BORDER: Shokuzai (2017)

If I were to rate the original BORDER series, I would give it a 4 out of 5. With BORDER: Redemption SP, I would give it a 5.

My main concern with BORDER's original series run is that it didn't have an overarching plot line, or the One Great Mission that Ishikawa had to complete. Because of that, the series seemed episodic, and didn't give the characters much of a bigger mystery to complete, which in turn deprived viewers of catharsis. With the carefully written addition of BORDER: Redemption, however, we get the closure we deserve. It's a great ending in that it ties up the original series and gives it greater philosophical depth, while at the same time opening up the possibility for more episodes in the future.

When I think of the title BORDER, my first instinct is to interpret it as Ishikawa living on the border between the living and the dead - given how he has a bullet in his head, and he can talk to dead people while still being alive. When you get to watching BORDER: Redemption, however, you realize that the title BORDER has a deeper second meaning: It references Ishikawa, as a police detective, standing in the middle of the Light and the Darkness. As a dedicated police officer, we see throughout the entire original series how Ishikawa fights for justice. But as the series progresses, and especially with this concluding Special Episode, we see how he eventually turns to the underground because it's the only way he can bring justice to some of the victims of the cases he handles. Effectively, he's standing on the border between justice and evil, with one foot on each side. This becomes more pronounced given his decision in the conclusion of BORDER: Redemption. In his quest to save everyone and fight Absolute Evil, as his nemesis would say, he assumes the role of Absolute Justice - someone who is no longer human.

Overall, a great Special Episode to conclude a great series.

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