This has been on my to-buy list for a long time, but I had no way to really try-before-you-buy until now.
For some reason I had no idea it was a death-game type series. Usually that genre is not my kinda thing but this is the best I’ve seen it done, due to the format of the games. Other series I’ve read are elimination round based, meaning each round they often had to introduce brand new characters who would just get killed of eventually anyway. The way Alice in Borderland did it meant awesome characters like Kuina and An could part ways with the other characters, be badass in their own games and come together at the end. It was also nice how the characters had such varied backgrounds and employment. All the characters were fleshed out really well that all their motivations and actions felt grounded to their personalities and circumstances.
This series was also really good at defying my expectations. I did not expect the conclusion to the Beach portion and I was pleasantly surprised at how the series recognised that it’s not possible to go all-out continuously.
I liked the way the series did value humanity and kindness and enjoyed the varied ways different characters believed/struggled with it. Although the Heart games were very very cruel 😟
Oh yeah, the game types and grading systems were really smart. And the way the controllers and players were pitted against each other was interesting too. Plus the choice at the end. It was all very well thought out.
Ultimately though, with this kinda series, the reason why is the make or break. And goddamn did I love Mira’s hypothetical explanations. All of those would have gotten a pass from me. But the real reason was more than satisfactory. A melding of spiritual and joint psychological delusion due to a traumatic incident is the perfect amount of ‘magic’ and ‘science’ to explain the premise of the games.
Now that I’ve finished reading this series, I’m not sure if I want to buy it. But I think in future, this could be a series I would be interested in revisiting, in which case I would probably get it digitally.
Categories: Simulpub Review
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