The first season of this show was fraught with peril and genuine danger. I mean, you could really lose an eye (as evidenced by our maiden up there) or even your life. For the second season, not only are the stakes even higher and more challenging, the rewards are equally advantageous. This is “Kakegurui xx” (“Compulsive Gambler”).

If the gambling and the stakes were not enough of an enticement to get you to commit fully, body and soul, to it all, a new element is flung into the mix, via school elections. The ultimate goal is to defeat the current Student Body President, Kirari Momobami, with something a bit more benign, but she is a mean motor-scooter and a bad go-getter, so anything short of assassination may not succeed.

So, what happens is someone decided to bring in 10 marvelously new transfer students, but they all have one thing in common: they are part of the Momobami Clan. Now, not all of them are named ‘Momobami’, but they all have ‘-bami’ in their last name. I bring this up, because our ‘heroine’ (as it is; I mean, anti-heroine, at best. Iconoclast at worst) is Yumeko Jabami, (right) so there is a connection along these lines.

Now, the election approach works like this: we still have our gambling games BUT each student starts with one chip, which counts as one vote. Whomsoever amasses the highest amount of these chips, wins, but things are never as easy or as honest as it seems, so there are tons and tons of back-stage machinations taking place, to insure that those who have the power, keep the power and those who have no power, don’t get a show and lose whatever they might have. The series looks at all of the political, gambling, strategy and emotional games that are going on and probably going down.

After watching the second season and noticing (and not noticing) things, I am putting myself out there to make a venture with a Great Theory: this is not really a school, but an insane asylum. All the people here have some kind of mental duress that compels them to act this way (excessive gambling, over-weening narcissism, suicidal behaviors, destructive tendencies, etc., etc., etc.)  and they cannot honestly function in ‘normal’ society. They ALL have a gambling addiction to the point that you will risk life and limb for some kind of orgasmic release.

And we see Yumeko absolutely lose her mind, as she (and other ladies) fondle their own enormous breasts (which I do not recall as being so immense from the previous season) as they experience ‘le petit mort’. This is not what normal people do, but these are not normal folks, with hardly a tether to reality.

The search for ultimate power, betting it all on the roll of the dice or the turn of a card, or hoping that no one will discover that you are using a marked deck to further your own cause, can give spine-shivering thrills that you may not be able to find in a regular life. I would also venture that amid the school population are medical professionals, who can give a better observation or personality assessment or even try and cure these incurable people, but allow them to play out their fantasies and fetishes, even if dismemberment is on the line.

There is a genuine tension in the games, even though you know full deck well that Yumeko is going to achieve her goals. It’s just all the inner games and inner inner games and other ploys and subterfuges that are engaged in, to score that needed victory, require a lot of effort. However, that is not really coming, as the conclusion notes that a third season has to come along to polish off everyone and we send them into society. Ooops.

Binging is always tricky in shows that push you right to the edge of emotionality and excitement. Bring a sponge. It’s not that it can’t be done, but you may wish to pace yourself to take in all that is being offered.

On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork           8 (Things got ratched up)
Plot                  8 (Even more hair-raising)
Pacing              8 (On the edge of your seat)
Effectiveness   7 (Overall, hard to tell)
Conclusion      5 (It reaches a ‘coupler point’, but hasn’t ended)
Fan Service     5 (A similar show would be “Maburaho”)
Bingeability    7 (A personal decision you make)

Overall            8 (Good story, tension driven)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. What say you?