You must have heard of ‘Alice in Borderland’ by now – and I really hope you’ve watched it. The Original series from Japan is based on the popular sci-fi-thriller manga of the same name and directed by Shinsuke Sato (with hit franchises ‘GANTZ’ and ‘Kingdom’ already to his name). The show is thrilling and addicting, and I cannot wait for Season 2 to come out. However, although Netflix has already confirmed a second season of ‘Alice in Borderland’, we really can’t be sure when to expect it yet what with the pandemic and all.

Having found so many fans around the world through Netflix, ‘Alice in Borderland’ is now considered to be the most popular Japanese Original live action title on the streaming platform. In case you’re still not over the show and want to learn some cool facts about it while we wait for the next season, read on.

10 Cool Facts About “Alice in Borderland” You Might Not Know Yet

1. Since its launch on December 10, 2020, ‘Alice in Borderland’ has become more popular across Asia. It made it to the Top 10 in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It also became popular outside of Asia, though, making it to the Top 10 in Germany, France, Portugal, Austria, and Greece, among other places. Overall, it made it into the Top 10 in nearly 40 countries/territories.

2. The series is an adaptation of Haro Aso’s hit comic of the same name. It was serialized in Japanese weekly comic books Weekly Shonen Sunday S and Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2010 to 2016. You might want to start looking for the manga while waiting for Season 2!

3. Google searches for the manga series ‘Alice in Borderland’ shot up globally around the time of its release. People around the world also discovered and searched for the lead actors Kento Yamakazi and Tao Tsuchiya, who are both household names in Japan. Yamakazi and director Shinsuke Sato had previously worked together on the 2019 hit film ‘Kingdom’, which is also an adaptation of a manga series.

4. Aso based the lead character, Arisu, on himself. “I remembered how I was when I was around 20 years old and created Arisu based on my own indecisiveness,” he shares.

5. The scene in Episode 1 featuring a deserted Shibuya Scramble Crossing (one of the busiest intersections in Tokyo) was not shot in Shibuya at all. It was filmed on a massive open set in Ashikaga city, Tochigi Prefecture, over 100km away from the actual Shibuya Crossing.

6. Originally, Arisu and his friends were to meet in front of the famous Starbucks in Shibuya. However, because of the complexity of a glass-covered set, the location was changed to a sign in front of the station instead.

7. The scene of Arisu and his friends running from a crowded street into the public restroom in Shibuya Station, waiting, and then coming out to see an empty Shibuya is filmed in a single take that lasted longer than four minutes. As a result, the team had to physically create everything that appears onscreen.

8. In the Shibuya scene, everything apart from the ticket gate, the public restroom, and the road was created with CGI. To keep the setting authentic, the visual effects director even recreated the shadow of the Tokyu Building that would normally fall on that location.

9. The production of the tiger in Episode 5 was a truly global effort. It was supervised by Dutch animation director, Erik-Jan De Boer, who has previously won an Academy Award for creating the tiger in ‘Life of Pi’ (2012). The production work was done by Indian animation and VFX studio Anibrain. Overall, these visual effects involved teams from Japan, Singapore, the USA (Los Angeles), and India.

Who’s excited for Season 2? 😀

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