I recently stumbled across an intruiging anime while browsing through Netflix. It’s called Kakegurui, or Compulsive Gambler in English. While I’m not a person who typically enjoys gambling, I decided to give this one a try. Watching one 20-minute episode wouldn’t hurt, right?
Turns out that I didn’t regret it. Kakegurui turned out to be an anime centered around the psychology of gambling. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I was surprised to find that there were several key insights which could be gained from the show. I thought it would be fun to share a few noteworthy ones below (this is by no means an exhaustive list).
- Be observant. Don’t take everything at face value. Learn to question, to criticize, to spot patterns in situations. Sometimes the most obvious answer isn’t always the best one.
- Be passionate. Yumeko, the protagonist in Kakegurui, was driven by a core desire to enjoy challenging, stimulating games. That was what inspired and motivated each decision she made throughout the show. And she went all in. She was fully committed, she didn’t hesitate or doubt herself. She went and took what she wanted.
- Know you allies. Recognize and appreciate their skills, and determine how they complement yours. Trust them. Grow and win together.
- Be creative. Think out of the box. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things, even if they seem strange or unorthodox in the beginning. Figure out what works for you. Through this, you’ll learn more about the situation and improve your future responses.
- It’s okay to take risks. Provided that you understand precisely what the consequences are, that is. How much are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goal? What are your boundaries? Know this, and work with it.
- Trust yourself and your abilities. Don’t let emotions or fear of judgement affect you or the decisions you make. Learn to tune out the white noise.
- Have more fun! Don’t take life too seriously. Yumeko is always smiling, even when she loses a game. She focuses on learning and planning her next move. Her goal is not to win, but to enjoy the process, the game itself. She’s fully in the present moment.
I didn’t expect to be this impressed by Kakegurui, or to have taken away this much. It’s definitely an anime that should be more appreciated. Aside from providing unique perspectives (the highschool in which the story is set is essentially a representation of modern society), each episode brings stimulating and innovative new challenges to the players. The show introduces a multitude of characters with varying backgrounds, personalities, skillsets, and methods. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns throughout. The plot is interesting, though it’s not the main focus of the show. That, of course, is the gambling experience itself.
