Kakegurui Twin [Anime Review]

A Different, Yet Familiar Flavor of Kakegurui

When Kakegurui manga first hit the shelves back in 2014, it was an instant hit. After all, it manages to bring something unique and fresh into what is basically a death game story. You could even say that Homura Kawamoto-sensei brought this dusty, niche genre to the modern audience. The feedback from the fans for its anime adaptation was overwhelmingly positive as well.

That is why in 2015, Kawamoto-sensei created a spin-off series featuring one of the characters from the original series and called it Kakegurui Twin. And now, MAPPA studio and Netflix have finally released an anime adaptation of this spin-off series. So is it as good as the original one? Does it bring anything new to the table? Let’s find out through this review of the Kakegurui Twin anime mini-series.

Discussion Time

Kakegurui Twin is the story of Mary Saotome’s first year as a student at the elite high school called Hyakkaou Private Academy. She doesn’t come from a wealthy family, so she has to work really hard to be able to transfer to this high-class school, hoping that she can build a better future there.

Unfortunately, she quickly learns the true gambling nature of the school. She tasted a humiliating and devastating defeat by one of her classmates on the first day. Since then, she has promised herself to never lose again. As a matter of fact, her ambition to sit at the top of the school burns even brighter now. So begins Mary’s hellish journey as she navigates her way through this ruthless gambling den.

1. A Different Flavors of Kakegurui

Since both Kakegurui and Kakegurui Twin were created by the same author and produced by the same studio, you can find tons of similarities between the original and this spin-off. After all, the basic premise of the story is still the same.

The biggest difference would be the main character. But that is all it took to turn the story into a completely different Kakegurui. After all, rather than the calm yet reckless Yumeko Jabami, we get the ambitious yet easily-disturbed Mary Saotome.

Both series may center around high-stake gambling through different varieties of games, but the way Mary approaches those games are completely different than Yumeko. After all, one plays simply to enjoy the game, while the others play to win. This dynamic makes Kakegurui Twin have different flavors than the original Kakegurui. Both series are still delicious chocolate, but one is playful milk chocolate with almonds, while the other is straightforward dark chocolate.

2. A Highly Stylistic Visual

This is one of the stand-out features not only of Kakegurui Twin but also of the original Kakegurui. The original manga is already illustrated beautifully by Kawamoto-sensei, but MAPPA studio manages to add another layer of flavor to not only make the animation look beautiful, but also have its own unique style.

The biggest artistic choice that stands out right from the minute you see the first episode is the lighting and the color choices. Kakegurui Twin has incredibly sharp light and bright colors in almost every scene, with the most common colors being red and yellow.

It creates a unique visual that makes it look as if most of the scene takes place during the sunset. And you won’t find any muted, pastel, or soft colors here. Everything looks sharp and saturated. It will force you to pay close attention to everything that is happening in the scene.

1. Fast And Complex

Similar to the previous point, this one is not only limited to Kakegurui Twin, but also to the original Kakegurui, and even to most Death Game genres for that matter. The issue is a torrent of different games with rather complex rules coming at you at the speed of light.

If it was the manga, you would need to read a hefty wall of texts for every game that the characters play. Some may be quite simple, but there are some properly complex games here that might require you to rewind the episode a couple of times to make sure you understand the rules. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then this series is not for you.

Kakegurui Twin manages to offer a different flavor of Kakegurui while still presenting lots of familiar concepts that make the viewers fall in love with the original series in the first place. The games are exciting, the characters are interesting, and the visuals are mind-blowing. And since it is a spin-off and a prequel, you can watch this series without having to watch the original first. So it can be the perfect getaway for those of you who have never watched Kakegurui before. So be sure to check it out.

Have you watched Kakegurui Twin? If you have, what do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Harry is a manga addict first and freelance writer second. While he hasn’t read every manga under the sun, he has read an unhealthy amount of Shounen and Seinen manga. When he’s not writing in Honey’s Anime, you can find him in his personal blog: MangaDigest.com.

Previous Articles