Sweet Home and Alice in Borderland are More Similar than You Think
*This post contains spoilers for Sweet Home and Alice in Borderland.
Sweet Home and Alice in Borderland — two Netflix original series added in 2020 — present different end-of-the-world scenarios. Both are based on already-existing stories; Sweet Home is based on a webtoon, while Alice in Borderland is based on a manga. Although each story is set in an entirely contrasting setting — a zombie apocalyptic world in Korea and a gamified battle royale world in Tokyo — , some similarities stand out.
Main Characters
With unkempt hair, the main characters of both shows spend most of their days in their rooms playing video games. The cause of Arisu’s reticence isn’t explained in detail, but it is clear that both Arisu and Hyun-su share dark pasts that lead them to become a recluse. While both of them aren’t too keen to continue living, Hyun-su is motivated to live again in the process of saving others during the zombie apocalypse. Arisu’s will to live is revived by the death of his best friends — their death wishes being Arisu to survive until the end.
Hyun-su was abandoned and bullied by his classmates at school; therefore, he mostly remains aloof and keeps to himself throughout the whole season. On the other hand, even though he was often excluded from his own family, Arisu has two best friends and Usagi by his side throughout the show. Arisu is much more outspoken, and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion despite being aware that most people may not agree with him. Hyun-su does not converse much with others, but is eager to do his work as a half-human half-monster, and is not afraid to use himself as a shield to protect others.
Strong Female Characters
Yi-kyung, Usagi and Kuina are the characters with unbelievable physical abilities, and they are the female characters we all hoped to see.
Yi-kyung is a retired firefighter who is probably the strongest human being in Sweet Home. Usagi is a climber who freely jumps to and fro the apartment floors. Kuina is a character who transitioned from having a male body to a female body. Through her remarkable martial arts skills, she successfully wins the fight against a swordsman.
Thugs
Thug-like characters were included in both shows. Jin-wook seems to have been involved in a gangster group, judging by his flower-printed shirts (which is a typical outfit worn by Korean gangsters) and his violent behaviour. For Aguni, it is mentioned that he was involved in a Yakuza group, which seems to explain his coldness and violence.
Both characters have their soft spots and love for their companions. Aguni’s emotions are unveiled through Arisu’s inference — that Aguni was trying to do what is right for his friend. And Jin-wook’s true nature is revealed by bold and risky actions he takes for others; whether it be bringing Hee-jung’s daughter’s carcass from the monster-riddled outside world, or protecting Yoo-ri, who he becomes close to, with all his might.
Calm Leaders
It is cathartic to see a character who acts calmly and logically in a chaos-filled world, and both shows present characters like this. In Sweet Home it is Eun-hyuk, and in Alice in Borderland it is Chishiya. They are natural leaders, and have a remarkable ability to convince others. They even seem too cold at times, since they do only what is logical, void of emotion.
Chisiya seems to keep his coldness until the end of the season, as he is not remorseful of the fact that he sacrificed Arisu to execute his plan to steal the trump cards; whereas a soft-side of Eun-hyuk is revealed here and there when he convinces others not to kill the half-zombie Hyun-su, and chooses death to protect others.
The Uncontrollable
If there are strong, smart, and helpful characters, there are characters who always seem to mess everything up. Suk-hyun and Boshiya are such characters. They often act in unexpected ways, and create problems for other characters to solve and clean up.
Overall Review
Sweet Home went outside of the zombie apocalypse box, with new rules, that anyone can become a zombie without being bitten (they become one when they give in to their innermost desires). Scenes involving monsters were nerve-wrecking and disgusting (in a good way) and the conflict between human characters seemed realistic. Most characters in the show were dynamic, they almost seemed tangible. As someone who’s read the original webtoon series, I was stoked to see everything live-action.
But there were disappointments, too. Hyun-su’s character development is close to non-existent. Given that it’s only the first season, it does make sense. But putting into consideration that he is the main character, there should have been at least some growth or change in him. And Yi-Kyung is a character that does not exist in the original webtoon series, so it was obvious for some that know the story that she is a character that was made to accelerate some plot points. She solves everything while she presents more problems for others to get at. It could be seen as a brilliant idea, but it could also be seen as a lazy way to adapt a story.
Alice in Borderland felt similar to a show like Liar Game (which is also based on a manga), where various games exist, and the rules and winning strategies are explained in detail. However, the story leading up to the emergence of the gamified world was refreshing and uniquely different from other shows with similar battle royale themes. If there will be a second season, I am excited to see how each character’s internal conflict and the main plot of the confined Tokyo play out.
Fun Facts
The book Eun-yu reads in some scenes in Sweet Home is also a webtoon made by the same authors that created Sweet Home.
Alice in Borderland is a wordplay in Japanese. Both Alice and Arisu are pronounced the same in Japanese; hence to those who speak the language, the title could also read as Arisu in Borderland.
