Alice in Borderland - Episode 2

   In episode 2, Chota is in quite a lot of pain from his injury. In trying to escape from a dangerous fire in the previous episode, his leg was badly burned and he has difficulty walking. His two friends (Arisu and Karube) try to help and encourage him, but they have to leave him in the care of a fourth survivor who joined their group, Saori Shibuki. Her motives are not altogether trustworthy because it’s eventually revealed that she has a habit of using people for her own selfish goals. Nevertheless, she and Chota are left behind to watch out for each other as Arisu and Karube decide to enter another game so that they can increase the amount of time they have on their visa. This is the main motivation for all the players in the game. They are forced to compete/play. Otherwise, they will be killed.  This is the chief dilemma of the TV show. The characters can either choose to play and risk death or choose not to play and be killed.

   In this game, Arisu and Karube, along with other players, are in an apartment building racing against time to prevent a bomb from exploding. They face even more pressure, because one of the players, dressed in all black, is carrying a machine gun and murdering any player they find. Arisu tries to get everyone to work together because he believes that through cooperative action more people can survive. Usagi, an experienced mountain climber in her previous life, cooperates with Arisu and they are able to prevent the explosion. However, along the way, Karube gets stabbed in a fight. In the final scenes of the episode, the group find a clue that suggests that other players are gathering at a place called “The Beach”.

Japanese words that I recognized: 近くに　Used when Shibuki warns others in the building about the location of the player with the gun | ごめんなさい　Shibuki says this just before she abandons a middle-aged lady who is immediately killed

Alice in Borderland - Episode 1

 

Alice in Borderland is a science-fiction/suspense series about three aimless high school friends (Arisu, Karube and Chōta) who are mysteriously transported to a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where they have to fight to stay alive. It's based on a Japanese manga series which started in 2010.

Episode One - The three friends ditch their responsibilities and meet at Shibuya Crossing. They get into trouble and hide from the police in a bathroom. When they leave the bathroom, they discover that the entire city of Tokyo has been abandoned. Later that night a bright billboard directs them to a game area. They get there and realize that they will be killed by a laser that shoots down from the sky if they leave. So, they are forced to play along with other random people who arrive. In the first game, they are in an apartment building and have to choose the correct rooms to enter or they die. All three friends make it to the end of the game, but Chota's leg is burned badly by a fire as they make their final escape. They receive a few days reprieve before the next deadly game starts.

Japan Sinks: 2020 - Listening Activity

 

I first watched Japanese anime as a high school student. After I left for college, I did not watch any Japanese anime at all. So, this is the first time that I have watched it in a while. I really like the show "Japan Sinks: 2020". In the plot, a major earthquake devastates Japan in the Summer of 2020. Consequently, over the course of the series Japan slowly sinks into the ocean. Amid this catastrophe a Japanese family struggles to find each other, stay together, avoid danger and survive. They meet fellow survivors as they make their way to safety.

While the apocalyptic storyline is tense and scary. The anime series is ultimately about hope and humanity's capacity to overcome adversity. Some key characters die, and others suffer tragedies.  But in the end, the movie celebrates the triumph of the human spirit and the irrepressible fortitude of the Japanese people.

I was able to recognize important words and phrases. For example, the 10-year-old son of the family (Gu Mutoh) talked about playing video games and often commented on the things and activities he liked and disliked. I also learned about different phrases and terms that are used to address older people because Gu Mutoh frequently had conversations with a 79-year-old supermarket owner Kunio Hikita.