Keeping within this weeks theme of Asian cinema, this week's film recommendation is The Case of Hana & Alice (2015) from director Shunji Iwai. A film that is as much about growing up, bullying, and unrequited love as it is friendship, mystery, and learning to overcome obstacles. The film follows 14-year-old Tetsuko, who after moving tries to navigate being in a new school that has a haunting story about a murderous dark past.

The premise of the film is juxtaposed by a slice-of-life, easygoing tone that gives a nostalgic and lighthearted feel, with pacing that feels just fast enough to keep interest but slow enough to maintain a calmer and comedic atmosphere of the film. The film is backdropped beautifully by the slightly unstable but extremely beautiful rotoscope animation (an animation technique that involves tracing over live-action footage or a photo frame by frame to create realistic animations or visual effects).

The watercolor animation style in motion creates a warm, visually striking atmosphere to the film that makes it stand out from other anime.

Overall, The Case of Hana & Alice is a film of balance. The film takes on a bunch of different hats that combine into a film that completes all of its jobs without asking too much of the viewer. The perfect recipe for a slice-of-life film.

You can watch the film on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or for free with a library or student ID card on Kanopy.

This is an excerpt from our June 27, 2024 newsletter. Love this recommendation? Discover more by subscribing to our newsletter here!