MANGA: ライアーゲーム by 甲斐谷忍 (Liar Game by Kaitani Shinobu)

Liar Game first volume cover - Image from Wikipedia

 
At a glance: manga (19 volumes), not-English, Japanese, psychological

Summary

Kanzaki Nao is an innocent, naive and trusting girl who's honest to a fault. But one day, she receives in her mail an invitation to participate in the Liar Game, and becomes an unwitting player. After losing all her money, she requests the help of ex-con man Akiyama Shin'ichi...

Luna comments

All names are in Japanese order (surname, first name) & all characters are referred to by surname. So is the mangaka - so 'Kaitani' is the surname.

This manga has been running ran for ten years & I've been chasing new chapters for about five. So when it finished earlier this year, it was both a very happy & very sad moment.

So. Where do I even start.

This is another manga that seems to be rather polarising - out of the people I've asked, they've either liked it or disliked it, but I've yet to hear someone say they're neutral about it.

The dodgiest thing about this is probably the way all the players got into the Liar Game. They were 'invited', as in they received a card in their mail that informed them of what was happening. If Kanzaki's experiences are anything to go by, then there is no way they can get out of it after the invitation. (Some ways arise later in the game, but they had to play the first round.) I found it unrealistic that such a massive operation could remain hidden from authorities - or that there would be no way the players could get out of it - but I suspended that disbelief & read on, & I'm so glad I did.

So if you can get past that initial stumbling block, the rest of the story is completely worth your while.

The Liar Game consists of multiple rounds, or 'games'. Each one of them have different rules. The only thing they have in common is that big money is involved & that players are free to manipulate & lie, or even tell the truth, to their opponents, in order to take the opponents' money. The rest of the plot is just watching how the games unfold - the different rules of the game, the different ways the characters play them, & all the lies & manipulation & tactics that they use on each other.

There is so much in there, & yet I can say so little because nothing beats seeing it first-hand, without that experience ruined by enthusiasts like me who inadvertently spoil the details.

The gameplay is always exciting, without exception, even when a chapter might go through little more than, say, a character pondering a certain move. Kaitani is also an evil genius - most chapters end on a cliffhanger.

But, even though some of the people are so malicious, & the situation so removed from reality, I found that nevertheless there are plenty of parallels between the gameplay & the world we live in. Exactly what they are, I'll leave to you to find out.

This reflection really made the games more interesting - on top of the excellent plot, there are clear messages that Kaitani is trying to get through to his readers. This story really encourages its readers to think. About everything.

One warning: you may not love the ending. I didn't particularly like it. But I can see the sense in it and I can accept what the mangaka has chosen. So it didn't really ruin the series for me.


Closing

Read it now! NOW! Read to the end of the first round, & you can decide whether you're in the 'like' or 'dislike' camp. Highly highly highly recommend.