This manga starts out guns-blazing amazing. I'm really into psychological thrillers where there's a twist at every corner, and death games like Liar Game, Tower of God, and Darwin's Game really appeal to me. This one turned out to be a horrible disappointment.

STORY - 3

The author definitely has the genius for it. The strategies and revelations shown through the games actually reveals a lot of forethought and planning on his part. You'll never be sure of anything. However, questions are constantly appearing, and answers are never given. Characters drop like flies or get put on a bus, and what started out as an excitingly paced dark-but-fun story turned into a depressing read that doesn't pull at my heartstrings anymore. You stop caring about the twists too - they start growing out of control, and I've lost faith in the author's ability to turn it around and untie this knot.

ART - 9

Really good, imo. Nisekoi-ish art, the characters, their expressions, landscape and shading, incredible detail, etc. are all on point.

CHARACTER -1

This is what really sinks this manga. By the time you're caught up, most of the characters you've known to love are either gone, on hiatus, or just a completely different character from what you've come to know. I've really stopped caring about most of the characters and their suffering as I no longer find them relatable. The actions of many of the people in the manga are absolutely unrealistic, and it gives off the impression that even the artist has stopped caring.

Overall, I think it takes a special kind of reader to really enjoy the series more beyond its crucial turning point. As someone who usually remains faithful to the story and has become disillusioned, I believe most readers will only find themselves increasingly disappointed as they move forward.