LIAR GAME – Episode 1

What’s it about?  When Nao Kanzaki receives a letter and suitcase with a lifechanging amount of money, she learns that she’s been selected to play in the exclusive LIAR GAME, a high-stakes battle that will test everyone’s ability to lie, deceive, and withstand betrayal in a battle royal supreme…

Our premiere begins by showing exactly who Nao Kanzaki is: the kind of honest person who would turn in a hundred yen coin to the police box. It’s something she’s aware of, having been called “stupidly honest” most of her life alongside having a name that indicates a parental wish for an honest child. So naturally, when she receives a letter from the LGT Office letting her know she’s got a plentiful stack of Shibusawas (that is to say, bands of 10,000 yen notes) she thinks something is wrong. That is, until the rules of the one-on-one battle of the liar game is revealed in detail, leaving Nao in a cruel rock and hard spot situation: she must lie well enough to earn up to 100 million yen (Currently USD 625,375.20 as of the writing of this review) or end up in soul-crushing debt.

This, of course, forms the bedrock of the physiological thriller known as LIAR GAME, launching Nao into an exploration of her past through the lens of trying to trick her way into maintaining a briefcase full of money that could change her life forever…in a game where everyone she encounters will be as desperate as her.

Now I love death games and complex psychological thrillers where you have to puzzle out the whodunit or solve some seemingly impossible situation. It’s why I fell in love with Kakegurui and remain a fan; it’s why I find myself still engaged in the wide variety of media that fall within the context of that genre. It’s engaging, it makes my brain feel like sparkling water, and it’s thrilling because even if I know the end, I still get to enjoy the path there.

However, even with her trait of Nao’s blunt honesty, and the choice of her first opponent being her former teacher, I couldn’t help but find myself incredibly tired with this premiere. Nao is almost childlike in her characterization despite being a college student. She should feel compelling, and I’m sure fans of the series would say she is, but as someone with no connection to this series, I found her tiresome as a female lead, leaning on exhausting “too pure for this world” cinnamon roll vibes that make you wonder how she’s even going to play this forced game and not end up in debt for the rest of her life.

I hate that too, because I’d love to see Nao succeed at playing the game, especially with the introduction of her partnership with a con artist. However, she’s immediately characterized as being so intensely a “stupidly honest girl” (hate this term, by the way, but the anime loves it) that I just kind of feel bad for this girl who doesn’t exist. Maybe she’ll be able to improve her lot in life by being herself and find herself savvy enough to play the game she’s been forced into. Maybe not. Either way, I’m not sure someone like Nao is cut out for this plot even though this manga-adaptation clearly has to go places–the source material ran for a decade to the tune of 19 volumes. Surely she’s gotta get more capable at playing the game without losing herself, right?

…Right?

I can’t lie to you: I really didn’t like this premiere. While I understand we can’t get into the thick of it immediately, this premiere really painted Nao as being clumsily trusting in a game where it’s clear that she needs to keep a solid head on her shoulders. While it’s completely unfair that her opponent—her former teacher—openly misused her trust, it doesn’t feel like catalyst for more: instead, you’re just kind of left shaking your head at the immediately obvious fact that Nao got tricked. 

But I also can’t help but admire the fact that she finds nothing wrong with being so openly honest, a trait that I share to a degree and deeply value. I think there’s value in optimism, in caring about the world, in wearing your heart on your sleeve. But I also feel like there’s this strange infantilization occurring here with Nao that undercuts that, reducing her from an honest character who would genuinely be interesting in something like the liar game versus…who we get in this premiere.

So much of this specific combination of genres is building tension and giving a reason to root for the underdog of a protagonist. Instead, I just kind of can’t help but shake my head at this knowing that even if it does improve, this premiere has forever left a tepid taste in my mouth. Ultimately, I think this is a case of “not for me” versus this being bad, especially since Nao shows some promise at the end—effectively I’m happy for the fans, but don’t consider me one anytime soon.