Who Is The Main Character In Kakegurui?
With the current rise in popularity of anime series, Netflix has managed to both purchase the rights to popular classic shows and produce their own original critically-acclaimed series. From the record-breaking "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" to classics like "Naruto" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion," Netflix is full of all types of anime shows of different genres.
One of the best parts about anime is the ensemble casts, with characters that are made for you to root for, or love to hate. "Haikyuu!!" is a volleyball-centered show following a lovable cast of high school athletes; a family with over 20 members makes up only part of the "Fruits Basket" cast; and "Attack on Titan" adds new important characters in what feels like every other episode.
Another popular Netflix series is the intense gambling anime called "Kakegurui," which also has a large ensemble cast. The exciting series takes place at an exclusive boarding school called Hyakkaou Private Academy, where wealthy students essentially enslave their less-rich peers — known as Pets — and force them to act as servants. The only way to change your social standing isn't through typical scholastic achievements like good grades or sports skills. Instead, the students at Hyakkaou Private Academy are passionate about gambling.
Since "Kakegurui" follows several students, it may be a bit difficult to discern who the main character is — but there is definitely one central character at the focus of the show.
Our bets are on Yumeko Jabami
Despite the large cast central to "Kakegurui," Yumeko Jabami (voiced by Saori Hayami in the Japanese version and Erika Harlacher in English) stands out as the main protagonist. We meet Yumeko in the first few minutes of the first episode when she's introduced to her class as a transfer student. A fellow student named Ryōta Suzui (Tatsuya Tokutake/Griffin Burns) is tasked with giving Yumeko a tour of the school, where she learns he's one of the lower-ranked Pets — and he teaches her how important gambling is to the school. Little does Ryōta know that Yumeko is obsessed with gambling, and we soon learn just how skilled she is.
While Yumeko is indisputably the main character in "Kakegurui," the other characters are crucial to the story as well. Some of the major characters include the class president Kirari Momobami (Miyuki Sawashiro/Michelle Ruff), the calculating Mary Saotome (Minami Tanaka/Kira Buckland), the wealthy, yet insecure Itsuki Sumeragi (Yuki Wakai/Erica Mendez), and the sadistic Midari Ikishima (Mariya Ise/Sarah Anne Williams).
If you're in need of a show to watch that features a complex, hard-to-read protagonist, "Kakegurui" may be your next perfect watch.