Alice in Borderland

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 9, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

For Arisu and Chishiya there is only one face card left after their final confrontation with Niragi.

Niragi is one of those characters that makes me go “Why are you still here?” The entire time of the last appearance, I was just metaphorically tapping my foot for the Queen if Hearts part. I did wonder if the source material would have the same ending as the show and (spoilers, I guess???) it’s pretty much the same and I do like the way it’s handled. It’s creative and I think it’s more interesting than some huge ass battle or another game with math that gives me a headache. These omnibus editions were really satisfying and I had a lot of fun reading them. If you like these survival game stories, this is a good series. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 8, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Kaito Kameyama is a reporter who finds himself in Borderland and decides to use his camera to document his life there. When Arisu finds his camera, he learns of Kaito’s fate and Arisu is struggling to keep himself together. Meanwhile, the games continue with the King of Diamonds.

Yeah, with the amount of games that involve all this math, I’d be dead. As someone who’s eyes glaze over when complicated math is involved, I’m relying completely on the character’s reactions when it comes to the tension of the game they’re playing. If you’re like me in that respect, you might just flip through these parts until the game is over. Also, Niragi is back to fight Arisu and I am shocked this guy is still here. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” vol. 7, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The Jack of Hearts game comes to a close in this volume only to go right into the next; the King of Spades where a man armed to the teeth ruthlessly hunts down the participants and the only way to win is to take him out.

The Kind of Spades fight is super dramatic; really digging into the lives of career soldiers and how combat affects them. I like the combination of the middle schooler Dodo, high schooler Akane and the soldier, Agumi. They are so different and play off each other well; making it easy to root for them as we take a break from Arisu and his group. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 6, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume features the climactic ending of the King of Clubs game, then begins the Jack of Hearts game; where the players have to trust each other to read their assigned card suits on the back of their necks.

I like this section but I feel like the tension in the show for the Jack of Heats game was much higher than in this manga. It’s still amazing and a nail biter; providing the same thrills despite Arisu taking a breather for most of it. The Jack of Hearts game is less gruesome than others as in there is less on “screen” violence and it’s more implied. But as usual, there is plenty of death. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 5, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume is the King of Clubs game with Kyuma; the musician who likes to be naked. There is also a side story with Chishiya in a game of black jack; showcasing just how calculating he is.

Why anyone gives Niragi more than half a braincell is beyond me. That’s easy for me to say as a reader, I guess, if I get people like that in real life, I pay them no mind. Other than that, the game in this volume is wild. It’s really tense and emotional, even in the side stories. And even if you’ve seen the show, the side stories give some more insight so it’s not just a rehash. Other than some deep strategy talk that feels super slow compared to the excitement of the game, this was a good volume. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 4, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The horrific witch hunt game comes to an end, leaving Arisu and his friends reeling from the traumatic and violent game. As they recover, they learn that not only some players are involved with the games, but dealers are running them behind the scenes and they’re about to begin the next stage.

Out of all the game so far, the witch hunt is my least favorite. It’s not as put together and diabolical as the previous games and much like when I watched the live action, I was glad it was over so we can get to more interesting stuff. While the pace slowed down a bit, this was still entertaining. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 3, by Haro Aso

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Arisu is being held prisoner at The Beach, tied up and left in a room to die once his visa expires. But a new game starts, throwing the entire populace of The Beach into absolute chaos.

The entirety of this volume is The Witch Hunt game; which is brutal to watch. We get a lot of backstory into some of the side characters that are woven into the main narrative effectively enough to not feel like you’re tripping over it to get back to the main story. You’re getting a lot out of this volume, it’s thrilling enough to keep the pages turning and it ends on a cliffhanger so you’ll want the next volume right away. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 2, by Haro Aso

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Feeling confident about the games, Arisu isn’t too worried about what may be next. But, with his friend’s visas expiring soon, they can’t be picky about the next game and soon find themselves in over their heads.

I don’t wanna spoil anything so I am being deliberately vague in my description above. I do have to day, when Usagi is added to the cast, the character development for her and Arisu is well done. They work well together and I like following them as they navigate this crazy world. Again, if you’ve seen the show, you know what’s going to happen but it’s still cool to experience this story in both formats. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Alice in Borderland” Vol. 1, by Haro Aso

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Arisu is an aimless young man. He doesn’t care about school and wishes he could run away to another world. He gets his wish but not how he expected with him and his friends dropped into a series of dangerous games.

Yes, I did see the show before I read this so, I did know what to expect (mostly) from the basic plot. This is a tense, bloody competition with a compelling story. The characters are a nice mix of personalities so things stay interesting both in and out of the deadly games. There’s some good mystery elements and problem solving, and I’m excited for the next volume. 4 out of 5.

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