Netflix’s newest live-action adaptation of the gambling anime, Kakegurui, has finally debuted, and the reception towards the first season is surprisingly positive among a particular group of fans. Bet released all 10 of its episodes for its first season on May 15, 2025, making it an incredibly easy show to quickly binge-watch for anyone interested in diving into a new series. For anime fans, however, this may not be the greatest representation of the characters and story they have come to love by the author Homura Kawamoto, nor the beloved anime by MAPPA that brought it all to life.

Bet’s rise in popularity hinge on two major factors: it seems to have succeeded among a demographic of people who know nothing of Kakegurui or at the very least, very little, but for anyone who came to watch Netflix’s live-action adaptation, they’ll find themselves very disappointed and confused as to the many changes that showrunners made in an attempt to westernize the source material. Bet is meant to be based on Kakegurui, so it isn’t a 1:1 representation of the manga, yet it still takes characters and a narrative setting, creating a source of contention for fans.

Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation Bet is Generating Popularity as a YA Thriller

But for Kakegurui Fans, it is Not

According to discussions online and on IMDb, Bet is doing well among audiences who don’t follow Kakegurui, getting praise for its beautiful setting, interesting characters, with many people praising Yumeko’s actress Miku Martineau, and a fascinating premise, even if its murder mystery doesn’t hit with everyone. Once detached from the source material, Bet becomes a lot more entertaining, if not just another rendition of a crime or thriller spin on a timeless classic, like in cases of Wednesday, Riverdale, and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

If Bet took less inspiration from Kakegurui, instead honing its focus on the narrative of a murder mystery that occurs in a school with an underground gambling ring and with a new cast of characters that weren’t beat for beat the same from Kawamoto’s manga, it could have stood out on its own as a show based on Kakegurui as intended. The first mistake Netflix’s newest live-action made was attempting to recreate the story, which already put it in a bad light among the fans who would have given the show a chance.

The series has already gone to the lengths to add new characters, so an entire upheaval of the cast with some homages could have broadcast Bet in much better lighting. Yumeko, or a character like her, could have remained and adopted the new name as her moniker to openly challenge the school. This would also make the change in her last name make more sense. With a new lineup, Netflix also wouldn’t have to worry about the costume designs since the change between Kakegurui’s characters to live-action was also poorly received among fans.

Bad Reviews Drag Down Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation on IMDb

Bet Striked Out Among Anime Fans

Bet’s fancy camera work and faithful Yumeko could not do enough to satisfy anime fans since a majority of the show changes what many already loved about Kakegurui. It steals concepts from the manga and reinvents them poorly, often missing the point or outright mischaracterizing important concepts.

Netflix’s Bet could have become a lot more popular if the showrunners had adapted a new cast with homages to Kakegurui embedded in the storyline.

For example, the House Pet system is meant to be a trap that ensnares prominent students into acting as servants not only to others, but to the council president’s Life Plans. By having “Pets” in debt, they have no choice but to follow the Life Plan that maps out the next few years of their life after graduation. This is a terrifying prospect for the entitled elite and is represented best by Mary’s confrontation with it, yet the Pet System is dumbed down to being owned by the game’s winner in Netflix’s Bet. An awful optic with a now-diverse cast.

Bet also makes Yumeko out to be a lot more manipulative, and while she is a gambler, she isn’t as nonsensical or obsessed with it as Jabami is in the manga. Jabami’s motivations were driven by the challenge the school provided, but Miku’s Yumeko is attempting to solve her parents' murder. She’s much more tactical in Netflix’s live-action, which falls in line with more of Mary’s style of playing rather than Jabami, who will take open risks and challenges presented to her. Her only goal was to gamble, with her first challenge initiated by her being issued to Kirari Momobami.

Netflix’s Bet could have become a lot more popular if the showrunners had adapted a new cast with homages to Kakegurui embedded in the storyline. By following so many story beats as Kawamoto’s work set it up for failure after insulting a devoted fanbase who were awaiting news of the anime’s next season.