A First Impressions Review
(Note: Trillion Game is rated 18+ for a mature audience.)
Serialized in Big Comic Superior since 2020, Trillion Game is a manga turned live-action TV show now turned anime and soon-to-be film! (The film will be released in Japan on February 14, 2025.) Trillion Game is written by Riichiro Inagaki, whose name modern Shonen Jump fans may recognize from reading or watching Dr. Stone, and Trillion Game is illustrated by the legendary manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami, who also drew Sanctuary and Crying Freeman.
The manga, TV show, and anime have been licensed. Viz licensed the manga and released the first volume on September 17, 2024. Volume 2 will be released in November. (Note, Viz rated the series "M" for "mature.") The TV show has 1 season, 10 episodes and is available to watch subbed and dubbed on Netflix (rated TV-14) and subbed only on Viki (rated PG-13).
Last, but not least, the anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll. The anime is slated to run for two consecutive cours for a half-year run. The first episode aired in Japan on October 3, and presently, Crunchyroll has aired the first four episodes subbed. The dub for episode one aired on October 17, and as of this review, the dub for episode 2 is up. Episodes 3 and 4 wisll follow shortly. (Note, Crunchyroll tagged the series as "18+" for "nudity, smoking, and sexual content.")
Crunchyroll describes the series:
Old schoolmates Haru and Gaku will do anything to achieve success. And success to them means earning a trillion dollars! But to do so, they’ll need to take full advantage of their own unique skills. Haru is a persuasive and confident speaker who can connect with anyone, while Gaku, although awkward, is an expert programmer. Will their combined talents be enough to make their dream a reality?
Okay, preamble out of the way, I LOVE what I see so far!
As of this review, I haven't read the manga. (It's definitely on my TBR.) I haven't watched the TV show. I've just seen the first few episodes of the anime. I was interested in Trillion Game based on two things: Ryoichi Ikegami's involvement and the premise. I can't stress enough how happy I am to see Ryoichi Ikegami's work back in the U.S. (My fingers are still crossed that Viz or someone, anyone, will release Sanctuary again.) Now, let's talk story. It's great. Let's unpack.
The story unfolds out of sequence. At the start of the series, our protagonists Haru Tennōji and Manabu "Gaku" Taira are billionaires with write-ups in industry publications. Gaku is reflecting back on how they got here. So, in the present, they have made great strides towards their goal. How did they get there? Let's go back.
Episode 1 covers the beginnings of Haru and Gaku's friendship and ends with our protagonists attempting to join Dragon Bank before deciding to start their own company. Episode 2 follows our protagonists around town as they try to secure funding for their company. Episode 3 ends on a cliffhanger. The pair are involved in an infamous annual hacking competition sponsored by Dragon Bank to make a name for their budding company in addition to securing better terms for funding. Episode 3 covers the first preliminary round. Episode 4 covers the end of the preliminary round. The pair squeaked by and now must prepare for the final round. Will they win the hacking competition? Yes, probably. Is there any doubt? How do they win is what you should be asking. It's the most interesting (and funny and heartwarming) part. It's also part of an ongoing theme which brings me back to our protagonists.
Protagonists Haru Tennōji (va. Takeo Ōtsuka/Cody Savoie) and Manabu "Gaku" Taira (va. Shōya Ishige/Chase Kloza) have been best buds since high school when Haru saved Gaku from some bullies, and they are polar opposites. Haru is the quintessential extrovert. He's talkative, social, and outgoing. He gets by on his charm and excellent communication skills, making connections wherever he goes. He's also a reckless liar. If Haru is shadow, then Gaku is light.
Gaku is introverted, meek, and unconfident. Gaku is skilled and knowledgeable in computers and dreams of landing an IT role at Dragon Bank, whose print magazines on cybersecurity sparked his interest and love of computers and technology. Gaku's aspirations to join Dragon Bank are crushed as soon as he walked in the door of the interview. It's...painful. And, too real. 😂 By contrast, Haru aces the interview with flying colors, charming the pants off the interviewers with his stories, all lies. However, both catch the attention of Kirika "Kirihime" Kokuryū (va. M.A.O/Katelyn Barr), who is not fooled and sees their potential.
Kirihime is the board director of Dragon Bank as well the only daughter of its President Kazuma Kokuryū. In spite of the nepotism (and being a woman at odds with her male coworkers), she has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the bank. She's a cold, calculating person who treats people in a businesslike manner. (An "Ice Queen", yay!) She has an eye for people, and she invests in Haru and Gaku because they are interesting and work together. She invests because of them, plural, and by extension, we the audience will have to invest in them too because that's all we got so far.
Everything unfolds so straightforward...It's almost boring. The animation? Fine. It's Madhouse. They do decent adaptations and animation at the very least. The characters look like their manga counterparts and move like anime. The direction? Also, fine. Yūzō Satō, the same director behind Kaiji, is directing Trillion Game. If he can make turning Mahjong titles over interesting, I'm sure he'll make breaking into the world of computers and IT somewhat interesting. The opening ("Beat the Odds" by &TEAM) and ending ("Unbelievable" by Klang Ruler) theme songs? Okay. They're not omg-I-must-find-these-bangers-on-Spotify-right-now songs. They're...just fine.
So, I'm left wondering, "What is the catch?" Where's the twist? Who's going to die? (Better not be Haru, I swear.) What's going to happen next? Because the road to a 100 trillion yen is not paved with good intentions. Meaning, our protagonists aren't exactly the good guys. So far, we've seen Haru lie to get to where the pair are now, locked in a hacking competition by episode 3, and Gaku goes along with Haru's schemes, making him guilty by association. (Their company, something to do with computers *handwaves*, and business plan were scribbled on the back of a napkin, for crying out loud!) With episodes slated to air for half a year, I'm bound to find out sometime, and I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Let's see how far these goofy guys will go.
Conclusion
Trillion Game is a decent anime so far. I am really enjoying it, and I'm looking forward to seeing how far our wayward and audacious protagonists Haru and Gaku will go in making a 100 trillion yen. I watched the anime subbed, but it is available dubbed, not simuldubbed though. If you enjoy Riichiro Inagaki and Ryoichi Ikegami's works, then definitely add Trillion Game to your watch (and read) queue. If you're looking for a slow-paced business drama featuring an unlikely duo who aren't the good guys, then add Trillion Game to your watch list. Finally, if you're looking for a mature anime to watch that features battles fought over keyboards and in boardrooms, then add this show to your list.
Kick back with your favorite beverage of choice and enjoy.
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