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84
9
Finished
May 20, 2020 to Apr 17, 2024
6.0/10
Average Review Score
50%
Recommend It
2
Reviews Worldwide
Very mixed feelings about this one. It's an interesting concept with a good start. It falters a little when the around the halfway point, but I would say it's resolved when the second to last arc starts. The main problem I find is the ending. Not due to not tying up the story or themes, I would say it accomplishes that fine. The problem is that it's so abrupt in terms of character arcs. Akira is pushed to the side for the later half of the story without feeling like her arc was fully resolved, even if it was in context it wasn't satisfying orexplored enough. The same can be said with Komako but the opposite. She was dropped to the background after the first arc or two, but makes a huge return at the end of the story to become the final pairing in an arc that feels underdeveloped and unsatisfying. It fits with the themes it wanted to push, but it doesn't feel like the story is actually exploring those themes and is instead just telling us about them. Ami (bug girl for those not bother to learn her name because of how little she mattered to the plot) got more of a characterization before the final few chapters than Komako. Then the author decides final backstory to justify everything. I won't lie, I did enjoy my read. But with how awful the ending fumbled and left me feeling unsatisfied I don't think I would recommend it. The ending almost feels like a slap in the face, I actively don't want to re-read the story due to how the conclusion is. If I do, I would read for specific parts in chapters for slice of life character interactions. I do end up liking the main characters. I just don't know. (TL;DR) Good manga that was fun to read but had a horrible ending that makes me not want to read it again.
With eyes the color of blood, Satsuki Minazuki can see death; specifically, she can see the illusion of corpses exactly 24 hours before they manifest in reality. Unfortunately, her reputation as a compulsive liar who spews ominous warnings about impending deaths means that no one ever believes herβeven though she has never once told a lie. Shunned by her classmates, Satsuki is accustomed to being alone, until she prevents the death of the ever-kind Komako Komachi. This small deviation in fate ripples outward, creating a massive change. What lengths will Satsuki go to in order to save a life? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." In this regard, Liar Satsuki Can See Death is *almost* perfect, and is definitely worth recommending. It's just got that one last thing it doesn't need. Liar Satsuki tells a relatively tight story around the question "are some lives not worth saving?". The pacing is overall pretty solid, with good moments of both tension and relaxation. The story is a series of mysteries: when presented with nothing but an illusion of a corpseto come, Satsuki must figure out how that person died and do what she can to prevent it. Satsuki is a delightful protagonist: she's easy to empathize with, clever, and you *want* to see her succeed. Her supporting cast do a great job of both lifting her up while also being their own people, rather than extensions of the plot. Each is unique and well-written and extremely enjoyable, and it's genuinely a great time whenever they're on the screen doing their thing. The only place that the novel really stumbles at is in the middle third, when the antagonists are introduced. Without giving too much away, they are incredibly boring as villains, and their overall contribution to the story is both minimal AND could have been handled better in other ways. Having the 'villain' be the concept of death would both have been more interesting and also opened up more space in the story to show us more about some of the less-visible supporting cast members. The manga does finish... moderately strong, but the overall conclusion muddies the themes somewhat. Still, it is a very satisfying read, not ultra long, and is enough to keep you guessing for a good chunk of the plot.