(Dramawiki, because you know I'm too lazy to write a summary LOL.)
I've been following the manga, so I thought I should watch the drama as well ^^. I think it's a good thing this manga was turned into a drama; here the tricks are explained slowly and with illustrations, not in chunks of words that are hard to digest xP. But since they made the tricks sound simpler, the scriptwriters decided to make the plot a lot more complicated than the original one LOL. Still, it's good how they managed to include a wee bit of humour here and there in the midst of such a deadly serious story haha.
When I first saw the cast for this drama way before, I thought that Matsuda Shota wasn't good-looking and smart-looking enough to play Akiyama, and Erika Toda didn't look innocent/gullible enough to play Nao. But I was proven wrong; they are both suitable for their roles :). It's incredible how even though actors may look the same in various dramas -- same hairstyle or same type of make-up, acting skills surpass everything else. Actors are awesome, ne ^^.
Nao is such a naive, kind baka, lol ^^;;. Erika Toda is pretty :). Her eyes are so big relative to her small face lol. That wide-eyed look is crucial to Nao's looks, since she had to look gullible, innocent and rather dumb, yet kinda cute so that she'd still be likeable.
I've always liked Akiyama; he's SO SMART. He's cool-headed and has good brains, and most importantly, even though he's no angel, he's a good guy. Seriously, Akiyama rocks. Matsuda Shota has the look of a bad guy; maybe that's why he can pull off the look of a smart swindler. I think it's the sharp gaze and the smirk haha x). I prefer his short hair in Love Shuffle, but he looks good with the long hair too.
That being said, the two main leads are probably the best thing about the drama. The drama can be said to have four parts: Round 1, Round 2, Revival Round, and Round 3. While Round 1 was boring, Round 2 and Revival Round were really interesting, and in those episodes I could really see the connection between Akiyama and Nao. However, after that the plot sorta lost steam, and Round 3 felt all over the place; it felt like the twists were there in the half-hearted attempt to make the drama stay like a mystery drama. And the Akiyama/Nao connection seemed lost too :(. The ending was rushed, even with the 2.5 hour SP. And by then, the maniac laughter by the villains felt tiresome; the reaction shots of everyone on the scene -- which usually ended with that of Nao or Akiyama -- felt overused. Also, complaints to the director: I don't like the dark lighting used so frequently here, especially the red one. I know they are used to add a touch of mystery, but they aren't exactly appropriately used, and they are irritating >:[. The dealer's laughter is totally unnecessary since this is not a horror drama, and its mask reminds me of the doll in Saw D:.
Liar Game has a Season 1, one SP, Season 2, and will end in a movie that's scheduled to be out this year. I'm going to watch them all, since I've already watched the first two. One day I'm gonna watch Bloody Monday too, by the way, since I've read the manga. And Code Blue Season 2 is currently airing; can you feel my excitement :DD? But next is Tokyo Dogs first xDD.
Being able to lie is a talent.
