I binge-watched Tomodachi Game, also known as Friends Game. It’s a Japanese drama based on a manga. There is an upcoming anime adaptation, and I’m pretty excited about it.
Plot: High schooler Katagiri Yuichi is knocked unconscious and wakes up in a mysterious room with four of his friends and a creepy mascot. One of them has an enormous debt and has paid the participation fee to enter the Friends Game. If this group of friends wins the games, the person will go debt-free. However, if they lose, all of them will have to take on a portion of the debt.
Season 1 Thoughts:
I love Katagiri Yuichi. This drama has a really good-looking cast. The games are quite simple, like the games in Squid Game or the beginning of Kaiji. No one is physically harmed or dies, and a big theme is their friendship. Yuichi wants to trust his friends but finds it increasingly challenging to…
The show is as long as a movie. I thought that Season 1 ended so quickly that I had to watch Season 2 right away. At this point, I couldn’t form too many thoughts because there were still too many questions left unanswered.
Who has the debt? Who is/are the traitor(s)? What’s Katagiri Yuichi’s backstory?
Season 2 Thoughts:
Season 2 is a continuation of Season 1. It is another game. Again, it’s a simple children’s game with a twist. I liked this season more than the first because a lot of secrets are revealed. The tricks are clever. It was a little predictable but I didn’t figure out everything, so that’s a plus.
Movie Thoughts:
The movie is a continuation of Season 2. It’s another game. I liked this one the least, partially because the tricks didn’t seem as clever. The climax fell short.
I still want to learn more about Yuichi’s story; I thought this part was rushed. It’s understandable because this is a movie, but I hope that the anime explains it more.
There were a lot of twists in the movie. It felt a little messy.
The ending was soooo cliche. It hurt a little to watch. I understand that they want to leave the doors open for more seasons or movies, but really, that approach? There’s no way an outcome like that would happen in real life, and I don’t think I’m being jaded about it.
Final thoughts as a whole:
The concept isn’t exactly new. You are brought to a foreign location with other people and have to win games to pay off your debt. Think Kaiji, Squid Game, and Liar Game. However, this is exactly the sort of series I’m a sucker for, so I will take anything!! Thank you!
If you like this kind of show (similar series and games include Kakegurui, Zero Escape, Danganronpa, Bloody Monday, Kurosagi, and Classroom of the Elite), then I recommend this series for you. One thing that sets this series apart is that they aren’t playing against strangers, but playing with their best friends.
It’s entertaining, and the cast is great. There are so many twists and turns. It’s kind of like being on a roller coaster.
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I haven’t read the manga yet, but I plan to! Let me know if you have any recommendations for anything similar. π
Wretched and Divine 