This manga is simply amazing!

Art
The artwork of this series is not the best. There's no character that is drop dead gorgeous like the male leads in shoujo mangas, or a cool looking character like in shounen. The outline of the characters are rough, and the expression for the characters are often overly exaggerated. However the artwork does grow on you and as you read the series you get more comfortable with the artwork, The depth of the characters and complexity of the story draws your attention away from the art. Often the exaggerated features of the the characters acts as comic relief and further enhance the quality of the series.

Story
The story is very intriguing. The first notion of the story immediately intrigued me. As I read further i was more and more drawn to the story. The use of real psychology terms enhances the story and makes you feel like your learning something. The complexity of the story of course have to be mentioned, and you are always left wondering just how Akiyama and Kanzaki will get out of these tough situations. This manga is in no way a light read, sometime I have to read a chapter more than once to figure out whats going on. This is NOT a manga where you can skip a few chapters and still know whats going on.

Characters
In some ways the characters are stereotypical. You have Akiyama, the seemingly cold yet genius male lead and Kanzaki the naive but truthful female lead. However as the series progresses the you see characters grow and develop and they grow on you. Also the unlikely friendships formed during the games will warm you heart. How the characters react when they are tempted by money and threatened by huge amounts of debt, really gets you assessing yourself. How will I act if I was in this situation?

Overall this series is bound to challenge you intellectually. There are some faults and improvements that could be made...but this series is amazing! Be ready to get mind blown!

I really enjoyed reading this manga. the characters are well created. I think some people are just too fast to jump the gun, not giving Nao the chance to prove herself. she is trusting, honest, and unconditionally forgiving, everything we humans lack. she does everything whole-heartedly, and I really do admire her. (never giving up on people). she is very naive, because of her honest nature, but that's what makes this manga the Liar Game. she is a lot more perceptive than she lets on. nao and akiyama is a really complimenting duo. because he's more of the opposite, wanting to trust people but a lot more careful and calculating about it. as the manga carries on, you can definitely see nao growing, she's still innocent, but she does know things.

the story is well-done (at least in my opinion). the characters are well-developed and you can see their personalities, they're consistent. I do reccommend this manga to people who are looking for a good suspense. it's not ridden with romance (I'm a shoujo lover), but there are very light and subtle hints, which I really do like

It's been 5 years for me with Liar Game, and not once have I ever gotten bored of this manga. I love Liar Game because it has everything I'm looking for - the great story, the fantastic psychological aspect, nice characters. It's addicting - sometimes too much so, and it's got its fair share of flaws, but this is really a rare psychological masterpiece.

First of all, the characters. For me, the characters of LG are what drive the story, especially Nao and Akiyama. Both of them have a good amount of character growth, ESPECIALLY Nao. If you thought Nao was weak, be prepared for a shock. I think that out of all the players, she's probably the most dangerous one - she even has Akiyama under her control. She's the light in the darkness that is LG, and that's exactly what makes her so dangerous. Akiyama is a complex one - he's no knight in shining armor, but neither is he a complete villain. The things that he does are ambiguous, but you can see that he has good intentions for the most part. Akiyama and Nao help each other grow and their bond is special, though I wouldn't consider it romantic. With all that being said, I think that pretty much everyone in Liar Game is complex. Everyone's got a background story that made them the way they are.

The story I won't go into. Its' brilliance speaks for itself.

That being said, it does have it's flaws. First of all, the art. It actually took me two tries to get through LG's first couple chapters, but believe me as time goes on the art gets better. In fact, it even helps the story, because initially you want to get away from the art so much you welcome the huge blocks of dialogue that explain the games (xD). Also, Kaitani Shinobu tends to take hiatuses (the last one was HUGE) between stories to plan, so don't expect fast releases after a game ends T_T. On the whole this is a fantastic manga. Read it if you want a thought provoking piece that's well plotted.

(Note: When I say it's addicting, it really really is. I recommended this to one of my friends a couple months ago, and she read the whole thing in one night because she couldn't stop reading. Needless to say she slept through the whole lecture the next day.)

... Last updated on February 20th, 2012, 9:46am

First of all, if you are one who reads manga mostly for the art, this is probably not for you. The art is very American compared to others. Nonetheless, the artist is very thorough, with backgrounds to nearly every frame, and easily distinguished characters.

Most importantly, the main reason to read this manga is to observe how the characters approach seemingly impossible puzzles and solve them. Each and every solution is proven mathematically or psychologically. It is very entertaining and interesting to read these solutions. (which the opposition creates solutions for, which in turn, makes the main characters make solutions for, etc etc.) The only problem I have with this aspect of the manga, is that one or more characters describe every solution as "foolproof" despite the fact that most solutions are countered just a few pages later by the opposing team.

The plot is very slow moving if you are paying attention to the entire picture of winning the entire Liar Game. Despite being so many chapters along, I still only feel like we are just scraping the surface of this Liar Game.

Each plot arc does flow quite nicely. Despite what other reviewers have said, I did not find the plot at all predictable. I could/can never tell when a character was/is acting or not, and for whom. It is easily distinguishable where the climax of each is. Some arcs seam to carry on forever. You have to be a very active reader to follow exactly what is happening and when it is happening.

The characters are all pretty well rounded. Nao (the female lead), is consistent yet unpredictable, and the mangaka succeeds in keeping her in character despite situations which it would be so tempting just to make her go super bad*ss.

The male lead is incomparable to Light from Death Note. Many have made the comparison, but neither the male lead in Liar Game or Light from Death Note would succeed if their roles were switched with each other's. I don't want to go to far into that though...

In total, I totally recommend this to anybody who is looking for something that will make them think, and isn't looking for too much art-wise.

I really like this manga, it surpasses death note (try it!)
I like the main girl, not only 'cuz she's cute but she's kind of purer than everyone else... she's not as smart as everyone else apparently but she's nice and I guess that's what matters.
Akiyama is awesome.

w8, i just read some one else's comment that I really liked:
"Nao is the biggest mystery [...] it's anyone's guess what she's actually thinking"
that's so true. srry, can't remember who posted it but it's on another site

... Last updated on July 16th, 2010, 1:23pm

I actually like Liar Game a lot. The way that the games are cleared are pretty plausible in real life (nothing that is too unrealistic, I think). I don't regularly read mysteries/solve puzzles/etc. myself so I wouldn't know anything about the difficulty of the games. But each game keeps me pretty entertained.

I'm kind of surprised that so many people seem to hate Nao. I personally like her. Yes, she is abnormally honest/easily fooled and depends on Akiyama a lot, but I think her character development is something that could get really interesting.

As for the actual plot, I still feel that there should be a stronger reason other than just to earn enough money to get out of the game, but I guess that's something that might happen later.

For now I'll just continue to read this.

I've been following this damn manga since it's first chapter release and I've become obsessed. I swear I'm starting to think like one of the contestants and I'm probably on the same mental level as Nao. Haha.

You never know what's going to happen, this manga always keeps you on your toes even though there are moments you can't fully understand what's going on. It seems like the games become a little to intricate and it's hard to follow sometimes. Especially when trying to understand Akiyama's explanations and plans. But, regardless, you're still engrossed in the games.

There will be moments where it seems like Akiyama and Nao will lose, but somehow Akiyama will turn it around! There are moments when you feel like all hope is loss but everything will shift. There are moments when you think that Nao has really f-ed up this time, but it actually works out in the end.

And this is because Akiyama and Nao make a brilliant team. Everyone keeps saying how they dropped this series because of Nao, but I think she's an amazing character. Okay, she's not a genius like Akiyama, but she has redeeming characteristics. Nao is foolishly honest, but because of this people let their guard down around her. She's won games before without Akiyama's help and she's even f-ed with people's mental state because they only see her as a weakling and they end up slipping up in the game or revealing something important or joining team NaoAki.

I also think that she serves as something to "protect". Akiyama sees his mother in Nao, which makes him want to protect and help her because she's so naive. It's the whole reason he started playing the game, though he says his reason for continuing is to bring the organization down. But, the point is, it's a reason for him to work hard.
Well, that and the fact that they are shouldering billions of dollars in debt. Hahaha.

Anywho, it's a great manga. Very original, intriguing, mind blowing and deep. There are just moments in the story that make you take a step back and say "damn, didn't see that coming"

Give it a try. You might like it or it might not be your thing, but this manga at LEAST deserves a try.
Too much work has gone into this intricate story to be overlooked.

This series is just amazing. But it's also very... limited in scope of audience. Many may read it and not really understand it at all.

The problem with this manga, for others at least, is its astounding complexity. It begins simply enough, with a seemingly stupid female lead and a cold, yet interestingly helpful male lead, but it quickly spirals into something that there is no way you can jump into. Often times if it's been too long since the last release, I have to go back and read a few volumes before it. The challenges become increasingly difficult to figure out, and soon the reader is left questioning everything, if he/she so chooses.

I find this manga simply awesome because of this complexity. Because not only is there a wonderful amount of character growth (especially with Nao), but also, this development is weaved so well into the over-arcing plot and the challenges that the characters face. The motives become more difficult to figure out, and each game becomes a layered puzzle that I personally find fun to figure out.

My suggestion would be that if you're into the solving puzzle thing, try it. The female lead undergoes an astounding amount of growth in this series, and I think you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Now if you're one that doesn't want to have to think, forget it. This is an incredibly difficult manga to simply watch and understand... it's one that you almost have to immerse yourself in and figure it out. It is the epitome of a psychological manga, and one where it's difficult to just sit back and watch when there's a great puzzle waiting.

Well after skimming couple review I notice some don't like the ending, strange though I like it greatly it actually convey all the strangeness in the story like what author trying to convey. Of course some will disagree though. Either way it was great story with great ending. Definitely worth reading.

... Last updated on July 11th, 2015, 7:05am

I was reluctant to read this one, but I was soooo bored that I started it. And wow! Surprise!

Really this is a great manga, one of the best out there. I usually don't like comparisons, but due to Akiyama's resemblance with Yagami Light, I have to say that there are very nice contrasts. At the story level we can find many differences ( i.e. scenarios, characters, situations, etc.), Death Note is way wider than Liar Game, but I have to say: the last one has brought to me zero moments of boredom so far.

It's very enjoyable how every stage has simple rules and you'll see how they're pushed to extreme and unexpected levels. As many other readers say, it's true that lacks of romance, character development and action, but I think that's the purpose, this is ORIGINAL stuff.

As for the girl I don't really mind. I've read shoujo, so it's not worse that that. However, it's nice how she is completely naive and honest (bringing her back many problems) and starts to use this virtue in a different form. As for the other players, is truly delicious how they're forced to make alliances even though knowing they're enemies and that in any moment the war between them will begin.

If you are interested in politics and psychology issues, there are many references as well as analogies. Also if you're interested, you can check Game Theory, based on mathematical stuff but pretty close with economy, sociology and thus war, the branches controlling the world.

And overall, no one dares to ignore the game/drop out without paying. You've signed nothing, as law dictates you have no debt, but the fear of LGT office overcomes yourself and controls your mind.

I don't regret having read all the 141 chapters in less than 24 hours, hope you don't either.