The BEST Episodes of Kaiji
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Feb 21, 2021
Network: Nippon TV
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...
#1 - Dying Spirit
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired Jan 9, 2008
At the Starside Hotel 8 people now remain on the 74m bridge-crossing of death. Faced with imminent death, they all want to give up but Yukio Tonegawa ignores their pleas of mercy and in a mere 3 minutes only Kaiji, Sahara and Ishida remain.
8.85 
#2 - Iron Hammer
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 21, 2007
There are only 5 minutes left and only Funai is left, so Kaiji challenges him to a final match wagering 5 stars. Kaiji has the edge because he knows that either way he will be sent to the "other room" but Funai is reluctant to except this unfair wager. In the other room Kaiji pins all his hopes on being resurrected.
8.53 
#3 - Tears of Resentment
Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired Sep 21, 2011
Even with the plates filled to the brim with silver balls, Ichijō's secret weapon, the Curtain of Wind, prevents Kaiji from winning and Kaiji has run out of money. As he is dragged away, Sakazaki appears swearing vengeance on the machine, and gives Kaiji another ¥10 million which he again 'borrowed' from the company safe. Kaiji starts playing again with renewed vigor. The bottom plate is now awash with balls, but none can pass the curtain of wind around the winning hole. The machine appears to groan, and with the plate overflowing with balls, some cascade down the winning hole. Horrified that Kaiji won, Hyōdō sentences Ichijō to 1,050 years underground.
8.38 
#4 - Afterglow
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired Apr 2, 2008
The final scene of the night of lunacy begins. The name of the game is "Tissue Box Raffle" and Kaiji's plan, to win on the first draw seems to have run into a dead end. Will Kaiji's desperate prayers reach the heavens?
8.36 
#5 - Resurrection
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired Nov 28, 2007
Kaiji is in the other room waiting to be resurrected by his comrades, however Andou is having second thoughts and decides to betray Kaiji by selling his stars. It doesn't take much for his last hope, Furuhata to betray him as well. Will Kaiji be able to crawl his way out of the pit of despair?
8.33 
#6 - Heavens
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired Jan 16, 2008
With only 2 people remaining, Sahara is the first to survive the bridge-crossing of death however there is something sinister behind the window, before him. With all options out of the question, Kaiji is at a loss of what to do but he eventually finds a loophole that is potentially a path to salvation.
8.31 
#7 - Fury
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired Jan 23, 2008
Now that the ticket he had from the bridge-crossing is void, Kaiji cannot leave empty handed, so the mastermind of this offers him a chance to gain up to ¥100million. The game is "E-Card" and there are 3 types of cards (Citizen, Emperor & Slave). The rules may be simple but there's a lot more to this psychological battle, especially since Kaiji will be facing Yukio Tonegawa.
8.31 
#8 - Departed Souls
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired Feb 20, 2008
Kaiji has figured out Tonegawa's method of cheating and decides to use this to his advantage by recklessly wagering the maximum remaining length available (18mm). But this isn't completely reckless, since he's thought of an idea to win the 2 remaining Slave rounds.
8.29 
#9 - Wandering Silver Balls
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired Sep 14, 2011
Kaiji continues to play until the losing holes on even the third plate are blocked; however, Ichijō has the final weapon – air jets around the winning hole to deflect the balls. In the hushed silence, Kaiji hears the sound of hissing air and deduces what Ichijō has done. As Kaiji runs out of balls to play, the Teiai security men in black arrive to take him back underground. Kaiji proposes calling it a draw to Ichijō who refuses, forcing Kaiji to play his remaining balls and pray for a miracle.
8.25 
#10 - Iron Gate
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired Aug 3, 2011
Kaiji continues to play, with every ball deflected by the flippers until one ball makes it through to the plates below, the flipper rods bent because the replacement rods installed after Sakazaki smashed the machine were modified by Kaiji. Ichijō starts to panic and then receives a phone call from Hyōdō telling him to let the game continue and not bring the corporation into disrepute, under penalty of death. Ichijō now relies on his three rigged bottom plates to foil Kaiji's chances of winning.
8.20 
#11 - Proclamation
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired Nov 14, 2007
The 4 hour game of "Restricted Rock Paper Scissors" is nearing its end and Kaiji's group is forced to join Funai's idea of reshuffling all the cards amongst the remaining participants. However soon afterwards they are stuck in their tracks with no one to play against. Kaiji was finally able to stop Funai from getting any more matches, after revealing his cheating plan and also comes up with a risky plan to survive.
8.18 
#12 - Applause, and Then...
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired Jun 1, 2011
Kurosaki intervenes and tells Ōtsuki that he has no choice but to play, and in the end, he loses 18,252,000 perica which Kaiji splits equally between the Forty-fivers. Kaiji then asks Kurosaki to approve their requests for the one-day outside pass and he agrees. The Forty-fivers insist that Kaiji should keep the money and twenty one-day outside passes, leaving him with ¥800,000 (around US$7,800) to gamble for the team and pay off their debts. Now back in society above ground, Kaiji meets Sakazaki Kōtarō who is looking for a partner to win big in the illegal casinos. Kaiji accepts his offer, and is taken to an illegal casino where he sees a huge Pachinko machine called "The Bog". Each ball is worth 1,000 times more than normal and the jackpot is worth ¥550 million, more than enough to free Kaiji from debt.
8.17 
#13 - Condition
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired Mar 19, 2008
Through Kaiji's persistence, the chairman finally accepts his challenge but Kaiji must find a way to get the chairman to accept the idea of a "Tissue Box Raffle". Kaiji's plan seems to be going smoothly but then the chairman decides to lay out three conditions that must be followed.
8.14 
#14 - Pallid
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired Mar 26, 2008
The night of lunacy continues; with Kaiji putting his ¥20million and 4 fingers on the line, for a ¥100million gamble. The game is Tissue Box Raffle and something unexpected occurs, which completely throws away Kaiji's sure-fire way to win.
8.14 
#15 - Certain Victory
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired Aug 24, 2011
Kaiji plays on, but he is on the verge of defeat, having lost all his money. He convinces Endō to lend him his last ¥10 million against his better judgement, but at an exorbitant interest rate, and Kaiji returns to the machine for a final assault.
8.14 
#16 - Last Gamble
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired Jun 8, 2011
When Kaiji is told there have only been two winners of the Bog, Hyōdō and Tonegawa, he realizes that the game must be rigged. He then agrees to work with Sakazaki for 10% of the possible ¥600 million payout from the Bog, however Sakazaki is secretive about the details of his plan which includes the machine's maintenance schedule. A day before their attempt to beat the Bog, Sakazaki appears with ¥50 million he 'borrowed' from the company president's safe where he works as a security guard. At the appointed day, Sakazaki commences to play the Bog.
8.13 
#17 - A Future For Us...
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired Sep 28, 2011
As Ichijō is removed by the men in black, Kaiji tells him to fight his way back to the surface for a rematch. Meanwhile, Kaiji's friends cash in the balls he won for a total of over ¥729 million. Kaiji, Sakazaki and Endō settle their debts and split the remainder for almost ¥190 million each, from which Kaiji must pay back his friends in the underground labor camp. However, during a night of drinking and celebration, Endō drugs the other two and extracts his cut of Kaiji's money for the extortionate interest he charged for the last ¥10 million that he lent him, leaving Kaiji just over ¥61 million. The next day, the men in black arrive to pick up the money from Kaiji and free his underground friends, including the son of Ishida. However, on the day the Forty-fivers arrive on the surface, Kaiji is too ashamed to meet them because he lost his remaining money on a pachinko machine. Taking pity, one of the men in black lends him some money to celebrate with them.
8.11 
#18 - Heart and Soul
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired Feb 27, 2008
Onto the final match of E-Card and Kaiji decides to go for another life or death gamble, as he has come up with a way to take advantage of this disadvantaged situation. Kaiji is determined not to leave without ¥20million but how far will that determination take him?
8.09 
#19 - Degradation
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired Dec 19, 2007
The event is Human Derby, a sick game which plays on ones mind and body and Kaiji must decide to push or be pushed. What will Kaiji choose to do? By the end of the Human Derby, only 21 people out of the total 60 contestants survived. Yet this is not the end of it, as there is a new deadly challenge that waits for them.
8.00 
#20 - Trifled
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired Feb 6, 2008
The game of E-Card that Kaiji put his hearing on the line continues into the 2nd Round and even though Kaiji has come up with a plan, it still doesn't stop him from losing the next match. Confident now that he has found a way to win, Kaiji bets 10mm for the next match but it may end up causing an upset for the rest of the game.
8.00 
#21 - Limit
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired Feb 13, 2008
Onto the 9th match, this is the most crucial point for Kaiji who only has 4 more matches and 4mm till destruction. His mind is full of so many conflicting thoughts and even without the confidence in his choice he somehow managed to win to ensure his safety. Yet something feels off about the whole turn of events and through his deductive skills Kaiji realizes that they are cheating.
8.00 
#22 - Execution
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired Mar 5, 2008
The final judgement has been met by Tonegawa, as he believes he has discerned Kaiji's plan of purposely splattering the cards with his blood but he was only being lead by Kaiji's true plan. Now all that's left is for certain formalities to be taken care of; for Kaiji to receive is money and for Tonegawa to sincerely apologize.
8.00 
#23 - Unconventional
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired Mar 12, 2008
Even after his unbelievable feat of beating Tonegawa, Kaiji does feel satisfied unless he beats the chairman. In the restroom Kaiji thinks of some kind of rigged lottery, "Tissue Box Raffle" to beat the one in charge of all this. With all preparations met he heads out to challenge the chairman to one more gamble.
8.00 
#24 - Hell on Earth
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired Apr 6, 2011
Months after the events at the Starside Hotel, Kaiji runs into loan shark Endoh in a chance encounter. Kaiji is forced into labor in the Teiai Group's underground mines to pay his enormous debts. Workers are paid a slave's wage in scrip called Perica, making what amounts to ¥350 a day. Those who save up enough Perica are allowed a one-day furlough above ground. Kaiji resolves to do so, but is soon tempted by the foreman Otsuki.
8.00 
#25 - The Rules of the Game
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired Apr 13, 2011
Kaiji agrees to play Chinchirorin with the other workers and foreman Otsuki. Kaiji spends several rounds making small wagers to get a feel for the game. Dissatisfied with the small payout, Kaiji bets big- 3,000 Perica against the timid man Miyoshi.
8.00