Following the release of season two, Netflix’s Japanese sci-fi thriller Alice in Borderland has gained quite a bit of popularity. Rightly so, the show is filled with suspense and action, some even call it better than Squid game. Both shows follow similar storylines where a selected group of people are transferred to a secret location and forced to play games to stay alive. However, unlike Squid game, Alice in Borderland has more nuances in terms of cinematography and even the games. Will Alice in Borderland pass by Squid game‘s popularity is certainly a question for the future, as both shows seem to have left viewers with many unanswered questions.
An important reason why Alice in Borderland has so much more to tell compared to other similar thriller dramas is its connection to Lewis Carroll’s infamous 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which is now commonly referred to Alice in Wonderland. From the title of the show itself, viewers of the series could recognize the connection to the book. However, Alice in Borderland, unlike the book, is definitely NOT made for children. Nevertheless, the references to Carroll’s book may be shocking to some.
Characters
The main characters of the show resemble the main characters of Carroll’s book. The obvious one is the main character, Arisu, played by Kento Yamazaki, who is a replica of Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. According to Justin Oh, Arisu’s name is the “Japanese pronunciation of the name Alice”. Likewise, other character names in the show translate or refer to the book’s English characters. Usagi, played by Tao Tsuchiya, who is portrayed as Arisu’s partner, translates to rabbit in Japanese. So she could be a reference to the white rabbit in the book. The way Arisu is beaten by her further confirms this, because in Carroll’s book we see Alice following the white rabbit. The Cheshire cat in the book is portrayed as being smart, complex and randomly disappearing. Interestingly, Chishiya (Nijirō Murakami), whose name resembles the word “Cheshire”, has a very similar character line and qualities.
The same goes for Kuina with her fake cigarette (Aya Asahina), who represents Carroll’s Caterpillar with the bong. In addition, Ann (Ayaka Miyoshi), who appears to be a strong female leader and an ally of Arisu and his team, appears to represent the White Queen, while Mira (Riisa Naka), with her elegant garden and her villainous nature, appears to represent the Red Queen. represent. Queen. These two characters are foils for each other. Other character references include Hatter as the Mad Hatter, Chota as the Carpenter due to his hyperfocus on work over life, Karube as the Walrus who accompanies the Carpenter, Aguni as the March Hare who witnesses the Mad Hatter’s madness. also portrayed in the series as Hatter’s obsession with the beach and the Last Boss as the Jabberwocky who is bloodthirsty and obsessed with fighting and killing.
Interestingly, when made aware of these references, one might even be able to visually see the similarity between the physiques of the show’s characters and those of Carroll’s novel. Chishiya’s white hair, round face, and broad smile may be reminiscent of the Cheshire cat’s round face and broad smile. Similarly, Kuina’s dreadlocks depict the body of a caterpillar, while the Last Boss tattoos represent Jabberwocky’s monstrous appearance.
Time
Time plays a prominent role in Carroll’s novel. For those who watched the 1951 animated version of the book, the sound of “tick-tock” may be very familiar. In fact, the repetition of this sound is a reminder of the importance of time as both an element and a theme to the story. Likewise, time plays a central role in it Alice in Borderland. Unlike the real world, time travels slowly in Borderland. Ever since Borderland acts as a space between life and death, some moments in the real world can last for months and even years in Borderland. We see the same concept in Carroll’s Wonderland, where Alice’s time spent in Wonderland seems to last quite a long time, when it’s just time for a nap in the real world.
Setting, illusion and games
In Carroll’s novel, the story takes place in a dark forest that acts as a backdrop to Alice’s adventures. Fascinatingly, most of the novel’s adaptations have focused on this dark forest. For example, in Tim Burton’s 2010 film, the strong focus on the setting emphasized the dark tones of the images. This then adds to the two themes of illusion and games in the novel. With the location, events, and characters appearing to be mere illusions of Alice’s mind, the story focuses on how unreal these events are. Alice in Borderland captured these elements and added his own twists. The series also reflects on these darker tones and has focused heavily on them, and the visuals are a captivating feature of the entire show. However, adding the sci-fi element has allowed the creators to answer the question “what would a Wonderland be like in a dystopian future”.
Alice in Wonderland also focuses on games, where the two queens represent the mighty queens in a game of chess and the card soldiers represent the deck of cards. Therefore, it is no surprise to see Alice in Borderland take inspiration from these games. In fact, instead of using Card Soldiers, the show uses playing cards as lifelines, with the numbers on each card representing the number of days the players have until their next play or death. In addition, both stories take the protagonists to a final game of croquet against the Queens of Hearts.
Boredom and identity crisis
If the above parallels aren’t compelling enough to confirm that Alice in Borderland is linked to Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the ideas of boredom and identity crisis that are central to both stories are perhaps the most compelling connection. Both Alice and Arisu are characters who are scolded by adults and bored with their monotonous lives. Thus, they both embark on an adventure that allows them to realize who they really are. In fact, both characters’ desire to return home emerges as they continue their adventures.
Both characters seem to be going through their own identity crisis as they seem to constantly question what life is all about and who they are. So it’s hard to overlook how similar Arisu and Alice are.