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The Borderland of Life and Death
From the director of Gantz, Bleach and I am a Hero, director and Screenwriter, Sato Shinsuke brings us back to the world of Alice in Borderland with gruesome survival games determining the life and death of those within it.Story:
The first episode had a promising and engaging start picking up immediately from last season's continuation. The stakes are higher and the games are increasingly challenging. Each episode throughout eight episodes covers the different perspectives of recurring and newly introduced characters.
One of the interesting points of this season was how the story revisited past season characters and the reasons behind their motives and actions. This resulted in bringing character development to this season's characters and gives us a better understanding of the games and the borderland.
The cons of this season were the plot armour of supporting roles which took attention out of the scenes. However, the reason was later explained in the plot twist. Also, some screen time was cut for certain characters such as Miyoshi’s character (Rizuna Ann). It would have been interesting to see more of her take on a game as shown in the manga.
In terms of story pacing, the episodes did not rush to conclusion but linger subtle hints while scattering misdirections for each game that unravels a thrilling reveal.
Acting/Casting/Crew:
It is uncertain how faithful the series' characters are to their manga origins. However, the action sequence and the desperation for the character's survival were performed well, especially in the semi-final games.
The arc that seemed neutral was the romance arc in the series. It would have been more impactful if the characters started showing gradual signs in the first season. However, it was better shown in the climax scene which was moving.
Mad props to the cast and crew for the stunt coordination. As seen behind-the-scenes, many stunts were performed by the actors themselves, especially the brutal fight scene in the climax episodes. It was evident, especially with the visual effects, the series was given a higher budget to heighten the strange world of the borderland.
Music:
The same soundtrack produced by composer, Yamada Yutaka was played throughout the series. The music department, Daniel Kresco did not drown out the character dialogues and they were timed appropriately to the given performance and scenes.
Rewatch value:
In conclusion, Alice in Borderland (今際の国のアリス) conveys a strong outlook from the various characters to appreciate the mundane parts of life despite the downsides they have experienced. A rewatch is worth the missed easter eggs, heartfelt moments between characters and the well thought out connections throughout the series.
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Disturbing yet facinating
While browsing through my usually visited sites, I found some edits of the main character, Nanno all over Tumblr, youtube and Instagram. I had to see what this show was all about and the international hype surrounding it.To shortly summarise my thoughts on the show people are either going to hate it or love it. It may come across as unamusing or thrilling for its tone.
Each episode is set at a different school with Nanno as the new student unravelling people’s deepest darkest and ugly side. In agreement with the below comments, the episode structure had a black mirror feel to it. The more episodes I checked through, the more disturbing the story progressed. Although the outcome of almost each episode tends to become similar and unsurprising, I couldn’t stop watching till the very end. The episodes explore and present topics such as societal expectations, social pressure, school bullying, wealth and more. The storytelling is both exaggerated and warped compared to your typical drama series. Which may be what caught attention worldwide.
I did find it interesting how we get to see different sides to Nanno. Which gets me curious to know more about her. The acting from Chicha and the supporting cast were very convincing and real. The performance makes us reflect on to what length humanity would go to please, protect and reach their goals.
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For a zombie or a human, life never goes as one wishes
The concept of a zombie having a consciousness and morals takes me back to my fondness for the film Warm Bodies (2013). Although the conscious zombie concept has been explored before, its refreshing to see the concept in a Sherlock Holmes type of comedy drama series.Some comedic scenes were a bit goofy, but it did not overshadow the mystery aspect of the unresolved murder cases. Although the series has its upbeat and funny moments, when it takes a serious approach, the story makes you reflect on what truly makes human beings "human". With or without morals, the various cases paints scenarios on the beautiful and dark side of humanity.
If you are seeking a comedy mystery drama with slight action that takes a different approach from the mainstream depiction of zombies, then I would recommend this series.
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