Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
bozophobic
Kaiji S2...Kaiji has become my favorite anime of all time. This is what the anime medium needs more of.
Engaging, does use narration a lot and is slow-moving but the stakes are high, emotions are off the charts. Keeps my ass in my seat and my eyes glued to the screen practically 24/7, something that almost no anime can make me do...and none have been as consistent as Kaiji.
The most entertainment I have gotten from an anime overall for sure.
The ending of the first season was moving towards this, but it's actually pretty well-written how Kaiji somehow regresses in this season, instead of progressing.
He had lived a boring monotonous life for a while and has now only started to have "fun", regardless if that fun is life or death. So now he finds it hard to play normally, he's addicted to…
Read at the sourceGARAHADDO
The first half of this season presented us with the best arc of the Kaiji (anime) saga, just to be hit with a contrived, excruciatingly-long snoozefest. The tension, clever details, and emotional rollercoaster throughout are starkly contrasted between the first and second halves. The first arc effectively showed Kaiji's despair at the prospect of decades of work in a forced labor camp and the resulting psychological war of fulfilling his base desires amidst a grueling life versus the hopes of escape by building up cash. The twists and turns of this arc's game are paced well and the emotional catharsis after is the show at its peak. And yet, the second half forgoes much of the boons of the first as described above, and relies too much on repetition. It feels like a whole five episodes, if n…
Read at the sourceGovian
Does Kaiji, as an anime, have its issues? Yes, absolutely, including the first arc with some horrifically boring characters and a lack of depth, but when you get past that, it's like being able to release a thunderous shit from your ass after downing the most unhealthy fast food you've ever eaten. That is to say, while Kaiji isn't inherently the most depth-filled show and will never rival something like One Piece in its ambitions, it's still a very competent story with an adaptation that's superb. The music and voice acting are exceptional, the narrative pulls you back and forth like you're being spit-roasted, and for the love of god, Kaiji is one of the best protagonists to watch. As I said, there are flaws at the start of the series (not this season specifically), but when you get past t…
Read at the sourceNkalaB
Against all rules aka Season 2 took its strengths from the previous season despite some flaws such as the following below:
- Mr. Endo randomly has financial issues
- Mr. Ishida's son doesn't say or do much to receive what he gets at the ending
- the extended pacing of the Ichijo saga at the casino, whereby the beginning half of it and the conclusive side of it should've been compacted into a shorter length of one episode each.
But those flaws don't generally ruin what makes Kaiji Against All Rules fun to watch. The Pachiniko machine was a pleasure to see due to its creative way to have tension through the use of clever tactics to manipulate the outcome of the balls going through the machine to get to the Jackpot plate. A lot of thought must have been put into how to deliver the intense pl…
Read at the sourceKranst
The second season of Kaiji: Against All Rules delves further into the abyss of addiction and over-indulgence, fueled by gambling and consumption. It is a vicious battle of self-control. We see attempts at forming bonds despite past trauma. These underlying themes subtly weave themselves into the next two arcs. While character development is tackled well, the desperation of his situation increasingly climbs to dangerous levels. It is a do-or-die underdog story. The build-up and planning are exciting, potential, unbelievable comebacks are written in believable ways, and fulfilled expectations, in addition to satisfying payoffs, are undoubtedly earned. This was a fun ride from start to finish.
Read at the sourcesparxileste
Score: 8.9 (rounded up to 9)
This show delivers. Season 2 is even better than season 1.
Subject/concept: Gambling and "survival" against the odds - already interesting. Features suspense and drama.
Visuals: Exceptionally unique style, impactful and unforgettable, bespoke. Facilitates the message and also very entertaining.
Plot & progression: Linear, gripping, never sure what will happen next, keeps giving you surprises.
Philosophy/morality/message: Excellent delivery. Impactful and memorable.
Characters: Diverse array of characters that are realistic, relatable and interesting. MC carries the message. Transformation is brought about in many.
World: Contained, straight forward, realistic, underground. Experience: Exciting, encouraging, entertaining, stimulating, emotionally moving.…
Read at the sourceTearsOfVanity
Season 2 is a big change of pace and requires a higher attention span. The majority of this season is composed not of flashy mind games, but of something more akin to a heist arc. I can see why it's divisive - someone who enjoyed Season 1 isn't necessarily inclined to enjoy Season 2. In terms of portraying pure hopelessness and yearning, S2 might just surpass Season 1 though.
Kaiji, to some degree, was about portraying people left behind by life - those unsure of what direction to take. Season 2 might be the payoff of that ideology - Kaiji enters a sort of personal hell and has to fight tooth and nail just to return to normalcy.
I thoroughly enjoyed the animation, pacing, and tension. On a more personal note, I really relate to the feeling of having to deal with compounded problems. That…
Read at the sourceMrMaha
They drag pachinko episode too long, that i lose interest on this anime, unlike card game machine game are less interesting to watch and they drag that like what 8 episodes? It get boring real fast. Repetitive, get tired of waiting because for one the art style is not my favorite to begin with but season 1 got interesting plots so i try to watch till end anyway.. but season 2? starting with this pachinko machine, i get boring, every next episode i question myself how many time they want to drag this?
Recommended? not really
Not recommended? also not
It is up to your personal taste, but seriously if you like Haruhi Suzumiya loop episodes, maybe you can finish this season with ease.
Read at the sourceiabod10
believe it or not. This is the best thing I have ever watched. Everything is great except kaijis tringle nose.
You must Watch it, Masterpiece.
Story 10/10
Characters 10/10
Unique blend of psychological thriller and gambling elements, making it stand out in the anime world.
Fans of the psychological thriller and gambling genres are likely to enjoy Kaiji
The art style suits the gritty and intense atmosphere of the story
The characters react to their insane situations in ways that feel all too human – from desperation to cunning to downright panic.
Read at the sourceShiftshaper
Season 1 worked extremely well because it allowed for the exploration of the human psyche by pitting the most broken and desperate men against each other with their lives on the line, perfectly providing the opportunity to display the main character's ironclad desire to never let these evil games of chance turn him into somebody he's not, while showcasing deep strategy from the smartest players who best all of the systems they're forced into at all odds.
Simply put, Season 2 handles this poorly.
Throughout this 26-episode season, Kaiji only plays two games of "chance," with only one of them being against another human.
The first arc starts off slow due to our rather despondent Kaiji following the events of season 1, but ultimately returns to a satisfying battle of deception in the end as…
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
It's more Kaiji, so that's automatically a major point in its favor. The characters still work their magic in the same way, but, and this is weird to say for a series where each decision is drawn out to extract its full agony, the pacing of this season drops considerably. The first arc actually works quite well, evoking a lot of the same feeling as the first season while adding something new an interesting in how they tackle the problem. The second arc takes up the rest of the series, and while it has its moments, it has a hard time holding your attention all on its own. It can only draw your attention with the same method so many times before it starts to feel absolutely absurd. It's still worth the watch, but the enjoyment factor dropped considerably.
Read at the sourcecoolman6446
Having one of the highest highs as well as the lowest low in the animated series, Kaiji season 2 is a mixed bag. Similar to the first season, your mileage will vary depending on how invested you are in the game and the risks. This is especially true for this season as a certain game goes on for quite a long time compared to previous ones. The overall story, characters, and music are great and it is shown perfectly in the first arc, but again in regards to a certain game the pacing falls a bit flat. If you enjoy Kaiji give it a try but be warned of said game.
Read at the sourcesolrules
1. This wasn't needed after S1. It's stupid comedy masquerading as psychological genre.
2. Kaiji is a fucking moron. He sees no character development, keeps making the same mistakes and expect us to feel pity for his sorry ass. Nobody is this retarded. His character is forever trapped in an endless loop of blunders and betrayals.
3. The narrator is damn annoying. Not only does he take the audience for fools but also spoil some scenes before they even happen.
4. There's no character you want to root for except for Miyoshi.
5. After dragging it on for what seems like an eternity, the show ends abruptly and leaves us hanging without a proper ending.
6. There are several illogical plotholes. For example, the underground casino has a rule that says if you tamper/damage the bog, you'd be forbid…
Read at the sourceGoldenSkates
Hope, despair, tension, anguish; all of these can be found in this follow-up season of Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji. Although it picks up shortly after where the first season left off, it wastes no time in setting up a brand-new story arc for Kaiji to struggle through.
The first thing that you’ll notice about the second season in comparison to the first one is the change in the level of stakes involved. In the first season, there seemed to be a climb of more and more dangerous and high-level stakes being involved with the various story arcs until they ended up being extremely deadly. However, this season does not follow this trend and instead it lowers the stakes, especially towards the start, to the point where no one’s life is really on the line and the consequences of failure aren’t actually t…
Read at the sourceNero_18
I'm writing this review after watching both seasons back to back, This anime is so well written that I forgot time while watching this anime. This anime shows the reality of people's greed, lust and how ugly and despicable people can get when money is involved. Season 1 was just perfect in every aspect, the pacing, the plot development, and the characters were just top-notch, On the other hand, Season 2 started really solid and the underground arc was fantastic as well, but things got bland in between starting of the bog machine arc. But still, it was great season 2 with a fitting ending to it, I really enjoyed this anime and I hope they come back for season 3 with new challenges cause Kaiji is still flat broke in the end of season 2.
Read at the sourceCyranical
Cyranical's Kaiji Season 2: Against All Rules anime review
By: Azrael Rex B. Anacleto aka "Cyranical" Let's get it!!!
Kaiji Season 2 continues the story of our glorified gambling addict Kaiji. He is now on the run from Teia after losing the gamble against Hyodoi from the final arc of season 1. While covering his tracks he eventually runs into Endou, the same loan shark that got him in debt in the first place; he asks him for another gamble claiming that he will not make any more mistakes plus he will win it all this time. Due to Tonegawa's demotion after his loss to our hero, Endou himself is in a bit of a financial pickle; so he decides to drug Kaiji and take him to the underground labor camp so he can work to pay off his debts. While Kaiji is inside the camp, he makes various plans aga…
Read at the sourceKempokid21
In some ways Kaiji's 2nd season could be seen as a bit of a disappointment, with far less focus on the crazy gambling games that push each side's strategic and psychological limits to the max, and more of a character driven story with the focus being on pushing the luck in your favour. Even so however, the stakes prove to be just as high this time around, making a lot of the tension remain despite the much less intense moment to moment interactions between opponents due to the games being around finding the cheats and rigs of the game and exploiting them, rather than necessarily going head to head in a battle of wits. With the lack of definitive plot armour still being established from the first season being reinforced in this season, it also plays more into a sense of dread than ever befo…
Read at the sourceMER0S
*sniff* this is pure ideology, but you know *sniff* the good kind of ideology.
If you want an anime that's not always going the path, you expect it to do i think Kaiji is something that you could like.
Kaiji is every single one of us. He is a loser... Of course he had his potentials when he was younger, but capitalist world brought him into his misery. He for sure is an intelligent guy, but his kind-hearted personality denied him access into a wealthy life and the story is going to show you exactly this. Multiple times. You're the loser, if you're altruistic, if you're self-sacrificing. But if you go on and complete this series you will soon realize, that this world is much more than just living a successful life, although it's the hard way of life. I hope i convinced just a single pers…
Read at the sourcevaporweeb
I'm in the minority here, but I think Kaiji 2: Ultimate Survivor is BETTER than the first season, Against All Rules. Although I enjoy each for different reasons.
In the second season, we see our titular protag start off in an even worse state than the first season: working in a slave labor camp underground, where his wages are less than a convenience store job above ground, yet the work is must more grueling and deadly.
// MILD SPOILERS //
Kaiji can barely keep himself out of debt from the allure of a cold beer on payday, much less from actually gambling. So when he does catch a break and make it out of the labor camp, back to the surface for a limited amount of days, in an attempt to gamble enough money to secure his (and his friend's) freedom, I felt that weight. When days would be…
Read at the sourcepandapanda108
If i can just win big once i can be reborn and make my life how i want it to be
This anime was a wild ride. But it is not the kind of show that can be enjoyed watching it 1 episode a day. It's really made to be watched in 6-9 episode blocks. The creators of this show timed each episode intelligently so the viewer must watch the next episode immediately. This is a strength of this show but also a downside for certain viewers who are looking for a casual experience.
This show is true to the harsh reality of gambling and life for many people on the fringes of society. No cute anime girls, very few people that can be trusted and no guarantee of a future.
STORY:
The story is a continuation of season 1 and is consistent with the first season in every way. kaiji owes money and needs to win bi…
Read at the source
