GKIDS Retrospective: The Case of Hana and Alice

We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for a young American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

The Case of Hana and Alice (2015): Shunji Iwai, director

What’s it about?

Alice is a transfer student to a new middle school (“in the boonies”) and quickly learns of an urban legend that is centered on her classroom – in her exact chair, to be precise. It’s a confusing story about an upperclassman who apparently had four wives… until they discovered his duplicity and killed him.

In the year since, Alice’s class has taken the story and run with it – going so far as to create a magic circle on the floor that supposedly traps the murdered student’s restless spirit.

To make the situation even more awkward, Alice lives next door to a reclusive girl named Hana who is always peering out her window. And Alice herself lives in the “murdered” boy’s house.

Don’t get the wrong idea about the movie from that description, though. The Case of Hana and Alice is a delightfully bright movie with incredibly likable characters and a fun plot you’ll actually enjoy watching.

The story really picks up once Alice and Hana meet in person and decide to investigate the “murder case” and find out what really happened. The urban legend that kicks everything into motion isn’t the point of the movie. The Case of Hana and Alice is ultimately a charming look at friendship, staying true to oneself, and – at the risk of hyperbole – the magic of youth.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

The Case of Hana and Alice is actually the prequel to a 2004 live-action film (Hana and Alice) from the same director and starring the same actors in the title roles. You do NOT need to have seen the first film to understand this one, but if you fall in love with Hana and Alice (as I did), it’s good to know there’s more out there to enjoy.

The Shout! Factory Blu-ray only includes the original Japanese audio track (no dubbed version), so also keep that in mind if you’re not a fan of subtitles. But it’s absolutely worth it.

Will my kids like it?

The animation is rotoscoped (which means the animators drew over live-action footage), so it doesn’t look like what many kids might imagine animation should look like. If that makes sense. Several scenes also employ wildly dramatic angles and unnatural points of view that might be distracting for younger viewers. Neither of these should be a dealbreaker – the techniques don’t detract from the story – but it’s something to keep in mind when watching with kids.

The story is also VERY middle school. Younger kids might not relate to Hana and Alice or understand why they do certain things, and older kids might view the story and characters as too childish (without the benefit of nostalgia or a deeper understanding that adults might glean).

Will I like it?

I’ll be honest – as I was watching, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I kept expecting someone to die, some huge tragedy to befall the characters, or the plot to suddenly turn south. But the movie remained utterly delightful to the very end. More movies should be like this.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, and The Case of Hana and Alice should definitely be on your to-watch list – ESPECIALLY if you’re an animation fan.

Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

Not really. The urban legend that propels the plot is, as I said, about a student everyone believes to be murdered. And there’s a scene of a student getting stung by a bee (that was intentionally put down his shirt). But other than that, the movie is incredibly tame.

How can I see it?

The GKIDS and Shout Factory Blu-ray release recently came out, and it’s got a small selection of special features (all in Japanese with English subtitles), including an interview with Yu Aoi and Anne Suzuki (Hana and Alice), an extended interview with director Shunji Iwai, group interviews from the film’s premiere, a message from animator Makoto Shinkai, and a few trailers and TV spots. It’s available from all the usual outlets, including Amazon.