Tetsu Shimazaki (シマザキ テツ, Shimazaki Tetsu) is a supporting character in Season 3 of Alice in Borderland. He is part of Arisu's Team. He is portrayed by Koji Ohkura.
Appearance[]
Tetsu is a tall man in his fifties with short dark hair. He is dressed in a red zip-up jacket over a grey shirt, loose dark sweatpants, and athletic sneakers. He often has a calm, uninterested expression, and usually stands with his arms crossed.
Personality[]
Tetsu is short-tempered and emotional, often making rude remarks and screaming. However, he shows kindness towards people in trouble and eventually becomes friends with the players on his team. He is skilled at treating wounds, as he avoids going to the hospital and tries to hide his addiction to illegal substances.
During their journey, he warms up to Sachiko and helps her clear the "Kick the Can" game early on, because "ladies first". He enjoys gossiping and judging other people's decisions as much as she does, which becomes apparent during their discussions about Arisu, Usagi, and Ryuji.
Despite looking like someone lost in life, Tetsu is brave and decisive. He puts his friends first and protects them to ensure their well-being.
History[]
Prior to his arrival at the Borderland, Tetsu was unemployed and abused illegal substances. He had a wife but she left him at an unknown point in time.
He once bought drugs from a stranger on the street and saw Banda instead, receiving a Joker card from him. Same as the other participants of the Joker Tournament, Tetsu had played the games before, making his Sojourn in Season 3 a return to the Borderland rather than his first visit. However, the games he experienced in the past were not the same ones faced by Arisu and his group. Since Borderland games are created and overseen by individual Citizens, their scale, rules, and format vary depending on who hosts them. Therefore, Tetsu's earlier participation took place under different Citizens, resulting in a distinct set of challenges.
Story[]
As Arisu walks into the shrine's territory, he sees 20 other participants, including Tetsu.
Tetsu during the "Sacred Fortunes" game
Tetsu looks around and attracts attention with his unpleasant gestures, muttering that he is under the influence. Sachiko turns away uncomfortably. After the rules of the "Sacred Fortunes" game are explained, Shion repeats the part about "survive to the end" and wonders whether they will die if they give a wrong answer, but Tetsu does not take it seriously and volunteers to draw the first fortune. He smiles and shakes the box violently, receiving a stick with number 17. He pronounces the number out loud a few times, and a dedicated drawer opens with a fortune slip. He receives "Great Blessing" (大吉, Daikichi), reads that everything he does will go well, and throws away the paper with a loud exclamation.
The second fortune comes with a math equation, and the wrong answer sends three flaming arrows towards the crowd, killing two unnamed participants and causing panic. All the other answers end up incorrect as well, and after the ninth question, 448 arrows are launched at the players, with one of them hitting Shion in the leg. She falls down, but Tetsu is quick to pull her away into hiding, where he attempts to remove the arrow. He covers Shion with his body, taking the heat of the flames onto himself, which puts out the fire. He breaks the arrow on one side and pulls it out from the other side, warning Shion that it is going to hurt. Then he apologizes and takes off her blouse in order to make a bandage out of it and stop the bleeding. After Masato points out that Tetsu is good at first aid, Tetsu explains that he cannot see a doctor without getting arrested.
Tetsu shouting at Nobu that the well is full of dirt
After Arisu draws the last fortune and answers incorrectly, Tetsu gets frustrated and cannot believe that someone would launch 100 million arrows at them. Arisu starts looking for an escape route and asks everyone for the unlucky directions they had on their slips, but Tetsu has already thrown away his, even though it contained the safe direction. Eventually, the players figure out the safe zone of the venue and rush towards the exit, which ends up blocked by lasers. Nobu finds a well, but Tetsu takes a look and screams that it is full of dirt. While Tetsu and the others panic, Kazuya and Masato help Arisu lift up a stone to unlock the way into an underground tunnel. Then they all jump down and reach a notice congratulating them on clearing the game. Another noticeboard they bump into when they are out instructs them to proceed 17 km northeast, because the next game starts the next day at sundown. Walking slightly further, they see multiple blimps holding a massive Joker card.
Having found a shelter and looking at their own Joker cards, everyone realizes that they received them from the same man while having a near-death experience. Tetsu was walking home when he encountered Banda who sold him a packet of drugs along with the card.
On the way to the next game venue, Tetsu expresses his disapproval of Arisu's decision to enter the Borderland willingly in order to save his wife Usagi, but Sachiko turns it against him, claiming that he has never known love, because a husband's duty is to cherish his wife. Nobu wonders about the chances for Arisu to find her, and Tetsu screams that there are none, but Sachiko shushes him. By sundown, they reach the National Institute of Virus Research and enter the game venue, where they see eight more participants. They listen to the rules, and the "Zombie Hunt" game begins.
Tetsu and Kazuya during the "Zombie Hunt" game
Tetsu teams up with Kazuya for the first few rounds of mini-games and loses at least one of them. He is present when Arisu explains the rules of the Joker Tournament and brings two women with Zombie cards. Then Rei appears out of nowhere and introduces her plan to survive without the need to kill anyone. Tetsu is suspicious of her at first but he listens to what she has to say and asks questions. Rei uses him as an example to further clarify how she intends to make the plan work. While speaking, she hugs him with one arm, and he is visibly uncomfortable.
Arisu and the others spread out and explain Rei's strategy to different participants. Tetsu keeps questioning the whole idea, unsure if it is going to work. By Round 11, some players decide to start killing the zombies instead, and Tetsu is present when Kazuya comes back with blood on his face.
Tetsu realizes he has become a zombie
When Nobu is tasked with taking another person's life, Tetsu defends him, calling him a child. Then he slowly starts feeling unwell and shaking, so the other players assume he is hiding a Zombie card. He denies it in panic, and Sachiko shields him, explaining that he is experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms.
While everyone is busy searching for zombies or hiding, Tetsu goes to an empty area because his condition becomes unbearable. He is shown with a bag of white powder, which he decides to put in his pocket instead of using, and his facial expression indicates that he is in pain.
When Nobu finds him to carry out Arisu's plan, Kazuya interferes, but Arisu arrives just in time and tags Tetsu for the next mini-game. Seeing a Zombie card on the table, Tetsu yells in panic, but Arisu tells him to calm down and explains why it is a good thing.
The game ends, and the zombies survive. Tetsu and the others leave the venue and see another noticeboard with directions to a new game two days later. They find a safe place and get some sleep.
Tetsu and the other members of Arisu's team participate in the "Runaway Train". After Arisu finds Usagi but cannot get a hold of her, Tetsu points out that she was with another man, and Sachiko shushes him. The train approaches the end of the line, and an announcement instructs the players to stop it. Sachiko looks at Tetsu, who screams that he has no idea how to do it. Then Kazuya yells that something has to be done urgently, and Arisu decides to pull a lever. It turns out to be an accelerator, so he pulls another one, but it is too late, and the train crashes, leaving everyone with injuries of varying severity.
Tetsu preparing to stitch up Arisu's wounds
Having reached safety, everyone is worried about Arisu's well-being because he took the biggest hit. His wounds are bleeding, and he is unconscious. Sachiko insists that Tetsu is the only one who can save him if he stitches up his wounds, but Tetsu protests that he has never done it before in his life. Shion supports Sachiko and reminds Tetsu that he stopped the bleeding when she was shot and saved her leg. Then Natsu returns from a store, bringing a sewing kit and alcohol, and Nobu begs Tetsu to save Arisu. Tetsu grabs the bottle and drinks, so Sachiko worries at first, but he explains that it stops his hands from shaking. Then Tetsu carefully connects the tissues and puts the needle through to patch the wound.
When Arisu wakes up the next morning, everyone rushes towards him to see how he is feeling. Learning that the next game starts soon, Arisu attempts to get up, but Tetsu insists that it is too early to move. Then Arisu asks his teammates to proceed without him, and Tetsu objects, saying that they are not leaving him behind because he has saved them all more than once.
The next game they join, a semi-final challenge, is called "Kick the Can". After Round 1 begins, Tetsu and Nobu run together and discover that some of the staircases are blocked with furniture, and there is no way up through that passage. Some of the doors end up locked as well.
Tetsu after helping Sachiko clear the game
During Round 3, Kazuya fights the other players to ensure that some of his team members can grab the can, so Tetsu, Nobu, and Arisu escape. Nobu passes the can to Sachiko, who is attacked by the opponents, and Tetsu holds one of them down to help her clear the game. She thanks him, and he nods with a smile.
"Ladies first."
— Tetsu to Sachiko
In the next round, Shion gets the can, but a player jumps at her and pins her down. Tetsu arrives just in time to drag him away from her, and then she throws the can to him, urging him to escape. The opponents follow him and try to take it away, only to realize that it is fake. After the explosion, Tetsu returns to the main room and sees that Shion is gone. He yells out in frustration, looking at Sachiko's devastation. Arisu tries to calm him down, but Tetsu rudely shouts at him, full of sorrow. Kazuya deescalates the situation, and they proceed.
Passing the can between each other, Nobu and Natsu manage to give the sixth can to Tetsu, who returns it to the base and clears the game, joining Sachiko and Rei in the elevator. From there, they watch Natsu and Kazuya die.
Heartbroken and exhausted, the remaining five players, including Tetsu, walk towards Shibuya Crossing, where the final game, "Future Sugoroku", is about to unfold. Nobu jokes that the others should remember him if he does not make it out alive, and Tetsu makes the same request, to which Nobu replies that forgetting Tetsu would be impossible. They soon find a staircase, where Tetsu once again uses the "Ladies first" phrase with Sachiko, but she replies that she does not need courtesy this time and tells him to go after Arisu, which he does. When they get up, they realize that they are in the real-world Shibuya, with commercial screens moving and people walking.
Tetsu sees himself walking along the street
Tetsu is with Arisu, Sachiko, Nobu, and Rei when they enter what looks like real-world Shibuya, then realize the images are pre-recorded screens. They each see themselves walking across the street. Then they pass through a door that disappears behind them and end up in evening Ikebukuro. Arisu goes through another door and finds Usagi, and Tetsu and the others watch them reunite. Then Ryuji, Itsuki, and Yuna enter the room from the other side, and Arisu punches Ryuji, blaming him for dragging Usagi back into the Borderland, so Tetsu and Nobu have to hold him back.
An announcement displays the game name, "Future Sugoroku". Everyone equips collars and wristbands, but then they notice that ten participants are registered, even though there are only nine of them in the room. Arisu reveals that Usagi is pregnant, and Tetsu pats him on the shoulder and congratulates him.
Round 1
Tetsu rolling the dice
As the rules are explained, the starting room, C3, turns fully white, and four doors appear behind the players, with D3 (the red one) behind Tetsu and Nobu. The players realize that the dice on the white platform in front of them are connected to the doors. Tetsu volunteers to roll the dice, making Sachiko comment on his gambling addiction, and the result is 5 (D3, red), 4 (C4, green), 1 (B3, yellow), and 7 (C2, blue). The room turns black, and the screens on the walls start flickering with multiple videos. When the players look around, they realize that all the videos show their possible futures. Tetsu sees himself hitting the jackpot in a casino on one screen and then losing and leaving in frustration on another. He wants to choose the blue door, and Usagi supports him, but she also points out that only seven of them can go through.
Arisu instructs Itsuki and Yuna to team with Rei and take the red door to D3, while Arisu, Usagi, Ryuji, Tetsu, Sachiko, and Nobu go through the blue door to C2 and later regroup in D2.
Round 2In C2, a minus one room, Usagi takes the penalty. Three doors appear, and Tetsu rolls again: 3 (D2, red), 1 (B2, yellow), and 5 (C1, blue). Among the visions, Tetsu sees himself taking an exam to become an architect, and Sachiko cheers him on, even though he cannot believe it is going to happen. He refuses to choose the red door because he also sees a vision of himself on drugs with severe withdrawal symptoms. Arisu suggests that Tetsu, Sachiko, Nobu, and Ryuji go blue to C1.
Round 3In C1, Tetsu sees a rejection letter on one screen and himself getting a job on another, so he wonders if the game is reading their minds. Ryuji says the exit is likely in a corner room, and the others agree, so they split up, and Tetsu and Nobu go to B1.
Tetsu uses his wristband to open the door, and it turns out to be a one-point penalty room. Nobu volunteers to lose a point, which leaves them both at 14 points total.
Round 4
Tetsu looking at his future where he becomes an architect
In B1, there are only two dice on the platform. Tetsu rolls 9 (B2, green) and 1 (A1, yellow). The room turns black, and visions of the future appear. The first potential future that flickers before Tetsu is the one where he becomes an architect and works on something diligently with a serious look on his face. Nobu says they should take the yellow door to check the corner room for the exit, but only one person can pass, and Tetsu insists they stay together and go to B2. Nobu stares at the yellow-door vision, so Tetsu pats him on the shoulder to bring him back and walks to the green door. On the yellow-door wall, Tetsu sees himself slowly preparing a drug shot to inject, so he decisively looks away, determined never to return to that life. The green-door wall shows him in a suit, finding a packet of white powder and throwing it into a garbage bag, which he then takes outside and disposes of. Looking at the promising future, Tetsu nods, acknowledging that this is the path he wants to follow. He lifts his hand to attach the wristband to the door and unlocks B2. Nobu first follows him but suddenly apologizes and runs to A1, splitting from Tetsu. The door automatically closes before Tetsu can protest, and he screams Nobu's name in frustration.
Round 5In B2, Tetsu's hands start shaking. He sees a vision of getting drugs from a dealer, another of injecting himself, and another of overdosing alone in a messy apartment. His real-time withdrawal worsens. He panics because all three futures are unlucky for him, but he is forced to make a choice, so he goes to B3.
Tetsu with Yukiko in a flashback
Tetsu following the illusion of Yukiko
Tetsu looking at the last visions of his future before getting GAME OVER
Round 6B3 is a minus four room, and Tetsu's total point count drops to eight. He continues to suffer from withdrawal and sees a vision of his ex-wife, Yukiko, smiling and meeting him at a restaurant, which prompts him to remember their actual conversation at the beach about visiting the aquarium for their anniversary, because Tetsu had never been to one. Then he collapses, screaming and hugging himself, and takes out the packet of white powder from his pocket, fighting the urge to lick it, and eventually decides against it. He looks up at the vision of himself and Yukiko at a restaurant, him wearing a suit and Yukiko praising his change and his job at a construction site. The possibility of that happening prompts him to sincerely promise to actually change for her.
Another wall shows Yukiko in a red dress meeting him at a fancy restaurant with a smile. In that vision, Tetsu is dressed in smart clothing, and he and Yukiko drink and laugh in a faraway corner of the restaurant. He lays her on a sofa, kisses her neck, and touches her thigh as foreplay. Another vision interjects, showing Tetsu in a public restroom injecting himself with a drug, but it remains unclear whether the vision is one of the futures on the wall or Tetsu's real memory. Everything Tetsu sees and remembers blurs together, amplified by his withdrawal pain, creating an illusion that only he can see: the real Yukiko in the same red dress, standing by the yellow door and inviting him to walk through. He slowly takes her hand and follows her to A3.
However, when the door shuts behind him and the room turns white again, Yukiko is gone, and the announcement states that this is a minus eight point room, which means Tetsu, who spent one point to unlock the door and now has only seven points total, receives GAME OVER. Realizing his situation, he nervously laughs and says that he is done. The last visions he sees are the police coming to his house with a search warrant, finding drugs, and arresting him; Yukiko scolding him for failing to change as he promised and him pushing her away; her leaving him; and him in a prison cell. He looks around, laughing, and the collar starts beeping. A moment later, it explodes, and Tetsu dies.
Usagi finds Tetsu's body in A3 and informs the others of his fate. Sachiko and Nobu are especially upset about losing him, and Nobu blames himself for leaving him behind. While Usagi is trying to retrieve her baby's wristband from A2, Sachiko joins the rest in A4 and follows into A3 where she sees Tetsu's body. The sight shocks her, so she looks away.
Games Played[]
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- The forename Tetsu may be written with kanji such as "哲" (philosophy) or "徹" (penetrate). The exact kanji depend on the official spelling, which is not provided in the show, as the name is written in katakana.
- The surname Shimazaki generally consists of the kanji "島" (shima) (island) and "崎" (zaki/saki) (cape, peninsula).
- Tetsu is a new character that did not appear in the original manga source.