Hidden Gem Anime Series to Enjoy: ‘The Case of Hana & Alice’

Here’s the first entry in the ‘Hidden Gem Anime Series to Enjoy’ series for you all to enjoy in the new year of 2023: The Case of Hana & Alice. I randomly came across this animated film while looking through the Tubi app and jotting down some of their anime offerings. I glimpsed and saw an animated film with two girls. After watching, I knew I found a gorgeous and offbeat film about random happenings and friendship that I wanted to write about.

What is it About: When Alice transfers to a new school, she soon hears about a local urban legend: a male student who disappeared the previous year and is suspected to have been killed by his fellow students. The new house that she and her mother have moved in is the one he used to live in. To make matters worse, she now lives next door to a supposedly haunted home now occupied by a reclusive girl who ends up being one of the classmates of said student whose name is shrouded in mystery.  Her name is Hana, and with Alice’s help, they decide to investigate this “murder case.” Yet, their lack of detective skills, bad timing, and overall carefree attitudes prove to be obstacles in solving the case and means for a great adventure in the making. It is important to note that The Case of Hana & Alice is based on existing material: not manga but a 2004 film titled Hana to Arisu. Directed by Shunji Iwai, a Japanese film director, writer, and documentary maker perhaps best known for his filmography centering Japanese youth, especial…