Netflix might be one of the biggest and best streaming services in the world, but in fairness, it's still capable of taking some interesting risks at times – and commissioning shows that you might find surprising or out of left-field.
The perfect case in point is provided by Bet, its newly unveiled series – one that adapts a popular manga series and looks to bring it to the silver screen with a really distinct visual style. If that sounds like something it's done before, in the form of One Piece and others, then checking out the trailer below will probably underline why this show looks unique even by comparison.
Bet centres around an elite boarding school to which only the richest parents can afford to send their kids – although quite how our heroine Yumeko (Miku Martineau) will end up there isn't clear. Either way, she's a fish out of water who has to learn how the school works quickly.
That isn't too straightforward, either, because this school really operates around one secret activity: organised gambling. That's right, from poker and blackjack to bingo and more, the whole school hierarchy is decided based on who wins the most, right down to the school council board.
It's a really fun and unique concept, and it's one that powered the manga series Kakegurui to real popularity in Japan and abroad – but can it be brought to streaming seamlessly?
I haven't read the manga in any detail, but checking it out a little to compare, it looks like Netflix is paying admirable attention to getting the details right, including all sorts of fun costumes and hair design that make its characters stand out. It's reminiscent of the best of Naruto, but the way people sit around tables playing games also brings back memories of Netflix's modern classic The Queen's Game.
From improbably hairdos to blue lipstick, there are all sorts of great touches to check out in the trailer, and there are also some really stylised transitions and moments, like fire in people's eyes and black-and-white zoom-ins. These are the sort of details that make a manga's zany vibe come across, rather than just being lost in translation.
The show arrives on Netflix on 15 May – time will tell whether it can ignite a new fanbase entirely.
