Manga
Netflix
Takashi Asuma (
Appearance[]
Asuma is a middle-aged man with short dark hair and bangs. He wears a classic striped light blue shirt.
History[]
Asuma's story prior to the King of Diamonds remains unknown; however, he must have played enough games during the First Stage to make it to the Second Stage and survived the King of Spades' onslaught long enough to join the King of Diamonds game.
Story[]
Asuma's only appearance is during the King of Diamonds game. Same as the other four participants, he sits at the table in the Supreme Court building, attached to his seat. There is a screen in front of him, which shows the game rules and results, and also a tablet he can use to make choices.
The "Balance Scale" concept is short and simple:
- Contestants choose a number between 0 and 100;
- The average of the numbers everyone selected is multiplied by 0.8;
- The person whose number is the closest to that result is the winner.
After hearing the main rules of the game, Asuma listens to Yashige repeating them in search of the right strategy and does the same. Seeing as Daimon is confused by the second step, Asuma explains to himself and to others that multiplying the average by the fixed value of 0.8 disrupts the scale's balance, which makes it a game.
As everyone loses to Kuzuryu in Round 1, they start talking about the game strategies, and Asuma hears an odd noise that sounds like water. Looking up, he notices liquid pouring into the scales above the heads of all who lost, and Kuzuryu explains that it is sulfuric acid (硫酸). Asuma shockingly exclaims that the scales will tip in case of GAME OVER, and Yashige confirms that it will melt their bodies, leaving them horribly disfigured in the best case scenario.
As Round 2 begins, Asuma decides to look at all possible options, starting with the highest number, 100, and comes to a conclusion that choosing a number higher than 80 is pointless due to the multiplier. He starts multiplying numbers one after the other going down and remembers that the law of the stock market is to invest in stocks that everyone wants to invest in, which means he has to predict everyone's desires. However, the winner of Round 2 is Kuzuryu, and Asuma decides that the most rational number to pick next would be 0, which means everyone will pick 0. Despite his own logic, Asuma indeed chooses 0 but gets unlucky since Daimon goes for 1 and Chishiya decides to compromise the round by picking 100, which allows Daimon to win.
By Round 10, Asuma ends up with -9 points, which means another loss will be fatal, and he realizes that he cannot make a single mistake. He grabs his hair nervously as he makes a choice and hopes it can work out, but luck is not on his side, as Kuzuryu wins once again. Asuma and Yashige both lose the game at the same time, as their points reach -10, and terror appears on their faces as they realize what is going to happen next. Acid starts dripping at Asuma's table, and he tries to get rid of the restraints on his seat to escape, begging for mercy. When drops fall on his hand, he screams in pain, but soon more and more acid starts pouring until his whole body is melted.
Games Played[]
Etymology[]
- The kanji for Asuma's full name come from the manga version of the character, while the live-action spells his last name in katakana without mentioning his first name.
- The forename Takashi is written with the kanji "尚" (still, yet, further, more).
- The surname Asuma is a combination of the three kanji: "飛" (a) (leap, jump, fly), "鳥" (su) (bird), and "馬" (ma) (horse).