Sat Jan 31
Squid Games in Borderland?
A quick reflection on two similar series on Netflix
I don’t watch much tv…
I generally spend time playing video games in the evening instead of watching the latest / greatest on streaming platforms. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy shows, but I just enjoy games more. I’m finding a little time in the morning during breakfast to watch something so I figured I should catch up on some of the shows all of the cool people are talking about around the water cooler.
Both Squid Games and Alice in Borderlands ended in 2025 so I guess I’m not too late. I don’t generally “keep up” with shows as they come out so waiting until the series is done is more of my speed. Squid Games sounded interesting but I didn’t have the urge to give a chance. As I started it, I was impressed and started talking with others about my new journey. Surprisingly, many of them said if I liked that, then I had to check out Alice in Borderlands. They said it was worth watching after Squid Games. So here I am, just finishing both of them.
WARNING
Some spoilers ahead - I don’t write much (obviously) so some plot points will be talked about and some may be major spoilers. I’m more interested in the overall review of both and comparing them - but I’m sure I’ll be giving some twists and turns away - move forward with caution if you care!
Squid Games
I enjoyed Squid Games for the overall idea and excellent execution of that idea. People down to their last shred of hope playing children games and dying if they lose? On a secret island for the entertainment of billionaires in animal bling masks? With everything going on in the world, it almost feels like this may be actually happening somewhere in the world and playing live on the dark web.
What really drew me in was how “real” it felt. There weren’t a lot of elements that made me feel what what I was seeing was not possible with today’s technology. Showing the large group of workers pulling the triggers and pushing the buttons to make this happen as a whole operation was a nice touch to show that it wasn’t magic - these were humans killing humans. But on either side, it was humans who chose to be there. They may have been kept against their will once they realized what was going on - but they all fell victim to the idea of a better future under impossible odds.
Alice in Borderlands
I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did - but this really was a good one. I didn’t know it was based off of a manga before going into it, but it didn’t take me long to make that assumption. The characters were over the top (in a good way) and the extra sci-fi elements felt at home. I’ll admit that I really enjoyed the first two seasons more than the third. But there was no way I wasn’t going to finish the series.
I think the pacing and how you learn about “what” you’re watching was great. I thought the games played were brutal and unique, really putting you in a mindset of “what would you do?” The battle against the King of Spades had my heart racing. The flashbacks to the friendships lost in the first few episodes always hit home, pushing the characters to keep living. Even though many faced death, they were more than willing to repay favors and pull others along that deserved the support.
But can I pick a favorite?
I think they were just different enough that it depends what you value more in a show. I think Squid Games was more gritty, human, and contained more shocking moments as the story progressed. Alice in Borderlands was more thought provoking, alien, and contained more WTF moments. My opinions change often pending on my mood so it’s very difficult for me to choose one over the other. Squid Games felt more of a complete package of a story while Alice in Borderlands had some fantastic moments in it
I guess Squid Games would have an edge here, I’m excited to see Squid Games America and how the story continues. I think Alice in Borderlands deserved one more season to see how some of the foreshadowing played out after the last few episodes. I’d be interested in reading the manga to see what was different and if there’s more to the story. Both really make you think about what you would do in all these situations, what kind of player you would be in these games. I don’t think I’d survive either one of them though, let’s hope life doesn’t lead to those types of decisions.