Who is Kakegurui? Posted Oct 19, 2021
Kakegurui is a multimedia series that originated with the manga series of the same name, Kakegurui, that featured an interesting storyline and really showcased games with personality. Kakegurui was written by Homura Kawamotoon in 2013, and illustrated by Tooru Naomura. The manga has since been distributed month to month in Square Enix's Gangan Joker anthology magazine.
The manga was then readapted into an animated series produced by the animation studio MAPPA that began circulating in 2017. Much to the delight of fans, a second season, Kakegurui ××, was decided upon and broadcasted in January of the following year.
The plot revolves around Hyakkaou Private Academy, a high school with an odd curriculum, for the privileged kids of prominent and affluent families across Japan. It's not the standard athletic ability or being book smart that makes you stand out; it's being able to read your opponent, then decipher and perfect the art of the deal. What better way to sharpen those abilities than with a thorough and educational gambling syllabus? At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the victors live like kings, and the losers are made to struggle in their day-to-day lives. However, things change when Yumeko Jabami moves to Hyakkaou Private Academy and shows the other children what a hotshot truly looks like.

This series was so popular that additional series spin-offs Kakegurui Twin, Kakegurui Midari, and Kakegurui (Kakkokari) were soon released. Keep reading to learn all about who Kakegurui is and what the spin-offs are about. Take a look!
Who is the Main Character in Kakegurui?
With the rise in popularity of anime series, Netflix has figured out how to both buy the rights to well-known classic shows as well as create their own unique critically-acclaimed series. From the record-breaking Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba to other works of art like Neon Genesis Evangelion and even Naruto, Netflix has developed a wide range of anime shows of various genres.
Probably the greatest aspect of anime is the ensemble cast, with numerous characters created and added in regularly for you to root for, love, or despise. Haikyuu!, for example, is a series about volleyball that follows a large cast of high school athletes. A family with over 20 members makes up just a fraction of the “fruit basket" cast, and even a show such as Assault on Titan adds new main characters in almost every other episode.
And now onto the real topic of discussion - another famous Netflix series is the extraordinary gambling anime called "Kakegurui," also with a huge ensemble cast. The intriguing series is set in an exclusive boarding school called Hyakkaou Private Academy, where affluent students subjugate their less wealthy friends, known as Pets, and force them to act as their servants. The best way to change your social standing isn't through the average academic and social accomplishments like good grades or athletic achievements, but rather through enthusiastic gambling.

Since Kakegurui follows many students, it could be somewhat difficult to discern who the main character is. However, if you watch closely enough, there is most certainly one specific character at the center of the show.
Yumeko Jabami as the Main Character
Despite the enormous cast integral to Kakegurui, Yumeko Jabami (voiced by Saori Hayami in the Japanese variant and Erika Harlacher in English) stands apart as the main protagonist. We meet Yumeko in the initial few moments of the first episode when she is introduced to her class as a transfer student. Another student in the class named Ryōta Suzui (voiced by Tatsuya Tokutake and Griffin Burns) is entrusted with giving Yumeko a tour of the school, and this is where Yumeko learns that Ryōta is one of the lower-positioned Pets. He explains to her how vital gambling is in the school system. Little does Ryōta realize that Yumeko enjoys gambling, and before long, we learn exactly how good she is.
While Yumeko is unquestionably the main character in Kakegurui, the various other characters are still significant to the story. A few of the other more important characters include the class president Kirari Momobami (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro and Michelle Ruff), the rich yet insecure Itsuki Sumeragi (voiced by Yuki Wakai and Erica Mendez), the calculating Mary Saotome (voiced by Minami Tanaka and Kira Buckland), and the conniving Midari Ikishima (voiced by Mariya Ise and Sarah Anne Williams).
So, if you’re looking for a show to watch that includes a perplexing, hard-to-understand protagonist, Kakegurui might be your next wonderful watch. Plus, additional series spin-offs such as Kakegurui Twin, Kakegurui (Kakkokari), and Kakegurui Midari have been in the publication from 2015, shifting the focus onto different characters from the primary series.
Kakegurui Twin
Kakegurui Twin is a spin-off series that began serialization in Gangan Joker in 2015, on September 19th. The series is illustrated by Katsura Saiki and written by Homura Kawamoto. The basic plot revolves around a young girl, Mary Saotome, born into an ordinary, unassuming family who passed her transfer assessments a year before Yumeko moved to Hyakkaou Private Academy, and who now attends the school. Although the school she now attends has an arbitrary and strange law, the Baptism of Gambling, she becomes Yumeko’s "twin", and the curtain opens on Mary's gambling mania.

Kakegurui Midari
Kakegurui Midari is a spin-off series that was first serialized in Gangan Joker in 2017. The series is illustrated by Yūichi Hiirag and written by Homura Kawamoto, and it was made into four volumes that were released up until June 22nd, 2020. Kakegurui Madari centers around a completely new character, Ayame Nureba, and her relationships and interactions with Midari Ikishima that develop soon after she joins the Student Council and becomes the head of the Beautification Council in the year preceding the principal story.
Kakegurui (Kakkokari)
Kakegurui (Kakkokari) is a parody series that also highlights different characters from the original story and the other popular spin-offs. Its serialization began in December 2016. It was supervised by Homura Kawamoto and illustrated by Taku Kawamura, and the series is still going strong with eight volumes.
Although Kakegurui is a widely popular anime series, it has received some backlash for the way it sexualizes high school girls. There have also been claims that the show perpetuates misogynistic views as only the female characters are designed or shown in a highly sexualized light. With that in mind, and for all its popularity and accolades, when watching this show, you should proceed with caution and weigh its problematic themes against its creative genius before considering it one of your favorite anime shows.