Trillion Game

After socially awkward technology specialist Manabu "Gaku" Taira is saved from thugs by the outgoing Haru Tennouji, the two men find that they get along with each other well. Years later, Gaku, who is having a tough time getting a job due to his timidness, is convinced by Haru to apply for a position alongside him at Dragon Bank, one of Japan's largest IT companies.

During their interviews, the company's board director, Kirika Kokuryuu, takes an interest in Haru and Gaku's contrasting personalities. However, Gaku does not get hired by the company, leading Haru to quit the job on his first day in protest. Nevertheless, they decide to embark on an ambitious plan of making a trillion dollars.

In order for their scheme to come to fruition, Haru and Gaku start looking for potential investors, but everyone rejects their extravagant idea. In spite of that, the two soon find themselves getting an offer from Kirika—and with her investment, they might just be able to reach their goal.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tennouji, Haru Main

Ootsuka, Takeo Japanese

Taira, Manabu Main

Ishige, Shouya Japanese

Kokuryuu, Kirika ing

Ichimichi, Mao Japanese

Cozy ing

Chiba, Shouya Japanese

Takahashi, Rinrin ing

Tanaka, Yuki Japanese

Maeyamada ing

Kondou, Hironori Japanese

Futaba ing

Senbongi, Sayaka Japanese

Sumeragi ing

Terasoma, Masaki Japanese

Ogura ing

Shin, Yuuki Japanese

Kunugi ing

Tsuda, Kenjirou Japanese

Nishimae, Shuka Producer

Yoshida, Yuuki Producer

Ishigami, Joutarou Producer

Ashikawa, Mariko Producer

Reviews

Mar 27, 2025

KANLen09

Recommended

Trillion Game — Welcome back, Dr. Stone...but in modernized stacks of big bucks' cash.

"Come one, come all! There's big bucks to be earned, but you must have the heart of an entrepreneur - good looks, great mouthpiece to showcase your cunning business tactics, and overall, a heart of paper and steel to accept the money with every opportunity and steel that resolve when you're being hit by losses, to not give up and rebound!"...is what famed mangaka Riichiro Inagaki will tell you, to vet the newest series from the Dr. Stone mangaka: Trillion Game, the 2nd collaboration with yet another famous illustrator of Ryoichi Ikegami ... (the first being the 2015 one-shot of Kobushi Zamurai), and simultaneously a winner of the 69th Shogakukan Manga Awards alongside Yusei Matsui's Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi a.k.a The Elusive Samurai, Murako Kinata's Suuji de Asobo and most influentially, Kanehito Yamada's Sousou no Frieren a.k.a Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, in 2024.

Yet, with or without knowing Dr. Stone's influence going into Trillion Game, can you still enjoy what Riichiro Inagaki has prepared for this wild Shark Tank-esque startup thrill of a ride? To a certain degree, yes.

What happens when you put the "world's most selfish man" with a tech-savvy nerd that goes nowhere with his legit skills that are dismissed by just about any company that wishes that they could hire him? You get two people with the gamble of a lifetime trying to be the wealthiest company in the world, starting from being underdogs with both smarts and naivete to take on the big dogs in the belligerent society of the business world to earn them a net worth of a trillion dollars (that's 12 zeroes) by establishing the biggest heist that's known to man: Trillion Game. That's the game plan for the friends of Haru Tennoji and Manabu "Gaku" Taira, the gifted negotiator and the nerdy tech geek challenging their biggest rival of Dragon Bank, which is run by the Kokuryu family, where its board director and only daughter of the President, Kirika (or Kiri-hime as everyone dubs her), stands atop the business enterprise in the food chain.

The key rules of being an entrepreneur are being able to hold yourself to a higher regard and be able to concoct strategies at the ready as and whenever they are needed, plus a bit of luck, because a businessman's trailblazer has its green buck gains and red net losses. It's exciting, fulfilling, and (all the more) exhilarating to see both Haru and Gaku navigate each complex layer when it comes to challenging and being challenged about their step-by-step ladder to achieving a trillion dollars — from hiring and poaching competent people for their gain to giving people emotional whiplashes to help turn the tide towards their favour, anything goes to get a win against the conglomerate that is the controlling Dragon Bank, by hook or by crook. Their motive may be one and simple, but it's the people that they hire, from Gaku's similar mindset of Rinrin Takahashi, who is quite the OCD when it comes to details, to the investors of Kazuki Kedoin, who took the chance on them after his own failures to engage with yet another startup company with them, as well as Shingo Sakura, a former president of a small indie company that was absorbed by Trillion Game to help them combat Dragon Bank when it came to their game division business fight.

Just like Dr. Stone when it comes to portraying the new Stone Age, Trillion Game is just as authentic as it could get when it comes to portraying and navigating the ins and outs of the grounded and realistic entrepreneurship that's worth time to invest into. Even if it feels slow, stiff, and uncertain of impending troubles awaiting Haru and Gaku, along with their small startup team of people that could taste fortune or bankruptcy when situations arise to fault them, there's always the counteraction of the "never give up" attitudes, alongside the two-faced facade of the characters on both ends of the spectrum always thinking about the success of their own company and burning their competition to the ground. The fight of Trillion Game vs. Dragon Bank only gets more heated as time progresses and market shifts in the business world proceed at a breakneck pace trying to rope in the average Joe into buying their products, and it says so for the series going forward in its strategy-focused intelligence story.

This may be Madhouse's effort, but it's of their B-team instead of the ones specifically helmed for Frieren and (especially) Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite a.k.a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, going head-to-head with Trillion Game, being the same 2-cour infighting treatment for resources. As it stands, the production could be better, along with the rather gritty art style adapted from Ryoichi Ikegami's drawings, but for what it is, it gets a grade.

The music gets a too, though it can be unnoticeable at times. I especially love the 1st Cour's OP/ED set with J-K-Pop fusion band &Team's OP and Klang Ruler's ED, which perfectly suits the anime given its "Start, Start, Start moving" relatability, though the disappointment with the 2nd Cour for rock singer Hiroji Miyamoto's OP and imase's ED songs is foretelling.

It's crazy to think that for much of everyone being able to relate to Dr. Stone, Riichiro Inagaki choosing to venture the niche road is somewhat of a twist that instead deviates from that same relatability and goes into obscure territory. Still, Trillion Game is an Inagaki work that should at least be tried once to know more of what he has to offer, more than just sticks and stones, but in money and fame as well.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Mar 30, 2025

Chuy_diazz

Recommended

The Shark Tank of anime.

Trillion Game brings a fresh and new story to a market rife with magical fantasies. A corporate comedy/drama in the purest Shark Tank style, where the most compelling aspect is the negotiation strategies. We have the story of our protagonists, whose goal is to generate a trillion dollars. From there, a chain of events begins where we see how acts of good faith can synergize with deception and blackmail. Our protagonists, besides being very good friends, are also a representation of Yin and Yang. They are complete opposites in every way, but that's why they can work together to successfully move ... an emerging business forward in a sea of ​​​​vipers, such as the corporate world. The story is an exaggeration to show us the shortest path to success; things will always turn out well for the protagonists and badly for the antagonists. Beyond seeing it as a bad thing, I can see it as a narrative device to show us the interesting side of this world of entrepreneurs.

There are negative things, but they're not in the story; they're in the art. My goodness, at first, it's hard to see the characters because to say their design is ugly is an understatement. The character design is quite uncomfortable to look at because it looks like art stuck in antiquity. The chins are the strangest thing; they're the most out of place on the characters' faces. This artistic decision often makes it difficult to immerse yourself in the story because you don't believe the descriptions you're being given of other characters. When they tell you "so-and-so is the most beautiful person in the country, look, she's dazzling," and when you, as a viewer, see her, all you can think is "but she's uglier than having diarrhea with a cough." As the episodes go by, you get used to the art, but it still seems ugly. If you're a visual person, you'll likely find it uncomfortable most of the time.

Trillion Game is definitely a breath of fresh air. If you're looking for a story that breaks away from current market trends, this is a great option. It's funny, it's entertaining, it has comedy, drama, a bit of romance, but above all, it makes you believe it's possible to earn a trillion dollars by doing the craziest things.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 28, 2025

kiyo_seibah

Mixed Feelings

Start off doubtful, gradually interesting and enjoyed it, and finished it off well.
The main plot is economy and business, which is pretty niche. Through this anime i get some insight about business especially game developer, media corporation, etc. Showing you how tricky to run a company and being a successful businessman. Of course it's picturized way easier than the real life situation, but u kinda get the grasp of it.
It's also remind me a bit of "great pretender" bcs the main character is a witty guy and they tricked the rich and powerful people.
Story wise, it was niche and interesting. For characters, ... well there's no development or something, but the dynamic between haru and gaku as they're polar opposite, are what makes it interesting.
Scoring and graphic are decent, but CGI is very bad ahaha
Well, it wasn't bad but not amazed me enough. Still a good watch tho especially if u want some business themed anime

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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