Name: Alice in Borderland

Episodes: 8

Imdb: 7.7

Recommended for all thriller lovers….

After being mentally oppressed for a month by term final I badly needed to bring spice to  my lifeless state  . I badly missed watching shows for a long time because of that culprit exam!!!! .  After going through that chocking final I didn’t wait a bit to start watching a new show as watching shows and reading books has always been my companion when it comes to leave this hellish reality behind.

Who cares about cGPA when there is that much of amazing shows to enjoy….!!! Btw don’t take seriously these babblings  … 🤦‍♀️

Whatever  I can’t thank myself less for selecting this Japanese series for removing those scars of my academic life by granting me thrills with so many depressing stuffs . Without even wasting a second after completing watching,  I just started writing review on this series. I am glad I started writing review from time to time nowadays as it makes my watch time more  amusing and observant.

My love for Japanese as a whole has always been so high but it’s my first time watching this type of japanese show other than animes . I have always been a thriller lover. As Alice in borderland is a fullpack action thriller I  got existed from the start and this excitement continued to grow until the end of the 8th episode even from time to time I even stopped breathing .  Isn’t that’s how thrillers should be!!

Now let’s see how the story became that much worthwhile even with a typical ‘Isekai’ anime type  plot. The show kicks off with  Arisu, a jobless game freak considered as a parasite in his house  .  While hanging out with two friends Chota and Karube, Arisu all on a sudden  observe that all the people around them has vanished but everything else has remained same .

I found it funny how Arisu took the situation as an exciting one living a life with his beloved pals without caring about anyone else .  At first I just wished if I could fall into this type of situation   leaving this boring life behind!!!After the conclusion of the show I literally apologised to myself for thinking this way noway I can become a part of this hellish game….. my boring life seemed like  heaven  !!!!

Anyway Arisu and Chota’s excitement for a life without those problematic people didn’t last long as they came to know actually they are inside a weird  game where the game developers only play with the human emotions .

In my watch time I desperately wanted to know the identity of the mastermind behind this game. I perceived  we are gonna meet up with a psychopath . My anticipation ended in the last episode. We indeed got to know this psychopathic maniac. Hope we will have more part of this  neurotic mastermind in second season.

Sometimes the story reminded me of hungers game, sometimes it gave vibe like one of my favourite south korean drama  ‘Memories of Alhambra’. That game world was just like the carbon copy of their usual world….all the surrounding remained same only the people disappeared except some selected ones for the game. From the start I felt a dystopian state of metaverse…. people getting killed, being emotionally blackmailed inside a game that’s  so called  ‘anarchy ‘ we talk about  .

Arisu and his friends had no choice but to participate in the game during the series . Time after time while playing game they met with other players in games and had to survive by solving mysteries. The  first game they played was named ‘Dead or Alive’  for every wrong choice they had to scrifice one of them. Each time after soving one puzzle the time limit for the next one started to shorten up. The way Arisu solved those puzzles it reminded me of  Kishor Pasha from ‘Tin Guyenda’.

I didn’t expect to witness that much depressing stuffs in this show from the start. Everytime players got killed I ached for them. Mixing psychology with isekai stuffs made the show must watch for action thriller lovers .Those people struggling to survive on a game just reminds us of how badly we all want to live forever….

How friends sacrifice themselves for another one just melted my heart ..Foolish me just wished that all of those three friends will survive until the end .Wish I could have that type of noble heart like  Chota and Karube… anytime  ready to sacrifice for others.

 I got mad at Arisu. I just couldn’t  bare that part of the show but at last I couldn’t hate him at all as he payed back by saving a bunch of others .

Gamers dying in almost every episodes just reminded me of Hunger games. Those deaths  gonna haunt me for a while for sure .

Wish I could have that type of noble heart like  Chota and Karube…..!!

I personally took a liking towards that female lead Usagi. Throughout  the show her athletic body and attitude  radiated independent  woman aura ….

There were many other characters with a short screen time attracted me. Hope to rencounter them in upcoming season.

If you are a action thriller lover as I am than without wasting a time start watching this show. I felt a bit disturbed why I’ve watched this so late. Overall I had a great time watching the show.

By the way  it’s  not family friendly so beware of watching with family and kids.

Reviewer Khatuna Jannat Esha, student of EEE, University of Dhaka.