A Dark Twist on Alice in Wonderland: Alice in Borderland Review

I’m finally off Alice in Borderland high and can form a coherent review now.

Alice in Borderland is like a dark, gory twist on Alice in Wonderland. Except that there are no rabbit holes and magical creatures. Instead, it’s a world where the dark side of humanity is front and center and the mastermind is hidden in the shadows.

The story initially follows three friends Arisu, Karube, and Chota, who suddenly get transported to a parallel universe where they must play life-threatening games to survive.

After an emotional and traumatic game, Arisu meets Usagi, an independent and strong-willed woman whose father recently committed suicide. They work together to clear the games in hopes of finding out who the game master is.

What I love the most about Alice in Borderland are the pacing and the world-building. The show starts off showing the lives of Arisu, Karube, and Chota. And in an instant, their world changes. Going from the familiar to the unfamiliar made me eager to see what’ll happen next.

You start off understanding how this world works, then the stakes, and then the sinking feeling of how dreadful and unbearable it must be for everyone.

While some questions go unanswered, the ending of season one is the perfect setup for a second season, which Netflix has recently confirmed!

Every character has a purpose in the story.

Every central character has their reasons and motivations for surviving. Some of them went through dark times, which shaped their attitudes in this lawless, parallel universe. Some fight for themselves, and some fight for others. They’re all different, making it so enjoyable to watch their interactions and dynamics with each other.

The games are also extremely creative and ruthless. I love how they’re categorized too. No matter what kind of game it is, there’s always a strategy to beat it. From the first episode, you immediately sense how dangerous and thrilling the games can be. Each game puts you on the edge of your seat.

The twists aren’t what you’d expect. While this statement may differ for everyone, I enjoyed the twists and turns. This lawless world isn’t as simple as it seems, and it’ll only get more complicated, judging from the ending of season one.

Alice in Borderland is thrilling, suspenseful, and well-executed. It will be one of the most memorable dramas I’ll ever watch. And you can bet that I’ll come back to this one more than just a few times.