Who Are The Hundred Devouring Families In Kakegurui?
Netflix produces and acquires a lot of content, making it impossible to keep up with absolutely everything it releases on a weekly basis. However, the streaming service deserves credit for the diversity of its catalog and broadening the global appeal of movies and shows that weren't made in the Western world. Furthermore, Netflix has become a haven for anime in recent years, showcasing everything from classics such as the popular Studio Ghibli movies, to some bizarre and overlooked gems that bubble away underneath the radar.
"Kakegurui" is one of several anime series that's currently available to stream on Netflix. The story revolves around the students at Hyakkou Private Academy, an elite institution that teaches students to hone their gambling skills, as opposed to encouraging them to pursue more academic ventures. To say that the school is unconventional would be an understatement, though it does offer plenty in the way of drama and excitement.
Themes pertaining to wealth and elitism are central to the story of "Kakegurui." And when it comes to the physical incarnation of these ideas, one should look no further than The Hundred Devouring Families. But who are they and what are they all about?
The Hundred Devouring Families are a dysfunctional lot
Most people have relatives with who they don't look forward to spending the holiday season. Then again, most rivalries between blood relatives tend to be mild and revolve around everyday topics like politics and the best child of the bunch. The same can't be said about the Hundred Devouring Families in "Kakegurui."
In short, the Hundred Devouring Families is a collection of separate wealthy groups, all of whom are distantly related to each other. Most of their surnames end with "bami," which translates to "devouring" in Japanese. The name not only explains why they're known as the Hundred Devouring Families, but it sums up each member's cutthroat mentality in a nutshell.
Most of the groups in the family are uber-successful in a different specialist field, including entertainment, medicine, and politics. As a result, most of these families are highly influential when it comes to dictating how society is run. On the flip side, they aren't interested in coming together and living in harmony alongside each other. Great power brings great responsibility, but it can also corrupt the most selfish of hearts.
The Hundred Devouring Families have a leader
Every elite family needs a figurehead to maintain the balance, and that's no different here. In "Kakegurui," Kirari Momobami is the glue that's supposed to hold the Hundred Devouring Families together inside the school. Of course, that's not the reality of the situation, as Kirari is a sociopath who's responsible for the school's controversial hierarchy system, which causes some students to become house pets. (More on that later.)
Basically, the members of the other family branches who have been elected to attend the Hyakkaou Private Academy are there to remove Kirari from her seat of power. They all share the common goal of usurping Kirari and enabling a new sect to lead the charge, which brings them together in a weird way. That said, their inherent competitive streaks and hostile feelings toward each other make their mission difficult to complete.
Gambling is how most conflicts are settled in "Kakegurui," and some of the Hundred Devouring Families' most noteworthy drama has revolved around high-stakes games. They're free to settle their disputes this way, but it comes at a cost. If one of the gamblers runs out of money, they must put their humanity on the line, essentially turning them into servants of the other family branches, should they lose.