English Dub Review: Liar Game “Shockwave”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Nao and Akiyama crank up the pressure to try to retrieve Nao’s millions.

Our Take:
When you have a teacher who’s actually nothing but a giant asshole, the only solution is to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget.  Punching them in the face would be the ideal choice, but what’s even better is breaking them down from a mental standpoint.  This is what Akiyama intends to do in this week’s episode, as he plans to put the pressure on Fujisawa by following the rules of the Liar Game.  However, even with that plan in motion, Nao is still feeling less confident with the process, especially when it’s coming down to the wire and Fujisawa becoming more and more punchable by the minute.  At the very least, the episode did a solid job highlighting Akiyama’s psychological expertise and charisma, thanks to Nick Huber’s performance.
More importantly, it further highlights the direction seen in its premise, and it’s not just because of the race-against-the-clock scenario of retrieving the money.  It’s also due to the psychological anxiety that arises from trust and misdirection, notably from those we believe in.  Nao feels betrayed by the former teacher who had inspired her greatly in the previous episode, heightening her concerns and doubts.  Now, with Akiyama’s questionable plan in motion, she’s grown anxious about whether she can truly trust the former conman.  It certainly doesn’t help that her financial stability is on the line, which helped elevate the manga’s intense premise to a solid degree.  “Shockwave” shows that the anime has the potential to meet that expectation, despite the pacing feeling a bit rushed at times.