If you’re a fan of gambling and sports betting movies (like the ones depicted with sbobet), then you have to watch Kaiji.
Never heard of it? It’s a Japanese live-action film based on a manga (Japanese comics) of the same name. Written by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, it’s a top-rated series in its home country.
The film is a trilogy, with the original movie Kaiji (in the U.K., it’s titled Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler)released in October 2009. It stars Tatsuya Fujiwara in the lead role, a well-known Japanese actor who also starred in other anime adaptations such as Death Note and Battle Royale.
The producers of Kaiji released two other films in the series. They were Kaiji 2, released in 2011, and Kaiji: Final Game, in 2019. Both movies differ from the manga in terms of outcomes and choices made by Kaiji, but the settings and events remain roughly the same.
The film trilogy tells the story of Kaiji, a young man with a penchant for gambling and high stakes. After he graduates from high school, he moves to the city, where he tries to find a job. Unable to do so and becoming increasingly frustrated, he turns to gambling and drinking.
As expected, Kaiji ends up with a mountain of debt. The debt collector, Rinko Endo, then offers him a choice. He can either spend ten years working to pay off his loan or board the cruise ship Espoir and play on a high stakes game where he can potentially earn enough to pay off his loan, possibly even more.
Endo, however, has a deeper motive. He is conning Kaiji, believing he will never survive the night.
The gambling games presented in Kaiji are all unique and do a great job of recreating the thrill and excitement of a casino floor. Chief of these games is a twist on the rock-paper-scissors game, where hand gestures are represented instead by cards. The game involves lots of reasoning, cunning, and mind games, and it is a joy to watch.
However, the final game is the best of them all. A unique card game with very high stakes that will have you gripping until the last, winning hand. The game is particularly clever but still logical.
And therein lies the strength of the movie. It explores the psychological side of gambling without making it look too unbelievable. The way any of the players win in the games makes sense, with the occasional lucky streak inserted. It’s thrilling and satisfying to watch, like watching a World Series of Poker final.
However, the film does suffer from subpar acting. The lead character, Tatsuya Fujiwara, is a hit or miss. You’ll feel his raw emotion at some points in the film, but in other parts, he falls flat. Some of the special effects in this movie also leave a lot to be desired.
Nevertheless, for any gambling enthusiast, the movie will feel very familiar and relatable with plenty of thrilling gaming action. It’s for this reason alone that I highly suggest watching this movie.
