![]() The film is more than willing to make its viewers uncomfortable with lengthy depictions of beating, anal sex and coprophilia. After a few meetings, they progress to whipping as a means of foreplay, first with the man beating the girl, and then later with the roles reversed. Based on the novel Lie to Me by Jang Jung-il (who also wrote the novel on which To You, from Me is based), Lies tells the story of an 18-year old high school girl who calls up a famous 39-year old sculptor and proposes they meet up for sex. Every step along that path was a battle, and perhaps no battle was more fiercely and publicly fought than the struggle over Jang Sun-woo’s Lies.Ĭertainly, Jang must have known what he was getting into. This was, after all, the decade in which filmmakers managed to greatly expand the range of content that could be expressed in films without being censored. The South Korean film industry in the 1990s was involved in a great number of conflicts, protests, incidents and controversies. ![]() Han Kwan-taek (older brother)ĭate of First Release in Territory: January 8th, 2000 Screenplay: Jang Sun-woo, from the novel by Jang Jung-ilĬast: Lee Sang-hyun (J), Kim Tae-yeon (Y), Jeon Hye-jin (Woori), Choi Hyun-joo (G). Regardless, the book should get any reader excited to see if the anime adaptation can add some much-needed depth to this intriguing concept.A/B side VIBES. ![]() Maybe it will improve in the next volume… maybe not. Regardless, this is not a well-rounded light novel that requires deeper character development beyond just surface-level stereotypes to push it into the boundaries of something memorable. Arguably, once the anime is out, it could enhance the lore of the series and give a reason to come back and visit or read along with the adaptation. This does beg the question of whether the action sequences are enough to give merit to the work of Kei Sazane, but that is, ultimately, up to the reader and where they put emphasis on defining what makes a memorable read. The art is not necessarily ‘bad', but it highlights the underwhelming elements of the novel in an uncomplimentary way while ignoring attributes that make “God's Games We Play” palatable. In place of the depiction of the gods, the reader is given plenty of fan service as moments of near nudity are chosen for visualization over the epic battles. Unfortunately, the accompanying illustrations do little to enhance the experience as the most visually appealing moments of the book, such as facing the six-mile dragon, remain absent. Consequently, reading “The God's Games We Play” is a frustratingly inconsistent experience, a slog to get to each battle yet, arguably, worth the effort with how competently the author conveys the excitement of conflict in the ‘god's games'. ![]() Furthermore, Kei Sazane's writing style falls short, with elements of comedy, drama, and lewdness bordering on the banal. Lashea, comparatively, has a more defined personality but lacks unique features that make her stand out from the plethora of ‘aloof powerhouses' that are a common archetype in the light novel format. Notably, protagonist Fay is a simplistic character stripped of charm or interesting dialogue, presenting himself more as an observer for the reader to experience the world than as an engaging protagonist. Unfortunately, the story between each of these exciting sequences is rather generic and bland. The first book contains two fights, one against a rock giant and the other against an ouroboros, depicted as a six-mile-long dragon. It is high-stakes action in each encounter and following Fay and Lesha as they attempt to decipher the secret to victory while facing off against these nightmarish behemoths makes for an electrifying and fascinating read. This comes by way of the ‘god's games' that see a team take on daunting godlike figures in familiar childhood games with twists. Already set for an anime adaptation, “The God's Games We Play” is an apt title for the light novel-to-anime route.
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