Gambling Woman (Episode)

## Gambling Woman

**Gambling Woman** is the twelfth episode of Season One in the *Kakegurui animated series*. It was produced by MAPPA and aired in Japan on September 23rd, 2017. This episode’s content is exclusive to the anime.

## Summary

Kirari and Yumeko play a simple game against each other. The loser must leave the school forever. Ryota is also convinced to participate and draw one card. In the end it all depends on him. But he relies on luck and picks one that ended the game in a tie.

## Plot

   The day after the concert, Ryota confronts Yumeko asking her if she's serious about what she said the day before. He reminds her that she's facing the president and that there's no telling what she may do. Yumeko is grateful that Ryota is worried about her, but there's no need for it. Now that she's facing Kirari head-on, she can't hold herself back any longer. Ryota calms down and tells her that he's not there to stop her that he just wants the chance to see her gamble from the best seat in the house leaving Yumeko surprised by his response. As they look each other in the eyes, Ryota comes to terms of his feelings admitting to himself that Yumeko has completely bewitched him.

Mary and Itsuki show up and ask Yumeko if she has a game plan leading to Itsuki bringing out a suitcase filled with loaded dice, see-through cards, etc. Ryota criticizes them for believing that Yumeko should cheat her way to victory, but they criticize him for thinking that Yumeko should fight fair and square believing that cheating is the only way to defeat Kirari. Yumeko stops them and agrees with Ryota stating that she has no intention of cheating stating that now that she's facing Kirari head-on, she has no intention of making the gamble impure. With no other way to convince her otherwise, Mary and Itsuki have no choice but to support her by joining her. Yumeko smiles and thanks all three of him for their support.

   Later that day, Yumeko, Ryota, Mary and Itsuki go to a room where Kirari, Runa and Sayaka are waiting for them. Kirari then makes a speech about the academy leading to them coming to an agreement on the terms of the gambling match: whoever loses the match will be expelled from Hyakkaou Academy. Ryota and Sayaka are against the idea, but the terms were set in stone leading to Kirari to pass the mic to Runa who then asks Itsuki for some Tarot cards. Itsuki then pulls out her deck of Tarot cards thinking that she should have brought her trick Tarot cards. Kirari then explains the rules of the game stating that the 22 Tarot cards are laid out on a circle table face down, and three people will choose the cards representing the Present, Past, and Future. Each card represents a number, and the total score will be based of their respected number. The catch is that the score will be based on the card's position when flipped up. If the card is facing upward, the score will be + points, and if reversed, the score will be - points. If the total score is positive, Yumeko wins, but if the score is negative, Kirari wins. Kirari then pulls a card off the top of the deck revealing The Fool. She holds it up to her face and explains that The Fool will be the game's Joker. If The Fool is flipped over, the game ends with one winner. If it's flipped upward, Yumeko wins and if reversed, Kirari wins.

With the rules set in stone, the game was called the Tarot Cards of Fate, and all that was left was the decide on the three people that will play. Yumeko was chosen for the Present, and Kirari was chosen for the Past. Sayaka is against the idea of Kirari choosing the past, but Kirari gives her a stern look without even looking at her shutting her up. She then brings up the final card being the Future. Mary and Itsuki tense up thinking that one of them will be chosen. Kirari points at Ryota and asks for his name. Surprised and confused, Ryota introduces himself, and Kirari chooses him for the Future. Ryota questions why him, but Yumeko becomes elated over him choosing the Future believing that he would be perfect for the position. She then reminds him that this could possibly be her last gambling match at the academy, and she'd like Ryota to be there. Ryota is overwhelmed by the responsibility but then thinks back to when he gambled together with Yumeko. With that in mind, he agrees to draw The Future. Thus, the game begins.

Yumeko starts the match and draws The Magician in the upright position putting the score at +1. Kirari then converses with Yumeko about her time at the academy and then draws The World in the downright position putting the score at -20. Runa then tells Ryota to draw but antagonizes him by telling him that he has to draw The Fool in order to win. Mary and Itsuki criticize Runa for antagonizing Ryota and accuses her of cheating. Runa then criticizes them stating that she never chooses sides for anybody no matter who they are. After calming down, Mary and Itsuki notice something about the Tarot cards, but Runa cuts them off from saying anything because if they do, Ryota will be disqualified.

   Ryota thinks about which card he should draw knowing fully well that the odds are stacked against him. He then grows hesitant leading to him nearly giving up on himself. Yumeko calls out to him telling not to worry about him. She then reminds him that if they lose, she's the one who has to leave the academy, so the risk and the pain will be hers. Ryota calms down a bit and tells her that what she said is not true. Yumeko is stunned by his response, and Ryota reminds her that he wants to watch her gamble from the best seat in the house. He then confesses his feelings telling her that he wants to be with and that the risk she mentioned was just as much his leaving Yumeko, Mary and Itsuki flustered. Ryota then looks back the Tarot cards wondering which one to draw. He looks at Mary and Itsuki (while the latter is energetically shaking the former over his confession) knowing that they must have noticed something about the cards. He looks back at the cards and notices one card in particular that has a blue kiss mark on the corner. Mary and Itsuki see that he's noticed it hoping that he draws it as they believe that it's The Fool since it's the only card Kirari touched before the game began. Yumeko also notices it hoping that Ryota doesn't draw it.

Ryota touches it, and Runa asks if that's the card he wants to flip over. Ryota hesitates, but he pushes the card aside deciding not the flip it over. Itsuki yells out, but Runa immediately stops her reminding her that she can't get involved unless she wants Ryota disqualified. Ryota thinks about that card wondering why Kirari left a kiss mark on it, but he then realizes that whether or not it was The Fool is all the more risk he takes and was laid there by Kirari. He then states that she would never leave a mark unless she wanted to draw it herself. He then tells her that she gave the choice to him meaning that he's gonna decide what risk to take. With a strong resolve, he decides to gamble on his own terms which greatly excites Yumeko as she clings to his back and lifts up his hand. As she's guiding his hand, she whispers in his ear leading to Ryota developing a natural gambling instinct and draws The Judgment in the upright position making the total score zero ending the game in a draw.

Ryota catches his breath as Yumeko looks at him in a state of euphoria. Sayaka runs towards Kirari relieved that she isn't getting expelled but trips over her feet. Kirari catches her and hugs her stating that everything's alright. After Ryota regains his composure he looks at The Judgment card stunned over what he just did. Yumeko calls out to him, and they make eye contact with each other. Itsuki then interrupts their moment criticizing Ryota for not choosing the Tarot with the kiss mark on it. Mary then argues with her stating that there was no way to confirm that it was The Fool, so they decide to look at. Before they could even touch it, Runa steps in stating that these kinds of things are more interesting if it's left ambiguous, so she twirls away in her chair while being chased by Mary and Itsuki.

Kirari walks towards Yumeko and Ryota stating that she knew the game would end in a draw believing that fate doesn't anyone of them to leave. Yumeko agrees that if fate wants them to stay then the Future for them may be bright. Kirari then looks at Ryota and states that Yumeko has some amazing pets, but Yumeko refutes her by saying that they're not her pets but the most amazing friends she's ever had.

As the episode ends, Ryota reflects on how much the academy has changed because Yumeko started attending. He thinks about how some people have changed be it with their confidence or they've just been reborn. Despite all the changes occurring because of Yumeko, Yumeko herself hasn't changed. She's still the same as she was in the beginning, a **Compulsive Gambler**.

The scene is then cut to Runa lying on the floor looking at the Tarot cards as she's on the phone with Ririka Momobami who's revealed to be Kirari's twin sister.

## Character Appearances

* Yumeko Jabami
* Ryota Suzui
* Mary Saotome
* Itsuki Sumeragi
* Kirari Momobami
* Runa Yomozuki
* Sayaka Igarashi
* Ririka Momobami

## Differences between anime and manga

* The Tarot Cards of Fate gamble played between Kirari and Yumeko is all anime original. So almost all of Episode 12 can be considered non-canon material. The reason why this is significant is because in the manga, Yumeko had yet to gamble Kirari, which piles onto the suspense of their anticipated gamble. Having them gamble in Episode 12 may have hampered Yumeko’s intense drive for wanting to gamble Kirari since it has already happened in the anime.