Liar Game (2007 TV series)

Liar Game
(ライアーゲーム)
Genre Drama, Live Action, Psychological
Directed by Hiroaki Matsuyama
Starring Erika Toda
Shota Matsuda
Country of origin JapanJapan
Original language(s) Japanese
No. of episodes 11 episodes
Production
Producer(s) Shimuta Toru (志牟田徹)
Location(s) Japan
Broadcast
Original channel Japan Fuji Television
Original run 14 April 2007 – 23 June 2007
Chronology
Followed by Liar Game: Season 2
External links
Website

Liar Game is a Japanese television drama series in 2007. It was adapted from a popular manga of the same name into a live action series directed by Hiroaki Matsuyama. The drama began airing in Japan on April 14, 2007. It featured Erika Toda as Nao Kanzaki, and Shota Matsuda as Shinichi Akiyama. The first season of Liar Game has 11 episodes, with a 3 hour long finale, which is a first for a drama series.[1] It has also gained the second highest viewer satisfaction rating, for the season, in an Oricon survey.[1]

Cast

Players

CastRoleDescription
Toda Erika Kanzaki Nao (18) Honest + Naive College Student.
Matsuda Shota Akiyama Shinichi (26) "Genius Swindler"
Ex-convict for bankrupting MLM Company
Kitamura Soichiro Fujisawa Kazuo Nao's former junior high school teacher (now retired)
Wada Soko Eto Koichi (leopard skin clothing)
Iwasa Mayuko Ishida Rie (black sunglasses and white pantsuit)
Sakamoto Makoto Ono Wataru Fish Store Clerk (thick black rimmed glasses)
Morishita Yoshiyuki Tsuchida Yasufumi (older, crooked teeth)
Ippongi Shingo Makita Tomoyuki (56) President of small workshop
Otaka Hiroo Kida Noriyuki (48) Business Company Clerk
Umishima Yuki Takamura Yoshimi (29) Housewife
Doi Yoshio Sajima Kenta (34) Actor
Nakagome Sachiko Aso Hiromi (29)Truck Driver
Izumi Masayuki Okano Kenya
Aoki Hajime Kinoshita Keigo
Mizuta Fumiko Kawamura Chisato (22) Model
Hatakeyama Akiko Nozoe Keiko (40) Housewife
Yukishima Naoki Sugawara Yuji (22)
Sakamoto Mitsunari Nishino Takahiko (32) Florist Shop assistant
Kobayashi Kinako Kayama Harumi (26) Restaurant Clerk
Baba Yuki Hanayama Tetsuo (29) TV Assistant Director
Yoshimura Tamao Iimura Jun (31) Housewife
Kitahara Hitomi Nakaya Kazuko (21) College Student
Suzuki Kosuke Fukunaga Yuji
Suzuki Kazuma Yokoya (white hair, clothes and shoes, green eyes); connected to MLM company that Akiyama bankrupted
Taguchi Hiroko
田口寛子
Takada Michiko Unknown

Liar Game Tournament

CastRoleDescription
Kiyama Shigeo Solario (voice) Liar Game main dealer
Yuui Ryoko Dealer
Kichise Michiko Eri Liar Game coordinator
Watanabe Ikkei Tanimura Mitsuo Cop with gold front tooth from Nao Kanzaki's city

Plot

Nao Kanzaki (Toda Erika), is a college student who is known for her honesty and naivete. One day, she receives a black postcard indicating that she has been selected to participate in the "Liar Game Tournament". Along with the postcard is a box with 100 million yen (about $1,000,000). The goal of the first round of the game is to trick the other player out of their hundred million yen. At the end, the winner would get to keep the hundred million earned, and the loser owes the LGT (Liar Game Tournament office) 100 million yen, which "will be collected by any means and at all costs". Initially, she was frightened by this disturbing game, but was soon relieved when she discovered that her opponent was her second year junior high school teacher, Mr. Fujisawa. Because of her honest personality, Nao was easily tricked into giving Mr. Fujisawa her 100 million yen. She was devastated and reached out to police for help. The police could not help her and suggested that she ask help from Shinichi Akiyama (Matsuda Shota), a genius swindler who was recently released from jail for single-handedly bankrupting one of the biggest scamming companies in Japan. After learning the story from Nao, Akiyama decided to help her to win this Liar Game.

Episode List (season 1)

Episode # Description Original airdate
1"A fierce battle of the wits begins over one million dollars.
Heart pounding psychological tricks keep the audience on the edge of their seats."
April 14, 2007
2"What will be the conclusion of the great struggle?
What secret plan could Akiyama have up his sleeve to turn the tables?"
April 28, 2007
3"A competition for 22 million dollars, decided by minority vote, begins.
Could you survive on this new stage?"
May 5, 2007
4"X’s indentity is revealed at last!
In this twist-filled drama, who will come out on top, X or Akiyama?"
May 12, 2007
5"Who will claim the $21 million prize in this shocking conclusion?
What is the true aim of the Liar Game Tournament? The fight shifts to a new arena."
May 19, 2007
6"The surprising revival round begins: Restructuring Game!
The ensnared Nao suffers alone, with no where to turn."
May 26, 2007
7"Driven into a corner, Nao has fallen into despair.
Could a miracle turn things around? Where is Akiyama?"
June 2, 2007
8"Akiyama works wonders at the Restructuring Game’s conclusion. Onward to the next stage!"June 9, 2007
9"A formidable new enemy appears in the Smuggling Game!
Is victory possible? Nao and Akiyama begin to fight in this next round."
June 16, 2007
10"Yokoya’s terrifying true nature is revealed in a shocking development.
Akiyama is enraged and Nao is devastated in this tumultuous round."
June 23, 2007
11"The final game has been prepared. Despair, deception, betrayal, lies… and hope. Each player’s true nature will be revealed, and all of Liar Game’s secrets will become clear in this final encounter.
Saturday's Premium Special Project: 3 Hour Special"
June 23, 2007

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "'LIAR GAME' drama gets 3-hour finale". May 29, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2009.