Alice in Borderland: Volume 1 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Alice in Borderland is a Japanese suspense manga series, written and illustrated by Haro Aso and published by Shogakukan.

The original releases of the series was published between November 25th 2010 and March 2nd 2016.

The series was made into 18 volumes.

Alice in Borderland was adapted into a 3-episode Original Video Animation, which was released between October 2014 and February 2015.

The series also has a spin-off manga series titled Alice in Border Road, and a sequel titled Alice in Borderland: Retry.

The series also has a live-action adaptation produced by Netflix, with the first season premiering worldwide in December 2020, with a 2nd season in December 2022.

On the 9th of July 2021, Viz Media announced that they had licensed the series for English publication.

As of March 2016, Alice in Borderland had over 1.3 million copies in circulation.

The series follows Arisu and his friends as they fight to survive and find answers and a way home, out of Borderlands deadly games.

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of life.

School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future feels like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can't be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn't an empty paradise, it's a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

The first game starts with a bang, but Ryohei manages to beat the clock and save his friends. It's a short-lived victory, however, as they discover that winning only earns them a few days' grace period. If they want to get home, they're going to have to start playing a lot harder.

I make no secret of being a fan of the AIB Netflix series, and it's because of that, that I decided to start reading the manga and see how it differs from the live-action.

The first volume covers the first 2 episodes with some differences, for example the game in which Arisu and the gang meets Shibuki, as well as Chishiya meeting Karube rather than meeting and helping Arisu.

The main difference between the live-action and the manga is their ages, while Karube works in a bar, both Arisu and Chota are still in high school, I found it really funny with how different Chota is, he literally makes a puddle to see up the girls skirts and it actually made me laugh to find out he's actually a pervert.

So far there isn't much in the way of character development as it's only the first volume and I think it takes a few volumes to allow you to get to know the characters.

I look forward to reading more of the volumes and seeing how it differs from the live-action, and seeing each characters growth in a more detailed aspect.

I've actually been struggling to get my hands on the volumes as they seem to be out of stock in a lot of places, which I think shows how popular the live-action has become for viewers wanting to actually read the original content of the show.

It's been such a long time since I've posted about a manga, so it's nice to be able to post and share something I've started reading again.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Japanese Movie Review: The Incite Mill

Hello

An nyeoung

Konnichiwa

Ni hao

Google Images

I thought instead of an anime today I would review a film I've watched a few times and the main reason I felt the need to ever watch this film was because it stars my favorite Japanese actor.

The Incite Mill is a 2010 Japanese psychological thriller, based on the novel The Incite Mill by Honobu Yonezawa. The full name of the film in Japan is Inshite Miru: 7-Kakan No Desu Gemu which translates as The Incite Mill: 7-Day Death Game. The screenplay is written by Satoshi Suzuki and the film is directed by Hideo Nakata, who also directed some other films you many know like the Japanese films: Ring(1998), Ring 2(1999) Dark Water(2002) and L:Change The World(2008) a spin off film from the Death Note films, he also directed the American release of The Ring Two(2005). The film stars Tatusya Fujiwara, Haruka Ayase & Aya Hirayama. The film was released in Japanese theaters on the 16th of October 2010 and goes by the name Death Game in the UK and possibly internationally.

The plot of the film is that 10 people are promised a dream job that pays 112,00Yen($1,236/£685.24+) per hour, no experience or qualifications necessary. They are taken to a remote underground complex and locked up, in a murderous game that will last for 7 days.

Google Images

Google Images

Google Images

Google Images

Google Images

Google Images

As I said at the start of this post Tatsuya Fujiwara is my favourite Japanese actor, I've followed him since I saw him in Battle Royale, which I think I have to say is my favourite Japanese movie, I only have 6 of his films on DVD: Battle Royale, Battle Royale 2: Requiem, Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name, Kaiji and The Incite Mill(Death Game)  (yes I'm counting the Death Note films separate as they are done in 2 parts - a majority of live action anime films are done that way) and I'm finding it difficult to find his films in UK stocked places.

Right back onto the film I really enjoyed this film, I'm a fan of horror and suspense films anyway and it's one of those films where you have to figure who is doing the killing, even though whenever you watch it again you know who is involved and how it starts it's a film that you can re watch and enjoy unlike some films where you watch it once find out who did it and don't feel the need to watch it again. I think all the actors and actress' are fantastic in this film especially Tatsuya Fujiwara. I've noticed in Japanese films that to an outsider it could seem like the actor is over acting with how they scream or shout but I've come to learn that that's just how they express some of their feelings with it being anime or a film, which is why a majority of fans always prefer subbed rather than dubbed. I honestly think that if you want a film that will keep you in suspense or on the edge of your seat then you should give this film a try, never let a subbed film stop you from giving it a try because you could be pleasantly surprised. For anyone that's not good with horror or gore then I think this is also a good film for you as it's not really a jump out at you kind of film and there's no gore in the sense that you turn away from the TV thinking eww.

I don't think I've really sold it really well for anyone that thinks they may want to watch it but it has been a while since I watched it and this post has been finished months after I wanted to originally post it. So I can only hope you trust in me and give it a try, it may be for you it may not be, but you never know if you don't watch it.

Have you see The Incite Mill?
Which name do you prefer The Incite Mill or Death Game?
Did you figure any of it out?
Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon!

An nyeoung
Sayonara
Zai Jian
Bye