Going into this I already had an inkling that I'd really enjoy this, since Kaiji is the sort of show that's right up my alley. Here you've got high stakes games constantly, strategic absurdity to a high degree, with plans and ridiculous 20 step games of 4D Chess that have no right to be as intense as they are, and a constantly escalating sense of tension that backs up these progressively more insane ideas all the better. What made this particular show so special to me in this regard was this sense of tension it brought to the table, as despite the fact that the pacing was extremely slow in places, I never felt like it affected my opinion on this, for almost every scene was full of nail-biting tension that had me at the edge of my seat. This largely was due to the soundtrack, being dramatic and foreboding without becoming distracting or overbearing. It's this balance that gets struck that allows it all to flourish and make even the most mundane scenes be heart stopping and ominous. The series lack of fear towards this slower pace ultimately ends up being one of its biggest assets as well, as each minute detail gets focused on so powerfully to the point where you really start thinking that everything could come down to the splitting of hairs, making it also extremely difficult to predict exactly how things will play out and what will eventually be the point of breakthrough where everything comes together.
The portrayal of the titular character Kaiji also proves to be a massive part to making this series work, as he is not portrayed to be some sort of strategic genius who has the knowledge and skill to almost effortlessly succeed in every situation. Kaiji's portrayal as a mostly normal person who's just overly righteous and cunning when he wants to be. He's frequently shown to be outplayed and have his plans fall through, and its this lack of safety that is the crux of the show, this lack of plot armour that makes the high stakes presented feel very real. The animation is also wonderful, with the very pointy looking faces of the characters contributing to a unique and appealing artstyle, and the facial expressions themselves being extremely expressive and evocative to give things a certain charm that I'm all for.
Overall an amazing experience that got me hooked more than any other series I can think of that I've seen in the last couple of years. This one's extremely highly recommended especially to those who enjoy series built around the idea of strategy and intense games where everything gets put on the line. I'm unsure if there's anything else that manages to strike such a perfect balance as there is here, but in any case, this is what I feel really solidified my fondness for a good death game show.
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