Season 1
First up, it's a little while ago I finished season 1, so this is taken from memory and may be incorrect at times.
My thought on season 1 is simply just extraordinairy!
The games creativity, the different genres. It all played out so well in my opinion.
Best games
Some if the games in season one I like the most is (random order):
4 of diamonds : Light Bulb
The game is tu guess which switch turn on the light bulb without turning on one of the switches more than 2 times while looking at the bulb. When there are 3 switches, this leave a 66% chance to get it right just by looking and turning on the switch. However, Arisu has another idea.
This game puts pressure on Arisu and the others, but being a smart kid, Arisu choose to leave the door closed so they can't see the bulb and then turn on switch A.
After a while he turn it off again, asking one of his fellow players to open the door and then he turn on switch B. Nothing happens, and Arisu tell his teammate to touch the bulb.
The bulb is hot, meaning switch A is the correct answer, and he turn it back on.
Game completed!
4 of clubs : Distance
The 4 of clubs doesn't really fall under the category of the clubs at first, when the task, according the the players, is to run as far as possible within the time limit.
Our good hearted friend, Arisu, finds an old motorcycle that run on diesel. He decide to go back for the guy who wasn't able to run because he refuse to loose more people after having lost his two best friends.
Luckily, Arisu arrive at Usagi just in time to pick her up so they can enter the bus they started in.
On the side of the bus it even says "Goal", so they were actually running away from the goal the entire time.
10 of hearts : Witch Hunt
In order to complete this game, all residents of "The Beach" (the hotel-like place many players are living) must find out who killed one of the residents.
The military leader, Aguni, who had just killed his own best friend, decide to let the military-guys kill all people in order to find and burn the witch.
Arisu figure out who did it and one of the other residents support that statement because she found fingerprints that were upside down - meaning it was suicide.
Season 2
Thoughts on Season 2 is that it's still a good show, but some aspects are starting to not add up. I decided to let it go and not think of it, but there were still games that didn't really catch my attention and that I thought were... lame, more or less.
One of them being the King of Spades. It didn't make any sense that he could roam around as he wished, and despite it being a physical game, it didn't quite align with other games, in my opinion.
Our friends hide from the King of Spades, who is out on a killing rampage
Best games
Once again, in random order.
Jack of hearts : Solitary Confinement
This game was very interesting and I think it's actually closer to the truth of human behavior, than we like to think. I liked how Chishiya is untouched and has his feelings in check. Unfortunately he end up losing his partner and he must use his intelligence to figure out who is the Jack of hearts and what his suit is, if he wants to survive.
Quenn of hearts : Croquet
The queen of hearts
The Queen of Hearts has something completely different up her sleeve. Croquet.
It is the last game to be completed by Arisu in this new land they're in.
The queen explain the rules, and both Arisu and Usagi is confused because it doesn't seem difficult.
What they have forgotten is that the Heart games is mostly playing with their mental state and their feelings - this soon become reality as the queen explain what this new land is.
After a few twists and turns, almost convincing Arisu (and probably some of the viewers too) that it's a Virtual Reality, the queen then let him know that it's his own imagination to deal with the death of his two best friends.
As with the Virtual Reality, this is also a manipulation of his mind, and after some time convincing him, Usagi get him back to reality so they can finish the game.
King of diamonds : Balance Scale
King of diamonds thinking so hard that it can be heard in the hall of justice (almost at least)
This game is about logic. I liked that game a lot, it showed Chishiya's ability to think outside the box.
What I did not like about this game, was the ending. Sure, it's important that Chishiya survive, I agree with that, but the way it happens is just a bit too quick. It felt like a quickfix to me.
But the game itself is great, especially with the new rules that are added as people are out of the game.
My absolute favourite
This game is just soooo brilliant, I want to play this game for real! Without the death, obviously.
The king of clubs, hosting the team sport above them all. Posing nude throughout his appearance
King of clubs : Osmosis
This game is simply just mind blowing.
Each team start with equal points and may share them between the 5 team members.
The minimum points to start with is 100.
You can then battle against others - the battle just being to touch the other person and the one with the highest amount of points will win and take 500 points from the loser.
Around the arena is hidden objects that each give an amount of points to whoever finds it.
The team base, when touched, gives infinite points, and one touching that can not lose.
If an opponent touch the base, they are awarded with 10.000 points.
In the end, Tatta, Arisu's quiet but good-hearted friend and teammate, sacrifice his hand to get his armband off and give it to Arisu so they can trick the King and win the game.
They succeed, but Tatta ends up dead because of it (this was very confusing to me as well...)
Conclusion
My final thoughts on this show is:
I am still a very big fan of Asian TV shows. I watch the in the original language so at first it was a bit confusing - but the story is so good that the language doesn't matter (and besides, there are subtitles).
A few things could have been thought through a bit more.
The timeline is a little askew at times, some things is done too quick and others way too slow. It depends on what suits the show at the time, and there's not a connection between how quick or slow things are going.
Everything got wrapped up quite nicely
Almost everything else that didn't make sense during season 2 was well rounded up in the last episode.
2 things I would like from this show - a little more collective memory from certain characters in the last episode and...