This review may contain spoilers
A Whole New Live Action Realm
Mystery, Murder, Adventure, Isekai, time travel, Hunger Games, ESCAPE ROOM, Suspense, Thriller Lovers? Assemble on this series!!Before I start with the review, I gotta say : WATCH THIS SERIES GUYS!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED!! Here's why :
«Warning : Spoiler Alert & Long Read»
As a romance drama lovers I didn't expect to enjoy a live action with a genre of Fantasy/Thriller/Suspense/Mystery/Murder . But this series really changed my mind. I came with high expectation from the trailer and I was not disappointed.
Story : I believe you've read the plot summary so I will continue the rest. So the story itself I personally divided it into two main story line : Episode 1-4 (Explaining the current reality to us with game rules, the deadly borders, everyone missing & mainly focused on surviving some games) and Episode 5-8 (Explaining "The Beach" conflict with its power struggle + Arisu & Usagi relationship development)
I think I really enjoyed the most on the first 4 episodes, with its plot twists and emotional roller coaster. But when it comes to the last 4 episodes, the excitement felt kinda slowed down a bit. The hype & vibe is still there but personally specifically on the last episode I think that there are some scenes that should not be included bcs it felt useless for the development of the story (referring to the 'bald, tatooed guy with long sword' background story. It really was useless, I prefer Chisiya's background story to be told honestly, his character really intrigued me)
One more thing, this series actually needed more episodes. I would really prefer longer episodes but with just one season has ended rather than short episodes but we- as this series fans have to wait for another season :( So to be exact, WE NEED MORE EPISODES..
But other than that, I think this series is perfect. The pacing, plot line choices from the manga, etc. I felt there's almost no plot hole (if there's any you can tell your theory, guys, haha)
Characters :
(10/10 Casting. There will be no other casts that will perfectly portray their characters other than the current casts. So bravo, casting team! )
1.)Arisu - Our ML, Hero by process, underdog at previous life, loyal, kind hearted, brave, smart, but sometimes he's too idealistic. I love his character bcs I think he's a flawed ML, he's not perfect but he tried to survive just for the sake of their friends & his primal instinct. I have no problem with his character EXCEPT when he's being too talkative & wasted so much game time on the last episode when he tried to talk to Aguni like "bro, he's not worth your time, don't even try to convince someone that tried to rape your crush & kill you".
2.)Usagi - Our FML, brave, kind hearted girl (she's becoming more kind towards other bcs of Arisu), loyal, smart, tactical, has sensitive instinct/feeling, independent, strong but not losing her feminity. She has clear character development as before she met Arisu she was mainly individualistic & don't even pay attention towards other people but now, she has higher empathy.
3.)Chisiya - Our secondary male lead (I think?), mysterious, charismatic, cunning, selfish, smart, always one step ahead every one else, unpredictable. I love and hate his character. Damn, he caught many viewers attention with his visual & mind. But really, I think he's a depiction of perfect personality & mind for surviving in the world like that. I don't blame him & his actions at all even tho when he framed Arisu, I was so madddd. But again, he did that to survive. Mad respect for solving any game/problem with cool headed.
4.)Kuina - Our Secondary Female Lead, kind, smart for following Chisiya, brave. I'm surprised with her identity plot twist. But I'm glad the writer shaped her character perfectly. I love her already & damn the cast is so pretty. I love her fight scene.
5.)Aguni - Antagonist (?) male character, strict, cunning, mysterious, selfish, evil on the last episodes, but he's actually loyal with his bestfriend- The Boss/The Hatter (Takeru). On most part, I hate this character, he killed almost every one on the beach just as a redemption for accidentally killing his friend, almost raped Usagi, almost killed Arisu countless times. I also despise one of his follower character-Naragi/Narugi? (He was former victim of bullying turns out he's a killer machine & bully himself)
6.)Chota & Karube - Arisu's friend. Very loyal to Arisu, tho at one time Karube almost wanted to kill Arisu but he and Chota later sacrificed for Arisu. Very supportive, trusting, in the end they're very selfless. I cried so hard on episode 3 :")
Cinematography & Music : Very on point. The directing, music choices on suspenseful scenes & the intros almost scared me to hell.
Other elements : This series included gore, murder, deception, sacrifice, suicide, explicit killing, suspenseful scenes, jumpscares, other things that will drain your emotion, makes your heart jumps, and most definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat. But don't worry you will not regret it.
Values : You'll learn true friendship, love & the value of loving yourself, thankful for every chances everyday that you still survive in this world, and to always be cautious don't easily get fooled by someone. There's always more behind every problems in your life. You'll learn good things from bad things.
So, what are you waiting for? Close your browser & watch the series!!
P.S. If any of the production team read my review, PLEASE APPROVE & CONTINUE THE SECOND SEASON, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE NEW PLOTLINE!! ❤❤
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AS A FAN OF THE MANGA, I AM SATISFIED
The long wait is over! As a fan of the manga, I have been waiting for this since the announcement and I am really happy that the adaptation met my expectations. I am really satisfied.Let's start with the opening - the opening was really good. It reflects what the series is all about. I have watched a lot of dramas and movies of Yamaken and dang, his performance in Alice in Borderland is phenomenal. I cannot believe he's the same person I have watched in Wotakoi which is a rom-com genre. I also didn't recognize Dori Sakurada, he's so different in this series. The main leads and supporting ctors are really amazing, I am surprised.
There are some scenes that I find awkward especially the Witch Hunt which is why I gave it a 9 as over all and for rewatch value, also a 9 - I dont like watching Seven of Hearts :( :(
If you enjoy As the Gods Will Movie, Escape Room, or any thriller, survival, gore genre. You will surely be hooked and love this series.
I am hoping for a sequel! The most exciting games are on the face cards and we'll meet the Kings and Queens.
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Edge of your seat
This drama is similar to Liar game but better. A drama about the main charater mysteriously land up in parallel Tokyo, where every character that reaches there has no idea how and why they are there. The characters participate in life or death games, fight to survive. But in every game death is expected. Characters play the games to survive.The characters in this drama are all essential to the plot and everyone has a story. Loved the acting of every actor on this show, they gave it their 110%. Looking very forward to season 2.
Totally recommend. I do not rewatch dramas but this show I would. The show leaves you with questions and in every game there is an unexpected turn. Many plot twists and you will want to watch the next ep.
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One of The Best Adaptation From Manga | THE FIRST ASIAN DRAMA TO REACH TOP 5 in Netflix
As one of my favorite manga will have Live-Action Adaptation my excitement starts when a saw the first trailer.Still, Jdrama for me is one of the best production and entertainment industry, because it's not a political and stereotyped industry. Which A-listers stars can adapt any roles lead-roles and support roles don't matter to them.
THE FIRST ASIAN DRAMA TO REACH TOP 5 in Netflix World Ranking with highest points per day recorded.
The Series gets more excited because of the cliffhanger ending in Season 1
Love wow they change the game and player/participants playing but still the story is still intact
They will dominate in the yuletide season because they dropped it all (8 Episodes)
Fans will be wanting more and high expectation for Season 2
This is one of the Best Series on Netflix in 2020
Thanks to Production and Casts.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Wow, Just Wow
TLDR: a literal masterpieceThis series was absolutely mind blowing. I love the storyline and the characters and the cast were perfect for their roles.
Some mentionable points that really stuck with me:
1. The fact that we got backstories for most of the characters was spectacular, you felt like you got to know what the characters were fighting for and then most of the time they got unapologetically ripped away from you
2. Arisu’s emotions after the sheep and wolf game. Wow. Honestly wow, I was absolutely balling my eyes out when they stopped responding to him during the game and that was all down to the acting, the connection they made us form with the characters and the cinematography during that sequence; the ring, chota basically choking out that girl...
3. I loved that every games goal wasn’t the goal you were told it was, it made them exciting to watch and made me really uptight in a fun edge of my seat kind of way
4. Arisu managing to figure out basically every game (sometimes even by accident) amazed me, it really showed how even though he was viewed as effectively useless in the real world by his family and friends for only playing video games, his knowledge and problem solving skills saved countless lives in this alternate country (?)
5. That injured guy on the bus, who I convinced myself would die, being saved and then walking off into the horizon like ‘see you guys later’ as if he would survive on his own, iconic
6. Chishiya. That’s it. That’s the tweet. Is he good? Is he bad? Who knows but he’s serving looks like he’s on a international runway, the hair really does it for me and his characters so mysterious he just really adds to the show. The casting for chishiya was particularly spectacular
7. The Easter eggs to Alice in wonderland that I didn’t even get until after I finished watching it. Obviously I got Arisu because it kind of sounds like Alice with a push, but the rabbit one? Genius. And chishiya obviously sounds like Cheshire now that I think about it but yeah, I’m dumb. And I have no excuse for not realising the hatter, that ones just dumb on my part.
A couple more mentionable things were the visuals of the buildings and all the game arenas, wow. They were all so breathtaking in a gloomy ‘you’re gonna die here’ kinda way. And the inclusion of a transgender character without it being made obvious all the way through? *chefs kiss* also the mums acceptance, I didn’t cry, you did. Oh and the hatter and the scary guys friendship being revealed at the end!
Sorry it’s long lol, if you didn’t get the memo so far I loved it, it was a masterpiece
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Make it make sense, because I cannot.
Inconsistencies in writing are my pet peeve and this drama was full of them - from the characters' actions and personality traits to ever changing rules and types of games. It's a show I would enjoy far more if I did not use my brain while watching.To be perfectly honest, I loved the first two episodes. I was ready for either clever or violent games that Arisu tries to solve. But as the drama progressed, the characters completely lost their wits and the games became painfully predictable.
Arisu ⇢ Keeping the character smart only when the plot needs it.
I'm sorry for the writers, but you cannot present your characters as this genius with an almost photographic memory in episode one, to turn him into a complete idiot in the 2nd half of the show. One episode he assesses the game based on the information he gained, taking into consideration different options and overall the type of the game that is indicated by the card's symbols, the other time he has his brain just turned off and runs. Well written and consistent character? Not this one.
Games ⇢ No one cares about the rules, not even creators.
What's the point in introducing the symbols as a game categorizations, when you just completely ignore it later on? How is the first game team battle, when it completely relies on wits? Or The Witch Hunt game, which again could be won only by using your brain and wits. Or the bus game which was a team battle, but had NOTHING to do with teamwork and again, needed a brain to solve it and understand the rules. The only game that truly fitted the category given was the wolf and the lambs game in episode three. It was pure survival based on betrayal. No double meaning, no hidden ways out.
The male lead should also be dead. When The Witch Hunt begins, his Visa is said to expire tomorrow. Since he was not part of The Witch Hunt game (he did not register before the game started by scanning his face on the phone), he did not gain additional 10 days to his Visa. They did not play any games after that. Unless they found the hiding spot of the Dealers right the next day, and he joins the new game right away, he should be dead. Or the game was just paused after the Beach event, but that makes no sense, since the events in the Beach did not affect all the players in that game world.
Predictable outcomes ⇢ The games that did not surprise me.
The games were either laughably easy to solve and I hated the characters for not understanding them, or were impossible to beat and you just knew from the start which character would come out of it alive. Because of that, there was no element of surprise or excitement. More often than not, it was just me watching idiots dying and feeling nothing about it.
Players ⇢ collective 10 points IQ
I get it, most people are not amazingly smart, but I did not expect everyone to be. I just wanted them to try to survive, but I felt like most people were working hard to die. The best example was The Witch Hunt. The rule was clear: burn the witch in the Fire of Judgement. So what do most characters start to do? Kill everyone. Which is the least logical thing to do, because it's impossible to move all the bodies to a Fire of Judgment in the limited time. They set themselves up for failure. When the two characters next to the pool said "We killed so many people and yet we still did not find the witch"... well you won't know if you found her or not, because you are just leaving the bodies here, when the rule said you need to burn the witch in the Fire of Judgment. No one cared about survival and winning the game. And while they explained that it was Aguni's plan for everyone to die and not solve the game, it did not excuse all the other people. Kill everyone, but remember, you need to burn them in the Fire of Judgement - the rules were simple.
You cannot claim this show is a commentary on how people turn into the worst version of themselves in life or death situations, and when their survival instinct kicks in, because the majority of the characters didn't even try hard to survive...
Out of place emotional elements ⇢ The lack of proper characters exposition.
I'm not gonna cry during the emotional game of hearts, where two friends are giving up their lives for the 3rd one, when the writers did nothing to make me care and connect to these characters in the first place. Each and every death in this show evokes in me this reaction: oh... ok. They gave some flashbacks about some characters' pasts, but more often than not, it was too little too late.
Still camera shots ⇢ The directing beauty
I'm honestly exhausted with all the shaky camera work and angles changing every few milliseconds style of presenting scenes that is used in many shows. I truly appreciated how calm the directing here was, especially taking into consideration the chaotic tone of the plot itself. Loved the opening shots of the empty city used in a few episodes. I took a ridiculous amount of screenshots - this show was truly an aesthetic masterpiece for me, perfectly fitting my taste.
Aguni ⇢ The one that made me care and surprised me
Taking into consideration the fact this is not a character driven drama and most of the characters don't have much depth (it's really superficial), it did not even cross my mind that there could be more to Aguni than just rivalry with his old friend. Slowly discovering his past and his role in The Beach was quite a nice side plot line, and even though him killing the Hatter was obvious, the reasoning behind it caught me off guard and I appreciate that.
Overall, the first two episodes were too good, which ruined the rest of the series for me. They got me excited for some smart games that will make my brain cells do some workout, but the show never delivered after that. Each episode was more disappointing than the previous one. I wanted to immerse myself in the show, try to solve the games with the characters, and wonder if I would survive... but I guess "the game master" was not clever enough to create truly challenging tasks. There were many rules introduced, but when you truly try to digest and understand them, you find out, nothing made any sense.
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Watch it! Don’t hesitate
Escaping reality isn’t always rainbow and sunshines. Through this series we really get to see how strangers were transferred from their normal daily lives. Into a world where they rely on escape room games in order to gain Visas for their remaining days of surviving. I find it interesting how the games where sorted into difficulties levels and genres. How they finish the game at times gets you thinking about the saying of “work Smarter not Harder”. There were some reckless decisions by some characters at times but they don’t really play a huge aspect. I’m excited to see what will happen next as it was left on a cliffhanger. Hoping for another season!Was this review helpful to you?
The game will now begin...
If you're still contemplating whether to watch Alice in Borderland: watch it!I've been waiting for so long to see a high budget Japanese show, and this really is what I've been looking for. So, thanks Netflix, I guess? The camera work, the acting and special effects are all top-notch, hands down. I just wish they went further with the soundtrack, it would have been nice to have a more distinguished background music for the series. (Although I think we can agree that “Good Times” is the bop of the year.)
The plot is very intriguing. The moment I saw that the base plot revolves around Tokyo where people go missing... I was sold already. But it actually managed to keep my attention all the way through thanks to the plot twists and great characters!
I believed prior to watching that the story will be continuously action-packed, but I was relieved to see that they put quite a lot of emphasis on building characters, which made the pacing a little slower at times, but gave a nice chance to get emotionally attached to all the characters.
There are some things in the plot that I will never forgive the writer(s)! But I won’t go into that since that would be a spoiler. (And I have many many other thoughts but all spoilery.)
I really hope many-many people will watch and support this show because
1, I really want to get a second season
2, I'm begging Netflix to pick up more Japanese productions.
P.S.: I can’t believe I didn’t realise it sooner that the name “Arisu” sounds exactly the same as “Alice” in Japanese.
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Alice in Borderland: A Netflix Gem
As a watcher of many movies and Dramas in this genre, story is usually secondary to the unwritten social contract break down. Usually we play nice with each other as humans but when we add death as a consequence, things we would never have done suddenly become acceptable. Survival is so hardwired into us.The Story is actually the star of this drama, the mains not instant badasses, flawed and yet over come the flaws through the course of the episodes, Or not and accepts them.
No one is overly naive to propel the story, just everyone has their own back story and reason for who they are (kinda like real people).
The transgender plot line was done extremely well and it wasn't thrown in your face, it was folded into the story like just one more ingredient AND I LOVED IT.
Acting totally on point by this star filled cast.
It gets a 9.5 because...because I cant bring myself to give this genre a 10.
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Adrenaline Rush!
The drama begins with a glimpse into the normal life of Alice, homebody and gamer, from a rich family but regarded as "parasite" by his family, who finds solace with his good-for-nothing friends. (Everybody is kinda trashy and loser, I thought) Troubled by their life, they escape the reality, by running wildly in the busy streets of Tokyo. That's the only moment to see so much liveliness and happiness in Tokyo. Because one thing leads to another, they land in this new Tokyo, completely empty. (Man, hats off to the production team for the amazing visuals of empty Tokyo!), where 'play or die' is the only rule to survive.The survival games are very interesting and logical too. Pro-tip, you could pause and think for the answer, if you like. With games, comes new characters and things get bloody and gore. (Boy, I was so wrong for thinking the original trio to be trashy but almost every character we meet is a lot more trashy.) Cynicism, betrayal, and mind games become the new norm.
Soon, Alice seems like the most decent person besides Rabbit (giving an unthinkable reunion of Naho and Kakeru) but of course, not without undergoing a 'do or die' situation himself, which was quite an emotional ride. Another pro-tip, don't get attached to any character, or pay for the consequences. As the story moves, new games and new friends, so many die but got to keep going. That's just the first half of the episodes. Now the big question is, "If there is a game, then there must be a gamemaster right?" which leads to another killer thriller ride for the second half of episodes.
Once again, new games and new characters. If there is a dystopian world, there must be a utopia and if there is no authority, then someone assumes authority. With authority, comes the division of two groups "US" &"THEM" and their own power struggle. This all infused with the madness to survive, back-stabbing pushes everyone to the edge. More blood, bodies and betrayals. The ending, like with usual Netflix shows, it was only a teaser for a much, much bigger thing.
What was Good? And Bad?
The entire series was so well produced. Everything top-notch. The games were superb and mind-blowing. The story was tightly packed. It felt like a blend of game movies like Jumanji, Zathura and English drama, Black Mirror. It starts out as an adventure fantasy developing into a dystopian thriller.
Themes: This drama touches so many themes like how the idea of death can bring out a new side of people, a new faith, manipulating others, seduction, and worst of all, fake hope. It also shows the narrow gap between sanity and insanity, friendship and enmity. Sometimes, the drama tries to give humanity messages like altruism but which soon fades away as the story moves forward. Oh, on the sexual content and violence: for starters, there is too much blood splattering and bodies. There is definitely sexual content. (I'm not going to word it but I almost thought I was watching an American show, they don't substantially add much to the plot so skip it if you don't like, there are only placed to understand the intensity of their newfound freedom and reality)
Although almost all characters have some sort of backstory to understand them better, only a few make it to the end, of which, Alice undergoes the best character growth and Rabbit is such a powerful and admirable character capable of rescuing herself.
Acting: Like always Yamazaki Kento excels in portraying as Alice. The agony, the anger, the happiness, every emotion was so perfect. Tsuchiya Tao, as Rabbit, no doubt she must have undergone rigorous training for her role, exudes the strength of her character. It was surprising to find Machida Keita in a new role and thug-like look. But the biggest surprise was Sakurada Dori. He was almost unrecognizable in his character. (It was the most unlikely Orange squad mini-reunion) Asahina Aya's character had such an amazing fight scene.
Music was apt and lifted the suspense to a higher level.
It is definitely worth the rewatch for its plot but would be a hassle to undergo the same emotional turmoil once again.
Final note, adrenaline rush inducing drama which can sometimes make you think and sometimes anxious and disturbed, all the while keeping you entertained.
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Survival of the fittest
Imawa no Kuni no Alice shows the various challenges towards human survival.The 8 episode series manages to include backstories for not only the main but also the side characters—which gives us an understanding of the characters motives and motivations. It brought dimensionality at least towards the characters that played a key role in the story. Also, the characters showed many points of ups and downs that made the story consistent. The acting was not your typical Jmovie style; instead, it was very suitable for the story’s tone and setting. The soundtrack, especially the opening credits conveyed an eerie tone for each episode, therefore, building the suspenseful tension.
Usually, in this given genre of survival game I have a hard time getting invested in the characters, however, this series managed to show the bonds of the characters in a heartfelt and somewhat realistic light. It also takes a lot for me to become emotional for a film or drama. However, the series framework and acting succeeded in making me feel what the main protagonist’s felt during tragic scenes.
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It Must Have a Season 2!
Wow! This drama was a master work of manipulation! I throughly enjoyed watching this! I do t see how anyone can watch this fully and give it a mediocre review, seriously! There is no other show like it! The creativity of the writers and production of this drama was captivating and left me needing more. I don’t like dropping to much info on how it went because everyone deserves to see this for themselves and understand why it’s that good! I seriously hate when a great drama doesn’t get a second half! This jdrama is fitting for 2020. If you watch it, you will most likely feel the same!Was this review helpful to you?
