Trillion Game has progressively developed into one of the most arresting series on the schedule. At this point I have to consider it the better of the Fall 2024 Madhouse shows. And to be blunt, it’s not that close. How’s that for an unexpected outcome? It takes two to tango, and Trillion’s steady rise is not the only factor in that result. Nevertheless we’ve come an incredibly long way from when I dropped this from coverage, swamped as I was by a crazy busy weekend schedule that season. It was a mistake, but it allowed me to really nurture an affection for this series in a stress-free environment.

I’ve also started watching the drama (Tsuda Kenjirou has a role in it – nice to see him getting some work) on Netflix. It’s good for a drama adaptation of a manga – very good, though that’s not a high bar. I’m far enough into both now to realize that there are some significant differences in plotting, though I have no clue which is more closely following the manga. One thing I do miss in the drama, though, iis Gaku’s “a-babababa” affectation (Ishige Shouya is going a great job generally). You know it’s a momentous episode when you get an eleven-“bababa” exclamation as we did this week.

All these flash-forward teases with Gaku certainly confirm that something big has gone down. Judging by Mizuki’s appearance a few years have passed at the very least. Gaku and Haru have split, we know that much. But with Haru that could mean anything. He could be dead, in jail, on his own tangent after stabbing Gaku in the back – who knows? Perhaps most striking is Rinrin’s total absence. If Haru and Gaku had broken up amicably (or even acramoneously), it sure seems as if Rinrin would have gone with Gaku. Not only does she “like him like him”, his ethics and hers have a lot more overlap than either with Haru.

So where the heck is she, and why did Gaku wind up with Kedouin’s assistant? Does that imply there was a split and Kedouin chose Gaku – itself unlikely, but then where is he?  Perhaps the events of this episode start us down the path to answers. Old Man Kokuryuu has finally made his move. He requests an in-person meeting with H, G, and K (and pointedly not R). Haru “borrows” Sakura’s Ferrari – the latter protests, but relents when he realizes this is some sort of big deal. The summit is at the Dragon’s mansion, and Kirihime is a late arriver.

This is pretty straightforward – at first. Kokuryuu offers ¥35 billion (about $250 million even with a historically weak Yen) for Trillion Game in the form of a stock swap with Dragon Bank shares. That’s a very fair deal, especially for Kedouin-san. He’s a venture capitalist and that represents a humongous return on his ¥30 million seed money. It’s a win for Old Man Kokuryuu, who can satisfy his “swallow or destroy” credo with between-the-cushions money. But it’s more complicated with Haru (and Gaku to the extent his opinion matters). This is their life’s work, and it would be a win that feels a bit like a loss.

Then the Dragon really complicates things. He offers Haru Kirihime – as in, as a bride. This puts her in a terrible position, which everyone (even Gaku, I think) realizes. It’s a grave blow to her pride at the very least. Haru is a serial liar, a con artist, and his personal ethics have always been pretty much a joke. But he does a couple things here that seem to be the “right” thing for the right reasons. His lie about being married was to get Kirihime off the hook – unpin the marriage nonsense from the larger deal. And he begs consideration time so as not to step on Kedouin’s rights as the V.C.. Whatever Haru feels, this is undeniably a great deal for Kedouin.

Things certainly don’t get any less interesting from there. That business with the tattooed guy in the car – was that just a testosterone thing, or is he some kind of goon affiliated with Kokuryuu (I think it’s the former)? Haru’s response to this earthquake is to pull all his core people – read, the gaming group – out of the office for a sudden trip. Pointedly, this doesn’t include Kedouin – which is a fact that has numerous implications. The plebs are appropriately awed by airport lounges (it is pretty amazing the first time), in-flight ramen, and stretch Hummer limos. But the destination is Las Vegas (I could skeptically point out how unlikely it is that everyone had passports), which raises all sorts of interesting questions.

My initial reaction was that this was a pretty shrewd move by Haru. Blow off steam, clear your head – faced by a decision of that magnitude, it makes sense. But Vegas? Haru is, among all the other things he is, a risk-taker. Reckless as the day is long. Would he do something crazy like bet the company’s assets at the craps table? He’s staked big moments on bets before, after all. We know Haru is a loose cannon with loose morals, and not knowing where his boundaries are is one of the key tension-drivers in Trillion Game. But just who Haru is – what he would or wouldn’t do – is the key variable in what specific future we’re seeing in those flash-forwards.