Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken --- a fun-to-watch film!

I only had to work in the morning today, so I decided to watch an animated film this afternoon to relax and unwind. I was browsing some movies on MyAnimeList and decided to give this 2015 animated movie a chance. It's called Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken or Hana and Alice: The Murder Case.

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Due to her parents' divorce, Tetsuko had changed her surname from Kuroyanagi to Arisugawa. Because of this, Alice (Arisu) became her nickname. She and her mom moved out, making her transfer to a new school, Ishinomori Middle School.

_{NOTE: The photos I'm using from this point on are screenshots from the anime.}

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Her new class wasn't very welcoming, and there was even a strange rumor going around there. It was said that the previous person who sat on her chair was named "Judas".

He has been missing and was presumed to have been murdered by being poisoned. It was alleged that he had four wives, and one of them did it after his relationship with the others was found out.

Alice, whose life is already complicated because of her parents' divorce and the bullying at school, decided to start investigating the mystery about "Judas".

The clues she gathered somehow led her to the hikikomori (reclusive) girl next door named Hana. She sneaked into their house when Hana's mom went out. They had the most awkward first encounter, but Hana ended up helping Alice with her investigation. She formulated plans that may lead them to the answer they were looking for.



The story then focused on their journey to uncover the truth behind "Judas"' disappearance and possible death.

Above is the trailer of the said movie.

It's not your typical murder mystery type of anime, to be honest... but it was worth watching. It was so funny and random that there were times when I questioned whether I was still watching the same film or not. hahaha

I had an enjoyable time, though. Both Alice and Hana are so hilarious and quirky, and the situations they got themselves into were so amusing yet somehow heartwarming.

Both the art style and animation style were simple and easy to watch. It's not the best, but it's the perfect type to do in such a story. The story may be quite simple, but it's different, so I like it.

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There's one thing that annoyed me a little, though. They showed a portrait panel in landscape, so I had to turn my head when watching it. There weren't a lot, though, so it's tolerable. Aside from this, I have nothing negative to say.

I enjoyed the story, the characters were all so interesting... I wanted to see more of Mutsu, though. She's one funny and strange character... and I just love the strange ones! haha

The movie is only one hour and thirty-eight minutes in length, so it won't take up much of your time. So, if you're looking for something fun and sort of heartwarming to watch, then this movie is for you.

I'll end this post here. Thanks a lot for reading, and I'll see you around! (^^,)/