Series Information
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Synopsis
Itou Kaiji is a bum who steals car emblems and slashes tires on what seems to be a regular basis. This routine changes one day when he is paid a visit by a man in a trench-coat. Once the two get talking, it seems that the visitor (Calling himself Endou) is a debt collector. The reason for his visit is an unpaid loan which Kaiji had previously co-signed for a work-mate (Furuhata Takeshi). The original loan was 30000 yen and once Takeshi had disappeared, the loan then fell on Kaiji. Kaiji is then told of a way to clear the interest compounded debt (which stood at 3,850,000 yen), which involved getting on a boat with others in his position. Once on the boat the debtors would then have to gamble with loaned money, which would end with a few winning, and others getting into deeper debt and having to work to pay of their debts. After some coercing kaiji accepts a position on the boat, in order to clear himself and make a bit of money as well... (Source: AniDB)
Production & Background Notes
Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji won the 22nd Kodansha Manga Award in the General category in 1998, along with Souten Kouro. The series has been published digitally in English as Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji by Fukumoto Production/Highstone Inc. on May 29, 2015, and in print by Denpa as omnibus volumes since December 10, 2019. The manga has been adapted into multiple Japanese live-action films, a stage play, and video games. Manga author Homura Kawamoto stated in an interview that Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji was an inspiration for the writing of Kakegurui.