The popular anime,Kakegurui, has had several live-action adaptations in the past few years. Based onKakegurui – Compulsive Gamblerby Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura, the anime centers around Yumeko Jabami, a student who transfers to the prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy, which ranks students according to how good they are at gambling. So far,Kakeguruihas had three live-action adaptations, with a fourth one set to be released on Netflix.
Live-action adaptations of popular animeare nothing new.Following the success ofDeath Note, a live-action film was released in 2017.Rurouni Kenshin,One Piece, andAlice in Borderlandwere also adapted from anime. Creating a live-action adaptation isn’t always easy. There are certain things that work in animation but don’t translate well into a live-action adaptation, which is why some of them haven’t been as successful as their anime counterparts. Given the rising number ofHollywood live-action anime adaptations, it’s worth looking at how manyKakeguruihas.
Kakegurui
Cast
Kakegurui (2018) is a Japanese live-action series set in Hyakkaou Private Academy, where students are ranked by their gambling winnings rather than academic success. Starring Minami Hamabe as transfer student Yumeko Jabami, the show explores the high stakes and psychological mind games involved in the school’s gambling culture. Based on the popular manga series, the series delves into themes of risk, power, and obsession.
Starring Minami Hamabe as Yumeko Jabami and Mahiro Takasugi as Ryota Suzui, the first live-action adaptation ofKakeguruiwas released in 2018, a year after the anime premiered.The J-drama ran for two seasons and has 15 episodes in total.Kakegurui’s premise is simple and doesn’t involve the usual eccentricities, over-the-top emotions, or fantasy usually featured in anime, so it was fairly easy to make a live-action adaptation.
Kakegurui’s premise is simple and doesn’t involve the usual eccentricities, over-the-top emotions, or fantasy usually featured in anime, so it was fairly easy to make a live-action adaptation.
The 2018 J-drama was also faithful to the anime, which also accounted for why it was successful.While there were a few changes made, the live-action series ensured that the scenes that defined the anime were included. Mahiro Takasugi and Minami Hamabe did a decent job of portraying their characters, thus adding to the fact that the series honored the anime and didn’t alter one of the things that made it so enjoyable in the first place.
In 2019, a live-action movie ofKakeguruijoined the list of the manga’s adaptations.Like the J-drama, the 2019 film had the same cast as the series. Seeing that the 2018 live-actionKakeguruiTV show was successful, the movie didn’t necessarily come as a surprise because studios tend to capitalize on what’s popular. But, it’s worth noting that director Tsutomu Hanabusa’s movie didn’t really add anything new. Instead, the film told the same story as the anime and the live-action Japanese series.
A year afterKakegurui(the live-action film), the creators of the movie announced that they would be making a sequel, which was set to be released in 2021. Although the sequel had the same cast as the first installment and was also directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa, the story this time wasn’t necessarily adapted from Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura’s manga. Instead, the plot of Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulettewas completely original. However, the authors ofKakeguruiwere actively involved in the creation of the story.
Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulettebuilds on the plot of the first live-action film and picks up the story from where it ended. While it’s an original story, the intense thrillerstays true to its source material and keeps everything that fans of Kakegurui loved about it. But like all sequels, Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette was criticized for not being as good as its predecessor.
In 2024, Netflix announced that it would be creating a live-action adaptation ofKakegurui.Very few details about the newKakeguruihave been revealed by the streamer.The Netflix serieswill have a different name. Instead of being Kakegurui, like the previous adaptations of the manga, the TV show will be titledBet. The streaming giant also announced who will be starring in the live-action TV show and thatWarrior Nun’s Simon Barry will be the showrunner.
Netflix’s adaptation ofKakeguruilooks like it will change quite a few things about its source material. Instead of taking place in Japan, the live-action series will have Yumeko transfer from Japan to the US. This points to the fact that the new series will keep some things about the anime but also add a twist to the story.
Given how many live-action adaptationsKakeguruihas had so far, it’s surprising that Netflix wants to create another one, especially because other similar TV shows haven’t worked out well. However, it’s too soon to tell ifBetwill be a success or a failure. While there are several things working againstBetother factors, like the fact that it has a unique setting, might be what it needs to succeed.
Kakegurui is a Japanese drama series set in an elite high school where student hierarchy is determined by gambling prowess. The plot follows a new transfer student, Yumeko Jabami, whose extreme risk-taking disrupts the established order and challenges the school’s rigid social caste system.
