Drakengard
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General Info:
Series Name: Liar Game (ライアーゲーム)
Year of Serialization: 2005
Author: Shinobu Kaitani
Artist: Shinobu Kaitani
Genres: Drama, Psychological thriller, Mystery, Seinen
Current Status: Hiatus
Moment of Reviewing: Chapter 169
Other Formats:
- Live Action Drama
Series Summary:
Our journey follows the story of a woman by the name of Kanzaki Nao. Almost anybody who knows her will say the same thing when asked to describe their friend: she's honest to a fault. With a bedridden father to worry about, she has enough on her plate already. But fate is a cruel thing. One day, Nao receives a package in the mail from the LGT Office. An invitation to compete in "the amazing LIAR GAME TOURNAMENT!", which she accidentally accepts. Along with the card accompanies 100,000,000 yen... in cash. She is free to use this however she likes, but is warned that she will be forced to return this money in one month's time. This is a game after all, one of deceit and lies. The catch? She is to be paired with another randomly selected player. The goal of the game is to steal as much of the opponent's cash in 30 days as possible and gain a profit by the end. The problem... those who lose their money will face an unbearable amount of debt. Nao's trustful nature gets the better of her, and she willingly gives every bit of revenue to her opponent, a former teacher. Upon realizing her mistake, Nao decides to go for a last resort...
Akiyama Shinichi, an ingenious swindler, is released from jail that very day. Nao pleads for his help with all her heart in a desperate attempt to regain her loss. Akiyama is reluctant at first, but eventually decides to assist her as long as he receives half of Nao's winnings from the game. Can Nao trust a mastermind known for his scams? Will Akiyama be able to help such a foolishly honest woman? Questions that can also be answered in time. Akiyama must fight against the odds to free his partner from this terrible tournament. But leaving this game may not be as easy as they presume...
Critical Review:
At first glance, the plot seemed captivating despite being a bit generic for its genre. I didn't know what to expect from it, since I was quite new to such themes at the time. I loved Death Note for its appeal to logic and battles of wit, so I thought this would be a great match for me. In no time, the first volume came and went. It really was the type of manga I was hoping for. But at the same time, I wasn't really... overwhelmed by its quality. The ending just seemed a bit too cheesy for my taste. Still, it was captivating enough to encourage me onwards to the next volume.
It was a great call. The second volume was twice what the first was! Better opposition, better tactics, more plot twists... this was where the series actually had me hooked from. Nao herself did not account for much besides being there for the sake of the story, but I was fine with that. Akiyama was all I really needed at that point. He had confidence from start to finish...
Beginning of Round 2
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End of Round 2
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From this point on, Akiyama and Nao endure challenge after challenge in a similar fashion. It sounds repetitive, but the rounds are usually set up so well that the direction of the game will end up changing several times before an actual winner is decided. There will appear foes that can easily be considered on Akiyama's level, and will in term give him harder and harder battles along the way. Even Nao, the pinnacle of an honest soul, eventually gains traits that makes her even more useful than Akiyama in some regards. It seems almost impossible in a game of lies and deceit, and yet, Shinobu Kaitani pulls it off!
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