As you may or may not expect, the popular Japanese animation style anime has been a major hit in Asia and earned itself a legion of fans. In Taiwan, shows and dramas appear on pay-per-view channels with very little lag time between there and Japan. Thailand has a special affinity for Japanese TV and will broadcast not only Japanese anime and drama, but also a wide variety of Japanese TV broadcast programmes. The Malaysians are big anime fans, too, and the media will broadcast anime each weekend. Die-hard fans can get the latest anime on paid channels, but these are expensive, so not so many do.
It’s not just in Asia, however, that anime is popular. The West is also lapping it up. According to an article on the website of British media channel the BBC, Netflix reported more than 100 million households viewing at least one anime title in the early months of 2020. The complexity of anime and its difference from Western visual media has proven a hit with audiences. Below is a look at anime and, in particular, gambling in anime.
Anime and its storylines
Part of the magic of anime is its own special style of storytelling. The stories have emotional effect, are interesting and full of meaning. They’re logical and consistent, not to mention unique and creative. When watching anime, you never get the feeling a story is going nowhere: each episode carries the story further forward. Episodes also pay attention to detail and leave you with a feeling of closure. Nothing worse than not knowing how a story ends!
The high level of creativity anime entails means it’s packed with different, incredibly engaging storylines. Whether characters are facing difficult choices, receiving messages and travelling back in time or encountering some other highly intriguing situation, you can be sure of an entertaining show.
Anime and gambling
One theme that has become popular in the anime world is that of gambling. Several shows have incorporated a gambling theme into them.
This is understandable since the world of gaming has also grown popular, especially due to the explosion of the internet and of mobile gaming. Anime makers have witnessed the appetite for gaming and decided to make the activity a theme in their own work.
One extremely popular area of gaming is poker. Rather than visit a traditional casino, players are finding it convenient to log into the site of an internet operator and play poker online. The convenience of playing from where they want wherever they want, as well as the money saved on food, drinks and parking while they’re playing, have made it incredibly attractive to players. The fact that it’s also easier to bluff and to hide tells during a game is also appealing. Experienced players appreciate, too, the opportunity to take part in multiple games or tournaments at the same time.
Naturally, if you have an interest in gambling yourself and are developing one in anime, you’ll be curious to hear some of the shows in question. Here are a few in which gambling is part of the story:
Kakeguri: Compulsive Gambler
This is possibly one of the most famous and most popular titles as far as gambling-themed anime goes. The story follows Yumeko, who attends the prestigious Hyakkou Academy, which is a school reserved for the children of wealthy individuals.
At the academy, the children’s overall performance and social status are measured on how well they gamble. The losers fall to the bottom of the social hierarchy and become slaves to the student body because they’re in debt.
Akagi
“Akagi” is one of the most commercially successful anime series ever. The full title of the series translates into “Akagi: The Genius Who Descended Into the Darkness”. The story is all about Akagi, who, as a teenage boy, hides from the police in a mah jong parlour belonging to the Yakuza mafia. While there, he learns to play and beats the best competitor in the parlour. He leaves and then returns to play against dangerous members of the mafia.
Kaijii: Ultimate Survivor
“Kaijii: Ultimate Survivor” is another immensely entertaining piece of anime. The protagonist, Kaijii, is completely broke and is visited by a loan shark. The loan shark asks him to repay a debt that he guaranteed for a co-worker, but since Kaijii is unable to repay it the loan shark invites him to visit an unknown location and gamble his way to repaying the debt.
Will other industries follow suit?
Having seen anime incorporate gambling into its themes, it’s interesting to see whether other industries will find a place for gambling in them.
This could be said of sports media and betting, as the two different types of content begin to converge. Although there has long been a link between betting and sport, sports betting is starting to become more mainstream. People are beginning to except it more as a leisure activity and media companies are working more with gambling operators.
Anime is hugely popular, having won fans across the globe. The interesting style of animation and creative storylines have had fans flocking to it. Noticing the popularity of gambling, anime creators have weaved the activity into the plots, much to the delight of gaming enthusiasts, and created further engaging storylines. Are you a fan of anime? Why not give it a try if you’ve not watched a series before?
