Ryūji Matsuyama (松山隆二, Matsuyama Ryuuji) is a major character in Season 3 of Alice in Borderland. He is part of Usagi's Team. He is portrayed by Kento Kaku.
Appearance[]
Ryuji is a man in his thirties with wavy dark hair. In the real world, he wears a light grey button-up shirt paired with a slightly darker jacket and matching trousers. After arriving in the Borderland, he changes into a dark green shirt with a thick dark brown suit jacket on top.
The most distinctive feature of his appearance, compared to other characters, is the wheelchair he uses in both worlds. Due to his inability to walk, Ryuji regularly trains his upper body, so his arms and torso are notably muscular.
Personality[]
Ryuji is a composed and analytical individual who approaches life with calm reasoning and emotional restraint. As a researcher of the afterlife, he maintains a scientific mindset even in the Borderland, constantly seeking logical solutions to the games. He usually speaks in a serious and emotionless tone unless the situation becomes heated, and he never provokes conflict or responds to verbal or physical attacks. Even if everyone in the room is in panic, Ryuji is the last to show any form of concern or anxiety.
Although he appears detached and aloof, using other players as shields to protect himself, Ryuji is not entirely heartless, as he deeply cares about the people important to him. The idea of taking the life of a person he is attached to terrifies him, and when he accidentally causes the death of his student, it haunts him for many years, depriving him of sleep. As well as caring for others, Ryuji is also vulnerable when it comes to receiving appreciation and approval. Gaining recognition for his research becomes his ultimate wish, and rejection becomes his greatest fear.
While confined to a wheelchair, Ryuji relies on his upper body strength and refuses assistance whenever possible, viewing independence as both a necessity and a form of dignity. He also manages to utilize his condition for the benefit of others, pushing his wheelchair to stop the doors from locking, or holding Usagi's full weight with one arm to stop her from falling off the tower.
History[]
Ryuji used to have a student who was interested in his research of the afterlife and attended his lectures. She volunteered to take some medicine in order to get the near-death experience. However, the experiment went wrong, and the girl passed away. Ryuji was suspected of murder but not charged due to the lack of evidence. He attempted to take his own life out of guilt, which resulted in a car crash and left him confined to a wheelchair. The image of the last time he saw his student keeps haunting him throughout the story.
Same as the other participants of the Joker Tournament, Ryuji had played multiple games before due to the car accident, making his Sojourn in Season 3 a return to the Borderland rather than his first visit.
Story[]
Ryuji interviewing Arisu
Ryuji is a researcher of the afterlife who works at a university and interviews the victims of the meteorite disaster. He tries to get answers out of Arisu, because multiple other victims have mentioned a deserted city, games with their lives on the line, and fireworks, but Arisu barely remembers anything useful. Ryuji asks whether he dreamt of anything while unconscious, and Arisu recalls a journey, but his attempts to provide more information give him a headache. Ryuji's colleagues urge him not to push Arisu too far and not to ask leading questions, as those might distort his memories. Ryuji is dissatisfied because he is convinced that everyone experienced the same events.
After the interview is over, Ryuji pushes his wheelchair towards the exit. His colleagues whisper behind his back calling him a former genius researching the afterlife. They mention an accident five years prior (and a year before the meteorite) where his student died, which might have been the reason he changed.
Ryuji approaches the room where Arisu was sitting, meets Arisu in person, and they proceed towards the exit together. Ryuji expresses his fascination with Arisu's dream and asks him to contact him directly if any other memories come back. By the exit, Usagi is waiting for Arisu, who introduces her to Ryuji. Learning that she was one of the survivors of the meteorite disaster, he invites her for an interview with him at a later date.
Back at his office, Ryuji records a verbal explanation of his theory while looking at the screen with data on ten other people who spoke of near-death experiences. He receives a message about an organization disguised as a support group but practicing mass-hypnosis instead. After paying to the informant, he gets a lead.
Ryuji meeting an informant at a cafe
The next day, he meets the informant at a cafe. During the meeting, the woman asks whether Ryuji is interested in the "seminar" and he asks for an invitation. She advises against it and warns him that the activity is no joke. According to her, the people there play exhilarating "games". Ryuji is intrigued, and next week he receives an email invitation. The meeting takes place on October 14, 2024 (Tuesday) at 23:00 in Koto Side Office.
When Ryuji arrives at the venue, he sees arrows pointing towards the necessary rom. There are six more participants and a game master. All the players sit on the chairs around the table, and Ryuji pushes his wheelchair towards them, but the game master insists on him physically moving to one of the pre-prepared seats while instructing the others not to help and not to leave the seats they have taken.
Ryuji tricking another player
The first and only real-world game, "Old Maid", begins. Players draw cards, and the rules are revealed: if there are pairs in your hand, they have to be discarded. Whoever holds the Joker at the end wins. Whoever has the Joker drawn from their hand is eliminated by a high-current electric shock, and the same happens if a player stands up from their assigned seat. Soon, all the participants die except Ryuji and one other person. Ryuji has a Joker and an Ace, so he deliberately tilts his cards to the right to make the opponent believe that the Joker is the safe choice. Misled by the gesture, the opponent takes the Ace instead, unknowingly sealing his fate and allowing Ryuji to win. The victory provides a meeting with Banda as a reward.
After Usagi disappears, Arisu goes to the police. They suspect that Usagi may have an affair with Ryuji since they were last seen at a hotel together, but Arisu is determined to find out what happened. He rushes to the university, but they have lost contact with Ryuji as well. Ryuji's office is full of books and papers related to the afterlife, and Arisu also finds Usagi's interview recorded by Ryuji. When the police finally locate them both, it turns out that Ryuji and Usagi are in hospital in a coma, and the police are suspecting that it may have been a murder-suicide as Ryuji likely forced Usagi to take a drug.
The police are investigating mass suicides in Tokyo, and Arisu instantly assumes that Ryuji abducted Usagi to get her mixed up in that activity. A police officer confirms that Ryuji had been attending "seminars", so he and Usagi first went to the university and then to a building where they were later both found unconscious. As Arisu inspects Usagi's belongings, he finds the Joker card, and the police confirm that Ryuji had one as well.
The explanation behind Usagi's disappearance is revealed: Ryuji followed her to the hotel and invited her to talk about her father, whom she had seen in her dreams, as she had told him before.
Ryuji and Usagi hiding from the lasers
Back in the present, the duo participates in a challenge with colored lasers that move forwards at high speed and cut through players unless dodged. Ryuji pushes his wheelchair with intense effort to avoid getting hit and uses other players as shields when they block his way. When Usagi calls him out on this, he claims that she should be looking out for herself instead of trying to save the others. While quickly moving between the lasers, Ryuji's chair accidentally rolls over another player's body, causing him to fall. One of the lasers comes dangerously close to the ground, so he has to push himself up and flip to avoid it. Usagi then tries to save him by lifting him up and placing him back in his wheelchair. They hide behind a giant pillar and wait for the perfect moment to move. Eventually, they survive the challenge and leave the venue alongside two other participants, Himari and Juri.
While walking back, the girls express their surprise that Ryuji managed to survive despite his condition. They then laugh atUsagi's father, who assumingly lied about his climb and took his own life. Ryuji attempts to support Usagi, and she begins explaining her point of view. However, when she tries to push his wheelchair for him, he deliberately moves away, as it is important for him to move independently. He then asks whether Usagi truly believes that her father did not lie, and she thanks him for bringing her back to the Borderland. Ryuji states that he considered them similar in their shared desire for death, but she denies it. He explains that he has always wanted to return to the world between life and death.
A flashback of a meeting between Ryuji and Banda reveals that bringing Usagi back was Banda's condition for allowing Ryuji himself to return. Banda gave him a vial with an unspecified medicine and promised to give him "what he had always wanted" if the condition was fulfilled. Ryuji accepted the mission because he wished to see the Borderland again.
Ryuji explaining the purpose of the bird in a cage
The next game they participate in is the "Runaway Train". They arrive at a subway station and board a train. The game rules are explained, and the players collect their equipment: gas masks and arm straps with five canisters of neutralizing agent for the poison gas. The first door opens, and the announcement instructs the players to proceed to the next car. They see a birdcage inside, and Ryuji explains that the canary serves as a warning: if it dies, the space is poisoned. Another announcement prompts the players to make their first choice, and Ryuji puts on his mask. The first substance is released, but Ryuji looks at the bird and states that it is not poison. The doors open, the space is ventilated, and the players are invited to proceed to the next car. Everyone puts on their gas masks again, and this time the bird dies.
In the following car, Usagi decides to trust her instincts and not wear the mask, but Ryuji points out that it is a plan based on probability, so he tries to figure out a trick they are missing. The others decide to take the risk, and the substance is released, so everyone automatically covers their mouth, but Ryuji sits calmly and claims that nothing can save them from the gas anyway. Then he looks at the bird and realizes that it is still alive. When the doors open again, the players see a parallel train, and the participants in that group suddenly collapse, blood pouring from their mouths and eyes.
Ryuji choosing to put on his gas mask
Ryuji remains unfazed and begins considering the next course of action. He voices what everyone is thinking: if they put on their masks and the car is not poisoned, they will waste a canister and risk dying later. He asks Taro, a man who seems knowledgeable about trains, for advice. According to Ryuji, it took some time for the other players to die, which means the gas used during the game is heavier than air, and a large amount is required to fill the entire train car. Ryuji suggests looking for a spot where a gas tank could be placed. Taro assumes that the type of car they are in likely does not have a pantograph, so the tank could be placed on the roof instead. The players are divided in their judgment, and Ryuji joins those who choose to wear a mask. Those who decided not to wear one die, and the rest proceed to the next car.
Taro deduces that there is no space for a gas tank in car 5, so the players keep their masks off and survive. In car 6, Taro suddenly realizes that he had identified the type of train incorrectly, so the pantograph positions are different. Usagi decides to trust her instincts, and Ryuji sees no other solution, so he agrees to bet on luck and puts on his mask. Unfortunately for everyone, the substance released this time is not poison.
Ryuji preparing to leap to a parallel train
Realizing that she has made the wrong choice, Usagi apologizes, but Ryuji focuses on the problem at hand instead: two gas cars remain, but only one canister is left. Taro notices that a second train will arrive on parallel rails soon, and Ryuji is shocked to see that Usagi is planning to jump. She explains her reasoning, and he immediately agrees. After Usagi and a few other participants leap across, Ryuji pulls himself up while gripping the grab handles, swings, and jumps onto the other train, barely making it before a pillar passes between them. Usagi and Itsuki help lift him aboard, but the rest of the players remain on the previous train, sealing their fate. Ryuji embraces Usagi, overcome with anxiety, and then a different train arrives on parallel rails with Arisu on board. Usagi and Arisu reach out for each other's hands, not noticing that a pillar is approaching, so Ryuji pulls Usagi back at the last moment.
Having survived the game, the group rests in an empty building, where Taro finds support braces for Ryuji, and Itsuki brings him a new wheelchair. Ryuji cannot sleep because he keeps seeing the same dream about his past and a girl who died while trying to have a near-death experience under his watch. Ryuji claims that there is no coming back from something like this, but Usagi insists that their wounds become their reason to live.
Ryuji pushing a buzzer
Ryuji, Usagi, and the others arrive at the next game venue, where a semi-final game begins: "Tokyo Bingo Tower". Usagi climbs first, and Ryuji is below her wearing the support braces, with both of them connected by a rope. Gripping each metal rung, Ryuji slowly pulls himself up, and then his goggles display the bingo card with one number cleared by another participant. The balls meant to push players off the tower keep falling down, and some of them hit Ryuji and Usagi. Usagi accidentally lets go of the rung, but Ryuji manages to catch her and pull her up, while also moving her to the other side of the tower. He urges her to keep going without him because it will be faster, and she can help clear the game. Crawling towards another buzzer, Ryuji presses #43, which almost completes the vertical row in the middle. Taro completes the horizontal row in the middle, except for the last FREE button at the top of the tower, but he gets knocked off by the balls, and Ryuji is too far away to grab his hand. He remains sitting on a lattice beam while Usagi pushes the last buzzer and clears the game.
After the game is over, Ryuji secretly meets with Banda and notifies him that the task has been fulfilled and Usagi has been brought to the Borderland. Banda alters their deal and adds another condition: shoot Usagi during the final game to ensure Arisu stays between life and death forever. Ryuji wonders if Banda is the Joker, but Banda only laughs in his face, and Ryuji insists on knowing who governs the Borderland. Banda promises to grant his wish and tell him everything there is to know if he eliminates Usagi.
Ryuji after getting punched by Arisu
Ryuji comes from the opposite side of the venue with Itsuki and Yuna, meeting Arisu, Sachiko, Tetsu, Nobu, and Rei. Arisu lashes out at Ryuji with accusations and punches him in the face, causing him to fall from his wheelchair and startling everyone. Usagi stops Arisu by explaining that Ryuji saved her life, and then she and Itsuki help Ryuji back into his chair. The fight is interrupted by an announcement and a screen lighting up with the game name, "Future Sugoroku".
The players are instructed to equip collars and wristbands, and the announcement states that there are ten registered participants. Arisu reveals that Usagi is pregnant, and Ryuji looks away in shock, feeling that his mission has become much more difficult, as shooting Usagi would now mean killing her unborn child as well.
Round 1
Ryuji presenting his work in a vision of the future, but the work is rejected
After the game rules are explained, the starting room, C3, turns fully white, and four colored doors appear. The players realize that the dice on the white platform in front of them are connected to the doors. Tetsu rolls the dice, the room turns black, and the walls start flickering with videos that show each player's possible future. Ryuji sees his study about the near-death experience rejected by a university publisher, who tells him to submit it to an occult magazine instead. Then he sees a happy future of Usagi and Arisu walking with their child.
To minimize point loss, Arisu instructs everyone to split into two big groups, and everyone agrees. Ryuji questions why they all trust Arisu without asking questions, but Rei bluntly tells him that he can pick another door if he has an issue. Ryuji goes quiet, and Usagi pushes his chair to the blue door, C2, along with the others.
Round 2
Ryuji watching his work get acknowledged
C2 is a minus one point room, and Sachiko wonders what it means, so Ryuji explains that some rooms will deduct an unknown number of points for staying in them. The room turns white and three new doors appear. Ryuji reiterates that they cannot return to the previous room without waiting a turn, which is why only three dice can be used now. Tetsu rolls the dice, and the result is 3 (D2, red), 1 (B2, yellow), and 5 (C1, blue). The screens show flickering futures again, and Ryuji sees a vision of his research being complimented on, and Usagi promises to meet up with him later. One of the visions on the yellow-door wall shows Ryuji texting "Yuzuha Arisu" and asking her to meet him. Sachiko notices Ryuji staring at it and whispers to Tetsu that she has a weird feeling about this game. As the players are forced to split again, Ryuji, Sachiko, Nobu, and Tetsu go through the blue door to C1.
Round 3
Ryuji convincing the others to split up and search for the exit
In C1, Sachiko hears Arisu's voice through the wristband and informs him that they all (she, Nobu, Tetsu, and Ryuji) can go to D1. Ryuji questions Arisu's plan once again and reminds Sachiko that they are supposed to be looking for the exit, so splitting up may help them find it faster. He also insists that they should pay attention to which futures they are choosing, as he looks at a vision of himself in his office staring at Usagi's file with regret. Another wall shows a vision where someone runs into Ryuji's office and exclaims that the data they have received is enough to prove his hypothesis. Ryuji assumes that the exit is in one of the corner rooms, and Sachiko agrees that he has a point. She decides to split up into two groups, but also insists on following Arisu's plan, so Sachiko and Ryuji go to D1 as promised, while Tetsu and Nobu go to B1.
Round 4In D1, Sachiko, Ryuji, and Usagi discuss their next move. Ryuji insists on going to a corner room to check for the exit, and Usagi asks what he is going to do if it is a trap. Ryuji shows her that he still has 15 points on his wristband, so he will be safe.
Round 6Ryuji enters E1 off-screen during Round 5 and informs Usagi in Round 6 that it is a minus one point room and not the exit. Since he cannot return to the previous room right away, Ryuji proceeds to E2 off-screen.
Round 7
Ryuji's vision of him shooting Usagi
Ryuji, currently alone in D2, sees a vision of himself pushing his wheelchair towards Usagi, who is nervously waiting for him at a cafe. When they meet, she asks whether he wants to do another interview with her, and he shows his research to her. The future fast-forwards to them walking back from the interview and having a nice friendly conversation, which ends with Ryuji offering to buy her dinner. Then the real-life Ryuji turns towards another wall, and another vision appears: him shooting Usagi from behind, inviting her to the land of the dead, and then shooting himself with the gun given to him by Banda. Ryuji takes out the gun from his pocket and checks to see that there are two bullets with the letter U on them. The vision puzzles him and makes him anxious. Usagi calls for Ryuji through the wristband and suggests that they meet up.
Round 9Ryuji's exact movements during Rounds 7 and 8 remain off-screen, but by Round 9 he reunites with Usagi, Nobu, and Sachiko in B3, and they all acknowledge that Itsuki is dead. His current total point count is 7.
Round 10Ryuji remembers the vision of him killing Usagi and checks his pocket again.
Following Arisu's plan and hearing Sachiko's reasons to stay behind in the locked room, Ryuji proceeds to B4. Before entering, Sachiko and Ryuji nod to each other, seeing Yuna sobbing beside her brother's body. B4 is a minus two point room, and Ryuji volunteers to pay the penalty, which places him at four points total.
Round 11Arisu and Usagi come up with a plan to release Sachiko from the lockdown by putting Usagi in A2. Ryuji insists that A2 might have an even bigger penalty, so Usagi's plan to go there sounds too risky. Arisu suggests putting Usagi's baby's wristband into A2 instead, and Ryuji points out that Usagi could die if the point count on her baby's wristband reaches zero. Arisu proposes placing the wristband in A2 and retrieving it without entering, and Ryuji notes that another eight points would be deducted once it returns to A3 in the next round.
The plan is enacted, and Arisu, Yuna, and Ryuji move to A4 off-screen.
Round 12–13
Ryuji holding the door allowing Arisu and Usagi to escape
Now in A4, Arisu intends to open the door to A3 from A4, let Yuna run across to A2 and take the eight-point penalty, while Usagi tries to retrieve her baby's wristband from A2. Ryuji decides to do the countdown until the door automatically locks, since Usagi has only ten seconds. Usagi cannot retrieve the wristband without stepping inside, so she is forced to do it quickly, but then she sees a vision of Arisu's death and freezes. Arisu rushes to help her, and Ryuji moves his wheelchair to the doorframe to stop the door from locking. He yells at Arisu and Usagi to jump over him, and Yuna pulls him away right before the door locks, leaving them all in A3. Ryuji then watches Usagi hugging Arisu, overwhelmed with emotion. His total point count is three. Arisu and the others help him back into his wheelchair, and Arisu cordially thanks him for saving their lives. Ryuji volunteers to pay the penalty for staying in the room, so his total point count drops to two.
Round 14The dice are rolled, and the door to the last room, A5, becomes available. Ryuji sees a vision of himself tearing Usagi's photo into pieces and angrily pushing all his papers off the table.
All the players reunite in A5, and the announcement states that they have all reached the exit room successfully. The collars and wristbands are automatically released and can be removed. However, one last roll is required to leave the venue, and Ryuji reaches for the dice, but Arisu decides to take responsibility. He rolls seven, while there are eight of them left, including Usagi's baby, so someone has to stay behind. Arisu begs Ryuji to take care of Usagi and make sure she returns to the real world, so Ryuji holds her back from entering the building, and the doors lock.
After Arisu is left alone, the screens display the others outside the venue, and Ryuji reaches for the gun in his jacket pocket. He cannot hear Arisu's screams, so he points the gun at the crying Usagi, which nobody else seems to notice. However, his hand trembles, and after a couple of minutes of contemplation, Ryuji realizes that he is unable to harm her, so he lowers the gun and takes a deep breath.
Ryuji dragging Usagi towards the vortex
The Borderland collapse, and a huge wave washes the players off the platform. Usagi and Ryuji are taken away by the current and drawn towards the vortex. Ryuji accepts his fate and fully intends to get pulled into the swirl, dragging Usagi with him despite her screams and attempts to reach Arisu. As he gets closer to the end of his life and watches Usagi's futile struggle to survive, Ryuji recalls all the moments he has seen of her and Arisu together, so he decides to let them survive. He brings Usagi back to Arisu and tells them both to keep living. Then he smiles and relaxes, letting his body sink into the vortex of death.
Back in the real world, when Arisu comes to the hospital to check on Usagi, they look at Ryuji's pale lifeless body as the doctors cover his face with a white sheet.
Games Played[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The forename Ryuuji consists of the kanji "隆" (ryuu/ryu) (prosperity, elevate) and "二" (ni/ji) (two, second).
- The surname Matsuyama is a combination of the kanji "松" (matsu) (pine tree) and "山" (yama) (mountain).
- Ryuji first appeared on one of the new posters for Season 3 next to Arisu and Usagi, sitting in a wheelchair on a rooftop and looking at the Joker card. However, his personality remained a secret to the audience, since his face was not shown on camera.
- According to the date on the screen Ryuji is looking at, the events of the story are happening in 2024, three years after the events of Season 1. The exact date in Episode 1 (Season 3) is 2024/10/6, which is October 6, 2024.