Kakegurui 6: Das Leben ist ein Spiel

賭ケグルイ / Kakegurui #6

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

Yumekos Wahnsinn zieht mehr und mehr die Aufmerksamkeit der Schülerratspräsidentin auf sich. Dies ist für die Sekretärin des Schülerrats Sayaka Igarashi eine unerträgliche Schande und sie fordert Yumeko zu einem Spiel heraus, einem Spiel, das eine neue Ära an der Hyakkaou-Privatakademie einläuten könnte.

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

260 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2017

Reviews

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

TOWER OF GAY. 'Nuff said.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite games so far, I think. Obviously, Kirari San is my favourite. The conclusion was just so lovely. And with the addition of the additional characters, I anticipate even more excitement and pleasure.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! This series is going from strength to strength and I am here for all of the twisted shenanigans and crazy goings on! Plus, I’m crushing hard on Yumeko and Kirari <3

RTC

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

The backstory of the student council secretary results in the worst volume of the series. She's dull, and the gamble she gets into with Yumeko has stupid stakes that telegraph the outcome. The game itself involves mathematical logic puzzles, so, you know, automatically boring. It also involves a structure that eclipses all other claims this series has to being over the top ridiculous.

To really undercut this whole outing, it even romanticizes suicide. So, yeah, big nope there.

Frankly, nothing important to the storyline really happens here, so it is eminently skippable.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is borderline satirical in how over-the-top and extra it is. There are a few references to how the Tower is so lavish in that it has no other purpose than the game designed in it.

The way the game played out was fun, but I'm getting low-key irritated that people's lives keep getting supposedly put on the line only to be retracted at the last-minute. It's kind of lessened the tension in the games for me as it's pretty obvious no one is ever actually going to die or lose a limb or something.

I was pleasantly surprised by the development of the relationship between the Student Council Secretary and the President. I was not expecting any sapphic undertones in this series, but there you have it.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das war mal wieder mega! Fand ich auch deutlich besser als die letzten zwei Bände, die ich übrigens auch sehr mochte. Weiter so!

[Rylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending omg

[Emleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, well now I get why people were pissed off about the season finale of the anime. This was EPIC, and GAAAAAAY, and I really hope we get this in season 2 of the anime.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tower of Doors arc is fascinating, from the game having no logical purpose to it being the first gamble that isn't face to face in the manga. Even though Sayaka's development is about her devotion to Kirari (which I still wish wasn't the only thing given to her character, because to some queer readers, it could be tasteless), getting a chance to delve into why it blossomed in the first place is a plus. That, and noticing all of the craft and foreshadowing Kawamoto built into this gamble. It builds up perfectly and ends with a satisfying conclusion.

I also liked getting to see what changed from this volume to the anime, especially the nod to Ryota's romantic interest in Yumeko. Yasuko Kobayashi had Ryota confessing in the final episode of the first season, but it's clear Kawamoto's going to build this attraction up as the Momobami Clan arc continues. I'm curious to see where it all goes.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

El Vol.6 es uno de mis favoritos, por el tipo de juego y por la consecuencia que implica para ambas participantes meterse en él, y la resolución final estuvo muy interesante también.

Tengo teorías locas de Yumeko desde que empecé a leer este manga jajaja.

[Kristen]

STOP THE LICK?? WHAT

[tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS JUST FOR THE ENDING CAUSE GODDDDDD ILL NEVER BE OVer iT. SAYAKA AND KIRARI ARE SO ?:?:!.!.!.?.!:! honestly could care less for the actual tower of doors itself, but the flower scene 📈📈📈 all these girls know is risking their lives to gamble

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good!!

[Zian B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The President’s Tower of Doors is ingenious and my favorite gamble of the series, so far. Sayaka’s undying loyalty to the President is both adorable and a bit unnerving. I’m very curious to see how this upcoming election and new Momobami students arriving, impact the Academy.

[Jazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirari and Sayaka are so cute! Like I just couldn't handle it!! That was so fucking sweet I'm going to cry my bisexual tears out because I really fucking needed this today!! And also ugh I'm so fucking gay for this shit like ugh huh so good! THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boob grab! Just though I'd mention it. It kinda stood out.

This series does a good job of escalating bets up to very risky endeavors. In the beginning, they were in the millions of yen, then in the hundreds of millions, then in the billions. When money was not enough, betting one's livelyhood came next. It's the spiral of gambling that can lead to not only poverty, but depression where human life stops having any worth. If you need any more convincing that gambling is indelibly stacked against you, go no further. Still, if gambling is your thing, moderation is key. Never bet more than you can afford to lose! There's your life lesson right there.

Igarashi Sayaka, the council secretary, has suffered personally after each defeat dealt out by Yumeko to the student council members. She challenges Yumeko to a game too and bets their very own lives. Yumeko realises they can do better to risk something they can't live without. To really give up everything that's best about them, Sayaka must bet her relationship with president Momobami, while Yumeko bets her gambling habit.

They hold a private match in the Tower of Doors, a building designed for this game. They are monitored by Momobami herself. Even from before the game starts, Sayaka is constantly on edge, worried that Yumeko will choose a more efficient path. Which she does and thus wins, to Sayaka's dismay.

Sayaka notices that Yumeko and Momobami are more alike than she and the council president could ever hope to be. She must solve one more riddle to open a door and jump to her death like Momobami requested at the start of the game. Surprisingly, Momobami jumps with her and they land on a safety mat. In a totally lesbian moment, Momobami declares that, though they are different, she likes Sayaka and asks her to return as her secretary. Sayaka obviously accepts the offer.

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought Kakegurui wasn't crazy enough, take a gander at Volume 6. This time around, Kirari's loyal secretary Sayaka calls out Yumeko in an effort to purge the school of her influence. Yumeko declines, until Kirari makes an offer neither girl can refuse. Namely, they will match wits in a specially-constructed tower, forced to solve logical problems to navigate its treacherous interior and avoid plummeting to their deaths. If Yumeko loses, she'll have to abandon gambling for life...Sayaka, even worse, will sever her relationship with Kirari, an impossible demand that stokes her determination to win at all costs. Never mind the plausibility of Kirari's death tower, it's a fun conceit that taxes the characters (and the reader) far more than the most elaborate high-stakes poker match could. While Yumeko runs on her usual lust for thrills, Sayaka aspires to use "cold logic" which in reality runs afoul of her tempestuous emotions. Yes, Sayaka is in love with Kirari, for reasons that are hard to fully grasp aside from an attraction to power...but then, in a universe full of lunatics, is Kirari really so bad? When all is said and done, even our favorite ringlet-wearing President shows a human side, explaining to Sayaka that she values her loyalty and finds her "logical" personality a refreshing contrast to her own. This is probably my favorite arc of the series thus far (the anime, weirdly, waited until the penultimate episode of Season Two to adapt this) and it lays the groundwork for the upcoming story arc, as Kirari announces a Student Council election to be contested by the Hundred Devouring Families. Expect more improbably-high stakes, psychological torment and Grand Guignol facial expressions in the next volume.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I know that Kakegurui is completely insane, and ridiculously over-exaggerated, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining.

There is a lack of tension, because this series has a tendency to put characters in dangerous situations, and then chicken out of any consequences which are expected, so if that is something you dislike, this series is probably not for you. If you don't mind that however, it is wildly entertaining, with some hilarious emotional roller-coasters. There's also some sapphic vibes coming from two of the characters, and, yes? I love that.

To summarise, its just a fun read, with some slightly off-kilter characters, which just makes the reading experience even more fun.

(Also, I would definitely recommend the anime adaptation on Netflix too, it's actually really good.)

[Kate James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume mainly focuses on the secretary to the student president Sayaka. We learn more about her backstory from before she started gambling. What makes her unique to the other characters we see is that she doesn't actually like gambling, or rather she hates it and only participates because of her respect/obsession with the student president. Sayaka's making it by because of her status as a top student. So, in this chapter, the extravagant Tower of doors is more of a medium to see Sayaka's strengths as a gambler and less about the tour ( Which in itself is kind of a representation of how much the student president loves gambling ). Overall I think this was one of the weaker chapters in Kakeguri because Sayaka's story felt a bland at times and I couldn't really find myself rooting for her. The highlight was definitely the weird dynamic Yumeko and the president.

[Worm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I took a break from this series, but this gamble just felt kinda boring. It stems from jealousy (like seriously why??) and the "gamble" itself is really one-sided. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a gamble steaming from love, but you can't control someone's feelings. The tower of doors itself I quite liked; it was an interesting premise that reminded me of some of the shenanigans in danganronpa (lol).

[Phoebe S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great entry. The Tower of Doors was just a beautiful context, Kirari gains some actual depth, and the (until now relatively minor) character of Sayaka, while her little obsession is mostly one-dimensional, is given an interesting backstory as well, and the ending of this volume is really sweet. A little formulaic, but the formula works, and the Tower seals the deal.

[Traben · Rating 4 out of 5]

My enjoyment of any single volume of this series rests pretty heavily on the game being played. This one was decent, but not my favorite. Additionally, the end undercuts the stakes of the gamble set up at the beginning. This in turn brings up the concern that future stakes could be hyped up and then walked back after the game concludes.

[courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAY.
Ah finally! The volume I've been anticipating! The dynamic is so enthralling between Kirari and Sayaka. Reading this volume brought up a lot of different emotions in me, my heart basically fell out onto the pages.

[Kingy_T · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dynamic between sayaka and kirari is definitely interesting. It’s so obvious kirari doesn’t actually care about her. I wonder if sayaka knows and doesn’t care or if she’s trying to climb an impossible ladder. I guess we’ll see.

[TinTin Kalaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anime decided to make it the president vs Yumeko instead of what happened here. I guess I liked both arc finale interpretations :))

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is intense !

[Teresa Sporrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mit diesem Band beginnt endlich die Storyline nach Staffel 1 des Animes. Da die zweite Staffel wohl erst im Sommer auf Netflix ist, kann ich ja schon mal "vorlesen" ;)

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so thrilling and, dare I say, GAY AF.

[First Name · Rating 4 out of 5]

r i d d l e s

'tis all i gotta say

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s definitely good enough to keep reading the series but it was my least favourite issue so far because it had potential to be very dark and disturbing and instead took the cop-out easy way out.