Alice in Borderland is a 2020 Japanese dystopian science fiction thriller drama. Anime series available for streaming that is based on the manga by Haro Aso. Shinsuke Sato was the one in charge of directing the series. It stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya as allies who find themselves trapped in an abandoned Tokyo. And are forced to compete in dangerous games, the type and difficulty. Of which are represented by playing cards, in order to extend their “visas.” If their visas expire, they will be executed by lasers shot from the
The premiere of the first season of the series was announced in July 2019. And production on the season ran from August until December 2019. The districts of Shibuya as well as a green screen studio replica of Shibuya Crossing. Were used as locations for the set. Japan’s Digital Frontier worked with teams from Singapore, the United States,. And India to produce the show’s visual effects as part of an international collaboration. Yutaka Yamada, who had worked with Sato previously, was the one who composed the score for the film’s musical.
They compared the show to many other entries in the survival genre. Such as the films Battle Royale (2000) and Cube (1997). And also series like Squid Game (2021) for it’s death game survival. The first season premiered on the Netflix streaming service on December 10, 2020. And received positive reviews from critics, who liked the action, camerawork, and acting.
Season 1: Plot Summary
Ryohei Arisu/Alice (Kento Yamazaki) is reprimanded by his father. And brother for avoiding job interviews in favor of playing video games. In a fit of rage, Arisu leaves the house and texts his licentious friends Chota and Karube. Unaware of their chaotic surroundings. The three friends experience moments of happiness while strolling through the city.
As the moment concludes, they are surrounded by honking traffic. Arisu, Chota, and Karube cause chaos on the signal. So they hide in a public restroom to avoid the police. However, when they emerge, deathly silence ensues. Arisu, Chota, and Karube enter a new fantasy world. Where they must play survival games to earn visas or their lives until the current game concludes. Arisu, an obsessive gamer, deciphers the game’s algorithm and the game master’s tricks with ease. However, in a survival game, there may be only one victor.
Arisu is forced to make difficult decisions, . Which forces him to sacrifice his loved ones and closest companions. His constant struggle is to quickly learn about this new world and escape before the game claims his life. After the initial premise is established, subsequent episodes focus on other characters trapped. Within Borderland, where Arisu interacts with them and comprehends how the premise works. He finally solves the final survival game, but what happens next paves the way for Season 2 of “Alice in Borderland.”
Development
An announcement regarding the production of a live-action adaptation of the manga Alice in Borderland. Was made by Netflix on July 16, 2019. Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, and Shinsuke Sato. It will be writing the scripts for each episode, and Shinsuke Sato will direct the show in an effort. To make it appear as “one very, very long film.”
A few months later, on August 4, Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya were cast as the main characters of the series. With the pair appearing as Ryhei Arisu and Yuzuha Usagi, respectively. This marked the beginning of the production of the first episode of the series.
Filming
The first episode of the series was shot as early as August 2019. When Yamazaki was spotted on set while the production. Was taking place in the district of Dgenzaka in Shibuya on August 8. The following day, members of the crew were observed close to a store in the neighborhood of Fukutomi-cho. Which is located within the city of Yokohama. Filming took place in an apartment complex in front of the Kita-Suzurandai Station. On the Shintetsu Arima Line in the city of Kobe from the 17th through the 20th of September. Yamazaki and Tsuchiya were spotted there during that time. According to Robot Communications, the production company. That is responsible for the show, the script was changed so that it “matches the building layout.”
It was originally planned for Yamazaki’s character, Arisu. To meet his friends Chta and Karube near Tokyo’s busy Shibuya Crossing in a Starbucks. But the location was changed at the last minute. The scene can be seen in the first episode. However, because of the difficulty involved in creating a set covered in glass. The scene was actually filmed in front of a sign outside of Shibuya Station.
In addition, a scene that takes place inside the Shibuya Station. In which the main characters enter a restroom and then reemerge. To find Tokyo deserted was filmed in one continuous take that lasted for four minutes. From August 9 through December 11. Extras for the series were sought out in a variety of cities across the country. Haro Aso, the author of the original manga that the series is based on. Was granted permission to visit multiple sets throughout the production. The shoot wrapped up in December 2019 after taking place in a number of different cities.
Visual effects
During filming, scenes focusing on the empty city of Tokyo were primarily shot. Using special effects and extensive use of green screens. With Sato explaining that he ran into the middle of Shibuya Crossing. And a small camera to determine “which parts to actually build and which parts to CGI.”
Using the Ashikaga Scramble City Studio, a large set constructed 100 kilometerss. From Tokyo for the series and the film Detective Chinatown 3. (which was filmed during the same period). Scenes featuring Shibuya Crossing were filmed primarily with green screens. With “everything except the road and the ticket gate at the east entrance produced with computer graphics.”
To maintain the “authenticity” of the scenes. Visual effects director Atsushi Doi recreated the Tokyu Building’s shadows where they would normally fall. A scene in episode 4 depicting a flooded underpass was created using previsualizations. Which allowed the show’s crew to “experiment with different elements prior to the actual shoot.”
The visual effects team visited multiple zoos in order to create the panther that appears in the same episode. In addition, Academy Award-winning animator Erik-Jan de Boer. Oversaw the creation of the tiger featured in episode 5. Which was produced by the Indian animation studio Anibrain. Digital Frontier of Japan, along with teams from Singapore, the United States, and India. Contributed to the addition of post-credits visual effects.
Game Of Survival
The games within the borderland (Tokyo-like after the apocalypse) are timed. And each player must sign in via mobile phone (without a network). Once a player enters the game, he or she cannot leave until the game concludes. Or else they cease to exist. When Arisu and his companions enter the borderland. Their quick game is “Dead or Alive.” In which the contestants must choose between the two gates representing death and life in Alice in Borderland.
If they open the wrong door, a laser beam will shoot and instantly kill them. They must make a decision within a specified time frame (two minutes or less). Or they will be consumed by flames from the floor. Sounds astounding, doesn’t it?
Each Borderland game has a distinct genre, which is typically represented by playing cards. The symbols clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades indicate the type of card. For instance, the club is associated with power, whereas the heart is associated with emotion. Thus, a heart game will test the contestants’ emotional fragility.
The number on the card indicates the game’s difficulty, and players must adjust their strategy accordingly. Later, Arisu discovers that when a player completes the game. He is awarded the card that was displayed at the beginning of the game, and that to return to the normal world. Also he must collect all the cards in the deck (except the face cards). However, this results in 36 cards and 36 survival games in total.
A Test Of Friendship
Every character in “Alice in Borderland” faces a conflict of accord. Arisu sacrifices his friends in a “heart” game because there can only be one winner, revealing this layer. Chota and Karube surrender so Arisu, an underdog, can shine. They believe only Arisu can escape this high-tech labyrinth. Arisu is inspired to find a way out by the thought that he will not let innocent people die in vain. Hatter and Kuzuryu’s friendship is similarly complex. They were best friends in Borderland and rule “The Beach,” a private beach island.
Hatter rules this self-created kingdom and has hired a team to collect the cards. So he can be the first player eliminated. Hatter’s minions, “the beach.” play survival games and collect cards. When Hatter goes mad (reference Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland), Kuzuryu makes a difficult choice to save him.
Arisu learns why each player in the game prefers to play alone. Or under a leader rather than a companion in Alice in Borderland. An emotional attachment to another player could influence his choices in the game of survival. Where there can only be one winner. When Arisu meets Yuzuha Usagi, his love interest, his emotions become a conflict.