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whoever says its corny your mom is a
This season is so much deeper than the last. The plot is just a decoy; behind it is a deep reflection on life, strength, perseverance, our existence and free will. I had to stop a few times to reflect on life and my existence as a player. I feel so bad for anti intellectual surface level watchers who can't see past the story and dialogues. Some will even say the dialogues are superficial, but I think they're only superficial if you want them to be. This is the kind of drama that I would encourage watchers to consume with introspection.Why are you here? What is real? What keeps you alive? curiosity? spite? hope? do you even neec a reason? Why are you still playing? Where do you get your strength? What does it mean to be real, to be a human? is your existence fair? Why do you hate life/yourself? What's the value of a life? How valuable is yours? This dramas raises alot of questions that will never get old, and for once instead of making you depressed afterwards it revives your will to exist, to fight and persevere.
Also the hidden symbolism is beautifully done, I just noticed how the people who stayed behind in borderland where people who aimed for control and domination meanwhile the ones that went back were willing to face the uncertainty of their life. So no matter how many times some characters where deathly injured they still wouldn’t die, because their will to live was too strong. And when the face cards leaders died they all said that they were glad to be finally free. I believe that when they accepted their citizenship to borderland they all had plans of grandeur and domination but deep down after a while they realized they weren’t as free as they thought.
There was no badly written character because every character embodied a thought provoking existential question. This is really about letting go of control and fear to face the hardest game of all, that is life.
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Solid series
First of all, I don't rewatch things outside of research purposes, hence my rewatch value score. Now that it's out of the way, I love this series. Having read the manga too, I love it even more. It's engaging, keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time. Character development was done nicely, and the relationship development also built up nicely. It doesn't follow the manga in everything, but it stays very close to it. Overall, this is a very solid series. I'm not sure if Netflix is going to pick this up for season 3 (since the manga has a sequel and spinoff), I don't think it's needed at all (for both the series and the manga), as this concluded nicely.Was this review helpful to you?
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Best Season!
It was a great sequel! The games were even more exciting and deadly this time. The Face Cards—Kings and Queens—really pushed the main characters to their limits, either breaking their spirits or taking their lives. Their acting was definitely improved this season.My favorite episode was Episode 2—the Osmosis game with the King of Clubs. It was heartbreaking to see Tatta sacrifice himself, but that twist was necessary for Arisu to turn the game around and win.
But if I had to pick the most fun games, I’d say the ones with the King and Queen of Spades. Episodes 5 and 6 were incredibly intense! The team was on the verge of losing, but thanks to Usagi’s quick reflexes and her ability to convince the group, they managed to stand a chance against the Queen of Spades.
And finally, Episode 7—undoubtedly the most ruthless yet perfect episode. The fight choreography was top-notch; I haven’t seen anything like it in a while. It was heartbreaking to watch the characters get beaten down by the King of Spades, but it made for the best episode of the season. Almost all the main characters were left barely breathing, but in the end, they managed to defeat the Queen of Hearts and return to the real world.
I can’t wait for Season 3!
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Breathtaking
I wonder why I never wrote a review for this 2nd season. I was hooked from the beginning to the end and enjoyed it more than the 1st season. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Some characters were just incredible, the acting was overall pretty good, I even started to like the main guy. The plot was as intriguing as in the 1st season, but this time they tackled some moral questions that really got me thinking. It's a while that I watched a series, and I had to pause it just to take it all in and get my thoughts straight. This series really deserves the hype.Was this review helpful to you?
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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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does not dissapoint
Yes it is bloody, gruesome, but whoever watched the first season knew that was coming.Besides that, i love that most of the games actually have some kind of morale too at the end.
i loved the back stories too, more background to a lot of characters, and i for one am satisfied with the ending. It could have gone in a lot of directions, they picked a good one.
Also, big huzaa for the visual effects team. especially the scene where the whole city was overgrown with nature, it looked surreal, applaus
Would definitely rewatch!
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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.Was this review helpful to you?
best show ever
everything is literally great from casting to storyline i would recommend watching the anime or reading the manga AFTER this because those go into more depth but it's by far the best anime adaptation.i have done all three so the story has been engraved in my mind but i don't care. it's probably the first show i have cried on during the game where karube and chota died but their acting was phenomenal and i can't understand how a show this great can be made oh my god i could go on and on about how good it isWas this review helpful to you?
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!!!Was this review helpful to you?
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 mecharacters 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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