ダウト、一億。

[arisha]

13. Liar Game (Season 1), 2007
So I finally took up frauleinfrog's suggestion of watching Japanese TV series as a way to get more listening practice, but, having forgotten the specific series she suggested (lol, I'm horrible as always), I found myself just going down a list of dorama and clicking on whatever random titles sounded interesting. After reading the summary of Liar Game's first episode I decided this would be the one I'd watch, and omg, accidentally finding something that you then discover is awesome is one of the best things ever.

This show begins with the "stupidly honest" Nao's accidental participation in the title game. She is given a hundred million yen and an opponent. If she can steal her opponent's money, she gets to keep it; if her opponent steals her money, she'll end up with a horrific debt. When her opponent tricks her out of her hundred million, she hires a swindler to help her get it back, not realizing that this is only the first round.

I kind of love this show, from its campy camerawork and slightly unbelievable plot (does Nao not have a job? how does she afford that apartment of which I am superbly jealous??) to its shameless use of the theme from Requiem for a Dream and its overuse of maniacal evil laughter. (I actually rather disliked that latter until I watched the final episode, in which it is used pretty perfectly.) I love that it's a G-rated psychological thriller that really knows how to create suspense (and has amusing moments and even made me tear up a couple times, haha srsly!), I love that you're always encouraged to try to figure out the games the characters are playing and the strategies they're using to play them, I even love that every possible form of the verb damasu ("to trick, to cheat, to deceive") is now permanently burned into my brain. I do wonder how much rewatch value a series like this has, since I think a lot of its awesomeness comes from not knowing what's going to happen next. But I won't worry about that now - I've still got the entire second season to enjoy!

Also, I downloaded this show and actually felt pretty bad about that until I discovered that to legally own these eleven episodes would cost about a hundred and seventy dollars. I don't feel quite so guilty anymore. :|

Comments

[mydochas.livejournal.com]

the last movie just came out... and is in theatres. Or maybe is going to be in theatres soon. Either way. You should come here to watch it!

[arisha.livejournal.com]

I think it comes out in a couple weeks!

LEND ME THE MONEY AND I'M THERE :D :D :D :D

[lifty.livejournal.com]

GOODNESS GRACIOUS. I did not know that there was another season. I watched the first about two years ago and the ending felt like a cop-out. XD I loved it but Nao drove me crazy twice in particular: when she came back to the second round to save Shinichi but kept getting tricked by the guy again and again, and when she trusted that ... evil guy while playing the smuggling game in teams. I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE DETAILS. I tried reading the manga but couldn't get past the artwork.

[arisha.livejournal.com]

I had no idea you watched this!! :O

I did not know that there was another season.

It just finished last month I think. I have no idea why it took them two years to make a second season, especially when the first season ended with such an odd sort of cliffhanger.

I didn't want to complain about Nao being tricked in this entry because after the last episode I felt like Nao's willingness to believe in people was the entire point of the series, BUT OH MY GOD I KNOW, RIGHT!!!! She got tricked by Fukunaga like three times in a row! And then yeah, when she was trying to work something out between the smuggling teams but then got horribly tricked herself? I'm pretty sure I was more annoyed with her than her teammates were, lol. I like that the season ended with such a cheerful message or whatever, but the fact that she kept getting tricked and then having to be saved by Akiyama, after a while it definitely gets on your nerves!

... but other than that I loved it. xD

I tried reading the manga but couldn't get past the artwork.

I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR IT'S NOT JUST ME!! I looked up the manga on Wikipedia and even just the cover images freaked me out. So I think I'll stick with the dorama, thanks. DDD:

[alchymyst.livejournal.com]

I started watching doramas too for practice. Just finished Densha Otoko, which was really funny. Once Olympics are over, I'll watch My Boss My Hero and JIN (both supposed to be pretty awesome).

[arisha.livejournal.com]

omg, Densha Otoko! I have been meaning to watch that for ages but I keep forgetting it exists! We actually watched a short clip of it (or I could be wrong, it might've been a clip from the movie) in one of my Japanese classes once, I liked that it came complete with tons of text on the screen. xD

[alchymyst.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it has all these people posting on 2ch board, which sometimes helps, since you can pause and read :). It's a really good drama.

[frauleinfrog.livejournal.com]

Yay, dramas! I really should be watching more dramas, but right now I pretty much get home from work and am like, "English please! *grabby hands at internets*". I do not even know what's on tv right now! *shockgasphorror*

[arisha.livejournal.com]

Srsly, when I'm here I always wish I could have more exposure to Japanese, but when I was in Japan I definitely just wished I could read something and understand it~~ ^^;

[frauleinfrog.livejournal.com]

Exactly! There's something so wonderful about being able to understand everything you hear. Although maybe my Japanese would be improving more quickly if I didn't have access to the internet.

[aurora-lime.livejournal.com]

this is a good idea! But seriously, my Japanese is at like, Bob the Builder and Caiou level. Maybe I should get some Japanese Sesame Street?

[frauleinfrog.livejournal.com]

I vote for "Okaasan to issho" or "Nihongo de Asobou"~! (Or ya know, like Hamtaro or Hello!Kitty or something. XD)