Summary
A sequel very much in the same vein as its predecessor, with stylistic fidelity to the source material at all costs.
Based on the manga by Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura, the Kakegurui franchise has taken on a surprising multimedia life. Well, we say surprising but the heightened language of warring high school factions is fertile ground for a dedicated fanbase.
Indeed, you don’t often see compulsive gambling as a basis for a popular series. It’s set in the exclusive Hyakkaou Private Academy, where elite and wealthy students seemingly live their lives free of classes but in a perpetual state of competition. Social status is determined by gambling wins.
Utilising the same cast as the TV series, this film picks up some time after the events of the first feature film. Deceptively innocent, Yumeko Jabami (Minami Hamabe) has upset the delicate apple cart by causing absolute chaos in the Student Council, who allocate ranking to students based on their financial contributions. In order to restore their status quo, they side with the seemingly demonic Shikigami (Ryusei Fujii), a former student suspended some years early.
Plot details get a little sketchy from here on in, but that scarcely seems to matter: it’s all about the style. Indeed, there are long sequences that feel more like music videos or simply trailers for the film we’re already watching. The first film could rightly be praised for its proximity to the look and feel of the source material (because I did just that at the time). KAKEGURUI 2: ULTIMATE RUSSIAN ROULETTE ( 映画 賭ケグルイ絶体絶命ロシアンルーレット) is very much in the same vein, with stylistic fidelity to the source material at all costs,
It all leads up to the titular game of Russian roulette, where these privileged school kids sit around with guns and a whole lot of shady looks being cast. It’s meant to be the height of tension, but with the endless exposition infused in the writing, this sequence alone seems to go on longer than The Deer Hunter — and that’s three hours.
It’ a shame it all feels so flat, as director Tsutomu Hanabusa — through Tori Girl, Kakegurui, Project Dream: How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hangar and this year’s Tokyo Revengers — has consistently shown his ability to breath life and energy into these works.
Kakegurui has ample material to draw from. The manga series alone has been running since 2014, with various spin-offs on multiple media platforms. So it’s incredibly surprising that a film with death penalties for overdue student payments, explosions and a semi-demonic subplot can feel so ordinary.
KAKEGURUI 2: ULTIMATE RUSSIAN ROULETTE is reviewed as part of our coverage for the Fantasia Festival 2021.
2021 | Japan | DIRECTOR: Tsutomu Hanabusa | WRITER: Minato Takano, Tsutomu Hanabusa (based on the manga by Homura Kawamoto and Toru Naomura) | CAST: Minami Hamabe, Ryusei Fujii, Mahiro Takasugi, Aoi Morikawa | DISTRIBUTOR: GaGa Corporation, Fantasia Festival 2021 | RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 5-25 August 2021 (Fantasia 2021)
