In defence of nao kanazaki, cause tired of yall shrinking down such complex characters into just 'dumb' and 'useless' instead of fully comprehending it.
Alright so I first read liar game. Way back before Covid. And I have forgotten about it. Until recently i heard about the anime adaptation and want to reread it because i remember how I loved it very much. And I have just only gotten into the revival arc. And ready to prove you wrong about your thoughts on nao.
People really misunderstands nao's character by just calling her dumb. but that's not the case at all we can see one of the clearest examples is the Revival Round. yes, Nao was being manipulated by Yuji Fukunaga and was clearly losing at first before Akiyama stepped in. I'm not denying that. but nao also argued the fact at the end that the game could be approached honestly and that there was a way for everyone to survive. while most players were focused on saving themselves and escaping the situation.
Even the hosts acknowledged how surprising this was because they considered her the dimmest participant. the manga then makes it clear that this thought came from Nao herself, not from Akiyama. Akiyama explicitly states that those were her words and her conclusion.
What many readers miss is that Nao's flaw was never a lack of intelligence. Her flaw was her belief that doubting people was wrong.
When she talks with Akiyama, it's clear that she struggles with suspicion because she sees trust as morally important, not because she lacks the ability to understand deception.
Most people also kind of view that she is that person who sees the world as sunshine and rainbows, that's a wrong understanding of the character. From the very beginning of the story, she is terrified when she gets dragged into the Liar Game. She understands how cruel and dangerous people can be, and she desperately wants to escape. The difference is that she refuses to abandon her principles even after experiencing that cruelty.
Many of the smartest characters that can predict betrayels, run complex schemes expect everyone to act selfishly. Nao doesn't, which is why she sometimes notices possibilities that they completely overlook.
That's why Akiyama he often values her input.
He doesn't treat her as a strategic equal in every area, but he recognizes that she sees things he doesn't. Her perspective becomes a resource rather than a handicap.
I have seen these tendencies before among fans lol to confuse kindness with naivety. Earlier Nao is genuinely naive in some ways she trusts people far too easily.
But if i remember vividly as the manga progresses, her character does develops. She doesn't become cynical though she becomes someone who understands deception and still chooses compassion. That's different from simply being gullible.
That's why reducing her character to "she's dumb" misses the point entirely. Nao is not a strategic genius like Akiyama, and I don't think the manga ever tries to present her as one.
You don't have to like Nao, but calling her stupid and useless ignores a major part of what the manga is trying to say through her character.