The King’s Game Anime is Airing Now, But It’s a Sequel
If you like death games or killing games (I’ve been told there’s a difference), then King’s Game AKA Ousama Game has probably been on your radar for a while. The new anime is currently airing as part of the Autumn 2017 anime season, based on a manga, which is based on a novel. But for some reason, it’s actually a sequel?
Yeah, so it’s pretty confusing to hop into a new killing game show and to be obviously not on the right page of the story, and to have the events of the “first story” immediately spoiled. So watch out for this one, I guess. This is definitely the first anime of Ousama Game, but for some reason they decided to animate the sequel, Ousama Game: Shuukyoku.
Look, even I’m getting a bit confused here. So, here’s a list of the manga series and where they fall in the timeline, and when they were published. No spoilers, natch.
– Ousama Game (King’s Game), 5 volumes, 2010 – 2012 — The first in the series
– Ousama Game: Shuukyoku (King’s Game: Extreme End), 5 volumes, 2012 – 2014 — The sequel, is the basis for Ousama Game The Animation
– Ousama Game: Rinjou (King’s Game: Visit), 4 volumes, 2015 – 2016 — A side-story that occurs around the same time as Shuukyoku
– Ousama Game: Kigen (King’s Game: Origin), 6 volumes, 2013 – 2016 — The only one that is an actual prequel, set about 30 years before anything else.
Ousama Game: Shuukyoku is actually the hardest manga in the series to find a decent translation of into English. So those who’ve been wanting to continue the series but haven’t been able to pin down the manga will be pleased.
Is the anime adaptation any good? Well, you do get the sense you’re missing out on something at the beginning (which you are), but it is sort of explained. Because of that it does feel a little bit clunky, and the way events progress in the first episode are a little bit annoying.
Some of the text message stuff and the rules were a little hard to follow just going off subs too. It seems like it will be a pretty gory one, so if that’s what you’re into, then jump right in.
Essentially the killing game is like the playground “King’s Game”. Sort of a “truth or dare” game where the “King” forces players to do certain things, and if they don’t, they lose. Except, in this case, the punishment is death, and the requests become more extreme as it goes on.
The main takeaway here should be that if you’re interested in Ousama Game The Animation, you should probably give Ousama Game (the original) a read first. Otherwise, the general events will be spoiled in the first episode of the new one.
As for me, I’ll probably continue watching the anime for a little bit. But more than likely I’ll just check out and take a look at the original manga instead to get the whole story.
