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Gakkyo Burai Kaiji
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Animation - 8.7 |
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Sound - 9.3 |
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Story - 9.0 |
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Character - 9.3 |
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Value - 8.3 |
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Enjoyment - 9.3 |
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Average - 8.9 |
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nauXolo |
(2008-06-02 03:38:51) 2008-06-02 03:35:37 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I'd like to make a confession. No other anime has made me want to complete it as fast as possible - and quickly I did, as I finished 26 episodes in two days. I blame this on the adrenaline-pumping, heart-wrenching, merciless, and horribly despairing cliff-hangers. Sure the animation style maybe hard to swallow (hence I did not rate the animation), but be thankful that their faces aren't drawn more realistically, lest you feel even more empathy for the characters.
First, I want to make the disclaimer that if you want to watch this anime, be aware that NOTHING is too cruel for this anime. They will make use of any situation and turn it into the most heart-wrenching, painful experience ever. Normally, one would expect that everything will have a 'happy-ending' for the characters, because there will be X episodes left. However, it is not the case for this anime - there's no guarantee that Kaiji will make it out in one piece. So when watching this, be prepared to witness the most debasing and morale-lowering scenes you've ever witnessed in any media.
As this anime revolves around gambling, much strategy, trickery, and deceit is involved. In the beginning, our main character is a naive young-man who gets taken advantage of. However, as he repeatedly gets back-stabbed despite his optimism, we start seeing changes in his personality. There are two things in this anime that keep one watching: 1) the endless cliffhangers between episodes and 2) Kaiji's optimism and faith in mankind. So, despite this anime tackling the issue on the rift between the rich and the hopelss, there still lies a glimmer of hope. Despite my anger and frustration towards many of the characters who do not feel guilty in hurting others, Kaiji's (blind) optimism prevents one from feeling like utter crap.
This anime has four main arcs that link together and all relate to gambling large amounts of money - 1) the rock scissors paper game on a cruise ship 2) life or death walk 3) E card gambling and 4) showdown with the big dude. I found the first two to be extremely engaging and hopelessly frustrating. As we see tears streaming down characters faces, cries of agony and pain, and pangs of guilt and loss, the viewer cannot help but to feel like shit, despite no attachment to the characters. This, is where I feel like this anime is weakest. It relies so much on these horrible emotions as well as our curiosity in how the gamble turns out, that it overshadows any character development and to an extent gambling strategies. Often times, I felt like Kaiji's gambling strategies were somewhat superficial - but they did make up for it with the unpredictable actions of backstabbers and cheaters. Story is pretty much non-existent as it all revolves around money, gambling, and loss.
Hopefully, my review gave you the impression that Kaiji is not your typical (god forbid, children's) anime. With merciless gangsters who take advantage of the already down-on-their-luck people, chronic cheaters, and sadistic rich men, one cannot expect any sense of fulfillment, which is exactly why this anime is so addicting. If one argues that most animes these days dabble too much into optimistic ideals, I say that the emotions riled up by the pessimism in this anime is enough to completely overshadow all the ideal babble in all the animes everywhere. As this anime not only pulls at our nerves but rips them out, there is nothing more dark yet engaging than Gakkyo Burai Kaiji.
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2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is probably one of the most intriguing anime I have ever seen. After the first 3 or 4 episodes I was not sure if I should continue to watch the show, but my choice to pursue was by far the best I got recently. To tell you the truth, I watch the first 22 episodes in 3 days. I waited until the final episode was subbed to finish watching the season. What a good and refreshing show aimed toward adult. This show is psychological at best with full connotation to the dark side of the human nature. If you are used to Studio Ghilbi movies, you will find exactly the opposite in Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji. You find selfishness instead of honesty, you find greed instead generosity, you find hate instead of friendship and you find friendship instead… of hate. There is a part of Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji in which the dark nature of humanity cannot be ever-present. There is a place where despair can bring together peoples and Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji show exactly that in all this madness the show is all about.
Money is the center of humanity, that we want it or not, but what can happens when the richest peoples in the world do not show compassion? Instead, they are showing antipathy! Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is exactly this. Rich peoples using low class peoples in debt for their own entertainment. This is so extreme at some point that you want to puke. This is so well done that you get drown into the story. This is possible for a unique reason, THE NARRATOR! The narrator is here from the beginning to the end for building anticipation, hope and terror. Unlike all the kid show where the narrator is there to kill time, in Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji the narrator help you to understand or try guessing the plot, but the plot is so well made that you aren’t going to be able to guess most, maybe even any, of the events.
It’s not all, Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji is probably the sickest anime I have seen a while. The reason is simple, the entire story is plausible. I know the human nature from all perspective and Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji really shows the worst and the best in worst that humanity can be. Nobody is a good guy and everybody is a bad guy. This is just fantastic to see so much gray inside such a good work. I don’t believe I have seen any movies or any anime axing so much on this gray part of the human nature. Maybe one American series go this far in my opinion, Dr. House. If you like the kind lovable bad attitude that Gregory House got, you will surely enjoy Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji. We love him because he’s a bump with something particular. He’s brilliant even if he’s a loser. He’s honest even if he’s an egoist. He’s this kind of character that you earn from knowing. He’s special and that’s why the show is so good.
The art direction is also something incredible, the music, the animation and the story are so fantastic even if at first it sound fishy. You get into it because of all the strength you can found in this magnificent anime. I would not rate it as high as the highest, but it’s definitely my pick for 2007. It’s better than Serei no Moribito, Death Note and Claymore. Also, it’s fresh and totally new. I am expecting great things from the original creator Fukumoto Nobuyuki.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Pakxenon |
(2008-04-24 02:33:51) 2008-04-24 01:44:20 |
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| From the same author as Akagi, Kaiji is yet another brilliant anime about gambling in the underworld, but this time instead of edge-of-your-seat suspense after every move, you get that and more in the form of social commentary and the light of despair. More than just a series of battles of wits, Kaiji explores the human nature resulting from our current states of economy and society in first-class countries like Japan.
Being foremost a story about gambling, we are introduced to Kaiji, a debt-riddled living-in-poverty hopeless bum who is luckily chanced by an organization to rid of his life in the bottom ranks of society by playing games on what is dubbed the "Ship of Hope", or the Espoir. On the ship, Kaiji and a couple hundred others are to play a game of Rock/Paper/Scissors against each other in order to trade their debts to the unfortunate losers. The games in Kaiji are quite simple and easy to master, as R/P/S is a game anyone can get into and as a result the anime is more accessible to the likes of Mahjong. While gambling is usually associated with luck, you can get even luckier with the application of strategy, of which our Kaiji, bestowed with protagonist intelligence, [tries to] uses in order to win. Kaiji makes use of a couple good strategies, and their chance of success is what keeps you hoping that Kaiji will make it out alive. From buying out all to marking certain cards, Kaiji will always amaze you with everything he thinks of.
Kaiji, the titular character, is also one of the most dynamic and sympathetic characters created. Representing the poor-but-potential, he is easy to root for and his intelligence further solidifies his deserving of winning. But with that comes the delicate heart of the average human, which makes for a semi-realistic character who you'll cry with if he cries, and who you'll cheer for when he outsmarts his opponents. Yes, he does cry, but that does not make him any more pussy than the next person if another was put in his situation. He also has a very big heart of gold, and while it is one of his biggest virtues, it is also his biggest downfall. All this makes for the perfect protagonist, one to root for and pray that heaven takes him when he survives through his messy ordeals.
All this is just a set up for one of Kaiji's most undervalued aspect - the secrets of human nature, and specifically, how first-world economies affect the people of its societies. From Kaiji's fellow teammates aboard the Espoir to highly-respected Yakuza like Tonegawa, each antagonist reveals little by little what money does to the human state of mind, the outrageous sins committed even if on a common level, and the evilness that seeps from a man who only does it for the fun of it. Kaiji is not just about strategic outsmarting, but also the psychological meltdowns experienced when he is swept in the despair of losing. Even more gruesome than the visionary fantasies of Iwao Washizu (of Akagi), Kaiji will leave you in even more despair than what the worse Nozomu Itoshiki (of SZS) can do, drain your guts faster than a Poker match can, and above all, cringe in disgust as your own nature is revealed to you match after match.
Kaiji is more than just an anime about gambling. It is about the core of human nature in this time and wealth level, the fears that strike every middle-classman-down as they file their tax returns or pay their credit dues, and the despair that can be prevented by not going into debt or losing with life at stake. Bypass the designs with high production values, and you will not be disappointed as Kaiji leads you on a route to a future of hope.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Viewed up to ep 8
Animation : a bit simplistic, but an interesting departure from many standard japanese animes. The face treatment very much support the mood of the anime, whereas the background is a bit ignored. Little car for details.
Sound : Also pretty entertaining OP and ED, but the good work is done by the soundtrack which provides a strong backup to the drama.
Story : a quite simple story line, easy to get, but packs a lot of punch, drama level and an enjoyable plot. Clearly, the spectator attention is kept under a good pressure thanks to its pace and clever set-up.
Character : Good Character development. Psychological aspects are pretty important in this anime and they are reviewed quite well.
Value : I think this anime is in my personal top 50, and should be rewatchable.
Enjoyment : also very good, as I wan't let down so far thanks to suspense and the main character interaction with other guys. A good lesson on card games for me. Highly recommanded
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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