Synopsis: Itou Kaiji, a bum, gets in trouble after the friend whom he cosigned a credit for disappeared. Is there hope for him aboard the ship Espoir?

I never expected I would be blogging about Kaiji. First, I don’t like the graphics and second, I am not into gambling. usagijen suggested that I give the series I try. Well, I did and though it isn’t something that I would rave about, the plot is pretty decent. Kaiji is one fresh alternative if you’re sick and tired of the schoolgirls of this season. I also found out the manga won in the 1998 Kodansha Manga Award under the General category. Basilisk won the same award in 2004, Mushishi in 2006 and Ookiku Furikabutte this year.

It’s been three years since Itou Kaiji came to Tokyo. He is a bum and he hasn’t worked a single day since the new year. He spends his day on cheap liquor and cheap gambles and when he is frustrated, he vandalizes cars. One day, he didn’t find the usual imported car but he found a white BMW. He flattened the tires thinking that someone with that kind of car can’t be a good person.

Kaiji lies on his floor looking at the emblems of the cars he vandalized, which he displayed on the wall. He thinks about money and cries but he stops, saying crying isn’t going to help. Someone knocks at the door. Annoyed, Kaiji opens it. A man asks him if he knows a Furuhata Takeshi. Kaiji tells him that he knew him from a part-time job a year ago but he doesn’t know what Furuhata’s been doing lately.

The man asks if he could come inside as there’s something he doesn’t want to talk about in the doorway. Kaiji thinks about the emblems on the wall. He suggests that they go outside, to some cafe perhaps. The man agrees. He says he will go get his car. Kaiji hides the emblems.

The man, however, discovers that he has a flat tire. He tells Kaiji about it and says that they’ll have to wait until someone picks them up. He suggests they talk in Kaiji’s room instead.

Surprisingly, Kaiji’s room has been tidied. He offers the man some coffee. Kaiji comments that some people go too far with their pranks. The man says it was Kaiji who flattened his tires. Kaiji chokes on his coffee. The man tells him that he only said he had a flat tire. He never said a word about getting punked by someone. Kaiji, in his panic, knocks the emblems he hid from the top. He apologizes to the man, saying he only go for cars with that emblem. The man tells him how would he know he didn’t drive that brand of car. Kaiji is speechless.

The man takes Kaiji to his office. Kaiji thinks he’s dug his own grave. He asks that man how much the repairs would cost. The man tells him to forget about it. Considering what he has to get through to get money out of Kaiji, he’d rather threaten the metal workers. He says Kaiji has more things to worry about, specifically concerning Furuhata.

In his office, the man tells Kaiji that Furuhata disappeared. All that’s left of him is his debt with consumer finance firms. He shows a paper to Kaiji and asks if he remembers it. Kaiji recalls Furuhata asking for help. Furuhata asked Kaiji to cosign a money lending form for him.

The man then tells Kaiji that since Furuhata is gone, he will be responsible for the amount as cosigner. Kaiji says he doesn’t have money. He can’t possibly pay Furuhata’s debt. The man tells him that he just needs to pay back a little every month. To Kaiji, however, paying back 300,000 would be impossible. The man says that there’s such a thing as interest so it wouldn’t just be 300,000. He explains that Furuhata didn’t even pay a single yen before disappearing. It’s been fourteen months and interest is compounded monthly at 20%. Thus, Kaiji would have to pay 3,850,000. Kaiji is shocked. The man shows him a sheet with the computations.

The man says Kaiji should pay 100,000 monthly but he thinks it would be too much for him so he suggests 60,000 per month. With an annual interest rate of 15%, Kaiji can pay off the principal and interest evenly. The full amount will be paid off in eleven years. He says if Kaiji works hard, he’ll be able to pay it off by the time he’s 32 or 33.

Kaiji tells the man he’s not paying any of it. He says interest of that kind is illegal. The mans says they’ll do anything to get the money. He says he knows Kaiji has an older sister who’s a government worker. He also knows Kaiji doesn’t have a father but his mother is still healthy and works part-time.

The man then tells Kaiji he doesn’t want things to happen that way either. He tells Kaiji he will get to the point.

In about a month, there will be a ship at Harumi Wharf. The man explains he is recruiting people to board that ship. If Kaiji does well for one night on that ship, all his debts will be cancelled. It’s also possible he can put ten or twenty million in his pocket. The man says it’s a gambling event for cornered debtors. If Kaiji loses, it will be added to his debt and he will be taken on forced labor for one to two years.

Kaiji thinks about it. The man, however, thinks it would be the last hope for trash like Kaiji. The ship is a slaughterhouse floating through the depths of hell. It’s name is Espoir, the ship of hope.

Kaiji still hasn’t decided. He asks the man two questions: what gambling will be done on the ship and if he loses and is taken on forced labor, what will they have him do. The man tells him he can’t answer those questions. If he explained what gambling it would be, those who joined earlier would have an advantage. As for what will happen if Kaiji loses, the man says he doesn’t know.

The man tells Kaiji not to worry. The main purpose of the cruise is to save debtors. A famous finance firm planned and sponsored the cruise. The kind of gambling on the ship wouldn’t be the kind found in casinos. It’s a kind where participants wager against each other. The man reminds Kaiji that his debt will be erased if he wins. He says that even if he loses, it is better to live a disciplined lifestyle for one to two years and focus on paying it off, rather than have one’s life be bound by debt.

The man tells Kaiji that he is lazy and unproductive. The reason is that he hasn’t got any money. The man says it’s like a basketball hoop a hundred meters high. No one would bother shooting the ball. In the same way, Kaiji would be sick and tired trying to reach for what he wants. They would always be behind display cases. He says Kaiji vandalizes people’s cars because of his frustrations of not getting what he wants. He tells Kaiji that he wouldn’t do such a thing if he had ten million.

One of the man’s subordinates interrupts him, saying he’s got a phone call. The man answers the phone. As Kaiji waited, he thinks the man is right. The man then informs Kaiji that there are only two slots left. He receives another phone call. He informs Kaiji that all the slots are taken. Kaiji asks the man if he can do something about it. The man asks Kaiji if he wants to join. Kaiji nods. The man says he’ll try. He makes a phone call. After a while, he tells Kaiji that he got him in. Kaiji is happy. He is then asked to sign a contract.

After Kaiji left, the man and his subordinates are amazed at how people fall for their scam easily with just a phone call. The boss says real estate people use that technique all the time for hesitant costumers. The man then says that when Kaiji saw him try to get him on the ship, he must have thought he’s a nice guy. He says gangsters will never lose their job because of idiots like Kaiji.

One month later, Kaiji goes to the Harumi Wharf. Participants were told to come at different times to avoid being conspicuous. They are checked for weapons, dangerous materials and cell phones. Their identity is then confirmed and then they board the ship.

When Kaiji boarded, he is amazed at all the people inside. He thinks there’s nothing but negative feelings floating around.

A man then announces that they will start lending the war funds. He shows a cart full of money. He explains that the upper limit will be ten million, the lower limit will be a million. Each participant must borrow at least a million each. The interest rate is 1.5% and it will be compounded every ten minutes. The cruise is scheduled to be four hours long. He says they will be satisfied if more than 40% of the amount borrowed would be repaid.

Someone objects, saying it’s ridiculous. The others join him. The man who spoke before says that they are giving a chance for people to pay off their debts in one lump sum. Considering that, 40% would be reasonable. He says that they won’t stop those who want to disembark and take ten to twenty years to pay off their debts. The people are silent. The money is then distributed.

Most take only a million. Kaiji thinks it’s understandable. There’s no need to borrow more since the interest rate is high. A man who introduces himself as Funai, however, takes the upper limit. Kaiji thinks that he should also think of winning too. He gets ten million.

Those who borrowed a large amount are given a holster so that they may keep cash inside their jacket. Each participant are then given a piece of velcro to wear on the left side of their jacket. They are also given two envelopes with “A” and “B” written on them.

The ship begins to move. Kaiji thinks there’s no turning back already. All those who participated were gathered into a huge hall. A man named Tonegawa will explain the game mechanics. He instructs the participants to open their envelopes. The participants do so. Inside the envelopes are cards containing pictures of skeletal hands forming rock, paper and scissors. Tonegawa explains that it wouldn’t be the usual rock-paper-scissors game. Players are only given four of each kind so they may only play each hand once. The name of the game is Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors.

As I said before, the plot is decent. I think, Kaiji is an interesting character. His situation is something that people can relate to. I mean, who in the world, doesn’t need money? Money is said to be something that makes the world go round.

Anyway, I am relieved that the gambling event is just a rock-paper-scissors game albeit a modified one. If it were something else, like those found on casinos, I wouldn’t be able to relate.

Well, Kaiji should be good. The manga did win an award.

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