Hello and to Project Nitsuj. Excuse for a moment, I’m having a Poker Day. Alright guys the game is Texas Hold’em.
*Nitsuj deals the cards out to the players which consist of the Jack Bros., Seras, Mira, and the mob boss of the Tengu Mafia. Nitsuj then flips over the first three cards which are the Queen of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds and Nine of Clubs*
(Nitsuj): Place your bets.
*Everyone places their bets and Nitsuj flips over the last two cards which are Ace of Clubs and Queen of Clovers*
(Tengu mob boss): Read them and weep. Ace of Diamonds and Queen of Spades. Full house.
*Everybody groans knowing they lost and the mob boss chuckles as he collects his chips*
(Nitsuj): New dealer in.
*Nitsuj exits the table and Chibi takes his spot as dealer*
(Nitsuj): Poker is a fan favorite card game. It’s easy to learn, there are variations of it, and it’s just all around fun. There have been multiple stories and imagery that center around poker. One of them is today’s anime, High Card. A simple title with a lot of support behind it. While originally getting started as a manga, in truth, this was a multimedia franchise/original work created by Homura Kawamoto the same man who wrote Kakegurui, Hikaru Muno, and TMS Entertainment. Along with the manga there would also be a novel series, drama CDs, and of course an anime. At the start of 2023 the anime made its debut under the production of Studio Hibari who actually helped in the production of Tekken Bloodline and even did a few cutscenes for the Persona 4 games. These are also the guys who own Lerche and LARX Entertainment. Let’s deal the cards and place are bets. This is High Card.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening is “Trickster” by Five New Old. It’s a good song. The beat is good and I like how it’s sung in English and Japanese without missing a beat. Honestly, the song gets overshadowed by the opening animation. Man, this animation is on point. The colors, the transition it all looks great. I could spend hours watching this and never get tired of it.
For the ending we have “Squad!” by Meychan. Another good song that’s a jam to listen to after each episode. The song gives off that vibe of you and your friends riding together and that one, that one song that everyone loves begins to play on the radio or your phone and you all just start singing it. No eye contact no talking you guys just start singing together and having a good time.
Episodes 1-4
We begin in the anime in this alternate timeline of Earth on an island nation known as Fourland where this girl breaks into a kingdom’s castle and steals a deck of cards (unless those cards are made out of diamond they’re not worth it). She escapes but a mysterious strong wind opens up the briefcase and all the cards go flying out into the world. Fast forward a month later and we focus on a young man named Finn voiced by Gen Satō (Chrome from Dr. Stone) who has the Deuce of Spades card and is a pickpocket trying to raise money for an orphanage that’s about to be closed down (scene here: https://youtu.be/KoChIQyxyPc?si=ORSSFBjVPKK8yJV1). In order to get the money, Finn goes to Bell Land (Las Vegas). He makes a lot of money at the tables only to lose it to a man named Lunchman. The two get caught by security who believe they’re cheating (casinos are there to take your money not give it away). A mysterious man who also has a card reveals that Lunchman has the ten of diamonds which grants the user good luck. The mysterious man threatens to kill Lunchman’s family if he doesn’t hand it over and Lunchman concedes. Just then another man comes in who wants the card as well and a fight breaks out. This new guy has the five of hearts. During the fight, Finn escapes but he snatches the ten of diamonds card up for himself (scene here: https://youtu.be/bmFM6CnGF4E?si=iG042_cqwSs7hQsq). The mysterious man chases after him but Finn manages to kill him by activating the deuce of spades which gives him a gun. The other man arrives and we end the episode on a cliffhanger with the two pointing guns at each other.
So at the start of episode 2 Finn gets captured by the mysterious man who we find out is named Chris (damn Chris, when did you start doing field work?) voiced by Toshiki Masuda (Eijiro from My Hero Academia). He gets taken to a secret location where he meets the rest of Chris’s associates, Wendy voiced by Haruka Shiraishi (Asirpa from Golden Kamuy), Vijay voiced by Yūichirō Umehara (Goblin Slayer aka Guts from Goblin Slayer), and Bernard. He gets hit with exposition about the cards known as X-Playing Cards. Each card has its own special power and only those chosen by the card can use it (which means you can’t steal powers. Kind of a missed opportunity if I’m being honest). Chris and the others have been tasked by the king to retrieve these cards discreetly (*looks back at episode 1* I think discreet has a different meaning in this anime) and Finn is being brought on board to help them. Why? Because the person he killed last night was a member of the Klondike Family, the biggest mafia family in the kingdom (and a delicious snack). They’ll most likely come after him for revenge so he can either take his chances with the mob or stick with them. He decides to stick with them and even gets a job as a vintage car salesman which serves as their front. Chris gets put in charge of training him where we discover that his card makes him immortal. However, it burns up calories so he gets hungry quite easily. As for Finn’s power, it just makes him a good marksman. The two hop on a case involving a new card user who is going around robbing banks and jewelry stores. His card power allows him to harden his body (making him rock hard. Scene here: https://youtu.be/tB-YUDCEQyk?si=hwAjzWShvr3T4TuJ). After ramming him with a car and tossing him into the river they manage to beat him and retrieve the card (not bad for a first day on the job).
In episode 3 we get introduced to Leo voiced by Shun Horie (Kazuya from Rent-A-Girlfriend), a rich kid who obviously serves a purpose in the anime. He gets kidnapped by these two guys who have no idea what they’re doing and gets saved by Finn. We find out that Leo’s family company forced their small company to close down and now they want revenge (scene here: https://youtu.be/wju2Q6uRaUc?si=GlBLiqqogXH5kE_I, well you’re doing a terrible job at getting it). Leo isn’t too fond of Finn’s heroism and jumping head-first into danger without worrying about himself. The two manage to ditch the two boys and take the subway only to get caught again by their sister Nix who has the seven of clubs which allows her to control fire (you know it’s funny how the main characters have non-spectacular powers but everyone else does). Nix is nuts as she believes this card is a gift from God (pray forza fayaa) and is set to deliver divine justice to Leo and Finn. Finn manages to escape and fights back but his bullets keep getting burned by Nix’s fire. Chris comes in with a briefcase full of money for Leo who reveals he’s a member of High Card. His card is the seven of diamonds which allows him to turn money into whatever he wants. He creates a bazooka and shoots at Nix and the kidnappers to take them out and retrieve the card (scene here: https://youtu.be/PQN5wl4Mx5Q?si=m49AhuXLz-bv_yLx).
Episode 4 focuses on Wendy. We find out that she comes from a samurai family and was trained by her dad. Wendy always wanted to be like her dad and follow the path of solitude like him, but her dad encouraged her not to do it and find friends. Wendy of course ignored her father’s advice (as most kids tend to do) and tried to follow the path of solitude (with varying results. Scene here: https://youtu.be/ZWevwLBDpiY?si=gL1Aw7Aa_rmsxN9_). Anywho, the episode sees Wendy take on a cardholder who has the ability to clone himself. We see Wendy’s card is the Ace of Spades (a personal favorite of mine. Won me forty bucks at the blackjack table) which summons a sword for her called Love and Peace (Vash? Is that you? I didn’t know this anime was related to Trigun). At first, it seems like a simple sword that’s nothing special, but in truth it’s quite dangerous. When Wendy draws the sword her mind and body get taken over by the spirit of the card known as Love-P. She transforms into a busty swordswoman (I’m not kidding, her breast grow. I shit you not) who loves to kill whether it be friend or foe. Wendy defeats the cardholder named John after defeating all his clones, exhausting him, and scaring him so much that he passes out and pees himself (scene here: https://youtu.be/d0U7nmGYWko?si=0ylcnfPE_Y6SzwZM). Now the rest of High Card have to stop her before she goes on a rampage. The only way to stop her is to get the sword out of Wendy’s hands which is easier said than done. Luckily, Finn manages to shoot the sword out of her hands and Wendy passes out (scene here: https://youtu.be/nd9WJlWbRYo?si=oGMEsZXogZkpjrmV). When she wakes back up she’s back to normal and Finn tells her not to be afraid to rely on him and the others.
Episodes 5-8
In episode 5 we meet a detective named Sugar (I think that’s her name. Everyone calls her that) who has been noticing the strange cases involving High Card and how the police sweep them under the rug each time. This doesn’t sit right with her and since her department won’t give her any answers, she decides to conduct her own investigation on High Card. While that’s going on we see another detective named Young go to a charity event hosted by the Klondike Family. We get to meet Ban, head of the family as well as Young’s childhood friend. We see him kill John in front of everyone because he was going to snitch to the police (and he should be arrested for public murder). Back with Sugar, she arrests Finn and tries to bring him into the station, but a member of the Klondike family stops and warns her to stay out of the family business or else (they’ll make their bars more expensive. Scene here: https://youtu.be/LsVm_XCrGM0?si=mb1JwUGy0TNhbuZp). Finn uses this chance to escape and the next morning Sugar finds out about John’s death. Despite all of this she has no intention of giving up on what it means to be a detective and will continue investigating them.
At the start of episode 6, we get some much-needed backstory on the cards and why they exist. In the past, the island of Trapla (which would become Fourland) was divided into four nations (and they lived in harmony until the Fire Nation attacked). While they weren’t on the best of terms with each other there was a level of peace between them. But that all changed when foreigners invaded the island pillaging everything that wasn’t glued down (this world’s equivalent of Vikings). When all hope seemed lost, a mage appeared alongside a boy saying that he is the true king of Trapla and that if they want to save the island choose 13 knights from each nation to fight beside him (okay, mysterious mage we just met and came out of nowhere. We trust you completely). Heeding the mage’s words, each nation picked 13 knights amassing an army of 52 knights (army is kind of stretching it. Try order) and each knight was given a card by the mage swearing a blood oath to the boy who would become their future king. The knights fought bravely but would sadly die on the field of battle. However, their love for their home transferred to the cards via magic giving them mysterious powers that the boy used to defeat the invaders and unite the island under one rule. Returning to the present, we see High Card on a luxury cruise ship where one of the cards is up for auction. Their plan is to swap the real card with a fake card, but a man named Norman, their rival in the car business wants the card as well. He knows about the cards’ powers and wants it for himself. The group tries to swipe the card with the fake but Norman catches on to their plan and sends his secretary who is a card user after them. Chris gets stuck in the elevator fighting the secretary where the fake card gets destroyed and the real card gets rolled out. Norman wins the bidding war against Leo and gets the card only to have it snatched away by the Klondike family.
Episode 7 sees Finn and Chris after a girl named Chelsea. She’s in possession of the two of diamonds (they are a girl’s best friend) which has the power to make people stick to each other. Finn and Chris get their hands stuck to each other, so they have to find Chelsea to undo the binding. Chris cuts his hand off to undo the binding (damn Chris! I didn’t know you were hardcore like Zoro). Sadly, it doesn’t work as Finn’s hand latches onto Chris’s new hand (in his defense, it wasn’t a bad idea). For the next three days they chase after her thanks to her videos online (stop posting your life online! People say they want privacy but then they turn around and post stuff online. Idiots!). They finally corner Chelsea who says she won’t give the card away until she finds her soulmate (you plan on using that card to make sure he doesn’t get away? That’s not love that’s the mindset of a psychopath). Chris tries to charm her but she sees through his empty words and takes her leave (your words are like tofu, Chris. Tasteless and have no flavor). Chris tries to go after her, but Finn says to let her go and they retreat for the time being to rest. The next day, Chris is forced to drag Finn to his date with his sister, Michel (CHRIS! Noo~, bad!). No it’s not like that, it’s just a simple meet and greet (and she’s totally okay with the BL on display. Scene here: https://youtu.be/b5BEz-s__RA?si=P9d4BgVriIpBJVqr). They run into Chelsea who decides to accompany them on their date to expose Chris for the tofu that he is (jokes on you though. . .he’s vegan). Michel and Chelsea get along quite well but the day takes a dark turn when Michel collapses and starts coughing up blood. Chelsea removes the binding and Chris rushes Michel to the hospital. It gets revealed that she has a genetic heart disease she inherited from her mom. As of now there’s no cure for it and Chris has been keeping her a secret from everyone to keep her safe (and have some sense of privacy in his life). According to the doctor, her condition isn’t getting any better. Thanks to this event Chelsea finally sees Chris for who he is (he is not tofu. He is beyond meat. He goes great with his potato PC) and she agrees to hand over her card when the time comes and she no longer needs it (you don’t need it to begin with you psycho). After the credits, we see her become a live-in server at the bar High Card goes to as it seems she has feelings for Chris.
Episode 8 sees the return of the marble guy from episode 1. Finn takes the day off and goes back to the orphanage to celebrate the birthday of Lindsey the caretaker. While there the marble guy shows up for revenge (scene here: https://youtu.be/2HrwzDcgRPE?si=FUm7c-Dgwi-Kjf5N, dude, timing). He attacks Finn and sets the whole place on fire which brings up bad memories for Finn because his parents died in a fire and he lost his memory because of this tragic event. Finn and marble guy (I would use his name but they never say it) fight throughout the burning orphanage and arrive on the roof where Finn manages to beat him with a powerful punch (that was a Kiryu Kazuma punch). However, marble guy gets back up and reveals a second hand (he’s got a pair of threes) he performs an X-Hand which fuses the two cards together and makes him stronger. Finn gets overwhelmed and just when it looks like he’s doomed, he gets saved by a mysterious knight figure. The same figure he saw when he was a child. The mysterious knight defeats the marble guy and Finn manages to escape the fire safely.
Episodes 9-12
In episode 9 the Klondikes launch a terrorist attack which results in the death of the first prince of Fourland (this would be quite sad if we got the chance to know the royal family but since we didn’t I feel nothing). High Card is ordered to pick up the pace on collecting the cards and gets separate missions on retrieving them. Chris gets to go on a mission with Finn, but Finn has been out of it for the last two weeks following the burning of the orphanage (two weeks!? Motherfucker, nobody you cared for died in that fire so you have no need to grieve. I understand that it was his home and everything but get over it). Chris manages to get Finn out of his funk (he always was good at talking to others) and they board a train. While on the train, a member of the Klondike family shows up receiving a tip about Finn and Chris. He tries to steal their cards but he’s a dumbass who didn’t think this plan all the way through and places himself in danger (scene here: https://youtu.be/EZcUvylSn94?si=E4cLMrcJPhxtXfhH). Through a series of events they force the train to stop, Chris pushes Finn off the train and into the river below to save him (scene here: https://youtu.be/MqMBdDjAVKc?si=iL0FAAzRbAKYa05j).
At the start of episode 10 Finn wakes up in a bed and meets Aya the woman he and Chris were sent to find. Speaking of Chris, we see he got captured by the Klondike family who are torturing him for information on where his card is (force him to eat meat, they’ll get him to talk). Back with Finn he learns that Aya used to be a member of High Card back in the day. She was also friends with Chris’s dad Tyler who was a member of High Card as well. Tragedy would strike when Tyler’s apartment was bombed and Chris was close to death. Tyler begged Theodore (the father of Leo and owner of High Card) to let him use X-Hand to save his son, but Theodore wouldn’t allow it and was even going to kill Chris himself (geez, no wonder Leo has daddy issues). Aya stopped Theodore and held him down to allow Tyler to use X-Hand to save Chris’s life. The move worked but it cost Tyler his life. Aya soon left High Card after becoming disenchanted with them (more like she couldn’t stand Theodore’s leadership. Understandable) and went underground until she found a place to settle. Theodore knew where she was but didn’t go after her (not sure if this was an act of passion or an act of I’m too busy and rich to deal with this crap). Aya hands over her card willingly just as a member of the Klondike family shows up (hey! We were having a moment). Aya and Finn take him on and with the help of Chris they manage to take him down (scene here: https://youtu.be/uhwOfYnf1WU?si=F1OCm7U4mVy3YJEf). After retrieving the cards, Chris shoots Finn to end the episode on a cliffhanger (hold up. *Takes out phone* (Chris): Hello? (Nitsuj): What the fuck man!? (Chris): I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m going to assume they knew too much and I had to take care of them).
So in episode 11 Finn survived Chris’s gunshot thanks to his card and was brought back to High Card where he’s currently on suspension (why? He did nothing) and Chris is a wanted man. Chris soon goes on the run and we find out that he’s got four of a kind (5s) and plans on using the X-Play to save his sister (saw this coming). Rather than go after Chris, the members of High Card are at the palace protecting the royal family because the Klondike family is launching an attack on them. Finn figures out what Chris is planning to do and rushes to the hospital but he’s too late. Chris is gone and he took Michel with him. A mysterious man named Owen working for Theodore tried to stop Chris but his attack had no effect and Chris escapes. Finn then gets fired for disobeying orders.
In the final episode, Finn manages to escape Owen and his men to go after Chris. He meets up with Chelsea where he figures out that Chris is taking Michel to the Ferris Wheel (who knew you were such a romantic Chris). Finn and Chelsea head that way but get stopped by the Klondike Family because potatoes (yeah, I have no idea why they’re interfering). Luckily, Finn gets saved by the return of Love-P who fights against the Klondike member and forces her to retreat (scene here: https://youtu.be/RyFKw6J9DSs?si=bE0QnoSSufyZnxOR). The rest of High Card shows up to help Finn reach Chris where even despite making a bridge (made of gold) they’re still far away but Finn takes the shot anyway. Just as Chris is getting ready to do the X-Play, Finn shoots one of the cards away turning it into three of a kind (I’m curious to see what happens when you get a full house and royal flush. Scene here: https://youtu.be/EFha101ZHvU?si=2b10ZhTtAiGWts_U). The three of a kind manages to save Michel’s life while shaving some of Chris’s life as well (how’s that for equivalent exchange?). In the end, Michel’s is still sick but the good news is she’s no longer in critical condition. High Card managed to save the Royal Family and even though they know it was the Klondikes who attack them they’re not making a move against them (what are you following the judicial system of America? Arrest their asses). As for Chris, his punishment for going AWOL is being Finn’s junior (and he has to eat meat for a whole month).
Final Thoughts
In the end, High Card is a pretty good idea. The story and powers have some creativity to them and I like how there seems to be clear goal and direction on where the series is going. The only thing I don’t like is that everyone can only use one card. I think it would have been more interesting if they could use multiple powers. The cast of the anime is good. I like how everyone has their own personality and we get a chance to explore their past and personality. Except for Vijay. I don’t know why but he gets the shaft and has no episode dedicated to him. Which is shocking considering that his power is probably the strongest of the bunch. I do like Ban’s charismatic personality and how it hides a very dangerous man underneath the smile. The animation is nice. I did like the character designs and the music has that Las Vegas vibe that feels appropriate for a series like this.
Final Score
The final score for High Card is a 5.5/10. It’s a decent original anime worth checking out and I’m happy to see it’s getting a second season as this rarely happens for original works. So this is proof that the people behind the series are passionate about it and have faith that it’ll be a hit. Well, time to cash out. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.