Survival thrillers are making a comeback. With such hits as Squid Game making the rounds on Netflix, it is no surprise fans of the genre are hungry for more. The anime and manga industry has catered to such survivalist gorehounds for decades, with such series as Kaiji and Gantz receiving acclaim from fans and critics alike. The thrills continue now as one of the biggest manga hits has finally made its way to the English-speaking world. Alice in Borderland delivers enough thrills, kills and character development to scratch that "death game" thriller itch. Fans of the Netflix live-action adaptation and newcomers alike can now enjoy the manga that started it all.
Alice in Borderland's story is simple. The main lead, Ryohei Arisu, is a drifting high school student who lives a carefree life but feels he lacks purpose and thinks his future lacks any meaning. Along with his friends, the goofball Chota and juvenile delinquent Karube, the three of them spend their time drinking, getting into typical schoolboy trouble and sometimes pondering what to do with their lives next. Little do they know that their lives will be changed forever when, one day, they are whisked away to a post-apocalyptic parallel dimension and meet a woman. She warns the trio they have "entered the game" and, in this new dimension called Borderland, they must play games to survive.
The most striking thing about Alice in Borderland is how relatable Arisu's internal struggle is. To some degree, everyone has had the nihilistic feeling that their life is going nowhere and even though the main characters are in high school, the sense of ennui is universal -- even for adults. The story's pacing is tight, with a clear character dilemma being introduced before quickly moving to the action. By avoiding the pitfall of making the main character too broody to the point of tedium, as is familiar with some coming-of-age stories, fans can get straight to why they would pick up such a manga in the first place: the nail-biting, tension-inducing death games.
Mangaka Haro Aso's artwork is brisk, fast-paced and has plenty of style to spare. Although Alice in Borderland is aimed at an older audience, it steers clear of being too gory, violent or over-sexualized. It also helps that the main leads are likable, even if they depend a bit too much on some overused tropes. Arisu is the typical angsty teen but knows when to set it aside for the greater good. Chota is a bit of a perv, but it never feels like he's a one-note character who only thinks about girls and provides comic relief to the story. Karube is the delinquent with a heart of gold but he written to avoid any cheesiness.
It is also refreshing to see a manga about the scary situation of survival not fall into the morass of absolute hopelessness and nihilism, despite starting the story off with such themes. A series like Gantz, for example, delved too deeply into the edge-lord territory of hateful brooding for the sake of it. Other survival thrillers too often depend on evoking a feeling of overbearing dread into the reader/viewer.
But in Alice in Borderland, at least with Volume 1, the characters feel like they have some sense of self-efficacy. Not all is lost and even if the weight of this new apocalyptic world is on their shoulders, they believe in each other and their ability to stand strong against frightening odds with nothing but their wits to guide them. It's a welcome reprieve from the woe-is-me mentality of some other works in the same vein.
If there is any criticism one could make about Alice in Borderland, sometimes the action moves just a little too fast. There are times when rereading specific panels is a must because the chaos that ensues is a bit overwhelming. But considering that the fight-or-flight mechanism of survival is the story's primary focus, it is understandable and fits with the overall tone of the manga. So for those who need something to hold them down while waiting for the next season of Squid Game or are more general fans of survival thrillers, Alice in Borderland is an ideal read.
