It’s tough to feel lost in life and not know which direction to move in. Kaiji uses this desperate, mundane, yet, realistic problem to portray its characters and the situations they face.
It shows secret events where people with heavy debts gamble using massive amounts of borrowed money, hoping to escape from those traps. At the same time, they are of course at risk of falling into not just much higher debt but also enslavement or even death.
Kaiji is the ultimate anime that deals with nail-biting mind games and keeps you on edge throughout the series.
1. Release Order
I. TV Series
- Season 1: Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (2007)
- Episodes: 26
- Season 2: Kaiji: Against All Rules (2011)
- Episodes: 26
II. Manga
- Part 1: Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji (1996-1999)
- Volumes: 13
- Chapters: 158
- Part 2: Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji (2000-2004)
- Volumes: 13
- Chapters: 134
- Part 3: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji (2004-2008)
- Volumes: 13
- Chapters: 131
- Part 4: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: Kazuya-hen (2009-2013)
- Volumes: 10
- Chapters: 100
- Part 5: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: One Poker-hen (2013- 2018)
- Volumes: 16
- Chapters: 255
- Part 6: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24 Oku Dasshutsu-hen (ongoing)
III. Manga One-Shot
- Kaiji Gaiden (1997)
3. Where Does the Anime End in the Manga?
Season 1: Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor adapts Part 1: Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji and Season 2 adapts Part 2: Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji. So, if you want to continue Kaiji after completing the anime, start from Part 3: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji.
The anime accurately adapts events from the manga, and you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything!
4. Watch + Read Order of Kaiji
- Season 1: Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
- Season 2: Kaiji: Against All Rules
- Part 3: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji
- Part 4: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: Kazuya-hen
- Part 5: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: One Poker-hen
- Part 6: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24 Oku Dasshutsu-hen
5. Conclusion
The recommended order for enjoying the complete Kaiji series is first watching the two seasons and then reading from Part 3. If you wish to read the entire manga, you’re free to do that, but then there’s no point in watching the anime.
Kaiji Gaiden is a non-canon one-shot and can be skipped.
6. Quick Review
The story of Kaiji starts with the universal problem of being young and extremely broke. The situation quickly accelerates to a point where the main character, Kaiji, finds himself in the underworld. He has no other option except for gambling to get rid of a massive amount of debt.
The fact that Kaiji has no particular talent in gambling and only relies on extraordinary ability to survive makes the series enjoyable. He analyses every situation runs up the numbers, breakdowns his problems piece by piece, and gradually tries to claw his way back to regular life.
The art style and animation of Kaiji are not conventionally eye-catching. This is because the world depicted is a harsh and cruel place where human lives have a monetary value. The art looks unsettling because that is the nature of this world.
Kaiji is a masterpiece and is unlike any other Shonen or gambling anime. It is a must-watch even if you don’t specifically watch gambling anime.
7. About Kaiji
Kaiji is a manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. It began publishing in February 1996. The anime first aired in 2007.
The plot follows Kaiji, who moves to Tokyo after graduating high school in hopes of finding a job. Due to the recession faced by Japan after the Second World War, employment is sparse and under-paying.
Kaiji falls into a debt trap after co-signing a loan for his former co-worker. Desperate to get rid of the loan, he decides to gamble instead of serving ten years of enslavement. The road to gambling is a hard one and with low chances of success. Kaiji must use his wits to gamble the way out of his troubles.
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