Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler

Gambling can be exciting, gambling can even be very exciting! Gambling can be so exciting that it can give you an orgasmic experience, and I bet some audiences will feel the same way. After all, watching characters at the peak of pleasure can be so sexy... I do not think there is anything else, however, when I see the positive ratings and position in the seasonal rankings on AniChart and MAL, I think this has to be the most popular (= the most-watched) anime series of the anime season Summer 2017. Also, apart from the idea of how thrilling it can be to try your luck at gambling, and a lot of lustful looks and really strong gambling orgasms a few of the characters had, I did not think there was anything special about this show. The characters are pretty clichéd, the games are varied even though they are mostly pretty weird, and there is nothing new about cheating, although every cheat is usually exposed and used against whoever dared to desecrate the sacred ritual that is gambling. Sure, the tension could be cut with a knife in places, where most of the characters accompany with extremely enthusiastic expressions bordering on sexual satisfaction, however, you subconsciously suspect that the main female protagonist will still somehow give it a go even when her life is on the line, and so you are rather betting on how much said game will excite Yumeko, and who will be "climaxing" first, Yumeko or her opponent... ​​It is a strange concept that attacks the viewer in an interesting style and for me personally, it actually managed to hold my attention without any problems. It is pretty low-key, however, it works, and some people might find it extremely enjoyable... The show features pretty decent animation and soundtrack, and a narrative about a new student standing up to the school board and battles her way up to fight the hierarchy - all of which has been done many times before... So even though the anime’s creators kept trying to convince me of how exciting a ride this is, and how all the characters have thoroughly enjoyed it, I only got through it with the slightest bit of enthusiasm, so I am not going to give it more than 6/10. (12/23/2019)

I was expecting there to be a second season, however, I would not have put money on it to have been released so quickly after the first one. Even so, it would seem they needed to try and satisfy the audience with more exciting scenes full of the supposedly suspenseful atmosphere around gambling and especially the orgasmic climaxes from the main female protagonist and some of the other characters. The show has its own hardcore aficionados, so they had to invent another new storyline to keep them interested, and they also added some new characters to keep things from getting stale. The show’s supposed suspense from compulsive psychotic addiction to gambling is therefore interspersed with some slightly erotic sex scenes, where touches are occasionally exchanged, and you can feel some sexual chemistry going on... There are a lot of seemingly vicious and premeditated games, even though their workarounds are always much too sophisticated. Somewhere behind all of that is the main narrative - and this concerns the competition in general, which is about as interesting as any show with an average "tournament arc". Somehow, I thought the first season really worked, and even though it still manages to hold my attention, the second season wears thin. Plus, since I can say I still did not find it boring, I am going to award the second season the poorest of three stars I know and have - 4.5/10. (04/27/2019)