The BEST episodes of Kaiji
Every episode of Kaiji ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Kaiji!
Kaiji Itou is an apathetic loafer who becomes entangled in the very dangerous world of high-stakes gambling.
#1 - The Rules of the Game
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/13/2011
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.
#2 - The Battle Begins
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/27/2011
On Kaiji's last day above ground, he challenges the Bog and Kurosaki warns Ichijō that Kaiji must have a plan, and Ichijō's reputation is on the line. Kaiji starts playing and more balls than expected drop between the pins and Ichijō is suspicious. It takes him some time to realize that Kaiji somehow entered the staff room and doctored the setting gauges for adjusting the pins so they were set wider apart. Panicking, Ichijō has the 'block' turned on, directing the balls away from the winning path.
#3 - A Future For Us...
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 10/10/2011
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.
#4 - Hell on Earth
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/6/2011
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.
#5 - All-in Bluff
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 7/20/2011
Sakazaki enters the casino to challenge the Bog again, dressed as a Komusō monk. He plays the machine, quickly losing his stake of ¥6 million, then attacks and damages it. Ichijō is suspicious of his behavior and realizes that it is a distraction and rushes to his office to find Kaiji there. Ichijō has Sakazaki beaten up and Kaiji tortured, then they are thrown out into the street. Days later, the Bog is repaired and operational again. It is Kaiji's final day on the surface and he arrives at the casino to challenge the unbeatable Pachinko machine.
#6 - Trajectory of a Miracle
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 8/17/2011
Kaiji has only ¥20 million left to try and beat the Bog, however he is confident as he is aware of how the three bottom plates are rigged. He explained this to Sakazaki when they were at the racetrack. Slowly Ichijō comes to realize that Kaiji managed to not only tilt the machine to increase his odds of winning, but also create a slightly favorable tilt on the casino building. Unbeknownst to him, Kaiji's group had poured 20 tons of water into plastic tanks in a room on one side of the casino building, causing it to subside slightly on that side.
#7 - Heaven's Fall, Man's Fall
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/22/2011
Sakazaki ignores Kaiji's warning and continues sinking money into the Bog, while the casino manager gives instructions to initiate the 'block' which controls the flippers, stopping the balls descending into the winning zone. Although Sakazaki is close to winning he collapses and the casino manager, Ichijō Seiya, introduces himself and reveals that they are using brass balls today which are not affected by magnetism. They leave with a little more than ¥6 million after losing over ¥43 million in two hours. The next day, Kaiji spends hours back at the casino, staring at the machine, then goes to the staff room to cash in one ball he found, insulting Ichijō but also gathering information about the casino's operations.
#8 - Cheers and Sighs
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/15/2011
Sakazaki starts to play the Bog, using an initial ¥10 million, dropping balls onto the final holed plate, but they do not have enough momentum. During the game Kaiji successfully passes Sakazaki his pre-prepared magnetized beer can and he prepares to use it to increase the centrifugal force of a ball to make it drop through the winning hole. However the effect is insignificant, but Sakazaki continues, wagering another ¥10 million. Kaiji overhears the security men talk of a device to prevent anyone winning and Kaiji warns Sakazaki's to stop, but he is in a gambling frenzy and continues to play using the money he 'borrowed' from the company safe.
#9 - Nemesis
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/25/2011
Kaiji shows everyone that Ōtsuki is cheating by using his special dice. He then tricks the foreman into betting again while Kaiji and his group use their own "special dice", with a 1 on each side, and thus Ōtsuki is forced to pay 5 times the amount they bet, losing 2,535,000 perica in total. Just when Ōtsuki was about to give up for the night, Kaiji reminds him that he still has to deal one more time according to the rules. The Forty-fivers then bet all 3,042,000 perica against the dealer.
#10 - The Magic Dice
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/18/2011
When the foreman sees that the Forty-fivers have bet all their money, he suspects that Kaiji has discovered how he is cheating. A backstory is then shown of when Ōtsuki and his men started cheating after purchasing special dice without the 1, 2 or 3 dots. Back at the game, Ōtsuki is forced to play with normal dice, taking his chances, but then suspects that Kaiji does not know how he cheats, so on the final throw he uses his special dice. Suddenly, Kaiji grabs the dice before they stop rolling.
#11 - The Storm Arrives
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/11/2011
Kaiji and Ōtsuki prepare to face each other over cee-lo, each thinking they have an edge. For the first few matches, Kaiji does not bet over the old limit of 20,000 perica and everyone gets bored with Kaiji betting so little. On a challenge from Ōtsuki who must deal twice, Kaiji bets his entire 52,000 perica and signals the Forty-fivers who each bet 92,000 perica, for a total of 507,000 perica.
#12 - Abuse and Endurance
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/4/2011
While Kaiji is on medical duty, he meets the son of Ishida, Hiromitsu, who is also working underground for his debt, but blames his father for not bailing him out. Angrily Kaiji berates him for not accepting his own weaknesses. Later, Kaiji insults Ōtsuki who then makes life a misery for Kaiji and the Forty-fivers, but after three months they all return to full pay. Meanwhile, Kurosaki Yoshihiro, Tonegawa's replacement, observes Kaiji through CCTV. When the gambling night begins, Kaiji proposes no betting limit before he will join in and Ōtsuki accepts.
#13 - Path to the Counterattack
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/27/2011
Weeks have passed since Kaiji's crushing loss on gambling night, and he finds himself in a cycle of debt with a group of five others, including Miyoshi. The group is referred to by the other workers as the "45s". With the help of Miyoshi, Kaiji discovers that the foreman's group is cheating. Kaiji rallies the 45s together to come up with a plan.
#14 - Shards of Fate
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/20/2011
Kaiji loses his first bet of 3,000 Perica, but strengthens his resolve to fight. He continues to make bets of 3,000 Perica. After 40 minutes of gambling, he ups the ante and bets 5,000 Perica against foreman Otsuki and his lackey. They respond with enormous bets- each betting the house limit of 20,000 Perica.
#15 - Departed Souls
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/20/2008
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.
#16 - The Survivor's Road
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/13/2011
From his descent into the underground hell to his first encounter with the Bog and Ichijou, relive Kaiji's journey and see just how far he has left to go.
#17 - Heart and Soul
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/27/2008
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?
#18 - Execution
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/2008
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.
#19 - Condition
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/2008
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.
#20 - Pallid
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/26/2008
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.
#21 - Unconventional
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/12/2008
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.
#22 - Afterglow
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/2/2008
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?
#23 - Applause, and Then...
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/1/2011
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.
#24 - Last Gamble
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/8/2011
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.
#25 - The Clue to Beat the Bog
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/29/2011
Kaiji returns to the Sakazaki apartment, only to find it trashed and empty. Sakazaki has taken the last of his money to the race track. Kaiji's plan for revenge involves Sakazaki, so with a plan to beat the Bog, he tracks Sakazaki down at a Sapporo racetrack. Kaiji approaches Endō who is now broke but agrees to fund him, however it will cost ¥113 million including interest plus 50% of the winnings. Sakazaki violently objects but they end up agreeing to split the winnings three ways after costs.