From Battle Royale to The Hunger Games, fighting for their lives as entertainment for others won’t always be the most comfortable content to watch. There’s killing, drama, deceit among friends and you’re most likely rooting for a character doomed to die. But the thrill, the suspense, the surprises, especially if done meticulously, you’re in for an entertainment worth your time.

That’s what I thought about Netflix’s Japanese sci-fi thriller Alice in Borderland.

There are a lot of contents on Netflix, my first instinct would be to watch a KDrama, or to re-watch some of my favorites available on the streaming platform. But since I’m a fan of Battle Royale and Kurosawa (Keita Machida) from Cherry Magic was in it, I was curious about the series.

The series is bold. Not just because of its choices on how some of its characters die but also because of who of the characters will die. It may be part of the story from the beginning, how Arisu’s character will move forward but to kill his friends, the persons whom he entered the realm or whatever they are in, that’s daring. Being unafraid of killing characters that are precious to its protagonist.

Fans of the said films above won’t be disappointed. Alice in Borderland goes beyond the borders of Panem when it comes with thrills and surprises for its audience. They’re really quite inventive and executed satisfactorily.

But the series doesn’t just have the thrills and surprises of the games and the killings. It also offers a coming of age and maybe a bit of a romance angle for its lead character.

While the ending may have opened more questions rather than answers but the first season created something exciting, something a bit different and entertaining. I’m one of those who are eager to watch the second season of Alice in Borderland.

‘Alice in Borderland’ is now streaming on Netflix.