Imawa no Kuni no Arisu (2020)

Un piccolo capolavoro del genere

Uno dei miei jdrama preferiti, sì somiglia da altri prodotti televisivi giapponesi, ma questo non toglie nulla dalla sua validità e inventiva. Sì abbiamo già visto giochi mortali in tv, che indagavano la psiche umana e cosa sarebbe disposto a fare un uomo pur di sopravvivere, ma questo è comunque innovativo nel suo immaginario, nella psicologia dei personaggi e ha veramente un ritmo incalzante pur senza sembrare mai frettoloso. Anzi, queste 8 puntate mi hanno regalato le stesse emozioni di altri drama di 16 puntate. I cambi di scenario, i personaggi tuutto risulta interessante e coinvolgente.

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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.

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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 .

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A+++! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

This seris is so sick omg! I STILL LOVE IT AWWWeee!! !!!!ATTENTION !!!! If YOU NOT can't stand THE BLOODy And Murder scenes, than DO NOT watching this serious. If you even do it, told you sis/bro! ( ˘ ³˘)♥ The cast and the scenes and THE characters are so genious, The music was totallllyy impressive and the music can make the situation more touching and moore sentimental and SUCH A GREAT ART! UWUHE CHARACTERS AND THE STORY LINE WAS GREAT! but here is a thing for everyone who loved this series,and I know you will agree with it uwu! DEAR DIRECTORS, WE NEED SEASON 2!! UwU ( ˘ ³˘)♥

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Interesting but Unmemorable

Let me start with some disclaimers because, as you'll find out, my rating for this mini-series is much lower than the majority of other reviewers/raters. Suffice it to say I have always struggled with Japanese Dramas.

I think their stories are interesting -- especially those that delve into the dark psychological aspects of human nature. However, almost all, without exception, have failed to elicit any emotion from me. For whatever reason, I often find that characters in J-Dramas fall flat. Alice in Borderland, unfortunately, is no exception.

Another important thing of note is that this review pertains only to this drama. I'm aware the story is based on a manga that I have not read, and the truth is told, I don't plan to check out. So keep in mind that I jumped into this series without knowing anything about it.

PLOT: Interesting, albeit left mostly unexplored
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The world (aka country/reality) in which this drama takes place is hands down the most interesting aspect of this series. So much so, that wanting to know more about the world and explore it through the "escape rooms" game-dynamic kept me engaged enough to finish this one in three days.

Sadly, the series had to juggle too many characters, so the world itself was left vastly unexplored. Of course, this is only the beginning and I've heard rumors of a second season, so they may simply want to keep some mysteries to resolve in the sequel. If so, I'll probably watch it in hopes of getting some answers to my numerous questions, though I won't really be holding my breath for it.

CHARACTERS: Flat and forgettable
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Rather than talk about each of the main characters, I'll talk about them as a whole, since they all share the same problem and that is... none of them are really fleshed out.

You could blame the length of the drama, certainly. But that would be a cheap excuse. These characters lack complexity and it was that alone that made me feel nothing for them. They could've all died by the end and I wouldn't have shed a single tear.

Now, there was an attempt at building emotion. But it felt superficial, rushed, and "formulaic". I knew when a character was going to be axed because we got to hear their sob story through a quick dialogue with another character.

To be frank, if you like being engaged by the characters this Drama may fall short for you. But if you don't mind simple characters we don't really "get to know", so long as the world they inhabit is interesting, then this will make a decent watch.

MALE VS FEMALE CHARACTERS: Problematic
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I want to take a moment to express a problem I have with Japanese Dramas. Mind you, I haven't tried that many... but my avoidance of them has to do precisely with the reasons I'm about to briefly delve into.

This Drama is male-centric. Meaning, male characters tend to be given more depth than female characters. As such, the drama gave almost every male character some kind of motivation which explained why they made each of their decisions.

Unfortunately, female characters were left unexplored and at times, downright untouched. Even Usagi (the FL) was stripped from giving her depth by focusing her flashbacks on her father, rather than on her own life/aspirations. There's only one female character (a transgender gal) who was given a brief but beautiful story. Her aside, though, female characters were depicted as disposable, selfish, useless, and/or simple eye-candy.

Unlike female characters, male characters were usually portrayed in a nobler way. Even minor male characters were shown willing to sacrifice themselves for other men/friends. While female characters were killed off for reasons verging on the absurd (like showing the audience the dangers of a room, for example). I don't want to add spoilers here, but if you're interested to know more, add a comment and I'll explain using the spoiler tags.

FRAMING: toxic male gaze
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The above points lead me to talk about how the Drama was directed because it's one of the most problematic areas and maybe the aspect that spoiled my enjoyment the most.

Many of the decisions here were taken with the idea that "sex sales" and, of course, most times that means female bodies will be exploited. So as the series crossed into the last quarter (when they reach the beach), a rule was set that everyone should walk around in a bathing suit to ensure "no one can hide any weapons".

The result was having most female characters walk around in small bikinis while male characters got to wear baggy trunks and shirts. The fact that they didn't march around shirtless nullified the supposed "purpose/logic" of the rule. To the point where we even see a few of these male characters taking out weapons from the back of their swimming trunks...

But perhaps more intolerable than this was a scene that involved what would've been a gang-rape had the scene not been interrupted. Luckily, the director decided not to undress the character who gets kidnapped and almost assaulted (which I believe is supposed to be an underage girl).

Yet, the entire scene still felt crass because the camera hovered over the assailant's shoulder, making the audience complicit by showing the scene from his POV instead of the victim's. The result is that sexual assault ends up portrayed as something quasi-erotic, rather than as something horrific that is happening to the victim. This didn't settle well with me, as this has been a technique I thought we'd move past with the rise of the #metoo movement...

OVERALL: On the fence
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To be honest, this one is a tough one to recommend without putting on the table all the additional notes/flaws I've pointed out in this review. I think the world is interesting enough to make this drama watchable --binge-watchable even!-- and the "escape room" games were hands-down the best part.

However, the characters are not memorable or even original. They felt cartoonish to me and ultimately unengaging. I also hated the directing and the constant "butt framing". The disparity in how the genders were handled was especially jarring, so I wouldn't recommend this one if you care about that at all.

I also think this show calls for some trigger warnings because we see: attempted gang rape, executions, and a number of shootouts that may hit close to home to someone living in the USA; as it is reminiscent of many real schools shootouts in the way they were portrayed. So keep all that in mind if you decide to watch. If any of these things trigger you, I'll recommend staying away from this one.

If, on the other hand, you don't care about these things and like watching psychological mysteries (which are constructed like anime), then you'll probably really enjoy this one.

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Intense games and mind-binders

Imawa no Kuni no Alice (i.e. Alice in Borderland) is a fast-paced show, perfect for those who enjoy escape room movies.

I loved the games and how each is classified by the suits on a deck of cards. Each game is so vastly different and the stakes get higher and higher. There's a twist in each one, and my heart was racing each episode. I was also impressed by the visual effects and the scenery (especially the beginning when we pan around an abandoned Tokyo).

One thing I thought the show could have done better was building an emotional link with the audience. Arisu's friendships are sweet, but the impact of his friends' deaths wasn't that emotionally jarring, because it felt like I didn't get to see the depth of their friendship before they died in the first few episodes. There are some flashbacks that build on their friendship, but it was done too late for it to have as strong an impact. Also, I didn't feel that much chemistry between Arisu and Usagi. They work well as teammates, but I don't feel anything stronger than that. Perhaps their relationship will develop in the next season?

Overall, an exciting, adrenaline-filled show. Definitely worth watching.

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Story is 7.5 but production is 10/10

In summary: Games are good but actual story and side stories are probably 7.5. Production though is awesome! The best I've personally seen in Japanese media and tbh the saving grace for me to give this drama a rating higher than 7

Characters

I actually dropped it at first after episode 3 because there are no longer interesting characters for me. The main character Arisu is sadly not doing it for me and I couldn't really care more about his survival. However I've seen Japanese Twitter mostly talk about Niragi (a character that appears in later episodes) so it prompted me to pick it up again. Nonetheless the main characters that appeared in the first half (Arisu, Usagi) are uninteresting but the others in the second half (Chishiya, Kuina) are more charismatic and will definitely make the season 2 worth more looking forward to.

Story

The comments here were right that it kinda dwindled down during the second half. If you're looking for something similar, a stronger alternative would be Liar Game.

All in all it's not a bad watch but I'm not head over heels over it -- I don't feel like my time is wasted but I don't think you'll miss much if you don't watch it either. I'm ecstatic though that this got a Season 2 and is helping pave the way for Japanese dramas to get the hype it deserves internationally <3

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Messes With Your Mind In All the Right Ways

Alice In Borderland is a conundrum. It's possibly an isekai (refers to a person(s) who have travelled to another world). It's a mystery and a murder, but not necessarily a murder mystery. At one point it turns into The Lord Of the Flies on acid. It's trippy and a fantastic mind F*&k!

Imagine if one day everyone in your city disappears, but just a handful of individuals. Imagine if you are stuck playing games where losers and quitters die. That's where the cast of AIB find themselves. The series is based off a light novel that I am tempted to look for because I know a lot was left out of this first season. They leave it open for a season 2. The directing and visuals are great, but the acting makes each episode. The actors pulled me into their characters. I began to wonder what I would do. I was even yelling at the screen, "Don't go in there," "Look out," "You know he's crazy, look at 'em!"

The cast is solid. I have never seen any of the leads before. (They've been in dramas I'm interested in, I just can't find subs.) However, I have seen many of the supports before. I watched 2 episodes in English just to see if I could stand it and much to my surprise it was on point. Unlike most of Netflix's English dubs, the timing is well done. I plan to watch it again in English to see if there were clues I missed.

The music supported the action which is why I rated it high. Since I plan to watch in English, the rewatch is obviously high as well.

If you like mysteries, weird stuff, deadly games, then you should watch AIB. If you like isekai anime (or manga), especially ones with players stuck in games, AIB is up your alley. It reminds me of BTOOM! oops sorry drama people! My anime slip showed. Seriously though, in 8 episodes the Japanese told one helluva story. The ride is one that ended too soon. Cross fingers for season 2.

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Alice, you are indeed not in wonderland any more...

This drama takes you on a journey back to wonderland and then crushes it all and fills it with, blood, gore and pretty much everything nasty... Ok not really however the english tittle Alice in Borderland is very much connected to Alice in wonderland, the adult version with lots and lots of gore, pain and playing with human lives and emotions to the max. Much like the original Alice who seems all fluffy and nice this drama has quite a bit of social criticism and seems to ask the viewers to either just enjoy the splatter and the gore or think past the surface as every single one of the games in this drama seam to have something to say. To be honest i am not sure I always get what they are trying to say but i am sue there is a lot more too it, which I hope to find out during the next season.

When it comes to twists and turns I will admit some of them where more predictable than others and while part one of a twist may have been very predictable, part two blew my mind more than once. and it is always nice to have your mind blown from the safe distance of ones couch.

I also liked the the way the characters are portrayed as complex humans, not always perfect, some times mysterious and with more or less interesting background stories that at least made me curious to find out more about them as every single one of the characters has more to them than meets the eye.

A lot of people have compared this drama with Squid Games and though i do see some similarities about human nature and the game theme, I do think these two are very different in the core, but sure it is some kind of mix of Alice in Wonderland goes Squid Game meets Lord of the flies type of deal with less colours and more unanswered questions.

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A Bloodthirsty Journey Down The Rabbit Hole...

“Alice In Borderland” is one of this shows which (judging from what you’ve probably read by previous reviews), attracts typically three main audience types; diehard fans of the original manga, J-drama fans of either particular cast members and a minority of “ casual” drama watchers who have either stumbled upon the drama during a search or have just been recommended it. For those in the former category, it’s fair to say the biggest question which should be raised is if the first season of Alice In Borderland is actually worth watching, or if it is simply a waste of time.

As you can probably guess from the mention of this drama being a “ first season”, it’s wrong to entirely claim that some of the show’s flaws won’t be fixed in later episodes , however, there are a couple of notable reoccurring themes , inconsistencies and problems which should be mentioned to anyone considering watching this first season.As an idea the show is both intriguing, disturbing and undeniably quite ingenious throughout some of its storyline . From “ Liar- Game” and “ Battle- Royale” -style puzzles and fights , plot twists to the notable name references from Lewis Carroll’s surrealistic classic “ Alice In Wonderland” ( Arisu of course being “ Alice” as our protagonist ), there is of course a notable array of reoccurring and intriguing characters introduced into the show who all play intriguing roles . In particular these include; a mysterious girl and mountain climber called Usagi , the taciturn and conniving Shuntarō Chishiya ( Nijiro Muramaki) and his accomplice Hikari Kuina ( Aya Asahina ) as well as strong militant fighter Aguni Morizono ( Sho Aoyagi).


It should be said , however, that the acting in the show is bit of a mixed-bag .Whilst Kento Yamazaki ( Todome No Kiss and Death Note-2015) is undeniably a fairly good actor, there’s no sugarcoating that his performance as our main protagonist Arisu was a little lacklustre to say the least , with several scenes throughout episodes of fairly generic line deliverance . Similarly whilst Tao Tsuchiya ( Mare, Orange) wasn’t bad as our female protagonist Usagi, her performance was a little questionable in consideration to her fame as a fairly renowned actress. Perhaps the one role which was certainly well-performed in the show and must be given some praise to is Nijiro Muramaki’s (Anohana; The Flower We Saw That Day-2015 , and The Isle of Dogs) roel as the intelligent, mysterious and conniving player Shuntarō Chishiya ; a character who against all odds is more likeable than the male lead.

By all default Arisu had all the right traits of being both a likeable and deep male lead; a traumatic past with his family, experiencing loss and loneliness, intellectual and undeniably socially-awkward at times as well gave boundless opportunities for character growth . Sadly, the biggest issue with Arisu’s characterisation was that against all the action and bloodthirsty moments of the series, there was little time provided for us as viewers to either reflect or see Arisu being able to contemplate these moments both through his interactions with other characters and through his own doubts as well. Whilst it can be argued that Arisu’s poor character depth was a it consequence of the show “ running out of time” than anything else, there is still the notable presence of minor well-written characters such as Kuina and Aguni who actually have quite good character depth, interesting pasts and are fairly three-dimensional in comparison.

This resulted in Arisu often coming off as a notable plot device in the series rather than an actual character; impassive to certain events and only really having the “ driven- angst” when it was necessary for a plot event rather than allowing Arisu to be a likeable male lead.

The ending was undeniably open. This is naturally because the show will receive a second season and allows the plot to extend outwards, however, there were several notable flaws in this first season alone from acting abilities, a fairly lacklustre OST and even our main protagonist’s depth which will probably need to be smoothed out or at least focused upon going forwards. Overall, the first season of Alice In Wonderland was far from a masterpiece ( in addition to some questionable CGI as well) , however, nonetheless it was a fairly thrilling journey down the rabbit hole into a bloodthirsty Wonderland ; undeniably ridiculous at times, but surprisingly a fun ride.

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