Alice In Borderlands “Episode 6”

Well…that was that.

Alice in Borderland is, when all is said and done, just a really strange show.  Arisu and Usagi do survive, but it seems like a big “for now” since there’s earthquakes hitting all across the globe at more or less the same time, and this old Watchman inside the Borderland, now explained as the realm between the living and the dead, states that there’s going to be a big disaster to send a lot of people there real soon.  At least, I think that’s what he said because otherwise the land of the dead could kill people who may have already been dead.

As for the Alice name?  Well, a waitress’s name tag say that when the show moves to America for the final scene, but her face isn’t shown, nor is it in any way explained.  It just…happens.

Something just happening could explain a lot about this show.

Regardless, it is over for me now.  What did I learn?  Not a damn thing.  All the surviving players went home, where Arisu became a therapist somehow, his patients all looking like former contestants in the Borderlands from previous seasons, but I couldn’t tell you for certain since I only vaguely recognized most of them.  Alice in Borderlands only did a so-so job in telling me who these people were.  I know Arisu and Usagi, largely because a good chunk of their dialogue is saying each others’ names, and maybe I’ll remember a couple others if I think hard enough, but I mostly have to look them up.

But that isn’t what I watched this show for.  Alice in Borderlands was a show of pure spectacle with these killer games.  The finale even shows that Arisu won the last game by being the one person not top exit the game when someone had to stay behind.  That’s twisted, wrong, and rather par-for-the-course for this series.  But did I know much about the many characters hanging around?  Nope!  Would I know more if I read the manga?  Possibly.  I did read the first trade, the story was very similar, but I couldn’t tell you much otherwise.  Maybe I’ll get back to it, but it has been quite some time since I read a manga trade.

However, I did enjoy the show for the spectacle.  The games were always clever, no matter how deadly they were, and I don’t think I really cared for the characters because, well, why would I?  Arisu’s defining characteristic is he’s good at puzzles and doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.  That’s about it in terms of his personality. Usagi was even less defined as “somewhat spunky mountain climber who missed her late father.”  What did they see in each other?  Beats me.  I don’t rightfully care.

Anyway, it’s over now.  So let’s say it was a 9 out of 10 grisly violent game deaths.  That may be generous, but go for the spectacle.

Anyway, I need something for Fridays now.  Paradise did come back for a second season, and I really dug the first.

Granted, Watson seemed less-than-pleased with it…