If there is one thing that is underappreciated about Japan, then it is the country’s contribution to cinema. Some of the greatest movies of all time have come from the land of the rising sun, and this extends to gambling movies. There are some absolute gems out there if you know where to look. Fortunately, we are well covered in this area, and that’s why we have put together a list of our top five Japanese casino and gambling movies.
Pale Flower
This is one of the older movies on the list. While it might initially not connect with a more modern audience, the kind of people who want to find your Japanese here while playing online, it’s a movie that is well worth giving a chance. It’s classified as film noir, and over the years, it has made its way onto the best movie list of many different critics.
It tells the story of a gangster who is released from prison and enters an illegal gambling den. Here, he sees the way the world is changing through the lens of a young woman. It provides viewers with a different experience from other gambling movies. The visuals are hugely impressive, and in terms of cinematography, it is almost untouchable. Pale Flower is a casino movie that you have to see to truly appreciate it.
Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji
Anime has been breaking records inside and outside of Japan for a long time now. While many expected Kaiji to be made into an anime movie, it actually approached things slightly differently. Instead, there was an anime TV series, and the movie got some live-action treatment. Viewers were instantly impressed with Kaiji and the thrilling, twist-filled story that grabbed the attention of lots of people.
The first movie in this series, you might be seeing a bit more of Kaiji later on, is based on an original Manga. It’s one of the most impressive movies, and it drew in huge numbers of viewers when it was released. The story is essentially based on the character of Kaiji. He struggles with debt, and he is given the opportunity to either pay off his debts over a 10- year period or travel to a casino boat where he will have the chance to win enough to pay off his debts, and maybe even more.
It is full of tension, and it is one of the most entertaining gambling movies there is. Just make sure you start with the first movie, so you can follow the whole story.
Compulsive Gambler: Kakegurui
This is slightly different from a lot of other gambling-based movies. It’s actually inspired by an anime. There’s no Manga involved with the creation of this one. It had a very loyal following from the original anime series, and so there was a lot of talk about the quality of the live-action movie when it was first mooted.
Fans of the series were not left disappointed, with everything from the script to the casting, getting praise. The movie centers around an academy, which uses gambling winnings to set the hierarchy for the school. A new student, Yumeko, shows an incredible aptitude for gambling, and this instantly puts her on a collision course with the top dogs at the academy.
If you want to get started with the Compulsive Gambler story, you might want to check out the anime first. However, if you just want to jump right into the live-action movie, you will not be disappointed.
Kaiji 2: The Ultimate Survivor
The second movie in the trilogy sees us pick up with Kaiji a year after the end of the first movie. Without giving away the ending to that, we find out that Kaiji has returned to a debt-filled life. He’s looking for another way out of his hole, and he has stumbled across a pachinko machine. He’s playing the game hoping to hit the jackpot.
However, what he doesn’t understand, is that the machine is controlled from afar. The jackpot can never be won, and he is just playing himself into even more debt. The more he plays to seek the jackpot, the more trouble he finds himself in. It tells a fantastic story, and it gives viewers the opportunity to see Kaiji battling his way out of trouble yet again.
Just like the original movie, it’s based on Manga, so it has solid storytelling behind it. All the way through this movie, you will find yourself rooting for Kaiji, even if he did get himself into the situation with his own doing.
Kaiji: Final Game
The last movie in the trilogy, and this is possibly our favorite of all three. It’s the first one that’s not got a Manga to follow for the storyline, so it’s a completely original creation. It sees Kaiji challenging more than one casino game at a time in this one, and it really feels like there is more at stake than ever before. It does also feature something of a departure from the original format, with Kaiji placing some wagers on sports betting. It makes sure that there is a lot more going on than in the previous movies.
While some people didn’t like the departure from the way the first two movies worked, for us it’s an incredible ending to what is an amazing trilogy. It’s fast paced, it’s fun, and it is an enjoyable ending to what is undoubtedly one of the best modern trilogies in Japanese cinema. If you’re only going to watch three movies for the rest of your life, you should make sure that it’s the Kaiji trilogy.
While there are other movie options out there to enjoy, these are in our opinion, the top five Japanese casino movies that are out there. You can’t go wrong with these movies.