SO, this was clearly a building-up episode. It’s a bit disappointing, as I was hoping that Kaiji would turn the tables already with the seventh round, but instead the creators decided to use these rounds to bring Kaiji more and more in despair. Kaiji has now lost six times in a row, and due to his recklessness he will now lose his ear if he doesn’t win at least once, even while betting 1mm at a time.
It’s a bit of a pity to see Kaiji in despair this way. What I really fear is going to happen is that Kaiji is going to lose even more after this, after which he miraculously wins once on the twelfth round and saves his ear. I’d rather see a more… evenly matched battle between the two of them, and I hope that Kaiji can grab himself together early enough to not make his survival depend on the very last match.
I’m surprised that Kaiji didn’t figure out that Tonegawa can only use Kaiji’s body language when Kaiji is the first to deal his card. After Tonegawa revealed how he knows exactly when Kaiji deals his emperor, based on his body-language, you’d expect Kaiji to go for either the fourth or the second card, but instead he chose the first and the fifth. With that, Tonegawa doesn’t even have to break a sweat, and just put down his slave whenever he sees that Kaiji puts the emperor down. Come to think of it, the only time that Tonegawa really had to think was in the third round, which was the only one where he won and was the first one to deal. Come on, Kaiji. Stop being emo and realize this!
Well, since he lost six times in a row and every time he loses he hears this insane drilling sound which penetrates deeply into his brain, and since he is up against somebody who seems like the Devil to him – somebody who can always figure him out and find the way to win – it’s really no wonder that Kaiji can’t figure that out. It’s pretty easy to calmly analyze the situation from the sides when you don’t have anything to lose. He’s by far not the best strategist, but this is pretty much what the show is all about – somebody who is pretty much an unlucky loser surviving against all odds.
In any case, this was a great episode, full of tension and even some strategy. I hope Kaiji can find some way to turn the tables without relying on some lame plot device.
I think that Kaiji is falling for the same trick Akagi’s opponents always fall for. If it’s a high-stakes gamble, you tend to think “He won’t take that risk. He’ll play it safe.” That’s what caused Kaiji to lose that one round.
As far as I see it, it’s a pretty simple trick. Tonegawa says that he can read Kaiji’s body language to tell what card he played, and assumed that Kaiji would play emperor first to call his bluff. Play “slave”. Bang, there’s a win. Then Kaiji ended up in a state where he was afraid to play his emperor, playing citizen after citizen. It’s easy to tell that he’d play it safe after a shock like that. Although, Kaiji’s not in a state where he could think like that. I just hope that he doesn’t lose and not get his ear drilled for some reason. I would be okay with him losing and losing his ear, but it’s just lame if he loses and nothing bad happens.
I’ll have to agree with the other Yoshi. It’s frustrating that Kaiji is in such utter despair at the moment.
I’m hoping that Kaiji can win his next round. Afterwards, he can either play it safe and save his ear, or he can take the big risk and bet big. Which will make for an interesting scene in Episode 19.
That emo comment made me laugh. He’s crying his manly tears. xD
you’d be crying and in despair too if someone was doing to you what they are doing to him. that has to be painful as heck. nothing emo about it.