#jabami

I'm going to start this by saying I am familiar with Kakegurui, I watched season one of the anime and part of season two (I don't know why I didn't finish it, I honestly think I forgot, but I will get it done) but I have not read the manga nor am I incredibly invested in the fandom space. This review is from a very casual viewer's perspective, so I had zero expectations for it going in.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

I don't think it was that bad! It was certainly janky at times, and the dialogue definitely had me wondering if the writers had spoken to teenagers in their lives at certain points, but I had fun. It was somewhat campy, and I liked that about it. I think the changes they made to the story allowed it to be its own thing from the Kakegurui anime, while still providing the expectations that come with the world it is set in. It is definitely catered towards a Western audience, which caused some negatives for me. However, I did find myself wanting to watch on - I was thinking about it while at work or out and about. It definitely hooked me, even with some questionable choices. NUMERICAL RATINGS: Characters: 6.5/10 Story: 6.5/10 Music: 7/10 Enjoyment: 6/10 Lore Loyalty: 5/10 Rewatchable?: I would say so! Overall: 6.2/10

SPOILER REVIEW STARTS HERE!

Welcome to spoiler central!

If I compare the story in Bet to season one of Kakegurui, I can safely say there are some clear differences.

Having Yumeko's motivations laid out from the start was an interesting move in my opinion. It took away from the focus on the gambling aspect of the show in favour of a crime mystery, but I think it was a good choice. The choice was made with a Western audience in mind, crime thrillers are incredibly popular, and I don't think it loses the core elements of the story. Plus, it helps that I was interested in the detective work, even if I guessed the entire club was involved as soon as it was brought up. The addition of Michael to Yumeko's inner circle was honestly not something I cared all that much for, though I do think I am biased. I did not really enjoy his character in the show, and I think if he were merged with Ryan's character, the story would barely change. He was the stereotypical "tech guy" for the show that helped Yumeko progress, however, I think she was more than capable of reaching most of the conclusions on her own.

As for Ryan, I don't really have anything to say. He was an alright character, reminiscent of Ryota. I thought he was entertaining enough, though I don't like the idea of Yumeko having a romance with a man, that's just personal bias though.

I think the two standouts in the show, at least for me, were Yumeko and Mary. I think Miku Martineau embodied Yumeko really well and felt like a toned-down version of Yumeko in the anime. It felt like she took a lot of care when it came to embodying her character, and I think it paid off. She had the off-putting vibe of the character down, with her best moments being when she's gambling, which I think is probably the most important. The gambling has to be the lifeblood of any sort of Kakegurui exploration and Yumeko's intensity when it comes to the luck of the draw is vital. I would say they nailed that, at least for a toned-down Western adaptation. As for Mary, I would say she is my favourite character coming out of the show. Eve Edwards really managed to embody that Mary snark that I associate with her while also providing an interesting performance as we watch Mary grow throughout the show. I think it was an interesting choice to make Mary Student Council, it made her fall from grace in the first episode feel impactful and honestly, somewhat tragic. My favourite scene, however, between the two characters is their second gamble against one another. In the intensity of the game, with their fingers on the line, they finally start to feel like proper Kakegurui characters, losing their minds for a moment in the adrenaline of the chance game. It was a moment that made me hopeful for future seasons, if it even gets that, and I hope they lose it again. It just makes it all the more interesting to watch.

I think my biggest issue with the show is Suki. I think he was the worst-written character out of everyone. His dialogue felt like the writers had never spoken to a gay man and had instead based everything he says on stereotypes and God, was it annoying. I could not stand him, and when he "died", I was just relieved I didn't have to listen to him anymore. It upsets me because I think the icebreaker game was an interesting idea for the change in character, as Suki was more focused on social media than anything else, but I couldn't get passed how annoying he was. He drove me nuts.

I wasn't sure about Kira in the show either. I think the first thing that threw me was that she didn't have white hair, I don't know, it just bothered me like nothing on Earth. Once I got over a hair dye choice, I realised that she didn't feel as in control of the school as Kirari does. She was not nearly as calm and collected, and she certainly did not play her cards all that close to her chest. I don't think the changes to her character are awful, and I think her team-up with Yumeko in the finale lays a path to an interesting storyline, but I do feel like she is not a proper ice queen like her anime counterpart.

The Student Council, in Bet, felt lacklustre to me. They were hardly an intimidating force that Yumeko had to face, honestly, some of them were just kind of non problems. Half of them were helping Yumeko in some way by the end of the season and it just further expressed the idea that Kira simply lacks any kind of real control. Dori felt weird as a character, like they wanted to express the same crazed vibe as Midari in Kakegurui, but were too afraid to do it? So instead, they made her a stalker? For a man no less. I think her not actually losing her eye was a big one for me, it killed a decent amount of stakes that I relate to Kakegurui as a whole and it was just kind of disappointing to see. Chad was a weird one for me as well. I didn't hate him really - I just didn't understand why he was there. He didn't have the cutthroat vibe that I expected from Student Council, but I didn't mind him. For a guy with eidetic memory, they sure made him feel rather stupid. It also bothers me that he didn't gamble against Yumeko, small thing, but ya know.

Riri definitely felt like she belonged on the Student Council. She was probably their most intimidating factor, while also having a nice little romance with Mary, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the twist of her becoming Student Representative on the board and am genuinely interested in her relationship with her father. Even though she doesn't say much, which was to be expected, she is one of the best parts of the show.

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