Alice in Borderland (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The show's visual effects were produced in an international collaboration between Japan's Digital Frontier and teams from Singapore, the United States, and India.
• The musical score was composed by Yutaka Yamada, who had collaborated with director Shinsuke Sato.
• The third season's plot involves Dr. Ryuji Matsuyama, a doctor obsessed with death, who is part of Sunato Banda's plan for Arisu.

Cast and characters

Kento Yamazaki portrays Ryōhei Arisu, a video game-obsessed man who does not fit in with his family. He teams up with Usagi in the Borderland and later develops romantic feelings for her. In season 3, he returns to the Borderland to search for Usagi and forms his own group of survivors; he survives the Joker Games and becomes a therapist upon returning to the real world. Tao Tsuchiya plays Yuzuha Usagi, a mountain climber transported into the empty city after her father's death. She teams up with Arisu and later returns to the Borderland under Ryuji's coaxing, forming her own survivor group and surviving the Joker Games. Nijirō Murakami appears as Shuntarō Chishiya in seasons 1–2 and as a guest in season 3; he is a mysterious, sly player who teams up with Kuina to steal Hatter's deck of cards. Before the Borderland, he was a medical student. Aya Asahina plays Hikari Kuina in seasons 1–2 and as a guest in season 3; she is a close friend of Chishiya and a former clothing shop clerk skilled in karate. Kuina is revealed to be transgender in a flashback in episode 7, having been disowned by her father. Dori Sakurada portrays Suguru Niragi in seasons 1–2 and as a guest in season 3; he is a dangerous member of the Beach, aggressive due to his complicated past, and was bullied in high school.

Production

On July 16, 2019, Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of the manga Alice in Borderland, with Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, and Shinsuke Sato writing the scripts, and Sato directing to make the show appear as one very long film. Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya were cast as the main characters on August 4, 2019. Filming began in August 2019, with Yamazaki spotted in Dōgenzaka, Shibuya on August 8, and crew members near a store in Fukutomi-cho, Yokohama the following day. From September 17 to 20, Yamazaki and Tsuchiya filmed in an apartment complex in front of Kita-Suzurandai Station in Kobe. The script was revised to match the building layout. A scene originally planned for a Starbucks was moved to a sign outside Shibuya Station due to set complexity, and a continuous four-minute take was shot inside Shibuya Station. Extras were recruited from August 9 to December 11 in various cities. Manga creator Haro Aso visited sets. Filming concluded in December 2019, and second-season filming wrapped in March 2022.

Marketing and release

On September 18, 2020, Netflix released a teaser video announcing that Alice in Borderland would debut in 190 countries on December 10, 2020. The first season covered 31 chapters of the original manga, leaving 33 untouched. It ranked in the top ten most-watched shows in nearly 40 territories, including Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, performing better in Asia and Europe than North America. Netflix renewed the series for a second season on December 24, 2020. Haro Aso announced a new manga, Alice in Borderland Retry, on October 7, 2020, launching on October 14 in Weekly Shōnen Sunday; the first volume shipped on December 11, 2020, and the series ended on January 20, 2021. The second season premiered worldwide on December 22, 2022. The series was renewed for a third season on September 27, 2023, which Netflix announced in July 2025 would premiere on September 25, 2025. In January 2026, Netflix stated the third season was the show's final.

Reception

Alice in Borderland received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its cinematography, editing, use of graphic violence, visuals, and the performances of Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, but had mixed opinions on character development and the story, particularly in the second half. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an 82% approval rating based on ten reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10, and accumulated 18 million households in viewership within a month. The second season holds a 91% approval rating based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. James Hadfield of The Japan Times praised Sato's directing but criticized the characters, noting that few cast members leave much impression, though Tsuchiya makes an effective action heroine and Nijirô Murakami has fun as a smirking loner. Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut gave a generally positive review, lauding the series for skipping exposition and getting straight to the action, comparing it to Battle Royale and Saw. Ars Technica's Jennifer Ouellette called the show emotionally intense and compared its games to those in Ready Player One, Lord of the Flies, and Cube. Salon's Melanie McFarland compared the series to The Stand, stating that Alice in Borderland handles character mechanics more effectively without leaning heavily on flashbacks. Lim Yian Lu of Yahoo! News praised the suspenseful plot. Theron Martin of Anime News Network gave the series a C+, offering mixed feedback on production, score, storyline, and acting, while noting modest entertainment value. Decider recommended viewers stream the show after praising the first episode's tone, soundtrack, and ability to shift gears quickly.