TV-Series
Description
"Alice & Zoroku" is a 12-episode anime series that blends elements of science fiction, fantasy, and slice-of-life storytelling. The narrative centers on Sana Kashimura, a young girl who escapes from a secret research facility where she was created as part of experiments involving "Dreams of Alice," a phenomenon granting individuals supernatural abilities. Sana possesses the power to materialize anything she imagines, making her a target for those seeking to control her abilities. During her escape, she encounters Zoroku Kashimura, a gruff but kind-hearted elderly florist with a strong sense of morality. Despite his initial reluctance, Zoroku takes Sana in, becoming her guardian and providing her with a stable, loving home.
As Sana adjusts to her new life, she grapples with her identity and the ethical implications of her powers. Her presence attracts the attention of other "Alice" users, including those from the research facility who seek to reclaim her. The series explores Sana's interactions with these individuals, many of whom struggle with their own abilities and the consequences of wielding them. Among these characters is Ichiyo Higashikata, a government agent tasked with monitoring Alice users, and Yonaga, a young girl with the ability to manipulate time, who becomes a close friend to Sana.
The story balances episodic adventures with an overarching plot, delving into themes of family, morality, and the coexistence of ordinary and extraordinary lives. Zoroku's grounded, no-nonsense personality serves as a counterbalance to Sana's innocence and the chaos surrounding her powers. His unwavering commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of supernatural threats, shapes Sana's growth and understanding of the world. The series also examines the ethical dilemmas posed by the exploitation of Alice users, highlighting the tension between scientific ambition and human dignity.
By the conclusion, Sana and Zoroku's bond solidifies into a genuine familial relationship, offering a heartwarming resolution to their journey. The narrative leaves room for reflection on the nature of power, responsibility, and the importance of compassion in a world where the extraordinary intersects with the mundane.
As Sana adjusts to her new life, she grapples with her identity and the ethical implications of her powers. Her presence attracts the attention of other "Alice" users, including those from the research facility who seek to reclaim her. The series explores Sana's interactions with these individuals, many of whom struggle with their own abilities and the consequences of wielding them. Among these characters is Ichiyo Higashikata, a government agent tasked with monitoring Alice users, and Yonaga, a young girl with the ability to manipulate time, who becomes a close friend to Sana.
The story balances episodic adventures with an overarching plot, delving into themes of family, morality, and the coexistence of ordinary and extraordinary lives. Zoroku's grounded, no-nonsense personality serves as a counterbalance to Sana's innocence and the chaos surrounding her powers. His unwavering commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of supernatural threats, shapes Sana's growth and understanding of the world. The series also examines the ethical dilemmas posed by the exploitation of Alice users, highlighting the tension between scientific ambition and human dignity.
By the conclusion, Sana and Zoroku's bond solidifies into a genuine familial relationship, offering a heartwarming resolution to their journey. The narrative leaves room for reflection on the nature of power, responsibility, and the importance of compassion in a world where the extraordinary intersects with the mundane.
Episodes
Staffel 1
1Episode 1
A girl in a white dress runs through a city at night,pursued by men in suits. She possesses the power to manifest anything she imagines, but the ability activates uncontrollably. The girl, Sana, flees into a back alley and collapses from exhaustion. Sanao Kashimura, a elderly greengrocer closing his shop, discovers her and brings her inside despite his granddaughter’s protests. Sana introduces herself only as "Alice" and demands shelter, yet her erratic behavior and sudden materializations alarm the household. Two agents from a secretive research facility arrive in the neighborhood, scanning for Sana’s energy signature. Sanao confronts them with blunt refusal, claiming no knowledge of the girl while shielding her from detection. The agents withdraw but leave a tracker disguised as a beetle, which Sana’s ability inadvertently crushes. Sana admits she escaped the facility where she was treated as a test subject and has nowhere else to go. Sanao declares he will not turn her over, framing the decision as a matter of ordinary human decency rather than duty. Sana tests his resolve by creating a storm of flower petals inside the house, then watches his calm reaction. She asks to stay, and he agrees, giving her a room. Sana sheds her institutional clothing for ordinary clothes, visibly relaxing. The episode closes with the research facility’s director receiving the failed tracking report and ordering a more direct retrieval team dispatched. The immediate hook lies in the impending clash between the unyielding old shopkeeper and the organization determined to reclaim its experimental subject.
2The Red Queen
Zoroku brings Sana to his home and attempts to integrate her into his daily life,but she remains wary and unfamiliar with ordinary routines. The research facility dispatches Minnie C. Tachibana, a woman with the ability to alter the properties of any object she touches, to retrieve Sana. Minnie locates Sana through a tracking device implanted in her tooth and confronts Zoroku at his shop. Zoroku refuses to hand over Sana, and Minnie attacks him by turning the air around him into a solid wall. Sana sees Zoroku in danger and instinctively unleashes her power, creating a spherical barrier that negates Minnie’s ability and forces her to retreat. After the fight, Zoroku takes Sana to a dentist to remove the tracking device, solidifying his commitment to protect her. Sana begins to adapt to living with Zoroku and his granddaughter Sanae, though she still struggles to understand human social norms. The research facility’s leader, Ichijo, receives Minnie’s report and decides to escalate their efforts to capture Sana.
3The Red Queen
Sana hides her ability to materialize objects while accompanying Zoroku on errands,but a chance encounter with a runaway girl named Minnie C. Tachibana forces both to reveal their powers. Minnie, wielding the ability to create illusions, escaped from the research facility that previously held Sana and seeks freedom from those who pursue her. Zoroku initially tries to keep Sana uninvolved, yet agents from the facility arrive in the neighborhood and corner Minnie. Minnie’s illusions mislead the agents, but her power wavers under stress, prompting Sana to intervene by manifesting a wall of ice. The agents, led by a woman who served as Minnie’s caretaker, insist on recapturing her, citing the danger of her unstable abilities. Zoroku steps between them and argues that Minnie deserves the same opportunity for a normal life he is giving Sana. Sana convinces Minnie that running alone leaves her vulnerable, and the two form a short-lived alliance. Minnie chooses to trust Zoroku and Sana, but the agents threaten to call reinforcements. Zoroku negotiates a temporary standoff by appealing to the agents’ conscience and pointing out the facility’s failure to treat children humanely. Minnie agrees to return with the agents under a tentative promise of improved conditions, but she warns Sana that the facility’s leadership remains fixated on capturing her. Sana leaves the encounter knowing that the organization behind her creation now poses a direct threat to the peaceful life she has begun to build.
4A Thing Like a Lie
Sana accompanies Zoroku on his errands to the city,experiencing crowded streets and automated doors for the first time. Zoroku explains rules of public conduct while Sana observes human interactions with detached curiosity. In a park, they encounter a girl named Minnie C. Tachibana who accidentally sets a bench on fire with her ability. Sana recognizes Minnie as another Dream of Alice user. Minnie flees but Sana pursues and discovers Minnie hiding in a shed. Minnie explains she escaped from the Research Facility and has been living in the streets. Two facility agents, Yamada and Ichijo, arrive to recapture Minnie. Sana uses her power to create a barrier that blocks the agents' attacks. Zoroku intervenes, physically stopping the agents and asserting that Minnie is under his protection. The agents retreat after Zoroku threatens to report their use of force against a child. Zoroku brings Minnie to his home, and Sana offers her own room. Minnie accepts but warns that the facility will not give up. The episode ends with the facility director ordering increased surveillance on Zoroku's household, establishing a direct threat to the group's safety.
5Alice & Zoroku
Sana returns home with Zoroku after the previous incident,and she begins adapting to life with the Kashimura family. Zoroku’s granddaughter, Sanae, grows more comfortable around Sana, showing her how to perform daily chores like cooking and laundry. Meanwhile, Minnie C. Tachibana, a researcher from the laboratory that once held Sana, tracks her location using a device hidden inside a stuffed animal Sana kept. Minnie reports her findings to a superior who orders Sana’s retrieval. At the Kashimura household, Sana experiences ordinary life for the first time, including helping prepare a meal and attending a local festival. During the festival, Sana uses her powers to help a lost child find his parents, which draws public attention. Later that night, Minnie approaches Zoroku directly outside his home. She explains the dangers of Sana’s unstable powers and presents herself as a reasonable alternative to the more aggressive laboratory forces. Zoroku refuses to hand Sana over, but Minnie warns that other agents will not be as patient. The next morning, Zoroku takes Sana to register her as a temporary resident, formally asserting his guardianship. As they leave the government office, they are confronted by a masked operative who attempts to forcibly capture Sana. Zoroku shields her, and Sana’s powers activate involuntarily, creating a barrier that deflects the attacker. The episode ends with Zoroku realizing that protecting Sana means facing an organized organization willing to use force.
6Those Days
Sana recalls her life inside the research facility where she was created. A researcher named Minnie C. Tachibana treats her with kindness and brings her picture books,forming a maternal bond. Minnie disobeys orders to keep Sana isolated, secretly teaching her about the outside world. When facility director Takeda orders Minnie to stop, she refuses and helps Sana escape through a ventilation shaft. In the present, Sana remains unconscious in the Kashimura home after her dream world collapsed. Zoroku stays by her side, waiting for her to wake. Sana’s consciousness drifts through fragmented memories of Minnie’s farewell and her own loneliness. She awakens when she hears Zoroku’s voice and recognizes his straightforward care as similar to Minnie’s. Sana apologizes for running away, and Zoroku affirms that she is now part of his family. Later, Ichijo informs Sana that another Alice with dangerous abilities, Ayumu, has begun acting independently, and authorities have lost track of her.
7The Red Queen
The research facility holds Sana in a sealed room. Zoroku and Ichijo arrive outside,intending to break in. Before they act, an explosion tears through the facility. A woman calling herself the Red Queen enters, using her ability to manipulate probability to disable guards and security systems. She seeks to free all Dreams of Alice held captive. Inside, Sana encounters the Red Queen, who reveals her plan to create a sanctuary for their kind by overthrowing human authority. Sana refuses to join her, citing her bond with Zoroku and the peaceful life she has found. The Red Queen dismisses Sana’s choice as naive and proceeds to unleash a massive probability shift, causing the facility to collapse. Zoroku finds Sana amid the chaos and pulls her out. The Red Queen escapes with several freed Dreams of Alice. In the aftermath, the research facility is destroyed, and the authorities now recognize the Red Queen as a major threat. Zoroku decides to shelter Sana more carefully, aware that the conflict between humans and Dreams of Alice has escalated beyond their control.
8The Wicked Witch
9Where the Cheshire Cat Smiles
10The Red Queen
Sana’s body remains under the control of the Red Queen,who declares herself ruler of Wonderland and commands the other dream spirits to obey. Zoroku, Ichijo, and the Minnie C team infiltrate the Sanka Research Facility to retrieve Sana. The Red Queen erects barriers and illusions using Sana’s powers, splitting the group and forcing each member to face personal fears. Zoroku refuses to attack Sana’s body, recognizing that such an action would harm Sana herself. He walks directly toward her and calls out to the Sana he knows. The Red Queen mocks his effort, insisting Sana belongs only to Wonderland and has no place in the real world. Inside her own mind, Sana hears Zoroku’s voice and begins to resist the Red Queen’s grip. She recalls her promise to Zoroku and her wish to return home. As Sana’s will strengthens, the Red Queen’s control falters. Zoroku reaches Sana and takes her hand, causing the Red Queen’s physical form to shatter. The episode ends with the Red Queen defeated, but facility security forces close in, making escape the immediate challenge.
11The Queen and the Witch
Zoroku,Sanae, and Ichijo enter Wonderland to rescue Sana and Hatori. Ichijo opens the massive doors with her Dreams of Alice power, but the group soon separates when a white rabbit causes Ichijo to fall through a hole. Sanae suggests following a giant stuffed pig that appears, and Zoroku agrees, trusting a child’s logic within the surreal environment. Inside Wonderland, Hatori searches for an exit while Sana lags behind, fatigued and resigned. They find a mansion with a large library, where they finally stop to rest. Sana apologizes to Hatori for trapping her in Wonderland, and Hatori admits she shares responsibility for their situation. Hatori confesses she ran away from home because she believes her mother hates her for failing a school entrance exam. Sana explains she is not human but was born from Wonderland itself, serving as a communication device for the dimension to learn about the outside world. She worries Wonderland could replace her with a new creation. Both girls recognize their parallel fears of being unwanted, and Hatori asks Sana to help her return home to see her mother one last time. Sana agrees, and outside, a metallic orb descends toward the mansion, signaling Wonderland’s response to their resolution. The episode ends with Ichijo separated party and the group still navigating Wonderland’s expanding terrain, which has begun affecting the real world.
12Episode 12
The Research Institute holds Sana inside an isolation chamber while Minnie C. Tachibana prepares to extract her reality-altering power. Zoroku Kashimura,Ichijo, and the other Alice children infiltrate the facility, disabling security systems and subduing armed guards. Minnie initiates the extraction, causing Sana’s ability to surge uncontrollably and warp the chamber’s interior into a distorted void. Zoroku reaches Sana and calls out to her, repeating the promise they made to stay together. Sana regains control of her power, halting the expansion and reversing the distortion. Minnie’s extraction machine overloads, and she collapses, unable to proceed with her plan. The institute’s leadership abandons the aggressive pursuit of Alice children and agrees to a supervised coexistence. Sana returns to the Kashimura household, resuming her daily life with Zoroku and Sanae. Brief scenes show the other Alice children choosing their own futures, including Ichijo continuing her research under the new policy. Sana and Zoroku sit together outside their home, confirming their bond without further incident. The series concludes without a direct hook, closing the story of their shared life.
Cast
- Ryu Naito
- Miriam "Minnie C." Tachibana
- Shizuku Ichijo
- Koichi Kito
- Ryū Naitō
- Shizuku Ichijō
- Ayumu Miho
- Noriko Yamada
- Zoroku Kashimura
- Cleo
- Sanae Kashimura
- Hatori Shikishima
- Zōroku Kashimura
- Kōichi Kitō
- Asahi Hinagiri
- Yonaga Hinagiri
- Kureo
Comment(s)
Staff
- DirectorKatsushi Sakurabi
- ScreenplayHiroshi ŌnogiFumihiko TakayamaNoboru KimuraShōgo YasukawaYuniko Ayana
- Episode DirectorSeiji MoritaOsamu SekitaYoshiki YamakawaKatsushi SakurabiRiki FukushimaKen'ichi NishidaKentarō SuzukiTakashi NaoyaSumito SasakiYoshito Yasu
- MusicTO-MAS
- Character DesignKazunori Iwakura
- Chief Animation DirectorMasahiro FujiiMotohiro TaniguchiTakahiro Sasaki
- Sound DirectorYoshikazu Iwanami
- Executive producerYūji MatsukuraYūki MakimotoToshiya Matsushita
- Series CompositionFumihiko Takayama
- StoryboardToshiya ShinoharaMichio FukudaKiyoko SayamaYoshiki YamakawaKiyotaka OhataKatsushi SakurabiShinji Itadaki
- Unit DirectorKiyotaka Ohata
- Original creator
- Art DirectorTakumi Yanagihara
- Animation DirectorYumi NakayamaKazunori IwakuraTakashi TanazawaMasashi SatoYōko IizukaKonomi SakuraiKenji HattoriToyoaki FukushimaMasahiro FujiiTaeko OdaMai OtsukaHayato TejimaAyano SuzukiTsukasa SakuraiShinya KōnoMotohiro TaniguchiTakahiro SasakiShingo NakamuraHaruka SanoHiroshi TatezakiKazuki BabaShinko TsurumotoTakashi NaoyaMami TakinoAkane HirotaNanako NinomiyaSana KomatsuAkira IwasakiShao Lei LiHyo Heun ChoNaru NishikōriJu-Hyon LeeNiya ShichiogiOh ScariIn Seob ChoiSeung Hee SeoJi Oh LeeAi Kato
- Director of PhotographyYoshio Ōkouchi
- ProducerMasato YukitaHirotsugu OgisuTakahiro IshiyamaHirotaka KanekoMakoto Taniguchi
Production
- ProductionHakuhodo DY Music & PicturesTokyo MXJ.C. StaffTokuma ShotenBandai VisualLantisSony PCLAlice to Zoroku Production Committee
- Animation ProductionJ.C. Staff
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