【Tomodachi Game】 Psychological Thriller! When a boys friendship is put through the ultimate test against the prospect of immense wealth, what will he choose?

2022-06-14

What is “Tomodachi Game”?

Tomodachi Game is a Japanese Thriller manga series written by Mikoto Yamaguchi and illustrated by Yuki Sato.
The manga series is being serialized in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shounen magazine since December 2013. The chapters released uptil now have been compiled and collected into 18 separate volumes. The story revolves around a boy who cherishes his friends, but then his friendship is put to the test against the promise of wealth.
An anime series adaptation of this manga is set to premiere in April 2022. Aside from that, a four episode Television Drama by Canter Studio and two live-action films have been released.
Tomodachi Game

What’s the story?

The story begins with a young kid named Katagiri Yuuichi counting his money. His mother who is hospitalized looks at him and says, “True, money is important. But, you know...... in this world, there is something more important than money. It’s Friends”.
Few years later, Yuuichi in his 2nd year of high school, is working a part time job, to make some money and go on a field trip with his friends.
His friends, Makoto, Shino, Tenji and Yutori, are all good people and have their own unique personalities. Yuuichi greatly cherishes his friends and wants this friendship to last forever. But, little did he knew, things begin to change when the entire class’s money, collected for the field trip, gets stolen.
The culprit seems someone from the class, as the money was stolen from the class locker.
Few days pass by, the class begins to suspect Makoto and Shino, as they were incharge of collecting the money, but Tenji confronts them and tries to prove their innocence.
Later that night, Yuuichi receives a letter at his doorstep with Shino’s name on it. The letter says to meet her outside the school gates, so he immediately runs over there, only to see all his friends outside the gate.
Things get confusing when Shino says that all of them received a letter from each other to meet outside the school gates, but none of them sent any letters. Suddenly, a shadow appears behind Yuuichi and tasers him, causing him to pass out.
All of them are kidnapped and brought to an isolated room.
While they’re still trying to figure out what’s happening, a man wearing an anime costume enters. The man welcomes them to play a game where they can win two hundred million yen and pay their entire debt. All of them seem confused, so the man further explains that one of them owes a debt of two hundred million yen and has entered them all to help pay his debt.
The man clearly says that anyone is free to leave before the games begin and gives them time to consult. Yuuichi and the others talk it out and at last decide to help out their friend, who ever it is, in paying the debt.
The man then takes them to a separate room to play the first game, Kokkuri-san, a game similar to Spirit of the Coin played in the west. He explains the rules and gives them a final advice, “Don’t doubt your friends. That’s the only way to clear this game”.
As they start the game, Yuuichi’s voice narrates, “we still did not know of the true terror that this game entails...... but I might not be that surprised of the outcome compared to the others. That’s because I know more than anyone...... how fearsome money can be.
Will the gang be able to pass this game and free their friend of debt? Or will their friendship fall to pieces in the process?
Tomodachi Game

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