Liar Game, Volume 19

Liar Game #19

by Shinobu Kaitani

大詰めを迎える最終戦「四国志ゲーム」!!　カンザキとアキヤマを沈めるため暗躍するヨコヤは、「魏」「呉」「蜀」チームによる三国協定を画策し、着実に「倭の国」を敗退へと追い詰めていく。しかし展開はアキヤマの計画通りに進んでいた！　全てを清算する秘策を弄するアキヤマは、LIAR GAMEの全貌を暴きに動き出す！　ゲームの真相とは？　そしてLGT事務局の真の目的とは？　今、謎が全て明かされる!!　至極の「嘘つきゲーム」ここに堂々の完結!!

Genres: Manga, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Japanese Literature

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2015

About the author

Japanese: 甲斐谷忍He received the prestigious Tezuka Prize in 1991 for Mou Hitori no Boku (Another Me). In 1993, his series Suisan Police Gang was serialized in Shoukan Shounen Jump. In 1995, he co-illustrated the series Sommelier in the magazine Manga Allman to great acclaim. His baseball series One Outs, ended its run in Business Jump with 20 tankoubon released.

His current serial is Weekly Young Jump's Liar Game, which has been adapted into two seasons of a highly-rated drama series as well as a forthcoming movie.

Hobbies: horses, travel
Special skill: calligraphy, spoon bending

Reviews

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

And what a end to this brilliant manga series. I wish it could never end .

I started this in the middle of June and I read down 19 volumes , 3800+ pages in almost 4-5 weeks.

First of all a heartfelt thanks to Shinobu Kaitani for this extremely well thought, brilliantly written and beautifully drawn manga series.

Well rather than the ending which could be a little long (maybe) else every story arc from starting to the end is purely amazing. It is not just entertainment, it serves a greater purposes, capturing human thought process and psychology, breaking and building of relationships and cooperation, trust and doubt and failures etc.

At times, one may find difficult what's going on as it is very complex but explanation make it easy at the end. I found Poker a little hard to understand as I no nothing about poker but after reading this I came to know to many new things.

Kaitani-San put so much of thought in writing this Magnum Opus it never feels as if it is fictional story or this thing can't happen in the real world.

I haven't read much of a mangas but definitely know that this series is pure brilliance and very underrated.

At last I till now didn't have any favourite fictional character but now I have one and that is none other than :
Shinchi Akiyama 💙 and also
Nao Kanazaki because at many times in my life I resemble her.

Read it and enjoy.
Once again Thank You Very Much Mr. Kaitani for writing this manga series. #Respect

Always Remember Akiyama these Wise words :
"TO BELIEVE PEOPLE IS TO DOUBT THEM "

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series had me enthralled from the beginning. The games are so well thought out, as are the twists and turns in the story. Kanzaki, Akiyama and Fukunaga are my favourite characters. Though Yokoya and the Harimoto group were interesting too.

The art style is remeniscent of Death Note. Though it's simple, and sometimes anatomically incorrect, it gets the message across.

However I must say I am disappointed in the ending. I like the overall message they're trying to send, and I think it's great if social change was in part sparked due to this manga. However the ending felt extremely rushed and could have been set up better. Another 2-3 chapters at least would have helped. Because there are too many 'revelations' in that last chapter. Too much tell instead of show.

Why were there no hints to Yokoya's father being there?
Why was every dealer surprised about the identity of the other dealers?
Why was there not more romance, when Kanzaki clearly stated Akiyama didn't really get romance?
Do these people partcipating not have jobs?

The ending felt like a set-up for a sequel, which never came out... The bones of this manga are splendid. It's what kept me up reading all night. It's unlike any other manga I've read, and I love me a good puzzle. It just needed a little more, and deserved a better, less rushed ending.

[Kesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will miss reading it. Thank you Shinobu Kaitani.

[Edgar Cotes Argelich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sèrie acabada. Liar game ha sigut un viatge addictiu, amb una premissa i un desenvolupament dels jocs molt intel·ligent, en el qual tot, fins al més últim detall està calculat. Potser les idees morals que defensa són un pèl ingènues i no tan revolucionàries com l’autor pensa que són, però són suficientment creïbles per no desmerèixer el conjunt. Un manga que val molt la pena llegir i que tant de bo adaptin algun dia en format audiovisual.

[aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I was a bit worried when a lot of people were complaining that the ending was rushed. I thought that too on the second last chapter but the final chapter ties it together perfectly so I am satisfied. Part of me still wants more but I find this ending fitting, especially since it leaves the end open.

[XZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the hell sort of ending was that (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

[Monif Chowdhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys know Light Yagami, right? In my opinion, Akiyama from Liar Game would sell Light 10 times over before he even realizes it!

Wow! What an amazing manga! I'm glad i picked it up. Theres no violence, no blood, no slangs,-- but yet the atmosphere and the intensity of the games are too high!

Loved the ending as well. I'm glad it was what it is.

And what's with all of you hating the MC? She did have tremendous amount of character development. I loved her.

[Stefano Saini · Rating 1 out of 5]

What started as a potentially interesting Manga in which development I was curious about, ended becoming more and more painful to be read, especially during the "Bid poker" arc. Games became not so enjoyable and, most importantly, being solved with a little too much unfair control by the author. The ending was unsatisfactory with a not interesting explanation which came out of the blue. To be honest, even if at the beginning I kept reading just to unravel the mistery behind the LGT, I was already too annoyed by the lasts arcs to care that much to whine against the final revelation. Even if I am a lover of this genre of psychological/logical Manga I have to say that they are often lacking in the ending, but this one was mostly a waste of time from the beginning.

[Fanja Evers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolument pas déçue de cette fin ! Un bon 5 étoiles pour l'ensemble de cette série que j'ai enfin terminée !! Youhou !!

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5+ totally mindblown / 5

So....I'll just go ahead and say it: if there's any reason for anyone to HATE the Liar Game series, it's probably because of the ending.

Some critiques I've heard is that it feels like a cheap cop-out, like maybe the author didn't know where to go after all the setup, or even that it's teasing out a sequel series that just never happened.

Well...I would argue for all of those, as a matter of fact, in the following ways:

1 -- While I myself was also unsure whether to feel disappointed or not when reading the ending the first time, I DID admit that it was unexpected
And, ultimately, isn't that what the Liar Game as a psychological series is all about, from beginning to end?--Being unexpected? Sure, it may not necessarily deviate from the status quo of having us follow Nao and Akiyama as the 100% heroes, but even so, it judges human nature and psychological reactions under the strain of a situation with real-life consequences and debt despite the "game" setting. That's surely enough, isn't it?

2--I can't 100% say for sure whether the ending was the author's original plan from the start, but...so what?
Tying in to the part about it being an unexpected ending, I would challenge readers to give me an answer for what OTHER ending they would have expected? That Akiyama wins the Liar Game and exposes the LGT office for the evil corporation that it is, bringing it down like he did that other corporation before? That's too straightforward, and frankly, idealistic. Or...would Yokoya win? Now, THAT would be a decision that you could hate the author for. Or...Nao, perchance? Sorry, but we all know that despite her character growth and so on, it's only with Akiyama's help was she was able to survive thus far, and no way would she have been the one to win unless Akiyama rigged it that way, and with the setup of the last game even THAT was a tall order.
Now, that's not to say that ending it the way the author did was the only option, but the way I see it, I'm not sure what a satisfactory yet suitable ending for this series would've really looked like. For what it is, though, I do think that the author's choice was one of the better ones, in that it at least tied in to the context of what the Liar Game was all about, and the continued mystery of it just ensures that its intrigue is maintained--until the end, and beyond,
And, with that being said...

3--No, I DON'T think that a sequel was ever intended, and nor do I think there should be one
Same as above, I challenge readers to tell me just what that sequel would be about? It leaves an eerie and lasting last message, but it's ultimately one about reality, and how just an individual can't do anything to change it. "Darkness" always exists, and it always does burrow deeper than people would expect--certainly, as the state of the world today in 2025 proves, it's more than any individual, especially one with no power, can take on.
___________________

So, friends, in conclusion, while the ending may seem like all of the above in terms of something to complain about, I personally think that it's ultimately a stronger ending because it's not clear cut and it expands beyond itself and just the Liar Game as a game; and therefore, all things considered, I myself am satisfied.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 3 out of 5]

[REVIEW FOR THE SERIES...]

Liar Game (Vol. 1-19)

Liar Game (Japanese: ライアーゲーム Hepburn: Raiā Gēmu) is a Japanese seinen manga series originally written and illustrated by Shinobu Kaitani. At first I felt unsure whether this manga could even be exciting. It seemed just so-so...but man was I wrong. It is a psychological suspense manga, filled to the brim with intelligent plot, quirky characters and over all fascinating story.

"A scrupulously honest college student named Nao Kanzaki receives a package containing 100 million yen (about 1 million USD) 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." -Book Blurb



Nao Kanzaki is unwilling dragged into the Liar Game, and to survive she hires intelligent con-man Shinichi Akiyama. They team up to destroy this mysterious and dangerous organization behind the Liar Game, from the inside out.

Unique and stylistic, intelligent and suspenseful, Liar Game is a very enjoyable series. I never thought I could love a series like this, nor did I know one existed. This is a battle of wits and chance, a story of truth and lies. It is not an action adventure, nor is it a romance, or comedy. It is a very interesting genre or blend of genres, falling somewhen under psychological suspense and intrigue. I highly recommend giving this one a shot, even it it seems its not your type of manga. I sincerely thought it wouldn’t be mine, but here we are. Take a chance!

[OFFICIAL RATING: 4.5 STARS]

[Adriano Barone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume finale di un manga veramente pazzesco.
La trama è una scusa per raccontare la teoria dei giochi (e quante volte vengono usati schemi e grafici per capire situazioni e possibili sviluppi di trama) e la lettura a volte è difficoltosa (i disegni di Kaitani tra l'altro non è che siano proprio spaziali, i suoi personaggi anzi sono spesso molto rigidi). Ma del resto, in che media si sarebbe potuta raccontare meglio questa storia? Prosa? Cinema? Tv (chiaro, una serie tv tratta da Liar Game esiste, ma è un adattamento)?
Forse è proprio il fumetto. La natura ibrida del medium, sempre sfuggente, di qualcosa le cui tavolve possono venire esposte nei musei ma che può partecipare ai premi letterari, lo rende la scelta giusta. Parole e immagini. Mescolare i livelli linguistici e farci quello che si vuole. Kaitani riesce a spostare in una direzione molto obliqua questo concetto, e secondo me questo rende Liar Game un fumetto decisamente rilevante.
In un'epoca in cui poi i protagonisti con un alto Q.I vanno per la maggiore (dal Doctor Who di Davies, alla versione contemporanea di Sherlock, a Death Note) Akiyama entra nel novero dei geni (ok anche belli) che ti fanno dire "smart is sexy".

NON SO SE QUESTE ULTIME RIGHE SIANO SPOILER O MENO, MAGARI LEGGETE SOLO A LETTURA DEL MANGA TERMINATA

Il finale nerissimo mi ha sorpreso e poi terribilmente depresso. Quasi che la lode dell'intelligenza e della fiducia a cui voleva portare lo svolgimento del manga fosse stata considerata un gioco crudele. Forse allora il Liar's Game è il manga stesso, che fa sperare che l'umanità alla fine trionfi, e invece no. Una bugia lunga 19 volumi.

[kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm such a freakin' baby I'm literally TEARING UP rn. I'm so pathetic that when a *certain* character popped up again in the final chapter, I literally started crying out of happiness.

I have mixed feelings on this conclusion, but I think they're mostly positive? I thought the WAY the round ended was pretty disappointing and a bit too... simple? (with everything explained, it makes sense why they let everything end so quickly, but LGT ending the stalemate immediately just felt way too easy, like all the wind was let out of the sails.)

Honestly, I thought I would hate the ultimate *reveal* of why the Liar Game was being held, and what the underlying motives were, but I think I actually don't mind it? I'm still annoyed that it was a big monologue at the end, but now that I KNOW the reveal, I'm curious to go back and see if there were hints thrown in throughout that I didn't realize.

TBH I think the real tea is that I was so worried that I would DESPISE the conclusion that even a not-so-great ending would have made me happy, so I feel even better about the actual ending, which I have mixed feelings on. Does that make sense? lol

Anyway, I'll have to ruminate on this series for a little while to decide how much I love it and where it ends up on my favorite series list, because it's DEFINITELY going on my favorite series list. It's just a matter of... where? I guess we'll see!
---------
Note:
Vol 19 = chapters 191-201

[Kyria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The actual meaning of the Liar Game was lame tbh

[Dominique "Eerie" Sobieska · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 8/10 ... if... it didnt have 19 volumes. So honest rating- 5/10.

This was original, years ago. I have no idea how I had stumbled on Liar Game but it was phenomenal, original, intriguing with so much treachery and deceit, I just couldnt get enough. Liar Game plays on human emotion from the pages until the end. A game were deception and manipulation as well as conning strategy will keep you going in the game, avoiding exceedingly vast debt and psychological trauma, one can safely say that there are no winners at the end of the line of this secretive con tournament.

The psychological evolution of the main female character Nao changes as the series progresses but unfortunately her good nature of saving even those that wronged her would get on my nerves further on. Akiyama was a well rounded character to begin with and helped Nao during the tournament.

The ending felt rushed, with made no sense as this was a 19 volumes series. Honestly, I feel like 5 maybe 6 volumes would have been enough as the battles would become more intricate, convoluted and repetitive. Since the author had written for such a long time, I would have honestly expected a better ending instead of the mess it was with holes and details left unexplained.

So do I recommend it:

I guess, but down the line if I really think about it, no... Unless you like psychological scheming dramas that last a bit too long. Kinda like soap operas!

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to begin. This series had me pretty burnt out in the past few volumes. That said, I could have looked past the all the flaws and remembered this series with good memories if not for that trash fire of an ending. Words can’t even cover how angry and disappointed I was in how this manga concluded. From the moment Yokoya had that super random and out-of-character change of heart, everything just went downhill for me. I even could have been fine with the final round being a little lackluster, but when it was revealed that the LGT wasn’t real and it was just some documentary by some aging director guy, I honestly wanted to punch someone.

It was basically the emotional equivalent of a story ending with ‘he woke up and it turned out that it was all a dream’. The explanation behind the game just got more and more ridiculous. There was that super convoluted thing with the missing volume of a book that almost sparked a revolution and the director staging liar games to try to recreate what this government-destroyed third installment potentially contained. The entire scenario was so overly complicated and it was stupid to sit through 19 volumes, only to be left with that.

[lida · Rating 3 out of 5]

it doesn't really have explicit spoilers im just discussing it.

the first time im giving anything in this series a rating lower than 4 stars! I still enjoyed it even though the ending was lowley really disappointing. it definitely was a little rushed, maybe thinking about the games and the ways that people can one-up one another got tiring for the author lol.

the ending came out of nowhere and it didn't even make much sense even after it was explained like what kinda psycopath would make ppl do all that but at the LAST moment be like well it was all a game and ur debts are null UNLESS HE HAD PLANNED FOR THAT? BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAD ALREADY LOST MONEY? my idea abt it all being a pyramid scheme (mlm) was lowkey smarter.

another thing is yokoya. this bitch rly is a whole ass nepotism trust fund child that idolizes ****** but is like "well I want the elites to be scared of this documentary 😏" YOU AND YOUR DAD ARE THE ELITES!! YOU ARE A BILLIONAIRE!!! YOUR DAD HAS MOST DEFINITELY STOLEN MONEY FROM PEOPLE EVEN IF IT WAS IN THE LIAR GAME!! UR TELLING ME HE PAYS PPL THAT WORK IN HIS COMPANY FAIRLY? HIS MINDSET IS YOUR EITHER THE RULER OR THE ONE BEING RULED!!! IM SO MAD ABT THIS!!

three stars because I got to see fukunaga again AND she was hanging out with nao... when I tell you they are besties... they also said that nao had been keeping touch with akiyama regularly meaning they are also besties UGH!! nao has two best friends even though she started the game alone. but the way the didnt mention anything abt her dad. 😐 like is he ok.

ig the message at the end abt like... how the ppl in power (which again... includes yokoya and his dad) will always opress class unionizing cause it truly can ruin them is p good it's just rings a little wrong considering yokoya and like the overall theme of if you give people opportunities to do the right thing (not profiting if it means someone else will lose and instead work together) they will do it. I wish it had ended differently but of course the beginning and the middle where really good. if you read this whole thing I'd love to hear any thoughts!

[Laura Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

(no epilogue ?)

This series is incredible and has NOT disappointed, in plot characters and games it is truly. Splendid

Akiyama, Nao and Fukunaga are so enticing and i loved the inner workings of the game.

Only the last arc i was slightly disappointed in. The conclusion itself is fine but i'd been expecting all series a climactic game ft akiyama, nao (and/vs) yokoya vs LGT. Storming the office, large-scale blackout kinda thing. Nao representing the revolution?
I was also kinda surprised cause i thought the game was a large scale thing with a lot more players and arenas even at the end

Doesnt matter, im glad my baes r safe and happy at the end, nao grew a lot

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked the ending. I knew whatever reveal would probably feel underwhelming and was cynically expecting a cop-out. But it actually wasn't – it added political context to Kanzaki Nao's "cooperation and trust" message. I liked the reveal of the dealers being the first game's players, and the joke in hindsight Yokoya played by telling everyone that losers of the game would be sold to be used as human test subjects––the joke being that they were currently human test subjects, unaware of themselves as such.

[Zsombor Berki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Liar Game 10 years ago as a high schooler. It immediately gripped me with the psychology and the mindbending tricks the characters used to outwit each other. I kept up with the series even as the author took several long breaks and now, after years I finally finished the remaining chapters. It was an odd, unexpected ending, but it was positive and inspiring as well. I'm glad I read this series and I recommend it to anyone who prefers a battle of wits over insane action.

[Muhamed Sewidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

من أعظم ما قرأت فى حياتى كلها، لو بايدي كنت جعلت كل انسان يقرأها عشان يفهم فى الحقيقة ان عدو الناس الحقيقى هم من فى السلطة، اللى بيخلوا الناس تأكل بعضها تغش تقتل تفقد الثقة فى بعضهم البعض، والنهاية للرواية نهاية ديستوبيا أصيلة بأن ظلام الظلم والديكتاتورية أكبر واقوى من انها تذال بفيلم او كتاب، لازم الشعوب كلها تنتفض.
برأيي العظمة والعبقرية يبخسون حق العمل الرائع دا.
وللأسف انتهت واحدة من أعظم المانجا اللى قرتها ويمكن تكون افضلها، حتى افضل من ديث نوت

[Raphi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the whole series, although I’m slightly disappointed by the ending. Especially with the way Yokoya’s dad was named to be a dealer and then... and then nothing?? And I felt that Yokoya’s whole character arc was a bit incomplete by the end. But I’ll still give this 4 stars as I really enjoyed the series as a whole. It’s rare for a manga of this scale and premise to have such a happy ending, anyway, so I appreciate that.

[Darci · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing ending to a fantastic series.

I have been waiting to finish the entire series before I review any of The Liar Game. And the first 2/3 of this series are some of the best manga I’ve ever read. Smart, interesting, and full of twists and turns. That said, after the chair game the pace really fell off. With no stakes for Nao and Akiyama anymore, it’s hard to stay interested in the outcome of the games.

Still, the series as a whole will be a story that sticks with me.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the whole series but the ending is quite rush and unsatisfying. I have recently read Alice in Borderland so this manga gives off the same survival strategy vibes but the difference is that Liar Game does not have any violence. The main character looks so much like Light Yagami from Death Note haha.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am once again conflicted. I didn’t like this volume much as it had the most boring game and tactics ever. However I did like the ending before the ending, even though it wasn’t perfect. And the final ending? It’s either hopeless of trying to set up a novel that will never happen.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series was captivating when I first started it but then it got cumbersome that I just wanted it to be over with. Ending came out of nowhere but I wasn’t expecting much. I appreciated all the big brain tactics; it was fun while it lasted.

[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and intriguing manga, Really love this so far! Great suspenseful Psychological/ High stakes game manga 😻😻🃏 🎰😁❤️

[Sara Aouichi · Rating 2 out of 5]

the end was quit disapointing :(
the meaning of the game ? so lame

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, in the end the secret was revealed. But, this is so hanging 😅

[Mitali · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great premise - overall a 4/5 for the series