I'm an indecisive person. Because of this, it's quite hard for me to decide what anime/manga I want to start. So, what I do is, I put a bunch of anime/manga on a wheel, spin it, and whatever the wheel lands on, I watch. One day as I was doing this, it landed on an anime (don't remember which one it is), and I was going to watch it. But then I just felt like I wanted to watch a certain anime instead. What I'm trying to make clear through this rambling is that watching Kaiji was a huge gamble, and it really paid off. The show is my 3rd favorite anime and 6th favorite overall as of now, and I'm really glad I took that decision to watch it. This review is probably not going to be all that deep or insightful or meaningful. Maybe it won't even be entertaining. Mainly because I'm writing this just because I'm bored and I want to get the hang of reviewing stuff again. But that's not my goal. My goal is to convince you, the reader, to watch the show. Also keep in mind that this is a review for the series overall (both seasons of the anime, not the manga). So without further ado, let's get into it. # The Things People do for Money The story is fairly simple. Kaiji is a broke dude who's wasting his life, and is deep in debt. A strange man meets with him and gives him a way to pay off his debts: gambling. More specifically, gambling his life. The main plot of Kaiji is fairly simple, and that's perfectly fine. This is because the plot is nothing more than a setup for the real meat of the show: the gambling. Unlike most gambling anime or manga (at least those I know of), Kaiji doesn't specifically focus on one pre-existing game. It doesn't focus on pre-existing games at all. This anime creates a variety of games from scratch and make the protagonist face off in them. I mean what I say when I say that every single game is compelling and thrilling. No, seriously. There is not even a single moment when I got bored watching this show. The outcomes are predictable most of the time (sometimes you genuinely cannot predict the end result though), but that doesn't matter. The suspense of this show doesn't come from the outcome. Rather, it comes from the methods that Kaiji uses to get to that outcome. He comes up with all these crazy strategies over the course of the show, and honestly? I don't think any of them are predictable at all. It really is a joy to watch the events unfold on screen. I still can't believe I got as invested as I did in an arc which is just a dude playing pachinko. # People are Dumb, and That's Okay Kaiji is pretty dumb. Not in the conventional sense, mind you. The strategies he comes up with are proof of how clever he is. What I mean by saying he is dumb is that he makes some of the stupidest decisions some times. Sure, he does do some "noble" things sometimes, but that is very rare. Most of the time, when it's not related to gambling, the man's an idiot. Sometimes he'll be cocky, sometimes he'll be ignorant, sometimes he won't quit while he's ahead. And that's perfectly fine. Kaiji is a very human protagonist. Because let's be honest, most of us do a lot of dumb stuff most of the time. And Kaiji's no different. He's just an average joe (below average, to be honest) wasting his life and doing nothing. However, when push comes to shove, he uses his brain and comes up with solutions to the problems he faces. Kaiji is pretty much like all of us. Sometimes he's noble, at other times he's a scumbag. Sometimes he uses his brain, and at other times he acts like he doesn't have one. He's not extraordinary. He's just like all of us. He's a regular human being, and we don't usually see such genuinely human characters in anime and manga, which is why I appreciate him so much. I haven't really brought up the supporting characters or antagonists much, and that's because they are there for no other reason than to develop Kaiji and showcase his strengths and weaknesses. Tonegawa is a standout character for his worldview alone, and is a genuine challenge for Kaiji. Hyoudou is another standout character, but that's mainly because he's so hate-able. Overall, Kaiji is a fantastic protagonist, and the side characters do their job to support him and showcase him. # Art & Sound Design: Note: I'm not using any unique names for this title because I'm too lazy to make a unique name for Art & Sound Design every time I make a review, I hope no one has a problem with it. MADHOUSE was the studio in charge of Kaiji, and as always, their work is stellar. From what I've read of the manga, the anime is very faithful to the Fukumoto's artstyle and to be honest, it translates very well. The first time I looked at this show, I thought the artstyle would be a detriment. However, it is very expressive, and expressions are a big part of this show. It also looks weirdly cool, but maybe that's just me. The sound design is standout. Whoever made the OST for this anime, hats off, because you really nailed it. They have the perfect song for every circumstance, and all iterations of "Zawa Zawa" are some of the best atmospheric tracks I have seen in a show. # Final Thoughts Kaiji is one of the most intense anime I have ever seen. The games are all fantastic, the protagonist is very human, the side characters do their job well, the artstyle and animation are great, and the sound design is stellar. All of this together makes for one of the best and most immersive anime. Overall, I would give Kaiji a score of: # 10/10 Do yourself a favor and watch this show.