One of the biggest problems withAlice in Borderlandwas how some characters had “plot armor,” and while the reason behind it would be explained at the end of season 2, the upcoming third season can avoid this issue altogether.Alice in Borderlandwas renewed for season 3a few months after the release of the second season in a surprising announcement. While the show had been successful for Netflix since the first season,Alice in Borderlandhad run out of source material by the end of season 2and arguably didn’t need a third season.
That said,Netflix’s live-action adaptationofAlice in Borderlandhas already diverged from the Haro Aso manga in a lot of ways. The fact that the show has worked despite the changes to the source material indicates that the upcomingAlice in Borderlandseason 3 will even though it no longer has the manga to adapt.Alice in Borderlandseason 3 is expected to be very different from the first two chaptersgiven how the second season wrapped up and has the chance of massively raising the stakes for Arisu and the others.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Returning To The Real World Means The Stakes Will Be Higher
The Threats In The Borderland Were Not Real (Sort Of)
Considering thatAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s endingwas similar to that of the manga, I can only assume that Arisu did wake up in the real world. The Joker card left a lot of room for interpretation, with some believing that Arisu hasn’t really returned to the real world and is still unknowingly playing a game in the Borderland. Still, based on how the manga ended and the entire point of the season 2 finale –Arisu declined the Borderland and chose to live– I like to think that the ending was not a fakeout.
Aya Asahina
Hikari Kuina
If so,Alice in Borderlandseason 3 should take place in the real world, at least initially. This means that the characters will now be facing real, actual threats rather than the supernatural, almost metaphysical challenges of the Borderland. Arisu’s body was never in physical danger due to whatever was happening in the Borderland. In fact,the games appeared to reflect what was happening to the survivors’ bodies in the real world at the hospital.Alice in Borderlandshifting to the real world means the characters can now actually get hurt.
Alice In Borderland’s “Plot Armor” Issue Was Only Solved Sense At End Of Season 2
Some Characters Appeared To Be Immortal And Survived Everything
What appeared to be a plot armor issue ended up becoming the central question ofAlice in Borderland– did Arisu and the others have any free will at all during their time in the Borderland? In the season 2 finale, we learn that the Borderland was a plane between life and death in which the survivors of the Tokyo incident were literally fighting for their lives.Arisu, Usagi, and all the others were patients at the same hospitaland were clinically dead for 60 seconds. Their shared experience during that time was what we saw in the Borderland.
Alice in Borderlandwill have to find a way to raise the stakes now that we know the rules of that world.
While this was a great twist, it also raised some questions that still haven’t been answered. For example, given that Niragi’s body was burnt in the real world this whole time, it seems like he was meant to get burned in the Borderland at some point. All the injuries that theAlice in Borderlandcharacterssuffered during the games had already happened in the real world. This is why the plot armor problem was not an issue –none of what was happening in the Borderland was actually real.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Will Have To Go Back To The Borderland Eventually
The Difference Is That We Now Know The Rules Of That World
Even though I’m assuming thatAlice in Borderlandseason 3 will start in the real world, the characters will likely return to the Borderland at some point. There is a precedent for that in the manga.InAlice in Borderland: Retry, Arisu returns to the Borderlandafter suffering an accident. Once he wakes up in the Borderland, Arisu remembers everything, including the fact he and his wife, Usagi, had once been in love in the Borderland before meeting each other for the “first time.”
I Really Hope Alice In Borderland Season 3 Doesn’t Adapt This Arisu Story From The Manga
While I’m excited for Alice in Borderland season 3, I hope the Netflix live-action show doesn’t cover one particular Arisu story from the manga.
If the characters do return to the Borderland,Alice in Borderlandwill have to find a way to raise the stakes now that we know the rules of that world. If it all comes down to the will to live, what could be a threat to Arisu and Usagi now that they have chosen to live and make the most of their time is an interesting question. With nothing but a short manga sequel left to be covered, I’m excited to see where Netflix’sAlice in Borderlandtakes the story next.
Alice in Borderland
Cast
Alice in Borderland follows a video-game enthusiast and his two friends who find themselves transported to an alternate Tokyo. There, they must participate in perilous games for survival.
