Liar Game (11 Episodes )

(EPISODE 01-11)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

Kanzaki Nao is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million yen in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi, who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help. -- Rikayla (Updated by Backalley)




My Rating:


I really don’t know what to say about this drama, other than the fact that I loved it. It’s not the usual kind of drama I watch… it’s not a romance or a comedy (though there are hints at a possible romance, and some of the characters are crazy enough to be funny). It’s more of a suspense/mystery type drama, more in the vein of Trick, than anything else. And since Trick is one of my favorite series, period, I knew I’d enjoy this one. Plus, I really like the main actor and actress, so I knew at the very least, there would be terrific acting…

Personally, I loved Nao as the main character. I heard a lot of people complaining that she was annoying, because she was too trusting—aka, ‘stupid’ and ‘naive’. But that was the whole point. There wouldn’t be a Liar Game if Nao had been just another dishonest, shrewd, greedy person… her faith in human nature is what set her apart, and what the game was trying to challenge. In fact, I found her character very refreshing: it’s not often you see a female character that is honest, trusting, and innocent. I’m all for the empowered, tomboyish, tough, do-anything-to-get-by female leads that are popular in dramas… but every now and then it’s nice to see a girl who is wholesome, pure, and yes—probably too good to be true. The world can be a dirty, ugly place… and that’s all the more reason we’d like to believe that people like Nao truly exist. I was touched by her selfless willingness to help others; by her disregard for wealth and power; her firm belief that people are naturally good.

Such a person is extremely rare… I’m glad I got to see a glimpse of it, even if it was through a Japanese television show, lol.

And Akiyama was too cool for words. His personality really compliments Nao’s, and I loved the way they interacted… how they were so protective of each other. I was cheering for them all the way! And though I know there wasn’t much between them in the ‘romance’ department (a hint, if anything, really). In my mind, they’re already married and having lots of cute, innocent, little swindler-babies, and it will be adorable.

Liar Game really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has everything—awesome cliff-hangers; diverse, likable characters; and a strong, unique story that never runs out of twists and turns. A definite must watch for any drama fan. And since each episode is only about a 1/2 hour long, it’s even shorter than usual! So there’s really no excuse for not checking it out… ;)

(The only flaw is the last episode, which at 2 hours and 35 minutes, is comprised of mostly recaps from the first 10 episodes. I managed to skip past the recaps, and catch the last 40 minutes which is when the final episode really kicks in).

EDIT: And yes, the second season is every bit as awesome as the first!