NOTE:
1. This is a spoiler free review.
2. This review covers some bits of s2 too (without giving out much about it) ____A “compulsive” anime standing up to its name

I had to watch a “psychological – ecchi” anime. So I gambled and choose Kakegurui over Monotagari. Well that explains how my first gamble went down the ditch.

I personally enjoyed Kakegurui because I like psychological and mind games. But this is a complete absurd anime. There are so many things wrong and so few things right; and so many questions unanswered. I completed s1 and s2. And s2 is more weird than s1.

As most anime do, even this defies logic. I’m sure most of us would have thought, “Which parent can be so irresponsible as to send their kids to a school where they spend money like water for gambling?” And that is just the beginning of the bizarre questions I got from watching this anime.

Time to break the anime down.

OP:
I like how the aquarium imagery was used in s1's OP. About why it is used, we’ll know in the later episodes of s1. The song is okay-ish but actually suits the anime. So that is a plus.
I liked s2's OP more than s1’s OP. It was really good.

ED:
The video of s1's ed creeped me out, ngl. I don’t like ecchi, but I can tolerate it. This ed made me question myself. WHY THE HELL DID I NOT SKIP IT????(I did skip after watching it twice-thrice)
And EP 9 has a special ED - "Koi no Russian Roulette". That was cute to watch. I wished it were permanent ed xd

Rest of the OST:
They were good. Though the music around the ahegao expressions were just too much for me to handle, I think anyone who watched ecchi will have no trouble with it.

Animation:
Since the studio is MAPPA, the animation is on par with their standards. But, Ahegao expressions disturbed me a lot. Like A LOT.

This kind of visuals freak me out. Though I'm sure many would be watching it only for these.

But what I did like are the male lead’s expressions. What happens when a normie is lost between crazies?
Our Shizuo Ryouta happens.

Characters:
The anime starts with Saotome Mary and Suzui Ryouta. We get to see a crazy right off the bat. Each character is more crazier, more weirder and more disgusting that the other. None of the characters are actually either lovable imo or relatable. Some may like Yumeko Jabami for Yandere reasons, but there is actually no development. Each character is a gamble addict. Some smart, some dumb, some stupid and some just disgusting. There is actually nothing more to say. They are just gamble addicts with some goals, but each is more repulsive than the other.

When it comes to s2, we see some development into the “Bami” family. We get new characters that are again as eerie as those in s1, if not more.

Overall, this anime doesn’t have a proper character development so highly not recommended for people who want to see character development.

Voice Actors:
We are very familiar with Saori Hayami. And I am not particularly aware of other VAs, but I think everyone has really done their job great.

And Finally,
The so-called “Plot”:
Yes, it is so-called because I barely find anything in it.
A school where people receive their social standing through gambling. Well many want to be on top of the social circle, so we see power-hungry, money-hungry crazies making their go for it.
I said that the anime is pretty “compulsive” like its name. Why? Because it is. The entire anime depends on Yumeko’s irresistible urge to gamble and social hierarchy being decided on gambling. That’s it. Nothing else. There is nothing else driving this anime. And the more I watch, the more questions cross my head which shows just how ridiculous this anime is.
I won’t state all my questions as they’ll be spoilers. But I’ll share some of them:

1. How can Ikishima carry a gun in a school?
2. Gambling as hobby is fine. But they are ruining lives and bullying people. What is management doing about it?
3. Which parents send their children to a school where they spend money without any responsibility?

And the rest fall under spoilers. But I’m sure many of you must have thought about them too.

Entertainment:
As someone who likes psychological, I’ll say this anime has some perks here and there that impressed me. I even enjoyed some of the gambles. But overall, it wasn’t interesting to me. Entertaining, but not interesting.

Final Opinion:
An anime good for psychology-thriller lovers, who wouldn’t mind absurdity. It doesn’t have a lot of promising stuff, but it can keep one entertaining if one doesn’t get too creeped out.