When fans of certain K-dramas were looking for a show like "Squid Game," "Alice of Boundaries" was at the top of the list. The Japanese Netflix series, based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, was released at the end of 2020, a year earlier than "Squid Game," and has attracted an international audience, ranking in the top 10 streaming series in over 40 countries and territories. Season 2 of "Alice in Borderland" finally arrives this week, and for those who haven't checked out Season 1 yet (or are looking for a mental break from the savage game), this show is an absolute must-see.

The amazing gist: One day in Tokyo, lazy Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and his two friends are instantly transported to an alternate version of Tokyo that has been reduced to ruins. They soon learn that they must overcome a mysterious and deadly ordeal in order to gain "visa" time to remain in the unknown world. While fighting to survive, Arisu meets Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), a rock climber, who becomes her partner in finding out the purpose and mastermind behind the deadly game. And if you thought the squid game was twisted, this challenge is even more unpredictable, ranging from a battle of endurance and wit to a brutal psychological battle.

Read on to find out what we know about the upcoming season. WARNING: There are spoilers for Season 1.

The heart-racing show will return on December 22, 2022, two years after the series premiere in December 2020. The new season finished filming last spring, and Netflix has posted cast interviews (open in new tab), teasing that the show's world will be "bigger than ever." All eight episodes will be released on Thursday, and Season 1 (opens in new tab) can be binge-watched in preparation on Netflix now.

That's right! Earlier this month, a first look at the new game was released, teasing the next round of the game and several new characters. It will also answer the biggest question of Aliso (and all viewers): "Will we be able to come back after all the games?

In addition to Kento Yamazaki (Arisu) and Tao Tsuchiya (Usagi), the survivors of season 1 will return, including Nijiro Murakami (Senya), Akaya Miyoshi (Anne), Aya Asahina (Kuina), Dori Sakurada (Niragi) and Riisa Naka (Mira). [Yuri Tsunematsu as Hiraya, Tomohisa Yamashita as Kuma, Yuto Isomura as Banda, Honami Sato as Kotoko, Umi Inowaki as Matsushita, and Katsuya Maima as Yaba.

For those who are a bit fuzzy after Season 1, a quick recap: the game at the heart of "Alice on the Borderline" is classified in playing cards, with each card suit representing the style of the round (clubs for team competition, spades for strength competition, diamonds for wisdom competition, hearts for psychological competition ), while the numbers represent the difficulty of the round. When Alice loses her friend in a game of hearts, she and Rabbit join a mission to solve the game and collect all the playing cards. He learns that all cards with numbers other than the 10 of hearts have been collected.

During that final round, most of the remaining players die, but Arisu and Usagi survive and find an underground room, where they discover that the people they thought were the "game masters" are dead. The season ends with the introduction of a woman named Mira Kano (Riisa Naka), who tells them that the game has just begun and that face cards are at stake.

Judging from the trailer, season two will cover the epic face card round and the end of the final game, with Mira saying in one scene, "Welcome to the final game venue." Also, for those familiar with the comics, season 1 covers the first 31 chapters, and it is chapter 33 that will be depicted in season 2.