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Sit the fuck down. You're dealing again.

— Kaiji in Gyakkyō Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen.

Kaiji Itō (伊藤 開司, lit. Itō Kaiji) is the main protagonist of the manga, anime, and movie series Kaiji.

Though inexperienced and unmotivated in other facets of life, high stakes gambling pushes him to reach new heights.

Appearance

Kaiji is a young Japanese man with a large, thin, triangular nose, a curved chin that ends in a dull point, thick slanted eyebrows, and long black hair, which he wears in a mullet. He is able-bodied, somewhat muscular, and 178cm (5'10") tall.

Kaiji Gaiden Cropped

Kaiji as he appears in Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji and Kaiji Gaiden.

During the Espoir arc and Kaiji Gaiden, he wears a leather pilot jacket with the flags of many countries and a navy blue shirt, beige pants(manga)/blue jeans(anime), and white(manga)/blue(anime) sneakers.

In Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji and onwards, (as a consequence of his actions in the Castle of Despair arc in the prior part) Kaiji has a curved scar on his left cheek, a scar around his left ear, and a scar on each finger of his left hand.

He wears a work uniform consisting of a short sleeve green plaid button-down over a gray t-shirt, pale pants, white gloves, and white sneakers in the Underground Chinchiro arc.

From the start of Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji to chapter 66 of Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, he wears a green fleece jacket over a black shirt, topped off with a black down coat, with his usual pants and shoes.

In chapters 69 to 136 of 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, he exclusively wears a brown leather "WANSON" motorcycle jacket with two patches and branding on the back, a dark blue T-shirt, white gloves, and his standard pants and sneakers. He sometimes can be seen wearing a beanie and/or face mask to help conceal his identity. Beginning chapter 137, Kaiji now changes clothing on a daily basis to a variety of outfits, including the "WANSON" look.

Personality

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Outside of gambling, Kaiji has proven himself to be somewhat of a cowardly character, but after his first experience with illegal gambling he begins to act more hotheaded and is slightly more aware and cautious of his surroundings (albeit not by much).

Kaiji Intro

Kaiji in episode one playing with acquaintances

Prior to the series plotline itself, it's described that he always gambled, playing games with neighbors and people he knew, though he often lost. It seems to be somewhat of an undertone that he can be lazy, and has constantly been subjected by his low social status and lack of income.

However, despite his lack of money and personal wealth, he still values other people heavily and isn't fond of death and dangerous situations - Kaiji at first seemed to give people the benefit of the doubt, but becomes more careful later on.

During his second run-in with the world of illegal gambling, Steel Frame Crossing, Kōji Ishida had approached him and expressed his relief in seeing the young man again but Kaiji pushed him away, going as far as to slam the older man into the wall to reinforce the fact that "they were enemies," and that he shouldn't rely on Kaiji. However, as Makoto Sahara points out, he is only putting it up as a façade in a haphazard attempt to fool himself and others that he is cold-hearted and unwilling to help others, which, of course, is not the truth.

Kaiji Horrified Manga

Kaiji as he is made to watch Tonegawa endure the Kneeling Plate Grill.

Despite Yukio Tonegawa having in effect killed several of his friends and comrades in the process of the various games and gambles, he finds it horrible that Kazutaka Hyōdō forced the man to kneel in apology on a searing hot plate of metal for ten seconds. He has relatable morals and beliefs to most viewers, effectively making him a relatively more complex character in terms of personality compared to most.

While Kaiji has shown he is very capable in using logic and applying it to the various games he plays, he's also irrational and impulsive at times. This is solidly displayed after Kaiji wins against Tonegawa at E-Card, and decides he wants to challenge Hyōdō as well, despite his comrades telling him it would be better if he just kept his money and got his poor ear reattached. Another instance this is shown would be when his employer, after his first run-in with the Espoir, accused him of stealing an envelope with 100,000 yen inside, and he became noticeably angered.

History

Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji

Kaiji Itō is a young man who has become dejected and poor as a consequence of Japan's 1991 recession. Unable to find stable employment and unambitious, he has given up on working. Spending his days drinking and gambling with his buddies, often losing what little money he has. One day he is visited by a loan shark, Yūji Endō. Endō informs Kaiji that his ex-coworker Takeshi Furuhata has disappeared and failed to make a single payment. As Kaiji was his guarantor, he is saddled with Furuhata's debt of 3,850,000 yen.

At Endō's suggestion, he boards the Espoir and partakes in Restricted Rock, Paper, Scissors. Kaiji is immediately conned out of two stars by Jōji Funai. Kaiji, Furuhata, and Mamoru Andō team up to get the five needed stars. They use Kaiji's smarts and their remaining resources to beat Kitami's team, netting them more stars and cards. Kaiji gets his revenge on Funai, allowing them to get the last stars they need to win. Their only problem is their excess of cards. Kaiji decides to sacrifice himself with the cards, knowing Furuhata and Andō can save him.

However, when the opportunity to save Kaiji arrives, Andō and Furuhata decide to sell his stars instead. Kaiji makes himself valuable to another group and saves himself from whatever torturous fate was awaiting him. Infuriated by their betrayal, Kaiji snatches away the money Andō and Furuhata made and saves Kōji Ishida with it. Due to the compounding interest on Kaiji's 10 million yen loan he took out pre-game, he leaves the Espoir in even more debt than before.

Months later, Kaiji is working at a convenience store. His co-workers are Makoto Sahara and Nishio. One night, Kaiji is accused of stealing a 100k yen check by his boss. Being innocent, he aggressively denies it and clocks out. Sahara chases after him and Kaiji deduces that he was the one who stole the check. Sahara reveals he hid it in Kaiji's bag and takes Kaiji out to dinner to smooth things over. While leaving the restaurant, Kaiji is invited to participate in the Human Derby and Sahara joins too. Kaiji and Ishida unexpectedly reunite.

Kaiji, Sahara, and Ishida survive, moving onto the Brave Men Road. The three are horrified as their competitors drop like flies and Kaiji begs Yukio Tonegawa to turn off the electricity. Soon Ishida is unable to go on and Kaiji promises to pay off the debt of Hiromitsu Ishida before Kōji Ishida falls. Sahara also meets a grisly end, which traumatizes Kaiji further. Kaiji discovers the hidden exit and is the sole survivor. However, due to Kaiji begging for them to cut the electricity, his win is voided.

Intrigued by Kaiji, Kazutaka Hyōdō invites him to play E-Card against Tonegawa. After being toyed with for many rounds, Kaiji realizes Tonegawa is cheating by using a device to read Kaiji's vitals. Kaiji steels himself and cuts his ear off to remove the device. With the playing ground leveled, Kaiji bets his life twice and wins an incredible sum of 20 million yen. After disgracing Hyōdō with his loss, Tonegawa is made to kneel on a grill for ten seconds. This event upsets Kaiji so much that he turns his fury towards Hyōdō instead.

Kaiji challenges Kazutaka to the Tissue Box Raffle. However, he sees straight through Kaiji's attempt at deception and rigs the raffle for himself, turning Kaiji's surefire win into an agonizing defeat. Kaiji loses all of his money and has four of his fingers amputated to the delight of Kazutaka. After realizing what happened, Kaiji angrily grieves the loss of his fingers and money, cementing his hatred for Kazutaka.

Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji

Kaiji's fingers and ear were re-attached with the help of a black-market doctor, thus adding an additional 2 million yen to his debt, which now accumulates to 9.5 million yen. He is caught by Endō and is sent to work in the mines. After being persuaded to gamble again by Tarō Ōtsuki, Kaiji's incoming salary is reduced severely due to his loss. He bands together with fellow miners to form a group called The 45ers, who then confront Ōtsuki for a final gambling match. After discovering Ōtsuki's weighted dice, Kaiji manages to win against him with the help of his own special dice.

Kaiji manages to win enough money to get 20 days outside of the mining station. He befriends Kōtarō Sakazaki, a middle-aged man who lost his wife and child because of money; the man informs Kaiji of The Bog, a pachinko machine with 600 million yen as a reward for winning.

Kaiji Bog

Kaiji taking on The Bog.

After failed attempts at winning The Bog, Kaiji seeks the help of Endō, who loans him a sum of money and a couple of his men. Kaiji sets foot in the casino to play The Bog with the help of his new plan. After a final showdown, he wins The Bog and is entitled to 600 million yen, which he divides amongst Endō, Kōtarō and himself, who uses it to clear his debts and those of the rest of the 45ers. After gambling away the remaining money he had, Kaiji becomes penniless. A Teiai employee loans Kaiji a sum of money out of pity and claims that he does not need repayment. Kaiji tearfully re-unites with the rest of the 45ers.

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji

After the events with The Bog, Kaiji is shown mooching off of Kōtarō, whom eventually kicks him out the house and gives him 3 million yen as a parting gift. Tomohiro Miyoshi and Maeda approach him, asking for help in tricking their boss Takashi Muraoka (also known as the president); Kaiji agrees to help his "friends" escape their abusive employer.

Kaiji Minefield Mahjong

Kaiji and Takashi playing 17 Steps.

During the game of 17 Steps, the president raises the stakes, thinking he would win. To match the bets, Kaiji takes out loans from Kazuya Hyōdō, which turns into Kaiji betting his body parts, as he only had 3 million yen at the start of the game.

It is later made known that the ploy Miyoshi and Maeda came up with was used against Kaiji, as they believed he took the prize money from the Bog for himself. Kaiji felt that he needed to keep raising in order to swipe the once in a lifetime opportunity of attaining so much money.

In the end, Kaiji ends up winning, putting the president in bankruptcy, and gets a handsome sum of about 400 million yen from the game.

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: Kazuya-Hen

Picking up after the ending of Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji, where Kaiji agreed to another gamble with Kazuya, Kaiji is escorted to a restaurant where Kazuya hosts lethal torture shows for a meal before the gamble.

He begins to argue with Kazuya over the true nature of human beings over dinner. Kaiji's stance is that there are people who have a genuinely altruistic nature, even in awful situations. Kazuya firmly disagrees. Halting their argument, Kazuya unveils a game that he feels will determine the true nature of humanity and friendship, the Rescue Game.

However, for once Kaiji is not an active participant. He cheers on the sidelines for its contestants and eventually mildly interferes with the game in order to give them motivation to continue. After the game ends in a fail state, Kaiji panics and pays 70 million yen in order to save the lives of the two men, Chan and Mario Garcia, leaving him only 400 million for his upcoming gamble with Kazuya. Upon realizing what good people both Chan and Mario are, he brings them with him for support.

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: One Poker-Hen

Kaiji, Chan, and Mario are taken to a warehouse where they take an elevator to the top of a massive concrete structure. Kaiji and Kazuya buckle themselves into a machine known as Mother Sophie and begin playing One Poker. The two of them use small statues as bargaining chips, referred to as "lives." Kaiji starts with two lives from his 400 million yen and Kazuya with 10 for a total of 2 billion yen.

Kaiji has incredible luck with five consecutive wins, putting him in the lead with seven lives to Kazuya's five. His luck then takes an unfortunate turn and he begins hemorrhaging lives, losing all of them. Devastated by such a crushing loss, Kazuya offers Kaiji another life to play with.

Kaiji One Poker

Kaiji betting his life in One Poker.

Kaiji is given the opportunity to bet his own life but if he loses this life, he will die by being dropped onto the floor below them. He takes Kazuya up on this offer and loses. Mother Sophie then hangs his chair over a pit, starting its countdown. Kaiji loses consciousness but when he comes to, he is informed that Chan and Mario have decided to bet their own lives on his behalf, allowing him to continue playing.

Miraculously, Kaiji makes a comeback. Taking back his own life and other standard lives. He goes all in, with his 5 regular lives and their actual lives. Putting Kazuya in a position where he either he must fold and lose all 2 billion yen or bet his own life to check. Kaiji begs him to fold, as he does not want to kill Kazuya. Kazuya stubbornly bets his own life, assuming Kaiji is bluffing. However, it is just as Kaiji said, Kazuya loses. Kazuya is put in position to be dropped and he begs Kaiji to save him. Despite how he feels about Kazuya, he tells Kazuya to hang on and then the 3 of them rush off. Kazuya's restraints fall away and he tries to hang on but his grip weakens and he falls.

Wanted Camper Van

One of Teiai's wanted posters for the trio.

But Kaiji, Chan, and Mario were waiting at the bottom with a tarp, saving Kazuya's life. Knowing that Kazutaka will be furious and they will not be allowed to keep their winnings, Kaiji and the boys load up all of the cash onto a truck and make a break for it.

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen

Kaiji is now a fugitive on the run with two companions, Chan and Mario from Teiai, after winning 2.4 billion yen from beating Kazuya at One Poker. He is now thinking of getting out of Japan to have a peaceful life without the harsh glare from Teiai.

After many trials, challenges and incidents to evade Teiai and their army of black suits and debtors, Kaiji finally decides to leave Japan for good while Chan and Mario start planning to go back to their countries.

Gallery

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Visit this page to see it.

Tap here for the gallery.

Etymology

  • The name Kaiji means "open, unfold, unseal" (開) (kai) and "officer, boss" (司) (ji).
  • Kaiji's surname Itō means "that one" (伊) (i) and "wisteria" (藤) ().

Trivia

  • It is revealed in the production artwork made for Season 1 of the anime that Kaiji's height is 178cm.
  • According to his mom Hatsue Itō, Kaiji was already a gambling addict in high school.[1]
  • Kaiji is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara in the live-action movie, who is famous for his roles as Shuya Nanahara in the Battle Royale films and Light Yagami in the Death Note films.
  • In the live-action adaptation, Kaiji's birthplace is Chiba Prefecture.
  • Kaiji has an unnamed older sister.[2]
  • If he had lost to Takashi Muraoka, he would have lost his eyes, arms, legs, and genitals for a total value of 57 million yen.[3]
  • While in his prodigal son outfit, his hat says "Zanmai", a word for intense concentration that is often used in the context of Buddhist meditation.[4]
  • He thinks The Three Little Pigs is ridiculous.[5]
  • He loved chocolate marble candies as a child.[6]
  • Once in middle school he cheated in Mahjong to get his first ever Kokushi musou into tenpai, but felt so bad about it that he couldn't take his wait.[7]
  • He really really likes gambling metaphors.[8]
  • He greatly prefers beer to champaign.[9]
  • He was once falsely accused of being a zoophile by Hiroki Ishitaka.[10]
  • He believes in ancestral Kami.[11]

References

  1. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 45
  2. Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji, chapter 1
  3. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji, chapter 71
  4. https://www.japandict.com/%E4%B8%89%E6%98%A7
  5. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 133
  6. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 51
  7. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: One Poker-Hen, chapter 106
  8. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 93
  9. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 110
  10. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 121
  11. Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: 24-Oku Dasshutsu-Hen, chapter 136
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