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[Big One]

After graduating from high school in 1996 in Japan, Itō Kaiji moves to Tokyo to get a job, but he fails to find steady employment because the country is mired in its first recession since World War II. Depressed, he festers in his apartment, biding his time with cheap pranks, gambling, liquor and cigarettes. Kaiji is always thinking about money and his perpetual poverty frequently brings him to tears.

Kaiji's unrelenting misery continues for two years until he is paid an unexpected visit from a man named Endō, who wants to collect an outstanding debt that Kaiji has carelessly co-signed for his former co-worker. Endō gives Kaiji two options - either spend ten years to repay this outstanding debt, or board the gambling ship Espoir ("hope" in French) for one night to clear the debt. Using a con, Endō pressures Kaiji into accepting the deal, believing he will never come back from the voyage.

So I've recently had some spare time and decided to sit down and finally watch this series with a friend of mine. I've always heard about the series over the years even before the anime was made, always been curious what it was about. Now that I finally got into it all I can say is...WOW!

So, Kaiji is basically the most intense piece of media I've ever watched. This is a show that has literally had me on the edge of my seat EVERY MOMENT of the way. Usually TV shows or movies have downtime moments that build up to the more intense scenes, but Kaiji is a different beast all together. Even there slower moments have a sense of tension to them unlike anything I've ever seen. This also remains to be the only anime I've ever watched where I'm literally screaming at the screen WHEN I'M ALONE.

While I'm not finished watching Kaiji at the moment, I'm so engrossed with it right now that I have to get the word out. I didn't want to purely make this an LTTP, but rather I'm straight up recommending this amazing series.

If you like intense thrillers, in-depth looks into the human psyche, and gambling stories Kaiji is literally all that and more. Even if you don't like anime, Kaiji does what it does so well that it'll in the very least should give you the same intensity it has given me. Kaiji is one of the few anime series that I have to FORCE myself to put down. I'll repeat what I said: Watch Kaiji!

Why is his nose so big?!
It's just the manga-ka's art style, but once you see the first episode it's pretty easy to get used to you as you understand the tone and feel of the series. The amount of facial range this series has is amazing and the big noses make it very expressive.

Where can I legally watch Kaiji?
What's great is that watching this series for free is completely legal. Here's a link: http://www.crunchyroll.com/kaiji

You have to deal with ads, sure. Of course you can also try out Crunchyroll Premium for a limited time free or just subscribe to it.

 

[nynt9]

I love Kaiji. One of my favorite anime of all time. Goes insane places too. The planks, the pachinko, all the mind games... it's brilliant!

 

[Mortemis]

Heard of it a lot but never got to watching it. I may check it out soon, sounds great.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

ざわ。。。ざわ。。。

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I love Kaiji! I remember enjoying the Akagi anime as it was airing as well. I'm definitely going to make time to rewatch Kaiji though

 

[Line_HTX]

This is very suffering.

 

[Dio]

Other great series Fukumoto is famous for:

Akagi (has an anime adaptation, mahjong/ultra badass MC)

Strongest Legend Kurosawa (about an older man who is socially awkward and in a really bad place, is really heartwrenching and badass sometimes)

Buraiden Gai (a young boy gets sent to a horrid 'youth reformation facility' boot camp after being framed)

Gambling Emperor Legend Zero (a genius participating in huge gambles, a very different character from Kaiji but not perfect even though he's a genius)

 

[flintstryker]

Kaiji is awesome though I still prefer Akagi overall.

 

[thelooseteeth]

Hands down one of the best animes ever made. Love the soundtrack, too.

 

[Selddon]

FKMT is great and it warms my heart seeing some fans here the past few days.

I highly recommend reading the manga to continue the story, but waiting for new updates will make you want to cry.

 

[Ninjimbo]

How does it compare to Chihayafuru?

 

[Soriku]

Awesome anime and my favorite anime soundtrack next to Death Note (same composer).

https://youtu.be/1vv_u00Yk6w

https://youtu.be/Cb5-uoNqKcs

https://youtu.be/WroYXO1vOCM

https://youtu.be/_i15Ns1geJg

 

[marzlapin]

How does it compare to Chihayafuru?

Apples and oranges, really. They're both great though. Kaiji is more of a thriller tonally, to me it feels more similar to something like Death Note or Monster than Chihayafuru, despite those series having really different subjects. It's very tense and bleak, and Kaiji's life is suffering, basically.

 

[Tizoc]

I should rewatch this someday. Really loved it when I watched ti way back when.

 

[Lijik]

I love Kaiji. Akagi is really good too but its way less tense to me, I always feel like Akagi is gonna pull through.

 

[RoadHazard]

Not available, awwww yeah!

Story of my Swedish life.

 

[Ninjimbo]

Apples and oranges, really. They're both great though.

I keep putting off Kaiji. Maybe it's time I give it a go.

 

[Verelios]

ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA

Best opening of the season for me that year

 

[Barajas_201]

Thanks OP for reminding me to watch this and what better timing than when Gundam is on break.

 

[marzlapin]

I keep putting off Kaiji. Maybe it's time I give it a go.

I edited in a little more info, but anyway yeah, give it a shot. I didn't even like the art style and I have no strong feelings about gambling stories and I loved it.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I remember the meme that Kaiji is the moe-est anime around, which even got referenced in the season 2 commercials.

Anyway yeah, great series. The first season is better, due to more interesting games, but the second is still worth checking out. My understanding is that the manga arc after what the anime covers isn't too interesting, since it's just mahjong, which all of Akagi is already about.

 

[Big One]

I edited in a little more info, but anyway yeah, give it a shot. I didn't even like the art style and I have no strong feelings about gambling stories and I loved it.

The art style is ugly but it fits cause Kaiji is largely an ugly story. Lots of despicable shit going on.

 

[LotusHD]

I made the mistake of watching Akagi before Kaiji. Never again.

 

[Lulubop]

It can be a little long winded, but it's pretty good

 

[- J - D -]

The music in this show is really effin good.

 

[John Kowalski]

Kaiji is really moe tbh.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

I want my entire life narrated the way Kaiji is.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

ZAWA ZAWA

 

[The Last Wizard]

Isn't this story really depressing?

 

[Big One]

Isn't this story really depressing?

Yes but it's so good at gripping you everytime.

 

[Chairmanchuck]

Isn't this story really depressing?

 

[Lijik]

The art style is ugly but it fits cause Kaiji is largely an ugly story. Lots of despicable shit going on.

a lot of people dont like the art style but i love it and the way they go over the top with expressions.

 

[chaobreaker]

TFW no S3

 

[Hellix]

Too bad Hideki Taniuchi couldn't lay off the weeeeeeed. I'd like more stuff composed by him.

 

[mickcenary]

I just unknowingly watched the s01 recap at the beginning of s02e01, thinking it was s01e01.

Well, there goes that. Curse you, Crunchyroll.

 

[Big One]

I just unknowingly watched the s01 recap at the beginning of s02e01, thinking it was s01e01.

Well, there goes that. Curse you, Crunchyroll.

Nah watch it man. It's still freaking amazing throughout. I'm sure it didn't recap everything...I haven't gotten there yet, lol.

 

[Seiryoden]

Recommendation seconded. Watch Akagi too. Then read all the manga. I love Nobuyuki Fukumoto's work so much.

Zawa zawa.

Other great series Fukumoto is famous for:

I really like Gin to Kin:

corruption and cons among the elite of Japan's political and financial worlds. Its cynicism about J-politics almost matches my own

 

[Kuro]

This show drove me absolutely mad and the MC just can't fucking stop. Had to quit because of the stress. Was amazing though.

 

[RangerBAD]

Madhouse needs to adapt Zero.

 

[brawly]

No count! No count! No count!

Love Kaiji. Couldn't get into Akagi and the manga continuation of Kaiji with Majong is way too complicated for me, unfortunately.

 

[Big One]

This show drove me absolutely mad and the MC just can't fucking stop. Had to quit because of the stress. Was amazing though.

Oh yeah I agree. This show can be hard for some people to watch. It's absolutely brutal in how much Kaiji gets addicted to gambling.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Oh yeah I agree. This show can be hard for some people to watch. It's absolutely brutal in how much Kaiji gets addicted to gambling.

Watching it weekly (and not just deciding to read the manga) was SO stressful

 

[TheChaos0]

KAIJI-SAN!!!!!

Such a good show, though 1st season was a bit more interesting than the second. The second arc just drags on for way to long.

 

[Chemo]

Yep, Kaiji is pretty much one of my favourite things ever. Been rocking this avatar for years.

 

[rothgar]

Another great game theory anime is One Outs.

 

[QisTopTier]

Kaiji is both one of the smartest yet huge dumbasses in anime

 

[Permanently A]

Really great show. Loved how over the top it got. I think my favorite arc was the dice stuff in the prison.

 

[Tizoc]

Another great game theory anime is One Outs.

One outs isngreat ish we got a new season of it
The inteo is good too
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PdbunAfRweU

 

[VAD]

Kaiji is so great and so brutal. The live action movie is vastly inferior though.
I started One Outs but the production value was so weak I couldn't continue. Maybe the manga is better.

 

[Usobuko]

If you have infp tendencies in delving into human psyche and loves being exposed to several realistic character construction, give this survival manga a go.

Alice in Borderland.