Reviewing Netflix’s “Bet”

Netflix Show “Bet.” Released on May 15.

Introduction:

“Bet” is a new Netflix teen drama and psychological thriller series based on the Japanese manga “Kakegurui.” This is a loose adaptation, meaning the show isn’t a direct copy of the manga but focuses more on a different story with the same characters. It was released on May 15 and is directed by Simon Barry.

According to TUDUM by Netflix, “Bet focuses on a girl named Yumeko Jabami, played by Miku Martineau, who gets kicked out of school for gambling. She is later transferred to St. Dominic’s, a private school where gambling decides who is popular and powerful. Yumeko is a new student who loves to take big risks. She challenges the top gamblers of the school to try to become part of the student council (The school’s top 10 gamblers). She seeks revenge against the one who was responsible for her parents murder.” There are 10 total episodes and with a length of 30 minutes each or more.

Trailer and Teaser:

When seeing the first ever trailer of the show, it was sort of unexpected but it looked like a very interesting show. The gambling scenes between Yumeko and her opponents are very intense and are full of drama, which made me more interested to watch. Sometimes though, the effects of the show can feel a little too much and hard to focus on the story.

Actors:

I think the actors did a really amazing job on making the show more unique than the original manga, especially Miku Martineau, who did an impressive job portraying Yumeko. However, some of the characters in the show either had simple personalities or didn’t have any backstory shown.

The show tries to tell a thrilling story, but sometimes it kind of feels very slow or confusing since there is a lot more talking than action. One thing that made some fans upset was how the show’s cast is mostly non-Asian. Even though the original manga originated from Japan, this left fans feel as if the show missed an important part of the story’s culture. (Actors are shown here in on IMDB)

According to eighth grader Anthony Gonzalez,  “The actors are cool and there is a WWE wrestler named Colby Lopez. The actors do a good job portraying the characters in the anime, so I don’t get the hate towards the actors.”

People at JMS that watched the show:

According to eighth grader Eduardo Velazquez, “I thought the show was really funny but I also think the show was a little cringey at some moments.”

According to eighth grader Rodrigo Rodriguez, “The story was sort of all over the place but I did enjoy the gambling battles.”

Conclusion:

Overall, Bet is a really funny and exciting show for people who enjoy watching these types of shows that have a lot of drama. It has a great style and some strong performances but the show does struggle a lot trying to tell its story. In the ending of the show, it ends with a cliffhanger to get people’s attention, which I thought was a pretty smart thing to do. I give this show a 8 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone who likes a fast-paced, risky adventure.