Is there a Squid Game-shaped hole in your heart now that the series finale has dropped on Netflix? If you’re anything like us, you binged all of season 3 in days and now you’ve got a dystopian drama itch you can’t seem to scratch.
Well, that’s where Watch With Us comes in. We’re recommending another Netflix show that will help ease the pain of Squid Game ending — Alice in Borderland.
This Japanese drama series also features deadly games and an exploration of the dark side of human nature. Here’s why you should check out this awesome Netflix show now.
The Premise Is Super Creative
Alice in Borderland starts off in the real world, presenting us with our lead characters as slackers and gamers living ordinary lives. But suddenly, they’re dropped into Borderland — an empty version of Tokyo where they’re forced to compete in deadly, card-themed games for survival. Unlike Squid Game, the reason for these games has not yet been revealed, and the protagonists don’t know if escape is even possible. The stakes are amped way up as the characters acclimate to a completely new world.
But it’s soon revealed that the Borderland isn’t as empty as they thought — there are other gamers trapped there, and some of them will resort to desperate (and violent) measures to find a way out (if there even is one).
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The Protagonists Are Relatable
Ryōhei Arisu, the lead character, is a video-game-obsessed slacker who has no experience in fighting or heroics. Actor Kento Yamazaki portrays him with a relatable energy, and his rise from loser to leader is very engrossing to watch. Though Arisu is considered a nobody in the real world, the game world allows his compassion and kind heart to rise to the surface as he tries to help the other gamers who are trapped in the Borderland.
The other lead character is Yuzuha Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), a mountain climber and loner who is much more equipped for the survival-based challenges of the games. Grieving the loss of her father, Usagi is initially reluctant to form connections with other gamers, but the growing romance between her and Arisu forms the heart of the series.
Alice in Borderland effectively uses flashbacks to deepen the stories of these characters, allowing the audience to feel connected to them and showing how their lives in the real world inform their actions in the game world. Fans of the original manga series by Haro Aso have noted that the series has provided even more backstory for the characters, making them feel more fleshed out and grounded than they were in the original.
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The World-Building Is Awesome
Despite its somewhat low budget in season 1, Alice in Borderland uses a powerful mix of practical stunts and effects with CGI to create its immersive world. The use of CGI to create an empty, alternate-reality Tokyo, suddenly devoid of people, is eerie and bizarre. Massive visual effects work was done to erase crowds and vehicles from Shibuya and other iconic Tokyo locations, creating a surreal, haunting landscape. Effects like blood splatter, fire, and destruction are stylized yet visceral, keeping the tone intense without feeling cartoonish.
Season 2 had an increased budget, which allowed the team to amp up the effects and make the world of the Borderland feel even more terrifying and dangerous.
Beyond the visuals in Alice in Borderland, the universe of the mysterious Borderland feels limitless — with its many societies and factions among the trapped game participants. It’s a well-built world that feels thoughtfully constructed and makes you want to learn more.
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There’s More to Come on Netflix — And It’s Completely Unknown
Alice in Borderland was renewed for a third season last year. Since the second season ended the way the original manga wrapped up, season 3 will be an entirely new chapter for both manga readers and TV viewers alike. That means this season will be spoiler-proof!
Squid Game fans craving a new show can watch the first two seasons of Alice in Borderland on Netflix before season 3 drops this September.
