Imawa no Kuni no Alice (2020)

Should you watch this drama?

This drama is not for everyone. It contains blood, gore, death, sex, and a psychotic survival game with the intention of psychologically traumatising every player and causing death. DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU CANNOT STOMACH ANY OF THAT.

The initial plot had me hooked within the first episode. I didn't feel the need to skip any scenes and instead was so focused on what was going on in the world around the characters and whether or not they would survive. Arisu left me deeply impressed. Here you have a homebody gamer, who in the beginning did not seem like he would do anything that great with his life at that moment in time, to being thrown into an insane death trap of a world. He showcased his intelligence and his knack for surviving and proved why he is the main character, and why he needs to survive. I found myself rooting for him every step of the way.

Then you have Usagi, a mountain climber. A woman, who at first, gave off the vibe that she did not care for other players and instead valued her own survival. We only saw a glimpse of her, when she had her first game with Arisu, but a few episodes later, they become a duo. Her development with Arisu was impressive. She genuinely cared for him, and he genuinely cared for her. They both fought for survival together and mainly put each other first. This was only a glimpse at what type of character development is to come for the two of them and I am interested in seeing how their bond will grow and develop.

I have never actually read the manga before this so I had no idea of what I was getting into when I first started this drama, but I don't regret it one bit. The acting from everyone (the main and even the side characters) was superb. They all gave their A-game and did not disappoint me at all. They provided the right amount of anger, fear, fun, and psychotic traits through the way they spoke and behaved, and genuinely made the entire 'post-apocalyptic world' seem realistic to an extent. Another thing I would like to point out is that although the entire world of 'Alice in Borderland' is fiction, I can't help but notice some realistic characteristics from the scenarios of suspense, the fights of survival, the divisions amongst people, the fight for leadership and even the betrayals. Yes, there are many 'fictional' aspects of the entire plot, however, the psychological aspects of the game aren't completely fictional and it's honestly horrifying to think that there are people in the world, that are willing to make such games a reality. Thus, for me, it is interesting to see the blurring of lines between reality and fiction to create such an intense, yet interesting manga and drama.

The soundtrack of the drama, I never actually paid attention to the first time I watched it. I was so involved with what was going on in the drama, the music was always in the background. However, the second time I watched it, I noticed that the soundtrack perfectly fit the drama. Aside from like one scene in episode one and three, there wasn't really any feel-good 'instrumental' that lasted for more than two minutes, it was mostly suspenseful music, that was put there to invoke anxiety in the audience and to highlight suspense, fear, and survival in the accompanying scenes. The music didn't overpower or take away anything from the scene, instead, it perfectly blended in and slightly amplified the scenes.

Would I rewatch this again? Absolutely.

Read More

I've been waiting for this as a manga reader and it did not disappoint

This drama is a live action adaptation of the manga imawa no kuni no Alice . I read it some years ago and it's been one of my favorites ever since , so I was very excited when I saw it was going to have an adaptation and I'm so happy it's finally here . I knew Sato Shinsuke delivered some well claimed works before and this one did not disappoint either . The story is about 3 high school friends Chota, Karube, and Ryouhei hanging out late one night when they see fireworks. After one blindingly bright explosion, they find themselves waking up in a different world , called the "Borderlands" , there , people are forced to participate in potentially deadly games . Each game is different so you never know what might happen and never get bored , each type of game focuses on different strengths , there are some that test your physical strength , others that drain you psychologically , games that force you to use your mind or even ones where you have to rely and collaborates with others in order to win . There were a few differences from the manga but it stays a pretty faithful adaptation , and personally I liked the new games presented in it or the different approach to them , it was refreshing and felt like a totally new experience for someone like me who've reread the manga many times . I binge watched the series in a day and I already can't wait for the next season , which was hinted for in the last episode .

Read More