Hanamonogatari

After Koyomi Araragi and Hitagi Senjougahara graduate, Naoetsu Private High School has only a handful of familiar students left. Kanbaru Suruga is one of them, known as the bearer of the Monkey’s Paw. Her routine changes when she hears stories about a so-called Devil who can provide magical answers to people’s troubles. Since the rumors seem connected to her, Kanbaru sets out to learn what is really happening.

Her investigation leads to Rouka Numachi, a former middle-school basketball rival whose leg injury has kept her from playing. Rouka now offers advice to people who come to her, presenting herself as someone who can resolve their problems. In reality, she collects their misfortune and eases their worries by giving them the reassuring possibility that everything can be fixed. Kanbaru objects to this deception and leaves after warning Rouka about the lies. Yet her concern returns when her left hand takes on its original human shape.

Mystery drives the search behind the Devil’s rumors, while fantasy gives the story its magical uncertainty. Comedy offsets the more unsettling ideas surrounding bad luck, false hope, and the ways people cope with their problems. Kanbaru’s directness also brings a strong character focus to the story, making her response to Rouka’s methods central to the experience.

This finished TV series was released in 2014 and contains five episodes. Begin with episode 1, which introduces Kanbaru’s situation, the rumor surrounding the Devil, and the question of what has happened to her hand.

• An intriguing supernatural rumor
• Kanbaru’s focused investigation
• Comedy threaded through mystery
• Compact five episode structure

Fans of fantasy mysteries, comedic supernatural stories, and focused character investigations.