Picture: Kento Yamazaki as Arisu in Alice in Borderland season 3 – Netflix
Just when we thought it was over, Alice in Borderland left us with a huge cliffhanger to conclude the third season, seemingly setting up a possible English adaptation or spin-off of the beloved series. But does Alice in Borderland need an English adaptation? Let’s discuss below!
Produced by Robot Communications and adapted from Haro Aso’s beloved manga of the same name, Alice in Borderland has easily been the best live-action adaptation of a manga Netflix has produced to date, and outside of anime, it is arguably Netflix’s best Japanese Original to date, too.
The series has gone from strength to strength, amassing a sizeable and passionate audience who waited patiently for almost three years between the release of seasons 2 and 3. What’s even more impressive is that the three-year wait did not result in a significant drop in viewing figures, unlike the majority of originals; in fact, the series was able to grow its audience. This is sure to grab the attention of some executives at Netflix.
ALICE IN BORDERLAND grew its audience in season 3!
It debuted with 8.5 million views, up from 7.2 million for season 2, which was released three years ago. pic.twitter.com/7xVg4cgV4K
— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) September 30, 2025
But is season 3 the last of Alice in Borderland on Netflix? Is a fourth season on the way, or does that ending mean we’re about to see Alice in Borderland take the same direction as Squid Game, and move forward with an English adaptation?
Is Netflix moving forward with an English adaptation?
Since the conclusion of Alice in Borderland, we’ve had radio silence from Netflix or any of the series’ staff regarding a potential English adaptation. This means that everything we discuss from here on out is purely speculative, based on the evidence presented in the series, fan demand, and more.
With the limited information available, the series itself has potentially answered a couple of questions: Where would an English adaptation be set? Most likely Los Angeles. Who would be the main character of the English adaptation? A waitress named Alice.
Why Los Angeles?
Shibuya Crossing and the Rainbow Bridge of Tokyo Bay were iconic filming locations in Alice in Borderland. Los Angeles is another city with an astonishing number of iconic landmarks, including the TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Observatory, Rose Bowl Stadium, the Hollywood Sign, and many more. With so many iconic landmarks scattered across the sprawling metropolis, it would make sense for the Greater Los Angeles Area to be the perfect location for an English adaptation.
Picture: TCL Chinese Theatre (left), Rose Bowl Stadium (centre), and Griffith Observatory (right)
Other iconic locations used in the original Japanese adaptation also came from Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Shiga, which means an English adaptation wouldn’t have to restrict itself to just the Greater Los Angeles Area. Other cities that would be perfect destinations for English adaptations, as well as other languages, include New York City, London, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome.
Why Alice?
Why indeed. Given that the story is directly inspired by Lewis Carroll’s beloved novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it goes without saying that the next lead of the series should be named Alice.
The lead character of the story, Ryohei Arisu, is also named after Alice, but with a Japanese pronunciation.
If a name other than Alice is selected for an English adaptation, we would think Harry or Harriet would be great alternatives and would be directly inspired by the character of the Mad Hatter. In the eyes of many, Arisu is the “Alice” of this world, but using the name Alice in an English adaptation will forever remain the obvious choice.
What would an English adaptation of Alice in Borderland look like?
There are multiple ways to answer this question, but each answer is heavily reliant on the intentions of an English adaptation.
What about a reboot?
If a reboot is planned, then this would be a sincere waste of time. It wouldn’t offer anything new beyond a switch in language, and while the acting in the English dub is certainly not on par with the Japanese actors, at least that remains an option for many, allowing fans to still enjoy the physical performances of the Japanese actors.
A straightforward reboot, with the story simply being an English adaptation, would serve only to be fodder for the cancellation block. The series is already a unicorn, being one of the very few Netflix live-action adaptations that have been praised so extensively by fans. For another show to come along and retread ground already covered in a superior adaptation is a one-way ticket to cancellation, and to reiterate once more, you can still watch the English dub of the Japanese adaptation right now.
What about a soft reboot?
Even a soft reboot is likely to be poorly received. Unless we see the direct influence of Arisu on the story, an English adaptation would feel like we’re treading the same ground as we witness a brand-new cast of characters undergo the same trials and tribulations with very similar results as their Japanese counterparts.
Perhaps if new games were added to the story, then that would certainly pique the interest of fans, but beyond that, a soft reboot may just be a pale imitation of what came before.
What about a sequel?
For an English adaptation to take place, the best of both worlds would be an “international” sequel, which would not only feature English-speaking cast members, and primarily take place in Los Angeles like we’ve discussed above, but the games in Borderland could take place across various locations across the world, and involve actors from all over the world. This would also mean we could see Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya reprise their roles as Arisu and Usagi, as both actors have expressed interest in returning to play their iconic characters one day.
In our opinion, having Kento Yamazaki return is a must. His performances as Arisu have been nothing short of phenomenal, and fans would be overjoyed to see him return.
Picture: Kento Yamazaki as Arisu in Alice in Borderland – Robot Communications
What about adapting Alice on Border Road?
One of the best options for any adaptation would be utilizing the story of Alice on Border Road, the spin-off manga of Alice in Borderland. The story is a separate one from that of Alice in Borderland and features its own unique, colorful, and dysfunctional characters who attempt to stay alive on their journey through Borderland, from Kyoto to Tokyo.
An English adaptation could instead see Alice and the other characters trapped in Borderland attempt to make their way from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Picture: Alice on Border Road manga volumes 1-3
Should Netflix move forward with an English adaptation of Alice in Borderland?
Truthfully… No. Netflix should not move forward with an English adaptation of Alice in Borderland, and we would approach any such adaptation with the same level of apprehension as we do for the upcoming English adaptation/sequel of Squid Game.
It’s extremely rare for a live-action adaptation of a manga to be so universally well praised and received by critics and fans alike. That to us means the best version of Alice in Borderland you are ever going to see is already available on Netflix.
Do you think there should be a US spinoff to ALICE IN BORDERLAND? pic.twitter.com/IUCi1sAtSU
— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) October 2, 2025
There is an argument to be made that an English adaptation would open the door to new fans; our retort to that is simply one title, Squid Game. While it is true that Squid Game occupies a unique position as Netflix’s most successful series ever, it is also true that the language barrier did not stop the series from becoming a streaming juggernaut.
While Alice in Borderland is not one of Netflix’s streaming juggernauts, we would still argue that the language barrier did not stop the series from becoming one of Netflix’s most successful Japanese Originals ever.
There isn’t much more an English adaptation could achieve that the Japanese version hasn’t already.
Would you like to see a continuation of Alice in Borderland? Or would you like to see an English adaptation on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
