Alice in Borderland

The first two seasons are really good. The games are creative and more complex than in Squid Game, with great plot twists, especially in the final episodes of Season 2, which are truly unique and brilliant. Those two seasons gave the story a perfect ending. Unfortunately, Netflix dragged it out with Season 3 just to milk it further, ruining the closure. And even that ending makes it obvious they just want to keep milking it more and more... Even tho the games in season 3 were great, the overall story is not that good at least...

Season 1: 10/8.4 Season 2: 10/8.8 Season 3: 10/7.

Honestly, the first two seasons of Alice in Borderland were incredible. They were so smart, so intense-easily an 8/10. The games were genius, and I was completely invested in the characters. It was a benchmark for the whole survival thriller genre.

But Season 3? It's baffling. It feels like whoever took over the writing just didn't know where to go with the story. The plot feels forcefully pushed and completely directionless, as if they desperately needed a reason to drag the characters back into the Borderland.

It's a chaotic mess that's unsatisfying from start to finish. I'm shocked by the massive drop in quality; it's a complete disaster compared to the brilliance that came before it. This season barely deserves a 2/10. It's a real shame to see a great show end up like this.

Seasons 1 and 2 were absolute bangers. The show thrived on witty gameplay, a pack of maniacs injecting nonstop excitement, clever masterminds outsmarting the toughest challenges, and just the right amount of brutality, thrill, and betrayal to keep viewers hooked. Easily a 10/10.

Then came Season 3... and it completely fell apart. The writing feels shallow and nonsensical, with none of the sharp strategies or thrilling twists that made the earlier seasons great. Instead, we're stuck with a flat female lead and a group of useless side characters dragging the story for six whole episodes without adding anything meaningful.

The first two games had some spark, but after that it was pure disappointment. Out of generosity, I'd give it a 2/10.

Honestly, it's laughable. What's next-Alice in Interborderland$? Whatever it is, don't let these clowns cook again, Spare us the torture and lock the writers out of the kitchen. They've already overcooked the corpse.

To be fair, it's not that big of a feat, especially considering Netflix produced Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, iconic stories in their own right, and failed miserably with them.

But boy, they hit a home run with Alice in Borderland. The post-apocalyptic landscape of Japan looks incredible, the design and stage of each games are fantastic, and for the most part, the characters aren't all weirdos, *cough*, well a lot of them are but that's the charm, right?

Now you can probably find a ton of plot holes with how some of the games went, and you will totally see this in many other reviews. But, just the sheer volume of so many types of survival games to be adapted was a delight to see.

Not all games are equal in quality, but some really stands out, like most games that involves Chishiya and most of the games in season 1. All the games are absolutely brutal, whether it is a physical challenge, a mental challenge, or both. I was very surprised to see how some of the action scenes are done so well, like Usagi's parkour scenes, and probably the most memorable one that involves a katana.

As far as the story goes, you're watching this and reading this review because you have some interest at least with the survival games genre like Saw and Battle Royale. Alice in Borderland mixes Battle Royale with a decent amount of wit and a bit more set of relatable characters. I even thought some character progression to be delightfully done even if they're simple and straight-forward.

Alice in Borderland has gotten a lot of things right, and is probably the best anime/manga live adaptation right now. It certainly makes someone like me who has seen way too many terrible live adaptations of anime/manga interested to see if Netflix can hit another home run next time.

* I would love to talk about the ending but this will not be a spoiler review. But I do appreciate the adaptation for faithfully adapting the ending (which I enjoyed, but it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea). *

This show is definitely among my 20 favorite shows, ever. It is exciting, it is fun, it is amusing, and it is full of emotions. The thing that I find stranger than the fact that so few people have watched it, is how low its ratings are. Honestly, people what more do you want?! The episodes ratings are so unfair. Each and everyone of them deserve much higher than this; especially the ending (if that is in fact the ending). Season 2 Finale was the best ending possible for the show. However, I do hope that they renew it for a third one because it has a lot of potential.

Anyway, if you're looking for a 16-hour worth of time roller coaster that makes you stay awake for two days, Alice in Borderland is your answer.