Common Name: Alice to Zouroku
Alternative Names: Alice & Zouroku
Score: 6/10, 4/5
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Action, Drama, Supernatural, Magic
Summary: While no one knows where it came from, there exists another world within our own called the "Dream of Alice." While child-like in many ways, this world is slowly influencing our own, granting magical powers to people at random. Unlike those gifted with these powers though, there is one girl who was born from this other world and holds sway over it. Those who researched her and her world call her "The Red Queen," but she prefers the name Sana. Though it is unclear whether or not Sana and the "Dream" are inherently dangerous, there is no way to avoid the question now that Sana has escaped the research facility and has found a place to call home with the stern but kind florist named Kashimura Zouroku.
Review: Too many cooks spoil the broth. This old adage basically states that if too many people are involved in a project, the conflicts that will ensue over differing ideals, preferences, and end goals will ultimately doom the project in the end. While this principle can be primarily seen in the movies, TV, and the world of gaming-- The Dark Tower movie being a pretty recent example of this--where having multiple people involved in the creation of the project, there are a few instances where this adage can creep into something made by a single person. In the desire to create something new and interesting, some authors throw way too many concepts and ideas into their work, dooming it to failure in much the same way. While failure is not guaranteed in this situation, it does take a considerable amount of skill to juggle a large number of ideas without taking away from the project's core premise. Unfortunately, Alice to Zouroku is one of those shows that fell prey to this problem and lost all impact and intrigue because either the original creator or the team who adapted it didn't have the skills necessary to make it work.
Granted, the blatant product placements didn't do its message any favors either.
The core premise I am referring to in the case of Alice to Zouroku is the family-oriented story about a young girl being saved and then raised by a stern but kind florist. At least from the perspective I watched it from, the story of this show hinges on the relationship between the show's
characters against a world and situation that could easily separate them. More than that though, it's about giving a powerful and traumatized little girl some amount of normality in her life and teaching her the difference between right and wrong in spite of the power she possesses. So, in some ways, it's a twist on that classic concept of the tired, old veteran protecting a young or innocent child from the bad guys. Unlike Snowpiercer, Safe, or Lone Wolf and Cub which capitalized on this same sort of concept though, Alice to Zouroku empowers the "helpless little girl" with reality-altering abilities. Sana, also called "The Red Queen," could easily obliterate anyone who got in her way, but she simply lacks the knowledge or experience necessary to do so, putting her in a position akin to a child with a gun--dangerous but too scared to use her tool properly. Now that sounds like a pretty great premise right?
Not interested? What if we throw in a female federal agent with
the powers of Gilgamesh from the Fate/ franchise?
Too bad they throw all that interesting stuff out out the window halfway through the show. Rather than maintaining a consistent tone and message, the show simply resolves the action-based drama in favor of personal drama as Sana learns to live in the real world. At least, that's likely the show's intention. I say "likely" because, rather than actually focusing on the daily routine of the Kashimura family, the show instead turns its attentions towards an entirely different character; one who isn't nearly as engaging as the show's original cast. In exchange for sidelining all the investment that has been placed in Sana and Zouroku, we're introduced to a brand new "Dream of Alice" named Shikishima Hatori. Unlike Sana or the rest of the cast thus far, Hatori is a brand new "Dream of Alice" who has been gifted her power by the cruel and twisted god called contrivance. Because of her situation, however, Hatori isn't given the same opportunities as Sana to use her powers for good. Instead, she has to use them for her own personal gain, a fact that causes her believe she's no better than the evil witch in her favorite fairy tale.
To be fair, though, she has pretty solid reasons for abusing her powers.
This birth of this new villain, of course, means that she's meant to eventually be at odds with Sana. Here's the thing though: rather than Sana simply running into Hatori as a villain, we're given a full episode or two where Hatori is the main character. By the time Sana actually takes the stage, we've already grown to understand Hatori's character because we're meant to feel bad for her. So, rather than being some kind of magical girl hero come to save the world from an evil witch, Sana ends up acting like little more than a bully during this arc. So I'm forced to ask what the point to all this was? Is it supposed to offer proof that Sana is just a delusional child who causes more harm than good when she acts out her magical hero fantasy? That fact was already established when she got in a fight with the twin sisters who are supposed to represent Tweedledum and Tweedledee during the first arc. Is it supposed to teach Sana a lesson on how the world isn't as black and white as she might think? Alright, I can buy that. But what's the point in pursuing moral ambiguity when it's been established that Sana's power and Wonderland, by extension, becomes more dangerous when she's emotional confused? Doesn't that problem just lend credence to the main villains' mentality that it might have been better to keep Sana and the other "Dreams of Alice" locked away? But acknowledging that would mean admitting that getting rid of those villains and the intrigue they offered was a bad idea. They can't do that, though, because that would void the point of taking away all the action and dipping into a fairy tale other than Alice in Wonderland, the story that this show is only barely based on. So, again, what was actually the point to all this?
Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get a solid reason why the show took the twists and turns it did, but I know my overall enjoyment of the show was tarnished from its inability to solidly decide what it wanted to be or where it wanted to go. In the end, though, I'll admit this was a pretty fun and enjoyable show when all is said and done. In spite of the tonal acrobatics it takes, I enjoyed the show on a personal level--just not a critical one since the show falls apart when pressure is applied to it. The characters were fun and interesting. The music was top notch. The art style felt a bit dated, but stuck true to the source material and cleaned it all up with solid animation. It wasn't good enough to warrant becoming a personal favorite for me, but I have definitely seen worse. Regardless, I am hesitant to recommend this Alice to Zouroku because of those critical failings. The first seven episodes, I'd recommend in a heartbeat, but the rest definitely drag the work down as a whole. If critical issues aren't an issue for you though, by all means, give this family-centered magical action, drama, adventure rollercoaster a chance.