'Alice In Borderland' Season Two Is "Bigger Than Ever"

It’s been a year and a half since Netflix premiered the first season of its Japanese survival drama Alice In Borderland, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of this exciting thriller ever since it was renewed for a second season at the tail-end of 2020. Well, thankfully, that wait is finally coming to an end, as Netflix has just revealed the release month for the upcoming sophomore season, in addition to some exciting new details about what to expect.

Slated to hit the streaming service in December 2022, exactly two years after its first season release, season two of Alice in Borderland will be an even more immersive feat — at least if star Sho Aoyagi (who plays Aguni) is to be believed. “The first season was great, but the second season takes it further,” he recently said in a cast announcement video.

“We had these large-scale scenes everyday. The world of the show is bigger than ever,” agreed his costar Kento Yamazaki (who plays Arisu). “I enjoyed filming the show very much.” For her part, Tao Tsuchiya (who plays Usagi), couldn’t help but echo both of their thoughts. “Each shot has big set pieces, like explosions,” she said. “I was able to experience it like my character Usagi in those realistic scenes.”

Aoyagi, Yamazaki, and Tsuchiya are just a few of the season one cast members that have now been confirmed to be returning for the upcoming sophomore season. According to Netflix’s announcement, the trio will be joined by all of their fellow “game-winners” from the end of season one — so, no, you won’t have any shortage of familiar faces to connect with. Nijiro Murakami (who plays Chishiya), Ayaka Miyoshi (who plays Rizuna), Dori Sakurada (who plays Niragi), Aya Asahina (Kuina), Yutaro Watanabe (who plays Tatta), Tsuyoshi Abe (who plays Kuzuryu), and Riisa Naka (who plays Kano) are all also slated to appear in the new episodes. “Seriously, it was so great to see the main cast back together,” said Murakami about their huge ten-actor reunion. “As soon as we saw each other, we clicked right away.”

Hopefully, this sense of camaraderie will be felt on-screen for all of our favorite characters as they inevitably find themselves forced once again to undergo a series of increasingly dangerous tests if they wish to live to see the next day. News that season one director Shinsuke Sato and co-screenwriter Yasuko Kuramitsu would return to their respective posts has certainly done a lot to quell concerns and generate excitement for this new batch of episodes. Otherwise, there’s nothing left to do but wait. We can all agree with Dori Sakurada when he says, “I was looking forward to the long-awaited second season.”

Check out Netflix’s Alice In Borderland season two announcement below.