Himari Horikawa (堀川 向葵里, Horikawa Himari) is a major character in Alice in Borderland RETRY, who participates in the Nine of Hearts game, "Earth Invasion".
Appearance[]
Himari is a young woman with short blond hair. She is depicted wearing a light-colored blouse, denim shorts, and black slippers.
Personality[]
Himari is an emotional person who easily gives in to panic. Instead of calming down and analyzing her situation, she resorts to running away without looking back. However, she also displays her caring side, as she constantly worries about her father, Yuzuru Horikawa, who is forced to play the game along with her.
History[]
Himari lost her mother when she was young, and her father raised her by himself.
A few hours before getting transported to the Borderland, Himari was spending an evening with her father in a restaurant, where she congratulated him on becoming an executive, and he commended her on recently becoming a daycare worker. He apologized for always focusing on his work and not spending enough time with her, but she expressed her gratitude for his parenthood and insisted that she became a contributing member of society thanks to him. Their conversation was interrupted by a waiter, who broke a bottle on their table in frustration and explained that he was a son of the woman whose insurance claim Yuzuru denied eight years prior. The man blamed Yuzuru and Himari for having gotten happy by purposely ruining other people's lives and profiting from it.
Story []
Hall 1[]
Himari looking at the replica of New York
Himari arrives in the Borderland after a large billboard fell onto her, her father, and a few more strangers, including Arisu who tried to warn them. They all end up on the verge of death with no recollection of the incident, and the "Earth Invasion" game begins. Himari repeats multiple times that she is scared and then attempts to leave the venue shortly after seeing a dead body, but Arisu stops her just in time for Masatsugu Kitou to examine the corpse and confirm the likelihood of it being burnt by a laser at the entrance.
While listening to the game rules, Himari realizes that nobody can leave after they enter and feels terrified, so she panics and calls the game a prank. As Round 1 begins, she advocates for the idea of not using the "DEATH" card for the time being and exchanges "LIFE" cards with her father. Everyone enters their shelters, and the first alien invasion begins. Himari notices that the ground is shaking. After it is over, the players walk out and see that the replica of New York has been completely destroyed.
Hall 2[]
Himari seeing no way out and crying
Himari properly introduces herself and notes that she is a daycare worker. She remembers how she played musical chairs at the daycare with no losers, and the revelation of the necessity to play a similar game now, when her life is at stake, depresses her, so she starts crying on her father's chest. Hearing as Onoue suggests cooperation, Himari claims that giving "LIFE" cards to each other in a circle would simply result in stalemate, which she is strongly opposed to. In panic, she decides to give her "DEATH" card to another person straight away, but then realizes the possibility of dying in the last hall if there are only two people left and only one of them does not have a "DEATH" card.
Feeling her fear, Yuzuru promises to protect her no matter the cost. Since nobody owes anyone anything in this game, there is no fool-proof plan with a guaranteed "LIFE" card, because anyone can simply refuse to transfer one in return, which is something all the players quickly realize.
Himari begging for her father's life to be spared
Taiga suggests drawing lots instead of standing and panicking, but Kitou insists on discussing whose life is worth saving, and whose can be sacrificed for the greater good. Yuzuru supports this conversation, and Himari insists on having a family member participating, which is why their lives have to be spared, since she cannot see her father die in front of her. She also points out his contributions to society, which enforces his position as a survivor, so she begs the others to make a different choice.
The discussion eventually leads to the conclusion that either Arisu or Taiga have to be left out. As Arisu attempts to validate his survival, Taiga gets aggravated, kicks the replica of the Tower of Pisa to attract attention, and takes out a knife covered in blood.
Since Taiga threatens to kill everyone and steal their phones, Onoue decides to fight him, but Kitou suggests drawing lots instead. Himari draws the five of spades card, but it is not the smallest, as Taiga drew an ace, which was set up by Kitou. Enraged, Taiga lashes at Himari, intending to murder her with his knife and demanding a "LIFE". At the last moment, Yuzuru jumps before Himari and protects her with his own body. She falls on the ground and screams in terror, seeing her father stabbed in the chest.
Himari trying to hide from Taiga in her shelter
Yuzuru is stabbed by Taiga, he falls on the ground, covered in blood, and Himari yells out his name in shock. Taiga walks towards her and swings his fist holding the knife in an attempt to attack her next, but the warning system activates, and an alien-looking lamp at the ceiling shoots down a laser, cutting off Taiga's hand and preventing him from using further violence, which saves Himari from the inevitable.
Kitou urges everyone to exchange "LIFE" cards, since the countdown starts beeping, and Himari pairs up with her father. Realizing that he cannot walk, she tries to pull him up and asks for help to carry him over to his shelter. Covered in his blood, Himari enters her own pod, but before she can close the door, Taiga appears in front of her demanding entry. She struggles to push him away, but soon afterwards the warning system strikes again, forcing Taiga to fall on the ground. Himari quickly shuts the door, and the alien invasion begins. She survives and walks out of the shelter along with the others to witness Taiga's disintegrated body.
Hall 3[]
The remaining players enter Hall 3, and the third round begins. The hall contains a replica of Egyptian landmarks, and the temperature inside is as hot as people would imagine to feel in Egypt. Yuzuru falls down, and Himari rushes towards him, calling out his name. Kitou's attempt to stop the bleeding results in the conclusion that Yuzuru does not have much time left, and Himari accuses him of purposely letting her father die due to the situation they are in. Onoue interrupts and reprimands her for looking down on Kitou, whose judgement as a doctor is correct.
Himari keeps crying as she is looking at her father, who admits his past mistakes and tells the others to give him their "DEATH" cards, asking to keep Himari alive.
Himari screaming at Onoue to stop her from using the "DEATH" card on Yuzuru
Enraged Himari promises never to forgive Kitou for her father's death
Despite her father's wish, Himari protests against anyone giving him their "DEATH" cards. She weeps by his body, shaken and heartbroken. As the time almost runs out, she exchanges "LIFE" cards with Arisu. Just as the quartet is about to enter the shelters, Yuzuru asks Kitou not to lie anymore, and Himari finds out about the trick with cards which led to Taiga's death and to her father getting stabbed. Enraged and devastated, she promises never to forgive Kitou for Yuzuru's death. Yuzuru urges her to enter the safe pod, and she does so while tears keep rolling down her cheeks.
As the players enter Hall 4, they end up in a room with low temperature, covered in snow, which contains the replica of Russia. Himari instantly transfers her "DEATH" card to Kitou, completely losing control of her emotions.
"I don't care... as long as you die!"
— Himari to Kitou while showing him her phone
Hall 4[]
Himari transfers her "DEATH" card to Kitou
After Himari gives her "DEATH" card to Kitou, this decision is cancelled by Onoue's "LIFE" card, which nullifies the result. Himari points out that it will not be enough to enter a shelter, and Onoue explains her feelings about helping people in their final moments. Himari decides not to give her "LIFE" card to anyone this round, claiming that she does not care about anyone's survival, including her own, but Arisu's reason to survive makes her hesitate.
Learning that Arisu has a child, Himari feels guilty for her decision to let everyone die. As is he panicking and trying to prove to her that he needs to survive, she stops him by transferring a "LIFE" card to his phone. Relieved, Arisu sends her a "LIFE" in return. Then they both enter their shelters and close the doors.
As the duo reaches Hall 5, they realize that Onoue is not with them. Suddenly, the doors open and Kitou walks in, shocking them with the fact that he survived instead of Onoue.
Hall 5[]
Himari watches Kitou giving Arisu a "DEATH" card and urging him to accept the inevitable. If Arisu decides to rebel, he and Kitou will die, leaving Himari alone in Hall 6 with nobody to receive her "LIFE" card, which would mean her death as well because the condition to clear the game is to get rid of all the cards.
Himari calling Kitou horrible
In all the options suggested by Kitou, Himari would survive Hall 5 in order to become the dropout of Hall 6 and allow Kitou to survive the game. Hearing Kitou's ultimatum to Arisu, Himari calls him a horrible person and reminds him that Onoue worried about him until the very end.
When Arisu asks about Himari's game at a daycare, she gets surprised at first but then explains that young children are not always competitive, which is why she played musical chairs with no losers, trying not to hurt anyone's feelings and not making kids wait for too long if they lose. Her words help Arisu confirm his theory about the game intentionally being misleading from the start, because the shelter capacity is no longer readable on the safe pods, which means they can contain more than one person at a time. Himari recalls that they checked the capacity only once in Hall 1 and never again, so she agrees with Arisu's conclusion.
The further explanation makes her realize that the true strategy of the game has always been cooperation and letting each other survive.
Himari listens to Arisu and Kitou discussing the current situation. As Arisu gives his "DEATH" card to the corpse's phone and a "LIFE" card to Kitou, Himari realizes what he is proposing to do, so she gives a "LIFE" card to him. To Kitou's protests, Arisu explains that Himari, whom Kitou is planning to sacrifice in Hall 6 in order to survive alone, may simply refuse to give her "LIFE" card to him, dooming them both.
Arisu's speech melts Kitou's heart, so he agrees to the plan and gives both Himari and Arisu a "LIFE" card. After Arisu walks into a shelter, Kitou tries to unlock the same door the second time and succeeds, so Himari happily exclaims that the plan was correct, and they can all survive. All the players hide, and an alien invasion begins.
Hall 6, the last room to clear, contains a replica of Tokyo. There are two shelters with a readable wording on the walls, "Capacity: 3 people".
Hall 6[]
Himari slaps Kitou
The players enter Hall 6, which contains a replica of Tokyo. They are happy to see two shelters with three people capacity, because they have used up all their "DEATH" cards, so the only thing left to do is exchange "LIFE" cards and go back to the real world. However, Kitou starts blaming himself and refuses to go into a safe pod. Himari slaps him across the face and claims that the three of them would not be standing in the final room had he not found the extra phone and brought it along. She instantly transfers her last "LIFE" card to him and insists that he has to keep living in order to save the lives of a thousand patients like he promised. Additionally, she does not wish to see anyone else die in vain, like her father did. Eventually, everyone exchanges "LIFE" cards and enters the last shelters.
Time is up, and the final alien invasion begins. However, instead of the laser destroying the replica of Tokyo, the announcement voice congratulates the players on clearing the game, and fireworks appear behind the tiny buildings. The safe pods are transported back, and the trio wakes up without any memories of the game. Himari is heartbroken to know that her father is dead, so she cries by his body. Then she thanks Arisu for shielding her with his body when the sign fell onto them, because he saved her life.
Etymology[]
- The name Himari means "yonder, facing, beyond, confront, defy, tend toward, approach" (向) (hi), "hollyhock, althea" (葵) (ma) and "village" (里) (ri).
- Himari's surname Horikawa means "moat, ditch, canal" (堀) (hori) and "river, stream" (川) (kawa).