Netflix has officially confirmed the live-action manga series Bet will be back for a second season after millions tuned in to the first.
Based on the Japanese manga Kakegurui (which translates to ‘compulsive gambler’), the new Netflix adaptation raked in 2.4 million views in its first week on the streamer and spent three weeks on the global top 10 list of English-speaking shows.
Starring Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke and Eve Edwards, the drama sees Japanese teen Yumeko start at the exclusive boarding school St Dominic’s, where gambling is a way of life.
Literally. Students forgo traditional curriculum, instead playing various games and gambling huge sums of money to rise up the school’s social hierarchy.
As students wager their parents’ cash, Yumeko uncovers her hidden knack with a deck of cards which soon morphs into an obsession.
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The show will return for a second season of 10 episodes at 30 minutes a piece, following a similar format to the first installment.
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Bet showrunner and Warrior Nun creator Simon Barry confirmed the news in a statement, saying: ‘I’m extremely happy for our amazing Bet fans from all over the world, who get to enjoy another season, and for this incredible cast and crew to return to St. Dominic’s for more gambling and general madness.’
Live-action adaptations of a manga can be a tricky business, given it’s hard to please both existing fans and newcomers who haven’t read the comic books – prompting some mixed reactions online.
Certain viewers leapt to the show’s defence on X, praising the adaptation which currently holds a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
@ite0luwakiishi shared: ‘I actually liked the ‘bet’ series on Netflix…’ while @mxxnlitt added: ‘People complaining about the bet series on Netflix but I’m eating it up idc I get entertained by anything.’
@buffylipino posted: ‘Y’all idk but the new show on Netflix Bet is actually good I hope there is a season 2.’
What other thrillers are on Netflix?
- The Secret Agent. The cast is a real who’s who of British acting talent, with Toby Jones heading up the show alongside Vicky McClure and Stephen Graham.
- Pale Mountains. A manhunt unfolds for a serial killer the police tried to catch years before but failed to. Think David Fincher’s 2007 film Zodiac for what sort of vibe you’ll get.
- Mercy For None. The seven-episode series follows a ‘former gangster’ who ‘returns to the underworld’ after his brother is murdered, fuelled by ‘power, ambition and revenge’.
Elsewhere, the bulk of the criticism for the show surrounded unfavourable comparisons of the Americanised adaptation to the live-action Japanese TV show, which is also on Netflix.
Taking to Google reviews to voice their misgivings, Ole Smenes wrote: ‘Sooo an American version of the Japanese TV show. The Korean version is waaay better the drama is darker. This is just a baaad copy of them.’
Mery Onghad had a similar opinion, writing: ‘The Japanese version may have been over the top at times, but it still delivered an exciting plot. In contrast, the American version falls flat. There’s surprisingly little focus on gambling and far too much on a side plot about a girl trying to avenge her parents.
‘The characters in the US adaptation often feel exaggerated to the point of being cringeworthy, and the acting doesn’t help. Overall, it lacks the intensity and charm of the original. Don’t waste your time on this version.’
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