Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Shinsuke Sato, Netflix’s ‘Alice in Borderland‘ is an adaptation of the eponymous manga by Haro Aso, telling the story of Ryohei Arisu, a carefree gamer whose life is turned upside down when he is pulled into a strange reality separate from the world he calls home. Here, the only rule of survival is to play games and win them by any means necessary. With each obstacle that he encounters, Arisu’s curiosity about the nature of this realm continues to grow. However, by the end of the second season, the protagonist, along with the rest of the survivors, exits the magical world with no memory of what transpired. In season 3 of this science fiction thriller, Arisu is brought back to play more games, and along with that comes another chance to unravel the truth. In the season finale, he comes face to face with what might be his only way of making sense of his new life. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Watchman Guards the Rift Between Life and Death
The Watchman is a supernatural entity introduced in the final episode of season 3, who controls the interstice between life and death. We learn that he is the figure who has been pulling the strings all along, guiding Banda to create a new game. However, Banda fails to live up to his promise, in large part due to his personal enmity with Arisu. In that moment, the Watchman steps into the fray himself, killing Banda and saving the protagonist’s life. The entity has the ability to play with the very fabric of reality in the Borderland, as shown by his stopping the flow of time itself. This provides the grounds for a conversation between him and Arisu, where he outlines what he truly stands for. Initially assumed to be the Joker, he quickly dispels that notion, instead describing the Joker as simply a mechanism that brings chaos into every realm it touches.
As such, the Watchman’s true position on a cosmic scale is more reactive than proactive, and he describes his job as keeping track of who passes from the world of the living to enter the world of the dead. That also means that he is the final entity all living beings see when they meet their end, giving a purgatorial dimension to the Borderland. A notable feature of the character is his seeming blindness, which can be interpreted as a symbol of his impartiality, given that heaven and hell do not exist in this world. There is also another meaning to his appearance, as he believes that every single person he interacts with is bound to the currents of causality. With no individual will of his own, the Watchman merely serves as an observing figure who only uses his abilities when fate itself is disrupted. This puts a new light on his dynamic with Arisu, who has shown his tenacity to bend the universe to his will.
Initially, the Watchman toys with Arisu by inviting him to a rigged game; another motif with ties to the universe’s domination over the character. However, the entity then offers Arisu a choice between the world of life and death, symbolized by a sunlit path on one hand, and an all-encompassing vortex on the other. The Watchman’s intention here is to test the protagonist’s resolve when lured with the peace of death. When Arisu chooses to return to his life and face all of his problems head-on, the entity is pleasantly surprised. This, however, might have a dark connotation to it, as Arisu might just have replaced Banda as the object of the Watchman’s attention. With a new game, bigger than ever, on the cusp of manifesting, all we have heard from the entity is that he expects a huge number of departed souls to flow his way, which adds to the ominous future of the narrative.
Actor Ken Watanabe Brings the Watchman’s Enigmas to Life
The Watchman presents a nigh unsolvable enigma in his reality-manipulating powers and twisted omniscient statements. This larger-than-life character is essayed by veteran actor Ken Watanabe, whose cameo appearance is potent enough to steal the entire spotlight. The actor is famous for his Hollywood features, having worked on a number of blockbusters such as ‘Inception,’ ‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu,’ and ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ where he plays Saito, Lieutenant Hide Yoshida, and Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, respectively. Alongside these, Watanabe is also famous for playing Katsumoto in ‘The Last Samurai‘, wherein his performance landed him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
While Ken Watanabe enjoys significant international success, he is also renowned for his work in Japanese movies and television shows. Some of his most popular works include ‘Unforgiven,’ ‘The Memories of Happiness,’ and ‘The Creator,’ as well as shows such as ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Tokyo Vice.’ With a plethora of creative projects under his belt, the actor has established himself as one of the sought-after names in the industry, and his role in ‘Alice in Borderland’ is likely to gain more significance in the potential sequel. As the layers of the Watchman’s character continue to unravel, Watanabe’s acting prowess is likely to continue working its magic, adding more mystical intrigue to the narrative.
Read More: Alice in Borderland Season 3 Ending Explained: Does Arisu Save Usagi?
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