Alice in Borderland

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). *

As someone who's a big fan of the manga, I think the Netflix adaptation does a decent job for anyone trying to find more Alice in Borderland content. However, the devil is in the details, and except for the main story arcs, it's quite different from the original story.

Many characters are introduced earlier than expected, and some games have changed concepts entirely. Certain story beats are shuffled around or erased. In addition, Arisu participates in several games that he wasn't part of originally. I would have to say to avid fans of the manga to watch this series pretending you have no prior knowledge unless you like to be disappointed. But by itself, it was spectacular to watch this interpretation of Alice in Borderland.

I'm quite impressed with how this show was able to instantly hook me from the first episode all the way to its last. This was such an entertaining watch and it kept on actively pulling something new out of the bag that I didn't see coming. The concept behind this show was what intrigued me and I was a bit curious to see how they were going to pull it off. Obviously the games they played were crucial to the story but what carries the series are its characters. These characters are what elevates this story and throughout the episodes, their journeys are as important as the plot itself.

With the plot, it was exciting to see how the environment slowly began to affect the characters. In season one, the whole goal was to find out what this place was and who was behind all of it but then in the second season that's where they expand on that. It focuses more on the harsh reality they are confronted with and whether or not they choose to live with it.

To me, this was a show I knew I was going to like and thank goodness I was right about that.

The first season of Alice in Borderland is one of the most gruesome and exciting pieces of TV show. For me it is better than Squidgame even it has its flaws.

I highly expected to see the sequel but after binge watching, it is still entertaining with higher budget for CG, more blockbuster actions, but it the end the story failed flat. It has nothing exciting anymore, the games seem easier than the first season.

The ending is alright but along the way it becomes normal action TV show with very high budget. Anyway I recommended only the first season if you don't have much time.

First 8/10 Second 6/10.

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.