Alice In Borderland Season 1
Episode No 5 Recap And Review
The next day, Usagi teaches Arisu some important survival techniques. As night falls, Usagi and Arisu realize that some of the boys wearing locker keys are from the same team. Watching from a distance, they watch the three boys get into the car and drive away. They decide to give chase on foot, which leads them to a hotel with "Beach" written on the outside; their destination.
Unfortunately, the duo turn a blind eye and are dislodged, only to be confronted by an eccentric man named The Hat who seems to have found the answers they've been looking for. After a jovial greeting, dressed in a large robe and clearly not sane, the Hat opens the sliding door in front of them.
On a large wall is a row of playing cards, each marked with a large cross. It turns out that the only way to clear the game and return to the real world is to collect all the playing cards. Realizing that it's impossible for one person to do this alone, the Hatter encourages them to collect the cards with him.
This self-proclaimed ruler believes they're in some sort of country (especially given the visas) and theorizes that if they keep collecting all the cards, they'll all be able to get out one by one - Hatter being the first, of course. .
This hotel complex is a very different atmosphere from what Usagi and Arisu are used to, like a large herd of people late into the night. As the sun sets, the Hatter acts as an army for this boy, giving the children the information below, who follow his every word.
Games are completed simultaneously by this self-created army working together to complete various tests and earn quick game cards. Along with Arisu, Kuina, and An, a new test is held at the beach to see who is good enough to be an enforcer.
The game is deadly with increasing currents of water and electricity.
As Kuina talks about meeting the couple, they are both interrupted by gunmen arriving on the beach. Controlled by leader Aguni, these men immediately throw their weight around and demand that Usagi go with her. However, the Hatter shows up and convinces Aguni to fire them for now.
As Arisu is brought before the superiors in the executive session, it is clear that brewing in heaven is difficult. This, of course, stems from his impressive winning streak in the games.
He listens as he discusses the various playing cards, and aside from the face cards, only 10 hearts remain. The Hatter's visa will also expire soon, and as everyone in the room learns this, the various members of Agui's fighting force each glance at each other.
The Hatter is clearly unstable, and while talking to Arisu, he discusses the new beach and how his old friends have "abandoned" him. He sees himself as the only hero and tells Arisu that it takes tragedies for heroes to move forward.
Episode Review
With a militant force keeping everyone under control, Arisu and Usagi find themselves in a very different situation than they've ever faced. Working for other people makes for an interesting dilemma, but it doesn't fully explain how the cards might be used or even if the plan would work.
It's pretty clear that there's a major coup coming up, and I'd imagine we'll see a lot of Aguni and his cronies trying to usurp the current King of the Beach - possibly violently and bloody.
For now, Alice In Borderland bows out with another decent episode that leaves the door open for the rest of the season.
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