Hi this time around, I'm looking for manga or anime which involves a battle of wits. Basically, it revolves around the intelligence of the characters (usually the protagonist). For example, Liar Game where you somehow have to trick the opponent to get their money. Or maybe Code Geass where Lelouch uses his wits in battles to win. Kinda like a game of chess. And then there's Death Note which I haven't read or watched yet but I know is somehow like this. Most of this kind of manga or anime are usually psycological. However, I want a manga/anime that's not too psychological that you don't understand what's going on. Thanks.
Since they're not listed I can also add Shiki and Steins;Gate (if you can accept "fate" as a sort of antagonist). I'm speaking for the anime for both, since I didn't read their manga version.
The most epic one: Hakomari, especially book 3 and 4. I HIGHLY recommend this even if you're not particularly inclined to reading light novels.
Also try Akagi - The protagonist is a Maijong prodigy. It's all a little dramatic, but is purely based on the battles of wit and strategy.
Sanctuary - A bit more of a plot line, with lots of action thrown in. It is more akin to Banana Fish, but with Yakuza. Only bad point is the derogatory way women are depicted, but the story is worth the insult.
Spiral: Suiri no kizuna - Not as dark as the ones above, it does involve a young male prodigy who has lived his whole life in his older brother's shadow, so doubts his own abilities despite the fact he outshines those around him. It's like an extended mystery story, with lots of mini mysteries woven in. Not mind-blowingly good, but a decent read.
Vampire Juujikai - To a degree. There are so many plot twists in this, it's hard to give you an overview without spoiling the story. Let's just say it involves the rogue Vampire king fighting against a group of half-vampire dhampirs with humans thrown into the mix. All sides are trying to manipulate and second guess each other. It's a pretty good read, but the characters are prone to start lengthy monologues on occassion which can sometimes be a little irritating. Still, the overall story makes up for it.
Mx0 - A boy with no magical talent accidentally enters a magical school and must use his wits to convince his classmates that, not only does he possess magic, but that he can use extremely strong magic. Not really a battle, but a welcome change from the typical shonen protagonist who conveniently levels up whenever their nakama are in danger or they spend 2 days in intensive training. This manga has a bad ending though, which really annoyed me as it detracted from the whole story. I'm a stickler for good endings.
Angel Sanctuary - Not really a battle of wits, but more of a typical shonen style protagonist. Still, this manga has a complex story, with lots of factions coming into play, so even though it's not the protagonist who is actually using his wit (he lacks any intelligence or rational thought and just bulldozes his way through on sheer strength and luck) the side characters and their power-plays do make it an interesting read.
That's all I can think of for now. Hope it helps.
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