The Case of Hana and Alice

Each year we link up with Scotland Loves Anime to bring you the latest in Japanese animation. This year it’s The Case of Hana and Alice, a teenage murder mystery set in a Japanese high school with two determined wannabe sleuths at its centre.

Alice has not long moved into the area after her parents separate and she faces the double challenge of a new home and a new school. Things get off to a shaky start on her first day when she’s given the desk where – according to the rumour mill – a student was murdered one year ago. The details are sketchy but her classmates talk of restless spirits who must be appeased, and when Alice discovers that her nosy new neighbour Hana is the schoolgirl who sat behind the student, she is determined to solve the mystery.

It’s always refreshing to see female characters with a movie to themselves, and the offbeat relationship between the withdrawn Hana and the impulsive Alice is a delight. Full of strange happenings and odd coincidences, this film will keep you on your toes, while the original friendship at the heart of the tale offers the most reward.