Alice in Borderland
There is a saying, be careful what you ask for as you just might get it. It’s not a guarantee, but in the world of anime, if you’re an apathetic slacker who has given up on life, fate has a way of providing the necessary redirection. This is provided that you’re the main protagonist or, at the very least, their closest friend or acquaintance. Otherwise, you’re just an NPC, so expect to be written out before the next episode.
Alice in Borderland follows Ryōhei Arisu, a high schooler who is a bit of a social recluse, apathetic, and seeks excitement from his dull world. He is joined by his two friends Chōta Segawa who desires excitement but mainly the loss of his virginity, and Daikichi Karube. Karube was once in High School but dropped out early and now works at a local bar. Karube hopes to someday move to Australia and raise sheep. One night the trio dreaming of a better tomorrow witness a blinding fireworks display that knocks them out. After the fireworks, they awaken to find themselves in an alternate Japan.
Known as “Borderland,” Chota and Arisu assume they are in a dream. A dream in which the three of them are in a post-apocalyptic Japan together! Thankfully Karube, through the power of cheek pulling, brings his bros back to the reality that this is not a dream. Furthermore, hunger is seldom an issue in dreams, so there’s that. Arisu is nevertheless excited and wants to find out more about this world.
Alice in Borderland is a 3 part OAV thrill ride riding the genres of thriller, suspense, fantasy, and psychological under the umbrella of a survival game. Interestingly enough, Alice in Borderland is not an isekai, at least not in the pejorative sense, but it could be easily placed in that category. As a survival game, it follows the likes of Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, Future Diary, and “Btooom!”. It packs a punch! Each episode clocks in at 25 minutes, including intros credits, but don’t let the runtime fool you.
Based on the manga by Haro Aso, Imawa no Kuni no Alice, which consists of eighteen volumes, first began publication in 2010 and ended in 2016. It was circulated in Sunday Shonen S and Weekly Shonen Sunday. Alice in Borderland has enjoyed a lot of popularity, with several side manga being created by Haro Aso, the latest of which is Alice in Borderland: Retry, which ended in January 2021. Alice in Borderland was also popular enough to receive a Netflix live-action adaptation because Netflix has a hard-on for such things. I am generally cautious of live-action transformations; however, my fingers are crossed that the Yu Yu Hakusho adaption will be decent. At least better than Cowboy Bebop worthy.
Waking up from their dream, unlike me, who is stuck in fantasy, the trio searches Borderland and runs into their fourth member Saori Shibuki. Meeting her at what appears to be a festival, she explains to them that this game should be taken seriously. The viewer learns the rules quickly; each competition is based on a playing card which in this case is the three of clubs. "Three of Clubs" is also the name of the first OAV. If you're watching the subbed version, much information is presented regarding the rules. Fortunately, there is enough exposition that you can still comprehend the story if you miss something and don’t want to rewind.
The games are interesting; however, humans' physicality, intelligence, and psychology are the focal point, with the main cast devolving or evolving as the game progresses. Did you know that already? Good!!
Initially, Arisu is excited to be in this new world but not enough to die there. It takes a kick in the ass from Karube to bring him back to reality. Karube, unlike the other three, has had no problem with this new environment, and it's probably apparent to the viewer. Karube is the usual blond-haired tough guy in most anime and is often presented as the popular guy. He is very much a man of substance, though quick-tempered and quick to action. He brings out Arisu’s leadership qualities, a prominent trait throughout the first two OVA’s. Karuba becomes allied with the attractive Saori as the two can be cold yet pragmatic.
Ryosuke Nakamura, who handled screenwriting duties, does an excellent job of adjusting character personalities to the situation. As the games vary, so are the rules involved. He and director Hideki Tachibana receive kudos for allowing side characters to act as narrators and plot movers. While the third OAV titled "Seven of Hearts" is perhaps the most gut-wrenching, episode two, "Five of Spades," is my favorite.
"Five of Spades." is my favorite because it is the least predictable in terms of movie tropes. It adds multiple cannon fodder characters who get lines and screen time; the ultimate story outcome is unknown until the end. The story is told from the protagonists, environment, and side characters, two of which we see again in the final episode. They are Yuzuha Usagi and Shuntarou Chishiya. Lastly, it is the setup for the last act.
Pacing in this short anime is good and is aided by flashbacks
and the rules of Borderland. Upon completion of a game, players are awarded a Visa. Visas allow for players to take time off from the games. Visas vary in length, and players must join a game before their Visa expires or risk expiration from the lasers above. The pacing allows the viewer to better learn about the players though little is said about who's behind the games.
A great soundtrack and voice acting make the pacing an A plus. When I first saw Alice in Borderland, I wasn't aware that there was an opening Intro. The anime was licensed to Sentai Filmworks in 2021 and, as a result, is airing on HIDive. So the opening Intro titled “NEXTAGE” by IRis was not heard. Each episode rolled into the next, creating high-end anticipation. If I had listened to the intro, it would have taken away from the suspense. The opening isn't bad, but it doesn't seem to fit the narrative.
As you can tell, I'm bringing this home, but before I wrap up the bodies, I'll just say that A.C.G.T, SILVER LINK, and CONNECT were a great team. The animation was good, and the blood splatter was not over the top. The excessive mucus was comical, but I get it; we're scared. Really really scared. Regarding character designs, Tomoko Sudo doesn't break any new ground but designed characters that are common in anime and could be easily used for nonverbal storytelling.
After three episodes, it made me wonder if I really wanted more or did I want to read the manga. Honestly, it's the manga for me. Alice in Borderland is a neatly packaged OAV that I would hate to see screwed up by more episodes. It has a central message regarding emotional instability, apathy, fear, and the importance of friendship. Moreover, it dips its feet into the frailty of humans with an ending on par with the Stephen King movie adaptation of The Myst. All I can say is give it a watch and please leave a comment below.
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