Liar x Liar starts off with the hook that the main character Minato accidentally ends up dating her step-brother under the persona of Mina. The step-brother Tooru doesn't realise that Mina is actually Minato and the tangle of lies and double-lives begins from there.

The first third of Liar x Liar could best be described as waiting for a trainwreck to occur. Very little actually happens but there is an anticipation building that all the lies and cover-ups will eventually unravel. This is the only good reason that Liar x Liar gives you for reading it and the pacing of it is very slow, so if you don't have the patience for this kind of thing then it's likely you'll drop it before any payoff arrives.

However, once you get past this slow start, the rest of Liar x Liar does deliver on all the tension that it's been building up. Events that shake the status quo of the story finally start forcing the characters to make decisions and we get a pay off for the character development that's been the focus so far. At this point, the pacing gets much better and it's quite easy to be invested in the story without feeling like it's wasting your time.

No spoilers here but I can guarantee that all the things that were built up over the first two thirds of Liar x Liar are delivered in the final third. There isn't any huge jump in drama but rather there is a satisfaction to seeing a tangled plot get unraveled. The ending is certainly worth forcing yourself through the slow opening chapters and it's extremely refreshing to have a conclusion which is natural without being too predictable.


Art: Somewhat cute but not too flashy, this shouldn't affect the enjoyment of the series but will naturally grow on you as you read more and more.
Characters: The characters in Liar x Liar are quite realistic but with just enough spice to their actions and personalities that the drama of the story never feels contrived.
Story: Not much of a story, this is a manga to be read for the characters. There is some plot progression but that's still in service of the characters so don't hold your breath.
Pacing: Very slow to start but it picks up towards the middle and by the end it's a very easy read.

TLDR: I would recommend this people who enjoy seeing the nuance of characters and have the patience to accept that there is a build up required to set the stage for all those character interactions to make sense and feel deserved. However, if the phrase "it gets good after 20 chapters" is a turn off then this is one to skip.