Imawa no Kuni no Alice 2 (2022)

Good, but could have been better

It's been way more than a year since I last made a review but I feel the need to give my opinions on this series.

I'll be honest and say I would've given this a 9.5 if they managed to keep up the incredible directing and writing the first four and a half episodes had to offer. But it felt like things were starting to go a bit downhill since the Queen of Spades game started and the story became less interesting and all over the place at times.

I was gushing over this drama for the first episodes for various reasons. Season 2 provided excellent story-telling as they provided backstories for a lot of the characters and also gave more context about the games they were playing as if to state that the games weren't only an obstacle a player needs to get past, but also a lesson a player can learn from. The games were exciting and the stakes couldn't be any higher; it truly felt like the games were more difficult than the numbered cards back in season 1. The drama felt more interactive from the perspective of the viewers because I felt like I needed to be more attentive to the details of the story so I can make assumptions and hypotheses in correlation to how the story will unfold and how the players could possibly beat the games. The first half of season 2 felt like it was perfectly making use of the groundwork season 1 provided.

As I said, things were going a bit downhill from the half of episode 5 where they play the Queen of Spades game. From there on out, games started to become less interesting and difficult, we're introduced to a few less interesting characters, the actions and consequences of the players would feel nonsensical and weird at times, and overall I feel like they could've done a much better job with how things transpired. At this point, I was beginning to think everything was falling apart and the story totally progressed in the wrong direction, but things changed after the long-awaited conclusion.

From the things that happened between episodes 4 and 10, things would only make sense with the ending they provided us with; if it was a different ending, nothing would make sense at all.

Alice in Borderland explained:

So from my understanding, Borderland is the place between life and the afterlife. The players found in Borderland are the victims of the accident that happened in and around the ward of Shibuya. Players didn't all enter Borderland at the same time because not all of them entered a state of "death" at the same time as well. Time worked differently compared to how time worked in reality, so people who entered Borderland first would've made a lot of progress already before other players would join. And this is where one of my questions about survivability was answered thanks to the ending. Some players died early, some players would die easily, some players just have a knack for staying alive no matter what happens, and that is all decided by your fate or your will to live. If you died early or easily it just means that you were fated to die or that your will to live was not strong enough, but if you survive and beat all the games, you'll be given a choice to stay in Borderland or come back to life in reality. Beating games and being given the choice to continue living or dying gives the players realizations about their life and whether or not life is worth living; Borderland is a place where unless fate decides for you, you yourself have the power to make your own decisions stemmed from how you value life. In the end, those who truly longed for a second shot at life prevailed and got a chance to live the remainder of their life with a renewed perspective.

The ending was satisfactory, but there is a world where I'd prefer a different ending where Borderland was also part of reality just in a different world.

Things that I really liked about season 2:
- Arisu being the smart, caring, awkward virgin protagonist we all needed.
- Chisiya being the coolest character
- Usagi's cuteness
- The charismatic duo Ann and Kuina
- The immortal Aguni
- Overall the characters were a joy to watch, and their actors/actresses we amazing
- And the best thing I liked about season 2 is the storytelling

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It was definitely worth the wait!

There weren't that many new characters (honestly I can think only of one new) but I enjoyed seeing the ones from season 1 reutrning on screen. Some of the games seemed meh to me but others were really well-thought and I very much enjoyed the psychological aspects of some of these games. I especially loved how Chishyia was always thinking about that aspect, his character is one of my favourites. Ann and Kuina's friendship was amazing to watch. <3 Usagi was badass as always, I can't understand the people who say that her character is boring. It was nice to see how her and Arisu's relationship developed.

9/10 rating from me. The ending was phenomenal.

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Lived to expectations and made it easier to cope with life

I watched this show at a strange point in life. There's less than 20 minutes left until New years and I am over here writing this..

As i watched the fireworks on my screen, I also heard them outside. I completely related to the characters- might want to mention I've been having a sort of existential crisis lol.

This show is difficult to rate, but it is the first thing to make me happy in so long. I enjoyed the process of watching it- I loved the action and suspense that kept me on my toes.

Sure, you could critique the 'protagonist' bias or some plot holes. However, I believe the show was well made nonetheless. There was certainly effort put into the acting and film making.

I think I needed this philosophy right now. In a way, it was a bit cliché, but still so needed and truthful.

I waited sooo long for this. I dont think I am disappointed. So thank you, Alice in Borderland, for providing me with a great deal of comfort :) Just questioning if there will be a s3?

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VALIO LA PENA, ESPERAR DOS AÑOS?

Bueno, este serie, pude terminarla recién ayer (hablo de la 2 temporada), la primera la vi el mismo día que se estreno, y la verdad esperar 2 años no fue nada fácil, y más aún el miedo que tenía de que la espera no valiera la pena, pero en mi opinión si valio, tenía muchas expectativas antes de empezarla, y poco a poco en cada capítulo logro cumplirlas, no todas pero si la mayoría.

Creó que ahora si hablaré de la historia de Alice in borderland, ya de por si la 1 temporada es y siempre será de las mejores series que sacaron en el 2020, pero ya la 2 temporada, no considero que es mejor que la 1, siento que ambas están bien hechas y construidas, ambas me gustaron, pero la 2 temporada me dejo mal, en el sentido en que había ocasiones en las que dudaba hasta de mí, en los juegos temía mucho por la muerte de mis personajes favoritos, que son 3, (Chishiya, Usagi y Kuina), al pasar los capítulos iban mejorando, y el hecho de que cambiaran mucho, y ya no solo se trataba de juegos físicas sino que también psicológicos, me encanto, no se por qué, pero en esta temporada, me gustaron un poco más los reyes, eran tan increíbles en lo que hacían, mi favoritos fueron Kyuma y la chica que era muy agil (Risa), ellos dos fueron mis "antagonistas" favoritos, me hubiera gustado saber más sobre el pasado de los reyes, y como fue que pudieron llegar a ese nivel (de poder crear su propia juego).

Ahora hablemos acerca de la relación de Alice y Usagi, Dios es que desde la 1 temporada, se notaba que ellos dos se gustaban mucho, ame demasiado su relación y como fue desarrollandose, ambos eran personas importantes en la vida del otro , y como el miedo a perderlos, hacian que sacaran su personalidad más fuerte, el desarrollo que le dieron a Alice, fue lo mejor, de como gracias a Usagi se va dando cuenta de que si hay razones para seguir viviendo, en mi opinión, Alice deseaba vivir para poder tener una vida con Usagi, ambos estaban destinados a estar juntos, dentro o fuera del juego, la escena del beso, siento que es demasiado bonita, apesar de todo lo que habían pasado, ellos sabían que si seguían juntos todo era posible, ok esto es muy cursi JAAJA.

Ahora si hablemos del final, Dioss en serie, cuando la creadora de los juegos, manipula a Alice, también jugo con mi mente, yo le creí todo lo que estaba diciendo, pero ya después me di cuenta de que todo era parte de una alucinación, el final, me gusto y a la vez no, siento que el hecho de que los personajes no recordaran lo que había pasado, fue lo mejor, así todo el dolor que sintieron, desaparezca, pero por otro lado, el no recordar, nos están diciendo, que ellos muy difícil puedan ser amigos, aunque quiero pensar en que no es así, y que hay posibilidad de que al menos Chisiya y Kuina puedan volver a encontrarse, ya que en la serie, después del cap 1, no vuelven a verse.

Pero bueno en resumen, la 2 temporada de Alice, me gusto mucho, tanto historia, personajes, giros, todo estuvo en su lugar, pero la verdad aún tengo una duda y es la parte final que es cuando aparece el joker, y eso nos da indicio de que posiblemente aunque lo dudo, puede que haya 3 temporada, ojalá, aunque no sé que podrían poner, pero sería bonito ver la vida de los personajes, en su vida fuera del juego, y si no bueno, igual me quedó un poco contenta, porque Alice y Usagi si se volvieron a juntar.

GRACIAS A ALICE IN BORDERLAND, POR SALVAR EL 2022.

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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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Games became too weak

Gonna say the sequel isn’t impactful as I thought it would be. The main reason why the show is excellent is all because of their death or live survival games. However, this season lies low with their set of games and more on focuses more on the truth behind the brutal world, wherein doesn’t explain well in the end.

Chishiya, Ann, and Kukina own this season. They presented consistency in terms of individual capacity to survive and their characteristics are easy to love. It has come to the point that Arisu's presence became a nuisance for me. During the King of Spades game, his eyes only focus on Usagi and let the others slowly die in pain. But in the end, I understand that finishing the whole game is the top priority, and can’t blame the boy for choosing to continue.

The ending was too simple. I needed more explanations, interactions with those players who managed to survive the game, and another hint of a possible sequel aside from the joker card. But the thing that I was disappointed with the most is the final game which is the Queen of Hearts. I wasn’t too astonished or impressed with the rule and its hidden agenda of trying to win the game by attacking the players’ trauma, which only focuses on the main character.

This is somehow a rant but to be honest, I am entertained and feel good about this. The game Jack of Hearts is the highlight and my favorite game from this season. The presence of Arisu and the friendship concept is gone. I enjoyed pointing out who is the real jack of the hearts as each round continues to kill an innocent person. Chisiya, as always, executed how cleverness and sharp observation can help him win and survive. Another character that got my attention is Banda Sunato, the player who is a murderer in the real world. He has the visual and the angst that you can focus your attention on him. I like him as an artist. I hope there’s a third season in which we can see what kind of game are they playing as they choose to stay in the borderland.

The episode where Tatta forcefully remove the band from his wrist that led to his death was the only episode I cried with. It feels like he was making an exchange for the accident that he cause from his work in the real world.

I miss the intensity of games from the first season but overall, the sequel is good in letting us slowly learn the backstory of it. I can predict that another sequel is possible since they executed an open-ended finale.

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Season 3??!

I think this might be my first time watching something and not complaining how everything turned out, because they left me no room to complain, everything was just too perfect and precise, I'm also glad they showed us the ending, told us what really happened, the fact that they all died for 1 min is so... I don't have any word to express it.
They gave us answers yet at the same time didn't, but it still felt comfortable and ease.

I love the fact that there will be season 3 as well, and more answers to our questions and WHAT THAT JOKER CARD REPRESENTED?!.

I'm sure it's not about the ones who survived death aka(game world, meteor attack), it's not about Arisu or any of them individually, it's also not about the cast and directors, there is more to it! that Joker card that was left alone on the table while all the other card flew away cause of the wind, it means something, the music and the look on jokers face 🃏 they all showed that there's more to it, and I really can't wait to see more!

also, the deja vu's are really amazing 😭 ai'm glad of how everything turned out (even tho some deaths were super sad, and Ann is in a critical condition but I know her surgery will go well).

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A second chance at life

Season 2 takes a psychological turn compared to the gritty, gut-wrenching violence we're introduced to in season 1. The violence is still very much there, but we get a focus on the more important things--the meaning of life vs. death.

Everything that takes place in the borderlands is an amazing analogy to your "fighting chance" when faced in a near-death experience. Arisu and his crew survive because they fought for it. Even when words like "My life was trash" or "I was a terrible person" almost made them give up, each game was a test of whether they were willing to take that chance. The seeming plot armor of being able to take all these bullets and knife stabs is analogous to their will to live.

In the final Queen of Hearts game, Arisu could've accepted his death. He was close to giving in to his weakness and losing that reason to live, not knowing what to believe in anymore. It's amazing how much we got to see his character grow, as well as everyone else. I love how Season 2 delved into our main characters' backstories (Usagi, Niragi, Chishiya, Ann, Kuina, Aguni, and even Tatta). We saw the raw intentions and their resolve, and the reason they kept pushing—that's why we see most of them survive the meteor at the end. I especially loved Chishiya’s backstory in the King of Diamonds game with Kuzuryu, who decided he did not want to live an unfair and unequal life. As Arisu said, it's not just about surviving anymore. It's about hope and believing that they could restart, even with the survivor's guilt.

The ending was a perfect masterpiece, but bittersweet because clearly none of them remember anything that happened in the "limbo" during their brief moment of cardiac arrest. But they seem to have a deja vu, and a lot of them carried the values they learned back into the real world. They strived to become a better person in this second chance of the aftermath. It's such a beautiful parallel to our own lives.

Binging this series was supposed to be our source of escapism from reality, but the ending hits us with reality instead. Value your existence, it says. Life is really what you make of it--you can choose to stay miserable, or take control and embrace the flaws of it too. We're just living, after all. We learn, we fail, we learn, we try again. All in all, season 2 was a great transition from season 1’s thrill and impending death to finally finding that systemic purpose. I think it even outperformed it as we explored the reason behind the games (and life).

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A Sequel Which Doesn't Disappoints !

When a series starts with a great season and renewed for another, most of the time it won't live to the hype, but not this one !

Still remember that Alice in the borderland was one of the drama which I binged watched whole night because it was that good. Now comes second season which comes with equal or more binging pleasure.

The character development in this is what makes it worth every single minute and the games are more griping and interesting. I personaly enjoyed every characters arc but if I have to choose a favourite it has be chishiya, My boy was so cool he was breezing through the borderlands with zero fucks to give.

Conclusion : If you liked season one then without a doubt go for it. The ending has great things in store for you which will not left you disappointed.

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A god's message : "What is the reason for you to wake up everyday?"

I don't have anything to write, you have to watch it yourself, experience everything and understand it yourself.
to finally found your own answer for "what is your reason to wake up everyday ?" just as how every character in the series to find their own despite every loss they had.
I recommend you to watch from the season 1 to have full experience, and just enjoy the journey. It never was about winning the games, everything that have gone are meant to be gone, what all matters is what after it. do you want to live on or stay.
warning for those currently struggling in their life, you find yourself think back, and repent about how you've lived your life.

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