is an anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series produced by Xebec under the direction of Takao Kato. Based on Tecmo's of pachinko

Pachinko

is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...

 games, the series revolves around titular character Rio Rollins, a popular casino dealer working at the Howard Resort, and the thirteen cards called Gates which are used to determine the world's most skilled dealer. The anime aired on Tokyo MX and related channels between January 4, 2011 and March 29, 2011.

Plot

In an island casino called the , Rio Rollins is a popular casino dealer with the ability to bring good luck to gamblers just by walking past them, earning her the nickname "The Goddess of Victory". Mint Clark, a young child, comes to the Howard Resort with her grandfather and encounters Rio, and the two become the best of friends.

Rio's life soon changes when it is revealed that she is a "Gate Holder", a dealer who holds one of the 13 legendary cards called "Gates", and whoever collects them all will be named "Most Valuable Casino Dealer" (MVCD). To collect all 13 Gates, Rio must take part in special matches called "Gate Battles" with other Gate Holders and gain their Gates to become the most valuable casino dealer in the world.

Main characters

The most popular dealer in the Howard Resort casino who abides by the motto, . Beautiful and well-endowed, she has a mysterious energy that gives good luck to her customers, earning her her reputation as . Rio is the daughter of the legendary dealer Risa Rollins, and has inherited her dealing skills. She has a pet ferret

Ferret

The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...

 named Chip, and is revealed to be afraid of lightning, as shown during her stay at Misery's castle. It is revealed during one of her Gate Battles that she is a "Roll Ruler", an individual who can change the outcome of a Gate Battle through the aid of illusions. Rio was given the #7 Gate by a mysterious man, and currently holds six Gates after her Gate Battle with King, though it was later revealed that most of the Gates she won were Rina's. She later gains the #8 Gate from Dana, the #2 Gate from Joker, and the #10 Gate from Yang-Yang following her loss to Rina at the Sky Resort. She finally beat Rina in the final battle ,claiming all 13 Gates and gaining access to the Ultimate Roll Ruler and the title of MVCD which is the title bestowed upon the greatest dealer. Outside of the anime and pachinko games, she also appears as a cameo character in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2

Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 is a 2006 video game for the Xbox 360 game console. Developed by Team Ninja, it is the sequel to Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball...

and a playable character in Dead or Alive Paradise

Dead or Alive Paradise

is a 2010 video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Dead or Alive series. The game is a port and a remake of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 for the Xbox 360, and the title expands upon the activities available in the original which consisted...

.

A young girl who comes to the Howard Resort with her grandfather. She always carries around with her a stuffed bear named Choco.

Rio's childhood friend who had been recruited by Tom Howard as a dealer. Her mother was hospitalized and her father was frequently away on business trips when she was a child, and therefore was raised by Risa and Rio, the latter whom she had a sibling-like relationship. She has a mysterious energy that makes her customers weary, as opposed to Rio's aura which gives her customers energy. It is later revealed that she is Rio's half-sister and a Gate Holder working under Cartia, who is revealed to be her aunt. She seeks revenge on Rio and her mother, Risa Rollins, who allegedly eloped with her father, causing Rina's mother, Ilina, to fall into a coma. She is also a Roll Ruler as well, her abilities far surpassing Rio's, but lost to Rio at the end of the series. Before the final battle, she held nine Gates, four of which were given to Linda, Jack, Queen, and King, and one of the Gates being the Ace Gate.

Howard Resort employees

The owner of Howard Resort, donning a yellow suit and is often seen smoking a cigar

Cigar

A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...

. He tends to show a rather perverted nature, usually concerning the exposure of Rio's body by having her dress in embarrassing outfits. He later loses the Howard Resort following Rio's loss at a Gate Battle with Rina.

A Hollywood actress who works as a dealer at Howard Resort. Despite her movie status, she admits her popularity pales in comparison to Rio's. She was possessed by Misery's ghost in episode 3, and was later freed from her control after the latter's loss. However, it is later revealed that Misery's spirit still resides in her body, as shown in episode 9 when she takes control of Rosa's body to warn Rio of her castle being on the verge of being demolished by Cartia and in episode 12 during a ping-pong match with the other girls in a hot spring

Onsen

An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...

.

and

Twin sisters who work at the resort, both donning bunny suits. Elle usually provides explanation to Rio's abilities while Ille usually stays quiet, often just repeating the last word that was said.

A bunny girl working at the Howard Resort.

A new recruit from Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 who is training to become a dealer. Although her dealer skills are quite good, she is rather clumsy and sometimes causes havoc in the casino.

The magician of the Howard Resort and a fortune teller, using tarot cards to predict her customers' futures. It is later revealed in episode 10 that she is a Gate Holder, holding the #8 Gate.

A cheerful robot who is the head dealer of the newly-built Sky Resort, sporting noticeable tan lines. She serves as the resort's main computer terminal, controlling everything that happens with a just snap of her finger, and can link herself up with the resort's computer as well while wearing a special outfit. She was briefly reprogrammed by Jack to challenge Rio to a Gate Battle, carrying the #4 Gate hidden in her left wrist (which was given to her by Cartia, later revealed to be one of Rina's Gates), but lost after her head came loose just before crossing the finish line. A running gag in the series is that her head often falls off her body when least expected, often causing glitches in the computer system.

Antagonists

An ambitious casino dealer from Germany who seeks to take the Howard Resort in a Gate Battle, and uses her subordinates to carry out her plan. She is described as a cunning and manipulative woman who will use any means to ensure victory, and is often notoriously described by others as "an old lady". Cartia is revealed to be Rina's aunt, and has aided the latter in her plot for revenge against Rio. It has been hinted from Jack that Cartia wants to collect all of the Gates, stating that she will "see a rainbow" once she fulfills her goal, and it is later revealed from Dana that she is working with the Casino Guild to strengthen her goals. She later takes over the Howard Resort following Rio's loss to Rina during a Gate Battle, and renames it the .

An American cowboy

Cowboy

A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...

 who is the self-proclaimed . He held Anya hostage and challenged Rio to a game, only to lose when he later challenges to a drinking contest with a hot drink. He is later revealed to be one of Cartia's henchmen when he was given back his pistol by the latter, and later returns at the Sky Resort to carry out Cartia's plan.

A Gate Holder known as the and an expert sniper, holding the Queen Gate. She challenged Rio to a Gate Battle involving shooting targets inside a wind tunnel following the latter's previous battle with Jack. She initially had the upper hand due to her sniper abilities, and attempted to cheat by knocking Rio out, but lost following an incident involving Linda's head being knocked off by Anya which caused the wind tunnel to shut down momentarily, allowing Rio to claim victory once it was turned back on.

A Gate Holder known as the , holding the King Gate. He is a professional con artist who often wins guessing games by crushing objects in his hand so they won't be picked. Despite his strength, he is not very bright.

and

Twin sisters of Chinese descent wearing Jiang Shi outfits. Yang-Yang is a Gate Holder known as "Number Ten" for the #10 Gate she holds, while Ang-Ang, the younger sister, is silent and taciturn, only communicating with the talisman worn on her hat. They challenged Rio and Mint to a Gate Battle involving an explosive game of concentration

Concentration (game)

Concentration, also known as Memory, Pelmanism, Shinkei-suijaku, Pexeso or simply Pairs, is a card game in which all of the cards are laid face down on a surface and two cards are flipped face up over each turn. The object of the game is to turn over pairs of matching cards...

 inside the Concentration Bomber, nearly ending in a tie until Rio uses her aura to aid Mint in winning the game. Howard reveals to Cartia that the Concentration Bomber was an unstable project, which is why he had it shut down. Ang-Ang manages to save Mint when the card underneath her exploded, where it is revealed that she is actually Choco brought to life by Yang-Yang's magic, as she wanted a companion (she claims her magic only works on items made in China). Choco turns into Ang Ang once again during a bonus episode, where she repays Mint's kindness by buying her a camera.

Other characters

Mint's grandfather and a wealthy millionaire.

A gambler known as the who came after Mint's bear. He challenges Rio to a closed poker

Closed (poker)

In the game of poker, a betting round is said to be closed if no player will have the right to raise in the round. Normally this occurs when a player calls, and the next player whose turn it is to act is the one who made the last raise, so he cannot raise further...

 match for it and makes a gamble to get all four Queens, but lost to Rio who wins with a pair of twos. It was later revealed that he collects stuffed animals to fulfill his sorrow from being dumped at the altar, and claims that Mint's bear is a rare Belgian collectible, only to find out from Elle and Ille that it isn't a Belgian original. He, along with Elvis, reappear later on to challenge Rio to a rematch game, only to lose to her again with Jack's aid.

A narcissistic

Narcissism

Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...

 Gate Holder holding the #3 Gate with a playboy persona, being portrayed with a multitude of swooning girls around him. Elvis is a highly skilled mathematician, being able to predict his own moves before executing them, and believes that the numbers revolve around him and are always on his side. He challenges Rio to a Gate Battle in the form of a giant roulette table and initially had the upper hand with his mathematics skills, but loses when the bandage on his finger comes off while throwing the ball. He later appears in the newly remodeled Goltschmidt Kingdom resort along with Orlin to challenge Rio to a rematch, only to lose again with aid from Jack.

A woman who once owned a castle with a casino inside of it. However, she lost everything after losing to a high-stakes game of craps

Craps

Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...

. Her ghost was resurrected when lightning struck her castle, and sought to win the Howard Resort in a game. Her powers are the complete opposite to Rio's, as she brings bad luck to gamblers. She also has a bottomless appetite for chicken wings, as they were once her favorite, shown when she downs multiple boxes of them. She attacked Elle and Ille, both of whom she later possessed, and took over Rosa's body after she possessed her. She then challenged Rio to a game over the resort, and initially had the upper hand tricking Rio with her illusions, but they were dispelled after she ate a super-spicy chicken wing from Rina who disguised herself as a delivery girl, allowing Rio to win the game and her friends. It is later revealed in episode 9 that Misery is still residing in Rosa's body, as she possesses the latter to tell Rio that Jack had aided her in her games against Orlin and Elvis and warns her about Cartia's intent to tear down her castle before she releases control.

/

Rio's mother, a legendary casino dealer known as the . Risa taught Rio and Rina her dealing techniques during their childhoods, and was the previous MVCD, having collected all 13 Gates. She disappeared from public eyes and disguised herself as Joker, a masked Gate Holder holding the #2 Gate, to hide herself from the Casino Guild and to protect Rio, and later challenges Rio to a Gate Battle to see if she is worthy of challenging Rina again. It is revealed by Rina that she allegedly had an affair with her father, which resulted in Rina's mother falling into a coma. Like Rio and Rina, she, too, has Roll Ruler abilities, and has the most powerful Roll Ruler in the series so far, being able to create an illusion of the Howard Resort (both inside and out) when Dana and Rio were trapped in it.

A young boy with telekinetic powers (referred to as ) and a Gate Holder, holding the Jack Gate. He and his parents were part of a bomb disposal squad, and was taken in by Cartia who just wanted to use him for his powers. He was first ordered by Cartia to reprogram Linda to challenge Rio to a Gate Battle, but relinquishes control of her after Rio won. He later appears in person to challenge Rio to a Gate Battle involving a game of Space Pinball, being offered a chance at freedom if he wins, and initially had the upper hand with his abilities, but is overwhelmed when holographic sharks appeared. He soon lost to Rio after the third stage of the match, but later teams up with her to save Mint from the fourth stage after Linda's head was accidentally knocked off by Carlos. It is hinted that Mint may have feelings for Jack when she persuades him to not use his powers against Rio prior to the match. Jack may also have feelings for Mint as well since it was hinted he was expecting a kiss from her, only to find out after it was from her stuffed bear.

An Afro samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 who has the worst streak of bad luck at the resort.

Rina's mother and Cartia's sister. She is a weak and frail person who fell into a life-threatening coma after learning that her husband is having an affair with Risa.

Rio and Rina's father.

Terminology

One of the thirteen cards issued by the to determine the strongest dealer in the world. The cards are arranged after a suit of cards (from ace to king), and people who own these cards are called . When the 13 Gates are combined and won by the winning Gate Holder, known as the MVCD (Most Valued Casino Dealer), it forms a Rainbow Gate which can grant the MVCD one wish.

A duel in which two Gate Holders wager their Gates. Gate Battles can be any game the dealer chooses, and the Gate Holder can add any rule or condition as he/she pleases. According to Tom Howard, Gate Holders cannot refuse a Gate Battle once it has been announced. He has also stated that continuous Gate Battles can easily wear out an individual, as with the case with Rio.

A Gate Holder who can change the battlefield of a Gate Battle to his or her liking. The Roll Ruler's power depends on how many Gates a Gate Holder wields, and a Roll Ruler can also change the outcome of a Gate Battle. In rare cases, a Roll Ruler's battlefield can also reflect its user's true feelings, as with the case with Rina. There are three Roll Rulers in the series: Rio, Rina, and Risa/Joker.

Episodes

The series, produced by Xebec, is directed by Takao Kato, written by Mayori Sekijima, produced by Shinji Horikiri, character design by Hisashi Shimura, and music by Atsushi Umebori. The anime aired on Tokyo MX between January 4, 2011 and March 29, 2011, with subsequent broadcasts on TV Aichi, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc., Nico Nico Channel, BS NTV, and AT-X

AT-X (company)

is a Japanese anime television network owned by . AT-X, Inc. was founded on June 26, 2000 as a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Medianet, which, in turn, is a subsidiary of TV Tokyo. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo. AT-X network broadcasts anime via satellite and cable since December 24, 1997.AT-X is...

. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...

 provides simulcast

Simulcast

Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...

s of the series on their website to their paid subscribers, with others seeing it a week later. The series was released on seven DVD and Blu-Ray

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

 volumes between April 29, 2011 and October 19, 2011, the last of which contains a bonus episode. The opening theme for the series is by the Love Roulettes, consisting of Marina Inoue

Marina Inoue

is a voice actress and singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex division. As for voice acting career, she's employed by Sigma Seven...

 (Rio), Ayana Taketatsu

Ayana Taketatsu

is a Japanese voice actress from Saitama Prefecture. She is affiliated with I'm Enterprise. Like Yōko Hikasa, she had also attended Nihon Narration Engi Kenkyūjo, a voice actor training school before becoming affiliated with the current management company...

 (Mint), Chiaki Takahashi

Chiaki Takahashi (actress)

is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...

 (Rina), and Yōko Hikasa

Yōko Hikasa

is a Japanese voice actress from Kanagawa who is affiliated with I'm Enterprise. Hikasa aspired to become a voice actress after watching Sailor Moon, and later attended Nihon Narration Engi Kenkyūjo, a voice actor training school. She is a member of the five-girl pop music group Ro-Kyu-Bu!, along...

 (Linda), while the ending theme is by ULTRA-PRISM. CD singles of the songs were released on January 26, 2011 by Universal Music

Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

.

No.	Title	Original airdate

External links

• Official site
• Official blog