Gambling School : Twin

If you have seen both seasons of Kakegurui, the spin-off prequel probably doesn't bring anything new or surprising. All I can do is compare it with the original series. The biggest difference is that, compared to Kakegurui, Twin is a little less intense and over the top - simply put, there are fewer of those orgasmic gamer moments. This is pretty bad news for the fans who watch the series mainly to see the girls excited after a just-won gamble, experiencing bliss which is comparable to peak sexual satisfaction. But don't despair, there are still powerful moments, some characters are just as wacky as the ones in Kakegurui, and there are even some sparks. I actually consider it a good thing that the show takes it down a notch. It's better, and I don't feel uncomfortable watching it with my window open while my neighbors are sitting outside. Mary Saotome isn't quite as crazy about the games as Yumeko yet, and I find her more likable as a character so far. I’m saying so far because every prequel has one major flaw. You know exactly how it's going to turn out in the end and how the characters are going to end up, which often detracts from the intensity of the experience. What's missing here is suspense. You know the ending in advance, so the only thing you can enjoy is the journey. Twin hasn't been very imaginative in this regard so far as it only repeats an identical pattern about three times over the course of six episodes, which could be summed up using my favorite line "I know that you know". Even though the individual mind games are quite entertaining, when you think about the process and outcome, it's identical every time. The animation is nice, and the music is rather average. But, overall, this isn't one of those pointless prequels for me. The character of Mary keeps me intrigued and I want to find out more about her. It's played out in a way that makes me curious to see where it will all go wrong and what will happen to some of the side characters. I’m giving it an average rating, and I'll watch the next episodes. 5/10 (04/08/2022)