With plenty of history throughout modern times, a live-action version of an anime series or show is nothing new in Japanese cinema which is where Tsutomu Hanabusa‘s version of the gambling series comes from, as a sequel to two seasons of a live-action TV drama. After being on the festival circuit for a while, this now makes its way to American audiences with its premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
“Kakegurui” screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival:
Transferring to the elite Hyakkaou Private Academy, new student Yumeko Jabami (Minami Hamabe) is determined to subvert the trope about the school from determining your grades based on how well you perform at the gambling table. While there, she faces opposition from student council president Kirari Momobami (Elaiza Ikeda) who is also dealing with a battle against Amane Murasame (Hio Miyazawa), the priest-like leader of a campus-based cult called The Village, who have denounced the gambling-based culture that permeates the rest of the school. As the games continue to grow for each one and the stakes continue to grow, the fate of their future lives is dependent on the outcome of a match between the parties.
Despite it's best attempts, “Kakegurui” doesn't stand out all that much. Much of this is due to the inherent inability to really connect to the story from writer/director Hayabusa who fails to offer any kind of immersion point. The story is about the lives of a group of spoiled, rich teens in a high-school focused solely on the success of their personal gambling skills which is a hard sell to anyone unfamiliar with the original manga inspiration. The over-the-top nature of this setup, complete with its own set of cliques and rules for how to stay in the school, living on campus and how to proceed there, all tend to come off with an incredulous air that's hard to get behind. With none of the characters somewhat grounded enough for an identification point to care about this alternate universe, the film becomes a slough due to its overlong length and lack of central identification figure.
That factor continues into the other issue with the inability to care about the actors due to their characterization. Yumeko is really the only close factor with an earnestness during the card-games which is supposedly used to demonstrate her skill at the game, but beyond that hardly anything stands out. Kirari is a stereotypical cold-hearted, ruthless leader ruling over everything with an iron fist and a steely determination to hold on to a status quo based on tradition making for a one-note figure. Amane is a singularly one-note individual equated to a hippie with a carefree attitude and approach that grows tiresome as the film goes on, which can also be said of the various lackeys. Running the gamut from dramatic, stoic-faced henchmen to melodramatic shouting and continuous deranged mood swings, it's not often you get a chance to sympathize with anyone, which helps to further the inaccessible nature.
Where “Kakegurui” works is in the sole visualization of the wild and crazy manga style present in the original adaptation. As director Hanabusa employs scores of visual flourishes, not just with cartoonish aspects from a stressed-out individual causing their eyes to pop out of their face, or the useless insert scenes where characters jump over a group of people to land with a series of fast quick-cutting camera angles and editing that looks far more impressive a scene like this should require. There's also the highly elaborate gambling rooms. The high-end design work and vibrant colors are impressive and go a long way towards creating a visually dynamic universe for viewers who are able to get into the film. This is the lone likeable element for the movie and makes for a tough sell here.
As a highly-visual and over-the-top manga experience, “Kakegurui” manages to work with quite likable aspects that get overlooked when viewers can't get invested in the subject matter. Fans of the manga or just general those who appreciate this style in their films will be the most appreciative of this film while those who can't enjoy this kind of film without any kind of entry point should heed caution
