Episode 4 Article

04: "Messages" about you is always leaking out



Armatures in psychology think: “If I stay silent, then I am not letting anything out.”

In this world, no matter how we humans keep our mouth shut, “messages” would still inevitably seeps out from everywhere. Of course, we never know we let those messages slip.

This time, Akiyama’s “reading” was perfectly correct again.

Fukunaga planned to seize everything from everyone else, and get the full 2.1 billion yen for himself, but, Akiyama saw through that.

In short, Akiyama, noticed how Fukunaga secretively tried to make 2 other teams.
Akiyama said. “Try to remember what happened yesterday in the game.”

“It was very weird! On the first day, everyone was so nervous, but when the game started, they all looked so calm. It was as if, they were all convinced they were safe already.”

“The most obvious hint came, when the losers had to leave the room.”

“As we all know, losing here earns you a 100 million yen debt. Naturally, it wouldn’t be surprising at all, even if people flip or start to cry. But everybody left the room quietly, without a word of complaint."

So! Akiyama was observing everyone’s actions. This is “man watching”. Certainly, no one would say secrets out loud. However, their actions and behaviors, can also effectively expose their secrets.

In this manner, gestures and means beyond words express information, this is called “non-verbal communication,” or “body language”.

Clothing, accessories, belongings, colors, body stature, hair style, make up, expression, eyes direction, posture, manner, gestures, action, how you distance yourself from others, voice tones… these are all clues, and they all communicate information about you.

Therefore, no matter how you keep a secret quiet, your “body” is still carelessly revealing the secret.

That’s why, experienced police would not overlook the slightest nervousness or suspicious actions. In the same way, in a job interview, by reading that person’s body language, employer can get a feel of that person’s distinctive personality. So, our body, really talks a lot.

Well, that suggests that there are no ways to really prepare for that problem. However, let me provide you with some measures you can take in response.

In short “attack is the best defense”. There’s a limit to how much you can keep others from grasping those [non-verbal] information, keep yourself from sending body languages, or increase your defense. Compare to this, on the other hand, proactively sending out information is more effective.

For example, in an interview, you can make your clothing speaks for you, make your posture speaks for you, let your gestures, your expression speak for you in a positive manner. Use body language to your advantage. Life is a play. And when you
act, you can make fools gold turn into gold.

As Akiyama suggests, “If you really want to fool us, maybe you should have made them act their parts too,” in life truths can be hidden away.

Read More...

Summary only...

Akiyama's strategy

With this strategy, Akiyama plans to win the second round of the Tournament.

SPOILER FOR EP3

Round Two: Akiyama's winning strategy

Nao doesn't care about the prize money, she just wants to get out of the game.
Akiyama came up with the idea of creating teams for this purpose.

There is a total of 22 participants. From these, he creates a team (1) of 8 members, including Nao and Akiyama.

When a question is set, each half of the team votes for YES and NO respectively.

Example:


Logically, half of the team is going to proceed to the next round.
At the first question, the closest outcome possible is when the players not in the team split up with 6 votes against 8.
(with 7 against 7 it ends up in a draw)

↓
10 players remain in the game.

At the second question, the team is again divided into half. The closest outcome possible is when the other players split up with 2 votes against 4.
(with 3 against 3 it's a draw again)

4 team members remain in. Once again, they are divided up equally.
This leaves only two possible patterns of answers:

(1)

(2)

If the voting results in the 2nd pattern, it's a draw, so the voting will be repeated until the 1st pattern emerges.
That means, that in the end one of the players is bound to remain.

Now what if there is no close outcome?
Let's assume that after the 1st question we get this:

The following question will lead to:

This decides the game - with only two players remaining, there is no minority vote.



★ Distribution of prize money using this method:

(1) if one player wins:
The winner receives 2100 million yen.
Half of this money goes back to LGT Office for not taking part in the third round.
1050 million yen remain.
The other 7 members need to return 100 million yen each to the Office, for losing the second round.
For this, 700 million yen are needed.
The remaining prize money amounts to 350 million yen.
Divided through 8 members, each person ends up with a share of 4,375,000 yen.
(for the losers the game has already ended, so they don't need to pay half of their prize money to get out)

(2) if two players win:
Each person receives 1000 million yen.
Each of them needs to return half of their prize money to LGT Office for not taking part in the third round.
This leaves each of them with 500 million yen.
The 6 team members who dropped out before are divided in two groups, assigning 3 of them to each of the winners. They need to return their debts of 100 million yen to the Office, so each group ends up with 200 million yen.
Dividing this amount by 4 members per group leaves each person with 50 million yen.

This means that in both scenarios, all team members have a chance to win money.

★ Why have 8 members?
This number allows each member to get the highest amount of money while ensuring certain victory as few members as possible. 9 or 10 members would work as well. But if the number gets any higher, there is only debts to win. And if we have only 7 members...


Closest possible outcome for the first question:

And now, if we assume that the second question ends on the closest possible outcome again:


Now we have one member against three other players. Certain victory has become impossible.
Something like this might happen:

With even less members, say 5 or 6, certain victory is out of reach.

Problems:
○ The team members. The strategy fails if there's a traitor inside. Akiyama had the members sign contracts.

○ The unknown player "X" who stole 100 million yen from Michiko Takada. Because X already has 100 million yen (making it 200 million yen with the money for the second round), X could pay for his debts even after losing in this round.

Read More...

Summary only...

Card 2.3

Card 2.3: Game 2 Direction Card



This is what told Akiyama where to go find Nao in Episode 2.

Read More...

Summary only...

Round 2 Rules

Round 2 Official Rules (from official web site)


Tournament Rules: Round Two

In the second round, the winners from the first round(*if they wish to participate) get together, and play for 100 million yen each, once again lent to them by LGT Office. Each nameplate handed to each participant contains jewels worth 100 million yen. Losers will have to put down their plate and leave. However, just like in the first round, they must return their 100 million yen to LGT Office.

* Players who do not wish to participate must return half of their prize money from the first round to the Office. Nao won the first round, but because she handed all of the money back to her opponent, Mr. Fujisawa,she couldn't return the money to the Office.

What is the "minority voting" in the second round about?

In this game, the winner is decided by simply using a method opposite to "majority voting"

1) One of the participants makes a question. Only questions which can be answered using YES or NO are allowed.

2) All of the participants (including the person who made the question) must vote either YES or NO within a time limit of 6 hours.

3) The side with less votes is declared winner.

4) This procedure is repeated until only one or two winners remain. Because it is not possible to make a minority vote with only two persons (it is impossible to decide win and loss), the game ends at this stage.

5) If there is only one winner, the prize money will be x 100 million yen - 100 million lent by LGT Office in the beginning.
If there are two winners, the prize money for each of the two will be x 100 million yen / 2 - 100 million

6) The losers will have to return the 100 million they were given for use in the game to LGT Office.

Read More...

Summary only...

Round 1 Rules

Round One Official Rules (from the official web site)



Tournament Rules: Round One

Using the 100 million yen you were sent, you must try and steal money from an opponent assigned by LGT Office. There are no rules regarding the means to get at the money. When the game ends (30 days after the opponent has been assigned), the player with more money is declared the winner. Any money exceeding the 100 million yen to be returned to LGT Office, will become the prize money. The loser is to return 100 million yen to LGT Office. The loser has to raise the sum he lost, even if this means taking up a loan.

Read More...

Summary only...

Card 2.2

Card 2.2: Real Card




The LIAR GAME is going to end shortly.

Fujisawa Kazuo + 100.000.000 Yen

Kanzaki Nao - 100.000.000 Yen

On April 15, 6:00 p.m. our collector will appear to retrieve the money and announce the end of the game.

LGT Office

Read More...

Summary only...

Card 2.1

Card 2.1: Fake Card




The LIAR GAME is going to end shortly.

Fujisawa Kazuo + 100.000.000 Yen

Kanzaki Nao - 100.000.000 Yen

On April 15, 5:00 p.m. our collector will appear to retrieve the money and announce the end of the game.

LGT Office

Read More...

Summary only...

Card 1.2

Card 1.2: Opponent Card




If any of you can take a hi-res screen cap of this for us please do!!

For now, all Lanbreak can read is...

His favorite food is short cake, while he doesn't like eggplants

And of course, that he is 63 years old.

Read More...

Summary only...

Card 1.1

Card 1.1: First Card from Liar Game Office




Congratulations.

Against a chance of 100000 to 1 you have been selected for the Liar Game Tournament.

Good luck to you.

Open this box only if you want to participate.
Cancellation will not be accepted.

Read More...

Summary only...

Episode 3 Article

03: Can you escape from being in a "group"?
Edited one line that I got very wrong. OTZ

"Minority rule!" Isn’t that a very spectacular development?

Can you remember Leronira’s speech at the closing of episode 2?

“Everyone, you all know about majority rule, right? That is used in making decision in meetings and elections. In the modern era where democracy is widespread, decisions are indeed made by majority rule. Usually, the majority gets to lead, and the minority bears a disadvantage.”

“However…, the game you will now play, is the complete opposite!”

“Majority dies, and minority survives… It’s “minority rule” game!”

Tyranny of the majority, the strong exploiting the weak, to those of us disgusted with majority rule, this [game] is like a soothing cup of tea. This is uncompromising spirit, this is what we call “being rebellious”… Is that really true?

Ultimately, our anti-hero Akiyama is the sharpest!

Minority rule, as Akiyama noticed is simply “majority rule” in disguise in the end. By “reversing” twice you end up going around full circle, that is to say that you can turn an impossible minority rule [situation] into an accomplishable majority rule [situation].

That's correct, normal “majority faction endeavor” (increasing the number of supporters) compare to, “minority faction endeavor” (decreasing the number of supporters) do not seem all that similar. However, that’s only if we think of this as an individual-centered activity. If a few people form a team, and beforehand set rules and vote repeatedly in a logical fashion, then “someone” on the team would always get to stay for the next round! It doesn’t matter if you win individually, in the end it only matters if you win as a team. That’s what Akiyama discovered.

This is again, in some sense “majority faction endeavor” in work.

With great pain to those who wishes to oppose majority rule [with this game], by visualizing a reversal you can see, this is probably just an “empty dream” (what cannot be realized).

Nonetheless, humans are made to be “social animals”, in other words, we are creatures that can collaborate with one another. Even if an individual is weak, when a few people work together, they can still become very powerful. In truth, in primitive environment, humans formed groups for better survival, now, it is clear that even though everything has advanced, groups are still flourishing.

That is the reason why majority rule exists.

Now, I think everyone would agree, tyranny of majority is always a risk, and we want to beat it, to the brothers and sisters with that sort of uncompromising spirit, there is good news.

That is, the means of using majority has changed through out human history, at the same time things have changed so that in some situations “minority faction lead majority faction,” this is reality.

In the beginning, you are a one person minority, you are weak and helpless, then somehow you gain supporters, and when you realize you have become a majority, you can finally get your victory.

If you study human history carefully, you would find many examples of “minorities becoming majorities.”

In any case, even if we don’t talk about history and other significant events like that, this is exactly what Akiyama did in this round of “Liar Game”.

In the beginning, Akiyama was the only one who thought of this “guaranteed win method”. At that time he could be seen as a minority. Then, Nao agreed with him, and his supporters increased one by one, eventually, a majority was formed and he had total control over this situation.

We humans, are not just social animals, we are also capable of sharing our ideas, we are animals that communicate with each other. It’s because we can analyze and understand what is right, I believe that in the near future, we can change the usage of “majority and minority” for the better.

People, there is no reason to feel embarrassed because you are a minority.

Be true to yourself and live [the way you want to live].

Read More...

Summary only...

Interview: Matsuda Shota

02: Matsuda Shota


How do you feel about being in a momentous show like "Liar Game," the first series shown in Fuji TV's new drama slot "Saturday Drama?"

It's a different kind of motivation. My motivation is burning and it increases continuously (laugh). I think because of this new slot, I got to enjoy various things that I would not have a chance to enjoy otherwise.

What do you think about the original manga and the script?

I began reading the original work in the magazine when it was first published. I reread the work when I got Akiyama's role, but then it was an interesting piece of work (laugh).

What is your character, Akiyama, like?

I can describe him with single words like "cool" and "intelligent," however, he also has a surprising nice side, and he is a character with a good humane heart. He is a mysterious man whose true character cannot be easily understood through his words and attitude alone.

How will you act out Akiyama?

For a man as cool as Akiyama, there would always be some dark past, but I want to portray his other sides well too. He is normally a very taciturn character, but I think it would be good if his reserve fades and he shows more and more emotion in the process of solving the games.

Read More...

Summary only...

Interview: Erika Toda

01: Erika Toda


How do you feel about playing the lead role in "Liar Game," the first show in Fuji TV's new drama slot "Saturaday Drama?"

Extremely happy, it's truely very gratifying. Thinking about that makes me work extra hard on understanding my role better.

This is the first drama series you star, do you feel nervous?

Right now, it's more fun than nervous. I am not feeling that stressed out, not because of my doing, but because of people around me working hard to finish this show.

What do you think about the original manga and the script?

If I must use only one sentense then it's "Very cool!" (laugh). It made me think about what are lies, what is betrayal, what does it means to deceive... in so many different aspects, relationship between two human beings is so complicated. I had some "hey I thought of that" moments when I read about the games, the story development is so interesting.

What is your character, Nao, like?

Too honest, very naive. It's good to live honestly and be sincere toward others, but I think no matter what you must have some reservation. However, Nao does not have any of that. You have to respect her for being able to trust people so unguardedly. Only, going into society with that sort of severe innocence... that's my feeling... (laugh)

Read More...

Summary only...

Episode 2 Article

02: "Lion or Zebra" which one are you?


Finally, Akiyama showed his ability as a genius swindler! He cornered Fujizawa, the man who cheated the very honest Nao of 100 million. Akiyama was very self-assured and calm, and when he heard Fujizawa’s winning strategy…. He laughed.

But, wait a minute, no matter how you look at the situation, the person with the undisputable advantage is Fujizawa. The 200 million is sitting in his sturdy safe, all he needed to do was wait for the end of the game and he would have won. Yet, it was Fujizawa who was frightened, anxious, and completely paranoid.

Why is that?

That is because Fujizawa was “the prey” while Akiyama was “the preditor.”

Imagine a lion and a zebra running on grassland, both are going at full speed. Yet, while the lion is chasing a prey, the zebra is running for his life. Who do you think is happier?

In other words, having to defend the 200 million dollars he acquired, Fujizawa was the zebra being chased in spirit by Akiyama and Nao. That’s why he was constantly tortured by fear and paranoia.

Because Akiyama confidently declared he would take the 200 million, doubts took roots in Fujizawa, and he began to wonder, “Can there really be a way [to steal the money] that I have not considered?” Once that happened, as Akiyama predicted with “cognitive dissonance”, Fujizawa began to find irrational explanations to everything. Akiyama and Nao’s story shows that “evidence” (?) created by “anxiety” can make anxiety even worse.

Now, when can Fujizawa be cornered?

In the end, how will Akiyama finish off Fujizawa?

Right, in life, you can easily change from a lion into a zebra. It’s all about attitude.

Of course, there are situations where you cannot avoid being a zebra. For example, it is very good to run away from lions-like events (disasters), in psychology, this is called “avoidance (evasive actions).” The consequences to disasters and such are great, so avoidance is a splendid ability.




The rest is kind of boring to me… so I am just going to give a summary of the rest of the article:

We learn from experience. If you run away from everything and be submissive about everything in life, “avoidance” would become your habit. In that case, you would no longer know how to “chase,” and when a good opportunity comes along you would habitually let the opportunity slip.

If you don’t want to be a zebra for life, then be proactive, make “chasing” a habit. Chase your dreams! Live for “happiness.” If you know what makes you happy and pursue that, you can endure any hardship.

Miracles will not happen if you don’t take the first step.

Read More...

Summary only...

Episode 1 Article

01: Even you can fall for "type panic" swindling


Finally, the story of “stupidly honest” Nao and “genius swindler” Akiyama’s adventure begins.

We will take a look at first episode, at those that can “embrace deceptions”. The nice elders of this country (not only them, but most suffering from phone frauds are lonely elders), can easily “embrace deception”! Akiyama plans to use this to save Nao.

I will leave it to the show to explain how he does that.

Anyway, no matter how much media cover well known fraud cases, many will still fall for the same tricks. Seeing that many people shakes their head.

“Didn’t they read the news paper and watch the news?” “If those elders are stupid enough to get deceived, they deserve it.”

In short, increasingly, “normal adults” are think there’s no way they can be deceived by scams they heard of before.

Yet, there is still a considerable probability that people who normally have sound judgment would fall for those tricks. You are not different.

The secret of “embracing deception” is that, first, “panic” robs victims of their normal reasoning ability. After their judgment is impaired, they quite willingly extend a “helping hand.”

Try to imagine, your close relative, suddenly become involved in an accident. Your cute grandchild crashed his car into someone, got caught by the police, and now faces a huge compensation payment. Oh, by the way, it looks like he can’t avoid jail…

When faced with this sort of situation, everyone would panic.

When people panic, their common sense drops by half. When we say panic, we are talking about the over-excitement of brain cell induced by emergencies. You would think if your brain cells are that active in that state, you would be more capable than normal, but in reality, it’s the opposite. What get demonstrated instead are things like “idiocy during a fire,” where things you can do very easily suddenly become very hard. This has been proven by many psychology experiments.

That’s why many deaths in fires and other catastrophes are caused by people not noticing the closest exit, and instead head to a farther exit thus increasing their exposure to danger. If it had been a normal situation, those people would have been able to make the right judgment.



The rest of the write up is kind of boring so I am just going to translate in a very concise manner… You should get the idea:

There are ways to fight panic.
1) Talk to others.
2) Practice staying calm.
3) Relax.

And to close off the write up… this psychiatrist advertised Liar Game by telling you to relax by watching Liar Game with friends and family. Lol.

Read More...

Summary only...

About Articles

These articles are published on the official Liar Game web site in a section called Dr. Tomita's Psychology Lesson. They are written by a psychology professor called Dr. Tomita.

Each article is posted on the web page a few days before the corresponding episode is aired.

Read More...

Summary only...