a well-made series
I did not know anything about “Alice in Borderland”. I approached the series without any expectations. But just a few minutes into the series, I already knew I have to and will finish watching it.You see, I was so impressed with the introduction of the characters. It was is nicely done that it won’t matter if you are new to the story. The narration and direction made sure I fully grasp and never let go.
Ah! Alice in Borderland. I know Netflix has a habit of cancelling great shows. But I hope we get to see this series through the end as Alice in Borderland is such a well-made series.
Though set in a parallel world, it mirrors the world today. I hope people are trying to understand the story and forget that everything is fiction. The attitude, outlook and behaviours are not a sham. These people exist today.
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Can't wait for season 2
This drama reminded me of the "Liar game" manga - same game for survival style and the MC tries to save everyone, even though it doesn't always go that way. Episode 3 was quite touching and overall there were some twists along the story that kept it entertaining and gave the sensation - I have to know how this will end.I loved everything about this drama, except the wigs - I really do hope that next season they'll find a better hairstylist. I have also wondered how much did they pay to have the streets of Tokyo and the subway emptied in broad daylight.
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This review may contain spoilers
Wow…this was…a show. It felt like a combination of the Hunger Games, Lost and Liar Game.The show in itself was enjoyable enough. The psychological aspect, the mystery of the upcoming games and the general unpredictability of it was pretty intriguing. You truly never know what direction the show's going to go in next. And I love that Arisu and Usagi have each other throughout the whole thing (love me some 'together but not together' vibes hehe)
You can basically split the show into two, the first half focuses on the games and the second half (the Beach arc) is more like The Society/Lord of the Flies with everyone trying to govern themselves in this place with no rules. It's in the second half where we see flashbacks to everyone's lives before entering Borderland (like they did in Lost) which I thought was a nice touch.
Although I really wish I knew it was gonna end in a ‘hAHA there’s still no answers, renew us for S2 if you want more’ kind of way. It felt so unsatisfying to finally be on the cusp of learning the truth, only to have MORE questions.
At least the show has been renewed for S2. Hopefully by the end we will get some answers - let’s see what they’ve got in store for us :D
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People who have never seen an asian series or movie in their lives, will watch this and enjoy it!
First of all, I really like Japanese series in general so I was quite excited when this was announced by Netflix. Why? First and foremost, because it is based on a manga that is mainly focused on death games (and we all know how good the Japanese are in this kind of themes) and secondly because of the budget.One of the main things that people get to complain about, is the low budget that most Japanese series have. Many Jdoramas are character-driven stories, with dark cinematography and the absence of flashy clothes, homes or buildings in comparison with Kdramas. I personally don't really care about the low budget, since it adds realism to most of their series, but with this one it was different.
This is the kind of series that needs a good CGI and a very high budget. Many other Japanese series and movies could have been very famous if the production value was higher (Signal 100, Class 3A - All of You Are Hostages From Now On). And let me tell you that the production in this one is top notch. The directing is very well done and the music, even though not very memorable, adds to the suspense.
As for the plot, this is an ideal series for people who like death games. It is quite suspenseful, especially in the first challenges and the fact that the viewer tries to solve them together with the protagonists adds to the excitement. The characters are very unique and some of them stand out more than others (Chishiya and Kuina I am looking at you).
As for the portrayal from the actors I have a lot of things to say. Firstly, the majority of them were very good. Machida Keita was amazing and so was Asahina Aya. Secondly I want to apologize to Nijiro Murakami, because after watching him in Aogeba Toutoshi, I was very disappointed that he was going to play such an interesting character in this series. Not only he wasn't bad, but he was also the show stealer with his performance. Lastly, I will probably get killed because of this, but Yamazaki Kento was not as impressive as I expected him to be. He wasn't bad, but I felt like he was overacting at some points. Even though he might have wanted to give life to the manga by doing this, it felt very forced since all the other actors were very natural.
Give it a chance!
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Good Enough
Japan seems to like the game theme, and " Alice in Borderland " nailed every aspect of it. From the suspense to the gore, the drama had it all. Fortunately, that all didn't include romance, at least not yet.Having not read the manga, and watching the drama with no prior experience of the Alice in Borderland universe, it wasn't hard to get introduced to the story and smoothly enter the gaming mode. The drama does a great job introducing each character and their background stories, blending them well with the main mystery about who's behind everything and the individual games the players were asks to play. The extra plotline with the 'Beach' and the strategies that the characters were ploting was another suspenseful factor that added a lot to the main entertainment of the drama.
As for the performances, everyone did a great job with their characters and were enjoyable to watch. Some of the actors were acutally unrecognizable!
Finally, the CGI were spot on and didn't ruin the whole experience.
So, overall, 9 out of 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is not my typical genre when watching a series ( I can't watch the slightest of gore, I get stressed out!) but I was actually engrossed with watching this and finished it in one sitting. It probably helped that I was binge watching this with my family.The premise and plot is really interesting. I like the concept of the games and the way they incorporated playing cards with them. I really like that everytime we are introduced to a character we get a flashback of who they were before they were holed up in the game. It makes their motivations more heart wrenching and touching even to a point that I shed a tear or two. The ending is definitely gearing for a second season so it's a given that we didn't get answers and may be back to square one again. They did a good job in that because I am desperate to know the whole scheme in this too. If only I knew it's an open ending, I would've waited for the completed seasons. That's probably my only complain in this.
I have watched Kento Yamazaki in his shojo days and I was even a little bit infatuated with him before. I gotta say he really improved heaps in his acting in this. All the characters actually really shined even the ones in the militant group. It took me a while to realize that Niragi is Dori Sakurada. He nailed his role! Keita Machida, who I was just watching a little while ago before this series, embodied this whole new character with him. The rest of the cast did an amazing job too.
Highly recommended and I will definitely wait for the second season.
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There is no place where we'll always be safe in this world.
Alice in Borderland is one of the best Japanese drama of 2020. Insane! Violent! heartbreaking! Bloody epic! No words left to explain. Cinematography is the end of humanity! this drama is a must watch! I watched it without reading the manga but still it never failed me. The cast is amazing and there is so much social message hidden in this drama! There was trans representation. Give Yamazaki Kento an EMMY! Oscars! All the awards that exist in this world. Machida Keita was insanse too then not to forget Aya Asahina, Sakurada Dori and the entire cast! This is mad acting! Loved it. Can't wait for season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
speculative mysterious horrifyingly thrilling goodness !!
YOOO this show is intense. I have zero complaints about pacing. It jumps straight into the inciting incident within the first half-hour of the first episode. Our main character, Arisu ends up in an alternate Tokyo with his two best friends Karube and Chota where they must play games in which a game over actually means the end of their life. Tragic, right? From there we're on a wild ride of watching Arisu and friends attempting to survive and find the game master so that they can return back to the real world.First off, what I found interesting was how the games were based on a playing card system. Before each game commences, the players are notified which card will be their "prize" if they clear the game. Each of the four suits represents a different purpose of the game. This later becomes something monumental in the plot - a huge turning point - that had me screaming at the audacity and betrayal it led to.
The games themselves are CRAZY too. Like, think of something straight out of Saw because that's essentially what they were. Nothing but pure psychological torture and the pressure to survive by any means necessary. This makes for very very gruesome deaths so beware.
What else I liked:
-Arisu's character development. He starts out as a directionless gaming addict but eventually is forced to become a stronger man with a purpose. His character arc is as heartbreaking as it is triumphant.
-USAGI. What a phenomenal and inspiring woman that we have no choice but to stan. As our female lead, she's a well-written character played by an amazing actress who brought her strength and kick-ass mentality to life. I was living for her.
-The exploration of the darker side of human nature.
-THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. So many artfully composed scenes. I loved it.
What I didn't like:
-The fact that I have to wait for season 2 ಠ_ಠ
IN CONCLUSION, I literally can't wait for season 2.
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shits wild
well now i NEED to read the manga. came from watching Sweet Home cuz i heard they were suited for similar audience. exceeded my expectations 100%. when did japan live action get this good?? visual effects and cinematography were astounding. seen a handful of the cast before but they did such a great job recruiting the actors. for me tbh it reminded me of mirai nikki and a more messed up and upgraded version of battle royale. suspense was there for sure and looking forward to season 2.(also noticed that they filmed in pretty iconic parts of Japan. dope edition to the cinematography)
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This review may contain spoilers
Can you survive?
I begin watching this series at the recommendation of my friends. I wasn't a reader of the manga, hence i actually entered with zero expectations but this short series proved to be worth it? It's sort of like a mixture of hunger games x death games? It's set in a dystopian community where individuals clear games to buy time for their survival. These games are split into different types and difficulty based on a set of cards. Clubs represent team work/interpersonal, diamonds represent wits/mental, spades involve physical strength while hearts represents psychological games. Difficulties are ranked according to card numbers. Through these games, we see how far humans can go for survival. At the end, the real question is whether these are justifiable? We see the dark side of nature, and Darwin's evolution sorta because it's like the survival of the fittest. At the end of S1, we identified the game master (supposedly), so i guess the next season will revolve around games based on the picture cards and maybe the leads + more characters coming together and discovering the HQ of the game masters (like hunger games)While there were parts you felt disgusted by how humans can behave this way but really. If i were in their shoes, what will i not do to survive? Never underestimate the willpower of humans. They are all fighting an endless battle with themselves, for a future they aren't even certain will exist. While we see the horrific and gruesome side of humans, we also see many noble sacrifices? Especially in the heart games? Arisu's friends were so noble with pure intentions of just wanting Arisu to live his life to the fullest. That's some true sacrifice there. Also the plot twist with Aguni?? He was always portrayed to be evil, but turns out he just wanted the best for his friend. While he lives with the regret of killing his best friend, he did had his redemption when he saved the rest of the survivors from the other psycho at the last episode. Also, it's touching to see Arisu and Usagi forming a bond while they were completely strangers Also together with the other players, whom are more rationale rather than focusing on only sacrificing other people for their own benefit.
While it's unsure when Season 2 will be released, i am just thankful there are such awesome shows to watch at the comfort of our homes with the ongoing pandemic! Let's hope the sequel can be released this year!!
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This review may contain spoilers
If you Like Liar Game and Gantz This is Perfect For You
This series is very good, and the overall quality if good. Seems like since netflix money, Jdramas are stepping up their production value.If you watched the original liar game drama or even Gantz movie you'll like this drama.
The setup is very similar to Gantz, in that people who are teleported/transported to a tokyo where most people have disappeared.
It's an ongoing mystery as to if the people who got transported or the ones who got transported or if it's the other people who have gone.
Anyways, the mainpoint of this drama is similar to Gantz and Liar Game to have many characters and impossible situations.
If you like that then this is great. If you want answers to the overall arching questions you will not find them here.
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Alice In Blunderland…
There’s a lot of things to say about ‘ Alice In Borderland’ after finally getting round to watching it but I’m trying my best to keep this spoiler-free so I’ll start off by saying some things I thought the show did well and not so well;STRENGTHS
Setup- Whilst I’ve never had the opportunity to read the manga before I’ve heard from friends that ‘ Alice In Borderland’’s manga is naturally a lot more in-depth than the series. Nevertheless not having a personal bias towards the original series, I have to say that the setup initially did grip me.
Intriguing characters- Admittedly I’ll be brutally honest by saying that there were some characters who were far more interesting than others but the series did present a wide range of players in the series from our main leads to side characters also.
Tension- A lot to keep you on your toes.
FLAWS;
Storyline - Often could become too weighed down.
Characters- Our main leads never had enough opportunities to be explored in more depth.
Acting- Could vary too much from moment to moment
Ending - Evident cliffhanger with season 1 and hinting at season 2 but felt too incomplete.
Overall not a bad drama but a slight yawn-fest also.
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