- Mangaka : Toshio Sako
- Publisher : Young Jump
- Genre : Game, Psychological, Seinen
- Published : May 2006
Introduction
It would be a lie to deny that money drives the whole world mad. At some point in our lives, we surely had been tempted to take a shot at gambling. Perhaps, even already tried a hand on a pachinko parlor. If we were to guess, you had probably lost. Well, that’s the fun of gambling. At least, that’s what an occupational gambler would say. However, think of something like this. What if you are someone who could be considered a gambling god. Someone who knows all the tricks in the gambling manual.
Madarame Baku is someone who many would describe as a gambling god. No, actually, he is commonly referred to as the titular “Usogui” or “The Lie Eater”. This is due to his gambling prowess and consecutive wins against enemies in their own games. He belongs to a powerful organization called Kakerou, which ensures all players abide by the rules.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
We’re not gonna lie. Reading this manga, we’ve initially hoped to learn some nifty tricks and techniques to win every gamble. Alas, we’ve failed. On the other, it does teach us something better--the gambling world is filled with cheaters and liars. Despite being the main protagonist, the entire manga does not revolve around the already godlike Madarame Baku. As the story progresses, the other characters, Marco and Takaomi Kaji, also share the limelight with their character development. It’s intriguing, but satisfying at the same time.
1. Psychological Warfare Galore
One point that Usogui keeps on highlighting is that the only surefire way of winning a gamble is through cheating. This could be by using extreme psychological techniques, some sort of equipment, or a little bit of both. Even though it’s a gambling manga, it’s actually more of seeing the characters outwit each other. You know what, that’s actually pretty cool!
2. Jam-Packed Action
We’ve mentioned about the all-powerful Kakerou organization before. By that, we mean that they really are all-powerful. They are insanely strong, have connections in all sorts of spheres, and are hella rich. That being said, the organization is filled with strong referees that are not afraid to use brute force as necessary.
3. Ways to Cheat Games
Each arc means a new game. The games vary from the simplest ones like Battleship or as complex as real-life MMORPG. Of course, each arc also exposes various ways the game could be exploited, as well as how these games could be exploited.
1. Heavy Theme
Most of the time, we read manga to unwind and to feel at ease. Usogui, however, could drain you mentally with all of the psychological stuff that is happening. In addition to that, there are also times when multiple events are happening at the same time.
2. It Could Get Gory
Usogui does not shy away from showing details and consequences of fights. We guess that a downside of having intense action scenes is extremely detailed wounds and injuries. Usogui is no exception.
Final Thoughts
Usogui (The Lie Eater) has an interesting take when it comes to gambling. It’s refreshing to see a manga not trying to hide humanity’s dark side to a reasonable and believable extent. On the other hand, this comes with a price. The series is admittedly not for everybody. However, giving it a try shouldn’t do any harm.
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