satalasers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
satalasers) wrote2020-12-17 03:23 pm
satalasers) wrote2020-12-17 03:23 pm
Entry tags:
Imawa no Kuni no Alice / Alice In Borderland
HOLY SHIT, SO GOOD!
- It's such a good twist on Alice In Wonderland lore too. It's pretty liberal with it, TBH, but oh, it captures the madness in such a twisted way in a way that true Alice In Wonderland versions just haven't for ages. Because this -- this is bleak and dark and sick, but it's also hopeful and heartwarming, in the saddest way.
- In short: Arisu and his friends get transported to a world, where basically they have to complete the missions in order to survive a couple of days. But each mission comes with a loss, comes with a card, and no one knows why they're here, but just: they have to complete the task if they want to survive the wasteland. A little bit like Gantz, I think. Except the protag isn't such a jerk from the start. But I think I like the premise: the curiousity of knowing just what will a person do to survive, what will you sacrifice?
- Arisu is such a good protagonist. Like, I know this is a manga live action, but I'm impressed by how much I liked him? I don't know if it's just the character or the actor, but he didn't really feel generic to me? I definitely want to read the manga just to compare this TBH? And see how it differs, because I was so very charmed by Arisu, and how he was smart and kind. He applied his videogame logic in order to win the game, but at the same time, he was kind hearted and tried to encourage friendship among strangers and working together, and he adored his friends, and the guilt he felt in failing them was just. It was gutting. Truly gutting. On paper, maybe he'd feel generic, but I just loved him.
- I'M STILL SO SAD ABOUT HIS FRIENDS. THEY CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER SO MUCH.
- I super loved Arisu and Usagi's friendship though, afterwards. I just. I don't want it to turn romantic, because I think -- they're united by the desire to be free of this place, but there's also no time for romance, IMO. They care about each other, and want the other to escape, but I still -- there's something very touching about them, but I want them to be survivors together and if they get through this, then maybe they can fall in love, but not right now, in the nightmare scenario. But for now, I want them to be each other's anchor, and that's it.
- I didn't realize until much after that Chishuya is Cheshire cat. HE'S SO GREAT. He's awful. I love him. Because he's not really outright bad, he's just ruthless, and use anything and anyone -- maybe even Kuina -- to survive. But just. Watching him. Wanting to know his past and what his deal is. Seeing how cold and aloof and good at staying in the shadows is just pretty captivating.
- Kuina's great! I think it's fantastic that she's a trans woman, who is kickass and loyal, and I also hope she survives. (I -- okay, I don't want to sound critical, but I think I am because I'm confused here. It might be a cultural thing, and trans actors aren't employable in the Eastern world -- IDK! But. Kuina is played by a cis actress. If it's a Western movie/show, for most part, a cis actor is playing a trans actor is Not Great, but it's okay if it's Japan? IDK! It' s entire possible that Japan is harsh and critical on this kind of casting, so a cis actor is the best we were going to get, but IDK.)
- I really hope we get more of Kuina and Chishuya's backstory though. I mean, yeah, I want more of both, regardless. But I want to know what makes Kuina stick with Chishuya, considering how much she sticks by him.
- HATTER WAS SO GREAT. He was just. Extremely mad, but almost kind, trying for utopia and providing paradise, but snapping because he just wants to get out, and desperation has made him a monster. And I liked how it tied into his backstory, that he became a milliner because it was his father's dying wish.
- And his friendship was just killer. He went too far and his best friend decided that it was best to put a bullet in his head. His best friend who knew that he couldn't control the more fanatic of his followers, and then wanted the entire haven to burn down in one hell of a massacre.
- I mean, this is a bloody show. It's gory, but it's not -- it doesn't feel gratuitous to me? At least, I can handle it? I've definitely seen worse. I feel like Gantz is worse TBH? People die, get shot, or their heads explode, but it's just. That's just how it is. People are hurt, but I don't necessarily feel like their suffering is relished by the camera? Not like -- how I imagine the Saw franchise, which glorifies the mutilation and trauma the characters go through -- at least, that's always been my impression of it, where you watch with a sick fascination.
- I mean, there is a sick fascination for this show for me. Because the missions are deadly. People die. But they don't have to, is the thing. And Arisu tries really fucking hard to avoid death. He's constantly looking for a loophole. He's constantly telling people to work together, and trying to figure out the solution so they don't all die. He's devastated when he fails at that. But I think that's ultimately why it also feels hopeful to me, because Arisu tries a lot to save everyone, because he cares and he doesn't want people to die.
- (Monster was like that for me as well. It was dark and fucked up, but it captivated me in a way that made me have to know what happened next, despite clearly knowing that it probably was something miserable. And I adore Monster!)
- He may be smart, but that is something people will use against him too.
- I liked that there was flashbacks to who people were before the game though. And you see them in present day and jeez, some have changed drastically.
- It was a gorgeously shot show too. Like. I did really love the visuals of it, and how the games worked, and camera angles.
- So now I'm super curious about s2. Because there needs to be a season 2. I will definitely read the manga soon, and see what happened next, but I also really like the live action cast.
- 9.5/10, because it was super great. I will probably bump it up to 10/10, after I finish the manga though, because I'm curious to know how it compares, but at the same time, it's so so good.
- It's such a good twist on Alice In Wonderland lore too. It's pretty liberal with it, TBH, but oh, it captures the madness in such a twisted way in a way that true Alice In Wonderland versions just haven't for ages. Because this -- this is bleak and dark and sick, but it's also hopeful and heartwarming, in the saddest way.
- In short: Arisu and his friends get transported to a world, where basically they have to complete the missions in order to survive a couple of days. But each mission comes with a loss, comes with a card, and no one knows why they're here, but just: they have to complete the task if they want to survive the wasteland. A little bit like Gantz, I think. Except the protag isn't such a jerk from the start. But I think I like the premise: the curiousity of knowing just what will a person do to survive, what will you sacrifice?
- Arisu is such a good protagonist. Like, I know this is a manga live action, but I'm impressed by how much I liked him? I don't know if it's just the character or the actor, but he didn't really feel generic to me? I definitely want to read the manga just to compare this TBH? And see how it differs, because I was so very charmed by Arisu, and how he was smart and kind. He applied his videogame logic in order to win the game, but at the same time, he was kind hearted and tried to encourage friendship among strangers and working together, and he adored his friends, and the guilt he felt in failing them was just. It was gutting. Truly gutting. On paper, maybe he'd feel generic, but I just loved him.
- I'M STILL SO SAD ABOUT HIS FRIENDS. THEY CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER SO MUCH.
- I super loved Arisu and Usagi's friendship though, afterwards. I just. I don't want it to turn romantic, because I think -- they're united by the desire to be free of this place, but there's also no time for romance, IMO. They care about each other, and want the other to escape, but I still -- there's something very touching about them, but I want them to be survivors together and if they get through this, then maybe they can fall in love, but not right now, in the nightmare scenario. But for now, I want them to be each other's anchor, and that's it.
- I didn't realize until much after that Chishuya is Cheshire cat. HE'S SO GREAT. He's awful. I love him. Because he's not really outright bad, he's just ruthless, and use anything and anyone -- maybe even Kuina -- to survive. But just. Watching him. Wanting to know his past and what his deal is. Seeing how cold and aloof and good at staying in the shadows is just pretty captivating.
- Kuina's great! I think it's fantastic that she's a trans woman, who is kickass and loyal, and I also hope she survives. (I -- okay, I don't want to sound critical, but I think I am because I'm confused here. It might be a cultural thing, and trans actors aren't employable in the Eastern world -- IDK! But. Kuina is played by a cis actress. If it's a Western movie/show, for most part, a cis actor is playing a trans actor is Not Great, but it's okay if it's Japan? IDK! It' s entire possible that Japan is harsh and critical on this kind of casting, so a cis actor is the best we were going to get, but IDK.)
- I really hope we get more of Kuina and Chishuya's backstory though. I mean, yeah, I want more of both, regardless. But I want to know what makes Kuina stick with Chishuya, considering how much she sticks by him.
- HATTER WAS SO GREAT. He was just. Extremely mad, but almost kind, trying for utopia and providing paradise, but snapping because he just wants to get out, and desperation has made him a monster. And I liked how it tied into his backstory, that he became a milliner because it was his father's dying wish.
- And his friendship was just killer. He went too far and his best friend decided that it was best to put a bullet in his head. His best friend who knew that he couldn't control the more fanatic of his followers, and then wanted the entire haven to burn down in one hell of a massacre.
- I mean, this is a bloody show. It's gory, but it's not -- it doesn't feel gratuitous to me? At least, I can handle it? I've definitely seen worse. I feel like Gantz is worse TBH? People die, get shot, or their heads explode, but it's just. That's just how it is. People are hurt, but I don't necessarily feel like their suffering is relished by the camera? Not like -- how I imagine the Saw franchise, which glorifies the mutilation and trauma the characters go through -- at least, that's always been my impression of it, where you watch with a sick fascination.
- I mean, there is a sick fascination for this show for me. Because the missions are deadly. People die. But they don't have to, is the thing. And Arisu tries really fucking hard to avoid death. He's constantly looking for a loophole. He's constantly telling people to work together, and trying to figure out the solution so they don't all die. He's devastated when he fails at that. But I think that's ultimately why it also feels hopeful to me, because Arisu tries a lot to save everyone, because he cares and he doesn't want people to die.
- (Monster was like that for me as well. It was dark and fucked up, but it captivated me in a way that made me have to know what happened next, despite clearly knowing that it probably was something miserable. And I adore Monster!)
- He may be smart, but that is something people will use against him too.
- I liked that there was flashbacks to who people were before the game though. And you see them in present day and jeez, some have changed drastically.
- It was a gorgeously shot show too. Like. I did really love the visuals of it, and how the games worked, and camera angles.
- So now I'm super curious about s2. Because there needs to be a season 2. I will definitely read the manga soon, and see what happened next, but I also really like the live action cast.
- 9.5/10, because it was super great. I will probably bump it up to 10/10, after I finish the manga though, because I'm curious to know how it compares, but at the same time, it's so so good.