“Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler” Theatrical Poster
Reuniting the colorful cast of the much-loved Death Note (2006), Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler (2009) is a manga adaptation which presents the story of a young protagonist rife with debt, doing whatever he can to pay back the money he owes. Kaiji Ito (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara) finds himself in heaps of debt, and then Rinko Endo (Yuko Amami) cons him into boarding a ship to play a game to attempt to dig himself out of the hole he’s in. It doesn’t go so well for Kaiji, and the lead character is held against his will, dragged into a social system where he begins to realize all of the mechanisms that are used by the higher financial powers to keep the working class down. The captured people become the gamblers, coming up against deadly situations in which they risk it all in an attempt to earn their way out and appease the powers that be.
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler is the classic tale of an average, working-class person being held down by the upper class, struggling financially, and finding a way to emphatically rise up against it. Also starring Ken’ichi Matsuyama, Taro Yamamoto, Teruyuki Kagawa, and Shogen, this movie represents the obstructions that many people feel trying to break out and move up the social class system through the win-it-all theme that has become so entrenched in popular culture.
Chow Yun-fat in Gold of Gamblers. Source: Welovenugg, via Twitter
The all or nothing nature of pop-culture
Gambling has become a staple of pop culture, with so many films, television shows, books, and even music videos depicting the lavish lifestyle of a casino high roller. Just looking at Asian cinema, there are is a multitude of films centered on casino play. One of the biggest films of this genre came in the form of God of Gamblers (1989), which has birthed six sequels and nine spinoffs since its release. One of the most popular in the series is God of Gamblers Returns (1994), which continues its casino theme and high roller lifestyle. After a boom of films in the genre, it all went quiet for a little while, until Tazza: The High Rollers (2006) was released to regain interest in the gambling theme once more; going on to ignite other great films like Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014).
The common storyline running through media of the gambling genre often culminate in an all or nothing, win big or lose everything situation, with the protagonist usually coming out on top thanks to their superior skill or just pure luck. There’s no wonder why these films, especially in Asian cinema, have become so popular as gambling as a whole is so popular in the region. According to The Economist, Macau’s gambling revenues rocketed by 29% a year, on average, between 2008 and 2012 thanks to their new venues – with their revenues exceeding that of Las Vegas, as well as Singapore beating out Atlantic City. In a piece by Betway, the casino article explains “It isn’t just brand familiarity that draws players in” – it is the brand affinity and familiarity that has helped draw punters in, associating a slot machine for example to an iconic figure to Elvis Presley is important. So this boom in gambling revenue isn’t merely down to films and media having a casino theme as people have always seemed to be at least intrigued by the casino experience. Nevertheless, people love films about gamblers and the tales of rising to the top by staking it all.
The genre on the big screen was in fine form during the 1980s and 1990s, with it coming back to life in the late 2000s. But, with the increased interest in real-life casino play, particularly at land-based venues in Asia, the genre could see another uptick in popularity. Macau gaming saw its revenue grow for the 14th straight month at the start of October 2017, per Bloomberg, with 2017’s Golden Week naturally bringing in huge revenue for the casinos. People from all over, particularly the Chinese, flock to Macau – labeled the gaming capital of the world in 2011 – to indulge in some casino action, which may be partially due to the Asian entertainment media having such a fascination with gambling.
Guardian Movie, via Twitter
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler revealing all
There is a lot of hidden and not so hidden meaning within the film Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler, from the society that Kaiji is thrown into, to the desperate measures required to break out of the unfortunate situation that the protagonist has found themselves in. Starting off with immense debt, Kaiji is firmly placed at the bottom of the class pyramid, with high-risk gambles in the games being the only way to get out. This classic tale of having nothing left bar one last shot with the odds stacked against them is a common theme in entertainment media as it makes for a thrilling watch. With the protagonist often prevailing, there’s no wonder why people – particularly those among the lower or working class of their society – enjoy the thrills of the casino, hoping that their gamble pays off in a big way.
The casino genre has been wildly popular in Asian cinema for decades now. There have been a huge number of fun and exciting movies centered on playing at a casino, or are even more cryptic about the love of gambling that Asian nations possess – as is the case with Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler. There’s no doubt that due to the success of these films in the past as well as the massively increased popularity of casino play at venues in places like Macau, even more great gambling-centric films are to come. They may not all be directly about gaming at a casino, or even at an online casino as would be a common case in modern times, but the story of gambling to be better off will continue to run in movies to entice the many bettors of the world.
