Imawa no Kuni no Alice 2 (2022)

Did like this season but season 1 was better.

In my opinion, season 1 is a whole lot better than season 2. Mostly because the games in season 1 were more exciting and I wasn't too fond of the last 2 episodes of season 2.
With that being said, that doesn't mean that I disliked season 2. I just liked season 1 (for which I gave a 9.5 out of 10) better.

Things I loved about season 2:

- All the games Chishiya was involved in
- The King of Clubs game (the very first game showed)
- Kyuma's wardrobe...;)
- The backstories and flashbacks
- How even the minor characters were brought back
- The explanation for the mystery of the Borderland in the last episode

Things that frustrated me:

- Niragi never dying. Gosh that pest was the worst!
- Would have liked to see more games like in season 1
- 7th episode was so frustrating! Was almost impossible to kill the King of Spades, even after him being shot properly multiple times. And almost everyone else (other than Arisu) being seriously injured (and some even looking as good as dead) but not dying. Although the whole episode was action packed and not boring, the whole thing was extremely unreal.
- The last episode just felt too draggy and the Queen of Hearts game mostly gave me a headache lol

The ending explanation was satisfying but with the revelation of the Joker card at the end, feels like there might be a season 3. If they do make a season 3, I'd definitely watch it!

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oh my god... the wait is finally over

I already know there's going to be a lot of reviews for this drama, so I want to focus on something a little different for mine.

I don't think I need to convince anyone on this page to watch this drama, because assuming you've already seen season 1, you'll probably already want to continue and find out the answers to everything (which you'll get this season).

So, I want to focus on life and death. We already saw in season 1 Arisu's behaviour. He was introverted and a social outcast. And then, he's thrown into a game where you could literally lose his life, so he plays. But of course, not everything goes well, and we end up seeing Arisu's depressive behaviour, his hopelessness as he's giving up. But then, once again, he's determined to win, understand the game, and then make sure all his friends make it back with him.

Cue season 2, and we see a similar pattern where other characters start to question the meaning of life. They're sick of being in Borderland. But this time, it's Arisu who picks them to and gives them a shoulder to lean on. It's him who shows them they should try their hardest to keep living.

Seeing the backstories of the characters in season 1, and then finding out the backstories of season 2's new characters (along with Chishiya's finally), I've noticed a pattern which can link all these characters by a thread. They all question life. They wonder why the rich always succeed, whilst the weak and poor are made to suffer. This show is filled with characters who have all undergone loss in some form in their lives, and once in Borderland, it's what they choose to do with the lessons they've learnt that will ultimately help them survive. Or at least probably.

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Brilliant adaptation

If I hadn’t read the manga I would have rated it higher. This is definitely a very good closure and a pearly accurate live action adaptation of the original work. Other series in works should take this as their reference. Waiting two years for the sequel was so worth it. I ended up binging it in a day. Throughout the drama, there’s this intensity which takes hold of you, the characters are amazing as always. The games that were used from the manga were quite accrue and depicted well, especially the last game which was so engrossing that I felt that the writers would shift from the manga. There were a couple of things I didn’t like, the added material was not as clever, too many long monologues in between some games, and towards the end lots of plot armour. Anyway, one can still look past all of this because overall it was great! I also loved the cinematography and audio effects — made the whole series so much more immersive. I would love to see the cast in more such well fledged works.

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Higher the stakes, harder the games

In true Alice In Borderland style, the second season opens with mass murder in the middle of the road. It’s one hell of a way to open a show, reminding us of Arisu’s past, his history of gaming and how, like those in the video game, he is caught in the same situation.

Season 2 is madness from the first minute of the first episode – just how we love and know the series to be. Bullets flying everywhere, figuring out what the heck is going on in between the lines and high-speed chase sequences. The series is a gift that gives on giving. Apart from the horrific bloodshed, we also face our protagonists’ emotional turmoil surrounding their past lives. Arisu is still reeling from his friends’ deaths while Usagi walks around with the burden of her father’s probable suicide. The games are puzzled, intense and mind fucking just like it's predecessor.

Just like season 1, season 2 carries on the expectations of the high stakes do or die games and delivers them almost successfully. The finale episode hit me a little, wherein many things went unanswered, the pacing got very slow and a happy ending which I felt could have been more satisfactory, had everything would have been answered. Maybe a Season 3 would answer all the remaining questions and solve the final piece of the puzzle.


My Rating: 8.5/10

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Better than Season 1

I was reluctant at first watching because I was a bit disappointed at season 1 I thought the 1st season its kinda a meh for me but when I forced myself to binge-watch season 2, I was so amazed at the graphics and high budget they give. For me, season 2 has more interesting episodes than season 1. I'm happy they added more female characters even though some of them have a little screen time esp. when they are participating the face card games. I was so shocked at the plot twist at the ending and the final episode is one of the best plot twist ever made by far the Best Episode in Season 2. Definitely recommended to everyone!!!

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if you haven't watched this yet do it right now

going into this show i did not realize how heartbreaking and gutwrenching it would be. one of the scenes literally made a sob come out my mouth like it genuinely wrecked me how emotional it was. some scenes had me sick to my stomach and made my heart feel empty. everything was so well done about this i can't put into words how much this moved me
characters were expertly done, acting was sublime and the story was just incredible. this is one of those shows where i will be thinking about even months after watching

the greatest thing about this masterpiece are the characters and the relationships they have with one another. you even feel bad for the "bad guys" at some points. when i watch a show, i have to be attached to the characters, otherwise what's the point? if i'm not feeling their pain and if i'm not gripping the edge of my seat, then it's a waste of time. thankfully this show had everything. it made me cry, it made me slap my hand over my mouth and it made me feel joy.

it's a very grim yet humanizing perspective on how we as people would operate if left to our own devices. it leaves you thinking about the society we live in and how love may be the reason you keep fighting to survive. i finished both seasons of this show in a little over a day — that's how immersed i was — and i'm so glad i finally decided to watch this after it sitting in my watch list for the last 2 years T-T

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Alice in Borderland is a dystopian series that combines elements of the battle royale and survival game genres. This second season is significantly better than the first, with more interesting games and well-developed characters. While the first season showed the darker sides of humanity, this season showcases more positive traits such as determination, camaraderie, selflessness, empathy, and hope.

The ending felt like a whole a season onto itself. So much happened in that last episode. It was tempting to go from the previous episode right into the last one, and I’m glad I held off to watch it the next day. It’s really a lot to mentally and emotionally unpack.

While I initially wanted to give this season a perfect score, I can't support the portrayal of sexual assault and the justification of the perpetrator's actions due to his past experiences with bullying. His attempts to rape the female lead and his reasoning that "because people are bad, he will be bad" is not acceptable. The whole time he's portrayed as a victim of his past, and the way to save him is to show him kindness. That is fine, but the problem lies in him never acknowledging his harmful behavior and never showing remorse for them either.

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