I saw a few episodes of Kaiji a long while back, and while it intrigued me at the time it didn’t hook me and then it faded into the recesses of my mind until the Blu-ray of the complete series ended up on my doorstep the other week. I ended up popping it on, and while 52 episodes (2 series) is a tall order, I found myself hooked while watching it. Kaiji was a bit of a slowburn, and that slowburn started again with Season 2, but it was one I was willing to take because of how on edge, the show gets.

The show follows the titular Kaiji, he is picked up by the local mob because he co-signed a loan for a friend for 300,000 yen, and the friend ran-off. Now due to interest 3,000,000 is owed, He is given a chance to get it back through a gambling scheme where he ends up on a gambling boat that may allow him to earn the money back, but that’s just the beginning, and it’s not just the game but the psychological warfare, cheating, and more involved.

I had zero expectations based on my prior experience, but this show just blew my mind. The first 3 episodes of season 1 were “alright”, and then I couldn’t stop watching. Every episode will take the viewer to the edge, and gets deeper into the mind of Kaiji, and the twisted situation he’s in. It’s just such an absolute blast. The second season finds him into debt again, and in a labor camp, with only one chance out, and so it’s dark and gets us back into this twisted gambling world, not quite as good as the first, but definitely well worth watching.

Both series are presented by Sentai in 1080p 16×9 transfer. Everything looks fantastic here, the series has a unique artwork style that nonetheless fits the tone, and the transfer really brings that out. Audio is Japanese HD audio and it comes through crisp and clear without issue. Extras include clean opening and closings. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, you need this.