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It feels like it’s been an age since the first series of Alice in Borderland dropped, based on the popular manga series of the same name. Arriving on our screens in late 2020, the Japanese thriller introduced us to an alternate, desolate Tokyo where a handful of strangers were pitted against each other in a series of often-deadly games decided by brains, brawn, and treachery. Full of twists, betrayals, and emotional losses, it quickly became a fan favorite, and after hitting Netflix’s Top 10 in over 40 countries and territories, it seemed like a no-brainer to commission a second season. But when is it dropping, who's in it, and what is the plot going to be? Well, here’s what we know so far about Alice in Borderland Season 2.
Editor's Note: This article was last updated on December 6 with the new trailer and release date.
When Is Alice in Borderland Season 2 Arriving on Netflix?
Alice in Borderland Season 2 is set to premiere on December 22, 2022. So the wait's almost over and you can add it to your holiday season binge-watching list! The entire first season is also available for anyone looking to catch up or refresh their memories.
How Many Episodes Does Alice in Borderland Season 2 Have?
Season 2 of Alice in Borderland is expected to have eight episodes, just like the first season. Fans have noted that the first season covered roughly the first 31 chapters of the original manga, with 33 still left to be explored. So that means there's plenty of content for the new season to cover. Considering the explosive popularity of the previous season, don’t be surprised if Netflix decides to extend the series for more seasons either.
Who Are the Returning Cast Members for Alice in Borderland Season 2?
The series leads Kento Yamazaki as Arisu and Tao Tsuchiya as Usagi are confirmed, along with recurring characters Kuina (Aya Asahina), Rizuna (Ayaka Miyoshi), and Shuntaro (Nijirô Murakami). Another interesting person to watch out for in Season 2 will be Riisa Naka’s Mira Kano, a character introduced as a “gamemaster” late in the first season.
Is There a Trailer for Alice in Borderland Season 2?
Released on Christmas Eve 2020, the first teaser simply confirms that a second season is on its way, as a little early Christmas present for fans. Check it out above. The first proper trailer for Season 2 was released recently as well. You can watch it in the player below:
What Happened in Alice in Borderland Season 1?
A young man obsessed with gaming, Arisu is thrown into a deadly contest in a mysteriously deserted Tokyo. Along with his two friends, Arisu faces a series of challenges directed by an unseen force, with the difficulty and deadliness of each denoted by the suit and number of a playing card. Arisu meets a young woman, Usagi, and joins her in solving the mystery at hand to collect all the available playing cards after his friends perish during one of the games. Their adventures take them to a large hotel full of other players, where it is revealed that all cards have been collected bar the Ten of Hearts. When a final challenge is undertaken for the Ten of Hearts, many of the other players in the hotel are killed, but Arisu and Usagi locate an underground room, where the people they thought were the “gamemasters” are found dead. They are then introduced to a woman named Mira, who states that the games have only just begun and that the face cards are now at stake.
What Could Happen in Alice in Borderland Season 2?
With the final episode of Season 1 dramatically expanding the scope of the series, it’s safe to say that anything could happen! But more specifically, it is likely that Arisu and Usagi will continue to seek out the final cards they require, which will likely have them clash with Mira Kano, the Queen of Hearts introduced late in season 1. Director Shinsuke Sato gave a clue as to what we could be seeing this season, stating “I will draw a mysterious world that no one has ever seen and an unexpected development with uncompromising images.” Sounds freaky!
Where and When was Alice in Borderland Season 2 Filmed?
According to a casting call for extras put out by Robot Communications Inc. - the production company behind Alice in Borderland - the series shot in multiple locations across Japan, including the “Kanto area, Toyama, Hyogo, Fukuoka, Aichi, Osaka [and] Wakayama”. Shooting has already wrapped, having finished up at the end of 2021.
Other Movies and Shows to Watch While You Wait for Alice in Borderland Season 2
There are plenty of movies and shows to check out until December - the obvious connection would be to Netflix’s smash hit Squid Game, the South Korean drama that took the world by storm. It’s a very easy comparison to make - both are wildly popular Netflix originals that are part of their first real forays into non-English speaking programming, with similar gamified “winner takes all” premises and a taste for the melodramatic.
However, this type of story is nothing new, with plenty of similar options to choose from. One of the most revered in the genre is fellow Japanese production Battle Royale, a brutal film by prolific director Kinji Fukasaku. It depicts a future dystopian world where entire high school classes are made to fight to the death, leaving behind a sole survivor. Another similar feature film can be found in Cube, a Canadian horror film from the ‘90s that spawned a series, including a Japanese remake in 2021. In each of the films, a group of strangers who awake together in a giant mechanized cube-like structure must work together to avoid the traps throughout and escape, while also solving the mystery of why they’ve been brought together.
So that’s where we’re currently at. Keep an eye out for future updates on Alice in Borderland, as Collider will be bringing them to you as soon as they’re announced!