....
RPG references aside, it is a pwnsome manga. And like with all pwnsome things, it has downfalls too. For example, the hideous art in the beginning. Their faces were long and weird to look at, and whenever they opened their mouths, like really opened them, it was hideous. In the beginning, I could not last a chapter without having the urge to slap Nao at least three times. She is that stupid of a protagonist. Protagonist was even a more generous word that she should have. All she did is rely on Akiyama and cry. Oh lord the crying.
But, like many other manga series, it got better. The art, especially in the more recent chapters, does not make me want to tear pages apart. They don't have deformed faces when they open their mouths. Nao's facial proportions actually look okay! I think Shinobu Kaitani (the artist) even learned about this thing called "perspective". Because they had some screwed up angles with the floor before. Nao too, grew from playing the Liars game and from being influenced by Akiyama's level 999 awesomeness, she got to the point where I did not want to slap her anymore. (But not on the level of other heroine transformations where I went HELL YEAH either) With her exp from playing the Liar Game, she took a level in Badass and went from level -999 to at least lvl 50. Nao has her crowning moments of awesome too where she does a lvl 100 skill, even if she does normally play the audience so that someone will explain to us what the hell is going on.
And that's a lot of times. Because this series is one mindscrew after another - in a freaking awesome way. Akiyama is the top player in the this game, and will always be. It gets more awesome considering he's up facing lvl 990 Yokoya (who dropped at least to 890 after being tricked by Nao and losing his cool) and lvl 900 Harimoto. Akiyama wins in every PvP match he's in, and he's the ultimate PKK. (terrorofdeath!)
Okay but seriously, Akiyama uses those boring university lectures to win every round, and in the most epic way possible. Each game is a mindscrew of you think you know he knows but he really knows you think you know. Or does he? -kinda thing. He surpasses everyone with his psychology knowledge, and all the lies and tricks he employs. Everytime I'm left there going like OMFG. NO WAY. Then slam my head on the desk because I would not have seen that coming in years. You can perhaps try by thinking "what's the stupidest move someone could make in this game and then thinking why would a chessmaster playing Xanatos gambits do it?" Between him, Fukunaga, (sometimes) Nao, Yokoya and Harimoto, it really is a game of "the tables have turned..around..and around..and round" with me just awestruck at their brilliance. I swear Akiyama has a crowning moment of awesome every chapter.
Also Nao and Akiyama are beyond meant to be. :D
So, to all psychology students out there: level up and learn mindscrew skills like that tension reduction, gambler's fallacy, door in the face, theory reciprocity, power play, cold reading, cognitive dissonance and put those skills to use in a shady corporate game run by a seemingly bored millionaire in order to win tons of money!
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