Kakegurui Twin is funny, ridiculous, and downright scary – it’s also one of the best original anime that Netflix released in 2022.
Kakegurui is an iconic animated series, spawn sequences, episodic adaptations and live action – each of which has seen its own level of success.
This week, we’re taken back to the brutal private Hyakkaou Academy for another round of high stakes betting but this time with Mary Saotome, a transfer student on the verge of engaging in the school’s notorious gambling mania.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Kakegurui series, or if Twin is your first time at the poker table, this anime is sure to come out on top.
Kakigurui twins | Official Trailer | Netflix Anime
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Kakigurui twins | Official Trailer | Netflix Anime
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Kakegurui Twin Review – Addiction Lasts Only 3 Hours
Verdict: Kakegurui Twin is an excellent introduction to the main Kakegurui anime; However, the solo show definitely stands on its own as an ONA series – arguably a commendable and refreshing thing considering the summer 2022 roster is dropping steadily after two great consecutive seasons.
With fun characters, superior facial expressions, and Sherlock Holmes style details of the simplest gambling games, the series is a super fun way to bet the three hours of your life.
The only disappointment is the six-episode broadcast, and if you’re a fan of the 12-episode main series, Kakegurui Twin can feel like just a snapshot of the anime the community has come to expect.
Invested heavily in characters from the start
How many anime series have you watched in total versus how many anime series have you dropped after only the first episode?
Well, the Kakegurui Twin does a great job of captivating viewers within minutes of “A Girl Named Mary Saotome” and pardon the pun, I invested in the story up to 200,000 yen instantly.
Then the series builds and builds each episode where not only the stakes increase but the potential losses as well if things don’t work out. Character development is one thing, but the prospect of Mary becoming a “house pet” becomes a more serious predicament with every interaction she has with her classmates.
What is certain is that Marie can hold herself in comparison to Yumiko Jabami from the main series. The way you handle the games and somehow ‘play’ their opponents keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire series, you never know when the coin (or poker chip) will drop.
To be sure, there are quite a few one-dimensional characters that just serve to either re-orient the game in question or to provide Marie with the settings needed to reveal the evil one. However, if you have watched the original Kakegurui series, it will feel like familiar territory.
Maybe if we had 12 episodes instead of six, some characters could have been fleshed out a bit more as now, there are moments when these one-dimensional characters make Kakegurui Twin feel like Komi Can’t Communicate; Making different friends at school, albeit with gambling accompanied by noticeably more emotional trauma.
MAPPA visuals and poker faces win big
MAPPA is widely regarded as one of the best animation studios working in the animation industry today and Kakegurui Twin is absolutely awesome.
From subtle changes in the color palette from red to green to the cinematography, Kakegurui Twin is arguably one of the best-looking series from the Summer 2022 list.
One of the visual parts that particularly stood out was the way both the close-up pans and wide-screen facial expressions were used.
Here, the feeling of holding your ‘cards close to your chest’ is brought to life by the way directors Kaori Makita and Yoichiro Hayashi manipulate the focus of the scene, going from group shots to slightly off-center face shots in an instant – you’ll never see them full hand, just what they want From you.
While there are no big action sequences where MAPPA usually flexes its animation muscles, these awesome moments pull you away down the rabbit hole of Hyakkaou Academy’s special.
Light vs. Dark, Good vs. Evil, Heroine vs. Villain, Friendship vs. Manipulation; Kakegurui Twin feels that they don’t have any of those, but at the same time, all of them.
Kakegurui Twin is a must-watch anime for anyone who wants a show that offers a unique school story and excellent heroes. Between the pictures, the slot games, the characters, and the bets, this is one anime that you will definitely not get bored of watching.
Kakegurui Twin is now available to stream on Netflix.
Written by Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]
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