Arisu versus Borderland, the rematch
Honestly, I think the majority of us can agree that them clearing up all the games from the second season was already a great conclusion to the story. Yet, knowing that a Joker card does exist in all card decks, I am loving the way they utilized this as the final season of the franchise. Do they manage to pull up a good season? Yes, but compared to the prequels, this season was obviously the weakest. Still, we can’t deny the fact that they showcase another banger story; however, with less impact on the viewers.
The one thing that I hated the most about this show is how all the survivors from the games lose their memories when they come back from the real world. As a viewer, I wanted them to be reunited with the memories of them all fighting for their lives inside the game, and creating new memories living their second lives in the real world. This is also the reason why the rulers managed to bring back old players to participate in a rematch game of survival under the Joker games.
We only have very limited games this season, but they are more than enough to carry out a dramatic and creative execution of stories. Meeting new players and alliances, Arisu once again led the team with his compassionate and strategic mind with enhancing the capabilities of his teammates. As in the previous seasons, Arisu will never survive without the help of other players.
Here is my ranking of the games from toughest to weakest presentation.
Semi-final game: Kick the Can
With a limit of ten chances to survive, this is a team fight with straightforward instructions that involves speed and power. It became a relay game for everyone. This is the game where they showcase how Arisu and his alliances deeply bonded over the short amount of time they shared from the previous games. At the end, they managed to survive, with three teammates unfortunately died.
Second game: Zombie Hunt
A card game with the twist of zombie, shotgun, and vaccine. Inside the Institute of Virus Research facility, players must survive by either becoming a zombie or healing others back to their humanity. It is a cool twist that needs a clever way of convincing other players. Arisu being a zombie since the beginning was good, but it needed to present more context after the revelation.
First game: Fortune of Luck
This may seem so basic at first, but this tested the players’ intellectual strength. Solving scenarios and equations that involve actual numbers in a limited time was such pressure for everyone. Knowing that a random fire of arrows may strike out depending on the margin of errors was truly terrifying.
Semi-final game: Tokyo Bingo Tower
Endurance, balance, and tough strength until hitting the bingo. It was fine that players needed to climb up the Tokyo tower and hit the button all around the corner, but I feel like the metal balls falling from the sky were so random. We don’t even see them when Usagi is climbing the peak of the tower.
Third game: Runaway Train
This is a game where Arisu and Usagi finally get a glimpse of each other, with such a dramatic train situation. Yet the game itself was tough luck, and you needed to think outside the box or literally think outside the train. Stay, and you will breathe poison gas.
Final game: Possible Futures
Nah. This game was kind of a meh for me. I was expecting a full-blown championship game. But similar to the last game they played before, this is a game of testing one’s desire and temptation in securing his own future. The take from this game is that an alternate reality was too much of an option if you think about the logical reasoning to at least survive the game. Hailing Arisu as the winner was kind of breaking the game's rule that they set for the players, since the rest of the players were finally able to exit from the digital double rooms. Taking place in Shibuya was too amusing.
Side game: Dodging Lasers
Intense yet feels too much for the wheelchair man manages to survive this with the help of Usagi and the people he used as a human shield.
Think. Think. Think. As Arisu always says when he faces an oddly life-and-death situation. The games are the major charm of this series. But the players themselves are the reason why the audience loves the show. Ending the finale season with Arisu interviewing all past players we fell in love with from the prequel seasons was heartwarming. Everyone is living their life to the fullest. Such a nice way to finally conclude the franchise.
My wishful thinking is that Arisu and Usagi celebrated the birth of their first child with the presence of all the people that they met as co-players inside the alternate world. With them having the memories from the past and securing their futures in the real world with the support of everyone.
The one thing that I hated the most about this show is how all the survivors from the games lose their memories when they come back from the real world. As a viewer, I wanted them to be reunited with the memories of them all fighting for their lives inside the game, and creating new memories living their second lives in the real world. This is also the reason why the rulers managed to bring back old players to participate in a rematch game of survival under the Joker games.
We only have very limited games this season, but they are more than enough to carry out a dramatic and creative execution of stories. Meeting new players and alliances, Arisu once again led the team with his compassionate and strategic mind with enhancing the capabilities of his teammates. As in the previous seasons, Arisu will never survive without the help of other players.
Here is my ranking of the games from toughest to weakest presentation.
Semi-final game: Kick the Can
With a limit of ten chances to survive, this is a team fight with straightforward instructions that involves speed and power. It became a relay game for everyone. This is the game where they showcase how Arisu and his alliances deeply bonded over the short amount of time they shared from the previous games. At the end, they managed to survive, with three teammates unfortunately died.
Second game: Zombie Hunt
A card game with the twist of zombie, shotgun, and vaccine. Inside the Institute of Virus Research facility, players must survive by either becoming a zombie or healing others back to their humanity. It is a cool twist that needs a clever way of convincing other players. Arisu being a zombie since the beginning was good, but it needed to present more context after the revelation.
First game: Fortune of Luck
This may seem so basic at first, but this tested the players’ intellectual strength. Solving scenarios and equations that involve actual numbers in a limited time was such pressure for everyone. Knowing that a random fire of arrows may strike out depending on the margin of errors was truly terrifying.
Semi-final game: Tokyo Bingo Tower
Endurance, balance, and tough strength until hitting the bingo. It was fine that players needed to climb up the Tokyo tower and hit the button all around the corner, but I feel like the metal balls falling from the sky were so random. We don’t even see them when Usagi is climbing the peak of the tower.
Third game: Runaway Train
This is a game where Arisu and Usagi finally get a glimpse of each other, with such a dramatic train situation. Yet the game itself was tough luck, and you needed to think outside the box or literally think outside the train. Stay, and you will breathe poison gas.
Final game: Possible Futures
Nah. This game was kind of a meh for me. I was expecting a full-blown championship game. But similar to the last game they played before, this is a game of testing one’s desire and temptation in securing his own future. The take from this game is that an alternate reality was too much of an option if you think about the logical reasoning to at least survive the game. Hailing Arisu as the winner was kind of breaking the game's rule that they set for the players, since the rest of the players were finally able to exit from the digital double rooms. Taking place in Shibuya was too amusing.
Side game: Dodging Lasers
Intense yet feels too much for the wheelchair man manages to survive this with the help of Usagi and the people he used as a human shield.
Think. Think. Think. As Arisu always says when he faces an oddly life-and-death situation. The games are the major charm of this series. But the players themselves are the reason why the audience loves the show. Ending the finale season with Arisu interviewing all past players we fell in love with from the prequel seasons was heartwarming. Everyone is living their life to the fullest. Such a nice way to finally conclude the franchise.
My wishful thinking is that Arisu and Usagi celebrated the birth of their first child with the presence of all the people that they met as co-players inside the alternate world. With them having the memories from the past and securing their futures in the real world with the support of everyone.
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