With multiple anime adaptations, live-action feature films and television series, Kakegurui is a manga that has seen numerous adaptations. And now, the Netflix live-action Kakegurui, Bet, is giving it one more. Kakegurui is one of the best examples of ecchi coming to life in a thrilling battle anime that just so happens to do it all through gambling. In a prep school where the rich make others their dogs as they grind them into debt, a new compulsive gambler enters the scene and changes it all.
Bet is the Netflix live-action American adaptation of Kakegurui, a manga written initially by Homura Kawamoto. Now, we’ve seen the first information about the show. The synopsis from Netflix is straightforward:
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Bet follows the students at a boarding school for the global elite, where underground gambling determines the school’s hierarchy. When Yumeko, a mysterious transfer student, arrives, her gambling prowess puts her in the crosshairs of the powerful Student Council, while her secret quest for revenge threatens to upend the school’s status quo entirely.
While Kakegurui is deeply based on the specific role that gambling and Debt have in Japan, this American adaptation is removing the cultural specificity. However, with DraftKings commercials airing every 10 minutes during any sports program, it’s hard to argue that gambling doesn’t have a significant presence in how the US views things.
And while some may be apprehensive given Netflix’s track record in adapting anime, 2023’s One Piece was both a critical and fan success. That alone leaves the door open for Bet to do something unique and all on its own. And if we go by aesthetics, Miku Martineau as the choice for Bet’s protagonist is pretty close to Yumeko.
Who is involved with the Netflix live-action Kakegurui?
While Netflix didn’t list the mangaka of the original series, Homura Kawamoto, in their production credits, you can see the talent involved with the Netflix live-action Kakegurui.
- Director: Simon Barry (Warrior Nun)
- Developed for Television by: Simon Barry
- Executive Producers: Simon Barry, Jeff F. King, David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Jon Rutherford, Nick Nantell
- Cast: Miku Martineau (Kate), Ayo Solanke (Clown in a Cornfield), Eve Edwards, Clara Alexandrova, Hunter Cardinal, Anwen O’Driscoll (American Gods), Aviva Mongillo, Laura Afelskie, Dorian Giordano, Emma Elle Paterson, Ryan Sutherland, Peter Outerbridge
- Format: 10 x 30 min episodes
- Production Company: Boat Rocker
When does Bet release?
Bet will release exclusively on Netflix on May 15, 2025.
