Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Alice in Borderland is a fantasy-horror anime series. The anime blends science-fiction and drama with the high-concept. Created by Haro Aso, Alice in Borderland features animation produced by studios CONNECT and SILVER LINK. The series features character designs by Tomoko Sudo (Fragtime, Solo Leveling). Alice in Borderland offers some intriguing mystery elements for fans of complex and dark anime series.

Ryōhei Arisu (Yoshimasa Hosoya) is in for far more than he bargained for when he sees fireworks light up the night sky. Bored with his ordinary life, Ryōhei feels as though there is nothing much to do in his own space and reality. The world around him seems to be dull, lifeless, and ordinary. If only there was more. As Ryōhei soon learns, “more” isn’t always for the better.

As Ryōhei passes in to a different world alongside his friends Daikichi Karube (Tatsuhisa Suzuki) and Chōta Segawa (Tsubasa Yonaga), the trio find themselves battling for survival in a strange new world where the stakes are constantly raised. The only way to survive is to win competition in a series of competitive and deadly games. Can Ryōhei, Daikichi, and Chōta survive the new world?

The characters are not as well developed as would have been possible with a longer-form production but are nonetheless compelling. The central protagonist, Ryōhei, is a solid fit the high concept anime series. Though the characters are perhaps secondary to the plot-line (as this is a more concept driven anime than character-driven production) it still seems as though some effort was paid to making the characters interesting within the framework of the series. This is certainly reflected through the anime character designs by Tomoko Sudo as well.

The animation is impeccable. One of the greatest strengths of the production is the excellent animation on display with the production. The team of animators involved with the production did stellar work on the series. The entire team invested a lot in to the art style. The art is complex and creative looking (and feels more mature than most anime series).

The cinematography by Kazuya Iwai (A Certain Magical Index, Living for the Day After Tomorrow) helps to reflect the darkness inherit in the series concept. Iwai manages to showcase the elements of darker fantasy terror with the otherworldly setting. The cinematographic approach is to imbue the scenes with a sense of creative fantasy while providing a sophisticated sheen to the production. The effort is strong here and is well appreciated.

The score composed by Hiroaki Tsutsumi (Blue Spring Ride, Hyperdimension Neptunia) is a nice addition to the production. The score is certainly a strength of the series. The music is creative, entertaining, and enjoyable. The score provided by Tsutsumi is a solid backdrop to the mystery of the series and helps add another layer of intrigue to the production.

Written by Ryosuke Nakamura (Psychic School Wars, Hajime no Ippo), Alice in Borderland has a complex and compelling concept. The high concept approach to the material is something that helps set Alice in Borderland apart from other short- form anime series. Though this is a short series, the concept is a fun one with a lot to offer. The series explores these ideas and fans of genre storytelling will appreciate these elements.

Directed by Hideki Tachibana (BlazBlue Alter Memory, Circlet Princess), Alice in Borderland might not be for everyone, but it is for genre enthusiasts. Genre fans who enjoy darker and grittier anime series will find something worthwhile here. The directing by Tachibana is exciting and there is a sense of clear ambition with the series. The concept is high and Tachibana understands this and has fun with the storytelling as a director.

Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Alice in Borderland is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is excellent. The high-definition encoding is top-notch. The release only has a few episodes and as such the encoding is excellent. Color is top-notch and there is a nice sense of depth to the animation. The encoding is free from egregious compression woes. The release doesn't suffer from egregious banding or the like. A solid encode by Sentai.

Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is worthwhile. The stereo audio imaging is excellent. The level of detail and clarity on the tracks are excellent. Dialogue sounds clear and crisp on the release. A worthwhile audio encode.

Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

If there is one area where Alice in Borderland could have been improved as a release, it is in the supplemental field. The bonus features on the release are rather slim – especially for a series featuring such a compelling concept. The release could have explored the making-of the series with some behind the scenes featurettes, documentaries, and the like but instead is relegated to only a few standard extra features.

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: High School of the Dead (HD, 00:34), Kakegurui (HD, 1:38), Canaan (HD, 1:33), and Girls und Panzer das Finale Part 2 (HD, 00:47).

Alice in Borderland: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alice in Borderland is an entertaining high-concept short-form anime series with big ambitions. The series explores a different world – a different landscape – that provides the central characters of the story with a strange mind-trip. The animation on the production is excellent and is a great element of the production. The Blu-ray release features excellent video and audio. Fans of the series will want to add the release to their collection. Recommended.