Liar Game

Liar Game #6

by Shinobu Kaitani

Liar Game lautet der Name eines spannenden Taktik- und Verwirrspiels, in dem es gilt, seine Gegner zu belügen und zu hintergehen. Die hoffnungslos naive Nao landet urplötzlich mitten in diesem Sumpf aus Lügnern und Betrügern und die Regeln sind eigentlich einfach. Man bekommt riesige Summen an Geld und muss versuchen es 30 Tage zu behalten und sich von Gegnern auf jede erdenkliche Art von Taktik, Strategie und krimineller Energie noch welches dazu zu beschaffen. Wer sein Geld verliert, hat riesige Schulden in Millionen-und Milliardenhöhe. In jedem folgenden Band werden den Spielern neue Spielvarianten vorgesetzt, neue Teilnehmer und neue Risiken werden definiert und das Lügen und Betrügen nimmt von Mal zu Mal neue, atemberaubende und erbarmungslosere Dimensionen an.

Genres: Manga, Mystery, Seinen, Psychological, Thriller, Comics, Japanese Literature

Perfect Paperback

First published December 19, 2007

About the author

Japanese: 甲斐谷忍He received the prestigious Tezuka Prize in 1991 for Mou Hitori no Boku (Another Me). In 1993, his series Suisan Police Gang was serialized in Shoukan Shounen Jump. In 1995, he co-illustrated the series Sommelier in the magazine Manga Allman to great acclaim. His baseball series One Outs, ended its run in Business Jump with 20 tankoubon released.

His current serial is Weekly Young Jump's Liar Game, which has been adapted into two seasons of a highly-rated drama series as well as a forthcoming movie.

Hobbies: horses, travel
Special skill: calligraphy, spoon bending

Reviews

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5+ mindblown / 5

If any readers understood the story until now...prepare to toss that understanding out the window with this volume, because honestly, even I was a bit lost. I think it's impossible not to be lost, as a matter of fact, unless of course you re-read the series back to back several times--or maybe even just the chapters for this round.

So, after a long and drawn out battle, just when it seems like things are finally over, both Akiyama and Yokota still have trump cards up their sleeve and other maneuvers to turn the game around. While they're busy trying to outsmart each other and each without the other noticing, it becomes a very tight race of just who's one step ahead. Believe it or not, that does make all the difference.

I won't waste time with trying to explain any of that--mostly because I don't think I can--but one thing that I will outline as being very great and that other readers are commenting on is Nao, and her character development.

Take it all in all, this entire round was pretty much Akiyama vs. Yokoya, wherein each of them wins, from a certain point of view. They each turn around each others' wins and losses, to the point that even Akiyama himself admits that they are more similar than different. It's really Nao herself who makes the difference at this point.

As she tells Akiyama, the fact that he's self-sacrificing whereas Yokoya's selfish, and that Akiyama has a conscience whereas Yokoya's ruled by pride--THAT makes up the vital differences between them. Nao herself plays a huge role at the very end, and what's interesting is that she gets to Yokoya at a deep level, which Akiyama himself cannot reach. Part of what's both funny and amazing about this relates back to Nao being Yokoya's perfect antithesis, and which in many ways makes her more dangerous to him: unlike for Akiyama, whom Yokoya can understand and therefore figure out, he 100% can't understand Nao, and therefore she has the power to destroy him and keep from being controlled by him.

It's a dynamic that's definitely explored more in later chapters as well, but suffice to say that the seeds of it are planted here, and that's as satisfying a conclusion to round 3 as anyone can hope for!

(Those poor mice, though! T_T)

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sad honestly. I wish this could end right now with a happy ending, instead we get an eerie message from the hosts.

This volume was great. The change in POVs to understand the Northern Country paid off greatly. The tactics used were more mindblowing than the last, and the character and ethical dilemmas that sprang were very well thought.

[Madalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing volume, got me hooked from the first few pages. What I noticed in this volume and also the last volume is that Yokoya is portraying a perfect leader of an authoritarian regime. I liked it how those 3 united against Yokoya, it's true if people have some kind of hope that they might escape their oppressor they will start working together to bring the oppressor down. When the game reached to an end I was surprised, I never thought that Yokoya would have another trick up his sleeve. This manga is full of plot twists, I caught on to some but the others.. damn, i really like the unpredictable.
Also Nao at the end was incredible.. When I started reading this manga I would have never thought that Nao would be able to do something like that, she looked so scared in the first two volumes and look at her now.. She does something that even Akiyama couldn't do, she tells Yokoya off. This right here is amazing character development. Moreover, I also liked the fact that Akiyama has flaws and makes mistakes, it makes him seem more realistic.

[A_ bookbound _soul]

Ch. 54
Me at the start of this chapter: this game is taking way too long. I can't keep up with all the schemes.
Me at the end of this chapter: huh? What??

This volume:
Finally Nao is acting like an mc. This arc was really confusing at some points (all that math made me feel dumb). Still hats off to the mangaka for coming up with something genius like this. Excited to see what game they play next.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never in my life have I been happier for a plotline to wrap up than I am with this. To be completely honest, these past three volumes almost killed the series for me. After all that build-up, I was expecting a final revelation of epic proportions and I was kind of disappointed. It wasn’t bad exactly. I normally love Akiyama’s plans, but this one had too much going on to make sense of. It was so confusing and complicated that I gave up trying to understand completely and just decided to be happy that Akiyama came out on top. I’m just excited for the story to finally move forward. The next volume would have to be extremely terrible to not be better than this one.

[kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit torn on how to rate this one-- most of the volume was a solid 4/5 just like most of the volumes, but that last chapter was really good, so it might be more like a 4.5/5? idk. That last chapter was just... *chef kiss*. THAT is what the Liar Game is all about.
---------
Note:
vol 6= chapters 50-59

[Dominique "Eerie" Sobieska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 8/10 ... if... it didnt have 19 volumes. So honest rating- 5/10.

This was original, years ago. I have no idea how I had stumbled on Liar Game but it was phenomenal, original, intriguing with so much treachery and deceit, I just couldnt get enough. Liar Game plays on human emotion from the pages until the end. A game were deception and manipulation as well as conning strategy will keep you going in the game, avoiding exceedingly vast debt and psychological trauma, one can safely say that there are no winners at the end of the line of this secretive con tournament.

The psychological evolution of the main female character Nao changes as the series progresses but unfortunately her good nature of saving even those that wronged her would get on my nerves further on. Akiyama was a well rounded character to begin with and helped Nao during the tournament.

The ending felt rushed, with made no sense as this was a 19 volumes series. Honestly, I feel like 5 maybe 6 volumes would have been enough as the battles would become more intricate, convoluted and repetitive. Since the author had written for such a long time, I would have honestly expected a better ending instead of the mess it was with holes and details left unexplained.

So do I recommend it:

I guess, but down the line if I really think about it, no... Unless you like psychological scheming dramas that last a bit too long. Kinda like soap operas!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dragged on that I gave up trying to understand what was going on. I liked how Akiyama has his flaws which made him a more realistic character. Nao is also showing some character growth. Now moving on to the next round.

[Đức Nhật · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lật kèo của lật kèo của lật kèo.
Akiyama gánh tạ hết phần bên phe mình, nhưng đến cuối thì Nao đã một phần gỡ rối cho gánh nặng trong chính thâm tâm của anh. Nói chung là combo tuyệt vời (quên là bây giờ có cả Fugunawa nữa).

[Ryan Vance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume tied up a lot of needed loose ends but overall this game just had way too many opportunities to be exploited. I'd like to see tighter future games that really need to be defeated in a creative manner.

[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and intriguing manga, Really love this so far! Great suspenseful Psychological/ High stakes game manga 😻😻🃏 🎰😁❤️

[Amara · Rating 5 out of 5]

And thus round 3 comes to an end. Nao has already shown tremendous growth in such a short time while still being herself.

[Coke Fernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/19.
Me alegro de que por fin haya terminado el juego del contrabando. La resolución me ha gustado. Tengo curiosidad por ver cuál es el siguiente juego que proponen :).

[Leonie]

This just got way too confusing for me at some point. Glad the round is over and that there’ll be a new game.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

[Kesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yokoya, convinced of having seen through Akiyama's plan, fell right into the trap of the Southern Country's Team.

[ray ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m too dumb for this

[°*✧ jeanro ✧*。 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vol. 6-10

[Omexmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 - Ao mesmo tempo que é complexo é simples

Engraçado como o Akiyama sempre resolve tudo sozinho, até mesmo os erros do seu próprio time

[X Tiến · Rating 5 out of 5]

twist liên tục không kịp trở tay phải nói là bùng nổ :))

[Historietista_072]

LEÍDO

Liar Game #6 (2007), cómic de Shinobu Kaitani
Traducción del japonés al español de Jesús Espí

Tomo 06 de 19 de la serie Liar Game

[Elaine Ker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dès l’arc des tomes 4 à 7, Nao m’a coupé le souffle. C’est la première fois qu’on a une manche de Liar Game sur plusieurs tomes et qu’on introduit un véritable antagoniste : Yokoya, peu subtilement comparé à Hitler et Kim Jong Un. Il considère que le Liar Game sert à séparer les gens entre dominants et dominés et met en place une dictature dans son équipe, avec des tactiques de terreurs, violences physiques, et délation.
La suite de mon avis (sur la série complète) : https://elainevker.com/blog/2024/03/1...

[Ahmed Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

الخيانة، الثقة، الإصرار و المسئولية... المجلد ده كان نهاية لعبة امتدت لــ3 مجلدات كاملة كل مجلد كان فيه 20 فصل بمجموع 60 فصل! اللعبة دي بلغت أقصي التعقيد، و فعلاً بطل القصة "أكياما" أثبت فيها إنه من أذكي شخصيات المانجا علي الإطلاق. أكتر شئ عجبني في المانجاكا لغاية دلوقتي هو تطور الشخصيات خصوصاً شخصية "ناو كانزاكي"... لو عايز تعرف هي كويسة قد ايه، أحب أقولك اني قريت منها 1200 صفحة في يوم ولا زلت متشوق للمزيد. :D :D

[Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The smuggling game finished, yay!! (I liked it, but god damn, 3 volumes was way too much)
Some real character developed happened, and Nao was great. She was fantastic (yeah, I repeated myself, but I am so happy with her), and Akiyama was seen as a flawed human being for once and not the mastermind with no feelings we normally see. I really enjoyed this volume (although to be honest, I didn't follow Yokoyas plan to the very end, it was too complicated.)
Let's hope the next game is even better!

[Muhamed Sewidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

من أعظم الأعمال اللى شوفتها فى حياتى بمنافسة الافلام والمسلسلات والكتب وكل شىء، سلسلة المانجا دى بتقدم نقيضين مهمين فى البشرية، ان الانسان ممكن ينحط باخلاقه وتصرفاته عشان مصالحه الشخصية، ممكن يعمل كل شىء عشان نفسه، بس فى نفس الوقت برهان ناو على الخير فى النفس البشرية كسبت وغيرت أشخاص كتير وانارت الظلام اللى جواهم، لما ضحت بنفسها هى وأكى ياما عشان تنقذ باقية المتنافسين.
كنت هحس المانجا هتبقا سخيف لو تكررت الاحداث لكن حاليا بقا فيه داعى انها تتكرر وهتحلو اكتر مع الوقت

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

hm

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

[REVIEW FOR THE SERIES...]

Liar Game (Vol. 1-19)

Liar Game (Japanese: ライアーゲーム Hepburn: Raiā Gēmu) is a Japanese seinen manga series originally written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. At first I felt unsure whether this manga could even be exciting. It seemed just so-so...but man was I wrong. It is a psychological suspense manga, filled to the brim with intelligent plot, quirky characters and over all fascinating story.

"A scrupulously honest college student named Nao Kanzaki receives a package containing 100 million yen (about 1 million USD) and a note that she is now a contestant in the Liar Game Tournament. In this fictional tournament, contestants are encouraged to cheat and lie to obtain other contestants' money, with the losers forced to bear a debt proportional to their losses. When Nao's first opponent, a trusted former teacher, steals her money, she seeks assistance from a con man named Shinichi Akiyama. Though they manage to defeat him, Nao and Akiyama decide to buy out his debt and advance through different rounds of the Liar Game Tournament against merciless contestants, while at the same time attempting to free their opponents from debt and defeat the Liar Game organization from within." -Book Blurb



Nao Kanzaki is unwilling dragged into the Liar Game, and to survive she hires intelligent con-man Shinichi Akiyama. They team up to destroy this mysterious and dangerous organization behind the Liar Game, from the inside out.

Unique and stylistic, intelligent and suspenseful, Liar Game is a very enjoyable series. I never thought I could love a series like this, nor did I know one existed. This is a battle of wits and chance, a story of truth and lies. It is not an action adventure, nor is it a romance, or comedy. It is a very interesting genre or blend of genres, falling somewhen under psychological suspense and intrigue. I highly recommend giving this one a shot, even it it seems its not your type of manga. I sincerely thought it wouldn’t be mine, but here we are. Take a chance!

[OFFICIAL RATING: 4.5 STARS]

[Yury Jefse · Rating 3 out of 5]

É meio previsível esse volume. Mas tó curioso pela continuação da história.

[Neslihan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the end of my Liar Game journey.