Kakegurui 5: Das Leben ist ein Spiel

賭ケグルイ / Kakegurui #5

by Homura Kawamoto, Toru Naomura, Jannik Eimen (Translator)

Das Duell zwischen Yumeko und Yumemi ist beendet. Itsuki hat als Zuschauerin den Kampf aus sicherer Entfernung beobachtet, aber als Yumeko sich direkt in das nächste Spiel stürzt, wird sie plötzlich mit hineingezogen. Jetzt steht sie einem ihrer ehemaligen Schülerratskollegen gegenüber. Wird Yumeko ihr wirklich helfen wieder im sozialen Rang der Hyakkaou-Privatakademie zu steigen, oder ist ihr Zockerwahnsinn Itsukis endgültiger Untergang?

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Drama, Shonen, Comics, Mystery

260 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2016

Reviews

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this section of the series. It's one of the best gambling sequences with some really fun twists. I love Itsuki and Kaede as characters. Their character arcs are really well written, especially in this volume of the manga.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is completely insane. Even reading about the game and the adrenaline is entertaining. I undeniably skipped my morning job to finish this volume. What began as a straightforward contest ended up being a wager on life. Finally, Ririka has joined us. And my favourite is you, Kirari San. I fell in love with Sumeragi in this volume. Also, Runa is adorable.✨

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved this! <3

RTC

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yumeko has a very tense poker showdown with another student council member. Amidst all the card play, the creators try to see how many times they can have characters subtly and deliberately flip the bird. The fan service is more . . . organic? . . . tying into the emotional states of the characters this time around -- sort of like the clothes bursting in Food Wars -- but it's still creepy.

I'm grateful that as in previous volumes the game of chance is completed before the end of the book. There's no cliffhanger, but I'm still interested in seeing what the next volume brings.

p.s., As I prepared to return Vols. 3, 4, and 5 to the library, I finally realized that the odd-looking covers combine into a larger image:



Display problems? See it here:
https://images.gr-assets.com/photos/1...

[Rylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The President is shady asf

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was *significantly* better than the last volume. Volume 5 brings back the tension that was severely lacking in volume 4 thanks to the game actually hinging on gambling and chance. I liked one of the side characters getting more focus in this volume and seeing this series become more of an ensemble cast (versus the focus being almost solely on Yumeko).

The plot also seems to be developing a clearer path vs the meandering gait it's had so far. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Random side note: there was a lot of flipping the bird in this volume (that dude pushing up his glasses mainly) but it didn't have the Western connotations that flipping the bird usually has. Is it a Japanese thing??

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a subpar fourth volume, Kakegurui gets its gambling freak back on by spotlighting Kaede Yamada, the ambitious Treasurer who seeks to overthrow Kirari and take over the Student Council. Standing in his way, of course, is Yumeko, who challenges the haughty senior to a "choice poker" match in front of the whole school. Kaede is the sort of second-tier schemer who thinks he's a lot more clever than he actually is, a common archetype for anime/manga; he's outwitted by Kirari's twin sister Ririka, who serves as a dealer for their gambling match, and struggles even with Yumeko, whose lust for chaos derails his well-laid plans. Kirari, of course, is the biggest schemer of all, pulling off an implausible coup to checkmate Kaede and reassert dominance. While this manga delves heavily into the blow-by-blow of Kaede and Yumeko's showdown, it also spotlights Itsuki, Yumeko's starter nemesis turned reluctant ally, who adds another wildcard (including the sacrifice of her beloved nails) into the mix. We're also briefly introduced to the Hundred Devouring Families, a consortium of Japan's richest (and most gambling-happy) young heirs and heiresses who will be a crucial role in later arcs. This series revels in its convoluted plotting and over-the-top nature (think Kill la Kill With Gambling, but less nudity), so it will take careful reading to follow all the twists, or possibly enough detachment to not really care. I find it hard to recommend this series on an intellectual level, but sometimes it's just a blast to lose yourself to Yumeko and Co.'s insane adventures.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*More of a 3.5*

Yumeko is so horny for gambling lol. This was better than the last book. I blasted through it. I mean these are mildly predictable, but I think the process of it is what makes it interesting.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75 Sterne.

Immer noch so toll, wie die anderen Bände!

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing Yumeko trick Manyuda into completely destroying himself is very, very satisfying.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear God, is this guy's middle finger melted into his glasses? He's flipping the bird more often than there are occurances of the letter 'e' in his dialogue. Oh, wait. He doesn't have a nose, does he? That must be it - he is holding his glasses so they don't fall off his face. You would think he can afford glue or tape.

Yumeko and Kaede play a variation of poker called Choice Poker where the betting is limitless, there is no call or fold, and the player with the highest bet can choose whether the stronger or weaker hand wins. Kaede has the obvious advantage because he has more money, so he is more likely to make the choice on each hand. As expected, Yumeko screws with his brain even without trying. He overthinks everything, but it seems to pay off in the end. He wins the whole pot.

Yumeko asks Sumeragi for more money. During the next round, not even those are sufficient. The pot rises to 3 billion yen with the last bet made by Kaede. Then Yumeko bets Sumeragi's life, which would effectively turn her into a slave if she loses. The dealer - the nameless mask girl and ciuncil VP - accepts the raise as being worth 10 billion. Kaede contests the decision which prompts their dealer to remover her mask. She is in reality the council president Momobami. Kaede bets his life - cause they're a dime, a dozen - and wins the choice. But does he - and his omnipresent middle finger - win the hand? No, he loses everything - money, influence, his position in the council and his chance to ever become council president. Even his hair turns white.

Again, Yumeko sets her sights on the council president. What an epic fight that will be!

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gamble was so much fun! I really enjoyed how Kawamoto delved into Manyuda and why he's so focused on taking the "high road." We also get to see more of Itsuki and a well-executed twist that left me on the edge of my seat once again. Everything was built up so well with the Choice Poker game, although I'm sad we didn't get a panel of a specific reaction shot in the anime. Regardless, there were plenty of pretty pages and art from Naomura.

Since this is the last of the manga volumes my local library has, I'll probably wait a bit before I start the Tower of Doors Arc in Volume 6. I'm excited to see how that plays out in the manga, considering how the anime adaptation team adapted it.

[Julieta Belmonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESTO ES TODO LO QUE ESTABA ESPERANDO QUE ALGUIEN ME HAGA RCP PORQUE ME VOY AL MAS ALLÁ.
La batalla fue épica, el como se fue dando todo y como le re cabio al pelotudo. Nunca subestimes el poder femenino y las habilidades que podemos tener solo por ser mujeres. Te queres matar (?
Esto solo mejora cada vez más y cada tomo que termino es una adicción que no puedo parar. También quedé loquita con las apuestas (?

[Phoebe S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit more of a return to form with actual strategy in this volume, but we're still keeping the intrigue. Honestly, I liked the last volume better. Yumemi is a far more interesting character than Manyuda, and to be honest this volume is more about Itsuki than it is him. Nevertheless, since a fair amount of focus is on him, that kind of bogs down this volume a little more than I'd like.

[Mindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still really into this absolutely bonkers crazy storyline. I mean, never outside of a manga would any of this happen IRL. But this one I devoured while sitting in the waiting room at a doctor's office. I enjoy gambling and card games, and this one always has the most ludicrous rules for the games and the bets are just bananas. Not quitting this series any time soon.

[courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit that was nerve wrecking. I love how even though I was reading I felt all the same anxiety and nervousness as I did watching the anime. The way the manga panels are laid out, combined with the close ups and text font changes makes reading this volume super immersive!

P.s. Hear me out but why Kaede kinda...

[Brittany McMillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
This made me more reinvested in the series. It didn’t just repeat the same sequence of events that had begun to emerge in the previous books. Instead there was a lot of suspense built and it was an enjoyable read.

[Alex Hernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se me hizo un poco rara la idea propuesta sobre que la sensación de ganar se obtiene a partir de creer que aún se tiene la posibilidad de elegir. ¿Habrá querido decir que se trata de arriesgar todo en base al desprendimiento de toda esperanza?

[alicat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still really entertaining. Yes, Yumeko take down that guy. I love how all the power players in this series are women.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit, I forgot about all of this.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hasn’t let up its intensity yet. And so far it seems the greatest thing working for it, is its complete unpredictability.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es wird noch immer nicht langweilig.

[tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCREAMS. sumeragi and yumeko >>>> also i’m still confused on the whole situation with the twins but yeah. entertaining as ever. the choice poker arc is so entertaining i love it

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 Makes me want to play choice poker!

[Mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was SO GOOD, especially the second half

[Yazmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual ranking 3.5

[Bill Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more thrilling ones for sure. High stakes and nail biting (at points even for the characters literally).
The series keeps building and getting better. Good read.

[Abril · Rating 4 out of 5]

no se si el mejor, pero hasta ahora fue el mas emocionante seguro

[Saleemah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite volume but I still love the series 😍

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viel, viel spannender als der letzte Band!

Wie oft willst du "Königsweg" sagen?
Kaede: Ja