Alice in the Borderlands: The Differences Between the Manga and the Netflix Series

Those who are familiar with Alice in the Borderland the source material likely noticed some changes in Netflix’s story of Arisu and Usagi’s journey. If you haven’t read or read the manga, don’t worry - while it’s highly recommended and certainly gives you a better understanding of the story, it’s not necessary to enjoy the show. That being said, there are some significant similarities and differences from the first season of Netflix. Alice in the Borderland.

Something tells me we’re not in Tokyo anymore

In shonen version Alice in the BorderlandArisu and his friends, Chota Segawa (Yuki Morinaga) and Daikichi Karube (Keita Machida), are studying in the 3rd grade of secondary school, that is, they are approximately 18-19 years old. The manga introduces us to them as they go through the maturation phase of their young adulthood, while the show begins with them as early as their twenties to twenty-five. Taken together, Netflix’s version of the boys remains true to the disturbing and escapist nature of their illustrated counterparts. They are at odds with their position in their personal and professional lives, and this is largely reflected in the Netflix series. Arisu is an analytical genius, and unlike the very observant and deductive type he is in Alice in the Borderland manga - transforms into a young man who displays his natural abilities through the games he obsesses over. Because of this, as well as his age and lack of work, he also disappoints his family. Chota is on the verge of losing his IT job due to not taking it seriously (as evidenced by the notes left on his desk after entering the alternate Tokyo Borderland) and dealing with his mom constantly begging he has money for the cult she got into. The decision to portray Chota as kind and loyal in the Netflix version Alice in the Borderland unlike the twisted habits of the shōnen version, it was a valuable choice, but it detracts from the joke in his name. Of the three, Karube probably has the fewest changes between the show and the manga, as his love of fighting has been toned down and replaced with a calm and tough rebel. He was also recently fired from the bar he worked at instead of owning it at an impressively young age.

Netflix adaptation Alice in the Borderland the way Arisu and his best friends are transported to Borderland Tokyo has also changed. They initially try to walk to Shibuya, but stop briefly at a nearby train station. While waiting for their next trip home, they see what is believed to be fireworks followed by an explosion. After a trippy crossover, they wake up covered in strange dust at Karube’s Bar in Borderland. Against, Shinsuke SatoThe helmet show retained the main rhythms of the event (such as “train station”, “fireworks” followed by “big bang and you’re in Borderland”). Albeit with some minor changes. Alice in the Borderland The show begins with the boys meeting at Shibuya Station and accidentally causing a car accident after a genuine display of camaraderie between them. As they flee the scene, Chota draws their attention to the fireworks display at noon before hiding from the area’s local authorities in one of the station’s toilets. As soon as the cops track them down and knock loudly on the door of the kiosk they’re hiding in, a glitch occurs, bringing the noisy world to a halt. As Arisu, Chota, and Karube emerge from the kiosk to investigate, they discover that they have been transported to a strange, desolate alternate version of their world: the Borderlands.

Borderland Games

What each of the playing cards represents for the Borderland games seamlessly carries over from the manga to the live action. Alice in the Borderland. The show diverges mainly on the players and sometimes on the rules of each game. For example, the game “Four Diamonds” was originally played by the residents of the beach, Rizuna An (Ayaka Miyoshi) and Taketo Serizawa; only one of them, Rizuna, we met in the Netflix adaptation Alice in the Borderland. Instead of Taketo in the show, Arisu joins Rizuna in the playgroup. It makes more sense for what we know about this version of the Netflix story given the puzzle-solving skills Arisu has already shown. However, there are also cases when Alice in the Borderland the show has created its own spin on gaming, such as the Three of Clubs game. In live action, this game is called Dead or Alive and is a simplified but deadly version of what is essentially an escape game. The manga, on the other hand, offers readers Good Luck, Bad Fate, which is a challenging, highly intense, and deadly quiz game. Where are the two versions Alice in the Borderland are similar in that Chota will eventually burn the leg severely.

We may have only seen six Borderland games from start to finish, but Netflix Alice in the Borderland also delivered some of them via mounting after Arisu and Usagi reached the beach. Interestingly, two games, Hunting Competition and Match Factory Bingo, are exclusive to Alice in the Borderland show. The other games we refer to are either taken directly from the manga with minor changes, or completely different interpretations with little resemblance. For example, the simple yet excellent portrayal of Netflix’s Beast Hunter is the same except for their points system and the location where it takes place. Although not directly named, the shonen version of Six of Spades is in a zoo, not an amusement park, and that is where Morizono Aguni (Sho Aoyagi) in scars. While it would be fun to see a manga version of Four of Hearts, also known as Human Elevator, adapted into live action, it’s still nice to see it even being referenced.

Beach and vendors at Alice in the Borderlands

About half way Alice in the BorderlandIn the first season, Arisu and Usagi make it to the beach. The way the utopia works and the related events that are adapted are quite in line with the manga. The hotel has a governing body divided into two dominant factions: the Idealists, led by Takeru “The Hatter” Danma (Nobuaki Kaneko), and militants who follow Morizono Aguni. It is at this point that we see some major differences taking place in the series. Much of the plot taking place on the beach in Alice in the Borderland the show is omitted, such as the Hatter’s descent into madness and the finer details of his and Aguni’s shared history. While doing so, some of the most important details about the main inhabitants of the beach are preserved, such as Hikari Kuina’s backstory (Asahina Aya) and Takatora “Last Boss” Samura (Shuntaro Yanagi) and their inevitable showdown during the Witch Hunt.

The speed at which the first season came out Alice in the Borderland going through the beach chapters of the manga is the most dramatic change at the stage we’re at in the series. In addition to what was covered, the show features cards collected towards the end of the first season, as opposed to using the games as the building blocks of the main story. This prompted us quite quickly to reveal the true hierarchy of this world, the merchants and citizens of the Borderlands. While there is still a lot of narrative material they could use, this raises some questions as to what Alice’s second season Borderland will cover. Will Netflix reveal the cause of games sooner or later? What kind is an Borderland, how were the fireworks connected? Hopefully we’ll find out when Netflix season 2 comes out. Alice in the Borderland Premiere December 22, 2022.

Alice in the Borderland The first season is currently streaming on Netflix.