Netflix’s Controversial Manga Adaptation Is a Big Hit With Viewers (Despite Bad Reviews)

Netflix recently dropped one of its most controversial manga adaptations, the live-action BET series, and, as fans of the manga and anime were expecting, the reviews have been underwhelming. But despite a poor critical reception and bad reviews from fans, the series has still defied the hate to become one of the most popular shows on the streamer this week. BET was released on May 15th, with all 10 episodes dropping at once as part of Netflix’s commitment to the binge release model.

In the build-up to the show’s release, the fan base had already turned against the show. BET is based on the popular manga Kakegurui, by Homura Kawamoto and Toru Naomura. Kakegurui already has a large fan base, both from the original manga and the 2017 anime, which ran for two seasons. Fans of both properties were disheartened by Netflix’s incredibly loose adaptation of the source material, which was only made worse by the unnecessary title change to BET. But, casual Netflix viewers don’t seem to care about the backlash.

Netflix Viewers Are All-In on BET

Despite the poor response from fans of the manga and anime, attention from casual viewers has done enough to make BET a hit for Netflix. At the time of publication, the series is the fourth most popular show on Netflix this week according to FlixPatrol. Secrets We Keep holds the top spot, while Netflix’s newest true-crime docuseries, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden and Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story, are in second and third.

Netflix has yet to release the viewing statistics for BET, as the streamer only releases these figures for the previous week. This would paint a more clear picture than that of FlixPatrol, but with the unofficial site’s sampling of about 94 countries and their Netflix streaming habits, it’s still a strong indicator. But, the show must have pulled in some serious numbers to best Love, Death + Robots Season 4, Franklin, and FOREVER.

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What Are Critics Saying About BET?

Not enough reviews have been released for Rotten Tomatoes to release an aggregate score for BET. But the critics who have published reviews weren’t impressed with the show. Variety’s critic, Aramide Tinubu, said that BET “isn’t worth the gamble,” in their review, continuing, “Despite its unique setting, “Bet” is repetitive and grows increasingly wearisome, offering nothing new to the Kakegurui fandom.”

Netflix’s live-action BET was adapted by Warrior Nun‘s Simon Berry, and stars Miku Martineau as Yumeko, the new transfer at St. Dominic’s Prep. For those who haven’t read Kakegurui, the premise is wild. The official synopsis for BET reads, “A transfer student from Japan disrupts a boarding school’s power structure with her gambling skills, challenging the Student Council while pursuing revenge that could overturn the entire system.”

While Netflix has had some success with past live-action manga and anime adaptations, namely its insanely successful and beloved One Piece series and Alice in Borderland shows, it has yet to perfect the formula. From its underwhelming Bleach adaptation to the live-action Zom 100 movie that lacked the heart of the original, and not to mention the live-action Cowboy Bebop, the streamer still has a long way to go before the term “live-action anime/manga adaptation” gives fans hope.

H/T: Variety