Would you gamble with your life for the chance to win enough money to make you the richest person in the world?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Kakashi Oniyazu
Translation/Adaptation: Garrison Denim
What They Say
Ryouma needs one billion yen for his terminally ill sister–but instead of a loan, he loses his life! Now he’s stuck in Limbo with a sadistic angel named Kroel and four other victims of fate. If he can gamble his way to the top, he might just escape with both his life and the money for his sister. But if he fails, it’s ashes to ashes, dust to dust–for all eternity!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The first chapter of this new series is aptly named; Money Talks. Regardless of place in history or culture, those with money can get what they want. What Ryouma wants is to save his terminally ill little sister. Their parents are gone and they have no one to turn to for help and her time is running out. But when all seems hopeless, Ryouma is visited by a mysterious girl that offers him the opportunity to play in a unique game that offers the winner any amount of money they desire. Sounds too good to be true and it is!
The catch is you must die, and Ryouma’s death is gruesome and graphic! This launches a supernatural gambling game run by a woman that appears to be an angel, but her feathered wings and halo belie her sadistic nature. Based on her actions, I think she’s some sort of demon toying with humans for her own entertainment.
Ryouma and four other recently deceased people will wager on a game of odd and even dice rolls. Seems simple enough but the game is complicated by the ability of players to challenge each other in ways that cause huge wagers to quickly switch hands. The trick is, only one person can win the final pot of money and all the losers will crumble to ash!
Can Ryouma outwit his opponents in a game largely decided by chance? Even if he wins, will the angel keep her word and return him to life with all the money he might win?
In Summary:
I don’t think the author meant for this series to be an account of the sad state of American health care where rich people can get the best medical treatments and those too poor get to slowly die in their home. However, Though You May Burn to Ash is just that at its core considering Ryouma’s only hope to save his little sister’s life is to raise enough money to get her to the United States for experimental surgery.
That aside, this series is a horrific and entertaining cross between Kakegurui and Saw. With four characters pitted against each other, all with their own personal reasons for needing money, is Ryouma the most sympathetic? Each gambler has a drastic need for money and it could be easy for readers to associate with the needs of someone other than the protagonist. Either way, this first volume is a fun start to a new series.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: April 10, 2018
MSRP: $13.00
