So did this series get canned? If so, that truly sucks, because this preparatory arc ends with shit getting very real. It seems unlikely that the author would take a huge decade-long break, and I don't know how well shounen readers responded.

The bright star of this series is Junko, the only female antagonist Fukumoto has ever written (to my knowledge), with a completely off-the-wall character arc.

I also loved the Kijurou story.

At the end,

If there is a part 3, do not skip this one because you won't have a clue why Zero If there isn't a part 3, don't skip this one, because it's a bundle of fun with all the classic Fukumoto cleverness and emotional highs and lows, and this one has a relatively thick cast of kooky characters to boot.

I could complain about some minor aspects, but they're part and parcel of the shounen style and audience. The story is considerably faster than a normal Fukumoto joint - people only say things once instead of saying them three times with different phrasing. That alone makes it worth the read for Kaiji and Akagi fans looking for more.

... Last updated on December 14th, 2022, 11:32pm

I enjoyed this series, despite the change of tone from the first one. Now where's the sequel, it's been more than 7 years!?

...so the relative lack of danger to life and limb and the characters' somewhat kinder behaviour towards each other is understandable, imo. And while it is a bit disappointing that the main story isn't continued here and only a passing mention is made of Zero's adventures a couple of years ago, this part does do a decent job acting as an interlude that bridges the gap between part 1 and the future part 3, and Fukumoto Nobuyuki's puzzles are as clever as they come.

Another plus is that unlike the glacially-paced Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji, Tobaku Haouden Rei moves at a steady clip that's compatible with the plot -- which is certainly a big deal when the mangaka's notorious for stretching out the suspense 'til it can stretch no more.

And I don't see why the protagonist's life has to be in danger for a story focused on mind games to be interesting, so unlike MondSemmel, below, I do not recommend skipping this part if you're capable of appreciating Fukumoto's manga for what they are and not for what you think a shounen/seinen manga should be.

... Last updated on July 14th, 2015, 7:02am

I'm not sure why one would make the followup to a life and death gamble story less intense than said story. In the ten volumes of this part 2, Zero's life or health is only in danger for one gamble 2-3 volumes in! For the final ~6 volumes, there's no threat to Zero's life; more importantly, he isn't even gambling. What the hell.

It doesn't help that the story ends with


If part 3 will return to ultra high-stakes gambling, I'll be interested again. But even in that case, I might actually recommend skipping volumes 5-10 of part 2.

... Last updated on January 28th, 2014, 5:45am

I find it somewhat lacking as a follow-up to the original zero because it doesn't really continue that plotline at all. That's not to say it isn't a tense and exciting FUKUMOTO manga, but I wanted to see the original's plot continued.

It's still a good series though