Alice in Borderland is a Japanese science fiction thriller drama television series based on the manga by Haro Aso. Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the series stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as allies trapped in an empty parallel version of Tokyo, forced to compete in dangerous, sadistic games. The series’ first season premiered on Netflix in December 2020 and received positive reviews from critics, comparing it to survival genre entries like Battle Royale and Cube.
The series was adapted into a three-episode original video animation (OVA) from October 2014 to February 2015. A spin-off series, Alice on Border Road, was serialized in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from August 2015 to February 2018, and a sequel, Alice in Borderland: Retry, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from October 2020 to January 2021. A live-action television series adaptation, produced by Netflix and directed by Satō, premiered worldwide with an eight-episode first season in December 2020 and followed by an eight-episode second season in December 2022.
Let’s dive into Alice in Borderland anime, exploring its seasons, story overview, characters, and more.
Table of Contents
Plot
Ryohei Arisu, a young man struggling to connect with his family, spends time with friends Daikichi Karube and Chōta Segawa. They are often immature and do not try at school, while Karube manages a bar and urges them to get their lives together. After seeing fireworks so blinding they cover their eyes, they find themselves in Karube’s abandoned bar and play games together.
Saori Shibuki tells them they have entered a game called ‘Three of Clubs’, where they must answer obscure questions and face flaming arrows if they get it wrong. Chota’s leg is severely burned, but all four escape. Shibuki reveals that they must play games to survive in Borderland, with the number of each game corresponding to the number of days until they have to play another game.
Shibuki, who had played ‘Two of Hearts’, was the only survivor, traumatizing her. Arisu, Karube, Chota, and Shibuki enter the ‘Seven of Hearts’ game, where it is revealed only one can survive. The other three sacrifice themselves for Arisu. As Arisu remains in despair, he meets Usagi again and they decide to partner up.
The pair search for the ‘Beach’, a large hotel run by the “Mad Hatter” who wants to collect all the cards from the game’s deck. The Mad Hatter is killed several games later, and the Beach becomes the game stage for the Ten of Hearts. After clearing the game, the gamemasters announce a second stage where they must compete in games of face cards to complete the Borderlands.
Production
Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of the manga Alice in Borderland in July 2019. The series, starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, began filming in August 2019, with crew members being spotted in various locations. The script was revised to match the building layout, and scenes were shot outside Shibuya Station and inside the empty Tokyo. Extras were recruited from August 9 to December 11, and the creator of the manga, Haro Aso, was allowed to visit various sets. Filming for the second season wrapped in March 2022.
Visual effects were primarily used during filming, with scenes focusing on the empty city of Tokyo being shot using special effects and green screens. Visual effects director Atsushi Doi recreated the shadows of the Tokyu Building to keep the scenes “authentic”. Previsualizations were used to experiment with different elements before the actual shoot, and the panther in episode 4 was created using visual effects developed after visiting multiple zoos. Anibrain, an animation studio in India, supervised the production of the tiger featured in episode 5. Post-credit visual effects were added with the help of Japan’s Digital Frontier, working with teams from Singapore, the United States, and India in an international collaboration.
Characters
The Borderlands is a manga series that follows the adventures of Ryōhei Arisu, a high school student obsessed with video games and puzzles. He joins his friends after their father’s death and they are married and expecting their first child together. The series features various characters from the manga, including Daikichi Karube, Chōta Segawa, Shuntarō Chishiya, Hikari Kuina, Kōdai Tatta, and others.
In the Netflix adaptation, Karube is single and owns a bar, while in the manga, he is single and owns a bar. Chōta Segawa is an IT technician who is immature and loyal to his friends but later revealed to be manipulative. Shuntarō Chishiya, a mysterious and sly player, teams up with Kuina to steal Hatter’s deck of cards, the leader and founder of “the Beach.”
Hikari Kuina, a former clothing shop clerk, is revealed to be transgender and disowned by her father. Kōdai Tatta, a young mechanic, is saved by Arisu during a game and later becomes his ally. He sacrifices himself to save Arisu and the others during the King of Clubs game.
The Netflix series also features various characters from the manga series, each with unique characteristics and roles in the game. Akane Heiya, a highschooler with an affinity for archery, later partners with Dodo and Aguni. Hayato Dōdō, a highschooler Arisu saves, is a key character. Takeru Danma, a former hatter and leader of “the Beach,” collects playing cards for winning games. Aguni Morizono, a strong fighter and Hatter’s best friend, is in charge of a violent group called “The Militants.” Rizuna An, an executive member of “the Beach,” attempts to win difficult games through rational thinking. Suguru Niragi, a young yet dangerous member, was severely injured by Cheshiya and Aguni during the “Witch Hunt” game.
Seasons
let’s dig into the details of Alice in Borderland Seasons.
Alice in Borderland – Season 1
In Alice in Borderland Season 1, video game enthusiast Arisu and his friends, Chōta and Karube, find themselves in an abandoned Tokyo after hiding from the police. They soon discover they must participate in deadly games to survive, each game represented by a playing card that indicates the difficulty and type: spades (physical), clubs (team), diamonds (intellect), and hearts (trust and betrayal).
In the first game, they narrowly escape death, but Chōta is severely injured. As they continue to play to extend their visas (which, if expired, result in execution by lasers), they encounter new allies, including the athletic Usagi and strategic Chishiya. The group learns about the mysterious “Beach,” a place where survivors are collecting cards in the hope of escaping this twisted reality.
Upon arriving at the Beach, they meet its charismatic leader, Hatter, who believes that collecting all the cards will allow them to leave the city. However, Hatter’s sudden death leads to a brutal power struggle, with Aguni seizing control and enforcing violent rules. Amidst the chaos, Arisu and Usagi work together to survive the games, facing moral dilemmas and betrayal, including a heartbreaking challenge where Arisu loses his closest friends.
The season’s climax occurs during the “Witch Hunt” game at the Beach, where players must find the murderer of a girl named Momoka. As Aguni’s militants turn the game into a massacre, Arisu uncovers that Momoka committed suicide, revealing the cruel psychological nature of the hearts games. After winning the game, they discover Momoka was a “dealer” who orchestrated games for survival, and they find a control room filled with dead “gamemasters.”
The season ends with Mira, one of the Beach’s executives, revealing herself as the mastermind and announcing the start of a new phase of games featuring face cards. Arisu, Usagi, Chishiya, and Kuina prepare to face these even more dangerous challenges.
Alice in Borderland – Season 2
Season 2 of Alice in Borderland continues the intense and emotional journey of Arisu, Usagi, and their allies as they face deadly games against powerful face-card citizens to escape the dystopian Borderland. Here’s a concise summary of the key events:
The season begins with a brutal assault from the King of Spades, a relentless gunman hunting players across the city. Arisu theorizes that collecting all face cards is the key to returning to the real world. To extend their visas, Arisu, Usagi, Kuina, Tatta, and an unexpected ally, Niragi, challenge the King of Clubs, Kyuma, who introduces himself as a “citizen” of the Borderland.
Kyuma’s game, “Osmosis,” requires players to score points by touching opponents or designated items. Kyuma’s team shows fearlessness and camaraderie, pushing Arisu’s team to their limits. In a brilliant strategic move, Arisu wins by transferring points from Tatta’s severed hand. Tatta dies from his injuries, and Kyuma and his team peacefully accept their defeat.
Meanwhile, Chishiya faces the Jack of Hearts in a psychological game where players must guess the suit on the back of their collars to survive. He discovers that Enji is the Jack of Hearts, who ultimately takes his own life, ending the game.
Kuina searches for Ann and Chishiya, while Arisu and Usagi stumble upon a massacre caused by the King of Spades. They are ambushed but Arisu is saved by Aguni and Heiya, who join him in the fight.
Arisu, Aguni, and Heiya attempt to ambush the King of Spades but fail. Ann discovers an endless forest beyond Tokyo, Kuina survives the Jack of Spades game, and Usagi helps a young boy by joining the Queen of Spades game. Arisu reunites with her in this strategic “Checkmate” game, where players must tag opponents to switch teams.
Usagi inspires the opposing players to fight for a chance to return home, leading to victory. Arisu and Usagi share an emotional moment, solidifying their bond. Meanwhile, Chishiya challenges Kuzuryu, the King of Diamonds, in the “Balance Scale” game, exploring themes of morality and equality. Chishiya wins by appealing to Kuzuryu’s humanity.
As the survivors gather in Shibuya, Niragi provokes a shootout, injuring Chishiya. The King of Spades arrives, leading to a fierce battle. Aguni delivers the final blow, ending his reign. Severely wounded, Arisu and Usagi proceed to the final game—the Queen of Hearts.
Mira is revealed as the Queen of Hearts, hosting a deceptively simple “Croquet” game. However, she manipulates Arisu psychologically, making him believe the Borderland is an illusion. Usagi breaks him out of this by making an emotional sacrifice. Their love gives Arisu the strength to finish the game.
With all face-card games cleared, the survivors are given a choice: become permanent residents or return to the real world. Most, including Arisu and Usagi, choose to return. They wake up in Tokyo as survivors of a meteorite strike that temporarily stopped their hearts. Although they have no memory of the Borderland, they feel a strange familiarity with each other.
The season ends with a lingering shot of a Joker card, hinting at future mysteries in the Borderland universe.
Final Thoughts
Alice in Borderland is a Japanese science fiction thriller drama television series based on the manga by Haro Aso. Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the series stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as allies trapped in an empty parallel version of Tokyo, forced to compete in dangerous, sadistic games. The series premiered on Netflix in December 2020 and received positive reviews.
The series was adapted into a three-episode original video animation (OVA) from October 2014 to February 2015. A spin-off series, Alice on Border Road, was serialized in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from August 2015 to February 2018, and a sequel, Alice in Borderland: Retry, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from October 2020 to January 2021.
A live-action television series adaptation, produced by Netflix and directed by Satō, premiered worldwide with an eight-episode first season in December 2020 and followed by an eight-episode second season in December 2022. The series features a unique storyline and characters, with the creator of the manga, Haro Aso, visiting various sets and locations during filming.
