Kakegurui xx: The Tower of Doors

A special advance screening of Kakegurui xx Episodes 9 and 10 was held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on 8 March. Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler is a popular TV anime series about outrageous gambler Yumeko Jabami, a beautiful girl who loves the thrill of gambling. The second season Kakegurui xx began airing in January 2019.

The two episodes cover the popular ‘Tower of Doors’ arc of the anime. It is not unusual for anime to hold preview screenings of their first episodes, but it’s quite rare for anime to hold preview screenings mid-series. The popularity of this series could be easily seen by just how full the movie theater was. In addition to the screening of the episode, two stars of the series also appeared on stage: Saori Hayami and Ayaka Fukuhara. They respectively portray Yumeko Jabami and Sayaka Igarashi, who face off against each other in the Tower of Doors game. The fans at the venue gave the voice actresses a warm welcome before the episodes began on the big screen, enhanced by the cinema’s rich sound.

After the dissolution of the student council on the orders of student council president Kirari Momobami, Hyakkaou Private Academy is preparing for the council’s general election. Since the school values the ability of gambling, votes for this election are turned into gambling chips. In the midst of the election campaign, student council secretary and devoted follower of Kirari, Sayaka Igarashi, publicly challenges Yumeko to a duel. Kirari comes forward as a second of the duel and chooses the ‘Tower of Doors’ as the game. The two girls must bet the things they love most. For Yumeko that means gambling and for Sayaka it means her relationship with Kirari. It’s make or break time for Yumeko and Sayaka, who are betting the very meaning of their existence.

Saori Hayami and Ayaka Fukuhara returned to the stage after the screening and talked about what it was like to record for the ‘Tower of Doors’ arc.

The two guests then played Indian Poker on stage! Each of them was dealt a card and held it above their head so that everybody except for themselves could see their own card. This a game where players try to guess their own card and make a bet for a higher card. Special rules were applied for that day. Firstly, they could ask the fans at the venue, but the fans weren’t allowed to say any words except for ‘Oh~’. Secondly, changing the card was permitted only once. So, if they think they have a lower card than their opponent, they can change it. However, the new card could be lower than the first one. The final rule was that the loser has to put ‘nyan’ at the end of every sentence she speaks during the rest of the event as their punishment! The pair had fun on stage, with Hayami declaring some of Yumeko’s signature phrases such as ‘So, let’s go all in!’ and Fukuhara fighting back in-character as Sayaka. The fans were intensely watching this real gambling scene unfolding before them, and it was unfortunate that it ended after just one match. Hayami ended up winning the game.

After the round of Indian Poker, the pair gave their ending messages to the fans.

Fukuhara:
I’m so excited to watch the ‘Tower of Doors’ arc, to which I put my heart and soul into, with such brilliant animation and sound. I’m so happy to be with you today. The anime series Kakegurui will soon be coming to an end. Please watch it until the very last episode. I hope you enjoy the series in various ways as there are many spin-offs. Please keep watching Kakegurui… nyan.

Hayami:
I’m very happy today as it’s the first time I’ve been able to stand in front of the Kakegurui fans since the second season began airing. The story and characters have gone through a lot of development since the first season. At the beginning of the second season, I was talking with some of the staff members, including sound director Akiko Fujita, about how we were going to deal with the new season at the recording studio. We’d used up so much of our energy going all out in the first season, that we were unsure how we were going to be able to top it. However, we braced ourselves and tackled the task head-on. I think the outcome is absolutely amazing. I was performing together with so many amazing voice actors for the final episode. It was such an amazing experience that it actually gave me goose bumps. Please enjoy the anime until the very last second of the final episode. I hope you have fun with the rest of the Kakegurui franchise as well. Thank you very much for coming today.

Saori Hayami and Ayaka Fukuhara from anime Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler