Alice in Borderland (2020)

Un drama imperdible que nos regala este 2020.

Todo el mundo estaba hablando de él y la verdad me ganó la curiosidad.

¡Qué buena decisión tomé!

Para ser honesta, la historia no la veo del todo novedosa, porque tiene como "tintes" de lo que son obras como GANTZ, pero aún así, la llevan bastante bien, lo suficiente como para que al final de cada capítulo quieras ver el siguiente; ningún capítulo es relleno, no he leído el manga pero no creo que el Live action sea tan diferente.

El cast es bueno, hay algunos que aparecen muy poco pero cumplen muy bien con su rol, incluso la actriz femenina (Tao), que no es mucho de mi agrado pero debo reconocer que aquí hizo un buen trabajo. Mi única 'queja' sería Yamazaki Kento, que en ocasiones sus expresiones faciales me parecieron sobreactuadas.

Del OST no hay mucho que decir, es 'la cereza del pastel' para terminar de ambientar las escenas a la perfección.

¿Volvería a ver 'AIB"? Definitivamente. Es de esos dramas muy entretenidos, tanto que siento que puedes verla una 2da o 3ra vez como por ejemplo, con amigos o hermanos y la experiencia será igual o mejor al compartir opiniones y teorías.

Como comentario final, debo decirles que si tienen algún tipo de duda con este drama, ya no lo duden más y vayan a verlo ahora mismo, es un drama de calidad inmensa en todos los sentidos, incluso si no eres fan del género o no has visto el manga (como yo), es un drama muy disfrutable para maratonear en estas vacaciones de fin de año.

"Alice in Borderland", un drama imperdible lleno de intensidad que nos regala este difícil 2020.

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Inesperadamente atrapante

Primero de todo, yo había visto antes "El juego del calamar" por lo que tenía una idea preconcebida. Pero a todos aquellos que les pase como yo, les digo que borren esa comparación porque esta serie es cien mil veces mejor (sin desprestigiar El juego del calamar, la cual también es una buena serie).

Los actores hacen un trabajo increíble, en especial Arisu (protagonista) que es capaz de transmitiste y hacerte sentir igual que él. Además la trama te mantiene en constante alerta y atención a no perderte nada; sabiendo como mantenerte intrigado durante todos los capítulos. E incluso consiguiendo sorprenderte en cada uno de ellos. Al igual que al presentarte nuevos personajes te hacen simpatizar con ellos al instante.

Así que para terminar, a todos aquellos que os gustó "El juego del Calamar", sin lugar a duda le daría una oportunidad a esta serie, no os va a defraudar.

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Un muy buen dorama de acción

No tengo idea si tendrá que ver con el anime que es muy parecido en trama a este dorama pero de igual manera es un muy atrapante, con un poco de bajón entre tanta acción y misterio en la mitad pero que retoma el camino y termina con un muy buen nivel esta primer temporada dejando un final abierto para una segunda temporada que por suerte ya esta confirmada.
Lo mas flojo que no pude dejar de notar es la falta de música que al ser un dorama de acción se podría haber aprovechado muchísimo pero en resumen, es muy bueno y al ser corto es una muy buena opción para un maratón

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¡Las adaptaciones live action de manga a veces funcionan!

#AliceInBorderland trata sobre Arisu, un joven obsesionado con los videojuegos que un día se encuentra metido en una versión vacía de Tokio en la que se ve obligado a competir en una serie de "juegos" junto a sus amigos para poder sobrevivir.

Para empezar déjenme decirles que la serie me encantó, pero eso es porque tuve muy claro desde el inicio que está basada en un manga shonen. Cuando la vean tienen que hacerlo con las mismas expectativas con las que verían una película basada en un libro juvenil, si hacen eso, les puedo asegurar que la van a disfrutar.

Ahora bien, hablando del dorama en sí: hace mucho que no me cruzaba con algo tan adictivo. Los capítulos se pasan solos y la necesidad de saber qué va a pasar a continuación está presente en todo momento, por lo que no puedo decir que tenga partes "lentas" (al menos para mí). Los juegos son entretenidos a más no poder y en su mayoría, funcionan.
Aparte visualmente es una LOCURA, el nivel de presupuesto que manejaron es algo de no creer (solo falla cuando aparecen animales, esos son poco creíbles jaja).

Los personajes son buenísimos, uno llega a sentir que los conoce y es imposible no encariñarse con ellos. Tal vez Arisu y Usagi (los protagonistas) son los que terminan quedando más flojos, pero los secundarios son muy interesantes y están bastante bien construidos (además tienen mucha relación con Alicia en el país de las maravillas, obviamente)

¿Los mejores capítulos? El 2 y el 3 sin ninguna duda, pero el final del 6 los va a dejar con la boca abierta 😂
¿Lo más flojo? Tiene varias cosas muuuy convenientes, flashbacks que aparecen en el momento justo y el prota tiene habilidades que solo un prota puede tener, pero en conjunto es tan atrapante y te deja tan manija que todo se perdona.

Es súper cortito (8 capítulos nomás) y engancha de una, así que no creo que se arrepientan de darle una oportunidad. Por si fuera poco, tiene algunos plot twists muy buenos y unas cuantas escenas de pelea que da gusto ver 😉

IG de reseñas cortas: @altoplottwist

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Debería haberse llevado toda la atención que se robó El Juego del Calamar

Ahhhhh Alice In Borderland, que decir de vos que ya no haya escrito en los chats aterrorizantes que le mandé a mi mejor amigo cuando saliste...
Primero: si pueden, lean el manga porque es BUENÍSIMO. Los mangakas saben trabajar muy bien la trama 'juegos de la muerte' así que si no lo leyeron hasta este momento salen de acá y se van a baio o alguna de esas páginas y lo buscan que no se van a arrepentir y van a hacer que la experiencia de mirar la serie les sea mucho más gratificante.
Segundo: si bien al principio no la iba a mirar porque a veces las adaptaciones de manga y comics que hace la plataforma de la N roja hay que agarrarlas con pinzas, me bastó con leer que Kento Yamazaki iba a hacer de Arise para ponerle todas las fichas. Y que bueno que lo hice.
Para quienes la piensan ver, hay que avisar que se pone medio/bastante violenta por momentos y podés quedar recalculando más de una vez porque hay escenas que te las regalo, pero si han visto Battle Royale deberían estar un poco con el antídoto en sangre y, por ende, van a poder disfrutarla.
Arise, que no quiere hacer nada en la vida más que jugar a lo' jueguito' y que el viejo le deje de romper las pelotas, de golpe se encuentra con sus dos mejores amigos en un Tokio vacío donde no están más que ellos y un poco de gente cool y un montón de gente loca. Hay personajes que los van a amar -como los de Ruzuna y Chishiya- y los juegos son geniales de los bizarros y crueles. Además, y eso me parece interesante de aclarar, que para ser un manga que se escribió en tan poco tiempo y no tiene muchos tomos hay tantos elementos que tocan tan ahí en la tecla que es impresionante; y ver como se muestra en ciertas piezas de entretenimiento aquello de lo que hablaba Nagisa Oshima cuando decía que todos los japoneses estaban mal de la cabeza la verdad que es algo que nunca hay que perderse. Y por eso también pienso que debería haber obtenido el reconocimiento que le dieron a su versión lavada de Corea, que si bien la otra no es mala la verdad que en parte es una mezcla de diferentes elementos comunes puestos todos juntos bajo el sueño de alguien que realmente quería que la pegue (pero bueno de esto me callo).
Veanla antes de que salga la segunda temporada que la verdad que no se van a arrepentir y se les va a pasar TAN rápido que cuando la terminen no van a saber con que llenarlo, así que ahí se van a leer el manga o mirar de vuelta Battler Royale y siguen la vida diciendo "gracias a Dios no vivo en ese lugar"...obvio hasta que en Diciembre llegue la nueva.

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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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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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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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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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