LIAR GAME

One aspect of narrative that is among the most appreciated and satisfying (though not necessary) is character growth. Yes Nao was dumb and completely helpless in the beginning, but how can we witness a character's growth if the character was already fine from the start? I'm sorry for those who dropped this anime just because of that, they miss out on a story with very well thought games and genius strategies, but more importantly they miss out on experiencing something different in this type of stories for a change. The point of the Liar Game isn't quite to show a protagonist that fully embracing the game outsmarts everyone else (like what happens in Tomodachi Game and similar), but a protagonist that strikes at the very concept of the game itself. Yokoya and Akiyama are what you might expect as the typical villain and hero of this type of stories, but the Liar Game has a completely different aim. Akiyama himself admitted it in this episode that he's not so different from Yokoya, and that's why this story needed someone like Nao to work as the actual antithesis of Yokoya. In this episode she was the real winner against him,meanwhile Akiyama lost.

Why is this show sitting at 6.39 on MAL? What the actual fuck? A lot of people quit early on, citing that they couldn't get stand Nao's characterization. I can't fully blame them as Nao is a bit troublesome early on, but they also completely missed that the faults of her character are part of the story as she overcomes her naivete while retaining her disposition. Character growth? In anime? Just imagine!

Why is this show sitting at 6.39 on MAL? What the actual fuck? I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the actual final score will be. Until the show finishes airing all the ratings given count for that, and... let's be honest, I too was on the fence of dropping it early on because I couldn't stand Nao being just plain stupid. The show has gotten a ton better and when the anime finishes airing and only the scores from people who watched 1/5th of it count I'm sure it will do a good jump up.

If you read the comments on the first episode threads here you wouldn't really be surprised at that. A lot of people apparently found Nao to be insufferable because she's the complete opposite of what you would expect as the protagonist of this type of stories and they just dropped the anime. Not to mention the fact that the first game is in fact kinda weak and the animation and direction is just fine but nothing exceptional. In short I'm pretty sure most of those votes come from people that didn't really watch more than a few episodes, especially since those who are actually appreciating this anime are probably still waiting to vote until the final episode airs.

I love this conclusion, both sides ended up both winning and losing at the same time, what a great way to finish off the antagonist's introduction. Yokoya wins as the only one having made money but loses ideologically as he couldn't control his side. Akiyama/Nao win as they were able to bail out their side and collaborators, but lost as they are now in crushing debt and couldn't stop Yokoya (and by extension the LGT office). Thankfully Nao's bluff worked to keep Yokoya in game to fight another day.

Three episodes ago, I finally cracked and decided to read the manga. Seeing the end of this arc and Nao's growth is so damn satisfying! I am so goddamn proud of Nao for making it clear to Yokoya that he's the true loser for abandoning his principles while she stuck to hers. What I'm most proud of is seeing the ever-honest Nao pull off a bluff and bait Yokoya into moving on to the fourth game with his winnings . It's so good! It is pretty crazy how this show made me end up liking Fukunaga. The dude actually decided to stick around and join them on the next Losers Revival as the third member of their little group.

The best part is Nao laughing at him and conning him without him (or Akiyama) even realizing it. She held true to her ideals AND managed to take and put into practice the things she learned from Akiyama, saving him like he's saved her. I'm so proud of her! Hopefully Fukunaga will be on their best behavior while in "girl mode." I don't think we'll see any punches thrown. Bullets, on the other hand...

Absolutely loving Nao's development through the episodes, her foolishness at the start really got on my nerves, but her way to see the games combined with her increasingly stronger ability to adapt to the way Liar Game works are making her very endearing. Yokoya was so obnoxiously smug towards Akiyama after losing the battle of wits but winning the war by making a fat load of cash... and then Nao's words completely destroyed his ego, followed by a lie that baited that fella into continuing playing this lmfao, let her cook! I also love how Fukunaga and in special Bandana boy Akagi decided to keep participating too despite being saved, one to take the cash out of Yokoya's dirty hands personally and the other out of sheer admiration for Nao and Akiyama's approach to the game, I can't wait to see him again in the future.

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Sorry, your comment has been removed. This belongs in the Source Material Corner at the top of this thread. In discussion threads for currently airing anime, discussions about source material, spin-offs, author comments and unadapted content must be posted there. Any comparison to the source material no matter how minor belongs there. Your comment was NOT removed for spoilers; it was removed for discussion of the source material outside of the Source Material Corner . Questions? Reply to this message, send a modmail , or leave a comment in the meta thread . Don't know the rules? Read them here .

Yokoya's quite the cunning man for making a profit despite losing, and this time Akiyama hadn't got the countermeasures for it. However, Nao bluffed and hit him in his pride and baited him into staying in the game despite him in a position to drop out. For all the times Akiyama had bailed Nao out, it's time for her to repay the favour. Nao had came a long way from the helpless perpetual maiden-in-distress in the earlier parts of the series. Even Akiyama's proud at her growth. Having said that, her self-esteem's one area she could develop a lot. She still considered herself the weak link of the Eastern team and someone who's reliant on Akiyama's assistance. Wonder if this round would provide her the opportunity to work on that.

Yokoya is a true tyrant. When the chips were down he prioritized himself over his people and showed he was a false ruler. All Hail Queen Nao! Too bad no matter what Nao does or how much character development she gets she can never get away from the crooked lawyer lol. I think Nao is going to prove herself in this revival game. There's no way they set her up as the last player assuming she won't have to play for there not to be a twist and she ends up being the teams' last hope.

As soon as Nao spoke up at the airport terminal, I had a hunch she got to Yokoya. It's nice to see Akiyama feel defeated, but also acknowledging that Nao has become stronger! Halfway through I was surprised at the ending credits, but it was a nice way to segue between the end of the Contraband Game and the start of the 24 Chamber Russian Roulette Game. And lol, as soon as Nao noticed her door was unlocked, it's predictable at this point who we can all expect to be sitting in the kitchen waiting for her, none other than the phony lawyer (her words, not mine)! Nao, you've come a long way. Cheer up. Being the General doesn't mean you are the weakest link. And...we're back to feminine Fukunaga! You think she can charm her way through debt ridden guys? A rundown school library is an interesting place. I wonder how this new game will make use of the mic'ed room, the timeout system, and the fact that they had to decide roles before the game even began.

Damn, Nao needs a hug... She had one smart move there! If Yokoya drops from the game, they're in trouble... They need as much money as they can find to achieve their plans, so if he retires with his billions, that's a huge opportunity loss for them! It was a fine line to walk too, because they had to find a believable way to call him the loser, BUT at the same time not 100% make him FEEL like the loser, because if he thought actually lost the game, then he would not enter again (and risk losing some more); So they had to make him lose face , while he can still see himself as the winner, which will make him want to join again, to "save face", and get even more wins (money)! His money will be valuable assets to use in a game too, so they'll have to watch out for that! Not only for a general strategy thing, but also, a last resort thing; "Hey, I'm about to lose, but if you do xyz for me I'm giving you 500 million yen". That would get most people on board! Fukunaga wants back in too! This one's in for the money... That could be a problem, because while Fukunaga now probably knows she can trust them 100%, they have no reason to trust HER; She'll play along as long as it benefits her, and not a second longer. They know she's not in it for the same reasons they are. Soon as she believes she'll make more money by betraying them, she'll betray them without a second thought. Nao might not be fully aware of this (she might think her 'redeemed'), but Akiyama better be aware! I thought he was about to say "Since you were all together, we'll now split you in different teams" Nao: "I'm in danger!" AAAHHHHHHHHHH. Fukunaga's gonna play with my feelings again. Be still, my beating heart! Chips? ARE WE PLAYING POKER? Oh... Poker with a gun. And bullets. And no cards. So far they've been the Eastern army, and the Country of the day; Land of the rising sun? Of course they win, it's biased for Japan! The timeout really influences which order they should go in! Unless they're going to fully explain the game (or even if they do), the first person's part will be mostly to learn the game (what it's like) and relay it to the others, on top of seeking advice. So if the Spearhead & Core win, the General doesn't get to play... Means that (Forgive me Nao) Akiyama and Fukunaga have to be the first two; First, so they can try to win in 2, and Nao doesn't have to play. And second: To make sure they don't LOSE the first two, which means the General (Akiyama/Fukunaga) wouldn't even play. Question is, which one do you play first? This question alone is very interesting, from a game theory/psychological thing! Most people will play their best player first... So do you play your best guy first (Akiyama)? Or second? I think this depends heavily on whether you think your team is stronger overall; Say, if you think Fukunaga is better than their 2nd guy (what you believe is the "average skill" of a second guy), then you should play Akiyama first and Fukunaga second. But if you think Fukunaga is weaker than the average 2nd guy, then you should play her first (she will lose against 1 or 2 anyway) and keep Akiyama for an easy win against their #2 guy. They DID go with Fukunaga first, which makes me think they might fear this very scenario! Or they go with a safe bet; If they have a strong team, you want Fukunaga first, and if they have a weak team, it doesn't matter. So might as well play Fukunaga first, which is the optimal move against the only team that would give them trouble (a strong team)! So yeah, I believe that's the right order! I also believe that... Fukunaga is 100% going to lose; I mean, if she wins, then either Akiyama loses (would be surprising), or we won't get to see Nao play (even more surprising). For Akiyama to win, and Nao to play, Fukunaga has to lose. So I think it's going to happen! (Hopefully she doesn't lose by blowing her brain out. Also interesting; So it's not just about winning rounds, it's also about winning money! Well, seems to be a common theme in these games, but it's possible that you win 2 rounds and lose anyway (lose money)! This may impact what would be the best choice of matchups (maybe it IS better to play Akiyama against the #1 then, so Fukunaga doesn't lose too much money), but too late for that! Ah well, it's no big deal, even if they end up losing money, the organization will just harvest their organs! Well, can't wait to see what the game's like! Based on the guns and the chips (and similar games I've seen on other shows), I'm guessing they'll have to decide how many bullets they put in the gun (and of course, they can lie about it) and bet on "whoever gets to play Russian Roulette" with it? If this is it, now I have a new question... Will SOMEONE (presumably from the other team) actually blow his brain out? This hasn't really been a "Death game" show so far, but... There hasn't been guns so far! I'm not sure this show will head the killing way, but at the same time... Chekkov's gun and all!

Why, after losing so clearly, is Yokoya not at all bothered by it now? Why is he laughing at Nao and Akiyama and all the effort they put in? Because he knew, even after everything they did, that HE would make the most money of everyone in the game...because he smuggled all that money for himself. And in the process he basically proved that Akiyama's efforts to undermine the LTG Office was for nothing. It's are for Akiyama to be stunned speechless. But if Akiyama can't rebut Yokoya, then Nao will with a laugh and her absolutely commitment to her ideals. With her pleasant smile and adorable laugh, she reveals that SHE beat him because she held true to her principals, her belief that they could save the Country of Day along with the turncoats, and that held out! Yokoya, on the other hand, gave up on trying to maintain absolute control and tried to ensure he made a profit even if it meant abandoning the very reason he was playing in the first place. In a battle of ideals, Nao won! The best part is Nao telling Yokoya that she had a solution for winning the zero-sum game that is the Liar Game, pissing Yokoya off enough to toss his poor mice away, but she was BLUFFING. She lied because she knew it would tick off Yokoya enough to keep playing so they so they could steal money offo f him in the fourth game! Nao you devious and cute vixen! Akiyama was depressed thinking he was no better than Yokoya, manipulating and pragmatically playing the game the way he did, but Nao recognizes that he's someone who cares about and believes in others even when life beat him down as badly as it did...which is why he feels so bad about it. But that's why Nao believes in him so much. Nao and Akiyama are heading into the Revival Game! As is Fukunaga! Although I do kind of love how Nao was a little unsure about being on the same team as Fukunaga again, but at least she's just as committed to knocking Yokoya down a peg. Dang it, not the crooked lawyer! Nao, this is why you ALWAYS lock your door! But here he is to inform Nao about the three-on-three revival game which is do-or-die...either Nao's team wins at the expense of another team or they lose. Can Nao do this? Akiyama will obviously prioritize her, but can she live with that? Fukunaga is back to wearing a wig and wearing a skirt! It definitely makes her easier on the eyes and sometimes she DOES just want to present as a woman...especially if that makes men easier to manage. They're just bringing these LTG employees out of the woodwork! Now it's Solario (Daisuke Namikawa). So with this Revival Game we've got chips on the line and one-on-one rounds with the Core, Spearhead, and General competing for money...no one player can carry the team but win/losses can be critical here. Can they win this? Especially by saving Nao for last? Fukunaga in Russian Roulette? My money's on her.

And she was completely right, so of course yokoya stays in the game. He's already rich, winning money is nice, but it's not why he's here. He's here to be in control and delight in bending people to his will. If he quits, he hurts them, but in an abstract way that impedes their goals but they can still individually come out on top. That's not good enough for him, he has to see them lose and be crushed by debt and defeat. His only choice is to stay in.

It was so good to see Nao step up and deal Yokoya that blow to his ego while Akiyama was reeling from the realisation that he had messed up. After all that Akiyama has done for her, it was nice to see her covering for him. My girl is now an expert bluffer. If her game in loser's revival happens to be poker, she's all set. Sadly, she's still suffering from confidence issues and reverted to her insecure self at the end there. Hopefully, it's just a passing phase and she'll continue to grow stronger. Our main three winning this revival round is all but guaranteed. They have to face Yokoya in the 4th game after all. So there won't be as much tension for the next few episodes likely. Just a matter of seeing what the game is and how they win. Btw, we're nearing the end of the second cour. Not enough time to properly introduce the fourth game at this rate, let alone conclude it. Are we getting another season? Or are they going to leave us hanging so we'll buy the manga?

Sadly, she's still suffering from confidence issues and reverted to her insecure self at the end there. Hopefully, it's just a passing phase and she'll continue to grow stronger. It doesn't look it, but each round has been at least one week apart, so it's only natural confidence can cool-off in-between. Something easy to fluctuate once a game gets closer. Btw, we're nearing the end of the second cour. Not enough time to properly introduce the fourth game at this rate, let alone conclude it. Are we getting another season? Or are they going to leave us hanging so we'll buy the manga? If Round 3 was anything to go by, Round 4 will be another bulky affair that'll need its own season. And I dearly want another season!

Miss(es, to be?) bodhisattva has gradtuated from compassion to skillful means, albeit some of said skills still need some work. Que her entering a more technical challenge to cultivate just such in the next game! There is a difference between detecting the lies and being aware of the truth/Truth. Yokoya and even Akiyama got hung up on the former while Nao kept her attention on the latter. They are not playing only the individual game(s) here, but the meta-game across the entire Liar Game setup (and by extension, society or humanity at large), and thus it is Nao's eyes that saw how Yokoya lost according to his self-defined win conditions. So obviously Fukunaga and Akiyama will incur one loss and win each, irrespectively, to ensure that Nao, as the last player, will play a match, presumably to win her own to bring victory to her entire team and continue to the next game. It will be interesting to see which one loses and why.

I caught up with the series last week. I have read the manga all the way through, though years ago. Very glad that we are finally at the parts where Nao comes into her own. Her pointing out very correctly how Yokoya abandoned his supposed principles was very satisfying. I still very much disagree with some commenters early on. Nao does appear "stupid" early on, but that isn't lack of intelligence but rather her character insofar as she is trusting to a fault. That fault is very evident to us, but part of the series is that Nao learns that just blindly trusting people may seem nice and correct, but it is also self-serving to a degree, and of course makes you an easy mark. Also very glad I made it just in time for my favorite game from the manga: 24-chamber Russian Roulette. I did find it weird though that they put the credits in the middle of this episode, though I guess that allowed for the setup of the next game to be presented without having the credits imposed over it. It is definitely a better choice to have them rolling over the epilogue part of the Contraband game, which is more relaxed in that regard.

I did find it weird though that they put the credits in the middle of this episode, though I guess that allowed for the setup of the next game to be presented without having the credits imposed over it. It is definitely a better choice to have them rolling over the epilogue part of the Contraband game, which is more relaxed in that regard. Let's them use 90 more seconds of airtime, which is really helpful considering how difficult it is to pace this series.

Thus our beloved Contraband Game has concluded, and what a conclusion. Akiyama, Yokoya, Nao, all came away with their respective victories and defeats in one memorable ending. This is why Liar Game continues to have its diehard fans: aside from the mind games that test resourcefulness, its commentary on psychology, ideology and social sciences are still thought-provoking, and of course Nao's growth remains an amazing sight to behold. Her final talkback to Yokoya is still an absolute highlight, so unexpected and so satisfying! I was as proud as Akiyama about how far she's come. Plus, the times when Nao and Akiyama succeed in winning over new allies by pure virtue are easily among the most hype moments of the story. Until next time Akagi! -- Also, I ran across something else while sifting through the game numbers last week. Back when the game was introduced in Ep 12, remember when people questioned if it's possible for a failed Inspector to wind up with negative numbers in the Outside account? Turns out, you can . Allow me to explain. In this game, Dayside had an endgame ATM balance of 3,348,840,000, which gets split between all members. So dividing this by 9, each player gets 372,093,000 (Technically it's 372,093,333.33, but rounding to the 1000's for simplicity) However, if you look at the individual earnings displayed this episode, look at Nao's endgame total (top-left): 102,093,000, which is less than 372,093,000 by 270,000,000. That is, [Nao's Endgame Total / 102,093,000] = [Nao's ATM earnings / 372,093,000] + [Nao's Outside earnings / -270,000,000] Nao failed as the Inspector so many times (intentionally against the Nightside players on Day 2 and unintentionally against Yokoya on Day 3) that she was at minus 270 million! While this certainly isn't pretty, this too kind of speaks to Nao's acceptance and bravery at being the sole Inspector/Smuggler for Dayside on Day 3: their team may be playing to lose in game terms, but in the meantime she's willing to bear all losses on behalf of her team. As if I can't be more proud of my girl, the boss of the Country of Day.

It was interesting and surprising that Nao really got under Yokoya's skin by hitting him at his pride and saying he didn't get rich by his wits or superior intelligence but by a cheap last minute trick. I wonder if her saying that made him continue on in the Liar Game or he just would have continued anyway. He had plenty of money and could just live the rest of his life but I think he'd hate not really having power over people. In regular life, he could bully his servants or maybe start a company and pick on his employees but servants would quit pretty quickly and there's no guarantee his company would succeed. I also imagine he's completely lonely without manipulating people. That was interesting how Yokoya really got under Akiyama's skin by saying he failed at hurting the Liar Game company since he allowed Yokoya to leave with so much money. Nao consoled him a little bit but he has another game to set things right. The idea of the first game being Russian roulette style is interesting since they don't say exactly what can be done. If each person is forced to alternate, just making any skill or scheming useless are if they are allowed to negotiate and say someone can take one more shot at themselves and they get a few chips, which I think is more how the game will be played. Also I'm not so sure I'd put Nao last hoping to get a 2 of 3 sweep at first, better to put Akiyama last. Then again, Nao was afraid she and Fukuyama might just quickly lose.