Further Down the Rabbit Hole
The second season of Alice in Borderland situates itself as one of a few complimentary, if not outright, alternative Netflix offerings to a Squid Game series that has hogged most of the spotlight while dividing its initial admirers based on its quality.
Following a similar battle royale-type format and based on the manga of the same name, the second season of AIB picks up where the first left off as Arisu and Co. emerge from the flames of the stronghold once known as The Beach, completing enough challenges to move on to the next phase of the games and one step closer to discovering the truth of the Borderland.
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With the first few games complete, players must now pit themselves against the face cards of Borderlands, the final bosses, if you will. These represent seasoned players who occupy the roles of Jacks, Queens, and Kings. Each is provided with their own blimp, which acts as both their battle standards and location markers for where their respective challenges will commence.
Of course, each of the final bosses offer intriguing games that speak to their unique personalities, talents, and journeys. Our main characters tackle these games as a team but also have periods in which their separation, deliberate or otherwise, forces them to rely on their own strengths and powers of discernment for survival.
Yet despite the death, destruction, and overall uncertainty that serves as the lifeblood of the Borderlands, the development of these characters and their relationships to and with one another is a crucial strength of the series and the hallmark of any great story. As such, Alice in Borderland season 2 stands as a triumphant, intriguing, and highly invigorating series that impresses with its pace, editing, and writing, so much so that it can perhaps be forgiven for spotty production here and there. The whole slow-motion walkaway while things blow up in the background becomes slightly tedious but serves as a small blip in an otherwise impressive undertaking.
The overarching mystery of what the Borderlands represents is truly what ties all of the action together and keeps viewers from ever feeling entirely comfortable and safe - not to mention that the variety of the games avoids repetitiveness while never sacrificing its general intrigue and intensity. I liked that the homage to the Lewis Carroll classic is only subtly woven into the story without attempting to emulate it in its entirety through the vehicle of a modern-day JDrama, but it is indeed through the source material where one may find a clue or two to unraveling the mysteries of the madness ;). In the end, we live in exciting times where viewers need not look far for binge-worthy series, indeed, we are quite spoiled for choice to the point where one may not know where to start or finish.
Yet, Alice In Borderland is at least one series that will reliably satisfy the craving for survival game fans with a love for violence, psychological drama, and romance. With that, it behooves viewers to start with the series and add the manga for additional flavor, and with that, I Wish you all happy viewing and reading.