Beyond Magic: How Alice & Zoroku Uses a Grumpy Florist's 'Common Sense' to Anchor a Reality-Bending Sci-Fi Masterpiece

When Tetsuya Imai's manga Alice & Zoroku (Alices to Zouroku) was adapted into an anime by J.C.STAFF in 2017, it immediately captivated audiences by subverting conventional genre expectations. While the initial episodes promise a frenetic, high-stakes sci-fi thriller centered on super-powered children escaping a clandestine organization, the series' true innovation lies in its profound thematic pivot. This critically acclaimed work is far more than a typical action series; it is a profound exploration of philosophical constraint, grounded by one of the most unconventional protagonists in modern fantasy storytelling.

The anchor of the entire fantastical narrative is Zoroku Kashimura, an aging, perpetually cantankerous florist. It is highly unusual for a major sci-fi/fantasy series involving reality-bending powers specifically the ability known as 'Alice’s Dream' to feature an ordinary, non-powered senior citizen as its moral compass. Zoroku’s superpower is not magic, but 'joushiki,' or common sense. When he encounters Sana, a young girl capable of materializing anything she can imagine, his reaction is not fear or avarice, but immediate exasperation at the sheer illogic of her existence.

This unyielding insistence on the mundane becomes the series’ core philosophy. Zoroku teaches Sana that while her reality-altering power is essentially limitless, the rules of human society courtesy, responsibility, and restraint must still apply. This stabilizing force of normalcy provides a necessary counterweight to the supernatural chaos, establishing a powerful found family dynamic that defines the story.

A fascinating detail often overlooked is how the 'Alice’s Dream' ability itself functions. Unlike conventional anime power systems, Sana’s power is tied directly to her imagination and, crucially, her emotional maturity. She possesses the technical capability to create complex dimensions or machinery instantly. However, because Sana is only a child lacking a comprehensive understanding of the world, her creations are inherently limited by her knowledge and emotional state. If she attempts to conjure something she only vaguely comprehends, the result will be flawed or incomplete. This psychological constraint transforms the power from a simple plot device into a mechanism for exploring human development, grounding the limitless fantastical element within the believable limitations of a seven-year-old’s psyche.

The anime adaptation is particularly notable for how J.C.STAFF handled the deliberate tonal shift from tense action to heartwarming slice-of-life once Sana is adopted by Zoroku. This pivot, which surprised viewers unfamiliar with the source material, was intentional on the part of author Tetsuya Imai. Imai was primarily interested in charting the transformative influence of a normal family environment on a being of infinite power, using the initial action sequences merely as the catalyst. This structure a high-concept sci-fi framework justifying a deeply intimate domestic drama is a hallmark of the series' originality.

Furthermore, the original manga received significant recognition, securing the New Face Award at the 21st Japan Media Arts Festival in 2018 for its compelling character dynamics and innovative approach to the superpower genre. Alice & Zoroku stands as a definitive example of character-driven science fiction where common sense proves to be the ultimate, indispensable superpower.