Alice in Borderland has become one of Netflix’s most popular television shows but what does the Japanese dramas' title mean and represent?

Summary

• Alice in Borderland is a popular Japanese TV series on Netflix that follows Arisu, a gamer who gets trapped in an apocalyptic version of Tokyo and must win dangerous games to survive.
• The title "Alice in Borderland" is a clever nod to the classic story "Alice in Wonderland," as both main characters find themselves stuck in a foreign world and share the desire to survive and return home.
• The Borderland, referenced in the title, is the show's version of Wonderland, where reality and fantasy overlap, and Tokyo becomes a deadly gamescape. Season 3 will explore new territory for the story.

Netflix has garnered various popular international series on their streaming service, including Alice in Borderland, an apocalyptic television series whose name holds an impressive metaphor. Alice in Borderland is a Japanese TV series that is based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso. The first season was released in December 2020, and now, Alice in Borderland season 3 has been confirmed and will be released in the next year or two. The show follows Arisu, a dedicated gamer who gets sucked into an apocalyptic version of Tokyo and must win at dangerous games to survive.

At first sight, it is clear that Alice in Borderland's title is reminiscent of the classic children's tale, Alice in Wonderland. Though many recognize Alice in Wonderland via the animated 1951 Disney movie, the story actually originated in 1865 as a children's novel by Lewis Carroll called "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." In general, the story of Alice in Wonderland follows a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in an eccentric and dreamlike world called Wonderland. Obviously, this is quite different from the violent and lethal world of Alice in Borderland, but nonetheless, the two stories are intrinsically linked.

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“Arisu” Is Alice (& He Is Lost In The Borderland)

The most obvious connection between Alice in Borderland and Alice in Wonderland, aside from their titles, is that both main characters find themselves stuck in a world that is not their own. In the same way that Alice falls into Wonderland, Arisu falls into abandoned Tokyo. Though their new surroundings are vastly different, their end goals are essentially the same. Both Alice and Arisu want to survive this new world, and more than that, they want to get back home. Arisu's hopes for survival are much higher than Alice's, however, their stories still have the same core.

In this way, Alice in Borderland is a very apt title for the series. While many fairy tale retellings can feel too on the nose or too similar to the originals, Alice in Borderland makes some key and significant changes that make the show feel vastly different from the children's story it is inspired by. One major difference in Alice in Borderland is the addition of games. Though Alice faces certain trials in Wonderland, Arisu's story is different because he must use his knowledge of games to help him survive. In this way, his "trials" are much more literal.

Other Alice In Borderland’s Alice In Wonderland Parallels

Alice in Borderland and Alice in Wonderland do not just share a general premise. As it turns out, Alice in Borderland includes many Alice in Wonderland references. The most obvious would be Hatter, the leader and founder of "the Beach," a whimsical place where all sorts of vices are allowed, similar to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. There are also countless references included in Alice in Borderland's characters' names. For example, Arisu is the Japanese phonetic version of Alice, Usagi translates to rabbit, and Mira translates to "queen of," denoting their respective roles as Alice, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts.

Furthermore, Alice in Borderland's characters and settings can easily be paralleled with Alice in Wonderland. The building at sucks Arisu into abandoned Tokyo is another version of Alice's rabbit hole. The friends that Arisu is transported with, Chota and Karube, are similar to Tweedledee and Tweedledum because of their similarities and propensity to argue. An's white shirt makes her representative of the White Queen, meanwhile Chishiya's mysterious and confusing ways are similar to the Cheshire Cat. All in all, every aspect of Alice in Wonderland seems to have a close Alice in Borderland counterpart.

Alice in Borderland season 2 adapted the end of the Alice in Borderland manga, meaning that Alice in Borderland season 3 will be charting totally new territory for the story.

What The Borderland Is In Alice In Borderland

The borderland being referenced in Alice in Borderland is essentially the show's version of Alice's Wonderland. The two are parallel because of their simple two-letter difference, but also because Borderland is the actual name of Arisu's abandoned Tokyo. What is a borderland though and how does it relate to the show? The definition of a borderland is twofold: the district near a border or a place where two things overlap. In terms of Alice in Borderland, the second definition is definitely the most relevant. The Borderland is the place where reality and fantasy meet, where Tokyo looks like Tokyo but is actually a dangerous gamescape.