With credentials like “Top 10 in Netflix today” and frequent comparisons to the South Korean hit Squid Game, Alice in Borderland has been the talk of the town since Season 2 was recently released. Chances are, you’ve binged the new episodes like a fanatic and are aggressively Googling for answers and discussion threads right now. Us too – join the club.
From Tao Tsuchiya’s (Usagi) harrowing stunts to an impeccably bitter-sweet ending, the show has swept many of us off our feet. If you’ve enjoyed Season 2, join us in unravelling more about the film below.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Table of Contents
Video adapted from: MISS-K-DRAMA
Usagi, played by Tao Tsuchiya, pulled off some hair-raising stunts in Alice in Borderland Season 2, from parkouring through a car to leaping off a stack of shipping containers during the King of Clubs game.
Those spine-chilling stunts may remind you of a Jackie Chan film and there’s a good reason why. Just like the Hong Kong superstar, Tsuchiya did many of her own stunts without the help of a stunt double. The kween even did her own fight scenes and you can check out her Instagram post for some behind-the-scenes of her rigorous training.
Mega fans of Alice in Borderland who’ve also read the manga will know that the Netflix adaptation follows the plot of the original storyline very closely – as all the best adaptations do. But there are some slight discrepancies, most notably the role of the Joker card/character at the end.
Joker in the manga.
Image adapted from: Manga Katana
In the manga, Arisu clears the final Queen of Hearts game and the Joker appears as a mysterious character that leads him back to the real world. You can consider him a ferryman between worlds, though the manga itself hints that he’s possibly the actual “admin” of Borderland.
The last chapter of the manga jumps to 2 years after the meteorite disaster. Arisu speaks to someone on the line about spending the weekend in the mountains, leaving readers to speculate about the latter’s identity. Presumably, he speaks to Usagi and the manga comes to a close with a satisfying ending.
Joker in the live-action.
Image adapted from: Legendary TV
Meanwhile, in the live-action Netflix adaptation, Arisu also wins the game against the Queen of Hearts and returns to the real world. He bumps into Usagi and the two do not recognise each other. The scene then cuts to a cryptic shot of a Joker card, which sits among a pile of other cards on a table before the series ends.
Does this modified ending open up room for a Season 3? Some say nay since the Joker isn’t technically an important card in the deck – ouch – nor a significant character in the Borderland games. We say it’s possible that it alludes to a Season 3 – else, why the difference?
Image adapted from: MISS-K-DRAMA
Needless to say, the landmark of Shibuya is never as deserted as the series requires it to be. So, the filmmakers of Alice in Borderland had to film the Shibuya scenes on film sets in Tochigi and Yokohama instead.
King of Spades battle in the Shibuya alleys.
Video adapted from: brxsncz
The eerily-empty Shibuya Crossing scenes were filmed at the >6,000sqm life-size replica of the iconic intersection at Ashikaga Scramble City Studio, located in Tochigi. Meanwhile, the deadly back alley fight scene with the King of Spades was filmed in Yokohama, where the producers built a realistic replica of Shibuya to simulate the real deal.
Image credit: Twitter
Car chase scenes are always a crowd-pleaser and the same goes for the thrilling escape from the King of Spades in the first episode of Season 2. It received high praise in online reviews but getting the perfect shot was no easy feat.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Aside from having to set up wooden rams for the Fast and Furious-like stunts and having a camera arm specially installed onto a vehicle for filming, the producers also had to close off an entire road along the streets of Nagoya to film the scene.
According to behind-the-scenes interviews with the director, the team probably caused the largest roadblock in recent film and TV production in the country. Needless to say, this dedication fuelled the success of the show.
Image credit: Amazon
Is there going to be a Season 3? What’s it going to be about? Netflix is keeping mum so far, but if we were to speculate, the manga spin-offs could hint at a possible arc.
Alice in Borderland: Retry.
Image credit: Manganelo
Alice in Borderland: Retry is a spin-off sequel also by Haro Aso and follows the story of a future Arisu, now married and expecting a child with Usagi. She goes into labour at the hospital and Arisu gets into an accident on his way there. Lo and behold, he finds himself in – you guessed it – Borderland. Again.
He regains his memories of the games and has to face yet another survival challenge to return to the real world.
Image credit: IMDb
In 2014, Alice in Borderland was adapted into a short anime series with Arisu voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya, who was also the voice of Reiner Braun in Attack on Titan. The OVA only ran for 3 episodes, with each lasting 23 minutes and largely followed the storyline of the original manga.
You can watch it on Hidive with a free trial.
You probably noticed that the Shibuya sequence in Season 2 Episode 8 looks like the opening scene in Season 1 Episode 1. But most of us don’t realise the level to which the editors have painstakingly matched both sequences.
They align almost to a tee, with the former cut only slightly different to unveil the presence of the other main characters like Kunia, Chiya, and Akane. A YouTube user noticed this and posted a comparison of both cuts side by side, showing how remarkably well thought out the series was.
Image credit: IMDb
In some sense, Arisu is your average dystopian main character: he’s a “failure” in the eyes of society, but finds his true potential when the world descends into chaos. However, a classic trope isn’t all there is to the character.
As it turns out, the creator Haro Aso has also revealed that Arisu was inspired by himself. In particular, the protagonist was inspired by Aso’s 20s self, which he described as “lost” with no sense of direction. Aso has also shared that Usagi, on the other hand, was based on a more positive trait on his: independence and self-sufficiency.
With both characters based off the the manga artist, this series can also be interpreted as a deep-dive into elements of his inner psyche. At the very least, it unravels a little more about the elusive creator, who puts little to no personal information about himself online.
After thrilling scenes, plot twists, and purposeful misdirections, most of us have made it to the end of Alice in Borderland Season 2 with an appetite to see more. Whether you loved the games or freaked out at the gore, there’s no doubt that the film was masterfully executed and we hope that a Season 3 comes our way soon.
For more Netflix shows to binge:
Cover image adapted from: Netflix, Manganelo
This toy mall in Bangkok is your next spot to hunt for Labubu and limited-edition…
Includes kid-friendly attractions and exhilarating rides alike. Nearby accommodation options range from affordable and fuss-free…
Free attractions, cheap wine, glorious sights - you don't need to empty your bank account…
Try a teddy bear-themed hotpot at #12.
11.11 is back at it again.
Insider tips on how to shop on Taobao like a pro.