MY THOUGHTS ON ALICE IN BORDERLAND S3

i just watched season 3 of alice in borderland all in one sitting last night (and proceeded to stay up until 4am thinking about it).

wow. this season was great. i was kind of dreading what a third season would be when it got announced. i've read the original sequel mini-series that involved arisu in a similar time skip plot, but it didn't really impress me in terms of impact. but this season definitely delivered for me.

i see some people complaining that the third season wasn't as good as the first two, and their complaints mainly seem to center around the spectacle of the games themselves. but that's not what the live-action show is meant to focus on. the series has always meant to be about holding onto hope through community, telling the viewer that you can always take another chance at life and start over no matter where you are.

the various formats of the games aren't the point of the series. the point of the series are the lessons each character learns from the games' trials and tribulations, as well as the other players they meet.

arisu learned what caused players to lose and die in the games. watching out purely for your own survival gets you killed. the games are designed to be lost if you continue to go on with a loner's mindset. making strong genuine connections with other people you've never met before gives you more support towards victory.

he felt useless and weak before his first time in the borderland, but he eventually learned that he is indeed mentally strong enough to make an incredible effort towards protecting himself and the people he cares about. and he allows himself to care deeply, even for his brief allies. he fails at times to save certain people, but he still goes on to continue protecting whoever he has left.

him leading a whole team of people by teaching them that they can find happiness again no matter where they are in their lives, that said happiness can be found in caring deeply and earnestly about other people even if it may not be the typical solution. i just think that's such a cool message.

that being said, i hope he has his own psychiatrist now