It's been a couple years since I first discovered Liar Game, and it has all the elements that can draw me to a fictional story : an intelligent plot, a collection of interesting characters, and a truly original premise.
I read a few arcs (which were very good) and decided to put it on hold until the story finishes because I am not that patient a person.
And when I finally decided to take it again .. boy, does it deliver.
The first thing you'll notice is the drawing. It's quirky and veers to the unusual (especially the reactions), but it really sets a tone to the
...
story's atmosphere. The uncanny realism really suits the manga style and rhythm, and makes every character memorable.
The second thing you'll notice about it is the pacing. It starts off relatively slow, then it picks up speed as it goes, soaring at critical times, making the otherwise peaceful and action-free nature of the games a setup to some intense and thrilling moments without using pulling any cheap tricks.
Be warned since some chapters are long-winded. It feels sometimes novel-ish, even. But again, you'll probably be too drawn in to notice. (I would lighten some long "and heeere is how it was done !" chapters but then again, minor inconvenience).
The games are usually very balanced which leaves the reader on the edge, so much so its reaches sometimes the frequency of 1 turning table/chapter ! (the only thing that seems to be more frequent is how many times Nao gets deceived, fooled or laughed at.)
The games are simply A-mazing. If only for them I would gladly give Liar Game its 10/10. Some of them may seem simpler than others but even the simplest ones are very well-thought. Most of them are really just parallels to real life situations put in a Game format, and they're all brilliant.
The solutions chosen by the smartest players are usually ingenious, but be warned because as you progress through the story you might lose the surprise factor. The endings are usually rewarding, however.
As the games become THE container for the story's final point at the latest stages, some stagings become "too convenient" for said point to be driven home. Some loose endings are swiftly cut, but you can still feel it if you pay enough attention. But then again, minor inconvenience.
What's really neat about all the games is that most -if not all- of them had a way to break-even for all players, or even make a profit just by the act of uniting (which is Nao's naive point), but the manga does it job to hammer in the notion that humans ARE greedy, nasty creatures. (speaking of nasty, as much as I hated Kaiji's nastier parts, I really wanted some of the games to gain some troubling aspect, but the author chose to keep all the games very family-friendly, which is not bad).
But before dismissing most of the characters as evil monsters, just try from time to time to put yourself -really- in some player's shoes and see what actions you would have taken under the same circumstances, you may gain some insight in the process!
The characters are also an important point to mention since they really make the package believable (and by characters I only mean the main characters since the background ones all seem mean and stupid to a fault, and are used, time and time again, as pawns in the Chessmasters games).
It's impossible to talk about the characters without giving out some of the plot, so let's just say that most of them get to have a satisfying development.
And unlike, say, Death Note, Liar Game doesn't try to veil who's Mr. Good and who's Mr. Bad: everything from their design to their every sentence is pretty much white or black, which makes it hard to sympathize with the Evil ones (which make up the majority, according to LG).
However, the nature of their evil is usually brought into the spotlight and their evilness is usually justified (sometimes by need, but mostly by greed to a point that the manga might as well be called Greed Game).
The most noteworthy character is definitely Nao (what, not Akiyama ?) since she gets to have the most character development and is the personification of Good, clumsiness and all, but she's not cheesy (if this was your typical shounen when she says something like "loyalty is the key to victory !", everyone would seem deeply moved and invigorated.. well it suffices to say this ain't your typical shounen).
The manga also handles comedy very well. Although most of it comes naturally from the unfortunate shenanigans Nao puts herself into (like, whenever she says "I have a plan!", you just knows she's gonna make some huge plan that is completely impractical, and grin as she suggests it with immense confidence).
The later religious touch was also a very subtle take on both religion and the good/evil question (without judgement nor glorification, which is nice). Same goes for the overall political stand of the manga.
So, in summary :
- Is it worth reading? YES.
- Is it perfect ? No.
- Why does it get a 10/10 score ? for many reasons, including :
1. The Games. The Games. The Gaaaaayyymmmmezzz.
2. Some characters are just very admirable, especially in the story's world.
3. Some twists are really unpredictable, I mean REALLY.
4. The expression when someone you can't help to hate loses miserably.
5. Did I mention the games? Right.
6. The Overall message.
7. The ending was .. you need to see it to judge for yourself (genius, lazy or both?)
All in all, what a little masterpiece.
Jul 5, 2015
It's been a couple years since I first discovered Liar Game, and it has all the elements that can draw me to a fictional story : an intelligent plot, a collection of interesting characters, and a truly original premise.
I read a few arcs (which were very good) and decided to put it on hold until the story finishes because I am not that patient a person. And when I finally decided to take it again .. boy, does it deliver. The first thing you'll notice is the drawing. It's quirky and veers to the unusual (especially the reactions), but it really sets a tone to the ... 
Oct 11, 2013
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei
(Anime)
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This anime in one word : Genius.
This anime in two words : Absolutely genius. An absolutely non-regrettable 10 in every single category. And if there were an "Originality" category, this anime would have scored 100. The story, idle and simplistic at first, turns out to be a masterpiece. It's that perfect mixture of simplicity, sophistication and silliness that made this story brilliantly outstanding. Rarely one comes across something this neat. The characters, more like the recurring cast, are as likable as they can be. Much of the praise goes to the surprisingly nameless Protagonist and Ozu, but every other character is so quirky it's impossible not to like. The ... 
Oct 4, 2013
Shingeki no Kyojin
(Anime)
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For me, this is one example of something that starts off REALLY GOOD, and losing momentum as it carries on.
Before starting the rant, I want to point out that I still regarded SnK as "Very good, 8/10". I must admit that the concepts of SnK are unique and innovative, the style and pace are neatly configured, the plot is great and the premise very promising. It's a gem, admittedly, but with think layers of dust on it. After watching the first two episodes, I thought this anime was a strong contender for a 10/10, with a story that is as mysterious as captivating and an atmosphere ... 
Mar 9, 2013
NHK ni Youkoso!
(Anime)
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For starters, the relatively low rating I gave is mainly due to my high expectations. It wasn't what I expected.
"NHK ni Youkoso !" is definitely not a traditional anime. The premise of the story is set somewhat high, and I, as of reading the synopsis, was more that interested to see what a Hikikomori's life is like, especially with the "Conspiracy theory" seasoning. The anime kicks of really well, and I immediately adjusted to the fact that this it won't be a deep, psychological analysis of the state of being an introvert. The rhythm was much more light and comical. And then realized it's nothing like ... |
