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Alice in Borderland (TV show)

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Alice in Borderland
Japanese今際の国のアリス
Genre
Based onAlice in Borderland
by Haro Aso
Written by
Directed byShinsuke Sato
Starring
Composers
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producerKaata Sakamoto
ProducerAkira Morii
CinematographyTaro Kawazu
Editors
  • Tsuyoshi Imai
  • Shoukichi Kaneda
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time41–80 minutes
Production companyRobot Communications
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseDecember 10, 2020 (2020-12-10) –
present

Alice in Borderland (Japanese: 今際の国のアリス) is a Japanese science fiction and thriller television show. It is based on a comic book of the same name by Haro Aso. The show is directed by Shinsuke Sato. It stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya. They play two people who work together after becoming trapped in an empty, parallel version of Tokyo. They must play dangerous and harsh games to stay alive. Each game’s type and difficulty are shown by a playing card. People are killed by lasers from the sky if they do not join enough games.

The first season of the show was announced in July 2019 and it was made from August to December 2019. It was filmed in places like Shibuya and in a studio that was made to look like the Shibuya Crossing. The special effects for the show were made by different teams from Japan, Singapore, the United States, and India. The music was made by Yutaka Yamada, who had worked with the director before.

The first season was shown on Netflix from December 10, 2020. It received good reviews from critics, who liked the action scenes, the directing, and the acting. Many people compared the show to some other survival movies like Battle Royale (2000) and Cube (1997). The first season became very popular, so Netflix announced a second season only two weeks after its release. The second season came out on December 22, 2022. On September 27, 2023, Netflix announced that a third season would be made, which was released on September 25, 2025.

Making

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Beginning

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Alice in Borderland is a live-action show that Netflix announced in July 2019. The stories were written by Yoshiki Watabe, Shinsuke Sato, and Yasuko Kuramitsu. Sato also directed the show. He said he wanted it to feel like "one very, very long movie".[1][4][5] A few months later, Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya were chosen to play the main characters, Ryōhei Arisu and Yuzuha Usagi.[6]

Filming

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Filming began in August 2019.[7] The actors were seen while recording in different cities like Shibuya, Yokohama, and Kobe.[7] The company that made the show, Robot Communications, changed some parts of the story to fit a building they were recording in.[8] A scene that was first written to take place in a Starbucks was moved to a spot outside Shibuya Station because it was hard to record through the café's glass walls.[9] Another scene was recorded in one long shot without cuts inside Shibuya Station.[9][10] Many extra actors were hired in different cities until December 2019, when recording ended for the first season.[7][11][12] Recording for the second season finished in March 2022.[13][14]

Special effects

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The show used many special effects. Scenes of the empty city were mostly made with special green screens and computers.[5][15] For the famous Shibuya Crossing, the team built a large set 100 kilometers from Tokyo.[15][16][17] Many parts of the set were also made with computer graphics.[8][18] A special effects director made sure that the computer-made buildings had shadows that looked real.[10] The scene with a flooded tunnel under a road was created with special computer previews.[8] The panther and tiger in the show were also made with computer graphics after the team studied real animals in zoos.[15][9] The special effects were made by different groups from Japan, Singapore, the United States, and India.[19]

Music

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The music for the show was all made by Yutaka Yamada. It was performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra of Prague. A song called "Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson was also used many times in the show.[8]

Release

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On September 18, 2020, Netflix released a short video to announce that Alice in Borderland would be shown in 190 countries on December 10, 2020.[20] They released some pictures and an official trailer in October.[21] The first season of the show covered 31 chapters of the original comic book, and did not use the other 33 chapters.[22]

When the show came out on December 10,[16] it became very popular. In its first few weeks, it was one of the top ten most-watched shows in almost 40 countries. Especially it was very popular in Asia and Europe.[16] Because of its strong success, Netflix announced a second season only two weeks after the release of the first season.[16][23] To help promote the show, Haro Aso, the person who created the original comic, started a new comic book called Alice in Borderland Retry.[24] The second season of the show released on December 22, 2022.[25]

The show was renewed for a third season on September 27, 2023.[26] Netflix later announced the third season would come out on September 25, 2025.[27]

Reviews

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After the release, Alice in Borderland got mostly good reviews from critics. They liked the recording style, editing, use of violence, and the acting performances of Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya.[28][29] However, not all critics agreed about the story and felt that the show did not focus enough on how character grows, especially in the second half.[30][31]

The first season received an 80% good score on the website Rotten Tomatoes,[32] and in its first month, it was watched by 18 million households.[33] The second season did even better, with an 89% good score.[34]

Some critics shared their thoughts on the show. James Hadfield from The Japan Times liked the directing but thought the most characters were not very memorable, although he liked Tao Tsuchiya as a strong action hero.[30] Jonathon Wilson from Ready Steady Cut gave the show a positive review, saying the show got straight to the point without too much backstory. He compared it to the movies Battle Royale and Saw.[35] Jennifer Ouellette from Ars Technica called the show "emotionally intense" and compared its games to those in Ready Player One, Lord of the Flies, and the 1997 movie Cube.[22] Melanie McFarland from Salon said the show was better at introducing its characters than another series called The Stand.[2] Lim Yian Lu from Yahoo! News said good things about the show for its "exciting story" and said it would keep viewers entertained despite its scary scenes.[36] Theron Martin from Anime News Network gave the show a mixed review, saying it was just a "modest amount of entertainment".[31] The staff at Decider recommended that people watch the show after seeing the first episode.[37]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Award type Received by Result Ref.
2021
 3rd Asia Contents Awards Best Creative Alice in Borderland Nominated [38]
Creative Beyond Border Won
Best OTT original Nominated
Technical Achievement Nominated
Best Actress Tao Tsuchiya Nominated
Asian Academy Creative Awards Best Cinematography Taro Kawazu Won [39]
Best Visual or Special VFX in TV Series or Feature Movie Alice in Borderland Won
Best Direction (Fiction) Shinsuke Sato Won

References

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  1. 1 2 Balkovich, Robert (January 15, 2021). "The sci-fi thriller series everyone's binging on Netflix". Looper. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  2. 1 2 McFarland, Melanie (December 24, 2020). "Forget 'The Stand' – "Alice in Borderland" is the wild dystopian ride we've been waiting for". Salon. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ Natividad, Sid (December 16, 2020). "5 Best Sci-Fi (& 5 Best Fantasy) Shows of 2020, According to IMDb". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 16, 2019). "Netflix Produces Live-Action Alice in Borderland Series". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Vélez, Diva (December 23, 2020). "Interview: Alice in Borderland Director Sato Shinsuke on Finding Hope". Screen Anarchy. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  6. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (August 4, 2019). "Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya Star in Live-Action Alice in Borderland Series for Netflix". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "「今際の国のアリス」ロケ地&撮影場所、エキストラ募集情報まとめ!【山﨑賢人×土屋太鳳" ["Alice in Borderland" Location & shooting location, extra recruitment information summary! [Kento Yamazaki x Tao Tsuchiya]]. Muuviii (in Japanese). January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Alice in Borderland". Robot Communications. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 "Here are 10 facts about 'Alice in Borderland' as it announces second season". ABS-CBNnews.com. December 24, 2020. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Yong Ping, Teng (December 24, 2020). "Netflix orders 2nd season of Alice in Borderland, its global hit Japanese series". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Netflix「今際の国のアリス」ボランティアエキストラ大募集!!" [Netflix "Alice in Borderland" Volunteer Extras Wanted!!!]. Ashikaga Eizou (in Japanese). September 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  12. ↑ "終了 * [12/11]NETFLIX大作ドラマ「今際の国のアリス」エキストラ募集" [End * [12/11] NETFLIX blockbuster drama "Alice in Borderland " extra recruitment] (in Japanese). December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  13. ↑ Elliott, Warren (March 29, 2022). "Alice in Borderland Season 2 Cast React to Filming Wrap in New Video". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ Siddiqui, Mariyam (June 11, 2022). "Alice in Borderland Season 2 First Look Trailer Released". Chronicles News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 「今際の国のアリス」メイキング映像 – Netflix ["Alice in Borderland" Making Video – Netflix]. Netflix (in Japanese). December 13, 2020. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020 – via YouTube.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Frater, Patrick (December 24, 2020). "Netflix Gives Second Season to Japan Thriller 'Alice in Borderland'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Alice in Borderland Renewed for Season 2". 8 Days. December 24, 2020. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  18. ↑ Tao Tsuchiya on Instagram (in Japanese). December 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  19. ↑ Steen, Emma (January 19, 2021). "Five things you didn't know about Netflix's 'Alice in Borderland'". Time Out. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  20. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 19, 2020). "Netflix's Live-Action Alice in Borderland Show's Teaser Video Reveals December 10 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  21. ↑ "今際の国のアリス: ショートヘア×タンクトップ姿の土屋太鳳 山崎賢人と森の中... 不穏な空気漂う場面写真一挙解禁" [Alice in Borderland: Tao Tsuchiya in short hair and tank top Kento Yamazaki and in the woods ... A scene photo with a disturbing air is lifted at once]. Mantan-Web (in Japanese). October 24, 2020. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Ouellette, Jennifer (December 20, 2020). "Review: Alice in Borderland takes us down a deliciously bonkers rabbit hole". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  23. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 24, 2020). "Live-Action Alice in Borderland Series Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  24. ↑ Mateo, Alex (October 7, 2020). "Alice in Borderland Manga Returns Despite Creator's Plans to Retire". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  25. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 24, 2022). "Live-Action Alice in Borderland Season 2 Debuts on December 22". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  26. ↑ "'Alice in Borderland' Lands Season 3 Renewal at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. September 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 7, 2025). "'Alice in Borderland' Season 3 Gets Netflix Premiere Date; Teaser Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  28. ↑ Adamec, Caroline (December 22, 2020). "'Alice in Borderland': An Achievement in Hard World Building – Manga Series". Hollywood Insider. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  29. ↑ K., Neetha (December 10, 2020). "Alice in Borderland: Does Netflix adaptation live up to the manga? Fans are 'totally hooked' to the J-drama". Meaww. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  30. 1 2 Hadfield, James (December 3, 2020). "'Alice in Borderland': Deadly journey through the looking glass leaves little impression". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  31. 1 2 Martin, Theron (December 22, 2020). "Alice in Borderland Live-Action TV Series | Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Alice in Borderland: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  33. ↑ Frater, Patrick (January 19, 2021). "East Asian Series Score Global Audiences on Netflix (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Alice in Borderland: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  35. ↑ Wilson, Jonathon (December 10, 2020). "Alice in Borderland review – a lean, mean modernization of the Battle Royale formula". Ready Steady Cut. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  36. ↑ Yian Lu, Lim (December 18, 2020). "Review: Netflix's Alice in Borderland keeps you at the edge of your seat". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  37. ↑ Keller, Joel (December 11, 2020). "Stream It or Skip It: 'Alice in Borderland' on Netflix, a Thriller Where People Play Life-and-Death Games in an Abandoned Tokyo". Decider. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  38. ↑ Souw, Rebecca; Frater, Patrick (October 7, 2021). "Busan's Asia Contents Awards Dominated by Netflix Series". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  39. ↑ "2021 Asian Academy Creative Awards Winners". Asian Academy Creative Awards. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.

Other websites

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