Netflixhas hit the nail on the head withAlice in Borderland, which is arguably the best live-action adaptation to date andcan compete withSquid Gamesin terms of international appeal. Breaking records asNetflix’smost-viewed non-English series by racking up 61,190,000 watched hours within Season 2’s first week of streaming, Arisu’s Isekai adventures have certainly turned heads.
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To describeAlice in Borderlandas an emotional rollercoaster would be the understatement of the century, as each survival game tests the limits of, well,humanity. With virtuous villains, stomach-churning content, and heartbreaking tragedies galore, most fans are thankful there is still some love left in the mix, so their hopes have somewhere to cling to.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
8Seven Of Hearts: Arisu, All Alone
It’s no surprise that a Hearts game is the cause for waterworks. However,Chōta and Karube’s sudden deathin Season 1, Episode 3 virtually debilitates Arisu, who would have willingly followed them into the afterlife if Usagi hadn’t taken pity. The NEET only became the wolf in the first place to try to stop his friends from killing each other while he figured out a solution, but his “selfish” act cost him dearly in the end.
Although Chōta and Karube’s last moments are gutwrenching, the brutal bickering that takes place beforehand is truly torturous to witness, as their brotherly bond almost gets ripped to shreds for the sake of survival; even Shibuki deserves some sympathy here. Karube might have been trying to offer his last, comforting words of wisdom. However, allowing Asuni to watch his decapitation first-hand wasquite cruel and traumatizing;he should have remained hidden away instead!
7Ten Of Hearts: Aguni’s Confession
Although far from being the friendliest guy around, when viewers first meet Aguni, he acts as Arisu’s ally. However, his reintroduction at the Beach tells a different story. This coldhearted militant comes across asthe power-hungry Big Bad,who is surely plotting to murder Hatter at the first opportunity and rule over all with an iron fist.
As it turns out, Aguni’s warlord persona is a facade, inspired by Hatter’s big plan. However, Takeru Danma has evidently lost his marbles, costing way too many lives as a result. Things get heated between the lifelong friends, surprisingly prompting Hatter to shoot, but the soldier is faster. The light fades from Takeru’s eyes as Aguni stares in disbelief, but his gutwrenching grief only intensifies upon discovering that his life was never in danger.Hatter was shooting blanks. Aguni just murdered his most cherished, “innocent” friend.
6Ten Of Hearts: Aguni’s Retribution
Aguni’s sob story is far from over, as he blames the Beach residents for driving the Hatter to insanity, and plans on getting even. The Witch appears at the most convenient time, setting themass massacre in motionand subsequently freeing the Jabberwocky in the process. The corpses pile up in the slaughterhouse and, even when Momoka’s identity is discovered, Aguni continues his rampage, although the sorrow is now discernable in his eyes.
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Arisu pulls out his inspirational magic just before Niragi gets completely overwhelmed by his bloodlust, urging him to add more names to the deadpool. In an astonishing turn of events,the bullet-strewn Aguni tackles Niragiand the pair disappear into the depths of the fire, together. Aguni has actually been selflessly trying to protect everyone from Niragi from day one, at the price of his self-respect, and his life, too.
5King Of Clubs: Sacrificing Friends (Again)
With less than nine minutes left on the clock and 500 points needed to survive this Osmosis madness, it seems like it’s time to call it quits.From the five unlikely partners,Tatta surprisingly comes up with a winning strategy, prompting the hero to begin smashing his hand to pieces with a container’s dense door until the pain becomes unbearable. Arisu arrives at the perfect (or worst possible?) time, and the tear-stained Tatta begs him to finish the job and win the game, for everyone’s sake.
The empatheticArisu deals the final blow and removes Tatta’s bracelet,but with only a few minutes to spare, there is no time to tend to his friend’s wounds. Promising that he couldn’t possibly die from such a “mild” injury, Tatta thanks Arisu for his appreciative words at the beginning of the game. And that’s the last time anyone saw sweet Tatta alive.
4PvP Shibuya Shoot-Out: The Boys' Bonding Session
Niragi never fails to amaze when putting his coldheartedness on display and has a fair claim to the title ofmost ruthless isekai character of all time. Determined to leave the worst impression imaginable, the half-dead tyrant refuses to quit his quest for bloodshed and conveniently stumbles across his arch-rivals in his final moments. Offering to share his weapons, Niragi compels Chishiya to join in a player-made death match (after shooting him first, of course). However, Arisu refuses to end another life just to preserve his own.
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The boys calm down slightly, just as Usagi arrives to fulfill the heroine-in-distress role, and their testosterone levels skyrocket. Niragi and Asuni fire simultaneously and both find their target. However, Chishiya longed to do something uncharacteristic and turned himself into a human shield at the last moment. Receiving a fatal wound for his efforts,the suave Chishiya and “evil” Niragi share their enlightening “last words,“before the King of Spades unceremoniously cuts the bonding session short.
3King Of Spades Showdown: Red Wedding Vibes
It’s safe to say that everygame inAlice in Borderlandis as brutal as the last. However,trying to kill the King of Spadesis arguably the most challenging task of the lot. Fortunately, the surviving fan favorites manage to reunite and combine their talents in the ultimate showdown of Season 2, Episode 7, which is quite catastrophic, to say the least. Just as it seems that the team is gaining the upper hand (ever-so-slightly), the invincible King finds his footing and plows through Heiya with his automatic rifle, at close range, and it’s all downhill from there.
Emotions overwhelm their senses as the group loses focus and begins dropping like flies. As Ann becomes bullet-riddled, all hell breaks loose andAguni’s berserker mode is activated,giving him enough strength to begin beating the King to a pulp. Kuina and Usagi join in the fray, but each meets the end of his vicious blade,repeatedly, before Aguni gets abruptly shot in the head. Just a heartbeat away, Arisu arrives at the bloodbath and sees his nightmares come to life once more, as the King of Spades appears to be the lone survivor of the carnage.
2Queen Of Hearts: Snap Back To Reality
Mira’s outlandish mind games started getting a little too tedious in Season 2, Episode 8 until the “truth” starts to sink in regarding the whole mental institution situation, and nobody is sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved, as Arisu’s heart gets shattered all over again. The tears turn into torrents as Usagi joins the scene, desperate to free her paramour from this sadistic hallucination, and slits her wrists to try and shock some sense back into the forlorn, hopeless wreck.
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All seems for naught as Usagi slips into unconsciousness and Arisu cycles through pastevents from the Isekai nightmarebefore suddenly reaching for her blood-soaked hand. With newfound strength,the pair make sweeping declarations of love,each having finally found their purpose in life: simply waking up tomorrow, saying good morning, and existing,together, is enough. Even the cruel Queen of Hearts herself is brought to tears, moved by the depth of Arisu and Usagi’s devotion, while copycat fans follow suit.
1Isekai Success Story: Kuina’s Family Reunion
While it is unclear whose backstory is more tragic (nor is it a competition)Kuina’s experience resounds in the hearts of theLGBTQcommunity, as thedetails of her transgender experiencecome to light. From losing all semblance of respect from her father, to finally reuniting with her accepting mother, only to get ripped from her arms once again. Kuina has certainly gone through the wringer and fought tooth and nail to survive the game (and life in general).
More than once, this gorgeous human weapon has considered throwing in the towel, but thankfully, Kuina’s determination pays off tenfold after returning to reality, and she locks eyes with her mother and sees her estranged father for the first time since the transition. If only he knew how truly proud he should be of his daughter’s martial art skills and bold attitude, but at least there is still time to find out!
