(L) Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji

[Kanon]

Episode 21 was great as always. It was nice to see Tonegawa and Kaiji's role reversed, this time Tonegawa is the one hesitating and shitting his pants while dancing in the palm of Kaiji's hand. Kaiji even went as far as mocking him !

[Highfirex]

Possible Spoiler:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SrSZ...eature=related

I love how they made real video pachinko(gambling) games before the anime adaptation.

With some girls to help us with the game play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d2Bi...eature=related

This one features more pachinko and maybe more spoilers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lI2_...eature=related

[Chrono Helix]

Oh, so they're reusing the apparatus from his other ear? Didn't realise that.

[gaguri]

I must say, episodes 19 and 20 were really good. For a moment, I really believed Tonegawa was reading Kaiji's moves. It's no secret that there are certain professions, such as psychoanalysts and detectives, involves reading people's body language and background in order to infer all kinds of informations. Then Kaiji's move to counter cheating...wow. Ok, his plan should have been obvious if you think about it, the way he asked for another person's help in another room, but such a bizarre image didn't register through my brain. I guess this is why I like Kaiji's character over Akagi's. Once I get to know Akagi, I am hardly surprised or impressed by his reckless actions, but Kaiji has still managed to surprise me, and makes me rooting for him.

I didn't like episode 21 though. Kaiji's plan was so obvious this time, he literally spelled out his plan near the end of episode 20, when he said he was going to use Tonegawa's observations and deliberately letting him notice his swapping and spilling. Listening to all kinds of crap spewing from Tonegawa's mouth for 20 minutes wasn't very exciting, not to mention that we are 99% sure of this outcome.

And still not liking the narrator.

[SuperKnuckles]

I don't think the plan was that clear. Apparently Kaiji made the illusion of a swap but didn't, just to throw Tonegawa off track with his own deceitful nature compared to Kaiji's more straightforwardness and honesty in his own game. Basically in the end, it could have gone either way. Kaiji could've utilized the extra cards or not utilize them.

As for the narrator, I actually consider the guy to be one of the best narrators in anime history.

[gaguri]

No shit he didn't swap the card. If he did, he would be dead next time I see him. And are we going to watch next two episodes of his memories as a tribute to his glorious life as a bum?

The point isn't about whether Kaiji actually swapped the card or not. The point is that Kaiji identified Tonegawa's tendency to observe and analyse people, and has come up with a plan using that element. Of course, this plan doesn't have 100% chance of success because he doesn't know whether Tonegawa is going to act according to Kaiji's plan. What we do know from the flow of this game, is that Tonegawa blablablabled all sorts of strategic reasons why he's going to win to create suspense (more like none), and next episode Kaiji will rise triumphantly as a shock of the century, and spew his own series of explanations on how it went just as planned (which I'm sure will be just as exciting as the narrator who managed to maintain subtlety of a sledge-hammer).

[outcast_within]

if i do this
he will think it's that
but after some time he will think it will not be that
and will do this
and so i will do that

[sangofe]

Holy shit, Triad released 22 already!

[KholdStare]

Spoiler for Episode 22, just in case:

Er...I'm not sure if I want to watch the rest of episode 22... This is very disturbing and...totally against my religion.

[whitepearl]

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

As for the narrator, I actually consider the guy to be one of the best narrators in anime history.

Word.

Tachiki > *

[SuperKnuckles]

Originally Posted by gaguri

No shit he didn't swap the card. If he did, he would be dead next time I see him. And are we going to watch next two episodes of his memories as a tribute to his glorious life as a bum?

The point isn't about whether Kaiji actually swapped the card or not. The point is that Kaiji identified Tonegawa's tendency to observe and analyse people, and has come up with a plan using that element. Of course, this plan doesn't have 100% chance of success because he doesn't know whether Tonegawa is going to act according to Kaiji's plan. What we do know from the flow of this game, is that Tonegawa blablablabled all sorts of strategic reasons why he's going to win to create suspense (more like none), and next episode Kaiji will rise triumphantly as a shock of the century, and spew his own series of explanations on how it went just as planned (which I'm sure will be just as exciting as the narrator who managed to maintain subtlety of a sledge-hammer).

I'm pretty sure the entire effect of the anime isn't working on you. If they aimed for pure realism and a realist's view of gambling, there won't be any of the theatrics or the over the top nature that makes the show worth watching (at least for me).

I do think the show has the potential to divide the viewers, but I don't see anything truly fatally wrong with the show. For what it does, put ho-hum gambling to ridiculous paranoia and gravitas, I think it succeeds way more than it doesn't.

[Sorrow-K]

Ep 22

One word for this episode: epic.

[gaguri]

Knuckles dude do you ever read what you quote? I talked about how the show's flow, the way it unfolds the story, the way it made itself boring and never about realism or its theatric elements. In fact, I specifically said in that quote that what should be realistic in a gambling isn't the point. And if the 'entire effect of the anime' isn't working for me like you're so sure of it (since you obviously know how I'm going to react to a show), then I wouldn't be saying how great some of the moments in Kaiji were. I have no problem with the over the top part as long as they're used effectively, as Kaiji has done many times.

[SuperKnuckles]

I guess that's it then. I find no real flaws with the way it has gone for the last five episodes personally. And we probably disagree on this, but I think the narration was crucial in helping that. Maybe even more so than it was for Akagi because that anime was a lot about technobabble with the game terms.

For the ep itself, I did feel a bit sorry for Tonegawa. It is understandable in how he feels superior because I've had moments like hat too and I'm sure most people have at some point. But he definitely is not a pure sadist like the Chairman. Though as it may be, I have moments just like the Chairman too.

[Kanon]

Ep 22: HOLY SHIT. That chairman is fucking crazy, and Tonegawa proves he's a true man. I would have almost felt sorry for him if he hadn't been such an asshole.

[noob3d]

Episode 22 went as I thought but now I'm worried as to what may come next.I fear that this might end up like Akagi where the last episode left me in a serious cliffhanger =.= and it was just getting good.I really hope they do a second season if that is the case..Strangely, after all the crap Tonegawa put Kaiji through I still felt sorry for him this episode.Its a little harsh but I think what the chairman said about 'sincerity' is true although I disagree that everybody is like that.

[Onizuka-GTO]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

Spoiler for Episode 22, just in case:

Er...I'm not sure if I want to watch the rest of episode 22... This is very disturbing and...totally against my religion.

understandable, even i found it disturbing.

But it'll be against my religion if I don't watch it.

*worship at the feet of the Goddess of Animedom*

[Holy Knight]

Man this ambition that Kaiji has at the end pissed me off. This is the same reason gamblers stay in debt. You'd think after all of that he'd really have the mindset into quitting, but nooooo.

I just hope his reasoning to go back into the fray is meaningful, and that he doesn't regret what hes about to do. I'm getting tired of the crying Kaiji, especially now that he's come on top for once. If he's going down, he'd better do it in a blaze of glory.

[Jazzrat]

Tonegawa sure 1upped Kaiji on the GAR scale. 4 more episode on the final game? Damn i cant wait. The series kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the series so far, I have no doubt that the last few episode will keep up the tension with it's zawazawa-ness

[KholdStare]

Well I actually finished it, and it was not as disturbing as I thought, since Tonegawa didn't scream or anything, but just passed out.

What I can't believe is 1) why did Kaiji let the others hold his money and 2) why didn't the others tried to pull something. I'm pretty sure the chairman doesn't care if someone stole Kaiji's money, but this goes completely against the first arc, where humans completely change their emotions as soon as they get the upper hand. As it stands now, Kaiji is probably 26 episodes unless they extend it. I'm worried if 4 episodes is enough to carry out Kaiji's plans, or if not, I hope they go beyond 26 like in Death Note.

Oh, and the religion thing, that was totally an InuYasha reference if anyone got it.