Bet premieres May 15 on Netflix.
By Elazar Abrahams
Netflix’s latest anime-to-live-action project, Bet, is based on the cult favorite Kakegurui, a story about elite high schoolers who are, for lack of a better term, absolute gambling degenerates. And not just in a Vegas poker room kind of way. These students bet on everything. And I mean everything. Social standing, test scores, body parts, pets, etc. nothing is off the table in this high-stakes, ultra-dramatic, hyper-stylized world where the currency of power is pure risk.
On paper, that premise should be thrilling. But while Bet is committed to adapting the chaos of the anime, it struggles in live-action form. The tone is so heightened and exaggerated that it can’t quite land the right balance. For fans of traditional drama, the show may feel too cartoonish. For anime fans, it might just make them wish they were watching the original series instead.
This isn’t Netflix’s first stab at live-action anime. One Piece was a rare success that managed to win over skeptics by embracing its goofiness with sincerity. Cowboy Bebop flopped for trying too hard to be both cool and faithful. Bet lands somewhere in between. It’s not disastrous, but it’s not particularly engaging either. The stylization feels mismatched with the format. Dutch angles, over-the-top facial reactions, slow-motion card reveals, and operatic monologues all try to replicate anime flair. In this format, it mostly plays as awkward cosplay.
The series does deserve some credit. It’s trying something bold. It’s not boring. The world is fully realized, and the central concept is so ludicrously committed to gambling as a lifestyle, it almost becomes satire. But for all the effort, Bet feels like it’s not built for anyone in particular. Drama lovers may bounce off the tone. Anime fans may crave the animated version’s precision. And people like me, who just wanted something engaging, are left shrugging.
It’s not offensively bad. But in a crowded landscape of genre TV, Bet feels like a bet that didn’t hit the jackpot.
I give Bet a C+.
TV and City 