Alice in Borderland Is Setting New Records On Netflix
Alice in Borderland Is Setting New Records On Netflix
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Alice in Borderland Is Setting New Records On Netflix
The live-action adaptation of Haro Aso’s Alice In Borderland manga series has become a huge hit on Netflix..
With a previous unfinished adaptation into anime, the live-action adaptation of the survival game — or death game — manga series Alice In Borderland has been setting new records on Netflix. After Squid Game took the audience by storm, it is time for a Japanese live-action series that is inspired by a manga series to shine. The two Asian series share the battle royale-like take on death games, using the game theory and combining it with the pressure of survival, while their approach to it, undertones, and underlying themes diverge. The relatability aspect of the main characters is another point for the growing success of Alice In Borderland, which is back on Netflix with its second season.
The first season of Alice In Borderland showcased various players forced to join the game to survive, with no money involved — money is involved in Squid Game —, but the stakes were even higher. They have to enter and win games to extend their visas because, once their visas expire, they would be shot dead. The main character, Ryohei Arisu, played several games and lost his best friends in a game of hearts that included betrayal. Arisu is just a regular guy, and, while he is not strong, his outstanding observation skills and his experience in playing video games give the viewers hope that he could survive a death game.
Both survival thrillers are similar, as well as they differ in many aspects, with the basic ones being that they share the common theme of humans turning on one another, both have death games in which players can survive by working as teams, and others where they need to kill in order to survive.
Squid Game is, though, more of a commentary on a fundamental assumption of capitalism — which it shares with Chainsaw Man, clearly shown in the anime with the backdrop of Denji’s life — that people must trade all of their time and even their bodies in exchange for the means of survival, establishing that this is a society where life with no money is pretty much unlivable. Alice In Borderland conveys, at its core, more of a hopeful message about healing and learning how to find joy in the world surrounding us, even if it is also dark, and illustrates the cruelty of humans — elements also shared with the world of Chainsaw Man.
Back on Netflix with its Season 2 on December 22, 2022, Alice In Borderland became the most-watched non-English series on the platform within less than a week after the season premiered, with its season one ranking in second place. Boasting astounding 61.2 million viewing hours in just four days after it was released, Alice In Borderland’s Season 2 positioned itself in the Top 10 Series list in 90 countries, including Japan, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Brazil, and more.
Another record achieved by this live-action adaptation of Haro Aso’s manga series is that the two seasons of Alice In Borderland have a combined total of approximately 80 million streaming hours, topping Squid Game’s 63 million in its first week of release, which is a huge achievement, especially when considering k-dramas tend to be more popular, even if they adapt Japanese manga series, as is the case with the Korean live-action version of Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers).
Source: Hypebeast
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