The Netflix Sci-Fi Thriller Series That Takes You To A Terrifying World

For those who aren’t aware of the manga Alice in Borderland was based on, the captivating work with a surreal and heart-pounding narrative was penned by Haro Aso, and it takes the readers—and the viewers—to an alternate Tokyo, where a group of friends find themselves trapped in a deadly game of survival.

The transition from the same-name manga to a live-action series was a bold move, given the poor success rate of such releases, but the team behind the adaptation actually managed to preserve the essence of the manga while making the series appealing to broader audiences.

We’re not saying that the production team didn’t have any difficulties adapting the manga into the series; quite the contrary, the production had to film the series in various locations around Tokyo, one of the world’s most populous cities.

There’s also a matter of introducing all the fantasy elements present in the manga, which also involves elaborate set design, cutting-edge special effects, and meticulous attention to detail. The latter is particularly true in scenes in which the surviving characters have to endure the dangers of the games they’re presented with.

However, the high production value associated with Alice in Borderland made the series exceptionally popular among the audiences, particularly since it’s a Netflix title. Furthermore, it continues to fare great among the audiences, which isn’t something we can easily say for all Netflix releases. Most of its success can be credited to great production values, good narrative, and exceptional cast, but Netflix also leveraged the power of social media and traditional advertising to promote the series, with all the trailers and teases creating widespread anticipation.

The aforementioned qualities and marketing efforts bore fruit for Netflix, and the reception of Alice in Borderland was largely positive. The critics and audiences praised the series’ intense storytelling, well-crafted characters, and ability to keep its viewers captivated for a very long time—apparently, people love sitting on the ends of their seats. This resulted in high ratings for the show and significant viewership numbers, prompting Netflix to renew the series, not once, but twice thus far.

Perhaps the most important indicator of Alice in Borderland’s success is that it was actually well-liked among the fans of the original manga while also attracting new audiences to the genre. Furthermore, the success of this adaptation significantly contributed to the growing popularity of Japanese content (well, not just Japanese) on the global streaming scene, which opened the doors for other massively successful manga and anime adaptations, such as the recently released and massively successful One Piece live-action adaptation, which was renewed for a second season.

Alice in Borderland is currently available for streaming on Netflix.