Heartstopping, heartbreaking, heartpounding
This was fantastic. I wasn't one of the people who had to wait the full two years for the second season to drop but I can only imagine how satisfying it was to do that.First of all, the stunts are absolutely top notch (as expected). The jumps, the fight scenes — it really makes your heart pound while watching it and I felt every bit of high stakes that the games established.
The games are just as fun and provide really intriguing questions about human nature (which is always my favorite part of these survival shows. Compared to season 1, this season is definitely more heavy but slower paced. They spend multiple episodes on individual games, but it actually never feels slow or draggy. I even enjoyed the games where the characters were split up and we saw how different leads handled different sorts of games.
Until the very end, I felt really invested in everything: the characters, the world-building, the story.
The ending was a mixed bag for me; I think it managed to do something rare for me, which is simultaneusly wrap things up with a nice bow, while also leaving room for a season 3 if they decide to write a plot beyond the manga. I felt both satisfaction and completion, while also acknowledging that it used some tropes I don't really enjoy on principle, leaving me wanting the story to continue.
Other than that, I do think that this season suffers a little from the same thing season 1 did, which is that the backstories for each of the characters are interesting and add a lot but many of them stop just shy of "enough," and maybe part of this is just that there are a lot of characters and they kept adding more and giving even one-off antagonists backstories. I think that's valid because it certainly avoided the over-simplistic "good vs. evil" dynamic but I'd still rather have seen more scenes and various moments from our main characters' past lives (think of the American TV show Lost).
Overall, I would highly highly recommend this entire series and I know it will go down as one of my all time favorites.
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Great show overall. Really liked the new games shown, lots of interesting characters new and old and all of the actors I feel nailed their roles. Good score and special effects. Not 100% sure I buy the ending, but also am not sure what alternative would have been a better way of exploring the borderlands without cheapening it somehow, or already having been done. For rewatchability I imagine I will rewatch it in the future but probably will skip over some parts and stick to the main games, as there is some filler since they couldn't really flush out 12 face-card games in the season, which is why I only gave it an 8 for the story and rewatch categories. Was this review helpful to you?
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Solid drama overall but disappointing ending
I'll keep this short. I loved the characters and the acting was great. The visuals were also really good.Season 1 was solid and season 2 was even better, but the last episode kind of ruined it. I'm just not a fan of the "it was all a dream" trope. I know it's not exactly the same, but it's similar enough, especially because the characters don't seem to remember much.
I'm hoping they do something with the Joker thing at the end. I still give it 9/10 though because the rest of the show was good enough.
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Don't get me started
Caution!: I never read the Manga nor watch the anime so this is purely based on this experience!The Characters? Great! The actors did their job perfectly and the whole experience was great! I binged it right after I binged Sweet Home and both were the best thing I ever watched.
There is only ONE thing that bothered me. Nijiro's (Chishiya's) wig. Like whoever made that happen like THIS, jail time for you. But fortunately it didn't influence the too notch acting.
I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed the actor portraying Karube is the same as the one from Cherry Magic (watch it, it's great) and the one portraying Arisu is L from the 2015 Death note drama! (Must watch too ;3)
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The best sequel I've seen of a Japanese show yet.
I must say that season 2 has surpassed the first season. Here not only do we experience the games on a wider scale (the entire city) but also the point of view change and make the rhythm more interesting.In season 1, after episode 4 we spend the rest of the time pretty much at the "Beach" where the plot develops but here, we change each episode of location and challenges.
And the intensity was there.
My heart aches because it's over, it was really entertaining and the characters once again, highly relatable. The acting was top-notch.
The only downside for me is the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, but I must say that they tricked us several times with false explanations to this alternate reality, and compared to the truth, these lies were more exciting.
But I still recommend to see, this season is definitely the best.
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The Beauty of Shadow and Light
******************** I'm reviewing Seasons 1 & 2 here ************************This series is a masterful allegory about life based on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” which is, itself, an allegory as well. However, this series take things to a whole different level.
Paramahansa Yogananda referred to life as like a Cosmic Motion Picture, in which we are the writers, actors, and even the directors in our own cosmic movie. Shakespeare equated life to a stage play saying, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts.”
In today’s world, one might easily equate life to a video game. You play and play until you’ve mastered the game in order to “clear it.” As you can see, the world of “delusion” is created with opposites. Light and dark, joy and sorrow, love and hate. Why? Because in order to experience light, there must be darkness. If all there was is light, then it would be impossible to experience it.
Virtually every master has said the same thing, but perhaps in different words; don’t take life so seriously. Learn to enjoy it. Don’t get so caught up in the “bad” things that you forget that none of this is real.
Arisu (Alice) is a young man who finds himself transported into another world, or another reality. Everyone has suddenly vanished except for himself and his two best friends. Tokyo appears empty of nearly all of its inhabitants. He quickly learns that he must play and clear games in order to survive. Failure to participate in a game within a certain time means automatic death. Clearing a game grants the victor a visa, in which the participant is given three days of a reprieve before another game must be played.
All games are based upon the classic playing cards with each suit and number designating the type of game (teamwork, deathmatch, betrayal, etc.) and its difficulty level (2, 3, 4, etc.).
The games alone are fascinating as we see participants stripped away of their morals and idealism in order to simply survive. We see people quickly betraying others. We see people so distraught by the pain and anguish that they simply give up, preferring death to any more “suffering.” And, of course, we see those rare few, that despite being knocked down and tempted with giving up, strive to continue in order to find out what this whole thing is all about. Arisu is such a person.
Arisu soon meets Usagi (Rabbit). At first, they form an uneasy alliance, and soon a friendship develops. Arisu is the idealist. He’s the person, despite making mistakes, refuses to give up. He’s a young man who had absolutely no direction in his life. He spent his days playing video games and hanging out with his two best friends. His father and brother are clearly disappointed in him for lounging around the apartment all day and doing nothing. However, Arisu is not without asking questions to the big picture. What is life? Why are we here? And as the game begins taking the lives of his friends and comrades, he even asks deeper questions such as, “Why am I alive?” Anyone who has suffered tremendous pain or suffering has asked this question.
Usagi represents the escape; the person who can only remember the pain of the “real world” and has no desire to return to it. What’s the point of “waking up” if all there is is more suffering? To Arisu’s surprise, she confesses that she prefers the “game” world, despite the horrors of mass murdering, betrayal, and constant threat of death at every turn. If you think this is pessimistic and having a quitter’s mindset, ask yourself why there are so many people in the world who prefer pain and suffering to the unknown? To the possibility that there just might be a way out? In short, Usagi is the person who prefers her comfort zone; her security and has no reason to stray beyond it.
Arisu and Usagi seem to find a community (church or religion) called “The Beach” in which people seem to be enjoying themselves in relative safety. However, not everything is as it seems. You must “follow the rules” or be designated a “traitor” and possibly killed. It’s lead by people who set up these arbitrary rules on how to live. Many of its inhabitants seek only refuge or pleasure. Others believe they can find a way to beat the game. The Beach represents the dangers of allowing anyone else to tell you how to live your life. It represents the dangers of giving power to the blind; to those who have no idea how “get out.” And because all religions are self-serving, the Beach is soon destroyed from within.
Season 2 sees Arisu and Usagi attempting to clear the most difficult games: the face cards. Some of the games employ the use of logic, trust, or simply mere survival (in the case of the King of Spades). Ironically, the last challenge to overcome is from the Queen of Hearts herself. She represents false love/hope that asks you to simply give in to a game which mirrors Lucifer’s own ideal; that it’s better to be a king in hell than a servant in heaven. However, before her demise, the Queen of Hearts smiles and gives Arisu a heartfelt reminder: life is choice. There is no “right” or “wrong” choice as there are always consequences no matter what you choose.
The final episode is a pure work of metaphysical art. It attempts to give an explanation where no explanation will suffice. It demonstrates that an attempt to understand the world through intellect alone will always lead to oblivion. We get so caught up in the world that we forget that it’s just an illusion; a creation of our own making. And perhaps that is why the most powerful message, and reminder, is the last shot of the season as a table with playing cards are swept away—all except for one which sits proudly in the middle of the table endeavoring for us to laugh at the joy and absurdity of it all: the Joker.
To the master, the universe is a playground. Much like this series depicts, it’s like entering a cosmic amusement park. To the unawakened, the dangers and pleasures seem real and they go round and round until they’ve had enough; to where they feel compelled to try and “wake up.” To the awakened, it’s simply to be enjoyed, both “good” and “evil” because in truth, neither one exists. They are mere fabrications on the cosmic motion picture of shadow and light.
Performances across the board are first-rate. We find ourselves getting attached to one or more characters, wondering who will “survive” and who will “die.” We see humanity’s beauty on full display, from acts of love and bravery to acts of insanity, brutality, and cowardice. The series makes no apologies for its depictions, nor should it. Stripped away, with nowhere to hide, we see people at their highest and their lowest.
This isn’t an easy series to watch either, as the violence is very extreme, so if you’re a bit skittish, you may want to avoid this series; unless you can understand that this is nothing more than a game. It isn’t real. Paramahansa Yogananda took some nuns to see a violent western. The nun sitting next to him covered her face with her hands because the violence was too much for her. He gently pulled her arms down and said, “Watch. Don’t get so caught up in it. None of it’s real.”
This is a series that could easily be the topic of discussion in any university class from psychology or philosophy to religious studies or any class having to do with human behavior. Yes, it is that profound, and by the time the series ends, you just might find yourself laughing along with the Joker, realizing that you were caught up in something and then realizing that none of it was real. So, enjoy!
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A thrilling and Gripping Finale
The second season surprised me beyond my expectations. It had many things which I found missing in the first one. The games were now much more interesting and entertaining to watch. The character development was on point. Even the backstories of many side characters were shared, which added a sense of understanding and attachment to their characters. The "Queen of Hearts" level was my favourite as it was very convincing and even made me wonder what is reality and what isn't. I was very impressed by how brilliantly all these game levels were made and how much thought was put into making them. Some of the dialogues and scenes were really thought-provoking and excellently constructed.The only two letdowns for me were the unnecessary elimination of characters and the epilogue, as I really believe that the characters should have at least remembered each other. Because they were literally willing to risk their lives for their companions. I tried to understand it from their point of view and put myself in their shoes. I realized that I would have felt really lonely if I had known that I was the only one who survived. Furthermore, it made them forget about characters like Kyuma, who believe it or not,by accepting their fate, it actually helped Arisu and the others to survive. The same goes for Tatta. I believe it was unfair to their memory for Arisu and the rest not to remember them.
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Could Have Been Better if Focus is Dialog
The Manga Really is one of my favorites. Season 2 could have been better if focus is not on Cinematography. The Strength of Alice in Borderland are the Games AND Dialogues and not the art and plot. It is in dialogues where we can see the strength/weakness, way of thinking, difference/sameness, motivations and background of each characters. Seems like the subtitles are a bit off sometimes. If this is a duel with Squid game, then Alice in Borderland should have been focused on its own strength. Anyway it was still entertaining to me in 1.25-1.5x speed.Was this review helpful to you?
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honestly don't even know what to say
watching the first few episodes i felt like this was going to have a different pace compared to the 1 season, solely because it was focused on them searching for answers rather than engaging in games. there were less game scenes, but the ones that we got to watch were absolutely mind blowing.i loved the new characters and got so excited seeing the old ones. to ep 1 to 6 my head was filled with theories!
i got so mad reaching episode 7, the final scene where everybody just d words took me by surprise. like ok you wanna take chishiya away? i already don't like that but at least he's just one. but then everyone else started dying while arisu was playing with deodorant ??? lmao ngl i kinda laughed (nervously). there was added suspense bc i just got to watch the finale a whole day after i watched ep 7, so i got a lot of time to morn over the characters and cry a bit more.
episode 8 however was a totally different thing. starting for the fact that it was more than an hour long i already knew i was going for a hell of a ride! and what a beautiful ride it was...
mira speech at the end with arisu and usagi explaining the reality of the world really got me. the plot with the trauma and her being his psychiatric was actually the one that made more sense to me since the beginning. i actually started season 2 waiting for this to be the final plot twist, with chota and karube being hit by the car and all. so imagine my surprise when all of a sudden that wasn't real anymore (again)? i got literal chills all over my body!!!
needless to say the last 20minutes was just me ugly crying while being so damn happy with where the plot were headed. i had my theories but i honestly think this couldn't have had a better ending. everyone got a last scene, everyone got closure.
it hits different watching aib again after you know where they are and i actually recommend a re-watch since you now got a totally new perspective!
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Just Perfect!
Waiting 2 years was hard, but it was worth it. This series holds your attention from start to finish.I just didn't put a 10 on the story because there are a lot of things I don't have an answer for yet. How did the older players get there? How was the catastrophe that led them there? And how was the hierarchy among them chosen? Doesn't anyone who left Borderland remember anything? What does Joker mean? Does the Joker represent everything that happened or does it mean that what we are seeing is the end game after all and they are not aware of it? There are so many questions... hahah
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I'm stunned, it's incredible
This season really managed to wrap it all up for us, to explain everything.I would've given the story 10/10 if they hadn't gone for the "and it was all a dream" ending, like I used to do when I was 10-
And I also don't really get that one scene, after they said no to a permanent residency, when Arisu is sitting in the bar with Karube and Chota. That scene added nothing but confusion.
But the way they introduced new characters, as well as how they went back to old ones, such as when we followed Ann through the forest, and Chisuyu through the different games.
I do however want to know the reason behind everyones heart stopping. Everyone who survived had a cardiac arrest, so I assume there is a connection there somewhere.
Many people have speculated on a third season due to the joker card in the ending scene, and that might just be fully possible if you take people who said yes to a permanent residency into consideration. The two men who said yes to stay is nowhere to be seen in the ending scenes in the hospital or when the meteor hits, and we get no explanation as to where they are, despite them having survived all the games.
But to wrap it all up, the show is amazingly written, and lived up to its hype. It has all the plot twists needed to keep you watching, even tho it got a little too much when they were having tea with the queen of hearts and I got tempted to skip ahead. But how they go from game to game, how they get split up and then reunite again, how Niragi doesn't die of infection and sepsis from his burns (?how?), and how every gamemaster dies with honor, and a purpose.
It's amazing
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