If you manage to survive through the cringe fest served in the guise of narrative in Netflix’s Bet, a ludicrous live-action adaptation of the acclaimed manga/animeKakegurui, then be prepared for the disappointment of generic, caricature-ish character portrayal. Set in a prep school for elites where hierarchy is determined by gambling prowess and education, much like any teen drama of the late 90s, which is of the least importance, Bet features privileged, amoral, snobbish, attention-starved teenagers and focuses on their shenanigans. Parental issues are a common factor of misery for all the major characters, which also defines their perspective and actions as seen throughout the series. One aspect of the source material I will appreciate for sure is that it features majorly female players in the lead, which is a clever counter to the general sexist mindset regarding gambling, aside from being a strong instance of representation.

Yumeko Jabami...