Liar Game, written by Shinobu Kaitani, is a story about a psychological battle to determine the strongest liar. The manga version of Liar Game was popular, but its TV and film adaptations made it even more popular. However, the live-action version has some differences from the original, and both the manga and TV versions have their own appeal. So, what are the differences between the original and the live-action version? This time, we'll summarize the major changes between the original and the live-action versions.
What exactly is Liar Game?
The story of Liar Game begins when Nao Kanzaki, a naive college student, suddenly finds herself drawn into a game called Liar Game. They are suddenly sent 100 million yen and forced to play a game where the person who has the most money by stealing it from their opponents within a month wins. The foolishly honest Nao Kanzaki is easily tricked out of his money and finds himself in a tight spot. When he hears that a genius con artist is about to be released from prison, he seeks help, and together with the genius con artist Shinichi Akiyama, he fights against the Liar Game Secretariat and aims to reach the top. The key to Liar Game is telling lies while finding a surefire way to win the games held by the Secretariat and fighting while reading each other's minds.
Change #1: A Major Character Change for Yuji Fukunaga
First, let's look at the main difference between the original and live-action versions of Liar Game: Yuji Fukunaga's character. Yuji Fukunaga is one of the main characters in Liar Game. In the original, he is a beautiful transgender woman with a shaved head. He is extremely cunning, and in the second round of the minority vote game, he immediately steals a check for 100 million yen from one of the players, successfully deceiving all the other members and winning the match. However, in the live-action version, he is a man with a bob haircut and glasses. While his personality is similar to that of the original, being skillful and cunning, he is a more underhanded and hateful character who is quick to betray. He has a very high energy level and became very popular in the TV series as a character with great character. In the original series, he starts out as an enemy, but as he gradually wins, he progresses through the game as if he were a friend to Nao Kanzaki and Shinichi Akiyama. However, in the live-action version, he is sometimes a friend, but he is often positioned as an enemy character at first, as he betrays Nao Kanzaki at first.
Change #2: The #15 Man has been replaced by a woman.
The next major difference between the original and live-action versions of Liar Game is the #15 Man. He is a character who appeared in the second round of the game, a minority vote, in which participants compete to become the minority in response to a question. In the original version, the characters were identified by license plates, and so he was considered #15. However, unlike the original, the live-action version is a woman wearing sunglasses. There are no major differences in his personality or content. However, Man No. 15 came to be known as X, and in the story, it was assumed that he stole a check for 100 million yen from a woman named Takada Michiko, pretending to be a member of the Liar Game office. While this was actually Fukunaga's plan, Woman No. 15's presence until the end gave the impression that she was up to something.
Change #3: The outcome of the smuggling game is quite different
The third round, the smuggling game, also differs significantly between the original manga and the live-action version. The rules themselves haven't changed significantly. Instead, players are split into two teams and must decide whether to transport a large sum of money left behind in their respective territories, deceiving their opponents and moving the money. However, whereas in the original work the enemy group is made up of completely new characters, in the live-action version, perhaps due to the cast, only one powerful enemy character, Yokoya Norihiko, suddenly joins the battle, and the remaining members who have won so far are split into teams and compete against each other. The gameplay is not much different from the original, with Yokoya shaking up Kanzaki Nao and the others by claiming he can see through them, leading to heated battles. In the live-action drama, the first season ends with the smuggling game, which intensifies the conflict between Yokoya and Akiyama, and Akiyama's past is portrayed more clearly. Also, although this is a slight spoiler, in the manga version Kanzaki Nao's team gains a large sum of money but loses, allowing them to escape the Liar Game, whereas in the drama version they manage their money well to end the game in a draw and move on to the next battle.
Change #4: Katsuragi Ryo, an original character in the drama version
The live-action version of Liar Game is divided into Season 1 and Season 2. One of the highlights of Season 2 is the introduction of new enemy characters, further changing the series from the original. One of the biggest changes in Season 2 is the addition of a female character named Katsuragi Ryo. Katsuragi Ryo is portrayed as a former classmate of Akiyama Shinichi, a rival in the same seminar. The game involves players playing the Angel and Devil Game, a game in which they become either angels or demons by coming into contact with each other. In the original manga, Yokoya takes on Katsuragi's role in this battle against Akiyama and his teammates. However, in the TV series, his actions remain the same, and the gameplay unfolds in a relatively similar manner. The live-action TV series also features a similar story to the Gold Bullion Game, a smuggling game. This is not present in the manga, so it could be considered a unique twist on the drama.
Change #5: The film features the original game, the Garden of Eden Game.
The final difference between the live-action version of Liar Game and the original manga is the inclusion of the Garden of Eden Game. This is a completely original game created for the film and is depicted as the de facto final game of the TV series. To be more specific, there have been subsequent Liar Game films in which Nao Kanzaki does not appear, but the first film marks the end of the series as a drama series. In the Garden of Eden game, players enter a closed room within a time limit and vote by branding a red, gold, or silver apple with their own mark. The voter who votes the most apples receives additional money. As mentioned earlier, this game is completely original, and many of the characters are making their first appearance in the film, making it enjoyable for both fans of the original work and fans of the live-action drama. The second film, Reborn, depicts a game of musical chairs, which is similar to the original work in that it depicts the characters divided into three factions, including religious leaders Yokoya and Harimoto, fighting for survival. Although the characters are different in this version, the story is not significantly different and is reproduced almost faithfully to the original.
[Liar Game] Comparing the Major Differences Between the TV Series and the Original Work! Summary
This article summarizes the differences between the TV series and the original work of Liar Game. One of the attractions of Liar Game is the psychological warfare and lies it employs through its unique and original gameplay, as well as the discovery of surefire strategies and how to overcome them. While it often involves highly advanced strategies, both the original work and the live-action version are easy to understand, making it a recommended read. The TV series also features unique features, such as the more distinctive character of Yuji Fukunaga, making it a uniquely enjoyable work. In any case, both the TV series and the original work are high-quality works, so why not give it a try? It's especially recommended for those who enjoy psychological warfare and battles of wits.
