Bet 2025 Review Bold Netflix Adaptation Takes Big Swings

The switch from stage to screen didn’t feel like an upgrade—it felt like being thrown into a new sport with different rules. Subtlety wasn’t a footnote—it was the whole page. There’s a danger in treating manga tropes with reverence—they become parodies without punch. Solanke sidesteps that trap by playing Ryan with dissonance.

We are also dedicated to facilitating Uganda’s legal and economic growth by providing strategic guidance to businesses and organizations across diverse industries. What else has Ryan Sutherland been in? Sutherland previously starred in Four Singles, a film about four men coping with loneliness, loss of love and social isolation. Ryan Sutherland is an actor known for playing Suki in Bet. What else has Aviva Mongillo been in? She is best known for her role as Alya Kendrick in the drama series Backstage and Juniper in Workin’ Moms.

• You feel the tension—not the romantic kind, thankfully, but the kind where two people recognize each other’s damage and make a silent pact not to flinch.
• Clara Alexandrova stars as the fierce student council president, Kira Timurov.
• From dance‑floor ensembles to tense confrontations, Ayo found the heart of Ryan in personal stakes.
• How to translate that into a live-action series that doesn’t feel cartoonish is tough.
• Instead, Ayo Solanke’s upcoming movies are deliberately varied.
• The ensemble cast is diverse, featuring Ayo Solanke as Ryan Adebayo and Eve Edwards as Mary Davis.
• Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices.
• From creator Simon Barry, the teen drama focuses on St. Dominic’s, an elite private school where underground gambling rules the social scene.
• What else has Ryan Sutherland been in?

BET Awards 2024: Ayo Edebiri Does it! See How the Actress is Taking Over Hollywood

There’s rumored involvement in a surrealist British drama, a miniseries based on a dystopian short story collection, and a recurring character in a genre-defying Canadian series currently under wraps. He’s not jumping between roles—he’s maneuvering them. And that’s a very ayobet different kind of career strategy. His breakout role came as Ryan Adebayo in Netflix’s Bet, a high-stakes teen drama where Solanke not only survives but steals scenes. Critics call him a “scene-stealer…a break‑out genius” aestetica.net. Ryan isn’t the alpha or the anti‑hero, he’s the student caught in a rigged game, and Solanke brings him dignity and quiet resistance, giving emotional depth to a chaotic narrative aestetica.net.

Clara Alexandrova as Kira

The writers obliged, letting the actor shape the emotional rhythm of scenes that could’ve easily been swallowed by stylized excess. As a pure high-school drama Bet probably wouldn’t work that well, but the gambling games add a lot of surprising tension and excitement because they’re clearly designed as narrative devices. But the human drama mostly works, largely thanks to the cast being so up for it.

Netflix Live-Action Kakegurui Adaptation ‘BET’: Release Date, Trailer & Everything We Know

From the mixed reviews, it can be inferred that it is possible for the show to gather enough strength for some more seasons. Provided Netflix pays heed to the criticisms and stays true to the core concepts of the original manga while treating issues with care, all-out respect, and adaptation appropriateness. Yumeko becomes friends with Ryan (Ayo Solanke), who becomes a housepet after losing a round of cards to a council member named Mary (Eve Edwards). She also meets Michael (Hunter Cardinal), who refuses to participate in the wagering madness and encourages Yumeko to do the same. But gambling is the very reason why Yumeko is there; in fact, right after she meets her new roommate, she bets her $10,000 that she’ll willingly switch beds by the end of the day.

• Solanke points to the final episodes, especially the scenes where Ryan defends Yumiko or squares off with Hunter Cardinal’s character Michael, as some of his favorite to shoot.
• Ryan begins the series as a believer in the school’s ruthless hierarchy, but that loyalty fades fast — especially when he finds himself aligning with Yumiko.
• Post-Bet, Solanke could’ve easily surfed the Netflix wave into another teen thriller or franchise cash-in.
• Gambling is a way of life at St. Dominic’s, and the Student Council are the top winners at the school, led by council president Kira (Clara Alexandrova).
• Anwen O’Driscoll is the Canadian actress who plays Riri on Bet.

A24 doesn’t do disposable

As the character Tucker, Solanke dodges the usual disposable trope status by refusing to play it safe or self-aware. He’s not the comedic relief, the tragic martyr, or the guy with secret trauma. He’s just a believable teenager who happens to be stuck in a death maze with a psychotic clown—and who doesn’t miraculously develop plot armor halfway through. Bet is representative of Netflix’s attempt to bring adaptations of manga to a global audience. While the series does provide drama with high stakes and excitement in visuals, it also delves deep into the problems of cultural adaptation.

Deal or Detention: How Ayo Solanke Bet Big on Netflix and Won

For those not in the know, Kakegurui (賭ケグルイ, Kakegurui –Compulsive Gambler–) is a Japanese manga series that began its run in Square Enix’s Gangan Joker magazine in March 2014. It was later adapted in 2017 by the legendary studio MAPPA with a follow-up series arriving two years later. Both those seasons are streaming exclusively on Netflix as of right now. This actually marks the second time the material has been adapted into a live-action series, with a Japanese series (also streaming on Netflix) released in 2019, starring Minami Hamabe, Mahiro Takasugi, and Aoi Morikawa. There are actors who say they’re “into music” and mean they have a Spotify playlist with a dramatic title. Has performed live, unrehearsed, and off-book.

‘Almost Cops’ Plays Too Safe To Rejuvenate the Flagging Buddy-Cop Genre

You feel the tension—not the romantic kind, thankfully, but the kind where two people recognize each other’s damage and make a silent pact not to flinch. With BET and Island vaulting him into broader audiences, Ayo Solanke is poised for roles that demand emotional authenticity and cultural nuance. In an era when representation matters more than ever, he’s not just navigating identity, he’s defining it, scene by scene. For now, Ayo’s back to auditions, but he’s also working on his own short film Island, exploring his skills behind the camera. Still, he’s hopeful for more BET — and judging by the show’s performance, there’s a good chance he’ll get that call. While Musk may not want Edebiri to touch “Pirates,” the actress is booked and busy enough, next starring in films “After the Hunt” and “Ella McCay,” while “The Bear” was renewed for a fourth season.

teens

The 10 part thriller stars Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke, and Eve Edwards. Analytics Insight is an award-winning tech news publication that delivers in-depth insights into the major technology trends that impact the markets. The content produced on this website is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation. Always conduct your own research or check with certified experts before investing, and be prepared for potential losses. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Analytics Insight, or any of its affiliates, officers or directors.

Meet Sheena C. Howard – The Scholar Rewriting the Rules of Pop Culture and Power

This would allow it to stand on its own for new viewers as well as longtime Kakegurui fans. Immensely promoted for their quantizing visuals and slick cinematography, Bet was conceptualized by Simon Barry-the same mind who also gave us Warrior Nun. Dramatic lighting and insane close-ups all throughout gambling scenes yield an atmosphere of heightened tension and suspense as the psychological stakes are being asserted. Bet is based on the acclaimed manga Kakegurui, created by Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura. Since its initial serialization in 2014, Kakegurui immediately became quite popular because of its unique juxtaposition of psychology-thriller-gambling themes. If you were searching for the owner of Bet9ja, we hope that your question has been answered by reading this post.

Ryan Sutherland as Suki

There’s a temptation to romanticize this phase as formative, but Solanke resists the narrative. His acting wasn’t “inspired” by his roots so much as complicated by them. Nigeria wasn’t a springboard—it was a baseline. Ayo Solanke is carving a spot in film and TV by refusing to blend in.

The Canada chapter didn’t launch Solanke. There’s no mythology to mine here—just a kid who moved countries, swapped accents, absorbed cultures, and didn’t flinch. There’s something quietly radical about that. Just sharp, self-aware evolution—scene by scene.

Final Thoughts: Power, Revenge, and Resonance

• Solanke’s dip into horror didn’t come with the glossy prestige of a Sundance darling or the PR sheen of a studio reboot.
• The manga is famous worldwide due to its intense characters and unpredictable plot twists, thus being ripe for live-action adaptation.
• They make the rules of the games played.
• The supporting cast do their jobs, too.
• It is also licensed in Nigeria by the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB).
• Fans will recognise Eva from psychological thriller, The Bad Orphan, in which she played Rhiannon.
• There’s no mythology to mine here—just a kid who moved countries, swapped accents, absorbed cultures, and didn’t flinch.
• Solanke leans into the unsettling tone here, not with overacting but with a kind of quiet dread.
• There’s a danger in treating manga tropes with reverence—they become parodies without punch.

And, hopefully, more scenes where Ryan doesn’t just react but reshapes the game. At 13, the Solankes moved again—this time to Canada, the land of maple syrup, healthcare, and the kind of arts programs that actually fund school theatre productions. It was here that Ayo Solanke’s transition from theatre to screen acting began, and not in the way most expect. There’s no mysticism in Solanke’s Lagos Nigeria chapter—just ordinary life. His earliest years, as he’s mentioned in interviews, were filled with extended family, unpredictable power cuts, and the occasional bootleg DVD of a Nollywood horror movie that left a permanent mark on his imagination.

• We are also dedicated to facilitating Uganda’s legal and economic growth by providing strategic guidance to businesses and organizations across diverse industries.
• He’s not the swaggering alpha or the tormented antihero.
• Ayo Solanke is carving a spot in film and TV by refusing to blend in.
• Having said all this the character drama is still very much present.
• However, the current CEO of Bet9ja betting company is Mr. Ayao Ojuroye and he’s different from the owner who is Kunle.
• There’s rumored involvement in a surrealist British drama, a miniseries based on a dystopian short story collection, and a recurring character in a genre-defying Canadian series currently under wraps.
• And if you enjoyed it, consider sharing this post with your friends on social media with the share buttons below.

If you’re looking for something to confirm or deny how much Simon Barry’s ten-part series adheres to the source material or butchers it beyond all repair, sorry – you’re not going to find it here. It’s easy to categorize actors-turned-directors as restless or ambitious. In Solanke’s case, it reads more like necessity.

Everything evolves fairly naturally, and by the time the finale rolls around, you’re more invested in the interpersonal relationships than the gimmicks, which feels just about right. The premise revolves around Yumeko Jabami (Miku Martineau, Kate), an enigmatic transfer student who arrives at St. Dominic’s Prep with a mind to take down its dominant and corrupt Student Council as revenge for her parents’ murder. St. Dominic’s is one of those weird made-for-TV schools where nobody seems to do any work, there are no teachers in sight, and the whole place is divided into themed cliques with eccentric gimmicks. The costuming and social structure are a little reminiscent of Elite, but that’s as far as the comparison goes. In Canada, Ayo Solanke’s education took a sharper turn. He enrolled in youth acting intensives—not the kind where everyone hugs it out, but the kind where you’re told your cold-read was “technically fine” and “emotionally vacant.” It was brutal.

A good example is Bet, an adaptation of a manga about a high schooler who is a compulsive gambler going to a prep school full of people wagering their parents’ money. After staking his claim as one of the few fresh faces to make a teen drama feel dangerous again, he’s shifting gears. What’s next isn’t just a continuation—it’s escalation.

Comic book adaptations into live-action television are always tricky, but manga adaptations — especially ones done outside of South Asia — are even trickier. The characters in manga stories are designed to be over-the-top and at times are more known for their quirkiness than any kind of depth of character. How to translate that into a live-action series that doesn’t feel cartoonish is tough.

That instinct now shows up everywhere from his sax solos to his slow-burn monologues on screen. Bold & Beautiful shows beauty, intelligence, lifestyles, successes, achievements, and remarkable feats that characterize Nigerians and Africans. Ayo hasn’t parked his ambition at acting. He’s developing a short film, Island, and aiming to direct and write his own stories.