Alice & Zoroku

Alice & Zoroku (アリスと蔵六) is a Japanese manga series by Tetsuya Imai. It began serialization from October 2012 in Tokuma Shoten's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Ryū. It has been collected in thirteen tankōbon volumes.[3][4] The manga won the Japan Media Arts Festival's New Face Award in 2013. An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff aired from April to June 2017.

Summary

The existence of humans with supernatural powers is kept a dark secret, hidden from the outside world save a research facility created to understand the principles behind these people, known as 'Dreams of Alice'. The story centers around Sana, an orphan girl belonging to the research facility as an experimental test subject, and nicknamed "Red Queen" due to her immense power despite her youth and childlike demeanour. After a narrow escape from the research facility, she wanders to the city of Shinjuku and meets an old man named Zouroku Kashimura, who kindly takes her in after sympathising with her story. Soon, he adopts her as his granddaughter as they grow close during their time together, be it during dangerous situations when trying to evade the research facility and everyday troubles of Sana growing to know the outside world better.

Characters

  • Sana Kashimura (樫村 紗名)
  • A girl with the ability to teleport and create anything she can imagine, Sana was being studied at a secret research facility until she decided to escape. She eventually crosses paths with Zouroku, who decides to take her in. Sana is also called the Red Queen (赤の女王) due to her immense power despite her being only a child.
  • Zoroku Kashimura (樫村 蔵六)
  • A rather grumpy old man with a mysterious past. He works as a florist and is Sanae's grandfather. He eventually takes Sana into his home as well.
  • Sanae Kashimura (樫村 早苗)
  • Zouroku's granddaughter, Sanae lives under his care due to the death of her parents and became something of an older sister to Sana.
  • Asahi Hinagiri (雛霧 あさひ)
  • A Dream of Alice and Yonaga's older twin sister. She was friends with Sana in the research facility but now works to take her back. She can materialize any object connected to a chain.
  • Yonaga Hinagiri (雛霧 よなが)
  • A Dream of Alice and Asahi's younger twin sister. She was friends with Sana in the research facility but now works to take her back. She can materialize a bow and arrow.
  • Shizuku Ichijō (一条 雫)
  • Naito's assistant, who also happens to be Dream of Alice. She has access to a storeroom containing 666 different weapons and items (including 13 grimoires) which she can materialize at any time. She is a Naicho agent.
  • Ryū Naitō (内藤 竜)
  • An old acquaintance of Zouroku who works for the police and is interested in seeing whether Dreams of Alice can coexist with humans.
  • Noriko Yamada (山田 のり子)
  • A tech specialist who works with Naito and Ichijo to track Dreams of Alice.
  • Miriam C. Tachibana (ミリアム・C・タチバナ)
  • Also known as "Minnie C.", Minnie is a former United States Marine Corps second lieutenant and a Dream of Alice. Her husband was killed in action during a tour of service in Iraq. She voluntarily works with the research facility to retrieve Sana. She can materialize a pair of giant arms that resemble her late husband's. In exchange for shrinking their size, Minnie can increase the number of arms she materializes and can even make them invisible to the naked eye. Her major goal in working with the research facility is to hopefully find a way to bring her husband back from the dead.
  • Kōichi Kitō (鬼頭 浩一)
  • The director of the research facility secretly studying Dreams of Alice.
  • Cleo (クレオ)
  • A Dream of Alice being studied in the research facility who was with Kitō when he and the Hinagari twins were searching for Sana. He is bright and calm. He creates whatever he is able to draw (e.g. Zoroku's car, cardboard robot in the car). He is seen constantly drawing. He does not like Minnie C.
  • Hatori Shikishima (敷島羽鳥)
  • Hatori Shikishima is an elementary school student with a troubled home life. After failing to get into a prominent school, her mother turns emotionally neglectful towards Hatori and her parents begin to constantly argue, which Hatori blames herself for. Hatori discovers her Dream of Alice can manipulate her environment and her parents to her desires.
  • Ayumu Miho (美浦 歩)
  • Ayumu Miho is Hatori's best friend and classmate and a good athlete in soccer. At first she enjoys Hatori's strange powers and the two play pranks and have fun, but she becomes more concerned about Hatori as her personality begins to change.

Media

Manga

The manga series began serialization from the December 2012 issue of Tokuma Shoten's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Ryū published on October 19, 2012.[6] It has been collected in thirteen tankōbon volumes. The manga won the Japan Media Arts Festival's New Face Award in 2013.[7] The series moved to online-only serialization when Comic Ryū changed formats on June 19, 2018.[8] The series is licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment.[9]

Anime

An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff aired on April 2, 2017, with an extended 44-minute first episode[32][33] and ended on June 25, 2017. It is directed by Katsushi Sakurabi and written by Fumihiko Takayama, with character designs by Kazunori Iwakura and music by To-Mas Soundsight Fluorescent Forest.[34] It was simulcasted by Crunchyroll[35] and Funimation provided the English dub.[36] The series ran for 12 episodes.[37] The series' opening theme is "Wonder Drive" by Oresama, and the ending theme is "Chant" by Toi Toy Toi.[38]

References

  1. Alice & Zouroku Seven Seas, retrieved April 2, 2018^
  2. Animax Asia to Air Alice & Zouroku, This Art Club Has a Problem! Anime News Network, March 30, 2017, retrieved April 1, 2017^
  3. アニメ「アリスと蔵六」公式サイト^
  4. アリスと蔵六(マンガ(漫画))の電子書籍無料試し読みならBook☆Walker^
  5. Funimation Announces English Dub Casts for The Silver Guardian, Alice & Zoroku Anime Anime News Network, May 4, 2017, retrieved May 4, 2017^
  6. Egan Loo. Manga Sutra - Futari H's Katsu Launches Dandy Maniac Manga Anime News Network, August 20, 2012, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  7. Egan Loo. Jojolion Manga Wins Media Arts Award Anime News Network, December 5, 2013, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  8. Karen Ressler. Comic Ryū Magazine Moves Online Anime News Network, May 18, 2018, retrieved May 18, 2018^
  9. Karen Ressler. Seven Seas Licenses Alice & Zouroku Manga Anime News Network, January 10, 2017, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  10. アリスと蔵六 ① Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  11. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 1 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  12. アリスと蔵六 ② Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  13. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 2 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  14. アリスと蔵六 ③ Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  15. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 3 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  16. アリスと蔵六 ④ Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  17. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 4 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  18. アリスと蔵六 5 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  19. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 5 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  20. アリスと蔵六 6 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  21. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 6 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  22. アリスと蔵六7 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  23. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 7 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  24. アリスと蔵六8 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  25. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 8 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  26. アリスと蔵六 ⑨ Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  27. Alice & Zoroku Vol. 9 Seven Seas Entertainment, retrieved May 6, 2024^
  28. アリスと蔵六 10 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  29. アリスと蔵六 11 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved October 27, 2023^
  30. アリスと蔵六 12 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved March 2, 2024^
  31. アリスと蔵六 13 Tokuma Shoten, retrieved December 2, 2024^
  32. Alice to Zouroku Manga About Girl With Mysterious Power Gets TV Anime Anime News Network, November 8, 2016, retrieved February 18, 2017^
  33. Alice & Zouroku Anime's Promo Video Reveals April 2 Premiere Anime News Network, March 9, 2017, retrieved March 9, 2017^
  34. Alice & Zouroku Anime's Videos Reveal Cast, Staff, April Premiere Anime News Network, February 8, 2017, retrieved April 2, 2017^
  35. Crunchyroll Streams Alice & Zoroku, The World Yamizukan, World Fool News Part II Anime Anime News Network, April 2, 2017, retrieved April 2, 2017^
  36. Funimation to Dub Akashic Records, Clockwork Planet, Silver Guardian, Alice & Zoroku Anime Anime News Network, April 12, 2017, retrieved April 12, 2017^
  37. BD/DVD^
  38. Alice & Zouroku Anime's Promo Video Reveals April 2 Premiere Anime News Network, March 9, 2017, retrieved April 25, 2017^
  39. http://s.mxtv.jp/anime/alicetozouroku/episode.php Tokyo MX, retrieved April 2, 2017^