Anime Reviews (2000s): Kaiji the Complete Series (2008/2011)

While the character designs for the anime series may be different than what people are used to seeing, “Kaiji the Complete Series” is still worth watching for its gripping and entertaining, yet dark storyline. I highly recommend this anime series!

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TITLE: Kaiji the Complete Series (逆境無頼カイジ)

TV SERIES RELEASE: (Season 1) 2008, (Season 2) 2011

DURATION: Episodes 1-52 (1300 minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9 HD Widescreen), Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14 VL

Release Date: April 20, 2021

Directed by Sato Yuzo

Series Composition by Takayashiki Hideo

Music by Taniuchi Hideki

Character Design by Takada Haruhito

Art Director: Yokomatsu Norihiko

Anime Production: Madhouse

Featuring the following voice talent:

Masato Hagiwara as Kaiji

Hakuryuu as Tonegawa

Hiroshi Yanaka as Ishida

Masahiro Komoto as Sahara

Masane Tsukayama as Hyoudou Kazutaka

Naoya Uchida as Endou

Toshiharu Sakurai as Andou

Yasunori Matsumoto as Furuhata

Unemployed degenerate Kaiji Ito spent his time drinking, gambling, and racking up bills, and was sure that his life had hit rock bottom. Then that bottom fell out when Endo the Loan Shark arrived to inform him of a friend’s default on a loan that Kaiji foolishly co-signed, making Kaiji responsible for a soul crushing 3,000,000 yen! But there is one possible way out; if Kaiji goes to a secret gambling ship and plays successfully for one night, his debt could be absolved. It’s a trick, of course, but what choice does Kaiji have?

Trapped into playing a series of increasingly ruthless contests that are hopelessly rigged against the players, Kaiji finds himself a pawn in a competition where the game pieces aren’t expected to survive… and the real players are all actively betting against Kaiji!

In February 1996, the manga series “Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji” by Fukumoto Nobuyuki, a mangaka known for stories involving gambling or hardships.

And it’s a manga series that is still ongoing with a total of 76 volumes released in Japan and still serialized in “Weekly Young Magazine”. And continues to be a popular series which has sold 20 million copies in Japan and is quite popular to this day.

The series is released during Japan’s first recession and revolves around an unemployed degenerate named Ito Kaiji, who has been causing vehicle damage on luxury vehicles and stealing their emblems, while making him think about money and being in poverty.

So, popular that the series has been made into live-action films, a stage show and also numerous video game releases as well.

One day he is paid a visit by a loan shark named Endo Yuji, who tells Kaiji that they are looking for a former co-worker of his. And while Kaiji tells them he hasn’t them in awhile, they tell him that they want to collect his outstanding debt and because he is a co-signer for the loan, he has two options, to spend ten years repaying the outstanding debt or board the gambling ship Espoir for one night to clear the debt.

In truth, its a con job knowing that the chances of winning are slim and that most people who are sent to the ship are degenerates and those who fail, will be sent somewhere for slavework, while those who survive may have a chance to pay off their debt.

As Kaiji arrives to the ship, he is told that they must compete in a game of restricted rock-paper-scissors and must maintain three stars. Competing with other degenerates, if you win, you get the other person’s stars. If you lose, you give up the other person’s stars. Those who have three stars pass, those who have two or less will be sent to another room for slave work. Those who have extra stars can a) sell them for a lot of money b) save someone from becoming a slave.

Unfortunate for Kaiji, he tried to partner with someone named Funai but Funai ends up tricking him and taking Kaiji’s two stars and now Kaiji is desperate.

But part of the strategy is partnering with others, but can he trust them? And will they be able to win and survive?

“Kaiji” pretty much follows the manga series as Kaiji is a man who must take on challenges to pay off significant debt. And the series is about the different (messed up situations) that the loan shark puts him through and he must endure to pay off significant debt.

But also how far Kaiji will go to earn money and the significant risks involved.

What I found interesting about “Kaiji” is that while there have been anime series on gambling, “Kaiji” takes it to another level. Quite often there are Japanese dramas and anime series that go into covering the troubled life of those who borrow money from loan sharks and are in major debt and usually, there is some affiliation with the yakuza.

This is the case for “Kaiji” but the risk is even higher as the yakuza target degenerates who they know can’t pay them back and make them compete for their enjoyment. Knowing many people will not be able to win or survive and they will be whisked away, working as slaves for the yakuza.

While Kaiji is a degenerate, he is intelligent, especially with his strategies and observance of others, it benefits him in these high risk challenges (sometimes). Unfortunately, because of the person he is and how he presents himself, his hot temper doesn’t allow him to hold a job and because of how he is, he is often treated less than human.

So, you want to root for him as the underdog. To succeed and beat this system in which no one is really expected to win. Nor does anyone expect Kaiji to win anything.

The anime series is somewhat older since the first season was released in 2008 and the second season in 2011, but while the picture quality has some softness, its expected for the TV series and the TV series does look good on Blu-ray. The lossless audio is stereo and only features a Japanese soundtrack.

But for the most part, I do like the fact that this anime series is being released outside of Japan and for people to become acquainted with the works of Fukumoto Nobuyuki, but how he manages to capture gambling and human drama, poverty in this work.

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