English Dub Review: Liar Game “Spearhead Match”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
The rules for the Spearhead Match are explained, and Fukunaga comes out strong out of the gate.

Our Take:
When you thought the LGT couldn’t top something like the Contraband Game, they proved otherwise with a game of Russian Roulette for the next Revival Round.  You might be wondering how a life-or-death game like Russian Roulette would be designed to fit the standards of the Liar Game, especially since it often results in killing yourself.  Obviously, the answer is losing something worse than your life: money, or in this case, chips.  More importantly, it relies on blank bullets instead of actual ones, so everyone competing gets to survive…sort of.  However, that doesn’t make it any less intense, as players still have to ensure that they don’t fire any bullets to stay out of debt.  Fortunately, through Akiyama and Fukunaga’s strategies, the latter is getting off to a strong start, thanks to a certain loophole involving the chamber, but it seems it won’t be for long.
With the season approaching its end, “Spearhead Match” aims to match the strategic tension seen in the Contraband Game arc through its money-making twist on Russian Roulette.  Given my experience with those episodes, it’s going to be hard to reach those heights, let alone come close.  “Spearhead Match” proves that, but it offers a decent start that retains the anxiety of the tournament’s rules and mind games, especially in the Russian Roulette game.  Even with the chamber being larger than most guns, I couldn’t help but be tense whenever someone’s brave enough to pull the trigger.  Fukunaga is certainly that someone who isn’t afraid to risk it all, especially when she finds that the chamber is unbalanced.  While she’s still a jerk on some occasions, we should at least be glad that she’s part of Nao’s team.  We’ll see how long that luck of hers will last during the next phase of the match.