REVIEW Alice in Borderland – the Netflix series from Japan that looks like Squid Game

If you liked Squid Game, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to also give another Netflix original series by the name of Alice in Borderland a shot.

Alice in Borderland is, by its very nature, a sci-fi, made-in-Japan dystopia that will remind you quite a bit of the aforementioned Korean hit.

Unlike Squid Game, the Japanese version seems to have stolen a start and has already reached its second season, recently released on the streaming giant.

Alice in Borderland, a series not necessarily as good as Squid Game, but well-made enough to deserve your attention, though it has its faults

As I mentioned earlier, you won’t find many happy events in Alice in Borderland, apart from a love story which, I have to admit, I found a bit forced.

There’s talk of social exclusion, depression, lack of communication with peers, and generally failed lives, either intentionally or as a result of widespread societal chaos. To my surprise, there is also a lot of talk about religion, although I wouldn’t have expected that from a science fiction production.

The series is now in its second season, but I have to admit that it would have done well to stop at the first and take the form of a miniseries. That way, it could have worked wonderfully with a less woolly script.

And while we’re on the subject, the script tells the story of Arisu, a young man so passionate about video games that he can’t find time for real life, much to the dismay of his father and brother, who try their best to get him on the right track.

Through a strange twist of fate, Arisu ends up, along with two of his friends, in a “parallel” Tokyo where almost all other people have disappeared and the known reality is also non-existent.

Soon, the three friends begin to suspect that they are in some kind of game simulator, and in order to survive, they must pass all the tests, one by one.

Obviously, the classic drama of Japanese anime isn’t missing here either, nor is the flimsy soap opera feel. All combined with extremely bloody scenes and suspense. A rather bizarre amalgam that you encounter less of in Squid Game, for example.

Still, it’s well worth binging as it should be, especially if you’re prepared to find out what’s up with the parallel world the main characters have landed in.

You can find it on Netflix right now, with both seasons.