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I really, really recomend this manga. Its a psychological drama that I would put above the likes of Death Note (which I'll admit to being a fanboy over). The intelligence, drama and characters are all amazing. I particularly enjoy Kanzaki Nao's character, even through she a little frustrating at first (in a funny 'oh god, how can you be that stupid!?' way), but she evolves into an admirable protagonist. Heres mangafox's summery of the series-

'Congratulations! You are one of the 1 in 100,000 people who have been entered in the amazing LIAR GAME TOURNAMENT!

Along with the postcard there are 100 million yen in notes. That's the beginning of the Liar Game. When the game ends, in 30 days, you will have to return your 100 million. If your opponent steals them, he can keep them as a prize, and you will have a debt of 100 million...
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Nao Kanzaki has been dubbed a "foolishly honest girl" for her excessive faith in the best of others. When a package arrives in at her house, she, unsuspecting, opens it only to discover her admittance into the Liar Game --a twisted, tournament game involving 100 million yen! The profits are high, but so are the prospects of losing.
Allying with an ex-convict, how will she be able to cope with the circumstances? And what is the true intent of the corporation behind the Liar Game?

A mind-boggling, psychological thriller that looks into the nature of the human mind as well as the never ending battle between truth and lies.'

Also, discussion is welcome.

Red, you'd like it.

edit: Also, Akiyama's a pimp: http://www.mangafox.com/manga/liar_game/v02/c008/

I recommend you read Monster.

Akiyama looks a lot like Light ...I'll see if I can download the volumes or something. Reading 84 chapters online is a no-no for me.

Apparantly ths has started releasing chapters again. You losers who haven't, check it out. Only then can you find out the terrifying truth about musical chairs.

Just finished volume 2 and it was really good, much better and smarter than the first. I actually had a feeling that was how they were going to plan on winning, by forming teams, and I was also pretty sure that it was going to end in that kind of stalemate situation with another team having been formed, though Mr X forming and being part of all three teams I totally didn't see coming.

Out of curiosity what do people think of the art style? I'm still a little unsure myself but there's definitely something that bugs me a little... think it might be the way the artist conveys their expressions at times, especially the villains (like the teacher in volume 1 or Mr X in volume 2). Like, they kinda come across almost petty and ridiculous looking. But I guess he gets the job done in that they really clearly look very evil or twisted, but almost theatrically so.

Also does anybody find the main female character... incredibly annoying?

Also I am don't know if I'm too happy with the internal logic of the story in how they're sort off just forced into the game and to bear the debt if they lose. I understand it's not supposed ot be totally realistic but i I think maybe it would of been better of they were forced or tricked into signing a contract maybe in the first place.

Quick question btw Nephthys: do you know when its best to read Roots of A?

I can't remember reading it, so I have no comment sorry.

Originally posted by DarthTheDominat
Just finished volume 2 and it was really good, much better and smarter than the first. I actually had a feeling that was how they were going to plan on winning, by forming teams, and I was also pretty sure that it was going to end in that kind of stalemate situation with another team having been formed, though Mr X forming and being part of all three teams I totally didn't see coming.

Out of curiosity what do people think of the art style? I'm still a little unsure myself but there's definitely something that bugs me a little... think it might be the way the artist conveys their expressions at times, especially the villains (like the teacher in volume 1 or Mr X in volume 2). Like, they kinda come across almost petty and ridiculous looking. But I guess he gets the job done in that they really clearly look very evil or twisted, but almost theatrically so.

Also does anybody find the main female character... incredibly annoying?

I agree, the expressions get really goofy at times. Luckily this seems to go away in time as the artist gets better at drawing everyone.

Yes, you are meant to find her annoying at first. Don't worry though, she gets better starting with the next round. Nao has some of the best development imo. Also the next round is my favorite btw.

Originally posted by DarthTheDominat
Also I am don't know if I'm too happy with the internal logic of the story in how they're sort off just forced into the game and to bear the debt if they lose. I understand it's not supposed ot be totally realistic but i I think maybe it would of been better of they were forced or tricked into signing a contract maybe in the first place.

As I recall the first package said that by opening it, they'd agreed to play the Liar Game, and everyone is scared that if they don't the Liar Game Office will do something illegal to get their money back anyway.

Thank you. Malachi.

I am caught up on this manga.


It is enjoyable. Definitely not the best manga.


Here are my complaints:


1. Most of the time, the way people win is a complete asspull. Just comes out of nowhere. This is the sign of a poor writer. There's no foreshadowing the extreme majority of the time. Just, "oh no! how can we possibly win, now?!?!!?" *wins by a complete random of plot*
2. The shock faces when a strategy ploy has been revealed is EXTREMELY annoying. It happens every other chapter.
3. During many of the explanations, it gets extremely detailed. Before the explanation is even started, the vast majority of the time, most readers will ALREADY KNOW how it works. It is tons of wasted pages and drawings on very lengthy explanations that the reader better damn well already understand. For instance, the asspulled ploy (see point 1) Emoboy (Akiyama) used in the cardgame was completely transparent. Regardless of the asspulled reason he was able to do what he did with his ploy, the only thing that needed to be said was: the dealer shuffles perfectly: every other card interlaces. I know the cards are in order, every time, because it is a fresh package. I think the reader should have been forced to work out the math or a diagram drawn that illustrated it. But the explanation went on and on and on and oooon! The fans will work out the detailed explanations to their friends and forum buddies with a probability or results diagram/explanation. Maybe people need to read that stuff to understand it? I don't think so. Most people that read this manga are going to be fairly educated, college age males. The vast majority are going to get it.

Lately, I just look over the detailed explanations. I am all the way caught up. But, I skipped ahead of Yokoya's ploy/explanation towards the end. I also skipped over Akiyama's explanation of what he did with the medals and his "block Yokoya" strategy. It was obvious at exactly what was going on: we didn't need the lengthy pages long explanation that spanned two chapters on exactly what happened.



Other than that, it is an enjoyable manga. I like the fact that they bar them from doing violent things, for the most part. I would not fear the debt, at all, but it would be fun to participate in the games, me thinks. Sometimes, I get frustrated with the characters' words and actions. Other times, they say and do things that I would do, myself, and achieve stupid/silly/unbelievable reactions/outcomes. However, most of the time, they play and act in believable ways with believable outcomes. I don't like it as much as Nephthys, but I do give it a 6 out of 10: good manga.


Nephthys, so far, you have been like 4 out of 4 on your recommendations. What other recommendations do you have? I want to pick up a manga and start reading it.

I'm only 2 volumes into it, but so far (and for what I expect for it) I would agree, really good but not great. I'd give it higher than a 6 though, at least a 7. I think Death Note is definitely better, and not even that's really one of my favorite mangas.





Looks like both you guys agree. Thought it might just be me so now I feel totally validated lol.



Well I know that Nephthys was planning on reading this, and I just finished it myself and I personally think it's the bets manga I've ever read, and that is 20th Century Boys. Massive cast of characters, and they're all really awesome, and you get to see most of them both when they're kids and when they grow up into adults which is really cool. Awesome mystery that spans decades over multiple different timelines that the story jumps back and forth through. Literally ever single chapter is amazing and there are numerous plot twists and they are all awesome and unexpected. The arts also top quality, each issue is jam packed full of story and there are 24 volumes in length so it's a really massive and complex story. For a mystery/thriller/drama you really could do no better. There are also numerous moments that will literally bring you to the verge of tears, and getting to see some of the villains when they were children really adds a lot of extra dimensions to their character and helps you sympathise with them a bit. Plus if you're a fan of rock music it's even better as the manga's filled with it and the mangaka (Naoki Urasawa) is actually also a rock musician in real life (one of the fictional songs in the manga he actually recorded himself afterwards and included with one of the tankobons and it's actually not bad lol).

Originally posted by dadudemon
1. Most of the time, the way people win is a complete asspull. Just comes out of nowhere. This is the sign of a poor writer. There's no foreshadowing the extreme majority of the time. Just, "oh no! how can we possibly win, now?!?!!?" *wins by a complete random of plot*

Again just speaking for the first 2 volumes, but I totally thought it was like that in volume 1 and thought the way Akiyama wins at the end was kinda lame, but volume 2 was handled pretty well, almost perfectly imo. If I was to rate that volume alone, I'd probably give it an 8 if not for the at times annoying art and the REALLY annoying female protagonist. This might be a problem with the translation but for the version I'm reading the writing/dialogue isn't the best either.

Originally posted by dadudemon
1. Most of the time, the way people win is a complete asspull. Just comes out of nowhere. This is the sign of a poor writer. There's no foreshadowing the extreme majority of the time. Just, "oh no! how can we possibly win, now?!?!!?" *wins by a complete random of plot*

Eh, most of the time they win by manipulating things that we already know beforehand, so it is possible to speculate on how they'll win based off of that. Take the current game for example. If you look on Mangafox, theres tons of speculation on how they can win it and how everyone's position is looking. So I don't see it as an asspull.


Originally posted by dadudemon
Nephthys, so far, you have been like 4 out of 4 on your recommendations. What other recommendations do you have? I want to pick up a manga and start reading it.

Try Toriko. It's premise may sound incredibly goofy, but its a really fun Shounen manga. It's been consistently good for 200 chapters. The fights are all fun, the characters are all memorable, the villains are pretty damn chilling and so far there's only been one short training section. Or you can watch the anime as well.

Also, yeah, I have heard great things about 20th Century Boys.

I can also recommend Flower Flower for a light Yuri comedy.

And if you want an anime I really can't recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes enough.

Just finished volume 3. Another good volume, on par with volume 2 imo. Lots of interesting twists and turns and Akiyama owned. The moment where the votes are tallied and you see that Nao has 80 was freaking awesome lol. I was hoping that Fukanaga was going to end up losing though, something about him really rubs me the wrong way. Another solid 7.5-8/10.

Definitely starting to see what dadudemon was saying about this however:



Definitely agreed the explanations definitely start getting a little overly long and uneccesary.

Ah wait, looks like I skipped a round. The next one is my favorite, Round 3.