Title: Alice in Borderland, Imawa no Kuni no Alice
Episodes: 8
Genre: Fantasy, Game, Psychological, Friendship, Drama, Tragedy, Adaption from a Manga, Suspense, Thriller
Story: 8.5 out of 10
Characters: 8 out of 10
Cinematography: 8 out of 10
Japanese Drama Alice in Borderland creates a suspenseful, action packed survival game.
Story
Arisu is a NEET and he spends his days playing any kind of video game after he has dropped out of university. His life changes when he and his two best friends lock themselves in a public restroom to escape trouble and when they come out, they discover that everyone has gone missing. Soon, they will be invited to play a survival game, where the losers die before their eyes. Arisu and his friends, along with the other players, will now have to play in order to survive.
Japan does love the gaming plots. From animes with that theme, to movies and dramas where the characters are thrown into gaming arenas to compete against each other, survival games are a genre that is here to stay.
Japanese Drama Alice in Borderland is indeed a drama that keeps the viewer at the edge of their seats. The pace is breathtakingly fast, sometimes faster than it should, the action is plenty, and the mystery behind the games too tricky to be easily solved.
The story is constructed masterfully, being unfolded game after game, one clue at a time. And it includes a lot of layers, from the gory games to the dynamics of human relationships, to the small portrait of the nature of human societies.
In addition, the drama nails the action scenes but doesn’t focus on the games alone. The first part does give a slower dive into the whole gaming universe, but soon the story gets a roller coaster speed, with bloody tragedies and shocking twists.
Another thing that worked well for it was the mysterious characters. Even the male lead is a mystery to be solved, with some crumbles here and there about his past, but not a clear picture about who he really is.
Those shady personas kept the mystery going, giving not only interesting backgrounds, but also saucy motives behind their actions.
!! Even though the drama isn’t genius horror, it has a lot of bloody scenes, gore, mature content and uncomfortable situations!!
Characters
Arisu is a university dropout who spends his days playing video games and hanging out with his friends. His gamer experience will aid him when he and his buddies are forced to enter a survival game where they’ll have to fight for their lives.
Kento Yamazaki keeps proving that dramatic roles suit him.
Watch Kento Yamazaki in his other dramas JDrama «Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto», and J Drama Review : Todome No Kiss
Yuzuha is a sole player who is using her survival skills that she acquired as a climber to stay alive. After meeting Arisu, she will work with him in order to solve the mystery of their situation.
Tsuchiya Tao was a nice companion for the male lead, strong, fierce, but without stealing his thunder.
Chisiya is a mysterious player who seems to be observing everything and that he knows more than he shares.
Murakami Nijiro did a great job with his character.
Cinematography
The drama handled the game scenes well and the CGI were really good.
Overall
My overall rating for the Japanese Drama Alice in Borderland is 9 out of 10. The drama was fast paced, thrilling and suspenseful.
Take a peek at the trailer for the Japanese Drama Alice in Borderland
K&J Reviews 
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