This is one of my favorite Netflix Shows ever.  Alice in Borderland has a Battle Royale element to it that introduces us to characters that are genuinely interesting.  It reminds me of ABC’s Lost where every episode seems to have five or six 3-dimensional characters that subvert expectations with a gruesome death around every corner, showcasing heart wrenching moments which leave the survivors morally grey.  What’s also great is that there is a perpetual mystery as to where or why these games are happening.  There are very few clues as to if this is a simulation, hell, or some strange experiment, with the season 2 finale still leaving us with more questions. 

Oh and by the way, did I mention this was based on a Manga? 

And if you know Netflix, their track record isn’t exactly a bed of roses of cleverly translated stories to fit in a live action setting.  Though, I will say that the Japanese Live action is handled far better than its American counterparts.  Full Metal Alchemist(Japanese), Bleach (Japanese), Deathnote (American), and Cow Boy Bebop (American).  Recently with Cowboy Bebop there was an attempt at aesthetically pleasing the fans but also some poor decisions mishandling it’s antagonists.  This trend of trying to tack on more depth onto the source material’s villain seems to be like over pruning a bonsai tree.  Vicious in the Anime is stoic, has a simple back story and doesn’t warrant more dialogue.   Normally the perspective is told from the main character’s point of view in serials and short running series.   Normally.  

Alice in Borderland has such a high body count, and surprise back stories to characters who don’t seem too deep upon their introduction but much like the title of the series implies, the plot is going down rabbit holes, finding out about these characters in the borderlands between life and death games for the amusement of the mysterious Deck of Cards rulers.   I really want to gush about my favorite characters in this show but that ruins the discovery and mysteries abound in this well executed house of cards.  The games are intricate and creative with the suits of the cards pertaining to different categories of games. The Clubs Represent Cooperation, Diamonds Represent Intelligence, Spades Represent Strength and Hearts represent betrayal.  

Squid Games gets compared to this show and I wish I could say they’re even but different.  I would rather say that Squid Games is focused on simpler games, desperation for money, and is more grounded in its presentation.  It’s still good but is smaller in scale and scope.  Alice in Borderland is more like Lost combined with Battle Royale but pay offs with their mystery boxes.  Maybe.  A Season 3 is planned and I’m wondering if they’re yanking our chain for more of this pain.