English Dub Review: Liar Game “Trap”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Nao notices a contradiction in the Spearhead Match incentives.

Our Take:
I would say that things are starting to go exactly as planned, but since this is the Liar Game, I would’ve ended up lying to myself.  Using the chamber’s gravity as an advantage, Fuji ended up dominating the mind games by studying where the bullets would end up.  Unfortunately, that strategy ended up in the LGT’s favor, as they collected money from the players’ forfeit chips.  That would put the players further into debt, contradicting Nao’s plan to save everyone, including Nishida’s team.  This is another moment that shows the LGT rearing its ugly head with its underlying conditions.  It continues to highlight that no matter how much a player wins or loses, the higher-ups behind it will always come out on top with the most money.
Because of this shocking revelation, Nao has once again put herself against Fuji, as she devises a new plan to force both teams into a tie.  Of course, being the stubborn woman she is, Fuji is too far ahead of herself to accept these new terms.  This led Nao to commit to the competition’s lying factor to keep both teams safe, though it may affect her cooperation with Fuji later, depending on the result of the next round.  Fuji totally had it coming after tricking Nao numerous times throughout the season.  Sure, she continues to benefit the team a bit, but her arrogance and greed still make me doubt whether she’ll actually redeem herself.  After hearing Fuji say she’ll vow revenge against Nao if Akiyama loses the core match, I’m going to bet that she may not, but we’ll see.
“Trap” sees the season’s final arc retaining as much tension as the Contraband Game arc as it concludes the Spearhead Match.  It comes close to matching the stakes seen in the Contraband Game, though we’re still in the early stages of the new Loser’s Revival.  Hopefully, with the Core game being Seventeen Poker, that could change as we’re nearing the end of the season.  Fortunately, the episode benefits from the suspense and the characters’ contradictions in how to overcome the tournament, notably Nao’s confidence clashing with Fuji’s greed.