[ Episode 11]

The finale was better than I expected it to be. Though the majority of the first hour and a half was a recap of the entire series there were scenes in it that were totally new featuring almost all of the characters we already knew as well as the man behind Liar Game, Hasegawa, and his daughter Eri. I was surprised to find out just how planned out everything was from Nao first getting selected and to finding out even Fukunaga was tricked into entering the game. The third and final (there never was a fourth round technically) round ended great as well. Back and forth there were twists and betrayals but the two greatest of them all were when Akiyama tricked Yokoya with the three damaged cards and when Fukunaga seemed to have betrayed everyone else to work with Yokoya but in the end remembered all of the things Nao did for him in the previous game and went back on the deal.

In the end all ended well with no one having any debts left. Yup, even Yokoya but of course it only happened that way because of Nao being around. Hasegawa and Eri were saved by Nao’s stupidly honest character and, obviously, the same happened to Akiyama. I suppose the same can be said for Fukunaga as well. I liked the painting Hasegawa made as well with the angel hovering above the humans showing their ugliness. Though I don’t quite agree with Nao being looked at angel…since I’m rather sure they aren’t as “stupidly honest” as she would be but rather a more divine-type of honesty that wouldn’t fall to trickery and lies. In the end though the series was one of the best jdramas I’ve seen this year. I wish it could have gone on a bit longer.

[ Episodes 9-10]

What will Akiyama do against the self-proclaimed psychic Yokoya?

Holy crap. These two episodes are among the best of the entire series! I honestly don’t know where to start. This third round kept on bringing out mind-f*ck after mind-f*ck. Not even giving the viewer enough time to rest their brains from the swelling.

After the preview in episode 8, I really thought that Yokoya had X-Ray vision and was a psychic. He can bluff pretty hard but could only do so because one backstabbing bastard on Akiyama and Nao’s team (Water Country): Ono. The reason he was able to guess odd amounts correctly was because Ono sent signals to him about how much money a person in the Water Country would be trying to smuggle. It just so happens that Yokoya is also the MLM that Akiyama tried to destroy three years ago for causing his mother to be in debt thus leading to her suicide. This of course leads to Akiyama snapping. Or does he? Hell no! It was all an act! He successfully fooled Yokoya into thinking he had fallen into despair while he went through with his genius plan with Yokoya’s three other teammates in the Fire Country team. That is, he secured money from them and is now planning on taking Yokoya’s money away from him little by little. It seems that next episode will be the last but I’m not sure. If it is then I hope everything culminates to a great ending.

[ Episode 8]

The Resurrection Round ends, however…

This episode made me laugh so much. Everyone aside from Akiyama and Nao was up in arms about not being in last place. I enjoyed seeing them panic and just throw out money to buy Nao’s votes. Then there was that one idiot who tried to formulate a plan of his own and ended up failing so hard that I almost fell out of my chair lol. By the way, I really have to admit that Fukunaga is probably one of the best characters in this entire show. Whether you love him or hate him, this guy is awesome and his actor portrays the character so damn well.

As for Nao…she’s very lucky her plan was well-thought out. Otherwise, she would’ve been screwed. I’m glad that she at least helped Eto out. He was a really cool guy that, even though he betrayed her, was still decent enough to apologize and inform her of Fukunaga’s scheme. He deserved it more than any of the others but I must say I was still shocked since I really thought Fukunaga was going to be in dead last.

The real treat was the brilliant twist at the end that I don’t think anyone could’ve seen coming unless they had read the manga. The bastards at the LGT started the third round immediately after the resurrection one had ended! What the hell is going on? What exactly is this boss of the LGT up to? Well, whatever it is, it’s going to be awesome. The next episode preview seems to suggest that Nao’s plan to save everyone is not going to be working at all. Strangely enough this is because of some psychic that works for the LGT. Err…what?!

Anyways, I can’t wait to see the next episode!

[ Episode 7]

“Kanzaki Nao now controls whether you live or die.”

[ Summary ]

With Nao still in bad shape she enters into a card game with Fukunaga with 30 million yen on the line versus his 30 votes. The rules are simple, if she draws a joker she wins but if she draws Fukunaga’s card, a double-back card, she loses. However if she draws a card face up, namely her joker, the game is null and they must restart. Naturally, Nao loses this game and Fukunaga gloats over his victory before leaving with the 30 million yen he snagged from Nao. Nao then goes to cry alone in a dark room but to her surprise, Akiyama appears.

After finding out about the current situation from Nao and a scene between the leading lady secretariat and the former policeman, Akiyama begins to tell her what happened in her game with Fukunaga. It actuality, during her game with Fukunaga she didn’t have a 50% chance of winning at all but rather Fukunaga had twice the chance to win against her. After formulating a plan, Akiyama sends Nao off to challenge Fukunaga yet again. This time though he is beaten and is astounded at the outcome. The trick Nao used to win is that she marked the cards according to Akiyama’s plans. As a result she obtains 10 votes from Fukunaga.

Later on, she approaches another player and asks him for 10 of his votes in exchange for 70 million yen. At the end of the hour, the votes come in and Nao now has an astounding 80 votes secured. She reveals that she deceived each of the players except for Fukunaga. Akiyama then appears and informs them that Nao is now in control of the game and decides whether they “live or die”.

[ Thoughts ]

For the love of god. What kind of show is this? Maybe I’m not thinking these solutions through enough before the episode airs but the solutions that are used, especially when Akiyama reveals them, are genius.

First off, if there’s one thing I have to give to Fukunaga, it’s that this guy has awesome schemes. That and he has some of the most awesome/hilarious facial expressions I’ve ever seen lol. Also, when he yells out “AKIYAMA!!!” I can’t help but want to roll on my floor and laugh. Anyways, his card game was very clever but then again I don’t think it would’ve been effective against someone who was thinking hard and carefully about the game and their current position. Nao was yet again tricked and I don’t know why she continues believe the words of others so easily. Especially someone like Fukunaga who had already betrayed her twice before.

But of course, Akiyama has to come and save her. Again. Well, at least Nao messing up allows us to see yet another well-thought out plan from Akiyama. As with previous episodes I was completely surprised at the outcome at the end of the episode. Nao had better be thankful she has someone so intelligent as Akiyama on her side. Otherwise…she’d be royally screwed over in debt. And from the looks of the next episode I can’t say for sure what’ll happen but I hope Nao doesn’t do anything stupid again.

~ Episode 6 ~

Well, well. I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Nao getting herself messed up because of Fukunaga. She really can’t blame anyone else but herself in the beginning for letting herself fall into Fukunaga’s trap of revealing that she had no debts and that she was in Akiyama’s team. As a result of that she ended up being as equally resented as Fukunaga was by the other seven members. Oh? But what’s this? It was all apart of Fukunaga’s plan to get him and Nao to win? How truthful can that be?

Despite his traitorous ways in the previous two episodes, Fukunaga can really think up a good plan! With that said, Nao is much too naive that it’s beyond bitterly hilarious. Someone at her age actually thinking everyone in the world could be happy? LOL, if only that were true but sadly such a perfect and regulated world doesn’t exist. I was glad that Fukunaga got that point across but somehow I still don’t think Nao quite understands that it’s impossible to help out everyone all the time.

Hmmm? But is Fukunaga really as straightforward as he appears? Think again! He got the drop on poor Nao yet again. Honestly, this girl is tricked too easily. She does realize that the name of the game is “LIAR” Game, right? Meaning, the point to winning is to LIE. I get that her character is “idiotically honest” as is described by Akiyama and the “policeman” but if she can’t break out of that mold she won’t be able to survive much longer. Or can she? Akiyama seems to be on his way to save her and if he is, then who called him? It doesn’t seem to have been Nao. So…my guess is that it’s that head secretariat. She’s been speaking a lot more lately and seems to be interested in both Akiyama and Nao. What’s her deal and what is she going to get out of helping Nao?

Oh yeah, we also learned that Akiyama’s revenge that was mentioned in the previous episode failed. I didn’t see that coming at all. It sucks that the person he took down was a dummy president. I wonder what he’ll do next?

Anyways, I can’t wait to see what plan Akiyama has up his sleeve in the next episode. Honestly, unlike the previous games I just can’t see a way out of this one for Nao. But that’s what I love about this show. It has such wonderfully crafted lies, schemes, and solutions!

~ Episode 5 ~

This show is so entertaining! Everytime I watch it I feel excited and ready to jump out of my chair. The music is always so well done and well placed that each scene jumps right out at you. This episode used all of those techniques and much more to the maximum. I totally didn’t expect Akiyama to team up with No. 15. The plan was so well thought out that I leaned extremely close to my screen just to make sure I didn’t miss one tiny bit of the explanation.

No. 15, I admit, was pretty damn good herself. She had me convinced that she was completely against Akiyama for the duration of the voting process. I knew that they had a meeting in the prior episode but for some reason my mind didn’t bother to think about the possibility of she and Akiyama teaming up. Well, anyways, either way it was a very well put together plan and I enjoyed seeing Fukunaga cry out in defeat. xD

I find it interesting that Akiyama decided to go on into the third round. A normal person wouldn’t even think twice of dropping out of the game, but he decided to go all the way. I know he said that he wants to find out who is behind the Liar Game, but I can only think a tiny part of him also wanted to help pay off the debts of the other players as well.

About Nao joining back into the game…I really don’t know what to say. Was she tricked again by the police officer? Will she end up being deceived yet again by the players in the resurrection game? Only time will tell I guess. At least we got to hear a large chunk of Akiyama’s past. It goes to show you that you can’t judge a person fully (or at all for that matter) without first hearing all the circumstances surrounding their life.