This drama is as described in its title, a liar game which is about deceiving the players who are part of the competition to advance to the next level. However, there's more to this drama than what the title tells about it for everyone to expect. As the drama unfolds, there are revelations that you must find out yourselves so I will try not to spoil it for you.
I finished this drama last month (May, 2013) but I don't exactly remember how many days was I able to finish it though I am certain it was less than a week. The drama has 9 episodes and runs for more or less 45 minutes each and I think that it is an advantage to watching J-doramas because it doesn't take much of your time when you are busy contrary to the lengthy 1 hour run by Korean dramas. Air time doesn't make a difference though but it takes talent to showcase a drama in just a short span of time and I commend them for bringing its essence regardless of the budgeted time.
So what were my expectations aside from the numerous lies that were gonna take place? Literally, I just expected it to be phenomenal in my heart simply because J-doramas have that kind of reputation ever since I started watching them. Each has influenced me in their own ways so in general, I respect their writers, directors, actors and producers so much. I was excited to watch it as well because I've been so much into Korean dramas for the past 2-3 years and I've lost my rhythm to watching J-doramas ever since. I downloaded this drama through D-addicts and it's in 4GB so I don't know whether or not they are still available to watch online.
I would like to start of with the description of the three main characters which I have so many things to talk about in making this series effective through their roles.
Erika Toda as Nao Kanzaki - She's one of the most well known J-actresses among international fans because of her noted characters in her previous dramas Nobuta wo Produce, Hana Yori Dango and the hit movie L Change the world just to name a few. As an actress, I can't remember how she's done it in her previous projects but she definitely did it in her character as Nao. Nao's principle reminds me of the Game of Go which I just learned about last year when I read Muriel Barberry's book The Elegance of Hedgehog in which I will quote on pages 112-114 this passage with a hint of spoilers “Any game where the goal is to build territory has to be beautiful. There may be phases of combat, but they are only the means to an end, to allow your territory to survive. One of the most extraordinary aspects of the game of go is that it has been proven that in order to win, you must live, but you must also allow the other player to live. Players who are too greedy will lose; it’s a subtle game of equilibrium, where you have to get ahead without crushing the other player. In the end, life and death are only the consequences of how well or poorly you’ve made your construction. This is what one of Taniguchi’s characters says: you live, you die, these are consequences. It’s a proverb for playing go, and for life.” I thought it would be great to incorporate it here because it fits to describe her character well. To be honest I was a bit skeptical about Nao but because she's driven by her confidence in herself and the people surrounding her, she was able to put up with the intense pressure.
Shota Matsuda as Shinichi Akiyama - Who could forget this guy for his remarkable character in the hit series Hana Yori Dango? Seriously. So basically that should be one of the reasons to get hyped up in this series aside from his portrayal of a cool, mysterious and insanely genius guy whom you can't help but to fall in love with. I could remember rooting for Akiyama all throughout the series because he exudes intelligence that no one could ever outwit. He's the type of character that saves you from disappointments I guess and the gesture of humility from him will remind you of how cool he is. However, let's not judge him based on what I just said because I'm just basically fangirling over him and I know I can't help it. *grin* You have to study this guy better to know what's there inside of him!
Rinko Kikuchi as Ryo Katsuragi - She's a newcomer to me because I haven't seen her projects before if my memory doesn't fail me; however, damn this girl is gorgeous. That was my impression of her in the series. As I looked up for pictures, I can't find a Ryo Katsuragi-esque but I chose that one from the side because she looked amazing and it's just one of her plenty good looking pictures on the internet. So much of how she looks, she's obviously the antagonist in the drama but undeniably one of my favorites because her character basically tells a story that is hidden from everyone's knowing. What people sees from the outside is perceived to be the same of what she really is deep down. To spoil it a bit, she was misunderstood brought by the circumstances that happened in her life. She is a character to look forward to even though she'll just piss you off all throughout.
Overall, the series was a hit to me just like other J-doramas I've watched. I know I sound repetitive but I really want to emphasize the importance of extracting as much values you can have which are mostly found and produced by the Japanese industry. Too bad that I haven't seen the first season and it will take a work to get my copy of it.
The main point why I love this series is that I was amazed at how they were able to come up with each of the ideas of the games, its rules, the twists and the turned tables. Goodness my brain cells were exploding. On the other hand, if I have any disagreements with this drama, then that would probably be the lack of love line. Okay, I have learned and received the good message but how about adding that kind of intensity to the series just to drag it a little bit a guess? Additionally, I was disappointed of myself because of my lack of understanding to the games that took place. In tagalog, that's "nakakabobo". Regardless of that, I really enjoyed it and I will rate it 4/5 stars. Very Good!
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