Intro

On the 22nd of December 2022, Alice in Borderland season 2, inspired by the manga written by Haro Aso and, directed by Shinsuke Sato, came out and I binged it from 8am, finishing at around 5pm. It was incredible. 8 whole episodes of intense games and lore with the introduction of new enjoyable characters and the development of our already loved ones (and Niragi too I guess). This season was brilliant on a number of levels and I will delve into each one with embedded references to the manga. I say this because in order to be accurately critical of the show, it would only make sense to mention the original source, plus it has more details that would help with my analysis.

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The Games

Now, I'm only going to explain in detail the games that we are shown in full, so this will exclude the Queen of Clubs, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds and, King of Hearts which were shown in a montage, but they will be mentioned in a paragraph at the end of this section.

Survival (King of Spades)

This game is brilliant because nobody actively enters it, they are all just thrust into the game that involves avoiding being killed and trying to kill the shooter. I believe this game is symbolic of what the Borderlands really are - the game doesn't get solved until the 7th episode so everyone is constantly trying to survive and escape death which is what their bodies in the real world are doing. The parallel in the first episode with Arisu playing a first person shooter game and running away from being shot at is also a brilliant image that subtly tells the audience, 'its fun when you're the one attacking, but its terrible when you're being attacked -  understand that your actions have consequences and put yourself in other people's shoes'. Arisu had a creepy grin on his face when he was the one killing but looked terrified as he was being shot at.

The King himself is also interesting as a character. In the Netflix adaptation we get a glimpse of the kind of person he was: in the real world he was a mercenary who had to shoot his friend to put him out of his misery from a bad injury, similar with what Aguni was doing. Aguni also says that he doesn't hate him (the King) before shooting him which is his way of comforting both the King and himself - the King can rest easy knowing that it wasn't his fault and it was his job in the borderlands to kill all those people while Aguni's hallucination of Hatter can go away knowing that he has forgiven himself for the death of his best friend which he blamed himself for, for so long.

That final battle in general with the King in episode 7 was fantastic in of itself. In the original manga it was only Aguni, Heiya and Dodo who helped defeat the King of Spades (Dodo is a character never specified in the show but most likely the boy Usagi met and joined in the Queen of Spades game) so the game felt very off putting (since the main characters weren't involved) however, the director changed it so they would and I think that was the best change they made. This change made the game all the more intense because it involved characters we cared for and weren't just introduced to them a few chapters ago - we rooted for them to stay alive since the beginning and sat on the edge of our seats when they all fought in the alleyway with Ann getting shot, Usagi knifed in the knee and, Kuina being thrown against a building. While I knew they all survived in the end (after having read the manga last year) I was frightened thinking there was a possibility of death, even crying when Ann wasn't breathing. The execution of the explosion was well done too. Sure there was a little plot convenience with Chishiya's makeshift bomb but that corresponds with his character who even made a taser out of a tape player back in the 3 of Cubs game, so it's not that heard to believe. Overall, a very enjoyable game of cat and mouse.

Osmosis (King of Clubs)

Onto my personal favourite game: Osmosis. I love this game for a number of reasons. Firstly, the title is rather fitting. This game is all about an movement of points between teams and items, much like the movement of water molecules from a solution with a high concentration of water molecules to a solution with a lower concentration of water molecules, through a cell's partially permeable membrane, which is adapted to be an exchange of points to whoever has the highest concentration of said points when touching each other, during the battles in the game. Its creative, it's smart, its perfection.

Secondly, the game is set beside the sea nodding at the origins of the title and inspiration for the game, which is also why the arena is made up of shipping containers, it goes with the theme of water which leads me to my third point - the underlying theme of water.

Water is a symbol for a variety of things in different cultures and across different households, but in Japan it represents purification and life. This is evident in the game of Osmosis with Kyuma's dialogue on how his band is willing to risk their lives if it means the others get to live. With Arisu's team, however, they let their fear of death take over and risk losing the game and all of their lives at stake - it is only then that they see the importance of life and what it means for them individually, that they are able to overcome this and win the game mainly due to Tatta's sacrifice, even convincing Usagi to go back to the real world. At the end, when the citizens die it is a moment of purification for them all with Kyuma even saying 'I don't want to get beaten up by my friend in Heaven' and his body diving into the sea, embracing the cleansing of the soul he is to receive. His friends even say that they don't blame him for his mistake adding to the idea of purification.

Solitary Confinement (Jack of Hearts)

One difference that made me enjoy this game more than I already did, was the inclusion of Chishiya. Manga readers would recall that this game only involved brand new characters as seen in the TV show with Yaba, Banda and, Enji being just some of the names mentioned throughout the game. However, the addition of Chishiya in this made it so that it was 'worth' watching the game in its entirety - viewers may not have cared so much about the Jack of Hearts game if it only involved strangers. Chishiya's character also works extremely well in this situation too with his similar mentality to the other two survivors and observer strategy - heart games toy with the fragility of your mind so to figure out who you can trust, you must observe who lies, tells the truth, and manipulates others, which is perfect for Chishiya who, in his very first game, observed people's actions and figured out where the unlocked door was in the 4 of spades game back in season 1.

I also liked the change of how Enji survived for so long - in the manga, the eye he covered up with his hair was a fake and connected to his collar so, if any player lied to him, he would win every time if he just checked his eye, however, to me it seemed too absurd when there could've been other ways to always win which is why I was glad they changed it to the cookie strategy. This still involved Kotoko being under his 'spell' (not explicitly explained that it was due to hypnotism) and the completion of the game by Yaba and Banda pairing up together because they realise the importance of equality needed to solve solve the game.

Checkmate (Queen of Spades)

This was a completely new addition to the Borderland world, with the manga never mentioning what the Queen of Spades game was, but, it was a very welcome one. In the manga, after the game of Osmosis, Arisu decides he's fed up of the games and just wants to spend his final 20 or so days with Usagi, not worrying about death which annoyed me. I understand why he did this but the second half of the manga felt rather empty without his involvement in the games so with the addition of this game we can see the couple in action once more. The game itself is clever with the head of each team being the Queen of Spades and an unnamed boy (assumed to be Dodo). Most people wouldn't want to see a young boy die with a full life ahead of him but when your life is in danger too, you would sacrifice him in a heartbeat if it's guaranteed you can live by pairing up with the Queen of Spades, causing a clash of moral code and instinct to live. It it only when Usagi explains to everyone that by joining the Queen, she is the true winner and so shouldn't site with her - by teaming up with her you are teaming with the enemy and you will feel a twinge of regret knowing that a little boy is dead because of your choice.

Beauty contest/Balance Scales (King of Diamonds)

For a while, I didn't understand why this game was called 'Beauty Contest', I thought it made more sense as 'Balance Scales' but after listening to Kuzuryu's thought process again in the show, I finally realised why. A beauty contest is all about judgment on outward appearances which Kuzuryu hates - he dislikes the idea that rich people are seen as more deserving of something than a poor meth addict and doesn't want to have to be the decider of the importance these two hold, which is why he created a game that is based on maths, logic, and sacrifice. He wanted others to decide amongst each other who would sacrifice them self for another, with Chishiya being the first to recognise this. Chishiya figures out what Kuzuryu's morals are, and toys with them when it's just the two of them left. When the two of them have one life left, Kuzuryu makes the ultimate decision to sacrifice himself when faced with the moral question "who is more deserving of life?" and let's Chishiya live, not wanting to place himself before him, revealing to Chishiya that he finally feels free once he made that decision. 

Croquet (Queen of Hearts)

With all the different games that came before this, croquet was a huge surprise to us all, but, the choice makes a lot of sense. If you watched the show separate from its original inspiration, this would have made no sense at first, but if you did, you would realise Alice in Wonderland plays croquet with the Queen of Hearts and the game is rigged with live hedgehogs for balls and live flamingos for mallets. Haro Aso (the manga creator) adapted this to be Mira manipulating Arisu so they could never complete the game and everyone would die from expired visas.

What's brilliant about this is that Mira had been observing all the players from the start, especially Arisu, which is why she chose this as the final game. With the 7 of Hearts she created Hide and Seek especially for Arisu and his friends to toy with his feelings, making sure he felt guilty for their deaths by being the only survivor, the same goes for Croquet. She knew Arisu would be the final player in game because of his final desperate attempt to find out what the Borderlands are. 

She explains to him that for this game, all he needs to do is play 3 rounds of croquet without quitting and they all go free. Instead of doing as she says and waiting to see what the Borderlands are for himself, he takes up Mira's offer to find out what they are and, instead of telling the truth, she spills a bunch of bullshit, such as aliens coming to earth, futuristic virtual reality and, even a psychologist treating a patient - all in an effort to get herself killed off or have Arisu fail to finish the last round. Her plan almost works, with Arisu paralysed and unable to continue the game, but Usagi saves the day with a cut to the wrist and Arisu's dream to live in the real world with her. 

In the end, Mira keeps her end of the bargain and finishes the game with Arisu, since her plan failed. They share a tender moment before Mira gets shot by a laser from the sky and an option to stay or leave the Borderlands is given to all the remaining players.

Montage

As I said in the opening for this section, I would talk about the montage of the Queen of Clubs, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds and, King of Hearts so without further ado, here are my thoughts on them. Though we didn't get to see much of it, it's clear to see that they are worthy of being  face cards. The Jack of Clubs alone looks terrifying from our perspective, having to hold onto a rope for dear life and avoid getting kicked off by other players who assume you to be the Jack of Clubs in the hopes that you can go back to the real world. Ann and Kuina's game, the Queen of Clubs, looks awfully hard to survive, having to dodge every ball thrown your way whilst avoiding the impending doom that is the void to either side of you. The Jack of Diamonds is simply a game of Mahjong where players must beat the Jack of Diamonds and the King of Hearts is not shown very well but most likely involves players trying to escape a venue with a beast on its way to kill them. These games may not have had much detail put into them but its clear that the director didn't want to stretch out the series for longer than necessary so only showed them briefly to make it more immersive as a world for the viewer, while trying to stay relevant thematically. 

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The Characters

It's no surprise to anyone that we got some character development from each person, including a few backstories, which is what I will address in this section. It will include characters we have already met (yes, Niragi too) and new ones we were introduced to this season in no particular order.

Chishiya

Aside from the slightly flawed backstory (more on that later) Chishiya's involvement this season was fantastic. Chishiya's nonchalant personality was clear off the bat, more so than in the first season, with his calm attitude and casual stroll when the King of Spades first made an appearance on the scene. He made tiny waves, walked with his hands in his pocket and said short witty lines, perfectly encapsulating his lack of care for his life and the lives of others, which becomes evident during the Beauty Contest/ Balance Scales game. Chishiya's biggest moment in the season was in episode 7 when he took a bullet for Usagi saying he wanted to try being out of character which, I'm sure, shocked us all. His sacrifice showed us the ending to his character arc going from a selfish cold figure to one that finds a purpose to life - it is this act that, in the game, gives him a sense of purpose but in the real world, he doesn't remember doing this so only comes out willing to live a more meaningful life, not just as a person to show "just how empty a human can be" after being on the border between life and death.

Arisu

Arisu's search for the meaning behind the Borderlands is a powerful yet annoying one. We as the viewers wanted to know what the Borderlands were, just as Arisu did, but all we both got were open ended comments that drove us to insanity. This lack of a clear answer frustrated Arisu which is why he still pestered Mira for one, even when she openly said he would get his answer after playing 3 rounds of Croquet without forfeiting. Despite this, Arisu still accepted Mira's offer for an answer between round 2 and 3. Arisu ended up having an existential crisis, god knows how many times, and was only saved by caring enough about Usagi, who hurt herself on purpose, to get him to come to his senses. This love for Usagi is his arc ending; for the longest time, Arisu didn't want to live due to survivors guilt after his best friends died but through thick and thin, finally decided to live because he found a new person to care about. While he woke up, not remembering all the torture and pain he went through, he still felt the lingering survivors guilt and an odd sense of dejavu when seeing Usagi for the 'first time'. Many of us would've been sad to see that they didn't recognise each other but luckily, in both the manga and TV Show, we got to see the two flirt with one another and start a real friendship/relationship. We also see Arisu grow as a person during the game of Osmosis where he and Kyuma have a meaningful conversation about friendship. Kyuma helps him to realise that everything he has been doing was on his own terms and at his own pace, but what he really needed to do was listen to his friends and understand how they stood in all his decision making and what they wanted to get out of their time in the Borderlands - it is here that he realises he should've been better and more understanding towards Usagi and fixes their damaged relationship at the end of the game. Arisu was a great protagonist, one that wasn't perfect and had flaws but was still compelling enough to follow, with his selfless acts and love for friends - the heartbreak he felt when he had to hurt Tatta in order for the rest of them to live must have brought him back to episode 3 of season 1 when his best friends sacrificed themselves for him to live because they knew he had the best chance of survival in a world that called for teamwork and wits - I felt every ounce of pain inflicted from that one slam.

Usagi

Who doesn't love Usagi? She's no Mary sue, that's for sure. She does have a lot of strength and insane climbing abilities but she has deep insecurities that almost lead her to an ending where she never wakes up in the real world. The loss of her father was a painful one, not just because he's no longer by her side but because everyone around her thought he cheated on his expeditions in the mountains which affected her too. Thinking that it would all come back to haunt her, she tells Arisu in the first episode that she no longer wants to go back to the real world because in the Borderlands she's free from the critical comments about her father and his legacy. Arisu doesn't get this and argues with her to come back to which she disagrees and they are on awkward terms for a while. In the game of Checkmate, Usagi convinces some players to switch sides so she can both save the life of a boy and get the true ending to the game - one where the Queen can't continue to make games for other players to suffer in. The Queen of Spades sees this and calls her a hypocrite for convincing the players to change while she herself does not care about going back to the real world but by this time, Usagi has already changed her mind. For Usagi's arc, she eventually comes to terms with going back to the real world, wanting to live not listening to everybody's negative comments about her father, but instead living life for herself with the knowledge that he was a good person. It is one that comes sooner than the other characters but gives her a clear motivation for continuing the games with Arisu. 

Niragi

I don't care what you have to say about Niragi - he did have some character development. Overall he is still an arsehole, almost raping Usagi on two occasions and shooting Chishiya along with a few other things, but in the game of Osmosis we see a bit more of what I would like to believe is his true, sheltered side. From the backstory we got in season 1, we learnt that Niragi was heavily bullied by his classmates which brought out his fucked up side that could've been as a result of the bullying or already in him which he himself is unsure of. I believe it was the result of bullying. The nature vs nurture argument has undergone decades of hard work and research into finding the ultimate answer on whether our behaviour is a result of our genes or environment, however most of it equates to being a mixture of both. 

In terms of Niragi's life we have very little to go on but from the clip we were shown, his behaviour points to being more of a nurture side effect. Research has found that victims of bullying are twice as likely to become bullies themselves, becoming very violent towards other classmates, which is similar to what we see in Niragi. Victims of bullying feel worthless and weak so to combat this, they take on the dominant more powerful role of the bully so others are 'beneath them' and they themselves are no longer in that position. Niragi becomes a vile and aggressive person with a playful side to him which also gestures to the idea that his behaviour is all to do with nurture - he feels giddy now that he has the upper-hand and feels a sense of victory from seeing people squirm at his feet.

In the game of Osmosis, however, we see him become more collected and serious. He stops playing around with Usagi and works well with her to gain all the points they can to win the game. When the player's team are winning and reunite at their base, they all celebrate and high-five, including Niragi who has a slight smile on his face - he's finally being praised and not ridiculed so can let his guard down, revealing his truer self. I say 'truer' because he will never be able to go back to the way he once was - time changes everything and experience can lead to permanent changes, especially to your personality which is what happened in Niragi's case. It is only in the last 10 minutes when there's virtually no hope left in winning the game that he goes back to his batshit crazy state, attempting to rape Usagi once more and attacking her. 

In terms of Freud, Niragi, during most of the game, listens to his Ego but in the final 10 minutes listens to his ID. The ID is what's called the 'pleasure principle' - it is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories which is what Niragi uses 99% of the time. The Ego on the other hand is that part of the ID which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world. Like the ID, the Ego seeks pleasure and avoids pain, but unlike the ID, the Ego is concerned with devising a realistic strategy to obtain pleasure - it points the ID in the right direction and claims some of the credit at the end as if the action were its own. This is shown when Niragi first joined the team and says that he will work together with them, trying not to cause any problems and proves himself to follow that order throughout the game. It's when the Ego fails to win using the reality principle, that his unconscious defence mechanisms are employed and he displaces his frustration by going right back to immediate, short term satisfactory solutions, in this case, it's attempting to rape Usagi. 

At the end of the game, he realises what he has done and so distances himself from the group, knowing that he won't be forgiven but feels a twinge of guilt realising that he only had to wait a few more minutes to win with Tatta's sacrifice. Even though he's going to be on his own the rest of the time, he thanks him anyway with the chance to live a longer life ,which he could choose to use for the better or the worse. His rejection of permanent residency in the Borderlands suggest that he will change his ways a little because he had the option to become the tormentor of thousands but instead chose to go back to the real world where he has less influence.

Aguni

In three words: Aguni is great. During this season, Aguni is haunted by the hallucination of his dead best friend, thinking that he doesn't deserve to live after killing him just before the 10 of Hearts game takes place in season 1. At the end of episode 7, when he kills the King of Spades, he goes to shoot himself, however, his hallucination prevents him from doing so, finally forgiving himself for Hatter's death after redeeming himself by ending the King of Spades game which potentially saved hundreds of lives - a huge turnaround and parallel from the massacre he ordered in season 1's episode 7. 

Heiya

Even though we only got to see her in season 2, Heiya quickly became one of the show's most likeable characters with her witty charm showcased in the morning after Arisu is saved by Aguni, and her platonic love towards him (Aguni). In the manga it is clearly stated that he is her type but for the show, I say it is a platonic relationship because he seems more like a father figure to her or an older brother she can rely on. In addition, she saw her sexuality/body as a weakness especially after what happened with the doctor and her leg; She sacrificed a part of herself so she could live, not because she was genuinely attracted to the guy. I wish I could say more about her but there is little to go on. Overall, she is a very steadfast and brave girl, lovable for her sacrifice and epic archery skills.

Kyuma

Where do I start with him... I suppose I'll start by addressing the elephant in the room: his lack of clothes. Kyuma is a nudist and a charming one at that. In the beginning he was a fully clothed musician but as he came to terms with the games in the Borderland, he started to strip because he had nothing to hide. He tells Arisu during Osmosis that these games are a way of looking at a person's naked thought process because they are under time constraints and have the risk of death so cannot hide their feelings and try to win in whatever way they can think of. It is this idea that lead him to become a nudist because not only does Kyuma share his morals and beliefs, he is not afraid to hide anything from anyone - there is no need to do so in the Borderlands. 

Kyuma is also constantly seen in a position with his arms outstretched and head lifted towards the sky which is believe to be a reference to Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus did so to save humanity from their sins - it is his sacrifice that gives us an empty slate to work with and can be used to explain Kyuma. Kyuma sees everyone as equals, much like Jesus and his father did, and doesn't think of himself as more worthy of a position than any other, so when the time comes, he is willing to risk his life for the greater good; he very well could have been the one to die when Tatta stretched out his hand at the player's base. This position could also just be him embracing everything that is to come, accepting every hurdle coming his way and taking everything in a positive light rather than dwelling on mistakes.

Kyuma himself is just one of my favourite characters for his outlook on life and relationship with others, even saying to Arisu that they are friends right before he dies by his very action, conscious of his position as a player willing to do anything to survive - he never saw Arisu as an enemy, only a friend caught up in the wrong circumstances. Tomohisa Yamashita's portrayal of Kyuma perfectly encapsulated his charm and wit shown in the manga, just with a little less smiling. I'm glad that he came up in the director's conversation when discussing who they would cast for him.

Mira

We don't get any backstory for her but boy is she a wild and fascinating character. Mira displays a playful attitude towards the games making sense why she was positioned to become the Queen of Hearts - it is her frolicsome approach to life that is the key to making a successful Hearts game. 

It is revealed in the Croquet game that she specifically designed the 7 of Hearts game for Arisu's group to torment each other and toy with their emotions which leads to Arisu's appearance in her final game - to avenge both his friend's deaths and find the true meaning of the Borderlands. In her final game she gets to involve herself further by competing in it too and choses the game of Croquet to put off Arisu but have fun herself, adding to the mixed emotions he must have felt upon entering the game arena. Mira is an excellent manipulator and puts all psychopaths to shame with her strategies in bringing out the worst in everyone, which makes sense as in a spin off of the manga (Alice on Boarder road) it is implied that one of the characters sister is Mira and she was a neuroscientist. 

Enji

This guy creeped me out but in a well done way. Enji's character was a great mix of mysterious and awkward that made him appear as a background character while simultaneously putting him at the forefront of our minds despite all signs pointing to Banda being the Jack of Clubs. What I said before in the section regarding his game I will repeat again - I like the change from a fake eye being his source of the real suits to the cookie method - its more realistic and fits with the idea of the borderlands better since Enji was once a player too and it feels too absurd to have an eye attached to a collar as his solution to the game. Enji's use of hypnotism was involved in the manga to get Kotoko to tell Yaba his real or fake suit but by using her to tell him his own suit through colour coordinated cookies made her more involved and useful rather than just responsible for a single player's life or death. Overall, I liked Enji as the Jack of Hearts but I wish he was made slightly more unhinged at the end when he thinks he has won the game like in the manga - that made it all the more satisfying. 

Isao

Isao, better known as the King of Spades, became one of my favourite characters this season even though he only said about 3 lines in total. We don't get much of a backstory for him, only a glimpse of the time he had to shoot his fellow mercenary, but with the help of the manga we learn that he takes no pleasure in killing, he considers that to live is to suffer and repent, believing that salvation only exists in death. He kills people, only doing it so he can free them from the despair of the Borderlands which is why his game centres around mass shootings without an entry - he gives everyone a chance at salvation, no limit whatsoever. My favourite moment with him is in the first episode when we get a shot of 4 strangers in a car, following the main characters, and we can see the King slowly climb up against the rear window onto the top - it simultaneously freaked me out and made me smile in awe. His death was the most unique one out of all the Citizen's deaths as he didn't die from a laser but rather at the hands of Aguni, mirroring the time he had to end his own friend's suffering.

Kuzuryu

I think I said most of what I wanted to during the Beauty Contest section since that is the only time we get to see him this season, but it's interesting to get to know him through his backstory and choice of venue. Kuzuryu hated that, as part of his job, he couldn't save people who deserved life as much as the person with money whom he was defending so to choose a court house as the venue tells us that he wishes the system would change to benefit everyone, not just a singular rich party - he wants to balance the scales. He even tells Mira, when the Beach is burning down, that he wants to make his game completely fair which he does, even if it does seem to be on the more difficult side but that's just the nature of the face cards. 

Kuina

I will not lie - I cried when she reunited with her parents. If reuniting with the mother she fought to be with both seasons was sad enough, then seeing her father meet her, after years of disownment, come down just to make sure she was ok, broke me. Kuina is an endearing character, one that we fought to survive from the very beginning because of her special connection to her mother but to see her care so much about others and search for Ann and Chishiya on her own, made her a sympathetic character to route and cry for. 

Ann

Ann is a calm character, virtually unfazed by anything thrown her way and is never intimidated even if her life is in danger supported by the meaning of her name Ann as "peace/quiet". The difference between her and Chishiya, however, is that Chishiya has a sarcastic wit about him, making him more playful when solving each game and passing the time however Ann does not joke about because she cares about winning and living. As a forensic scientist she has come across lots of death and so takes the matter very seriously. Whilst Ann was not in my 'top 5 favourite AIB characters' I still cried when she was on the brink of death which just goes to show how well fleshed out and compelling the characters are. 

Tatta

Raise your hand if you miss Tatta. I know you did. For someone who was seen as useless all his life, Tatta stepped up his game and finally thought "sod it, if I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die doing something useful for once" and he did. Tatta's sacrifice in Osmosis was heartbreaking after watching his peer's hand get injured for his error and thereby doing the same thing to his own, just to help some people who he only knew for a brief amount of time. Its unfortunate that we didn't get to see more of him but to finally be guilt free from being useless all his life must have brought some satisfaction to him in his final moments, especially with the cries from Arisu saying "we won" and "thank you". Rest in Peace Tatta.

Other characters

For the short amount of time we spent with them, I rather enjoyed seeing Kyuma's bandmates. Their whole dynamic was playful and full of trust as evidence of their long standing friendship. Each of them understood and cared for one another which is why they worked so well in Osmosis and were willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the group. I even found that their ending was a bittersweet one - they didn't blame Kyuma for his mistake and all took their loss like a champ, going as far to say that they wouldn't have made it this far without him. A very sweet but sad moment between them. 

Banda and Yaba were two beguiling characters. To find out that they were working with each other the whole time was a shock, seeing as they both seemed so cold and distant from one another, but their trust built on equality made a thought-provoking end to the game. Banda and Yaba's choice to become permanent residents of the Borderlands was a good one too, expressing the idea that some people thrive on chaos and don't always want to go back to their old lives. With Banda and Yaba, they would likely use this as a chance to explore their surroundings and create games that peak their interest, while creating it fair for everyone to win; most probably based on the aspect of equality within partnerships. 

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The Twist

The fact that the Borderlands are a place between life and death made for a brilliant twist. For 2 years fans wondered what the 'Borderlands' were and they were quite literally, a border between two places, not just a play on words for the inspiration source Alice in Wonderland. By making it a border between life and death, we as the viewers got to experience all the heart wrenching games everyone was put through and the relationships they made with one another, meanwhile the characters only came back with the pivotal take away that is, what life means to them now and how they will altar their life going forward.

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The Ending

I'm sure all of you were freaking out over the ending with the appearance of a Joker card (I know I was). Despite having read the manga I was confused to see this and wondered if there would be a season 3 or if it was just a reference to a small scene involving Arisu just before he gets sent back to the real world. Many theories are circulating the internet on what it may mean and I'm going to address them here.

Theory 1

It's a reference to the Joker being in charge of the Borderlands. Before he gets sent back to the real world in the manga, Arisu interacts with a figure opposite him for 10 seconds. Arisu initially asks him if he's the ruler of the Borderlands but the figure just asks him if he looks like a God or Devil to him, to which Arisu replies 'neither' - that he is an entity who carries the dead to the netherworld across the Sanzu River, hence his subsequent reply, an intermediator. Immediately afterwards, all the players who rejected permanent residency are sent to the real world. While this interaction never happened in the TV show, some fans believe this is what the implication of the Joker card was and think it's the end of the show as a whole, staying loyal to the original manga source.

Theory 2

Living is the real game. All throughout the series, Arisu and his friends have been competing in exhausting life or death games to get back to the real world but the Joker card on the table implies that real life is the true challenge, full of harder games with no clear instructions and with more variety of different endings instead of just 'life' and 'death' like in the Borderlands - the card mocks us with its ability to replace missing suits of any kind and, can also be used as a Wild Card in many games which symbolises the chaos real life has to offer.

Theory 3

There will be an additional season. While the manga does end here, the director may choose to continue the series if its popular enough and tie up loose ends such as with the Joker or Jokers because there are 2 in every deck. 

In my opinion, I think the director is waiting for feedback from its audience to decide whether a third season will take place. He probably already has an idea in mind with a storyboard but not a full script in case the majority of the audience thinks it's okay to leave the series as it is. Reason I have to believe this is because it can be left as it is since everyone got their arc and came back to the real world, reconciling with the people they love, but it can also be continued since the ending is slightly different - if the director truly saw this as the end then he would've put in the interviews that are set 2 years later which just compile a variety of people's opinion on why they think they are alive, ranging from 'to kill time' to "everyday I can tell my daughter "I'm glad you were born"' which makes the Borderlands an allegory of our will to live and thus, has a more satisfying, cohesive ending to the show. 

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The Mini Victories

This section is about small details or scenes that I found enjoyable or clever.  Length of paragraphs and detail may vary but I will try to mention as much as possible.

Convenience store

I know you all found this scene adorable, I did too. Usagi and Arisu's small bit of hope creeping out into a playful interaction mimicking a mundane thing was beautiful. It goes to show how small things go a long way and we don't need complicated technology to entertain us, human interaction is good enough and has been for centuries. Arisu's flirting was also a glorious moment between the two, becoming flustered from the sudden comment but indicating a want for their relationship to go from a friendship to a romantic relationship. It was cute and it was sweet.

Elephants

This scene was beautiful for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, Arisu an Usagi got to have a bath for the first time in weeks which became a moment of serenity and reward. The tranquility of the moment gave them a peace of mind and a break from the games they were put through. Arisu's concern for Usagi when she made a surprised noise, instinctively going to her aid made for a grand reveal of two escaped elephants. 

Elephants in Asian cultures are viewed as a symbol of strength, royalty and good luck, making the escaped elephants in the show an equivalent of a pat on the back. In Japan, Buddhists also have a deity named Kangiten, which means "Deva of Bliss." Kangiten is depicted as a man and woman in an embrace, both of whom have elephant heads and is the God of obstacles, bliss and success. In this case, Arisu and Usagi are the man and woman in an embrace, brought together by the elephants that epitomises how far they have come with all sorts of troubles come their way. In this moment they are also blissful and get to celebrate their success, embraced by warm water, giving them another form of motivation after the kiss they share. 

Repeat of S1 Episode 1/Good Times song

Its back baby. If you read my analysis on the first season you will know that I fell in love with this song and much to my surprise, it was used once more in a clever way. Initially, we hear it in the background when presented with Heiya's point of view on the day the meteor struck because that was the very song we heard when Arisu went to meet up with his friends the same day. Then, we hear it again when shown that all characters we have been following throughout the series were at the station to begin with. The beauty of this is that they didn't recreate the setting, they filmed everything since the very beginning as you could see with Usagi beside the billboard in the background of Arisu's shot in season 1. Though I could not spot the other characters as I watched the side by side comparison, it is safe to assume that they were all shot on the same day because of the cohesion between shots and outfits. Additionally, in the side by side comparison it starts off being exactly in time, but once we're shown Usagi by the billboard, it is one second off to represent the time difference when Arisu and his friends entered the Borderland (given that they were further away in a bathroom stall) compared to the others who were in the direct blow of the meteor. 

Injured player from 4 of Clubs

Some of you may remember him, others may not, but I am of the former that do. If keen viewers kept an eye out on details and nuances in the show you may have spotted the injured player from the 4 of Clubs game in Kuzuryu's backstory. Kuzuryu is seen going up a set of spiral stairs in a game but stops, sitting himself down to catch his breath. Another player notices and encourages him to continue. Kuzuryu says no and to leave without him but he insists on helping because of a man that saved him in a previous game by not leaving him behind - this man being the injured player from the 4 of Clubs game. What's really clever about this to me is that Kuzuryu, in the manga, pretended to be injured during that game - it wasn't intended for Arisu to compete in - and so I believe it is an easter egg for the manga readers to pick up on. 

Vegetation

I liked that all of the vegetation grew more rapidly as you distanced yourself from Shibuya station because, at the end, it is found out that it's where a meteor hit and so it acts as a 'sacred' space, untouched by time. Of course, in episode 7/8, it is shown to be affected but less than elsewhere. All the different rates for ageing food and decomposed bodies made a nice detail on how time works differently in Borderlands from the real world too.

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The Flaws

Just like last time, I will mention the flaws in this show. I know this TV show isn't perfect, just, near perfect, and so I will talk about the flaws in order for you to know I'm not completely blinded by my love for AIB and can create a truthful in depth analysis on it, even if it means I have to pick apart the (few) bad things included.

King of Spades fight

This flaw isn't to do with the fight itself - it was tense, graphic, impactful and everything else in-between, that made it compelling to watch and kept me on the edge of my seat, however, the injuries inflicted on the characters were just unrealistic. Heiya literally got shot 6 times by a gun (can't tell you which, I'm not a specialist) and had to wait hours for Arisu and Usagi to complete the Croquet game, of which during that time she would bleed out and die before she could say "I reject permanent residency" plus she was able to crawl her way over to Aguni at least 50 metres away. I understand that the Borderlands are unrealistic anyway and that its not the real world for them, that time moves differently, but wouldn't she succumb to her injuries much quicker if that was the case? After all, she still lost a leg in the real world but the bullet wounds are non-existent.

Reflective Surfaces

The instructions for the Solitary Confinement game were not explicit enough. This is mainly said because of theories circulating other possible ways to complete each game including the use of reflective surfaces in Solitary Confinement. While it does say there are no reflective surfaces in the prison itself, it does not mention how they're not allowed to use reflective surfaces brought in from the outside which is where the problem arises. One of the characters wears glasses which can be used to help reveal the true suit on their neck however in the manga, this man says he was made to leave them outside before coming in so cannot see very well. It is also explained in the manga how instead of water being dispensed from the taps in each cell, it is instead tomato juice which gets rid of another reflective surface to use. For a season that was quite slow paced, they could have made certain parts more interesting to watch with additional instructions as offscreen dialogue and each rule shown in practice like with previous games.

Chishiya's backstory

The backstory wasn't bad per say, just not as inline with Chishiya's personality as the manga version was. In the TV show's version, Chishiya is a doctor who does care about his patients somewhat but cannot help all of them because of rich people who are able to surpass long donor lists and receive certain treatments before the poorer patients - because he is a doctor who could get fired by one of these rich people's complaints, he goes along with all the bribes the hospital takes in and cannot save the others who aren't as well off. This links to his conversation with Kuzuryu in the King of Diamonds game, where he is asked who's life is worth more when handing out vaccines - he says poor orphans. This, however, does not coincide with the rest of his attitude in the games, especially when he constantly makes selfish decisions for his own benefit like selling out Arisu when he tries to find all the playing cards hidden at the Beach.

However, in the manga, it is explained that Chishiya followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a doctor (though his father showed no interest in him) - he also implied that his parents only had him to appear as a 'normal' family for securing the chief chair of their hospital. He goes on to say that he became a doctor to find out if he genuinely cared about lives, and he wanted to see if saving lives could help him find an interest in life in general, because for the longest time he received no parental or other kind of love. Unfortunately, his effort is in vain, having discarded a note entrusted by one of the patients and asked to deliver it on his behalf. This fits much better with Chishiya's nonchalant attitude towards the games and other people's feelings - to him they are quite literally just games but to others they are a matter of life and death, which he does not care about. Chishiya even says to Arisu in the manga that he feels like he only existed to display "just how empty a human can be".

This backstory also makes for a more compelling twist when he sacrifices himself by getting shot instead of Usagi - he said he wanted to try being 'uncharacteristic' which would be the case if he had no care for life at all, but not so much when in his ideal world, poor orphans would get vaccines first. After all, this turning point for him was only possible after witnessing the countless selfless acts by Arisu, Usagi and finally, Kuzuryu who had practically the opposite attitude about life to Chishiya's - he saw everyone as equal and deserving of life, not one more than the other, which made it frustrating for him to have to choose the rich people's sides over his moral code during his time as a lawyer, ultimately not wanting to make a decision at all. In the end, this all helps Chishiya realise he now wants to live rather than just exist as an empty person.

Pace

It was slow to say the least. I'm not kidding when I say I was getting bored in the middle of Mira's psychiatry session with Arisu in the final episode. When I watched it the first time I was interested to see how they adapted it from the manga and was pleasantly surprised, but otherwise, it stayed on it for too long. When I watched it a second time with my mum I decided to watch something different on my phone for the whole section where Arisu lies on the floor and after 20 minutes, looking up, I still saw Arisu lying on the floor. As invested as I am in the series, I felt they dragged it on for a few minutes too long and could've cut out the few moments of silence with Arisu's depressed face on the cold ground. I understand that these games needed more care and attention than the previous ones, lasting across multiple episodes such as Osmosis and Solitary Confinement, but they didn't seem as threatening and lively as the 10 of Hearts game which lasted 2 episodes, probably because there wasn't a rampage and the death of a hundred people, and so it felt a tad too slow for me. 

Lamborghini

This isn't a true flaw but I really hoped for the Lamborghini scene to occur. I realised it wouldn't happen at the end of season 1 where only Arisu, Usagi, Kuina and Chishiya stood in the middle of Shibuya but nevertheless the Lamborghini scene was a stress reliever between games that energised everyone and helped them gain some motivation to go back to the real world after the events of the Witch Hunt. Kuina even broke down in laughter, saying that it's time they started loosening up and enjoying their time of peace. What follows is a period of peace and enjoyment, where everybody moved on and lived their life before being abruptly interrupted by shots taken curtesy of the King of Spades. 

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Conclusion

I thoroughly enjoyed this season and while I would love to see more of these characters, I believe it would be best if it stopped here because it is where Haro Aso finished the series (aside from the sequel) so to continue it would be pointless without his creative process - to continue would ruin the Borderland's purpose and feel like a rip-off. 

Do I believe I overanalysed this show and Haro Aso didn't intend for any of these coincidences? No, I truly consider Haro Aso to be that detailed in his work and intended all of these references from the symbolism of the elephants all the way to the outstretched Jesus arms Kyuma does constantly. Do I think I'm overly obsessed with a TV Show and could have used this time otherwise? Yes, I could have, but am glad I didn't. Alice in Borderland is a brilliant show that deserves all the love and attention it gets.

If you have made it this far, I'm truly thankful for your support and patience as you read this extensive analysis - 9000 words is a lot to write in 2 weeks. I hope you enjoyed it and if there were any mistakes, please feel free to tell me, I am open to criticism.

Sincerely,

An 18 year old