I originally watched Gakuen Alice ages ago, in its 26 Episode Anime Adaptation. It also has a number of soundtracks and drama CD’s, 3 video games all on different consoles (GBA, PS2 & NDS) and finally, this manga. It has been ages since I sat down to watch the anime, so it was refreshing reading it all again in the manga.
Artwork: This artwork of this manga is quite good. First of all, the backgrounds were done simply, which can be a bit annoying, not getting much of the setting, however, it does allow the reader to focus on more of the better points in the graphics. The character designs are very well drawn, often portraying the characters emotions and attitudes very well. They are realistic and make the characters look as human as possible, however do often go to the comedic style of drawing during certain scenes that are mean’t to be funny. Appart from humans, the animals in the series are also drawn realistically, however, as Luca-kun is usually the one talking to them, they are not usually what would be expected from normal animals. Finally, being a show based around special abilities, special effects are also important in the artwork. The abilities are always portrayed very well, with, for example, Hotaru’s crazy inventions to Luca-kun’s affects on animals.(The Boy Meets Bird…. section was really well done)
Characters: Each character in this series is unique, for starters, each character has their own unique ability which each uses for good, evil or conflicting values. First off, the main character, Mikan is a ditzy girl who is prone to over-react, is headstrong and follows Hotaru around everywhere. While Hotaru is a cold but kind girl who does not seem to be the type that would hand around Mikan, but does. Then there are other characters such as Luca and his cold mood which changes to passion which his alice reacts to animals, Narumi-sensei who can affect the pheromones of anyone and Natsume, who seems to have everyone and anything. These are just a few of the characters in the series. A wide variety of characters and no similar personalities makes this criteria very highly rated.
Storyline: I consider the storyline a mix between J.K Rowlings Harry Potter series and Jenny Nimmo’s Children of the Red King Series. It is about an Academy, which is designed for children and teenages with a special skill called an Alice. These can range anything from super speed to controlling the elements. Mikan’s best friend Hotaru leaves their town after being scouted by Alice Academy. She goes and finds her in Tokyo, and is soon scouted herself. This volume focused on introducing all the main characters, and showing how Mikan finds out about her own alice. Very good storyline so far.
Extras:
- Artwork before each chapter
- Alice Academy Elementary Division School Uniform Previews
- Map of Alice Academy
- Next Volume Preview (Done very creatively)
- Advertisments
Quite a lot there. Would like maybe an explanation section at the end, explaining some stuff about the campus or something similar.
Overall Score:
Artwork: 4.5 (A)
Characters: 5 (A)
Storyline: 4.5 (A)
Extras: 4 (A)
Overall: 4.5 (A)
Final Impression: A very good anime, if you are into the genre, I am not sure if you would like it if you are not into the school/magic genre of manga. But personally, I would recommend it highly!
Description: Young Mikan runs away to Tokyo following her best friend, Hotaru, who has been enrolled in an exclusive, secretive private school for geniuses. But it turns out that Alice Academy is a lot more than meets the eye. If Mikan wants to stay by Hotaru’s side, she has to both pass the strange “entrance exam” and face the even greater challenge of befriending her very odd new classmates. Whether it’s Hotaru’s gift for inventing gadgets, the cranky Natsume’s fire-casting ability, or Professor Narumi’s control of human pheromones, everyone at the school has some sort of special talent. But what ability, if any, does Mikan possess? Mikan is going to have to rely on her courage and spunk if she’s going to stay in school, or even stay alive!
Manga Information:
Price I bought it for: $AU14.95
Total # of Chapters: 5
Total # of pages: 192
English Publisher: Tokyopop
Publisher Website: http://www.tokyopop.com
Producer: Tachibana Higuchi
Rating: Teen – 13+
