Liar Game

''Liar Game'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from February 2005 to January 2015. It was adapted into a Japanese television series in 2007, with a second season which ran from 2009 to 2010. It was also adapted into two live action films; '' Liar Game: The Final Stage'' in 2010 and '' Liar Game: Reborn'' in 2012. A South Korean television series adaptation aired in 2014.

Plot

An uncommonly naive college student named Nao Kanzaki receives a package containing 100 million yen (about US$1 million) and a note that she is now a contestant in the Liar Game Tournament. In this fictional tournament, contestants are encouraged to cheat and lie to obtain other contestants' money, with the losers forced to bear a debt proportional to their losses. When Nao's first opponent, a trusted former teacher, steals her money, she seeks assistance from a con man named Shinichi Akiyama. Though they manage to defeat him, Nao and Akiyama decide to buy out his debt and advance through different rounds of the Liar Game Tournament against merciless contestants, while at the same time attempting to free their opponents from debt and defeat the Liar Game organization from within.

Characters

Protagonists

;
: Nao Kanzaki, an exceptionally honest and initially naive college student, becomes an unwilling participant in the Liar Game. Her unwavering integrity and emotional perceptiveness, though initially perceived as weaknesses, enable her to earn contestants' trust while developing critical judgment. Despite opportunities to withdraw, she persists in the competition to rescue indebted participants. Her sole family connection is her terminally ill father, leaving her socially isolated until forming a profound bond with fellow player Akiyama, who alleviates her loneliness. Nao's moral conviction that all individuals possess inherent value fundamentally shapes her gameplay strategy and interpersonal dynamics.
;
: Shinichi Akiyama, a Teito University graduate in criminal psychology, turns to con artistry to dismantle the multi-level marketing scheme that drove his mother to suicide. After prison, he reluctantly assists naive participant Nao Kanzaki in the Liar Game, possibly recognizing parallels between her plight and his mother's. Entering in Round 2 as a substitute player, Akiyama emerges as an unofficial leader by Round 3. He strategically leverages Nao's genuine emotional appeals to influence other contestants while persistently attempting to settle her debt and remove her from danger. Akiyama's ultimate objective remains exposing and destroying the Liar Game organization itself.

Antagonists

;
: Fujisawa, Nao's former teacher and first opponent in the Liar Game, undergoes a significant transformation from a caring educator to a bitter, distrustful individual following personal hardships including divorce. His callous indifference to Nao's potential financial ruin shocks her but reinforces Akiyama's resolve to assist her. After losing to Akiyama's strategy in the first round, Fujisawa receives Nao's winnings to settle his debt, culminating in a grateful bow that contrasts sharply with his earlier hostility.
;
: Fukunaga, a trans woman introduced in Round 2 as "Hitomi", is a skilled manipulator and 5th-degree black belt whose motivations alternate between financial gain and personal vengeance. Presenting various gender expressions—from femme fatale to masculine drag—she demonstrates remarkable adaptability in both gameplay and social manipulation. During Round 3, she forms an alliance with Nao and Akiyama, continuing voluntarily despite clearing her debt. Forced to face Yokoya alone in the revival round, she accumulates over one billion yen in debt and is eliminated. Though initially dismissive of Nao's abilities, Fukunaga gradually develops respect for her while maintaining ambiguous feelings toward Akiyama.
;
: Yokoya, a dominant and calculating participant introduced in Round 3, emerges as Akiyama's primary rival. A wealthy, eerily composed young man often seen carrying white mice and dressed in militaristic attire, he admires historical dictators like Adolf Hitler. His strategy revolves around bribing other contestants to create an absolute dictatorship within his team, contrasting sharply with Nao's cooperative approach. Though initially planning to withdraw after Round 3, Nao provokes him into continuing, fueling his vengeful determination to defeat her and Akiyama. After losing Round 4, Yokoya persists, aiming for ultimate victory. His ability to predict the Third Revival Round's game stems from prior knowledge of the Liar Game's literary inspiration, not deduction as he claims. Ultimately defeated by Akiyama in the finals, Yokoya concedes, acknowledging the need to retreat. His father, revealed as a Liar Game host, had trained him in manipulation to groom him as a successor.
;
: Harimoto, an elderly man distinguished by his long robes and straw hat, first appears in Round 4 as the charismatic leader of the Peaceful Heaven cult. His manipulative prowess stems from exploiting emotional vulnerabilities rather than psychological tactics like Akiyama or Yokoya. Three devoted female followers—Mika Mikamoto, Kei Kimura, and Yukiko Abe—unconditionally support him in the Liar Game, bolstering his advantage. Harimoto controls his cult by propagating a fabricated mythology involving demons and human lineage, claiming to purify bloodlines. His methods rely on cold reading, having recruited each member during their lowest emotional states. After defeat in Round 4, he and his followers return in the Revival Round but ultimately withdraw, moved by Nao's unwavering integrity. They relinquish their winnings to alleviate other players' debts.

Liar Game Tournament Office

The LGT Office operates as the clandestine organization behind the Liar Game Tournament, structured to experimentally recreate scenarios from a suppressed radical political text. Its membership comprises two specialized roles: masked "handlers" who directly manage contestants and distribute game information, and observing "hosts" who supervise tournament rounds. The organization represents a second attempt at this social experiment, following an aborted initial trial. Several key members' identities eventually become known to participants through the tournament's progression.

;
: Mitsuo Tanimura initially appears as a legal consultant (a police officer in the live-action adaptation) whom Nao contacts about the Liar Game. Unbeknownst to her, he secretly works for the tournament organization, preventing participants from seeking outside help. As Nao's assigned Liar Game representative, Tanimura suggests employing a scam artist to win—a tactic that ultimately draws Akiyama into the competition. Unlike other tournament staff, Tanimura operates without concealing his identity.
;
: Leronira serves as one of the Liar Game's masked hosts, distinguished by his ornate facial covering and formal attire. While he admires Akiyama and Fukunaga's intellectual prowess, he expresses particular fascination with Nao's unconventional participation. Demonstrating superior analytical skills among the hosts, he correctly anticipates Nao's transformative impact on the game's dynamics. His deep understanding of Akiyama's thought processes hints at his prior experience as a participant in the original Liar Game. Ultimately revealed as Okabe, Akiyama's former psychology professor, Leronira's true identity connects the tournament's present and past iterations.
;
: Nearco serves as a Liar Game co-host, distinguished by his mustachioed mask. Introduced in Round 3, he demonstrates analytical prowess while maintaining particular admiration for Yokoya, whom he considers formidable. His skepticism toward Leronira's faith in Nao's abilities contrasts with his otherwise perceptive nature, though his intellect falls short of Leronira and Rabelais' standards. This positioning suggests he may have occupied a role analogous to Fukunaga's in the initial tournament iteration.
;
:A third host of the Liar Game, Solario wears a mask with a sun drawn on the right eye. Solario is impressed that Nao is able to realize the objective of Second Revival Round before any of the other players.
;
: Forli serves as a fourth Liar Game host, distinguished by his bowtie-adorned suit and distinctive mask resembling Renaissance clown face-paint with elongated oval markings. As the moderator for Round 4's qualifier matches, he demonstrates overt favoritism toward Akiyama and Nao's team, frequently marveling at Akiyama's strategies despite his full knowledge of the game rules. Considered the least intellectually capable among the LGT officers, Forli's enthusiastic but naive perspective provides contrast to his more analytical colleagues.
;
: Kurifuji serves as Yokoya's assigned family agent, tasked with ensuring his safety while concealing her identity behind sunglasses and a surgical mask. With a background in psychology, she demonstrates superior understanding of Yokoya's strategies, consistently anticipating his maneuvers more effectively than other LGT Office members.
;
: Alsab serves as one of the Liar Game hosts, moderating Round 4 and its qualifier for Fukunaga's team. His mask features distinctive Yin and yang and symbolism. Holding a cynical view of human nature, he believes people are inherently selfish and incapable of cooperation—a perspective ultimately challenged by Nao and Akiyama's collaborative strategies. Unlike his colleague Leronira, Alsab consistently underestimates Nao's influence in the game.
;
: Silien serves as the sixth Liar Game host, moderating Revival Round III for Group A.
;
: Rabelais serves as the seventh Liar Game host, overseeing Revival Round III for Group B. He is revealed to be Yokoya's father, a wealthy and prominent figure who dominated nearly all games in the previous tournament according to Leronira.
;
: Altair serves as the Liar Game's Chief Executive, overseeing Revival Round III and Round 5. His identity is ultimately revealed as Nao's father, who orchestrated her participation out of concern for her extreme naivety and survival capabilities.

Media

Manga

''Liar Game'', written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani, was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from February 17, 2005, to January 22, 2015. Shueisha collected its chapters in nineteen volumes, released from September 16, 2005, to April 17, 2015.

A short story, titled "Roots of A", was published as the title piece of a Shinobu Kaitani's anthology released on July 18, 2008.

Live-action

''Liar Game'' was adapted into a Japanese television series: '' Liar Game'', a 2007 series broadcast on Fuji Television, followed in 2009 by a second season. In 2010, the full-length film '' Liar Game: The Final Stage'' was released as a continuation to the television series. A sequel, entitled '' Liar Game: Reborn'', was released in 2012.

A 2014 Korean drama adaptation also titled '' Liar Game'' aired on cable channel tvN.

See also

* Gambling in Japan
* ''Squid Game'', a 2021 South Korean television show influenced by ''Liar Game''

References

Further reading

*

External links

*

{{Weekly Young Jump - 2000–2009

Fiction about fraud
Anime and manga about gambling
Manga adapted into films
Psychological thriller anime and manga
Seinen manga
Shueisha franchises
Shueisha manga