Top 10 Gambling Mangas

The world of Japanese manga intrigues many individuals. Before the rise of anime, manga served as the primary world of inspiration for weird characters and captivating plots. Today, we examine some of the most popular gambling manga, which have sold millions of copies.

Manga is so popular in Japan that these “comic novels” account for forty percent of the country’s book and magazine sales. Their storytelling have been able to win over not only the locals but millions of admirers worldwide.

Here are some of the best gambling-themed manga series.

Gamble Fish

1. Type: Manga 
2. Original name: 斗鱼 ; 鬥魚 
3. Author(s): Yamane, Kazutoshi (Art), Aoyama, Hiromi (Story)
4. Status: Completed 
5. Published: Feb 1, 2007 – Jul 15, 2010
6. Genres: Gambling, Mystery, Ecchi, Game, School, Shounen, Harem, Psychological
7. Volumes: 19 
8. Chapters: 168

Welcome to Shishidou, a school where the elite and wealthy bring their children to study and which serves as the setting for “Gamble Fish.” When Tomu Shirasagi, a gambler and a mystery student transfer, arrives at the school, the privileged life is in full swing. Shirasagi, unimpressed by the splendour of the structure or the social standing of his classmates, pledges to put the school to run through a series of gambling games.

As we become pulled into Tomu’s sleight of hand and the diverse arsenal of psychological and physiological methods he employs to win every game and challenge, his motivations become more apparent. The reader is driven to sympathize with Tomu against Mika Shishidou, the granddaughter of the schoolmaster, and the cruel Abidani, who wants Tomu expelled or dead — the true antagonist of the story.

The 168 characters and 19 volumes of this gambling manga will bring the story to a satisfying conclusion, and you will find a permanent home for Gamble Fish in your Japanese manga library.

Tomodachi Game AKA Friendship Game

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: トモダチゲーム
• Author(s): Yamaguchi, Mikoto (Story), Satou, Yuuki (Art)
• Status: Ongoing
• Published: Dec 9, 2013
• Genres: Gambling, Game, Shounen, Psychological

Every chapter of “Tomodachi Game,” also known as “Friendship Game,” contains exciting story twists. The protagonist, Katagiri Yuuichi, and his four closest schoolmates swiftly find themselves in problems as a result of their initial boyish antics. The narrative swiftly establishes the scene: Yuuichi’s class is accumulating money for a field trip, but overnight, the money is stolen. Two of Yuuichi’s pals, Sawaragi Shiho and Shibe Makoto, are instantly viewed with suspicion.

As soon as the guys are abducted and awaken in an unknown place, they begin to doubt one another, and the situation will only deteriorate from this point on. One of them has secretly enrolled the others in a “friendship game” that will put their trust in one another to the test and expose new, and not always positive, aspects of their personalities.

The game should be easy for a group of friends who keep to their principles and trust each other, but Yuuichi quickly finds that he must guide the group through the increasing difficulties of the game due to the presence of a villain in their midst.

Kakegurui

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: 賭ケグルイ
• Author(s): Naomura, Tooru (Art), Kawamoto, Homura (Story)
• Status: Ongoing
• Published: Mar 22, 2014 
• Genres: Mystery, Drama, School, Shounen, Psychological
• Chapters: 83 (ongoing) 

Written by Homura Kawamoto and drawn by Tooru Naomura, “Kakegurui,” also known as “Compulsive Gambler,” is one of the most popular manga about gambling. The manga’s whole premise revolves around Hyakkaou Private Academy. Hyakkaou is a school for the elite where the children of the higher castes are taught how to succeed in life by deceit and lying. Pupils at Hyakkaou strive to devise the most stunning trick and defeat their classmates in gambling competitions.

The school has established a dystopian social order in which the worst gamblers are looked down upon by their more intelligent superiors, who become their overlords and abuse them as they see appropriate. Yet, a transfer student by the name of Yumeko Jabami comes to the school and quickly begins defeating some of the institution’s most skilled con artists, alarming the leadership.

The story similarly focuses on Ryouta Suzui, a lousy gambler who dislikes the game but must play to bring respect to his family and life. He befriends Yumeko and attempts to lead her away from the perilous system of checks and balances that prevails at Hyakkaou, only to discover that Yumeko is a compulsive gambler who would soon ascend to the absolute pinnacle of the hierarchy.

Liar Gam

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: ライアー ゲーム
• Author(s): Kaitani, Shinobu (Story & Art)
• Status: Completed
• Published: Feb 17, 2005 – Jan 22, 2015
• Genres: Gambling, Drama, Mystery, Psychological, Seinen
• Volumes: 19
• Chapters: 203

The story of “Liar Game” revolves around Nao Kanzaki, a brutally honest girl who, through no fault of her own, is drawn into the fabled “Liar Game,” in which competitors fight wits via deceit and falsehoods. The objective of the game is straightforward: beat your opponents and steal their money, putting them deeply in debt.

The manga begins with Nao, a sweet and trustworthy girl, receiving an invitation to play in an underground game along with one hundred million yen in cash in the mail. Nao is naturally drawn to the game and takes satisfaction in her participation.

When she starts to plan and get revenge on the individuals who brought her into the game, she is swiftly duped out of her money. But how can a guy who has never lied before become a skilled gambler and con artist?

Nao decides to employ Shinichi Akiyama, a con artist who has recently been released from prison and is seeking a new way to make money. Shinichi first believes that using Nao as a proxy to win at Liar Game is a smart idea, as he plans a swift exit at the cost of his naive ward.

However, things do not go as planned, and he quickly learns that he has gotten himself into something larger than any fraud he has ever perpetrated.

Usogui AKA The Lie Eater

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: 嘘喰い
• Author(s): Sako, Toshio (Story & Art)
• Status: Completed
• Published: May 11, 2006 – Dec 21, 2017
• Genres: Gambling, Game, Psychological, Seinen
• Volumes: 49
• Chapters: 541

In Toshio Sako’s “Usogui,” written and drawn, gambling is more than a way of life. It is the only meaningful occupation one can have. Over the years, gamblers have become more restless, to the point that a criminal organization has stepped in to referee gambling disputes as violence escalates.

Without a dime to their name, gamblers give up their life for the chance to gamble again. Kagerou, as the group is called, ensures that things do not spiral out of hand.

The story revolves around Bak Madarame, also known as Usogui or The Lie Eater, who engages in combat with ruthless and unbalanced adversaries. However, Bak Madarame is not totally forthright with everyone regarding his involvement. His goal is to ascend to the apex of Kagerou and rule over the whole gambling kingdom, not merely to defeat all of his opponents.

Akagi

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: アカギ ～闇に降り立った天才～
• Author(s): Fukumoto, Nobuyuki (Story & Art)
• Status: Completed
• Published: Jun 1991 – Feb 1, 2018
• Genres: Gambling, Action, Drama, Game, Psychological
• Volumes: 36
• Chapters: 306

“Akagi” is one of Nobuyuki Fukumoto’s longest-running work, written and drawn by one of Japan’s most successful manga creators. With 306 chapters and 36 volumes, Akagi, also known as “Mahjong Legend Akagi,” is also one of the largest works of fiction. Shigeru Akagi is a well-intentioned person who possesses a highly valued skill, namely the ability to play mahjong poker better than his colleagues.

Akagi comes to the rescue of a misfortunate player, Nangou, who is a compulsive gambler and has just fallen into trouble with the Yakuza, who usually collect their debts in some fashion. Akagi decides to sit in place of Nangou and attempt to alter the tide of the game.

The Mafiosi are first delighted by Akagi’s arrogance, as he is only 13 years old when he plays his first game, but their laughter quickly subsides as they realize that Akagi is a gambler born only every few generations. Will the Yakuza accept Akagi’s skill and their own defeat graciously, or should they find another solution?

One Outs

• Type: Manga 
• Original name: ワンナウツ
• Author(s): Kaitani, Shinobu (Story & Art)
• Status: Completed
• Published: Nov 14, 1998 – Aug 15, 2006
• Genres: Gambling, Sports, Psychological, Seinen
• Volumes: 20
• Chapters: 175

Toua Tokuchi is an expert baseball player and gambler who has mastered the game of One Out. Tokuchi has amassed an incredible winning percentage in the game, which is essentially baseball, by tossing the ball so swiftly that hitters are having difficulty attempting to intercept and bat it away.

In fact, no one seemed capable of countering Tokuchi’s pitch. One day, the owner of the struggling Saikyou Saitama Lycaons, Hiromichi Kojima, approaches Tokuchi with an offer for him to join the Lycaons.

Tokuchi, who is susceptible to periods of boredom, agrees but shortly sees that Hiromichi has no intention of rewarding his brilliance. Tokuchi has his own plan, though, and he plans to win the Lycaons to victory at the finals.

However, Hiromichi utilizes his team to rig games, and he is unhappy that the team’s advancement makes fixing games more difficult. Tokuchi, however, finds a solution and offers Hiromichi a gambling game in which each good pitch gets him 50 million yen, but each run he surrenders costs him the same amount.

Tokuchi’s only way out of this risky wager is if his squad reaches the top, which he must now secure by utilizing all of his ability and gambling recklessness.

Alice in Borderlands

• Type: Manga
• Original name: 今際の国のアリス
• Author(s): Haro Aso
• Status: Completed
• Published: Nov 25, 2010 – Mar 25, 2015
• Genres: Fantasy, Survival, Suspense 
• Volumes: 18

Alice in Borderland, currently accessible on Netflix as a live-action television series, was first developed by Haro Aso as a Japanese fantasy manga. The manga depicts the lives of three boring high school students, Arisu, Karube, and Chota, who are seeking for things to liven up their life.

Arisu expresses a wish to live in “interesting times” on an official holiday, and to his surprise, his request is realized, and he and his pals are transported to a post-apocalyptic world resembling the Mad Max universe.

The only way out of this strange world is to win the game. Borderland does not exist in reality; therefore, staying without completing the game would result in death.

The three are navigating a world that appears unfriendly at the outset of what may be their first and last journey.

Psychic Gambler: Betting Man

• Type: Manga
• Original name: n/a
• Author(s): Doldom / Yang Geng
• Status: Ongoing
• Published: n/a
• Genres: Gambling, Adult, Drama, Sports Webtoons 
• Volumes: n/a
• Chapters: 198

Meet Jin-goo, a guy in his prime who develops the capacity to see through solid objects and is perpetually bored. Initially, Jin-goo uses his powers to charm women, but when he becomes tired of his exploits, he changes his focus to gambling.

Bringing astounding talent to the tables, he rapidly gains a name for his extraordinary skill, but is he the only one who can “read” a table? His opponents also possess secrets that will stun Jin-goo and make him understand that his psychic powers are insufficient to defeat his equally talented adversaries.

81 Driver

1. Type: Manga
2. Original name: ハチワンダイバー
3. Author(s): Yokusaru Shibata (Story & Art)
4. Status: Completed
5. Published: Sep 7, 2006 – Jul 17, 2014
6. Genres: Gambling, Drama
7. Volumes: 35

81 Driver is a manga authored by Yokusaru Shibata and published by Young Jump Weekly. The idea of the manga is on Kentaro, the protagonist, who has an aptitude for the game shogi and dabbles in it sometimes.

After failing to make it into the professional shogi league, Kentaro chooses to wing it and play shogi recreationally to make a living. Until he meets Ukeshi, a female shogi player who defeats him handily and adds to Kentaro’s financial troubles, things are not too terrible.

However, the loss is what he needs to once again take shogi seriously. As he delves more into the subject, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Ukeshi, who, surprise, works as a maid cosplayer on the side.