Alice in Borderland has returned to Netflix for a whole new season of deadly games, and the writer and director behind it all explained how the show still stands out from the others in the genre like Squid Game and more. Alice in Borderland has been one of Netflix’s biggest hits as it is the first Japanese language original series with the streaming service to get a third season, and it’s no mystery as to why as the show is packed to the brim with very intriguing and deadly games as players fight for their lives. Even as there are more death game franchises popping up each year.
Speaking to press during a special roundtable for the series (of which ComicBook was in attendance), Alice in Borderland Season 3 writer and director Shinsuke Sato opened up about what helps this series standout in a world where there are more death game shows following the same base concept. As Sato explained, Alice in Borderland is differentiated from the others as it combines the storytelling for each of the characters’ traumas and more into the gameplay itself that viewers can immerse themselves in.
How Alice in Borderland Stands Out From Squid Game
“Alice in Borderlandwhat differentiates it from perhaps other works is that, well, first of all, they’re very meticulously constructed games that the players have to play,” Sato began. “But it turns into a process of, for example, resolving traumas or any problems or any baggage that each character, each player has within him or her. And so in that sense, the storytelling and the gameplay is kind of combined into one. Which is, I think, something that is distinct about Alice in Borderland.”
Continuing further, Sato also broke down that there is a variety in the kinds of games seen within Alice in Borderland that help it stand out as well, “Then you also have these various flavors of games. For example, you have these brutal, very violent games or very kind of close quarters intellectual mind games. Or then you have the futuristic games. You have these games which remind you of very classical games that kids used to play in the olden times, let’s say. Then there are also these very unexpected games that will unfold in very unexpected ways.”
The Heart of Alice in Borderland Season 3
But as Sato continued, the real draw that makes Alice in Borderland Season 3 stand out from other death game shows is that the viewer is likely also thinking about themselves when watching each of the games as well, “With the intellectual games, the viewer is also thinking for him or herself and trying to play along as well. So with Season 3 especially, as you are following the story, you’re also integrating yourself or immersing yourself in the gameplay as well at the same time, which I think is very different from the others.”
That certainly is the case as each of the games from the series since the very beginning have been on a much larger scope than anything fans have seen thus far. But Season 3 takes it to a deeper level by also playing towards each character’s emotions, and changes the way they do things as a result. It gets them thinking not only about how they want to survive each game, but how they want to live their lives in the future. That’s just something not afforded to the other shows like this. But for now, you can check it out for yourself with Netflix.
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