Netflix’s New Anime-to-Live-Action Series Becomes Streaming Hit Despite Divisive Rotten Tomatoes Score

May 23, 2025

6

Netflix’s latest live-action anime adaptation keeps climbing the streaming charts, even if Kakegurui fans seem less than impressed.

Per Netflix‘s own internal charts, the recently released first season of Bet has reached the number 9 spot on the streaming platform’s Global Top 10 TV shows list for English-language releases, amassing 2.4 million views and over 13.7 million hours viewed since the series premiered on May 15. A more updated chart via Flixpatrol has the series standing at number 4 on the Top 10 chart for May 19, with Bet being bested only by Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story at number 3, American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden at number 2 and Secrets We Keep at number 1.

The ‘enduring impact’ of Studio Ghibli’s most famous war film has compelled Netflix’s Japanese branch to make it available for users nationwide.

Netflix’s New ‘Bet’ Series Is a Streaming Hit But Fails to Impress Kakegurui Anime Fans

Yumeko in Netflix's Bet series played by Miku Martineau — Image via Netflix

Bet is based on author Homura Kawamoto and artist Toru Naomura’s hit mana, Kakegurui. The series is set at an elite boarding school, Hyakkaou Private Academy, where wealthy and influential individuals send their children to receive only the best of educations. Rather than being focused on academic or athletic achievements, however, the students themselves determine their own hierarchy by gambling, with monetary contributions and gains being directly tied to a person’s popularity and prestige. Kakegurui follows Yumeko Jabami, a second-year student who is a severely compulsive gambler and uses her wits to disrupt the school and its systems from almost the moment she sets foot in the door.

Kakegurui has exploded in popularity since its release, with the original, still-ongoing manga having been adapted for the small screen in both an anime and live-action series previously. Kakegurui has also been adapted for two feature films, the first in 2019 and the second, Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette, in 2021. Netflix’s Bet premiered on May 15 and stars Miku Martineau in the role of Yumeko, alongside an ensemble cast including Eve Edwards, Aviva Mongillo, Ayo Solanke, Clara Alexandrova, Hunter Cardinal, Laura Afelskie, Alex Hook, Colby Lopez and Dorian Giordano.

A collage of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu from Pokémon XY & Z in front of a red burst background

Netflix is getting a lot more Pokémon anime content, with 145 episodes on the way along with new episodes of Pokémon Horizons.

Bet currently holds a 61% average score via review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes‘ “Popcornmeter,” which averages scores across user-submitted reviews. As of the time of writing, Bet does not have a “Tomatometer” score, which would otherwise be averaged across professionally recognized critical reviews. For comparison, the original Kakegurui anime currently holds a 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter.

Bet is currently available to stream exclusively on Netflix.