the role of chance with precision.
​
So I obviously love overthinking, and I've never seen any other shows that reward overthinking this much! Got any recommendations for me? If I had to summarize, maybe "anime where the characters' personalities only serve to describe the positions they represent"?

(Disclaimer, spoilers for some series possible. Don't use any of these)
The Divine AU: Revolves around Travis (aged 10), living on one of the isles Isles (Qweerial Isle) as an Islander. He lives peacefully in the area until a bomb gets dropped, forcing him to abandon the area and flee to the sanatorium. There, he slowly turns insane.
(I hate Divine Sister, but some of their game concepts are pretty neat for me)
Since the time period in Sally Face is 1970-2000, it'll remain as such here. Visitors in this universe are allowed at the Sanatorium as Tourists, and the people that reside in the Sanatorium itself are the Torium workers, Islanders, and Refugees.
The night is the most dangerous time of the day, with two threats threatening to end you: spiders and starvation. During day time, the things that can kill you are starvation, nurses, fall damage, and drowning.
Story:
Travis was born on Qweerial Isle into a heavily religious family (without the whole cult thing). The village was all fine and life was peaceful until a bomb was dropped by a group of terrorists, forcing everybody to abandon the area to go to De Pride Isle, a neighbouring Isle with De Pride Isle Sanatorium on top of a hill. Both he and his parents get separated from each other.
He gets taken into the Pride Torium, and a nurse greets him and explains the daily routine to him. The routine is lights on, breakfast, activities, lunchtime, meditation/village trip, dinner time, and then lights out. He tries to follow along with the routine as best as he can. Occasionally, Val visits the Torium
Travis goes into one of the rooms and locks the door. He encounters a cannibal knocking on the door, and he gets his first vision (a symptom of the illness there). Over the course of the next few days of survival, he ends up on his 6th vision and it just drives him insane.
​
​
Victim Number 17: "Victim Numbers 1-17" is an experiment created by some insane group. They take people off the street and replace every single part of them with robotic parts till every part of them is replaced until they can perfect it. It takes place over the course of 7 days. Apollo is one of the unfortunate 17 that were kidnapped. No more emotions, same personality and style, but it's just an empty robot that doesn't know what being human is like. Eventually, he gets let out and the Anything Agency is now devasted to learn what happened to him.
Klavier and Trucy having a conversation pre-trial. Apollo arrives and does his normal greeting of "hey, hello how are you" and whatnot. Except, that greeting sounds nothing like him. It has his voice, same personality, but it's devoid of emotion and it's just a program that replicates his old personality. Trucy pulls him aside and by looking directly at him. She finds a panel on the back of his neck and immediately realizes what's happened.
​
Not much of a good idea, and one that I really hate (Despair AU):
Klavier and Apollo are roommates. Apollo has Junko's many personalities and has hidden it from everyone else for, like, 7 years. So, instead of just bottling it up for that long, he instead volunteered at a local theatre and used that as a sort of cover-up for his horrid personality, usually playing the villain.
After a couple of months of covering it up, he begins to crack. Klav just basically exposes Apollo for the liar he is, and Polly just runs away I guess.
​
(Bakery AU): Anything Agency is now a bakery with Phoenix and Trucy Wright and Apollo Justice as the head bakers. Phoenix and Apollo baking cupcakes for Trucy when she's upset and Phoenix beats the shit out of the person that made her upset. Or, Trucy bearhugging Apollo while wearing an apron covered in brownie ingredients.
Screw it, Villain Apollo:
Apollo is a villain that kidnaps Klavier and uses him to win points with the mastermind villain. What does Apollo do as a villain? Mainly theft, murder, and kidnapping.
Design:
He wears a black mask that can detach from the other half vertically. Has a sword and a gun, along with other short-bladed weapons in his jacket. No cape, but wears monokuma colours in his uniform. Also, has a cane. Basic design, but it's the simplicity that I like.
Scenario:
Klavier is walking down the street, and he gets chloroformed. He wakes up and Apollo says that he's gonna help him during this game show party otherwise, he's dead. Klavier reluctantly agrees but goes with him anyway. Before entering the party, Apollo holds a gun to Klavier's back and says "Big smile now, everybody's happy here." They go in and meet Phoenix and Trucy, both of whom are villains. They continue and the party gets attacked, and all four have to flee the area. Apollo keeps Klavier around since he can still use him I guess.
​
Future AU: Phoenix and Maya know the outcomes of all the cases but can't change anything. All they can do is present evidence that they already have. So they basically know everything and everyone gets shocked that the defence that was so weak the day before is suddenly a mastermind with the knowledge that the prosecution could never have thought of.
​
Danganronpa x Ace Attorney x Kakegurui crossover:
Hobo Phoenix, Yumeko Jabami, and Celestia Ludenburg play poker to see who would win.
​
Danganronpa x Ace Attorney:
The characters get put in a killing game. The cast I had planned for this was:
1- Kristoph Gavin, Ultimate Convict
2- Phoenix Wright, Ultimate Gambler
3- Miles Edgeworth, Ultimate Prosecutor
4- Apollo Justice, Ultimate Lawyer
5- Athena Cykes, Ultimate Psychological Analyzer
6- Trucy Wright, Ultimate Magician
7- Klavier Gavin, Ultimate Rockstar
8- Maya Fey, Ultimate Spirit Medium
9- Ema Skye, Ultimate Forensic Scientist
10- Dick Gumshoe, Ultimate Detective
11- Kay Faraday, Ultimate Thief
12- Misty Fey, Ultimate Book Writer
13- Machi Tobaye, Ultimate Pianist
14- Lamiroir, Ultimate Singer
15- Shelly De Killer, Ultimate Assassin
16- Mimi Miney, Ultimate Nurse
I intended the killings to be: Ema Skye as the first victim, Machi as the first culprit, Maya Fey as the second victim, Shelly De Killer as the second true culprit, Misty Fey and Trucy Wright (shut yes I know) as the third victims, Mimi Miney as the third culprit, Lamiroir as the fourth victim, and Athena as the fourth culprit, Kristoph Gavin as the fifth victim, and Apollo Justice as the final culprit.
​
(Dystopian, with More Misery!): People live in a society where everyone is forced to be "perfect". Everyone has to get along, nobody is overweight, nobody is considered "ugly," girls play with dolls, boys play with whatever they play with, and it's all under the government's control. Anybody that thinks badly of the government or their propaganda will be executed immediately. The main protagonist is called Nancy, and she's trying to protest against the government.
​
Endless Labyrinth:
Three people get placed in an endless maze. None of them know each other and their memories have been replaced. They used to know each other and were able to speak, but the memories and ability to do so was taken away. They can only communicate by notes which only allow up to 50 words, and a mysterious bell that summons a sleep killer. They wander through it endlessly, finding notes that seem to be written by them, but they have no memory of writing them. Meanwhile, unknown people watching them through security cameras broadcast it globally.
​
The Outside:
The world became a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Government official numbers are low, and the remaining have built a castle to protect the remaining survivors from the outside world. The remaining world managers rule the castle from behind the scenes and implant the idea to everyone else that everything is okay and nothing is wrong. If someone disobeys this mentality, bells sound and they take them to the outside, where disturbing creatures and radiation hide in darkness. Monsters and folklore characters, who were thought to be purely fictional, turn the world into complete darkness, even the brightest thing in the universe can't take away the darkness the outside is surrounded in away.

Archive
Act 1: The Steakhouse
Music
The Golden Grin was always a prosperous casino, my business was booming with waves of gamblers pouring their life savings into my vault like how tea gets poured into the teacup. I had to settle a few things internally within my management, but nothing new for me, especially for trips back to either Makai or the Lunar Capital.
Me, Dust, Kaguya, Mom, and Yumeko were to meet up in a high class steakhouse around Murkywater's airport. Located below a steep hillside and being considered a "restricted area," it was the perfect place for Murkywater, a convenient place to hide stash dark secrets while being off the radar.
My bodyguard, an ex-GenSec Elite, was with me in the front seat of my Falcogini. I was going to meet up with 5 at the steakhouse with my bodyguard driving the car back to the Grin. Luckily for me, I had a deal with GenSec where my personal vehicle would be transported anyone under my request, they needed to save face and have financial gain after being embarrassed by my crew.
"I'll stop here. Here are the keys, drive back to GenSec and say that I was dropped off in the proper location, got it?"
"Yes, Mr.Hoxworth."
I parked the car and gave the keys to my bodyguard. Then, then started driving off to to the airport so that he can park this thing back in Vegas. Loyal guy I must say, does my requests without asking questions. No matter how questionable the circumstances are.
Now to wait for Dust, Kaguya, Mom, and Yumeko. For whatever reason, they didn't have transportation, so I paid Twitch to pick them up with his van and promised to let him eat dinner with us, I supposed it was the least I could do to keep him as a reliable getaway.
After smoking a cigarette outside in the smoking area, the 5 of them arrived. I pressured Dust and Kaguya to look a "little different" as I don't need to answer stupid questions from any 'heroes.' My mother and Yumeko were fine, since none of the bastards could of knew anything about Makai.
After properly introducing the 5 of us to Twitch, the 6 of us walked in the steakout. The employee at the front had to write down our names due to "company policy" and that nonsense. Knowing 2 of them were wanted fugitives, I gave them these names in order, from me, Mom, Yumeko, Dust, Kaguya, and Twitch, respectively.

1. James Hoxworth
2. Lucifer Hoxworth
3. Yumeko Hoxworth
4. Dustin Wang
5. Teruyo Houraisan
6. Neil MacCauley#Twitch)

My status as the owner of the most prosperous casino on Earth made the employee's eyes shine brighter than that one time where Sariel pulled a mean joke on me and said I was locked up in Heaven. I'm still going to get her for that. Cheeky bastard.
"I-it's been an honor serving you. M-Mr.Hoxworth. May I get a trip to your casino to gamble or something? This job is pretty dead end..."
I just looked away and smiled, it was stressful living a quad life as a casino tycoon, bank robber, Lunarian prince, and demon lord.
Now my mother and older sister were interested in the human world, as it's been something they've taken a interest in ever since that failed tour agency. And with my return, they wanted to see what I've accomplished in the human world and learn my experienced.
I knew what I wanted, a ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and loaded cauliflower, along with their finest beer. Mom and Yumeko were confused on what they wanted, so I told them that I can cover them, I mean I've seen Yumeko cook before, I can identify exactly what would satisfy them.
Twitch was asking if this dinner would cut his overall payment, knowing that he's important for the plan and wanting to be on his good side, I promised him that it wouldn't and that this would be a professional courtesy. After settling that with him, he ordered steak burger, fries, steamed vegetables, and a Coke. I was about to taunt him about stealing his fries and saying that's the payment, but not in front of my mom. That's embarrassing.
Kaguya and Dust ordered the same steak and beverage, being sirloin, and sake. I mean I like sake, but it wasn't made by the Lunarians or Eirin so I just ditched it for an all-time favorite Earthly drink of mine, being some proper tea. For the side, Dust got broccoli, and Kaguya got a loaded potato.
After finishing my meal, I went outside to the smoking area, checked for eavesdroppers, took out my phone, and called Dallas, he was going to be needed soon to transport all the youkai and whoever Murkywater was keeping hostage, "Hey Nathan... it's James. You think you could sail in your yacht around Oregon?"
"Sure buddy, I missed seeing us 4 together. Me, Nicolas, Wolf, and you. Like old times. Say... how's the Grin, I heard you've been making massive profits. You doing OK over there?"
"Yep, I fucking am. Anyways, be seeing you Dallas."
"Farewell, Hoxton."
Dallas was the first of many calls I had to make, now I gotta call Bile, since he would be delivering Twitch to Dallas' yacht, and being part of multiple escape plans I had for Hell's Island. Either we get out through plane, yacht, or multiple helicopter extractions.
After discussing what the helicopter might need to do, I finished my call with Bile, it was time to make one final one with Locke before the airport raid.
"Heyo, Locke."
"Ahh, Hoxton, you chop. You want to know more about the Murkywater operations, yes? Fo' sho!
Hey listen, I heard that their final 2 planes, similar to the one back in the Birth of Sky Job that I smuggled you onto... they're leaving from that airport I told you about, with their final place being Hell's Island. Now I couldn't get exact details, but those dwankie bastards have made some upgrades from last time. This one is for Bain... yeah?"
"Yeah Locke, this one is for Bain, we owe him one...
anyways, I'll be seeing you on the Medic Bag..."
"Anyways... it seems that those Murky Bastards are losing. If you think you got a little bit more lead in your pencil and wanted to fu-"
"Locke, shut up! My mom is going outside, gotta hang up."
My mom walked outside and asked who I was talking to. I just replied that it was an old friend of mine. Now she was uncomfortable knowing what she had to do. After all, ever since Mystic Square, she has been completely reluctant to use her full power.
But I had to keep persuading her that this one was for Alice. I know how that would fuck with her psyche, but I wanted to send GenSec and Murkywater a message that they were fucked, and that she would die for Alice.
After talking to Mom a little more and hanging up on Locke, the waiter responsible for our food gave us the bill and I paid up. They offered desserts and I could easily pay for that, but those 5 were done, it was pretty cheap all things considered.
We were ready to take on Murkywater's last stand. Twitch had stashed Kaguya and Dust's weapons in his van, while my stuff was located in a pocket dimension. We're finishing this war my first crew started with Murkywater, and there's nothing they can do about it...
Us 6 went in the van, Twitch was obviously driving, I called shotgun, and everyone else could suffer in the back. Not my problem. This was it, if my first crew couldn't put the final nail in Murkywater's coffin, then this crew will.
​
Act 2: Murky Airport
Music
"Hey Twitch, thanks for doing this for us."
"No problem, man. Hey, I'm supposed to go to a helicopter, right? I'm supposed to meet up with a guy named Bile?"
"Yeah... tell him that Hoxton sent you. Enjoy your free stay on a luxury yacht."
"I'm going to miss driving this baby for a bit. My beautiful hunk of metal."
We took our gear and got off this hillside above this dirty Murkywater den. Those bastards took my sister, my boss. Now I will take them. I don't care who's responsible, whether those Kataru bastards have returned or not, it's the beginning of the end for them, the final crackdown.
I grabbed an old friend of mine, my M1A SOCOM 16, my best friend since the first Green Bridge job, sniping coppers across that gauntlet. Wielding my silenced Bernetti and my akimbo Glock 18s. The plan was for me to blow off any heads of camping pigs on the control tower while the 4 others storm the place. I don't know how Mom will feel about doing what I have planned, not after what happened last time, but she would do anything for Alice's safety...
Sliding down the hill, I drew my silenced pistol and shot a Murkywater guard in the back of the head. I know tripping any alarms, even for a brief second will cause the cops to come assault us, and with their firing advantage up in that control tower, I need to take that over.
Hearing the guard barely breathing, I snapped his neck and threw him in a dumpster, leaving a small blood trail behind, I only have minutes now before some rent-a-soldier gets suspicious and raises the alarm. Good thing my 6th sense detected nobody around the control tower. It was time to climb a tower!
I grew 6 wings and began scaling the tower, while I could just fly us quickly, I also run the risk of letting someone hear me, at least with climbing, I just need to hide in the shadows and let my wings do the work. I had other tricks, but I forgot to plan for those, and I rather not risk failing because something sounds or even is easier.
Cutting open the window with my wings, I turned intangible and slit the throat of all the guards and eye of the cameras with my wings. I could grow as many as I desired to, but 6 felt just right. I took whatever equipment they had to make an improvised rope or chain or something of that nature, using their handcuffs and other equipment, I chained the door together. Salvaging whatever I could use on the Hell's Island raid, I signaled the 4 to go... 2 hangers. 2 planes.
With my rifle in hand, and a happy trigger finger, it was time to have some fun again. Let's do this!
Dust's Perspective Now
Music
Something in my body feels odd, like it wants to jump out, but it knows that now is not the time. For us 4, we understand we need to secure the airport to leave. I don't know exactly what Hoxton was saying outside the steakhouse, but he probably knows what he's doing. After all, he's one of the most notorious members of his gang.
I heard multiple back-to-back gunshots and a guy yelling "Sound the alarm, we got enemy snipers!" That was a signal for us to rush in and go in guns a-blazing, but it was just me, Yumeko, and Kaguya that was storming the hangar. For Shinki... I saw 6 white wings sprouting out her back, but she wasn't flying, or doing anything... what the Hell was she doing?
Hearing the sirens and desperation of Murkywater. Something felt bad after sliding down the hill into cover, I heard, "ALRIGHT!!! The turrets are about to be here any minute, time to turn this around!" over a megaphone. I didn't want to look behind me, maybe Shinki had a death wish, maybe she had something else in mind. It didn't matter, this was Hoxton's mother, and knowing Hox's capabilities, she probably has her own surprises.
Taking my Tempest-21s, I stormed the first hanger with Kaguya. Popping Murkies with my wife, we make a good team, but above all, a good couple. Yumeko went alone to Hangar 2 by herself. I peeked around a corner and unloaded, Kaguya leapt over me and possibly decapitated a few guards. My ammo was running dry, and I reloaded. I then heard the bulletstorm trying to force Kaguya out of cover.
I saw a distortion in front of me. Yumeko, that's her, right? I hope so. We saw her running through, turning intangible into a green outline the split second a bullet would of hit her. The guards were yelling things such as, "THIS IS A COLOSSAL GOATFUCK!" and "Who the fuck are these guys, ex-military?!!"
Since the guards were focused on Yumeko, with Hoxton laughing his ass off at everyone who tried to hide behind a van or something. I used my small time window with Yumeko taking them on, I inspected the Murky hardware. They had things that I could sell at a healthy profit.
Unmarked weaponry, with an excess of battle rifles, specifically Eagle Heavies along with 7.62x51 rounds, Jackals with .45 ACP, and so much more. I think Hoxton would love the spare 7.62x51 with his M308, as he's been doing some great work as a sniper. I started bagging up the things that I could steal for myself and sell at a healthy price and smuggled it onto the plane.
Checking for Murkywater PMCs in the plane, I realized that we might need them alive, so I called over Kaguya and we intentionally crippled anyone else remaining inside. It seemed that Hox knew exactly that they were starting their preparations for leaving. How deep does this guy's connections go? Taking their handcuffs, me and Kaguya chained them together.
"We'll play with these soon~ but for now, we gotta get everyone off Hell's Island."
I went outside and it seemed that Yumeko is standing down the SWAT Van turrets, red lasers and guns were pointed at her and started firing, but Shinki showed up and took it all.
Us 3 took cover and saw what was there, an army of GenSec Elites, FBI SWATs, SWAT turrets, and helicopters.
What the fuck was she trying to pull off without fighting back? A peace offering? Not with possibly dozens, or even hundreds of armed officers willing to kill us. But her wings started to glow darker, and there I heard her speaking. It was unsettling, especially with demonic presence encompassing us all.
"Doing this last time hurt me more than anything... all the pantheon of so-called gods that tried attacking me. Any ungrateful demon from eons past that tried rebelling against their mother in a sad attempt to overthrow her. Nothing will hurt as what I did to my realm before...
However... you took Alice and her friends away, and for that, you will pay dearly. You only have seconds to enjoy what is left of your tiny lives."
We heard at least millions of rounds being fired from all the turrets, JP36s, Jackals, M1014s, CAR-4s, R870s, and whatever GenSec and the FBI had up their sleeve, but it was useless against her, no bullet holes, no flinching, no reaction. Just a very pissed off Shinki.
We all watched as Shinki unleashed her wrath onto the cops. As fires raged throughout the improvised wall of cops, SWAT Vans, and helicopters, I heard the screams. The explosions, the wreckage, all of that shocked us with the pure violence that was displayed in front of our very eyes.
Back at San Martin, we were shocked at what Sariel did, but Shinki. Holy shit, we're glad she's on our side! There were lasers that appeared to be unmaking anything it touches, spikes that would pierce through cop and vehicle alike before impaling themselves into something, and snake creatures cleaning up the wreckage.
I took this time to steal more of Murkywater's loot for myself as Shinki was destroying everything. I though to myself, Wait... if she's indiscriminately firing at them, then how are we not getting hit? Then I saw it, Hoxton was using his magic and his hands were starting to shake. He was taking the full force of Shinki's wrath!
I saw that he was approaching us and was a bit tired.
"Alright you wankers... don't fucking tell my Mom that my hands were broken in order to protect you from god's fucking wrath. She still has flashbacks from that shite back in Mystic Square, don't need that to be the first thing in her mind, got it?"
Hoxton took out one of his first aid kits and found a gauze, he wrapped his hands in a fashion to that of a boxer, while saying. "Heh, I wasn't allowed to do this for bare knuckle brawling. Gonna love to punch some Murkies today. Ha ha ha."
After overhearing that the police will retreat with a bigger assault force that would involve the ZEALs, the National Guard, and possibly the entire U.S. military. Remembering what happened the last time the military was going to be called in, we had to go quickly, or else we'll be eating an anti-aircraft gun for desert, or a nuclear missile...
"Hey wankers... get prepared, I'm going to do something."
Hoxton's Last Word: Makai's Rebirth ~ Apocalyptic Undoing
"I can't hold on to this for too long... fuck. I turned this place into a part of Makai temporarily... dimensional barrier confusing the pigs. JUST FUCKING GO!!!"
The sky turned even darker than the night sky we were under, it was so beautiful in it's own way, it was feeling like a demonic reflection of this world in many ways... maybe I should take the rest of Eientei to Makai for vacation, I know the Buddhist monk was sealed there and she thought it was a nice place.
Going back onto the plane, with all their equipment smuggled, I asked Yumeko for a flaming sword and interrogated a few of them. After some resistance, which was short-lived as Hoxton broke their bones with each hit, we found the pilots, and had to do lots of persuading to get Shinki to possess them.
"I didn't want to do this... there's a reason I left. Oh well... this one is for Alice."
Shinki then possessed them, forcing them to start flying, I had an idea to make an entrance to Hell's Island. Now I still wanted my beautiful firearms to sell, and maybe this idea might have them burn up in flames. But... this is for Gensokyo.
I went on the plane with everyone else behind me. Shinki completely took over the souls of the pilots and and we were starting to fly out the airport. I saw Yumeko giving Kaguya one of her flaming swords. I felt that Hoxton's Last Word started to end and it finished with a demonic storm. I heard the sirens and ultimatums over a radio. Now, it would be the best time to go.
Few minutes later, in the sky...
"That's right, we're getting out by a yacht. Don't worry, I know the guy who owns that boat. But first, we better make sure Hell's Island is forever destroyed...
You're still worried about my hands... aren't you? Well I'll just tell you something, I can't be as trigger happy as I usually am, still doesn't mean I won't be able to tear a Murk in 2."
"Hoxton... I feel strange, like something will happen. You know what's going on?"
"Nope, but it's something good, I know that much.
Anyways... I'm seeing if these twats have any good movies, if they don't, then I'm throwing them out the plane. It's not like they can track it back to u-"
"Hox... we still need them to blackmail Murky-"
"They have the entirety of Gensokyo in there, what fucking blackmail? These guys are the lowest of the low in Murkywater's army. Anyways, I'm watching a fucking movie with my mom."
Then, I left and took cupcakes from a refrigerator, grabbing 2 chairs at a table and eating them with Kaguya, we know what's happening next. We would ask Hoxton to call in the Lunarians, but Kaguya doesn't want to go back... regardless, this will be our tale against Murkywater, A Tale of Two Immortal Bank Robbers.
To be continued in Part 20 (Not by me)...

Currently a W.I.P

​
"Did you miss me you wankers?" - James Hoxworth (2014)
"Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish." - Lucifer Margatroid
\ refers to (James Hoxworth (post-Payday 2)| Makai Form*
Name: Lucifer "James Hoxworth" Margatroid
Nicknames: Hoxton, Morningstar, (The) Devil, Demon Angel, (The) Demon, (The) Clown(s from TV), (Bank) Robber, Thief, Luci, (The) Beyonder, Jim Hoxworth
Age*: 39 (Birth year: 1981)
Common Location(s): Lunar Capital, Golden Grin Casino, Makai
Income: Fluctuates between hundreds of thousands (USD, at worst) to tens of billions (USD, at peak) per month [Golden Grin Casino]. At least tens of thousands [Crimes].
Appearance:

1. Hair*: Brown|Golden Blonde
2. Eye Color*: Hazel|Golden, Light Purple
3. Ethnicity*: Caucasian|Makai
4. Height*: 5'11|Omnipresent
5. Style*: Suits, Ballistic Vests|Divine Body
6. Build*: Thin|Irrelevant
7. Accessories: Clown Mask, Horns, 6 wings|Horns, Halo, infinite wings

Species*: Human (Demonically Possessed)|Demon Angel (God)
Language(s): English, Japanese, Chinese, Demon, Angel|Omnilingual
Powers*: All forms of Magic, Peak Lunarian Condition (Immortality, god-like physicality) Reality Bending, Limited demonic powers, Demonic Form, Infinite Willpower|All previous abilities taken to the highest level, Omnipotence (power-only, being surpassed only by his mother and having no equivalents after that), Nigh-Omniscience, Omnipresent, Invulnerable, Creation, Destruction
Power Explanations:

1. All forms of magic: It could literally be anything considered magic, demonic magic, angelical magic, magic for the sake of magic, go wild!
2. Peak Lunarian Condition: the average Lunarian would be considered superhuman compared to a human on Earth, Hoxton, being a demon, combined with his purity, is one of, if not the physically strongest being on the Lunar Capital, only surpassed by the gods that live there. Additionally, all Lunarians will not die of old age and Hox is no exception.
3. Reality Bending: while Hoxton can at best bend the rules of reality, he can't outright warp it to his liking, at least not in comparison to his true form.
4. Demonic powers: apart from magic, Hoxton's demonic powers are enough for everyone to consider him a "demon."
5. Infinite Willpower: Hoxton can do anything he wills, as long as it doesn't overwhelm the body of James Hoxworth (current host)
6. Omnipotence: Lucifer is all powerful (even more so as "The Beyonder"), being able to do things such as grant others omnipotence (and could as easily strip them) and kill himself without effort and revive if he so wishes. Additionally, because he's all powerful, with nobody can surpass him (except for Shinki, who granted him the gift and could as easily strip it)
7. Nigh-Omniscience: Lucifer knows absolutely everything about Makai, but has to experience every realm outside of it by himself to gain knowledge.
8. Invulnerable: No, not even Doomguy Co., 100+% Shaggy, and other meme gods in their true state could even dream of touching Lucifer. At best they'll serve to piss him off before being nothing but ideas into people's heads, if they get lucky that is.
9. Creation & Destruction: Can create and destroy absolutely anything effortlessly.

Career: C.E.O. of the Golden Grin Casino (since November 2018), Thief (since 2011, still ongoing), Swindler (since 1998, still ongoing).
Hobbies: Robbery, swindling, running the Golden Grin Casino, enjoying the Lunar Capital, throwing parties, relaxing on beaches, "breaking in" Alice's house|Sleeping in Pandæmonium, creating things in Makai, organizing surprise trips, sleeping in the World of Ice and Snow, embodying Makai.
Family: James Hoxworth (current host), Shinki (biological mother), Watatsuki no Yorihime (wife), Alice Margatroid (adopted sister), Yumeko ("older sister" and maid), literally any demon in Makai and Sariel (created family), Watatsuki no Toyohime (sister-in-law), Eirin Yagokoro and other Shinto kami (distant relatives), unnamed Hoxworth couple (adoptive parents), unnamed brothers (adoptive brothers)
Friends: Marisa Kirisame (burglary trainee), Rochelle "Clover" (mentee), "Bonnie" McGee (friend), Aldstone (butler), the Payday Gang (criminal crew, involves Bain and Locke), anyone involved with Eientei (proxy to the Watatsuki Sister's relationship with Eirin), Scarlet Devil Mansion (swindling victims, except Hong Meiling, Patchouli Knowledge, and Flandre Scarlet), Byakuren Hijiri (ex-prisoner of Makai, occasional therapist), gamblers (one-sided friendship, often victims of his scams and their hubris), Reisen (pet), Lord Tsukuyomi (common victim of Hox's trickery, but pretty stable friendship apart from that)
Enemies: Matt Roscoe (two-time traitor, torture victim), Hector Morales (ratted on Hox), "The Dentist" (traitor), police departments (enemies from his time as a bank robber), Federal Bureau of Intervention (especially for office agents, SWATs, and Hostage Rescue Teams), GenSec Industries, Department of Homeland Surveillance via the Force Z Elite Assault Legion, Murkywater, Kataru (groups that attempted to stop the Payday Gang), Overkill M.C. and other various gangs (victims of the Payday Gang), Houston (claims he "stole" Hox's identity, shared animosity), Captain Neville Winters (recurring enemy sent to stop the Payday Gang), anyone with a hatred against demons (shared animosity and defeated by Hox numerous times effortlessly), people he's swindled and/or were in debt to (for obvious reasons)
Information about Makai: The known dimension is not "a dimension," it's actually it's own separate cosmos, being connected to realms with large concentrations of spiritual and/or magical energy. Hoxton believes that Makai is simply Shinki's willpower (even higher than his) that manifested itself and the events that happened there is just her imagination running wild with the only "real" entities there being both of them.
​
Background: A demonic prince birthed from Shinki's womb, he grew up a good childhood, being a master of magic and the next creator god. Eventually, an event known as "Mystic Square" shook him up and he left for the U.K. where he fell into the life of crime after having a few mental problems. Originally one of the core members of the Payday Gang, Hoxton was arrested for 2 years and had flashbacks to his original life in prison. Being broken out, crime was his escape from reality and he committed more to suppress his memories. Eventually, after the Payday Gang disbanded, he bought the Golden Grin Casino and gambled alot until he started to wonder, "Who was my mother?" Eventually, fate, or a moon god decided to give Hoxton an important female figure in his life. Marrying the Lunar Princess, Watatsuki no Yorihime. Hoxton was pretty happy until he realized he had different origins.

In the last few weeks, Kakegurui seems to be getting all the recognition and attention it deserves. New fans have embraced the show as the high-stakes anime has grown in popularity. However, it is quite strange that even though the manga first came out in 2014, the anime adaptation only got famous in 2017. The story revolves around the protagonist Yumeko Jabami who takes part in gambling as part of the high school’s strange hierarchy. One can only climb the hierarchy of the school by gambling. Since they are children of Japan’s wealthiest families, it does undoubtedly help them immensely. However, if a student falls into debt, he ends up becoming a pet to other students. Depending on the gender, one can either be a Doggy or Kitty.
📷The debt is not to be taken lightly and can follow a student even after graduation. Although most students want to gamble for connections and popularity, the protagonist, Yumeko, does it for its amusement. Since she is a compulsive gambler, she can’t help but crave the feeling that comes with gambling. She takes part in increasingly riskier games so that she could satisfy her craving for the activity.
One of the biggest reasons for the sudden rise in popularity of Kakegurui is the accessibility. Most anime fans use Funimation and Crunchyroll to stream anime, but the show is not available on either one of them. Netflix has the streaming license of Kakegurui, so the fans cannot watch it anywhere else. However, specialist platforms are great for watching anime since most series are available for free, and one only has to wait a little for the newest episode; other than that, they are the best option for watching anime free-of-cost. So, people who don’t have access to Netflix can easily stream their favorite anime for free.
However, if a series is not available on one of the specialist platforms, one is left with a few options. Watching the shows on an illegal, shady website can be dangerous since they are riddled with viruses. Then there is the option of reading the manga, but it can be cumbersome, and most fans, therefore, don’t have the time to read it. It is much easier to watch the anime since it demands less time commitment.
Another big reason is probably the fact that Kakegurui is gambling anime. Most popular anime genres include shonen, isekai, mahou shoujo, and battle, and most foreign fans don’t even know that gambling anime exists. Moreover, gambling is illegal in most places outside Japan, so understandably, anime fans would not even contemplate that such a genre exists. However, pachinko parlors are everywhere in Japan, which can be attributed to Kakegurui’s appeal. So, someone who is not familiar with Japanese culture might not consider gambling anime worth looking into.
Although the show did get popular over time among a niche audience, it was not as well-known until the big celebrities gave it a push, and now the show has come to the mainstream. It is not new for shows or products to get more attention once a celebrity endorses it since the fans want to be just like their idols. So, it is not hard to understand why they would choose to watch the show. Social media these days plays a vital role in making a series popular with a foreign audience.
Since tons of shows are released each year, it is obvious why very few get to be as popular as Kakegurui. The abundance of options makes it difficult for the fans to keep up most of the time; therefore, sometimes, even good shows go unnoticed. People who are not nearly as interested are even less likely to watch series that are released recently. Most popular series get the attention right out of the gate and since they are not expected to get noticed otherwise. Hence, Kakegurui is lucky that it has gained so many fans even after three months of release.
Source-What Made Kakegurui Famous Three Years After Its Release

I have recently finished season 2 and couldn't understand the reason behind this alliance. At first, I thought that she formed that alliance to stir the aquarium more by supporting one of the friends of Yumeko following her twin sister's orders, but she seems genuine about it(or have I been deceived by that innocent face?). Why didn't she just support Ririka? Was Ririka the one that didn't want her support? And also, why does Ririka go especially to Saotome Mary? They had no special interactions whatsoever shown before. You know that usually in that kind of situation, people follow those who they think are the best fit for the role, the one that they saw the potential. Since the beginning of the series, we didn't see Saotome winning great feats before that point. She was just winning very simple rigged games in class and lost to Yumeko (in debt removal arc, she was gambling much weaker opponents and was allied with Yumeko; and the Miyo's antidote-poison gamble didn't happen at that point). Mary was not someone who was renowned for her exquisite gambling skills. There were other people with a lot of votes and great potential. I can understand why she didn't ally with someone in the branch families; she might have thought that if someone who is not in the clan wins, they wouldn't lose their position in the clan, just the presidency. But Mary wasn't even participating in the event. She basically forced her into participating in the presidential race. If the skill was important, she could go to Yuriko or Sumeragi, or even Manyuda. If followers were important, then she could go with the Yumemi. Also, she kind of blackmails her into the race, but after that, we don't see them scheming or trying to win votes or whatever. They were just chilling. So, that partnership seems a little off to me. The only reason I can think of that Ririka wanted her partnership because she was moved by her words regarding the house pets policy and her refusal for the student council, and they fell a little bit flat for me since we don't know anything about why she would be moved by those. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to seeing more of this duo. I think they have the potential to be great partners. Mary Saotome is basically my favorite character because she is the only skilled gambler and a sensible human being smh. Ririka is also an interesting character that I like. She is mysterious (putting on a persona with a mask), cute and is a skilled gambler. We can understand from the secretary's memories that Ririka was the one that won the presidential bet against the former president for Kirari, and she won the gamble against Mary off-screen because she is still with her at the end, much to Mary's dismay. So, I like that duo, but things seem a little bit off for me. Is the reason behind this unlikely alliance revealed in the manga yet?
TLDR: Why does Ririka forces Mary into an alliance with her? What makes her that special, and why does Ririka betray Kirari by supporting another candidate?

I'm gonna talk about the anime guys, I have no clue about the manga.
Well, after watching Kakegurui **, I'll tell that the best character is Saotome Mary hands fucking down due to her development. But man, Batsubami was the shit...before episode 12. I thought that Basubami was a guy who hated gambling, just that, giving the "gambling is bad" message to us. But now he ain't he, and she has that weird "true face" made by childhood traumas. I wouldn't complain about her genre if they revealed that she was a woman in the first place, she looks exactly like a man for Kakegurui standards. And she was relatable as fuck; "finally a simple dude who hates gambling". What's next? Yumeko being a man who hates gambling? I know, the series is focused on womans being good at gambling, I love that, but man, finally a competent guy who isn't a gambler and they...
I'm sorry for my poor grammar, english ain't mine main language. I felt that I needed to express my self in order to break my chains...like Batsubami ya know?
Have a nice day, I love y'all. And yes, Saotome is the best char, CHANGE MY MIND.

MAL | PV | PV2 | Tags: Gambling, Slasher Faces, Legs
Want to make a bet?
I bet that Kakegurui will be one of the most popular series in the upcoming season, as well as one of the best.
How do I know? Fufufu, you really can't see the obvious. Let me explain it in detail so your maggot filled commoner brain can comprehend it.
Hear ye, hear ye! The student council announces the suspension of disbelief
The stage for this game of insanity and vanity is Hyakkaou Private Academy, a school for the children of rich and influential people. A place where entitled rich brats gamble with the vast assets of their parents and their own futures. A place where you forfeit your human rights when your money runs out. Thrilling, isn't it?

The Student Council - a bunch of ordinary looking people

In this privileged place the absurdly powerful student council makes the rules. And their rules are about gambling and control. As they made it up to the top of the school they are also the most dangerous and devious gamblers.

People spend a lot of time on their cheating methods

Due the fact that almost everyone at the academy is filthy rich, the cheating tricks get really excessive and costly. Most people also have horrible personality, partly because they're rich brats and partly because the gambling aspect of the school promotes this behaviour.
So many edges it becomes a sphere
There is a handful of decent people at school. Let's call them weaklings. This story is not about them.

Why wouldn't there be a blonde twintails girl in anything?

Gambling is only partly about luck, it's also only partly about actual skill in specific games. Just like in life true success comes from cheating. Everyone in this place is bullshitting each other. The gambling games are multi-layered battles where the players carefully manage their dirty tricks to win a game without anyone realizing how they cheated. After all cheating is allowed as long as nobody can point it out.

People make the prettiest faces when they are sure of themselves

Almost everyone of matter is an asshole that enjoys crushing their enemies, dominating their peers and succeeding in deceiving everyone else. Lecherous perverted minds that get satisfaction from pain and suffering. And the biggest demon of them all is the protagonist, Yumeko. Her origins are unknown. She just appears some day in the academy looking for challenging gamblers to beat, for the next thrill to experience. Yumeko is not there to win, she is there to humiliate.

Yumeko, Yumeko, Yumeko!

And that she does. This protagonist is one of the hyper competent gamblers with incredible observation and wits, as well as understanding of people. She is always ten steps ahead of enemies and their tricks. In a way she could be described as Akagi with the body of Utaha and the personality of Alucard (and a touch of a sadistic Chitana).
Yumeko is a sword that slashes through the oppressive system of the school. On her path to crush the strong, she helps the weaklings. Since she is only interested in fighting the strong, she is rather soft to the ones that weak and encourages them to become strong.
The legs that will surpass Saekano
Saekano! You may have ruled supreme for years. But your time has come to an end. Take your pretty legs and bend them to true beauty. Legs. Bottoms. Chests. Hips. Hair. Collarbones. Necks. Lips. Ears. Eyes. Fingers. Nails. Everything that is supreme will rush through your head as you witness Kakegurui. Don't fear your lust, let it dominate you.
http://i.imgur.com/5u5InNd.png
In Short:
Kakegurui is about a insane, compulsive gambler that is incredibly good at deceiving and see through enemies. The focus is on gambling battles with many twists and turns and explanations in what eccentric ways people cheated. Most characters are edgy, awful people with tragic stories behind their behaviour. All of this is packaged in with a wonderful art style that highlights beautiful bodies.
So let us dance into madness on the 22nd of July. Throw away your money, throw away your pride, where we're going you're going to lose both anyways.
http://i.imgur.com/68PGnro.png

MAL Link: Kakegurui
Genres: Drama, Game, Mystery, Psychological, School, Shounen
Legal Streaming: Netflix
Prologue: Just a dude looking to get better at reviewing/analyzing anime. I hope you enjoy the review and the discussion that follows! Critiques are welcome.
I like to gamble now and again.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is my card game of choice because I grew up playing it and watching it. And I’ll throw in ten dollars or so to get some easy picks for the mega lotteries if they get high enough to make it worth the risk. I don’t always win of course, but part of the fun comes from that thrill. The maybe-it-will-happen ideology and the there’s-always-a-chance buildup.
Kakegurui takes this thrill-of-the-gamble concept to the absolute extreme, gambling with some of its own decisions that earn more wins than losses.
STORY
A school structured around a gambling system where bets consist of millions of yen and the students most in debt become slaves with no rights. Most wouldn’t enter such a backwards place. Yumeko Jabami, however, is not like most people.
That’s all the info required to setup Kakegurui. For, as this info hints at, the content contained in this anime has two goals in mind: gambling and absurdity. The former is easy to understand: students take part in games that revolve around gambling in some fashion. A variant of rock-paper-scissors, memorization, forced deception. The latter must be seen to be believed: the ridiculously ridiculous becomes the norm. Threats of rape and potential accidental suicide turn these games from simple bouts of fun into life-altering scenarios.
Naturally, this anime is neither for the squeamish nor the sensitive. That’s even after the audience realizes that Yumeko will somehow come out victorious regardless of the absurdity (because there wouldn’t be a story to tell otherwise). As a result, the narrative does succumb to a repetitive format: Yumeko is challenged to a game of some kind, she starts to lose badly, she turns her luck around completely, and then she moves on to the next cycle.
Kakegurui somewhat pigeonholes itself into this structure. While the show does explain the different games and their rules, it ultimately needs to showcase them in action for their full effect and their construction to take hold. Indeed, if Yumeko succeeded immediately, the buildup beforehand would be for nothing. So, to provide the full extent of each played game – showcasing the opponent as a big meanie head, letting the game itself do the talking, and highlighting Yumeko’s comeback – she almost always loses first before she wins as a massive payoff.
This repetition does not do the show any favors, but it does achieve an important part of its direction regardless: tension. At the end of the day, Kakegurui wishes to entertain its audience not with complex themes or incredible plot points but rather with several instances of the baddies being put in their rightful place.
An argument reinforced by the fact that these games often do not strictly follow gambling in the probabilistic sense. Instead, the various villains rig these matches in their favor with biased helpers, special marks, and magnetic grips. They attempt to cheat their way to a win. And so, when Yumeko inevitably crushes her opponents through wit, skill, and power, the positive outcome tastes all the sweeter.
Despite the higher focus on the absurdity and the tension, the anime does try to infuse a semi-relevant subplot with Kirari and her behind-the-scenes machinations. Unfortunately, these events are never fully realized, so their inclusion is less an intriguing aside and more of a small distraction to the chips already in the pot.
Also, Kakegurui tends to toss aside a lot of its characters once their moment in the spotlight concludes. Not mainstays like Mary and Itsuki, but sides like Nanami, Yuriko, Midari, and Yumemi either do not contribute much past their prime or oddly disappear altogether.
These narrative troubles aside, the games and their ridiculousness allow the story to capitalize on entertainment first and foremost. And because the anime keeps this approach intact for all twelve episodes, it remains consistent in its purpose as well.
ART & ANIMATION
For Kakegurui, its visuals pride themselves most on the reactions that Yumeko and the other gamblers so regularly embrace.
Orgasmic explosions, derisive stares, manic expressions, shocked looks, frightening faces. A set of glowing eyes here and a wagging tongue there give them an extra helping of craziness, too. No matter what their reaction may be, though, these over-the-top depictions push the characters’ physical emotions to the absolute limit, coinciding with the show’s extreme tendencies in its actual content.
Such reactions are vital to the show because said content, at its core, isn’t the most involved. The games they play usually only entail them sitting at a table, flipping cards, or pushing chips around. So, to offset their inherently lackluster actions, Kakegurui relies on this insanity, achieving the desired effect of making these games much more fun to watch unfold as the audience awaits that next wacky reaction.
Besides these reactions, the anime also puts a lot of care into the designs of its characters. Yumeko and Mary are attractive ladies who introduce yet another facet to follow on-screen, and Ryouta’s extreme normalcy blends him into the background where he wishes to belong. On the opposite end, the menacing student council seem like final bosses. Their masks, hoodies, stars, glasses, piercings, and ribbons create distinct, intimidating looks for the lot that reflect their status within the school without any trouble.
The coolest detail, though, comes from their regular school outfits. Their black-and-red coloring coincides with the same color scheme of a common casino roulette wheel and table layout. Such colors not only tie the designs back to the gambling motif but also subconsciously keep the premise on the minds of the audience as the characters go about placing bets and reacting away.
Concerning the rest of Kakegurui’s visuals, they do not impress as much as the reactions and the designs, but they remain in good standing regardless. Detailed lips and CG hands provide movement when necessary. Cool camera cuts and operations also add dynamism to the many games showcased.
The setting itself does leave much to be desired, but, when everything else within the art and the animation covers what it can already, this missing element barely impacts the engaging presentation on display.
CHARACTERS
For Kakegurui’s cast members, showmanship matters most.
Remember, this anime is built around ridiculousness. So, in keeping in line with this idea, the anime highlights the eccentricity and the quirkiness of the different people that Yumeko squares off against in the gambles at hand. Someone like Yumemi is a cutesy, flirty idol on the surface but a complete dirtbag when the cameras stop rolling. Similarly, Midari not only isn’t afraid to walk around with a loaded gun but also proves, in flashback fashion, her unbelievable masochistic tendencies.
Not to say that Yumeko’s enemies don’t have more going for them. For instance, Itsuki was little more than the daughter of a father who owned a prolific toy-and-playing-card company. She also happened to collect the fingernails of the victims she defeated. However, later in the series, the show shows her holding a relationship with Kaede due to their likeminded goals, and she turns her ambition into something tangible as well, ditching her own fingernails as a neat (albeit grotesque) progression to her character arc.
Itsuki and the other characters encounter change of this nature thanks to Yumeko (either directly or indirectly). One by one, she dismantles their personas, forcing them to look inward on themselves. They contemplate their drive and their desires as she manipulates them with nothing besides smarter tactics. For some, she breaks completely. For others, she befriends them mostly. No matter the case, her arrival marks for a turning point in the school and its direction.
Perhaps not so surprisingly, Yumeko herself is the most insane of them all. Indeed, she sort of must be given the environment and the undeniable influence she exerts on those she crosses. She’s the most insane for a single reason: she only cares about the gamble.
Money. Status. Livelihood. Even just winning and losing do not enter her thoughts. Seriously, all she strives for is that insatiable rush. The druglike feeling as probability and luck dictate fate. As she puts it in episode nine, “The absurdity of being helpless to do anything of your own will. That right there is the essence of gambling, after all.”
While Yumeko revels in chance, the characters around her sometimes ponder her mysterious arrival and her purpose for being here. Surely, there must be some other need, an ulterior motive for enrolling beyond gambling. Unfortunately, the anime never truly delves into it. Very small backstory items are alluded to, and she seems to have a fixation on going up against Kirari, the mastermind at the head of the student council. But her past sadly remains unexplored, leaving her character as the epitome of the showmanship that laces throughout this entire set of characters.
Well, almost the entire set, for one character neither wishes nor wants to take part in any of the nearby ridiculousness: Ryouta. His presence in the anime hardly rises above mere existence since he almost never takes part in any of the gambles personally. Sometimes, he even disappears for large stretches of (episode) time. As such, he represents the audience’s lens with which to view Kakegurui as his normal, everyday self contrasts against the strange people and the odd games that take center stage.
Ryouta also serves another important role. To Yumeko, he is the only constant chip on the table. His kindness, honesty, and innocence make him someone that she can trust with all her heart, giving their relationship a playful and supportive edge. He worries about her during every risk she takes, and she in turn relies on him for some minor-to-major moments that get him out of his comfort zone.
Comfortable or not, the anime clearly emphasizes its characters’ aptitude for showmanship over their individual importance on a writing level. However, when the story also focuses on a similar direction, they find themselves not needing to do or be much else anyway.
MUSIC & SOUND
The OP for Kakegurui can be heard here.
The ED for Kakegurui can be heard here.
Kakegurui does not let its music and its sound go to waste.
The opening track “Deal with the devil” has this energized tone that primes the audience for the games to come while also reveling in the mystique that Yumeko delivers. Dancing piano keys, a step-wise saxophone, and the distinct noise of a police radio at the beginning twist the song with erratic noises that also give its energy more of a frantic feel, following the tension contained in most of the anime.
Furthermore, a groovy bassline and a prominent jazz band then add in a classy vibe that matches the anime’s own upscale premise. And the playful vocals throughout the piece bring on a last layer of charm to keep the song coasting along. A fun, catchy, and fitting OP, indeed.
Where the OP catches the audience’s attention with its energy, the ending track “LAYon-theLINE” instead celebrates Yumeko in all her glory. The futuristic sounds that weave into and out of the song almost argue for Yumeko herself being the “future”. Multiple vocalists and the slight orchestral instrumentation raise the grandeur and the scale of the music, increasing her importance. And the six-time lyrical rhyme as the closer signs off this track in poetic fashion for this equally poetic lady.
This ED makes for a wonderful addition to the sound work in the show as well, and Saori Hayami as Yumeko Jabami likewise does the same with her voice acting as the star gambler. Easily flipping between cute and psychotic, excited and arrogant, Ms. Hayami demonstrates once again why she is a household name at this point (for anime fans at any rate).
Even the rest of the original soundtrack puts its money where its mouth is. While it does have the rarer slice-of-life tune, the music shines best when it channels the tension that runs rampant throughout the gambles. Blaring saxophone notes, wild piano keys, grating violin strings. These sounds slam the different scenes in Kakegurui with a horror-esque mood that aligns both with the creepy craziness and the Vegas vibe of the events therein.
On top of the punchy sound-effects when revealing cards and the drowned-out noises when dread kicks in, the audio design for Kakegurui arguably stands as the show’s strongest collective offering.
ENJOYMENT
I had a lot of fun with this anime. For me, this joy comes from three factors: some of the characters, the nature of the content, and those games played.
On the characters, I couldn’t not like Yumeko. Her moe and insane moments were simply a treat to watch. She didn’t carry the entire anime by her lonesome, but she certainly proved why she is the star. Mary was cool, too, if only because she moved away from acting like a stuck-up jerk and towards being a friend of Yumeko herself.
On the nature of the content, watching the enemy lose almost always made for a cathartic experience. I knew that Yumeko’s unnatural calms would soon give way to yet another glorious beatdown, turning the anime into a jackpot of evil people receiving their comeuppance. Something that I for sure approve.
On the games, I liked how they relied mostly on who could be cleverer. Sure, a couple of the exchanges were perhaps overly silly or maybe required too much of an explanation. But, seeing them seeped in tactics and manipulation (especially from Yumeko), these gambles turned into mind battles that were more interesting than a regular contest.
I cannot say I adore everything in the anime. I do wish that Kirari was around more because her allure and her supposed excellence seemed too intriguing to pass up as much as the show did. It also would have been nice if the content went outside of the Yumeko-versus-opponent structure, letting her sit out on occasion to create new scenarios. And the games that involved money rather than some other commodity up for grabs (e.g., threats, life itself) lacked the same gravitas because, realistically speaking, money didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Nevertheless, specific characters, the content’s nature, and all those clever gambles made for quite the enjoyable time. With the knowledge that a second season is also arriving sometime soon, this series may very well become a compulsive habit.
Kakegurui reveals its hand with a ton of confidence. An entertaining set of story beats and individual characters create a weird yet inviting tale that does not let up for its full run. While these elements have small problems, the art and the music have next to zero, supporting the project through audiovisual awesomeness. Altogether, perhaps not the easiest bet to make in the world, but it’s worth the risk all the same.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, gambling and absurdity reign supreme even as narrative integrity does not
Art & Animation: Great, over-the-top reactions, cool character designs, and other stylistic choices for the visuals keep the artistry extra engaging
Characters: Fine, Yumeko manipulates everyone around her as they focus on showmanship, and Ryouta contrasts with the everyday craziness
Music & Sound: Great, an energized OP, a celebratory ED, strong VA performances, and a creepy OST land on triple sevens at the audio slot machine
Enjoyment: Good, Yumeko, catharsis, and mind battles swirl together as lots of undeniable fun
Final Score: 7/10
Epilogue: Thanks for taking the time to read my review. If you want, take part in the discussion below! Remember to gamble responsibly!!!

Originally posted by March 6, 2018
Gambling is one of the most popular fun activities that adults enjoy playing during their spare time. It's a game where fate (the cruel mistress) really gets her hands dirty and decided who is the victor and who is the sucker. The victor gets to gain a lot of money or whatever personal and valuable object that they or their opponent or opponents bet on (but that part only happens when your playing cards.) The sucker (obviously) gets nothing and loses some or all of their money (or personal valuable object) that they bet on. Sometimes by their own fault or because a certain someone rigged the game.
Now what if I told you that there was a weird anime about a bunch of high school students playing gamble (because it's the only way to succeed in high school and in life) and the crazy stuff that happens there is cranked up to 8. An it was shown in a ridiculous, but enjoyable way; would you watch it? If you said yes, then I have just the show for you to check out. It's called Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler (season 1).
"Hyakkaou Private Academy houses the most wealthy and privileged students in Japan, with many future leaders and professionals among the student body. In the school, the student hierarchy is determined by an intricate gambling system in which students bet their fortunes against one another. The system is overseen by a tyrannical Student Council that oversees all aspects of student life. The students in debt become slaves to the whims of those who hold their debts. One day, a new student appears, one who gambles for the thrill of it rather than the financial or social gain. She quickly disrupts the hierarchy of the school and the student council frantically tries to find ways to shut her down." (info by wiki)
I have to admit, the 1st season of Kakegurui was pretty good. Even though some of the crazy stuff that happens in this anime is kind of seen as average at best. Doesn't mean I don't like the good crazy parts and the other enjoyable stuff that I liked about this show. Plus the gambling games that characters play was exceptionally entertaining.
One of the other things that I liked about this show (believe or not) would have to be all of the weird facial expressions that the girl characters pull off. If there is another thing that this show would be famous for it would have to be this one. The faces that they pull off go from odd to crazy and I have to admit their pretty interesting to look at. Plus (depending on their mood) it perfectly matches how they truly feel about a certain something or someone (the last time I saw a show that pulled off these types of expressions would have to be Hellsing Ultimate.)
The last few things that I like about this anime would have to be the storyline (to be honest I though it was good.) The characters (some of them were alright in my book while the rest were meh.) The music (was really good. I like how the intro is the only one that plays jazz while the rest of the scores including the ending used either techno or electronic (this part kind of reminded me of Danganronpa's soundtrack.) And lastly the artwork (I thought it was really well made, especially the female student's stocking, lips, and eyes. If you look closely at them (including Yumeko's) you can definitely see how much detail the animators put in there in order for them to look perfect.)
The only character that I really liked the most would have to be Yumeko Jabami. Unlike the majority who play for money and social status. Yumeko is one of the few that only plays just for the thrill, fun, and rush of it (winning or losing doesn't really matter to her.) Her thirst for gambling is pretty much on the same level of Alucard's thirst of fighting someone who is stronger or on the same level as him. Whenever she's battling or dealing with a dangerous or clever opponent she always plays it smart. An if she catches them cheating she always finds a way to expose them and make them pay for it. Either by A. showing proof that their cheating, B. breaking them down and make them feel frustrated, C. pushing them over the edge of their limit or D. cheat back (but only if it's necessary.)
This season had 2 downsides that I hope doesn't return in the next season:

1. (Episode 6) For some reason Ryōta thinks that Yumeko was already beaten by the student council president back in episode 3, but she wasn't. She was beaten by the president of the Culture Club (by the way the Japanese dub says the same thing as well. So both dubs are not following along with the continuity.)
2. Ryōta himself. Aside from what I said back in number 1, Ryōta has to been one of the most annoying anime male characters I have ever encounter. Majority of the time when you see him he's mostly seen as a complete worrywart and is always constantly worried about Yumeko. I understand that he's her friend and that he cares about her, but he should've already known by episode 3 that she can take of herself and doesn't care if she loses a match. An if she needed his assistant she would let him know.

In conclusion I thought this season was pretty good. Even though this show had some negatives including some of the average crazy parts. I still had a good time watching this. The storyline was good, some of the characters were alright, the music score was very good, and the artwork was really well made. Hopefully the next season will be a lot more interesting and better than the 1st. Until then I'm giving season 1 an 8/10, let me know what you guys think the comments.

Sorry it's late, here is Chapter 43:
Chapter begins with the 2 sisters realizing they are fully fucked. Despite their bond they should have been able to win easily, instead they are cornered.
Interestingly they blame the dealer.
That's when Mary says "So you have finally noticed". Mary points out that the dealer was shuffling in a very specific way each time, which was somewhat elaborate. Miri(twin buns) doesn't really see why that's a big deal since the cards are still shuffled and are random.
Apparently that kind of shuffling is also called the Gilbreath Shuffle. A card trick most people use. The deck needs to be already arranged in a pattern of spade-heart-club-diamond. You cut the deck, rifle the 2 piles.
The deck seems randomly shuffled, but in reality it is still balanced so that every card is a non repeating suite. Basically it is always balanced with all 4 suits appearing once every 4 cards.
This means that all of the cards that will be dealt are already determined. The total dealt is 16 cards=4 per player. Which will have 4 of each suite. So if you were really paying attention you can know exactly what each person has just by process of elimination.
Mary then reveals that she didn't ask the MC to how his cards just so she can sacrifice him in the battle. But instead so she can know what cards the MC and her had together which would reveal the likely cards the other 2 had.
Pretty smart. And very common sense.
Miri points out that even if that is the case, even if she has a good idea of what the cards could be, she can't know which ones each sister will have exactly.
Mary basically laughs in their face and shows her hand and says she wouldn't have admitted to any of that info if she didn't know she wouldn't win. Her hand has a 2,1,0. The sisters were pretty much screwed from the very start.
Mary asks if the MC noticed anything now that both of their hands are out, he actually does spot the one-sided issue. Since Mary and the MC had all four #2 cards it made it easier to predict the other cards the sisters could have. They obviously don't have #2 cards.
Basically in every scenario they would have lost. Especially Miyo.
The sister are getting nervous/and are hella shook.
Mary in a rare display of what I can interpret as gratitude(mind you she is somewhat blushing when she says this) she admits that if it wasn't for the MC being nice enough to show his cards to her and trust her it might not have worked.
She actually thanks him, not super loudly but she does and he acknowledges it kind of surprised at the unexpected niceness.
Then just as quickly goes back to her super sassy mode and tells the sisters that betting 10000 votes for a game they had no chance of winning is hella stupid and she would not have had the guts for that. She is in total gloat mode. Laughing it up.
Miyo is pissed at the dealer and accuses her of basically rigging the game. Tells her that she is not NEUTRAL.
Dealer gets scary upset and tells this bitch to watch her mouth. She says that she was dealing like that from the beginning and that its their fault for not noticing.
It was the best way to keep everything balanced. Any real gambler would have paid attention, but they relied to much on the poison aspect and made an error in judgement.
Its only fair since they decided to use something crazy like poison to get their way, its the dealers job to make sure everyone still has a chance.
Moral: It takes more than violence to keep a gambler at bay. And everyone has a chance to get ahead. that is what the school thrives on.
It looks like this resonates with the MC a little bit.
Back to the gamble Miri now has to play a hand. She now knows that if she plays a 3 she will lose immediately, a 1 would cause her to continue until her or the sister lose.
That's when the others notice that the poison has started to take affect and she is starting to display similar symptoms to Yumeko. Mary just wants her to play it and get it over with.
Pretty sure she wants to end the game fast before it drains her to much. kind of a nice gesture in her own way.
She puts a 1, MC puts a 1, Miyo puts a 0, Mary another 0. The pot is at 9. Now Miri has to choose to put either a 0 which would save her or a 3 which would make her loose.
Thats when Miyo orders Miri to play the 3 card. kind of cold. Her reasoning is that it would be better if Miri lost the election and Miyo can still have a chance to compete later since she is a better candidate.
She basically threatens her into doing it since she has the serum and if she doesn't lose for her she won't get the serum. That is just fucked up.
Miri inwardly agrees that is the right call although a double dose of the poison is a huge risk. And she is also being threatened by her own sister, which makes no sense since she would have taken the fall anyway.
She puts her 3 and the match ends MC and Mary win.
The dealer says she has to prick her finger. The MC somewhat objects since the girl is already in pretty bad shape, he doesn't think it necessary. He is genuinely concerned.
Miyo however insists that she does it.
Just before Miri can she passes out on the table.
Mary doesn't really care, as long as they won it isn't necessary to have her pricked. Mirroring the MC's concern in her own way.
Miyo however takes Miri's finger and pricks it for her. Both MC and Mary are startled by this. Mary asks why she did that.
Miyo says its so that the next time they do battle that Mary can't say she let them off the hook. She wants her dead. Mary is like "you're on" bitch(subtext).
Cuts to the nurse office...
MC and Mary have already administered the serum to the sleeping Yumeko who is looking a lot better.
The MC grabs Mary's hand in a gesture of sincere gratitude and thanks her for all of her help. It couldn't have been done without her. Mary is startled and blushes quite nicely at this, Very cute.
Mary in a very tsundere way says she couldn't just let her die.
That's when the MC tells her what Yumeko said just before she passed out: " Get Saotome(Mary ) over hear, it will be more fun that way" reminder that Yumeko was almost at the point of death when she said this.
Mary is shocked to hear this. Mary figures that Yumeko must have noticed the whole gilbreath shuffle from the beginning. But their could have been no way for her to know that Mary would catch on to it as well.
Mary knows Yumeko literally just bet her life on her possibly knowing.A natural born gambling addict.
Mary admits that she is nothing like that.
Mary approaches in front of the MC and bend down to tell the still unconscious Yumeko something. Unclear if the MC can hear this or not. Mary unsure if Yumeko can hear her or not while asleep tells her something that only she alone can know and that she will only say it once.
"I am going to become president."
Chapter ends

Note: I'm a very big fan of this series...
Kakegurui, the gambling show of Summer 2017. After finally seeing my favorite manga comes to life in an anime, I wanted to make this to share how I came to enjoy this series so much.
For people who don't know what Kakegurui is: Kakegurui is a gambling anime/manga. It takes place at Hyakkaou Private academy. An academy where the most elite and rich kids go to learn, but then also gamble away for their status, learning how to manipulate people and take their money. This has been normal until Yumeko Jabami shows up... a compulsive gambler that gets you on the edge of your seat, wondering what's she's going to do next. Because of the whole ''gambling aspect'' and how Yumeko plays, this series will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Did I mention that these people get off by gambling? Worth mentioning :) (Another note: I have not seen Kaiji or other gambling anime/manga, so I don’t have anything I can compare it to).
Okay, clearing that out of the way, for everybody who hasn't experienced this series yet, I think the best way to go about approaching this series is to read the manga first. Biggest reason? The artstyle.
To me, Kakegurui’s artsyle is one of the most important things of this series. It has drawn me in with it's beautiful eyes and reaction faces (you'll know what I'm talking about if u saw them). I feel like the anime has kind of put their own twist on it, by just focusing on realistic eyes, and really deforming their faces. Not to mention, the manga does look a lot sharper, and the character designs really show off what kind of character they are. I feel like MAPPA (anime studio) made these characters look a bit too bland and wonky for me (with Mary and Suzui suffering the most from it).
When it comes to the story, the manga still comes on top. Reason being the anime moves a bit fast, and doesn't 100% explain a situation. When learning the rules to one of the games they're about to play, you could get lost in the explanation in the anime, but you can take you time reading through them in the manga. Also, the anime has an original ending, while the manga is still ongoing, and we get to learn more. I'm kinda iffy about original endings in general, so...
Now, you must be thinking that I'm really hating on the anime, but the anime also has its strengths. Although I don't think the artstyle lives up to the manga, I do enjoy the little things that we don't see in the manga (Ex: voice actors, music, and AN AMAZING OP SONG. For real, the show is worth watching just for the OP). I also think it does do a pretty good job with summarizing the plot from the chapters it covered. It did miss a few things, but I feel like they did get most of it.
TL;DR: I highly suggest reading the manga for Kakegurui first and get caught up, then watch the anime to compare the two. I believe this is the best way to experience it. If you don't care about the artstyle and just want to get through this series, watch the anime, and start on the chapter they left off at in the manga if you get really hooked on it.
Now, for everybody that has already seen the anime and doesn't really want to see what the manga offers, I have made face comparisons in Anime v.s. Manga, showing how different these two are, and why it's worth reading the manga. WARNING, THESE DO HAVE SPOILERS:
Kakegurui Ep 1
Kakegurui Ep 2
Kakegurui Ep 3
I've only done 3 episodes because it's no fun to already know the reaction faces if you go back to read the manga. It might've not been enough for you to do so, but if you want to see more Yumeko, the manga has your back.
I understand I might be going overboard with making this thread about Kakegurui, but I have such a burning passion for this series that I don't want it to get swept under all these shows that are coming out these days. Hope you guys enjoy.

Chapter 27:
Chapter starts with the crowd waiting after manyuda declares his life for the bet. Cuts to Sumeragi covering her face in what looks like terror as if she is about to cry.
Prez says its time for the showdown. Manyuda shows his hands, its a 3 of a kind set of 8's. Just before Yumeko reveals her cards she tells manyuda that being a patron for a gambler isin't just about bankrolling them. its about not standing idly by and doing something about it. They are gambling too.
She shows her hand. Its 3 of a kind JACKS!
Yumeko wins. Basically the entire thing with raising the bet so absurdley was to get him to bet high and strong. Yumeko wanted to make sure he was goaded into taking the bet. Sumeragi was in on it and bluffing the whole time, she gloats a bit. Flicks off manyuda.
Prez is surprised he fell for it. Accepts it with no problem. Tells him he is fired...
He goes into despair. Slumps over, and his hair turns all white.
As the staff roll him away cause he is too broken to move, Yumeko tells sumeragi not to brag too much, and to consider that he gave it his all and is all the more beautiful for it since he is all white now. Sumeragi agrees and bows with respect as he is rolled off. They did get along before all this so it makes sense.
The MC and Saotome come up to celebrate yumeko's(mostly MC) victory, Saotome doesn't acknowledge it as being that great.
MC turns to look at Yumeko who is staring at the prez, as if they are the only 2 people in the world.
They have a light discussion on supernovas and how the best thing to see is how someone can burn so brightly and then fade out. best part of the gamble. Yumeko postulates that the prez want that for herself. The prez is fascinated by this assessment.
The secretary suddenly loses her cool and tells yumeko not to mess with them .
Looks like a fight might start again.
Cuts back to the creepy speaker room with the supposed "prez" exiting and talking on the phone with one of the members on the student council. Turns out her name is RIRIKA MOMBAMI. The actual vice president.
i think...not sure how important that info is.
end of chapter