01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

[g*nshots blasting]

[blasting continues]

- [exploding]

- [g*nshots blasting]

[clacking]

[indistinct game voiceover]

[g*nshots blasting]

[rapid-fire blasting]

[loud rapid-fire blasting]

[controller clacking]

[rapid-fire blasting]

[scraping]

MAX VOLCANO

FRACTAL GEOMETRY

EVERYTHING ABOUT SACRED GEOMETRY

AUDI AND BMW

3D GEOMETRY

[rapid-fire blasting]

[clacking]

[rapid-fire blasting continues]

[Hajime] You're a shitty brother.

[splattering]

Crap!

[Arisu groans]

[Arisu sucks teeth]

[Hajime] You didn't go to the interview

I set up again?

I begged the company for it.

You should really show up, for my sake.

Did I ask you to go and set it up?

[scoffs]

Dad said this is the last time

he's helping.

He told me not to help you

look for a job anymore, either.

[Arisu scoffs]

I never asked for your help.

[Hajime] But you need it.

You're a parasite in this house.

[Arisu scoffs]

Fine, okay.

[scoffs]

I'll leave then.

[controller clanks]

- If only we could reboot reality.

- [sighs]

You were better when Mom was alive.

Ryohei.

I don't need you

causing trouble for your brother.

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson playing]

RESIDENCE

CHOTA SEGAWA, DAIKICHI KARUBE

[phone chimes]

ARISU: CAN I GO TO THE BAR?

[phone chimes]

ARISU: I'M OFFICIALLY HOMELESS.

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson playing]

[smooching]

[door opens]

[breathes deeply]

Oh, Mr. Boss, sir.

- How are ya?

- Oh, it's Karube. You're in early today.

Uh

[clears throat]

I just decided to come in a bit earlier.

[Emi] Why are you here at this hour, Kazu?

I have something to take care of.

[Karube] Whoa!

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson

continues playing]

[song fades out]

ARISU: KARUBE, YOU THERE?

KARUBE

[grunts]

How dare you put your hands

on someone else's woman!

[Emi squeals]

Stop it!

Shut up, bitch!

- [Karube grunts]

- [hard thumping]

- [thuds]

- [breathes heavily]

[pants]

I feel better now.

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson

resumes playing]

[chuckles]

ARISU: CHOTA, YOU WORKING?

LET ME STAY OVER.

[phone chimes]

CHOTA

[Chota] Here you go.

Ah!

I'm sorry that you have to do this

when you're so busy, Chota.

This money will really help us out.

Let's make this the last time, okay?

- [Sayuri] What do you mean, the last time?

- [sighs]

ARISU: HEY, ARE YOU GUYS IGNORING ME?

[Sayuri] Don't you understand,

the air here in Tokyo

is being polluted every day

by the powers of industry?

[sighs]

We need to make it clean again!

Here, here, there.

Everything has to be reclaimed!

- Yeah, I get it already!

- [sighs]

[exhales deeply]

- I'm late.

- [Sayuri sighs]

[Sayuri] Thank you!

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson

continues playing]

[inhales deeply]

ARISU: FINE.

[song fades]

[upbeat music playing]

KARUBE: I WAS FIRED FROM MY JOB.

[exhales deeply]

[Arisu groans]

Karube's timing really sucks.

ARISU: SERIOUSLY? WHEN?

KARUBE: RIGHT NOW. I'M JOBLESS NOW!

ARISU: SERIOUSLY? WHEN?

KARUBE: RIGHT NOW. I'M JOBLESS NOW!

CHOTA: GOOD JOB GETTING FIRED.

I'M SKIPPING WORK RIGHT NOW.

KARUBE: YOU SHOULD WORK, CHOTA.

YOU'RE POOR.

ARISU: I LEFT HOME.

CHOTA: GOOD WORK.

ARISU: I NEED A DRINK.

CHOTA: ME TOO!

KARUBE: LET'S GO, THEN!

ARISU: GO FIND A JOB, KARUBE.

CHOTA: YOU TOO, ARISU.

[chuckles]

KARUBE: OKAY,

LET'S MEET IN FRONT OF SHIBUYA STATION.

ARISU: OKAY!

CHOTA: OKAY!

Whoa!

[groans]

ARISU: I STEPPED ON SOMEONE'S VOMIT.

CHOTA: GOOD JOB STEPPING ON VOMIT.

["Good Times" by Jan Erik Nilsson

continues playing]

ARISU: I'M HAVING THE WORST DAY.

CHOTA: ME TOO.

KARUBE: SAME.

ARISU: I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN

DOING MY BEST SINCE THIS MORNING.

KARUBE:

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOUR GAME?

ARISU: FOUND YOU, KARUBE!

FIND YOUR NEW SELF

KARUBE: HEY!

CHOTA: HEY!

ARISU: HEY.

Hey, we're right here.

[all laugh]

[Chota] You wanna go get a drink?

It's early. Not many bars open.

Man.

[inhales sharply]

That settles that,

guess we're going to a mall again.

[inhales sharply]

[Arisu groans]

I'd be down with going to

a deserted island.

[chuckles]

[crowd chattering]

I'd be down with zombies

showing up in Shibuya.

Everyone here gets bitten,

and they all turn into zombies.

Stop it with the zombie talk, will ya?

If zombies did show up here,

only Karube would survive.

- You'd knock 'em out with one punch.

- [chuckles]

I doubt that.

You'd be the one to survive, Arisu.

Me? Why's that?

Because I know you'd outsmart 'em.

Arisu, free advice

You should stop hanging out with us

and go live your life.

You should do it.

[Karube puffs]

Huh?

[chuckles]

What's with him?

[Arisu, Chota laugh]

[Arisu scoffs]

[breathes deeply]

[mellow violin music]

[exhales deeply]

sh*t, let's do this.

- Come on!

- Whoa

- What are you doing?

- Whoa

This is the first day

of your independence!

Shut up, take a picture!

- [Chota] Okay!

- [Arisu] Oh

- [Karube] Comin' through!

- [Arisu] Whoa!

- [Chota laughing]

- [Karube] Step aside!

- Hey, this is dangerous!

- Give way!

Hey, hey!

[Chota] Hey, wait! Let me take a picture!

[Karube] Whoa!

[Arisu] Wait, what are you doing?

[Chota] Turn towards me!

Hey! Stop, no pictures!

- Big smile, big smile!

- [Karube] Look here, look here!

- [Arisu grunts]

- [Chota] Come on, Arisu!

- Here, look at the camera!

- I'm sorry, everyone!

Stop, dammit! f*ck!

[Chota chortles]

Now that's a good face!

[pants, sighs]

[crowd chattering]

Oh

[high-pitched whooping]

[chuckles]

That is perfect!

[Arisu] Whoo!

[Chota] Great!

[cheering]

[all hollering]

Shibuya!

You rock!

[whooping]

- [man 1] Oh, get off! Get off!

- [vehicle honks]

[Arisu] Put me down. Whoa

- Come on. Quick, quick, quick.

- [grunts]

- [man 2] You guys are crazy!

- [horn honks]

- [all yelp]

- [white SUV honks]

- Watch out! Look out!

- [white car beeps]

- Hurry up!

- [all panting]

[Chota] Look, fireworks!

[Karube] Run for your lives!

[vehicles beep]

- [tires screech]

- [driver] Moron!

- [crashing]

- [people scream]

- [all panting]

- [Arisu] Guys, wa wait.

It's the cops!

- [Karube] Whoa! Go, go, go

- [Arisu] We'll be in trouble!

[Chota] Let's get out of here!

[Karube] Run! Run!

[people clamoring]

[Arisu, Karube, Chota laughing]

- [sighing in relief]

- [scanner beeps]

- The stairs!

- [Karube] Yeah!

- [Karube, Chota] Whoa!

- [Chota] Oh, watch out!

- Head for the john!

- [Karube] Turn around! Turn around!

- [Chota] Sorry!

- [Karube yelps]

[all panting]

[Karube] Go, go, go!

[panting]

- Let me lock it. Gimme a second.

- [Chota] Come on.

- Just hurry it up, for f*ck's sake!

- Damn!

[Karube grunts]

[panting]

[all laughing]

[Karube breathing heavily]

CHOTA: WHO FARTED?

[Arisu, Karube sniffing]

[keypad tapping]

CHOTA: WHO WAS IT?

OWN UP AND SNIFF UP YOUR OWN FART!

[Chota giggles]

[whispers]

It was you, right?

[blowing playfully]

[loud footsteps approaching]

[knocking on door]

[continuous knocking]

[lights clunk]

[Arisu] I don't hear anything.

I'll go check it out.

All right.

- Be careful.

- Yeah, okay.

[door clicks]

[door creaks]

[door closes]

[ominous music]

[papers rustling]

[ominous music continues]

[wind blowing]

Jesus.

[ominous music climaxes]

[theme music]

[eerie music]

[sighs]

Baby?

[breathing heavily]

Baby?

[Chota panting]

WHERE'S THE FILE?! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!

- TAKAGI

[breathing heavily]

[eerie music]

[eerie music crescendos]

[soft music]

[Arisu panting]

[panting continues]

[Arisu] What the f*ck?

[soft music]

[distant crows cawing]

[panting]

[Arisu] Hey!

Hello?

Anyone there?

[wind blows]

Hello?

[panting]

[panting continues]

Seen anyone?

[Karube] No!

[panting]

[Arisu] See anybody?

[Chota] There's no one anywhere!

[all panting exasperatedly]

[Arisu] Even my phone isn't working.

[all panting]

[soft eerie music]

[Arisu] Was there some kind of

evacuation drill today?

[Karube] Not that I know about.

[Chota] Some sort of event?

A flash mob, maybe?

[Karube] The scale of this

is way too big for that.

[Karube sighs]

What if it's only

the three of us left alive?

This doesn't seem all that bad to me.

What?

[chuckles]

Don't you find this exciting?

You out of your mind?

[laughs]

You're right. I think it's kinda cool.

Why?

'Cause I don't have to go to work.

That's good.

[Chota, Arisu laugh]

Are you guys crazy?

No one to be angry with us.

And we can eat and drink

all we want, right?

[laughing]

You'll be a virgin your whole life.

Huh? Don't think I'd like that.

[laughing]

[Arisu echoing]

Any virgins out there?

[Karube] You tryin' to scare 'em?

[Chota laughs]

I'd do it!

[Arisu, Chota whooping]

- [Chota] Isn't this great?

- [Arisu] Awesome! Whoo!

- [Karube] Guys.

- [Chota] Arisu!

- [Arisu, Chota laughing]

- [Karube] Stop joking around, you guys!

- [Chota] Karube!

- [Arisu] Karube!

[laughing]

- That hurts!

- [Karube] Huh?

- [lights clunk, buzz]

- Huh?

[Chota gasps]

f*ck.

WELCOME, PLAYERS

THE GAME WILL COMMENCE IN A MOMEN

[unsettling music]

WELCOME, PLAYERS.

THE GAME WILL COMMENCE IN A MOMEN

[Karube] Game?

THIS WAY TO THE GAME ARENA

- Over there.

- Hm?

[Chota] Lights?

[Karube] Somebody must be there.

[breathes nervously]

Let's go.

Okay.

[eerie music]

[panting]

[hissing in distance]

GM BUILDING

[hissing continues]

THE GAME ARENA IS UP AHEAD

[light buzzes]

[foreboding music]

[clock ticking]

[light crackling]

1 PER PERSON

[scanner chiming]

[suspenseful music]

1 PER PERSON

FACE RECOGNITION IN PROGRESS

PLEASE WAIT FOR A MOMEN

It's got face recognition.

Do we use these phones?

[Arisu] There's no signal.

[Chota] The outgoing call function

is disabled.

GAME

PLEASE WAI

[announcer] Please wait

for the game to commence.

Currently, there are three participants.

One minute remaining

until registration closes.

What the hell is this?

[Shibuki] A game.

[men gasp]

[Chota] Huh Finally, a person.

Hey. Uh, do you know where everyone went?

[scanner chimes]

[electricity buzzes]

[men gasp]

[crackling]

[Arisu] What the hell was that?

[Chota] A laser?

CHOTA SEGAWA

Cross the borderline,

and you'll never return.

[men shudder]

You have no choice but to play the game.

- Whoa!

- [Karube] Hey!

[breathing heavily]

[Karube] You heard what she said.

Don't do it.

[gasps]

[girl] Oh!

I'm so relieved!

Jeez, I thought there was no one else

- [men yell]

- [scanner chimes]

[Shibuki] My condolences.

[phones chime melodically]

[announcer] Registration is now closed.

The game will now commence.

Game?

[announcer] Game, "Dead or Alive".

DEAD OR ALIVE

Difficulty, Three of Clubs.

Three of Clubs?

What does that mean?

[announcer] Rule.

Select the correct door

within the stipulated time frame.

What?

[announcer] Clear condition.

Leave the building within the time limit.

LEAVE THE BUILDING

WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT.

[elevator dings]

STAR

[eerie music]

You'll die if you just stand there.

[suspenseful music]

[Karube] We have no choice.

[sighs]

[elevator dings]

[phones chime]

[announcer] The time limit for this room

TIME LIMI

[announcer] is two minutes.

[suspenseful music]

[clock ticking]

[Karube scoffs]

What is this?

LIVE

[Shibuki] Alive

DIE

[Shibuki] or Dead.

Is this really a game?

[giggles]

I think this is really getting exciting.

[chuckles]

I'm sure this must be

doors to an art gallery.

I want to go home.

[soft chuckle]

It'll be fine. You're with us.

We'll play the game,

get our prize, and go home. Okay?

- Our prize?

- [Chota chuckles]

- Yeah, I'm sure we're gonna get one.

- [phone chimes]

[announcer] One minute remaining.

Arisu.

Which door do you think it is?

[chuckles]

[Chota] Dead or Alive.

Well, it can't be the skeleton, right?

And if we choose the wrong door?

The answer is "Alive".

Open the door that says "Alive".

How do you know?

Because obviously, it's the "Alive" door.

[sniffing]

Do you guys smell something?

[sniffs]

Oh, f*ck!

- [hissing]

- [all gasping]

[Chota] Is it a fire?

- [coughing]

- [phones chime]

- [announcer] Thirty seconds remaining.

- The answer is "Alive"!

- Hurry and open the door!

- [Karube] Open it yourself!

What'll happen if our time's up?

[Shibuki] We won't get more time. Hurry!

[Arisu] Why do you think

it's the right one?

'Cause we shouldn't

choose the "Dead" door, right?

[announcer] Twenty seconds remaining.

[girl] I can't take it, I can't breathe!

[zapping]

[clattering]

Is she dead?

[coughs]

[announcer] Ten seconds remaining.

[all coughing]

DIE

[announcer] Five,

four, three, two

- Chota!

- [announcer] one.

- Move!

- [blasting]

[Karube yelps]

[announcer] The time limit for this room

is one minute and fifty seconds.

[timer chimes]

[panting heavily]

She really is dead.

[Arisu] What the hell is this?

[panting]

You were the one who k*lled that girl.

But you guys survived

because of me, didn't you?

What?

[Shibuki] Blame me all you want.

If you guys don't think fast,

you're gonna die too.

[Karube] Damn it!

[breathing heavily]

[Karube] Do we choose

the "Die" door now, huh?

Since the last one was "Die"

the next one should be "Live".

Yeah, but maybe

that's what they want us to think.

- But it's hard to choose "Die".

- [Shibuki] Wait a second.

I think that this is a game

where we choose a sacrifice.

A sacrifice?

There's probably no difference

in the doors.

What's important is who opens them.

They want us to choose a person

within the time limit.

You sacrificed that girl.

Why don't you open the next door?

[Shibuki] Because I believe if I survive,

it'll be for the good of all mankind.

- Well, don't we feel good about ourselves?

- [retches]

[groaning]

[announcer] One minute has passed.

[dire music]

No one will open a door at this rate.

We're all gonna die in the fire

if time runs out!

Then why don't you open it?

[gasps]

[Shibuki] You want me to open it,

why don't you do it yourself?

You want someone else to open it!

[all coughing]

All right, I'll open it.

[Karube coughing]

Arisu!

LIVE

DIE

Stop, Arisu. Don't listen to her!

I'll open the door, f*ck!

[suspenseful music]

[Arisu shuddering]

[announcer] Thirty seconds remaining.

[suspenseful music continues]

Arisu!

[breathes shakily]

[sobbing]

See? Not so easy, is it?

Even you would have sacrificed that girl!

- Shut the f*ck up!

- [phone chimes]

[announcer] Twenty seconds remaining.

I'll do it.

He's not very lucky, anyway.

- [Arisu] Karube!

- [Karube] We'll take turns.

You'll go after me.

[announcer] Ten seconds remaining.

Karube.

[grunts]

Karube!

- [gasps]

- [announcer] Five,

- four, three

- Karube!

- [announcer] two, one.

- [Shibuki] Hurry!

[flames blasting]

[announcer] The time limit for this room

is one minute and forty seconds.

[timer chimes]

The time limit is shortening.

[sobs]

I can't do this anymore.

We're taking turns.

[panting]

You open the door next.

[breathing shakily]

- [Karube] I'll choose the door.

- Wait.

- [Shibuki whimpers]

- [Karube] Go ahead and open.

Open it!

[sobs]

I can't.

[sighs deeply]

[panting]

Arisu, what do you think?

Think?

You always say there are solutions

built into every game, right?

- But this isn't a game.

- You can figure it out.

You've always solved the puzzle games

that I could never figure out.

- So do it!

- Karube, this is not a game.

It's all about luck.

- Arisu, just think!

- [announcer] One minute has passed.

Was there a clue somewhere?

Think back.

Together, we came into this building

Remember the time limit!

- And then, we went into the elevator

- I won't do this!

Don't give up, Arisu!

You can reboot this game!

It's impossible, I'm telling you!

- We're going to die.

- You're the gamer!

While I was working my ass off,

you were sitting on a couch playing! Huh?

You think that makes you better?

The only thing you really know

is how to fight.

- How is that better?

- Yeah? Well, I'll show you how.

Stop it, Karube!

[sobbing]

GM BUILDING

Wait.

Wait a minute.

- Are you okay, Arisu?

- [shushes]

[announcer] Thirty seconds remaining.

[Arisu panting]

BMW 523.

Huh?

It was a BMW 523.

Yeah?

The answer is "Die".

- How do you know?

- [announcer] Ten seconds remaining.

We gotta hurry!

I'll open it up.

Arisu! Are you sure the answer is "Die"?

Please

[announcer] Five,

- four

- [screams]

[announcer] three

- This means I'm right!

- [announcer] two

- [Karube roars]

- [announcer] one.

[flames blast]

- [grunting]

- [announcer] The time limit for this room

- is one minute and thirty seconds.

- [Chota] Where to next?

Do you know which one this time?

My father has a BMW 523.

It's 4 meters, 94 centimeters.

One of 'em

was parked beside the building.

[upbeat music]

[Arisu] The length of the building

is equivalent to four of those cars.

This means that the building

is approximately 24 meters in length.

And this room If I measure with my feet,

One, two, three

It should be around six meters.

According to the evacuation map,

the elevator

is at the corner of the building.

1F EVACUATION ROUTE MAP

[Arisu] The shape of the building

is square.

This room is also square-shaped.

Assuming that one side

of the building is 20 meters

and the length of a single room

is 6 meters, that's three rooms a side.

[announcer] One minute has passed.

- I need something to write on!

- Uh

- Here.

- Here, here, here, here, here.

[pants, grunts]

We're in a square building.

Assuming that each room is square,

this means that this floor has nine rooms.

- It's just like a puzzle.

- Arisu's a genius at them.

We started from this room.

The high-school girl d*ed

- [Chota coughing]

- [Arisu] in this room.

Thanks to Karube, we moved forward.

This means that the door to the right

cannot be accessed.

Then I opened the door to this room.

[announcer] Thirty seconds remaining.

By process of elimination, this room

and the one beside it can't be accessed.

I'm sure of that.

[announcer] Ten seconds remaining.

The answer is "Dead"!

The "Alive" door is a trap!

Four, three, two

- [all yelping]

- [announcer] one.

[flames blasting]

- [panting]

- [announcer] The time limit for this room

is one minute and twenty seconds.

If your reasoning is right,

we're gonna survive!

You're awesome, Arisu!

[Arisu] This game is not based on luck.

We need to clear it together!

According to my drawing,

- the next is also "Dead".

- Let's do it!

Ah!

[exciting music]

- Ready?

- [Shibuki, Karube, Chota] Uh-huh.

- [Karube] Nice!

- [laughter]

[Chota] Yeah, we did it!

- [announcer] The time limit for this room

- [Karube] What's next? Huh? Huh?

[announcer] is one minute

and ten seconds.

[exciting music continues]

"Alive".

Let's go.

[Arisu yelps]

[men cheering, laughing]

- [Chota] Hey, that hurts!

- Huh?

[announcer] The time limit for this room

is one minute.

[Karube, Chota cheering]

There's no door here.

- [Karube] All right!

- [Chota] Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!

- That hurts!

- [Karube] Take this!

So what's next?

[Chota] Since that door

is out of the question,

should we choose one on the outer wall?

- Wait a second!

- [gasps]

- I might just have missed something.

- [announcer] Fifty seconds remaining.

[Arisu] The room we're in right now

is on the left-end corner of the building.

The clearing condition

is to leave this building.

That's why we'd feel we should

choose the "Dead" door to lead us out.

But as I recall, there is no gap

between this and the adjoining building.

The "Alive" door will lead us

to where the high school girl d*ed.

I don't know why there's no door

to connect to the back of the building.

I must have overlooked something,

but what?

There shouldn't be any space left

for them to create a trap.

And if that's the case

[suspenseful music]

We're wasting time! We're all gonna die!

You haven't even opened a door!

What are you even talking about?

Don't blame this on me!

- [Shibuki coughing]

- [Chota] Stop it, you two!

- Wait

- [Chota] Wait!

Chota, you took a video of the first room!

There's no time for that!

[announcer] Thirty seconds remaining.

[Arisu] I could've missed something.

[Chota] doors to an art gallery.

[Karube] Which door do you think it is?

[breathing heavily]

[Karube] Ah, f*ck!

[Chota] What'll happen if our time's up?

[girl] I can't take it,

I can't breathe!

[Arisu shuddering]

- [Arisu] There's no door!

- Huh?

There's no door in the room

the girl entered!

- What does that mean?

- There's a door here!

- [announcer] Ten seconds remain.

- [Arisu] That means

The room the high-school girl d*ed

isn't next to us!

You mean what?

There's another room on the other side!

- [Shibuki whimpers]

- [announcer] Three, two, one.

[Arisu grunts]

[screams]

[announcer] The time limit for this room

is ten seconds.

Ten seconds?

- Are you kidding?

- [Chota screaming]

It's not "Alive"! It's "Dead"!

Don't open it, it's a trap!

[announcer] Five, four,

- three

- Hurry!

- [announcer] two, one.

- [screaming]

[flames blast]

- [all panting]

- [Shibuki] Which way now?

[Arisu] Head downstairs!

[all panting]

[Karube] C'mon, Chota. You can do it.

[panting continues]

[groans]

- [grunting]

- [phones chime]

[announcer] Game cleared.

GAME CLEARED

[announcer] Congratulations.

[all panting]

- [Chota grunting]

- It's all thanks to you.

[breathing heavily]

Thank you.

[Chota] It's my karma.

[all panting]

[groans in pain]

[breathing heavily]

[Chota grunting]

[eerie music]

[Chota grunting]

[phone chimes]

[announcer] To the survivors of the game,

we will now supply you with a visa.

WE WILL SUPPLY ALL GAME SURVIVORS

WITH A 3-DAY VISA

Visa?

[footsteps approaching]

I'm going to

drop out of the game!

Listen. There's no end to the game,

no matter how much you clear.

My visa just ended today.

[breathing heavily]

And now

I wish to play no longer.

[zapping]

[ominous music]

GM BUILDING

[lights buzz out]

[suspenseful music]

When your visa expires,

you must return to the game or

Our visas will end too.

We've got three days.

If you don't want to die,

you'll have to continue playing the game.

[dire music]

[lasers zapping, rumbling]

[zapping continues]

[dire music builds]

[closing theme music]

BASED ON THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

ALICE IN BORDERLAND BY HARO ASO