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今際の国のアリス [Imawa no Kuni no Alice] #1
今際の国のアリス 1 [Imawa no Kuni no Alice 1]
理不尽な「げぇむ」を生き延びろ！
やりきれない日常に苛立つ高校生・有栖(アリス)良平が悪友の苅部(カルベ)や張太(チョータ)とブラつく夜、街は突然巨大な花火に包まれ、気づけば周囲の人気は消えていた。
夜、ふらりと入った神社で告げられる「げぇむ」の始まり。一歩誤れば命が奪われる理不尽な難題の数々を前に、アリスの眠っていた能力が目覚め始める… 「呪法解禁!!ハイド&クローサー」の麻生羽呂が全くスタイルを変えて挑む戦慄のサバイバル・サスペンス、開幕！
やりきれない日常に苛立つ高校生・有栖(アリス)良平が悪友の苅部(カルベ)や張太(チョータ)とブラつく夜、街は突然巨大な花火に包まれ、気づけば周囲の人気は消えていた。
夜、ふらりと入った神社で告げられる「げぇむ」の始まり。一歩誤れば命が奪われる理不尽な難題の数々を前に、アリスの眠っていた能力が目覚め始める… 「呪法解禁!!ハイド&クローサー」の麻生羽呂が全くスタイルを変えて挑む戦慄のサバイバル・サスペンス、開幕！
168 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
January 4, 2021
Why is there so much pressure with the first book of the year to be good? Why does it feel like it sets the tone for the rest of the year?
Anyway, before Christmas, I was blown away by the Alice in Borderland adaptation. I knew that I had to read the manga as well.
And I have to say that I loved this one as well. It is similar enough that I can see the characters I know from the series. But at the same time, there are differences between the two, so, I was really curious to see what will happen.
However, I have to say that I felt like without the knowledge of the adaptation I could potentially find the first chapters somewhat confusing.
But the best part so far is Karube whom I like way more than in the adaptation. Here he is just the best.
Anyway, I can totally recommend both, the manga and the adaptation as well. I cannot wait to read the rest.
Anyway, before Christmas, I was blown away by the Alice in Borderland adaptation. I knew that I had to read the manga as well.
And I have to say that I loved this one as well. It is similar enough that I can see the characters I know from the series. But at the same time, there are differences between the two, so, I was really curious to see what will happen.
However, I have to say that I felt like without the knowledge of the adaptation I could potentially find the first chapters somewhat confusing.
But the best part so far is Karube whom I like way more than in the adaptation. Here he is just the best.
Anyway, I can totally recommend both, the manga and the adaptation as well. I cannot wait to read the rest.
May 27, 2022
Let's appreciate the idea and characterization first. The plot of the book centers around games and survival, as well as the strategies used to overcome them. At the moment, I'm watching the drama and reading the manga. I can't compare the two because they are both good and horrible in their own right. I was tensed and nervous during the first game because I was on the edge of my seat. And if this is the case for the remainder of the games as well. What am I going to do, oh boy??
August 16, 2021
Not a bad start. This is a retrospective review. The manga definitely got better as it progressed, and so did the art style. The characters are initially flat but improve significantly every chapter.
Maybe I'm too smooth-brained to get the rules of some of the games, but they tended to go over my head.
Overall, not a bad action-oriented manga.
Maybe I'm too smooth-brained to get the rules of some of the games, but they tended to go over my head.
Overall, not a bad action-oriented manga.
January 16, 2021
Tittar nu på tv-serien så var bara tvungen att läsa mangan också
September 5, 2023
Me ha gustado bastante para ser un primer volumen, lo mejor las pruebas.
Valoración: 7/10
Sinopsis: Ryuhei Alisu (que en japonés es también la transliteración de Alice) es un estudiante de secundaria apático y apático. Le va mal en la escuela, falla las pruebas de ingreso para una universidad decente y sufre de un complejo de inferioridad hacia su hermano menor, primero en la clase y perfecto. Junto con su amigo Chota, pasa sus días merodeando y emborrachándose en el pub donde trabaja su ex compañero de escuela, Karube.
Después de una noche de copas, los tres caminan por las vías del tren para llegar a un barrio donde hay muchas chicas. Pero en el camino se detienen para ver algunos extraños fuegos artificiales. Poco después se encuentran en un mundo igual al nuestro, pero donde todo está en ruinas y polvoriento. Desorientados, los tres piensan que están en un sueño. Es decir, al menos hasta que conocen a una chica que les dice que acaban de entrar en un juego, en el que ya no pueden evitar participar. La incredulidad de los tres amigos desaparece cuando sus vidas están seriamente en peligro y tendrán que decidir reaccionar si no quieren morir.
La serie es bastante fiel al manga por lo que veo, asi que hasta que llegue al mismo nivel, pocas sorpresas me llevaré.
Valoración: 7/10
Sinopsis: Ryuhei Alisu (que en japonés es también la transliteración de Alice) es un estudiante de secundaria apático y apático. Le va mal en la escuela, falla las pruebas de ingreso para una universidad decente y sufre de un complejo de inferioridad hacia su hermano menor, primero en la clase y perfecto. Junto con su amigo Chota, pasa sus días merodeando y emborrachándose en el pub donde trabaja su ex compañero de escuela, Karube.
Después de una noche de copas, los tres caminan por las vías del tren para llegar a un barrio donde hay muchas chicas. Pero en el camino se detienen para ver algunos extraños fuegos artificiales. Poco después se encuentran en un mundo igual al nuestro, pero donde todo está en ruinas y polvoriento. Desorientados, los tres piensan que están en un sueño. Es decir, al menos hasta que conocen a una chica que les dice que acaban de entrar en un juego, en el que ya no pueden evitar participar. La incredulidad de los tres amigos desaparece cuando sus vidas están seriamente en peligro y tendrán que decidir reaccionar si no quieren morir.
La serie es bastante fiel al manga por lo que veo, asi que hasta que llegue al mismo nivel, pocas sorpresas me llevaré.
January 13, 2023
Increíble, realmente increíble!
Me enamoré de la adaptación de Netflix y ahora me sigo sorprendiendo.
Se que sufrire con ellos en los próximos juegos..
Me enamoré de la adaptación de Netflix y ahora me sigo sorprendiendo.
Se que sufrire con ellos en los próximos juegos..
November 20, 2018
(*review for the whole series, finished in volume 18.)
I'll be honest: most survival manga aren't very good. A lot of these tend to degenerate into a ridiculous pile of cliches and plot holes despite having an interesting premise, either because of fanservice overload (*this kind of work is usually aimed at horny male teens, hence the gratuitous amount of gore and boobs) and/or the simple matter that the author just can't write well.
Well, Alice in Borderland is a delightful outlier: an action survival work that prides itself on having great plot progression, world-building, and character development.
The set-up isn't particularly unique: three teens suddenly find themselves in a mysteriously desolate world, as they're forced to play a series of games just to stay alive. Yeah, it may sound familiar, and the manga doesn't really have an intriguing gimmick that can immediately grab your attention, but it makes up for that simply through the virtue of great execution. Haro Aso established and paced the narrative very well, as more of the world gradually opens up and a host of interesting characters eventually show up. We start with our typical Japanese high school teens, but the cast soon expands to include a bunch of people with a wide range of background and personality , a surprisingly high number of them end up being very memorable for various reasons.
The games are varied, easy to understand, and drawn very well. Whether it's action, puzzle-solving, or debating scenes, the art work always properly conveys the atmosphere and intensity of the situation. An interesting thing about the drawing is how non-graphic it is, especially considering the standard of the genre; the visual approach to violent scenes and character deaths is relatively mild, so yeah, you may be disappointed if you're a gorehound.
Make no mistake, though: just because you're not bombarded with shower of blood or flying body parts in every page, doesn't mean that it's not a brutal and ruthless manga. Characters suffer throughout as they undergo serious mental ordeal, and they die easily and frequently, often subverting the readers' expectation on which ones of them are going to survive. This contributes to the perpetually high stakes and tension, especially since Borderland refused to indulge in the kind of bullshit that other survival manga often does. Games can't just be won by last second miracle, characters don't magically develop supernatural powers, and dead people stay dead.
And yet, it's not all doom and gloom. Borderland surprised me with its brutal and heart-wrenching twists, and then it surprised me again for how genuinely uplifting it could be. There's a sizable amount of philosophical contemplation and discussion, not as a pretension to make the story looks deeper than it really is, but as an effective platform for the characters' growth and understanding of their circumstances. The manga always play the situation straight—meaning that there's no comedy of either the intentional or unintentional kind, but I really enjoy the occasional light-hearted moments where the characters can relax between games, banter with each other, and develop genuine connection. There are very few caricatures among the cast (*even the bad guys and psychopaths don't feel too over the top), as a lot of them feel like the kind of people that you can encounter in real life, identify with, and root for.
The second half of the story is more predictable than the first half, but the overall quality remains consistently high. It also ends on a satisfactory note;
I've actually read the sequel series (*similar set-up with completely different cast) first, eventually deciding to track and read this manga after being impressed by Haro Aso's dynamic art work and extremely balanced narrative approach. Obviously, that worked out very well! I'll gladly read everything he writes in the future, and I have to thank him as well for raising a very poignant theme at the end, which genuinely affected me on a personal level.
P.S. A tip for anyone trying out this manga: if you just started and felt like it's not much to your liking, try to at least read until Volume 3—that's where things get really interesting.
I'll be honest: most survival manga aren't very good. A lot of these tend to degenerate into a ridiculous pile of cliches and plot holes despite having an interesting premise, either because of fanservice overload (*this kind of work is usually aimed at horny male teens, hence the gratuitous amount of gore and boobs) and/or the simple matter that the author just can't write well.
Well, Alice in Borderland is a delightful outlier: an action survival work that prides itself on having great plot progression, world-building, and character development.
The set-up isn't particularly unique: three teens suddenly find themselves in a mysteriously desolate world, as they're forced to play a series of games just to stay alive. Yeah, it may sound familiar, and the manga doesn't really have an intriguing gimmick that can immediately grab your attention, but it makes up for that simply through the virtue of great execution. Haro Aso established and paced the narrative very well, as more of the world gradually opens up and a host of interesting characters eventually show up. We start with our typical Japanese high school teens, but the cast soon expands to include a bunch of people with a wide range of background and personality , a surprisingly high number of them end up being very memorable for various reasons.
The games are varied, easy to understand, and drawn very well. Whether it's action, puzzle-solving, or debating scenes, the art work always properly conveys the atmosphere and intensity of the situation. An interesting thing about the drawing is how non-graphic it is, especially considering the standard of the genre; the visual approach to violent scenes and character deaths is relatively mild, so yeah, you may be disappointed if you're a gorehound.
Make no mistake, though: just because you're not bombarded with shower of blood or flying body parts in every page, doesn't mean that it's not a brutal and ruthless manga. Characters suffer throughout as they undergo serious mental ordeal, and they die easily and frequently, often subverting the readers' expectation on which ones of them are going to survive. This contributes to the perpetually high stakes and tension, especially since Borderland refused to indulge in the kind of bullshit that other survival manga often does. Games can't just be won by last second miracle, characters don't magically develop supernatural powers, and dead people stay dead.
And yet, it's not all doom and gloom. Borderland surprised me with its brutal and heart-wrenching twists, and then it surprised me again for how genuinely uplifting it could be. There's a sizable amount of philosophical contemplation and discussion, not as a pretension to make the story looks deeper than it really is, but as an effective platform for the characters' growth and understanding of their circumstances. The manga always play the situation straight—meaning that there's no comedy of either the intentional or unintentional kind, but I really enjoy the occasional light-hearted moments where the characters can relax between games, banter with each other, and develop genuine connection. There are very few caricatures among the cast (*even the bad guys and psychopaths don't feel too over the top), as a lot of them feel like the kind of people that you can encounter in real life, identify with, and root for.
The second half of the story is more predictable than the first half, but the overall quality remains consistently high. It also ends on a satisfactory note;
I've actually read the sequel series (*similar set-up with completely different cast) first, eventually deciding to track and read this manga after being impressed by Haro Aso's dynamic art work and extremely balanced narrative approach. Obviously, that worked out very well! I'll gladly read everything he writes in the future, and I have to thank him as well for raising a very poignant theme at the end, which genuinely affected me on a personal level.
P.S. A tip for anyone trying out this manga: if you just started and felt like it's not much to your liking, try to at least read until Volume 3—that's where things get really interesting.
January 5, 2021
The First Volum of Imawa no Kumi no Alice starts strong, with a short but clever, introduction of the characters, while keeping the whole gaming world a mystery for now. In fact, I'm getting the feeling that the reader is going to discover what is going on at the same time as Arisu.
While the art is pretty much classic shounen, it has a dark twist to it and it manages to create action sequences on paper masterfully. As for the characters, probably only the main one has the best anthology of emotions, but it is still early to tell.
Overall, a smooth start.
While the art is pretty much classic shounen, it has a dark twist to it and it manages to create action sequences on paper masterfully. As for the characters, probably only the main one has the best anthology of emotions, but it is still early to tell.
Overall, a smooth start.
January 4, 2021
I loved the netflix show so decided to catch up on the manga too
November 2, 2021
স্কুইড গেমের মাধ্যমে জীবন বাজি রেখে খেলাসংক্রান্ত থ্রিলার নিয়ে প্রথম জানতে পারি। পরে স্কুইড গেমের পাঠ চুকিয়ে একই জনরার এলিস ইন বর্ডারল্যাণ্ড ধরি। নেটফ্লিক এডাপশন ভালো লাগলেও কীসের যেন কমতি অনুভব করছিলাম। পরে মাংগা ধরায় বুঝলাম, নেটফ্লিক্সের চেয়ে শতগুণ ভালোভাবে কাহিনী ফুটে উঠেছে মাংগায়! কী অসাধারণ আর ভিন্নধর্মী প্লট! হুট করে পৃথিবীর সবাই কর্পূরের ন্যায় গায়েব হয়ে যায়, যারা বেঁচে থাকে তাদের বাঁচার মেয়াদ বাড়ানোর তাগিদে খেলতে হয় বিভিন্ন গেমস। স্কুইড গেমের চেয়ে বেশ উপভোগ্য আর জটিল ঠেকেছে। রেকমেন্ড করব।
December 30, 2020
Arisu will leave high school soon, but he's trying to avoid thinking about his future. Late one night, when he's hanging out with his tough friend Karube and his silly girl-crazy friend Chouta, they see fireworks. After one blindingly bright explosion, they find themselves waking up in a different world. In this place called the Borderland, people are forced to either participate in potentially deadly games or simply die. Will Chouta, Karube, and Arisu be able to survive this dangerous new world? Is there a way they can get back to their original lives?
Thought a manga couldn't be mindnumbing and thought provoking at the same time? Think again.
For a pilot volume, Alice in Borderland Vol. 1 was able to deliver a delightful combination of suspense and mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Questions seem to pop up every time you get an answer, it was like being stuck in a neverending loop of questions. Thankfully, despite being in that loop, the pacing was enough for me to catch up with the plot.
With this promising introduction, I am looking forward to seeing more of the upcoming volumes of this series in the upcoming days!
Thought a manga couldn't be mindnumbing and thought provoking at the same time? Think again.
For a pilot volume, Alice in Borderland Vol. 1 was able to deliver a delightful combination of suspense and mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Questions seem to pop up every time you get an answer, it was like being stuck in a neverending loop of questions. Thankfully, despite being in that loop, the pacing was enough for me to catch up with the plot.
With this promising introduction, I am looking forward to seeing more of the upcoming volumes of this series in the upcoming days!
January 4, 2021
This review is for the whole series. The synopsis and the first chapter had me hooked. There is something intensely thrilling about betting lives on the games. Simple games that can be mind-numbingly complex and horrifying. Games that tear you apart. Games that can break your heart. Each chapter progresses in a way that makes the mystery & tension more palpable. You do not want to stop because you want to know what is going to happen next. The scenario is heady, intoxicating, dark, and alluring. The psychological tension made my heart thump. The sheer adrenaline rush of reading these comics can give you hyperactivity very similar to the feeling of downing 5 cups of coffee in a go.
Highly recommended for people who enjoys reading the dark psyche of humans.
Highly recommended for people who enjoys reading the dark psyche of humans.
January 9, 2022
Una realidad con un juego macabro donde la vida y la muerte está latente. 😱😱😱.
Grandes gráficos.
Trama fluida.
Y gran énfasis en el razonamiento y la amistad.
Grandes gráficos.
Trama fluida.
Y gran énfasis en el razonamiento y la amistad.
June 6, 2021
Alice in Borderland follows a group of high school friends as they get dragged into a weird dimension where someone is forcing them to participate in games in order to survive.
The characters i found to be a bit shallow and simplistic but it's early to tell.
The pacing is good and the art is good enough to understand what's going on which sometimes is difficult in manga.
I haven't watched any adaptation of this so i can't compare it but it was a solid start.
The characters i found to be a bit shallow and simplistic but it's early to tell.
The pacing is good and the art is good enough to understand what's going on which sometimes is difficult in manga.
I haven't watched any adaptation of this so i can't compare it but it was a solid start.
August 2, 2021
yes, i watched the netflix show. yes, it was mindblowingly good. yes, it made me immediately start the manga because i want to LIVE through the spoilers instead of stumbling upon them by accident.
my first time reading a manga, so it took a bit of getting used to - even more so as i'm using my kindle. slow but solid start, i'm excited to see how it builds up.
my first time reading a manga, so it took a bit of getting used to - even more so as i'm using my kindle. slow but solid start, i'm excited to see how it builds up.
January 13, 2021
Someone’s dystopia might be someone else’s utopia, and vice versa. This is more than just a survival story.
January 19, 2021
I wanted to read this series after seeing the Netflix show based on these books, to see what the manga was about but also to know what comes next.
The scene for the story is set in this first part and the first game is played. On to the next one to see how it continues and how they'll try and deal with this new reality.
The scene for the story is set in this first part and the first game is played. On to the next one to see how it continues and how they'll try and deal with this new reality.
January 6, 2021
2 firsts:
1. Me reading a manga. Took me half a chapter before I figured out that I was reading from the wrong direction lol.
2. Reading the source material after watching the excellent adaptation.
The game in volume 1 is different from the series. Both are good.
1. Me reading a manga. Took me half a chapter before I figured out that I was reading from the wrong direction lol.
2. Reading the source material after watching the excellent adaptation.
The game in volume 1 is different from the series. Both are good.
January 21, 2021
the characters are smartly presented, little details reveal important features about each of them. they're a bit different from how they were portrayed in the live action but now i see they've addapted it pretty well. i love this trio so much 😭😭
January 28, 2021
Una historia fantástica que mezcla acción y juegos psicológicos.
Aunque al principio no entendía muy bien que había sucedido, al final resulta ser lo de menos y las vivencias de estos tres amigos me pusieron los pelos de punta.
Merece muchísimo la pena este manga
Aunque al principio no entendía muy bien que había sucedido, al final resulta ser lo de menos y las vivencias de estos tres amigos me pusieron los pelos de punta.
Merece muchísimo la pena este manga
October 18, 2021
Review for the entire series:
Just finished this manga and WOW. It was a master piece. It made me question so many thing. The theme remained consistent throughout the series. I am quite moved by the psychological journey mangaka-san took us on (which I only realized after finishing it).
The ending was certainly unexpected but I'm not disappointed at all.
At times I felt like the ending could put me in an existential crisis but gotta say I rather feel happy(?) upon reaching the end. Idk how to properly describe this feeling.
Highly recommended if you're into survival games trope. The live action adaptation was pretty good too. Really excited for S2, I hope they do the manga justice.
Now, I'm gonna go and recommend this to everyone I know.
Just finished this manga and WOW. It was a master piece. It made me question so many thing. The theme remained consistent throughout the series. I am quite moved by the psychological journey mangaka-san took us on (which I only realized after finishing it).
The ending was certainly unexpected but I'm not disappointed at all.
At times I felt like the ending could put me in an existential crisis but gotta say I rather feel happy(?) upon reaching the end. Idk how to properly describe this feeling.
Highly recommended if you're into survival games trope. The live action adaptation was pretty good too. Really excited for S2, I hope they do the manga justice.
Now, I'm gonna go and recommend this to everyone I know.
December 19, 2022
i’m still not convinced by the ending, just as i wasn’t convinced two years ago, and the manga would’ve been a five stars if i did like the ending. i mean i don’t hate it and it’s not even out of the blue, but it does feel kind of lazy, which is insane with how well the whole manga was built up and thought through. meh, maybe i’m just not grasping the philosophy of it all.
i love LOVE love our main and side characters. they’re full fledged, each believing in an ideal without becoming too redondant, and even the ones you’re supposed to hate you end up supporting. minus the oversexualisation, women in this are not one dimensional, which is a nice change from a male author. and i love the games, they’re just SO fun to read and as a reader, you keep trying to imagine how well or bad you would’ve played, which decision you would’ve made, and the large panel of players enables you to find someone who actually embodies you. it’s super cool.
read to know the live action’s ending and stayed for the greatness of it all!!
i love LOVE love our main and side characters. they’re full fledged, each believing in an ideal without becoming too redondant, and even the ones you’re supposed to hate you end up supporting. minus the oversexualisation, women in this are not one dimensional, which is a nice change from a male author. and i love the games, they’re just SO fun to read and as a reader, you keep trying to imagine how well or bad you would’ve played, which decision you would’ve made, and the large panel of players enables you to find someone who actually embodies you. it’s super cool.
read to know the live action’s ending and stayed for the greatness of it all!!
March 7, 2021
I don’t normally read manga but I enjoyed watching the Netflix adaption and I was too impatient to wait for the second season to find out what happens. It was a really addictive read, I ended up binge reading it. The characters and plot are interesting and kept me invested, wondering how the players will win the games, who will survive, what is Borderland?, etc.
The Netflix adaption is pretty faithful to the first half of the manga. Perhaps for this reason I enjoyed the second half more (as I didn’t already know what was coming). Some people might not like the ending and it’s final twist but I was really satisfied with it.
I think it will be a lot harder to adapt the second half of the manga to the screen, but crossing my fingers that Netflix doesn’t change too much. There are a lot of things that would be easy to change but if kept and done right could make for some really interesting hours of television.
The Netflix adaption is pretty faithful to the first half of the manga. Perhaps for this reason I enjoyed the second half more (as I didn’t already know what was coming). Some people might not like the ending and it’s final twist but I was really satisfied with it.
I think it will be a lot harder to adapt the second half of the manga to the screen, but crossing my fingers that Netflix doesn’t change too much. There are a lot of things that would be easy to change but if kept and done right could make for some really interesting hours of television.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
So the Netflix series got me to read a manga all the way through for the very first time. The first third of the manga is adapted in the first season of the Netflix show, and the rest is a wild ride. I could barely put it down, hence the 5 stars.
I went into this knowing that I really enjoy (if that's the right word) "games of death" as a genre because of how the exploration of humanity, altruism, purpose, etc... This hit all the right notes for me and exceeded my expectations. The plot was incredibly engaging and the ever-present darkness served an actual purpose.
Recommended if youre into exploring big questions, such as "who has the right to live and at what price", and don't mind a lot of violence/death. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spinoffs/sequels to get my hands on...
I went into this knowing that I really enjoy (if that's the right word) "games of death" as a genre because of how the exploration of humanity, altruism, purpose, etc... This hit all the right notes for me and exceeded my expectations. The plot was incredibly engaging and the ever-present darkness served an actual purpose.
Recommended if youre into exploring big questions, such as "who has the right to live and at what price", and don't mind a lot of violence/death. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spinoffs/sequels to get my hands on...
February 17, 2021
Al parecer somos muchos los que amamos la serie y decidimos leer el manga...
Me gustó mucho, sin duda alguna es un buen inicio, aunque he de admitir que me gustó un poquito más el inicio de la serie, sorry not sorry...
Me gustó mucho, sin duda alguna es un buen inicio, aunque he de admitir que me gustó un poquito más el inicio de la serie, sorry not sorry...
December 28, 2020
show stopping brilliant never done befo- *laser sound*
December 31, 2020
Because I am not patient enough to wait for the season 2 on Netflix so I ended up finishing the whole manga series. I didn't expect how the writer end it, brilliant yet annoying lol!
January 2, 2021
*review for the whole series*
This blew up on Netflix. Decided to jump on the bandwagon and watch the show. Sucked me right in. I binged the series in two days, and was so adamant on finding out the answers for myself that I just had to read the manga (lol kinda like Arisu, if you know, you know).
The world building is amazing. The intrigue was there from the start. Along the way, there were challenges and games that kept me interested because of the creative yet sick way they were crafted.
This book doesn’t shy off from heavy topics like abuse, abandonment, morality etc. There were extensive backstories to the many different characters introduced, which was kind of a damper on the reading experience because they just had to be slotted in at the most critical moments. However, I guess it brings more depth to the characters, allowing us to be attached to them as human beings rather than participants in the games.
I thought the last challenge of the series was the best. XX (censored bc spoiler) basically listed down disproved all the possible theories I had, something like a tribute to all the curious fans out there. The ending was just completely unexpected. It kept me thinking and reflecting even after finishing the series, trying to piece everything together. That, in my opinion, is the mark of a successful story.
I look forward to seeing how the Netflix adaptation will live up to the manga. I think they might be trying to keep things interesting for the people familiar with the story because they have already made a few tweaks to the plot in season 1.
This blew up on Netflix. Decided to jump on the bandwagon and watch the show. Sucked me right in. I binged the series in two days, and was so adamant on finding out the answers for myself that I just had to read the manga (lol kinda like Arisu, if you know, you know).
The world building is amazing. The intrigue was there from the start. Along the way, there were challenges and games that kept me interested because of the creative yet sick way they were crafted.
This book doesn’t shy off from heavy topics like abuse, abandonment, morality etc. There were extensive backstories to the many different characters introduced, which was kind of a damper on the reading experience because they just had to be slotted in at the most critical moments. However, I guess it brings more depth to the characters, allowing us to be attached to them as human beings rather than participants in the games.
I thought the last challenge of the series was the best. XX (censored bc spoiler) basically listed down disproved all the possible theories I had, something like a tribute to all the curious fans out there. The ending was just completely unexpected. It kept me thinking and reflecting even after finishing the series, trying to piece everything together. That, in my opinion, is the mark of a successful story.
I look forward to seeing how the Netflix adaptation will live up to the manga. I think they might be trying to keep things interesting for the people familiar with the story because they have already made a few tweaks to the plot in season 1.
January 21, 2023
Like many others, I picked up this Manga because I enjoyed the Netflix adaptation. I was really impressed by just how well the adaptation has been done- the characters, how they look, the visuals, the games, are all so close to the Manga version. I definitely enjoyed the show more as it is definitely a better format to present this action packed extravaganza- I skimmed through the Manga (all 18 volumes of it) because it wasn't as engaging. Definitely a clever piece of writing though- it was interesting to see the research that went into it, and also how the games were actually showcased in 2D art. It was also an interesting take on Alice in Wonderland. The oversexualisation of women was a turn off but I have read that that is pretty common rather than something unique to this book.
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