Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya return in season three of Netflix's 'Alice in Borderland.' Netflix Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Netflix is returning to the mysterious and deadly Borderland with the third season of its hit Japanese sci-fi series, Alice in Borderland, debuting on the platform on Sept. 25. The series, a live-action adaptation of Haro Aso's popular manga of the same name, is by some distance Netflix's most-watched Japanese title of all time, scoring over 200 million viewing hours in four weeks following the debut of its second season in December 2022, according to figures provided by the streamer. Alice in Borderland also landed in Netflix's coveted Top 10 lists in over 90 countries, proving that the show has found an audience beyond Japan, and has tapped into the seemingly insatiable global demand for content adapted from manga as well as shows built around so-called 'death games.' Related Stories News Kamala Harris' First Book Tour Appearance Disrupted by Gaza Protesters TV 'Wayward' Review: Toni Collette Plays the Founder of a Mysterious School for Troubled Teens in Mae Martin's Intriguing Netflix Tease In a telling sign of the importance of the show for Netflix Japan, the streamer held launch events for Alice in Borderland's third season in Tokyo earlier this month, that included a pop-up shop filled with merch and interactive games as well as a lavish premiere-like event (although no footage was screened) where attendees could listen to a live Q&A with the cast of season three. Guests included the usual mix of fans and journalists, as well as influencers such Kawaiii Coco and, randomly, AEW wrestling superstar Kenny Omega. After a brief chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Omega, who has strong ties to Japan and speaks fluent Japanese, revealed that Alice in Borderland was his favorite show. The Tokyo launch event for season three of 'Alice in Borderland.' Netflix Fans will be pleased to know that returning to helm and co-write season three of Alice in Borderland is Shinsuke Sato. Also returning are the two leads of the show, Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, who play Arisu and Usagi, respectively, but several new castmembers who were introduced at the Tokyo launch event. Filling out the cast are Hayato Isomura, Ayaka Miyoshi, Katsuya Maiguma, Koji Ohkura, Risa Sudou, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Tina Tamashiro, Kotaro Daigo, Hyunri, Sakura Kiryu, Yugo Mikawa, Joey Iwanaga, Akana Ikeda and Kento Kaku. Per the logline, season three of Alice in Borderland picks up the action after Usagi and Arisu manage to "escape" parallel Tokyo to wake up in a hospital and then slowly discover that they were survivors of a devastating meteor strike on Shibuya. Crucially, they have no memories of Borderland or the games. The logline reads, "After Usagi is abducted and left unconscious by a mysterious scholar obsessed with the afterlife, Arisu returns to the perilous "Borderland" to save her. Teaming up with new players, they must face the yet-unseen "Joker" stage in a desperate bid to find a way back to their original world." Ahead of the Tokyo launch event, THR sat down with Yamazaki and Tsuchiya to discuss the increasing global popularity of the show, returning for a radically different season of Alice in Borderland and how they dealt with the intense trauma that is such a theme of the series. 'Alice in Borderland' Netflix Let's begin with a question about the global response to Alice in Borderland. It's become a bit of a phenomenon, and outside of Japan are watching it. What are your thoughts on the global success of the show? Kento Yamazaki: I was surprised at the beginning, but, I'm of course elated that the global fans have embraced this show. It also true that even from season one, we had this resolve to create something for the global audience. So I'm so happy that [this passion] has continued up to season three. Tao Tsuchiya: I don't have words on how moving it is [that the show is popular globally]. I think in Borderland, you can kind of see [the themes] in your own society, or your school, or even our world of acting. Survival is part of our lives and I think in that way the show is universal, and I think that's why the global audience responded. The cast of season three of 'Alice in Borderland.' Netflix The show itself is quite traumatic, there's a lot of deep trauma for all the characters, and quite a lot of heavy themes such as suicide, death, depression and lots of other issues. Was it quite draining for you as actors to be in that emotional space for a show like this? Kento: Yes absolutely! [The material] takes a toll on you and there were lots of challenges, but we just did our best to overcome all of that, which led to us having, and me particularly, having a sense of confidence with the work being able to move global audie