Episode 4 of Kakegurui is the first of a two-part gamble that will see Saotome Mary coming back from the depths of debt hell. Or at least that’s what I assume from the title of the next episode. ‘The woman that will become a human’ is probably Mary, and if I have to bet on something, I am putting my chips on the scenario where Suzui, Mary, and Yumeko go together against the Student Council.
Japanese Title: 家畜になった女
Many new faces in Episode 4, but the one that stole the spotlight was the head of the beautification committee, Midari Ikishima. Of course, Yomotsuki Runa has her own dose of craziness, but she can’t even hold a candle to the eye-patched sensual behemoth that is Midari. Not even the stripping scene with Yumeko couldn’t par with the indirect death wish of Midari that was coupled with a very vocal masturbation scene. I don’t want to even mention Kiwatari and his laughable bullying nature. Yumeko has boys like him for breakfast.
Beyond the rape culture references, the crazy bitches, and the hints that the school is more than just a training ground for incredibly rich kids, the episode focused on getting Saotome Mary back in the game. If my memory serves me right, this was the first episode to include some light-hearted humor scenes, which I thought were put in purpose so that Mary can throw away the hide of the villain and start her new career as an evil but potentially a bit good as well sidekick to Yumeko.
A bit of touching: I wasn’t expecting the masturbation scene. Midari Ikishima is the only of the Student Council so far that is matching our Yumeko in craziness. There is a beauty to be found in watching someone letting herself free, and for Midari this kind of exhilaration, a profound moment when she will either come (and cum) alive out of this or be dead in the next click she hears, is her way of feeling alive. If you think that’s crazy, then you should look around you and watch closer this age of automata.
Mary Mary: For the first time since the beginning of the series, Saotome Mary seemed more like a protagonist than a villain. She is not a saint, of course (it seems that Sarai is the only normal person in this school) but the humor bits between her and Yumeko painted her in a more favorable light. After all, she is the victim of the most brutal student council in the history of student councils. She needs to make some proper alliances if she wants to get out of her tough spot.
Blind Man’s Bluff: is a poker variation. In the Kakegurui version, each player of the four-persons table gets 10 chips specific to that player (a color). They are specific because each chip is worth 1/10th of the owner’s declared debt. For example, Yumeko has 10 chips each work 31.000.000 yen (total debt 310 mil). The winner is not the one with the more chips, but the one whose chips are worth more.
The deck has no jokers and no jack, queen, and king (40 cards instead of 52). Each player gets one private card and one card that everyone except the player can see. There are three different combinations to have: Pair (same number), Mark (same type) or Pig (no match).
Russian Roulette: I have to agree with the dictionary that includes in the definition of the word the following sentence: ‘an activity potentially dangerous.’ If by dangerous it means loading a bullet into one chamber of a six-bullet revolver, spinning the cylinder, and then pulling the trigger, then yes, it sounds potentially dangerous. When it comes to lethal games, this is the most well-known around the world.
Parenting: I try not to think too hard about things that are not messing with me enjoying an anime, but I have to admit that I wondered if the parents know about the situation in the school. This episode indirectly admitted that they do. Not only has the school had connections to politicians and entrepreneurs, but their sons and daughters are attending the school which is not just an academy neither an enforced training ground: it is the largest indirect casino. They are actually betting on their children. Fortunes can be made in the school, and if one of them is successful in this environment, then their position in society is already established. It’s also a way to create advantageous opportunities with the children who are a lost cause, by placing them under the Life Contract, but that’s a plot mechanism I want to learn more about.
I am sure that Yumeko has a plan, and that involves getting Mary out of her difficult situation. For what reason, I’m not sure. Yumeko, however, is not evil. She is crazy and she might have went a bit too far in her crazy moments, but she is more neutral than she seems. As I have mentioned in my previous reviews, Yumeko seems to be an impartial force of a perverse sense of justice. She also seems to gamble just for the adrenaline rush. She has no interest in power plays and asserting dominance like the Student Council does. Yumeko is a force of nature. She will just swipe away everything that stands in her way.
And then let’s kick the butt of the Student Council. I admit I feel a little sad that this anime is just 12 episodes, because since this is a manga adaptation, it means that we will probably not get a full story. Yet, I want to see how far Yumeko will go.
Did you like Episode 4 of Kakegurui? Let us know in the comments below by using either the forum or the Facebook tab! Join us in our new forum and let’s talk about our favorite series! Don’t forget to check the rest of our Summer 2017 reviews!
NEXT TIME: The Woman Who Turned Into a Human (人間になった女)
Official Site: http://kakegurui-anime.com/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/kakegurui_anime
The first season of the new year is just one month away from its finale. It was a great start with many amazing titles that made these past months worth the extra hours we put in front of our sets. Now, it is time for the cold wind to give way to the pink hues of the sakura tree and for the Winter 2018 season to give the anime baton to Spring 2018.
