Live-action anime usually has a bad reputation. This is probably because of how weird it is to see real-life actors act and dress the same way as cartoon characters. Not only that, the CGI that is usually used in live-action anime is not particularly great. I personally don’t mind watching live-action anime though I can understand why most people find them terrible. However, there is one show in particular that I recommend people to watch: the live-action version of Kakegurui (賭ケグルイ).

I discovered this drama while scrolling through Netflix. I did not know that it was a live-action anime at first. But when I noticed the red & black school uniforms the characters were wearing (which in my opinion are just the reversed version of the Warblers uniforms from Glee), I suddenly remembered seeing cosplayers at AnimeNYC 2021 wearing these same exact outfits. Knowing that I was about to watch a live-action anime, I still ended up really enjoying it and I honestly think that this is the best live-action anime I have watched so far and by itself it is a very entertaining drama.

Yes, there is still a lot of over-the-top acting that is typically seen in live-action anime. However, it somehow works with this show in particular. Since there is barely any CGI and the outfits are simply just school uniforms, you are able to really analyze the characters’ expressions and emotions. These characters are “overly animated” yet they somehow still feel real. You can tell that the actors are having fun portraying these characters since there is never a dull performance in this show. The plot itself is also very interesting: a private school where each student has their own societal ranking. Through gambling, their rank will either go higher or lower.

The only unfortunate part about this show is that it technically leaves on a cliffhanger. The continuation of this show is through a film duology that has not been officially released outside of Japan; Kakegurui: The Movie (映画賭ケグルイ) and Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette (映画賭ケグルイ絶対絶身ロシアンルーレット). Currently, the only ways to watch the movies with English subtitles is by purchasing a Malaysian bootleg DVD that will definitely have terrible English translations or for free on Bilibili: which might also have a terrible translation. As of writing this article, I have not seen the films but I plan on eventually watching it somehow. But I do highly recommend checking out the show itself.