Manga
Netflix
Ginji Kyūma (久間欣治, Kyuuma Ginji) is a supporting character in Alice in Borderland. He is a Citizen who serves as the King of Clubs (クラブのキング, Kurabu no Kingu) in the Borderland. He is portrayed by Tomohisa Yamashita.
Appearance[]
Kyuma is a tall, middle-aged man with a muscular build. He has straight shoulder-length black hair and dark brown eyes. Throughout the game, he appears nude, wearing no shirt, pants, or shoes, which is criticized by his teammates and makes players uncomfortable, though his genitals are always out of sight, hidden by specific camera angles. His buttocks are often seen when he is presented from a back view.
Personality[]
One of his defining features is that he takes pride in being nude. He deems wearing clothes a "social construct", claiming that nudists have been around for many years.
Despite being on the other side of the games as a Citizen, Kyuma does not present himself as an antagonist and acts amicably towards the people he plays against. He does not seem to enjoy players' suffering, does not use dirty tricks during the game, and instead attempts to guide Arisu with his example, sharing his views on how to be a good leader. As highlighted after the point distribution, Kyuma treats his teammates as equals, which is why he gives them all an equal number of points, even though it might not be strategically practical. At the end of the game, he chooses to trust Arisu and shakes his hand, failing to see through Tatta's plan, which results in his team's defeat and the impending deaths of all his friends. Even so, he accepts his demise with pride, dying without regrets.
History[]
Back in the real world, Kyuma was a vocalist of a music band called "The Sology", alongside Shitara, Uta, Maki, and Goken. They were successful musicians with a large audience. After their last concert, they discussed their score, and Kyuma suggested that whoever performed worst should be the designated driver for the others.
Story[]
Kyuma explaining his philosophy
As five players have gathered by the entrance to the "Osmosis" game arena, the doors open, and the group enters the venue. The screen lights up with "The Sology" logo, and the announcement states that the King of Clubs team has arrived. Shitara, Uta, Maki, and Goken walk towards the players first, and then Kyuma himself follows them, introducing himself to the players, who are visibly shocked by his appearance. When Kyuma does not realize the problem, Uta jokes that he is scaring the guests, and Shitara advises him to put on some pants.
"What? Why? Nudists have been around for centuries. It is a perfectly normal lifestyle. Wearing clothes is a social construct, there is no biological need for them. Living life in our natural state is humanity's true form."
— Kyuma justifying his nudity
In response to Arisu's question, Kyuma explains that they are Citizens of this country.
After a flashback of the band's past, Kyuma explains that Shitara was the one who created the "Osmosis" game. In response to Usagi's question, Kyuma generously shares the general rules of the Second Stage: players compete against Citizens, who are fighting for their lives, so either the players survive, resulting in the Citizens' deaths, or vice versa. That means Kyuma's life is at stake as well as everyone else's.
Point distribution example
Battling example
Base infinite points explanation
The rules of the game are simple: when the two-hour time limit runs out, the team with more points wins.
- Each team begins with 10 000 points and divides them between the team members the way they see fit.
- Earning points is possible via battle, collecting items, and attacking the base:
- To initiate a battle, you need to touch your opponent, and the outcome will depend on who has more points on their wristband, with the winner stealing 500 points from the loser. By holding hands, players are able to battle using their combined points;
- There are six items hidden inside shipping containers; each of them gives a certain amount of points to the team.
- Each team has a base. Touching the opponents' base gives 10 000 points to the team. While a player is touching their own base, they have infinite points and cannot be defeated in battle. If a player is touching their base and someone tries to battle them, the opponent will lose 10 000 points, their score will drop below zero, and they will be killed by the laser.
- After battling or touching a base, players are temporarily out of commission, meaning they are immune, their points are frozen, and they cannot participate in the game until they touch their own base again. If someone touches an opponent who is out of commission, both will get electrocuted.
While explaining the rules, Kyuma asks Usagi to hold Arisu's hand, noticing the tension between them and pointing out that being a couple suits them. Before the game begins, Arisu introduces himself and asks Kyuma whether it is possible to return to the real world after clearing all the Face Card games; however, Kyuma gets irritated by that question.
"You are making it sound like your world must be the real one. Tell me something. How many real, heart-to-heart conversations did you have there? Our flaws, our pride. Those are exposed here, in this world. When we look death in the eye, we face true human nature and reality. This world is more real than any you left behind. These games are conversations. Let's talk exposing our true souls. You want the truth, huh? Face me with everything you have first."
— Kyuma to Arisu
The game begins, and Kyuma is excited. After Arisu and Kuina find an item, he is already waiting for them to battle, mentioning that he has overheard their conversation about Arisu and Usagi fighting. He comments about Arisu's personality as he sees it:
"You have a certain strength about you. The look of someone who has faced death. A man who will do whatever it takes. So it is strange... why would this confidence be shaken now?"
Kyuma battling Arisu and losing
He shares a glimpse of his life story about being a musician and turns it into a lesson for Arisu, claiming that his friends would always support him despite any disagreements, which is what being a good leader is about: not pushing people into following someone for no reason, but being ready to listen and letting them know they can depend on you. Kyuma then offers Arisu his hand and proposes a battle, encouraging Arisu to give everything he has got to this game, and the battle results in Kyuma's loss, despite Arisu letting go of Kuina, because Kyuma distributed the points evenly and ended up only with 2 000.
"My four teammates and I are equals. We live or die together. So did you learn something just now?"
— Kyuma teaching Arisu about leadership
After the first round of battles ends, Kyuma, Maki, and Goken return to the base. Everyone seems upset with the current situation, and Goken blames Kyuma for the point distribution, but Shitara defends the leader and claims that it was a group decision. Then both Kyuma and Shitara come up with a plan to change the odds, which they voice simultaneously off-screen.
Kyuma witnesses Shitara's death
While Tatta is alone at the base, four Citizens attack from all four sides. They know the risks and have accepted that one of them will die in the process, but they run at Tatta anyway, with Kyuma openly giving him the choice of who to kill on contact. The attack results in 30 000 points earned when three players touch the base, then a loss of 10 000 points when Tatta touches the fourth player. The player whose points drop below zero ends up being Shitara, and Kyuma promises never to forget what he did for the team. Looking at his dead body, Kyuma cries, realizing he has lost his best friend, and then the three remaining Citizens bring Shitara's body back to their base, where Uta is waiting for them.
As the second round of battles begins, Kyuma and Uta wait for Arisu inside one of the item containers. Uta steals the item by pressing the button first, and Kyuma states that this is the most valuable item in the game. When Arisu realizes that nobody is guarding their base, Kyuma scoffs and reaffirms his confidence that the players do not have the guts to invade the opposing base after what happened to Shitara.
"By joining the games, you get to know who the other players truly are."
Reminiscing about his past and grieving over Shitara's death, Kyuma touches Arisu's shoulder to initiate a battle and wins 500 points for his team, urging Arisu to remember that this is a game of life and death.
Realizing that they are now winning by 12 000 points, the Citizens remain at their base, and Uta happily concludes that guarding the metal pole will guarantee their victory. After Goken decides to chase Usagi, Kuina, Arisu, and Niragi come to the Citizens' base from different sides. Kuina taunts them verbally, which rattles Kyuma, so he, Uta, and Maki hold on to the metal pole, preparing for an attack. Arisu runs towards Kyuma and pretends to reach for the pole, but Kyuma grabs his wrist just before it happens. However, Arisu is out of commission, which results in both him and Kyuma being electrocuted instead of battling. After Niragi manages to touch the base and get 10 000 points, and Kuina's attempt fails, Kyuma praises Arisu's plan but points out its failure.
Kyuma decides to take a walk and goes towards the ocean, while his teammates stay at the base. There he waits for Arisu, who eventually finds him and admits defeat.
"Ocean is big, that is why we are drawn to it. We want to commune with something bigger than we are."
— Kyuma about his decision to see the ocean
Kyuma agrees to shake Arisu's hand
Seeing that Arisu has no regrets, Kyuma feels disappointed and refuses to answer his question, since Arisu has given up, and the initial condition was to "face him with everything he had got". Arisu does not argue; he smiles and suggests shaking hands for the last time, which confuses Kyuma, because the game is not over and a handshake would initiate a battle that Arisu cannot win. Arisu expresses gratitude for Kyuma's guidance and wishes to thank him properly, which touches Kyuma, and he agrees, claiming that battling Arisu was a pleasure. As they shake hands, the score changes, and Kyuma suddenly loses 500 points, which means his team has lost the game. He is confused at how Arisu managed to get more points than him, assuming it is a trick, and Arisu reveals Tatta's wristband that was in his pocket. Kyuma realizes what the plan was and confirms his team's defeat. To Arisu's question about the fear of death, Kyuma answers negatively and elaborates that it is not death he worries about but his friend, Shitara, who promised to beat him up in the afterlife should his sacrifice be in vain.
Kyuma accepting his death
As Arisu attempts to ask questions about returning to the real world, Kyuma keeps giving vague answers and claiming that whatever Arisu's intuition is telling him is the truth. Seeing as Arisu is about to give up playing, Kyuma says that it will not give him the answer.
"You will never be like me, Arisu, and you shouldn't want that. You are playing your own game. You are the master of your own fate."
— Kyuma's last life lesson to Arisu
The timer runs out, and the King of Clubs game is over. Kyuma wishes Arisu luck and walks away, but Arisu suddenly screams that he does not want him to die. Kyuma reminds him that one of them was always meant to die at the end and confirms that they have been friends the whole time because the game brought them together. He then jumps onto the edge of the dock, reflecting on his life, which he lived without a single regret. The sound of the crowd cheering from his musician days fills his thoughts, the laser shoots through his head, and his body falls into the ocean.
Games Played[]
as a Citizen in the Current Immigration Period
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Etymology[]
- The forename Ginji consists of the kanji "欣" (gin) (take pleasure in, rejoice) and "治" (ji) (cure).
- The surname Kyuuma is a combination of the kanji "久" (kyuu) (long time) and "間" (ma) (space, interval).