Gakuen Alice

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Gakuen Alice might be a shoujo manga, but it is none like I have ever seen. The story is about a young girl named Mikan Sakura, who had never had a better friend than Hotaru Imai. But, when Hotaru is discovered to have a special ability called an 'Alice', she transfers to a private school named 'Gakuen Alice (Alice Academy)'. Hearing horrible rumors of that academy, Mikan runs away from home without telling her guardian, her grandfather (her parents are deceased and not much is known about them).

When she stood upon the gates of the academy, Mikan discovers she had an Alice as ... well, and is soon transferred to the academy! But, why is the academy so secretive? Why are the teachers and principal keeping such a close eye on her? And...could this somehow involve her mother?

This is a must-read-manga, for it perfectly blends comedy, mystery, and action all together with a hint of romance.

Gakuen Alice, it's now one of them anime classics. Well, that's what I classify it as. I'm kind of surprised that not many people have reviewed this manga considering the anime was quite popular...

Well, the story is about a girl named Mikan Sakura who finds out her best friend Hotaru Imai has transferred to a 'genius school' called Gakuen Alice or Alice Academy. Desperate on not letting er friend go, she decides to run away from home and join her friend in this new school. Upon miraculously entering this school, she learns that it is a school for kids who have special powers called Alices.

Story: ... 9

I love the story. I found it very unique with these Alices and how the school has been categorised into different sections, depending on Alices. I have heard many times that the story gets dark. That's very true. As you go through the manga, you discover the secrets of this academy and how dark it really is. Yes Alices look fun to have but with an Alice comes responsibility.

Art: 9

The art is beautiful. Everyone is detailed though looks can sometimes be re-used. I loved how the festivals were drawn. Everything was bright and fun-looking. Not every manga details their festivals. As usual, there isn't much I am able to say about art.

Character: 9

Like the art, it is well done but can be re-used. I mean, if you look at Natsume and Ruka/Luca verse Hotaru and Mikan, you can see how both relationships are very similar, as are the characters. One is cold, the other is more innocent and nice.
Other than that little that one thing I love the characters! There are so many loveable characters in this manga like Natsume, Tsubasa and You-chan. Ruka is very special too. They all have their awsum quirks that make you love them. Natsume himself is very hard to replace. While waiting for a new chapter, I continuously try and find a substitute for him but no character so far is so cold yet very protective as him.
Everyone also develops. You see their emotions, it's not the same emotions throughout the whole series. Mikan, what I like about her is that she's dense but not too dense. I find that the main characters tend to be too too dense for my liking. Everyone goes through their tough times and you learn about what made them who they are now.

Enjoyment and Overall: 9

I love this series so so much. Everything about it is enjoyable. There's basically a bit of everything, action, adventure, romance, drama, supernatural... There are lots. I would increase the score to 10 but that depends if the ending impresses me or not. I'm hoping that it'll be very very satisfying! (:

At any given point in our lives, there is probably a moment when each of us might think think, "It would be awesome to have superhuman abilities"- or something to that effect. Indeed, everywhere we look, in media, books, music, that wish is reflected- But what might it be like if humans really had special powers?

Often, when people look at something they want, they tend to look only at the positives; "Superpowers? Sure!!" was the way my mind worked before reading Gakuen Alice. But when a person has more, more is required of them… and what if what was given was unwanted?

So starts the story ... of Gakuen Alice; an institute set up specifically for kids with special talents, called “Alices”. The possibilities seem endless- teleportation is a common ability. Shadow-charming, mind reading, predicting the future, hallucinations, and flying… are no longer distant dreams. At a glimpse, Gakuen Alice is heaven; what could a kid want more than to spend time with other supernaturals, away from nagging parents and the stress of the outside world?

Yet… as the story progresses, we learn that things are not so simple; beneath the mask of an academy set up for kids who are deemed “special” lurks a shadow.
Though many students who pass through the gates of Gakuen Alice never have any reason to encounter this dark reality, those who do cross paths with it are thrust into a life of unimaginable suffering and terrors. Once inside the shadow, one cannot escape; age does not matter. Young, old... even those who have long since left behind the gates are bound to the Academy, and for one reason only; having seen the academy’s true side, and for their individual talents.

Our main character Sakura Mikan enters the Academy through a set of special circumstances… and they certainly can’t all be by coincidence. As the gears of fate move on, Mikan begins to learn that life really isn’t all “good”. The world of the Alices is a tough world to live in, and as Mikan begins to learn of her past, she realizes further that things are never as they appear- and suddenly, superpowers don’t appear so super anymore.

Yet, in the midst of the darkness and pain brought onto Mikan and her friends, they learn that there are two sides to every coin. As they go through adventures and misadventures together, they learn priceless lessons on love, hope, trust, and above all, “kizuna” (bond). Through these bonds and relationships, Mikan and her friends are able to get through even when the odds come crashing down on them.

Personally, I was amazed at all the twists and turns in what I simply thought of as a school comedy for children. Gakuen Alice is much more, a true masterpiece that will remain in readers' hearts for generations. The tears, laughter, love, and a whirlwind of emotions come right at the reader through the pages of the story. Gakuen Alice is a story to be enjoyed by readers all over the world through the years.

Friendship is a powerful thing between children, never question it. Promising each others loyalty for the rest of their lives, and doing naive things to protect yet prove the undying love between friends. To be blessed with strong bonds between someone to last a life time is so rare and scarce, it's the truly wonderful element about this manga.

I first encountered Gakuen Alice as an anime. The anime itself was cute, refreshing and sweet which had me yearning for more. I didn't end up reading the manga until a few years later, which I'm pretty glad I did. The manga was a huge contrast to ... the anime, it was more dark and had a lot of mature themes within that you couldn't be sure you were reading the same story. The story divulged more into each main character's story, revealing secrets and hidden back story about the school and the people that run it. The mature elements for a supposedly children's manga really made the series such an original one itself, implementing multiple elements and to create a masterpiece of a manga, one that anyone could enjoy really amazes me.

The art itself was plausible, nothing was out of the ordinary. The way it was drawn really helped with the flow of the story rather than stuttering and hindering the story.

Character development within the story is a huge factor as well and well executed as well, you witness characters changing good to bad, apathetic to empathetic and children growing up faster than they really should.

I thoroughly enjoyed this manga which had me wanting for more, I genuinely expected the longer version of the sweet shoujo anime I saw a few years ago, only to be introduced to more of a intricate written story which surpassed my original expectations, the only criticism I have is the rushed and loose ending it had. Overall, it was a fantastic read which had the perfect balance of love, family, hope, power and most importantly, friendship.

[Review] Gakuen Alice

"I haven't love so much a girl until I met you" - Luca/Ruka Nōgi

"I don't like that ugly face, so smile" - Hotaru Imai

This manga was the reason I started with anime & related stuff.
I stopped reading it because in Spain they only released until the volume 20 :(
And now, being nostalgic, I finished the anime and right after, reading it.
I'll try not to make spoilers ~
...

Story: 9/10
It starts really simple, Mikan (the main character) only wants to follow her best friend (Hotaru) that leaves from her town to go to an elite academy and discovers that if she wants to assist the same school as Hotaru she needs to have an "alice" (special power) like her.
However, there's much more behind this. The teachers, the students and even the academy itself has a big secret and darkness inside.
Between the arcs they are very much plot points that'll make you surprise, sad or any other emotion. And Mikan's past/ future story (well, all character in general) has an emotive development until the end. I'm sure that if you aren't a non-sensitive person, you will feel one with the story.
What I kind of dislike a bit is that it's an open plot, the end makes you feel that there is more, but it isn't.

Art: 8.5/10
The art is simple, too. I've seen very bad drawings in other anime/manga, but this one is quite nice. I must admit that the facial expressions and actions in general are perfectly drawn, you really get to know how the characters are feeling. And like they said before, every detail in the background is well drawn (for examples in the Christmas event or sport festival), too.
... Sorry but the character design are not my taste in general --- okay, when I discovered it for the first time I found it awesome~ how obvious was that I never saw other drawings :D

Character and development: 10/10
And this one is very obvious. The four main characters (Mikan, Hotaru, Natsume and Luca-pyon), each of them has their own story. Not only these four, every single character that appears has a function there. They're people who at first you will hate but, at the final arc, you will love them.
I don't wanna say so much about this because spoilers, I can only say that Tachibana did a great job with the development of every character.

Enjoyment: 9/10
I laughed, cried, was angry when things doesn't go well.
This anime starts with a lot of comedy, although when the story goes on, comedy is less, but it's still there. The more I continued reading, the most I wanted to read more, I've finished it in three days I think, lol.
Still, I enjoyed it so much, every arc was interesting and a clue to the final arc.

General: 9/10
If it wouldn't be because of the art and the final, I'm sure it'd be a masterpiece.
I really recommend to read this, the anime is too short compared how much deeper it is.


Note: This is my first review, I hope I've done it clear and well ;-;

Well, i know a lot of people already read this manga. But i just cant help to make a review of this manga because it just so great.

So i read Gakuen Alice several days ago. At first, i though its just a childish manga because the character is still 10 years old. But when i read it i know that this manga is just so greatttttt. The plot is amazing, it taught us about friendship and love from its deepest meening. My heart shaked several times when i read this manga because it just so touching.

The character for me not really the best part. there ... are so many cute character and i love them, but its not to the point i amazed them so much and can feel their heart. But overall i think its still good and i love the development of each character.

I also really enjoy when i read this manga. Especially when i read the flash back episode... its just so sad and great at the same time.

Overall i think this manga is just so amazing and for someone who havent read it... YOU MUST READ THIS!!! I still dont understand why a lot of people against the ending. But for me the ending is good and i really appreciate the mangaka of this manga. Love it

Gakuen Alice has a plot that takes elements from your typical elementary school children's rom/com and adds superpowers and a mysterious school to give the plot body.

Story: 4
I feel that the story falls flat soon after you delve into the mysteries of the school. They fall into the typical manga pitfalls of dragging an arc out until the dead horse has been beaten to death....and then some. And if that doesn't piss you off enough, they do it....again. The pacing and characterization that took over the first few arcs just dies when the story delves into the School's mysteries. Personally, I could not bring ... myself to finish the manga after about chapter 147.

Art: 8
For all the pitfalls of the story, the art is pretty. The backgrounds are well developed and the characters themselves fit their personalities well. I like all the art and you can clearly tell the ages of the characters from the art style. I personally like the special shoujo squee moments in the manga because the art lights up the page and the screentones lend themselves to help the manga tremendously.

Character: 5
There are so many characters thrown into this manga that it is ridiculous. You get to know a few key characters from mikan's class and you also get to know at least 3 or 4 people from each branch of the school and even some more characters. Now this usually wouldn't be a problem normally, except every single character is developed very well, complete with their own back-story and complete personality profile. And most of this is thrown in with overly complicated "solve this mystery" type plot. Again. This wouldn't be a problem if the story and the characterization weren't jumbled together awkwardly.

Getting that out of the way, the characters themselves, which are a good portion of the meat and bones of this manga are relatively likable.
I however am NOT a fan of our main heroine, Mikan. She is whiny, not strong at all and so optimistic she could have a special on PBS. They overplay her martyrdom to the point of annoyance and it just gets worse as time goes on. And you will find yourself latching onto one of the side characters, who are well rounded to a point, quickly.

Overall: 6
Gakuen Alice is something that can be mildly enjoyed until it gets annoying. If you're looking for a children's story, hit Kodomo no Omocha. The main heroine is so much better. But if you're in it for the art, take a look, it's very pretty.

This is a MUST read!! This is my favourite manga of all time. I watched the anime back when I was 12, and was very unsatisfied as I knew so much more could be done with the storyline and romance. And then I found the manga and I instantly fell in love. One thing for me that is a staple in manga is the characters, and how much development they get. With gakuen alice, you grow to love every single character and it really does make you feel a strange nostalgic feeling as you feel apart of their journey. It does an amazing job of ... being a great balance between light hearted moments and others i was sobbing at and there wasnt a chapter i was ever bored with. The romance was amazing. I loved how mikan and natsume we’re almost fated to be with eachother, it really added a lot of depth to their already adorable romance. The manga does a great job also at world building, we are shown a great amount of detail with the school and alices, it really seems realistic! I reread this manga as a 19 year old today and it still brought me so much nostalgia and joy with every page. The one thing i feel could have been better was the ending. I had a strange empty feeling back at 13 and still today after reading it. It was partially ofc due to me being on such a journey with these characters that it felt sad i couldn’t experience more, but i realised if the ending was better i would have felt less sad and more a happy sad feeling? I think the ending could have been more passionate with mikan and natsumes reunion, and ofc spoilers))) but i mean how are we meant to be satisfied with hotaru still missing? It felt a bit rushed but dont let this put you off as the ride itself of reading the manga makes up for it. I also noticed that a sequel manga was made, which I recommend people read after gakuen alice as it is set after the ending and i didnt find it out till recently. It shows us some adorable mikan and nastume moments as they are older. It isnt finished being translated into english so im waiting for more chapters but maybe we will finally get a more satisfying ending with this manga to make up for it, aka it would make the entire thing perfect:)

Ahhh, Gakuen Alice. One of my first manga series.

Let's start off with the bare-bones: little Mikan Sakura is a 5th grader with a serious girl-crush on her best friend, Hotaru. Naturally, when Hotaru is accepted into a school for "geniuses" away from the serenity of their rural life, Mikan is crushed and vows to follow her friend to the super-school at any cost. After a little fun and adventure, our heroine realizes the school - called Alice Academy (or "Gakuen Alice" for the average Japanophile) - is actually a program for children with special, unique powers called Alices. Hotaru has one, ... and what's more-- Mikan has one, too! And so starts the girl's journey in Alice Academy.

While the initial plot of GA is a little cliche - school-aged children with powers, no wai!1!! - it's still clever and cute. There's a heavy dose of lightheared humor, but also a little angst, drama, and romance for the well-rounded reader. The Alices are interesting and really inciting... I'm not the only reader who wishes they had one, right!? Anywho-- don't expect any heavy plot lines or epic fights. It's just not the type of thing to suit this manga.

Art is... well, it's a downside. The 13 year old girl I used to be certainly fell in love with it, but looking back the style is pretty hardcore shojo. The eyes are bigger than saucers, and I think I will vomit if I see another kid with a head as big as half their body. It's not that it's terrible - in fact, it's well drawn and nice for the easygoing fluff of the story - but readers who are used to more realistic styles will be in for a shock.

While I do enjoy most of the characters in GA, it would be a crime to rate this component higher than a 6 simply for our little Mikan. While she's cute and has her "flaws", she's got Mary Sue written right on her forehead. Orphan who realizes her parents were actually all-powerful and famous? Yes. Possesses one of the most rare and special Alices in the school? Yes. Liked by everyone, complete with a fair share of crushes? Yes. Will probably get in the pants of all 3 main male leads her age? Yes. Good-natured, never quick to anger, forever innocent? No.
... just kidding, yes.
The rest of the characters are sweet and likeable, my favourite being Tsubasa. Gotta love a boy with an appreciation for flair. But if you're anything like me, with a machine gun in the back of the truck for Mary-Sue hunting over the weekend, well... be warned.

Overall, GA is a pretty enjoyable series. It's definitely given me laughs, surprises, and lots of fun; I recommend it for the early-teenaged shojo lover -- anyone else might be a little too ill-prepared. If you like lighthearted plots with a boarding school setting, a large cast of cute characters, and that little extra bit of magic and mystery, this is a definite positive recommendation.

I initially found out about Gakuen Alice by catching a few episodes here and there on Animax when I was in elementary school. Since the characters are all around the age of 10 to 11 for one, AND they have special superpowers, I couldn't help but look forward to catching (hopefully) the next episode (and not a repeat of the previous ones).

Although its anime was alright, (and thankfully I finally had internet at home at that time) I was intrigued whether or not it had a manga since from my knowledge at the time, if not all, a large percentage of animes are adapted ... from mangas. I believe it was one of the best decisions I have ever made anime/film/book-wise, and didn't even expect this good of work from something that was aimed for children.

I very clearly remember when I read the ending of the manga. I couldn't stop crying for at least an hour and got puffy eyes from just thinking about the ending over and over again. lol

It makes you feel VERY empty after you finish reading the whole thing.

I was actually amazed at the plot because it's not the typical magic genre; this one totally hit my interest!

The anime was really good and interesting, but I didn't expect the manga to be this excellent, a work of a genius! Although the story in the anime was left hanging, it was well-explained in the manga (except for one character though, I didn't get to see his past).

I love how the characters developed from Natsume (how he fell in love with Mikan without so much rush), Mikan (on how she deserved to be called the academy's light), Hotaru (with her relationship with Mikan), ... Ruka (on how he fought for himself) until the last supporting characters.

The twists also evoked my interests, like just when you thought that an issue would come to an end, another conflict will rise. The only thing that got me a bit disappointed is the ending. I never thought that the main problem would be actually a predicament in the end. But still, I think that pretty tells the readers that it should go back to where it all started.

But what I loved the most about this series is that, although it was deemed as a shoujo manga, it's not the typical one where events are predictable. The scenes (kissing/hugging/intimate parts) aren't cliche and will actually give you the sense of giddiness.

I had originally planned to review this manga once it was over (which would’ve been in a a couple of volumes), but I re-decided because of the relatively small fan-base Gakuen Alice has conjured up in the past few years. I feel as if I should step in and give this manga some recognition it deserves. But first (before I get into the details), imagine that you’re a kid again. Except that in this new childhood, you’re given super powers (called "alices"), money, toys, and guess what? You never have to see your parents. It does sound enticing, let’s be honest, and even more so ... to our adult selves, but you really can’t help but see the possible effects this spoilt environment could have on a child, right? This is Gakuen Alice (lit. Alice Academy), and though I won’t say it’s the darkest long-running shoujo I’ve ever seen, I will say that it is the darkest long-running shoujo that I’m still following.

Mikan Sakura (the protagonist) is a Mary-Sue, without a doubt. She’s cheerful, cute, optimistic and energetic, and in the words of the mangaka, Higuchi Tachibana, she “forgets her worries quickly, and is very dependent on others”. (Even her name sounds like something out of a moe-generator!). Anyways, we first meet her on a quest to get in contact with her best friend, Hotaru, and after following her own life’s philosophy (“never give up!”) she manages to track her down in Tokyo. Mikan (a 10-year-old girl) then travels from her little village all the way to the city in hopes of reuniting with her friend.

And she does. She arrives at the gates of a place called Alice Academy. Then almost by “coincidence” (and I say this in hyphens for a very good reason), she meets a ill-tempered boy, Natsume, and gets enrolled into the academy through a series of coincidental events. In the beginning, Gakuen Alice begins as a very sweet and childish comedy, introducing Mikan Sakura to the world of alices. She plays dodge ball, she goes shopping, she laughs, and, of course, Mikan is occasionally homesick, and she cries.

If not for the occasional dark undertones so early on, we may believe that’s all G.A. has to offer (a heartwarming slice-of-life story about a simple girl). But starting as early as chapter 10, it becomes clear that “alices” play a much bigger part in the world (as well as Mikan’s ultimate destiny). The story then takes on a dark tone-shift every other arc until halfway through the manga; it is then when it stops becoming a sweet “feel-good” manga, and something more horrific for a ten-year-old to experience.

And that is Gakuen Alice.

The characters are good --they’re loveable, but ultimately, a bit flawed. Lots of the main characters are actually built on top of high school tropes (cold girl, bad boy, nice guy, etc. etc), and though they begin quite cliche, the mangaka, Higuchi Tachibana, provides a great back-story for them. The dark nature in some of them seem unconvincing for their age, but I don't imagine the story working any other way. Not only that, reasons for the character's motivations are established quite later on, which may provide a greater re-read value for the beginning. On the other hand, the side characters are completely original. Mikan's new friends aren't just some faceless girls (or guys) who chatter about games and love. Every single one of them have an interesting and fresh personality, and even though they are absolutely charming, they never outshine the flawed main characters.

(But seriously, it's a story about a bunch of 10-year-olds. Don't expect to find the meaning of life within them. This is a manga that was originally meant for kids/pre-teens, but as the years past, the Gakuen Alice fan base grew up, and Higuchi Tachibana slowly made the story more mature with each passing year. I would seriously not recommend this manga for a child to read. There are some really, really brutal parts in here.)

The plot of Gakuen Alice is hard to describe: it is mostly about Mikan's life in the academy, but it constantly switches between slice-of-life drama, and straight-up action. The shift between these two sub-genres isn't overpowering because, unlike most shoujos, Gakuen Alice actually has definable arcs. And as someone who has helped contribute to the official Gakuen Alice timeline, I have to say, the plot is pretty air-tight. There are few things that aren't explained clearly, and even then, they are negligible. As a result of that, the answer to some very important questions posed within the manga are weak, but not entirely implausible, and since this manga is fantasy, it's acceptable. And most surprisingly: lots of effort actually went into the creation of this manga. Some things are purposefully put into the beginning of G.A. just so that the mangaka could bring it back up 100 chapters later.

Oh, and I must say... the art. I don't personally rate on art, but I do feel that it needs to be talked about. At first, it starts out as a more childish version of the standard “shoujo-art style”. During the course of the series, however, it evolves into something a tad more unique, that is, up until the last 50 chapters or so. The art style seems to be devolving recently, and often looks lazily drawn. There seems to be no reason as to why it looks the way it does, so I suppose I can't say much more: it honestly looks like a typical shoujo.

Despite that criticism, Gakuen Alice is a very thrilling experience even to the most refined shoujo readers. It contains a lot of sub-genres within, ranging from young love to extreme turmoil. Furthermore, it does it within one completely static setting: the Academy. It manages to take a twist on a beloved shoujo set-up, and because of that, I'll be rounding it's 7.0 up to an 7.5 (good), with my overall rating as an 8.0. Go into Gakuen Alice expecting the best, and you'll come out mildly disturbed by the worst.

Gakuen Alice is certainly no overwhelming masterpiece, but it really does deserve all the praise it gets.

★★★★★★★★☆☆

I highly recommend Gakuen Alice and here is why:

Story 9/10: You start Gakuen Alice, expecting your average school life shoujo manga, right? That's when you're wrong. Gakuen Alice consists of various arcs that flow smoothly AND keep you entertained. Moreover, despite the fact that Gakuen Alice is a fantasy manga, it's still very realistic. The author wrote Gakuen Alice in a way that it's realistic enough for the readers to relate and connect with the character.

Art 10/10: Whenever I recommend Gakuen Alice to my friends, they complain about the art. But honestly, there is NOTHING wrong with the art of Gakuen Alice. Sure, the ... art style is a bit "old", but the art is really good for a manga. You'd be lying if you don't think any of the characters are cute. Trust me, you'll end up finding most of the characters attractive as you read on. With the good art AND personality, you'll love the characters in no time.

Character 9/10: Speaking of personality, the characters of Gakuen Alice were amazing. The author makes the characters act in a certain way that it's quite obvious what type of character they are; what personality they have. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any character development because there was! The characters have changed quite a bit over time, but not for the worse. They have matured a lot. Reading Gakuen Alice throughout the chapters makes it feel like you're WATCHING them grow up. It makes you feel so good and proud to be a reader of Gakuen Alice.

Overall, I really enjoyed Gakuen Alice. I'm so glad that I found this manga in the manga section in my public library. I fell in love with it at first sight and continued reading their volumes. Unfortunately, I didn't even know manga websites existed so I never managed to finish the manga since my public library only had a few volumes. Now that I finished Gakuen Alice, I have a sudden wave of nostalgia. Gakuen Alice was so good. I can't believe it's over already. 10/10!

Gakuen Alice, I prefer the manga rather than the anime because it conveys the message better.

What makes this a good manga is the steady character development, you can see this by the thoughts and actions of the characters and even the art style, those who have seen the manga could tell the art style from chapter 1 to chapter 110 looks different.

Another point that makes this a good manga is the plot itself, it's original and heartwarming, it's morals are about friendship, changes, family etc.

The problem with this manga is that since this is a romance, shoujo etc. It can get a bit ... cheesy and predictable. The characters are also a bit generic, Natsume, for example, is your typical tsundere and Mikan is you happy, happy character.

But regardless this manga is one of my favorite, it conveys a special message in the end and has many twists.

I started reading this, probably back in middle school, right after I finished watching the anime. There was something intriguing about this. At first I thought it was weird, to be following a story about elementary school kids, but it just pulled me in. I am glad to finally finish reading this (sophomore in college woot!) after all these years.

Story: 10
The story starts off with Mikan following her best friend to a new school and then becoming a student there as well. At first it just seems like a cute little story about this girl meeting new people and learning to live life with her ... abilities. There were some romances that sparked. But the main story, that kept me up at night wondering what would happen next, was totally unexpected. Mikan has so many adventures that occur after many things are revealed. I did not expect that to happen. And that's what made this manga so great. The end of their story, however, leaves readers to wonder, what is Mikan's next adventure going to be like? And I truly hope that we get at least a 5-10 chapter sequel to see what happens. But the story is so much more than a girl following her friend and making new friendships. It's about the trails and revelations that she goes through and to touch all the lives around her.

Characters: 10
I loved all the characters. At first glance Hotaru is just the stoic girl, Mikan is just silly and energetic, Ruka seems all cold, Natsume has the leave me alone attitude, and most of the characters have first impressions that make you wonder how or if they'll change. Honestly my favorites were Bear and how he changed and Tsubasa just because he was that older sibling to the younger kids.
But the main characters went through drastic changes and their friendships grew. I loved them all and how they developed and how they soon came to form such close friendships.

Overall:
I finally can close a chapter of my middle school life since I finished this xD
But in all honesty, this manga was amazing. I loved it so much. I will reread it when I can. I'm sure that anyone who reads this will think it seems silly, but then it becomes a page turner.
I hope that anyone who gives this manga a try will enjoy it. I sure did. I'm glad I picked it up again to read.

Happy readings everyone!

This manga is a masterpiece.

The ending, however, left me feeling empty and unsatisfied.

But besides that, this manga will make you feel happy, sad, etc.. it's that good.

The characters are lovable. The development, just everything, is amazing. Also Mikan and Natsume are so kawaii lol. This manga could have you reading it over and over again and still manage to make you experience the same feels.

It manages to teach you life lessons. It points out important factors in life; friendship, death, love, etc. I love this manga so much..

If you're feeling decisive on reading this or not, give it a shot. Don't let anything ... stop you, because trust me, you're missing out on an amazing manga. It's too good that I honestly can't even put it in words.

It was never really my intention to read or watch Gakuen Alice, but while searching for characters Romi Paku voiced, I found out that Natsume was voiced by her so I gave it a go. I didn't know what to expect, so when I finally started watching it, I was surprised and here's why:

Story:
The beginning of the story is simple and very shojou-like where a young female protagonist discovers she had magical powers and attended a new school (sort of like Kamichama Karin). To be honest, if I wasn't kept slightly entertained by the anime, I would've put the manga down imediately. The story remains ... simple for about 4 volumes and then the plot starts to thicken and darken. At this point, it starts to become more like a 12-13+ manga, unlike the anime, which was aimed at a younger audience. The story has a nice balance of 'happy' and 'sad' moments, leaving hooked and wanting to read more. The parts of the story which really stuck with me were the relationships between Mikan and her friends. As the story progresses through the darker arcs, you begin to symphathise with them and understand their feelings (I cried during one part). The story has everything - romance, comedy, betrayal, fighting - you name it and it has it, which is one of the reasons why I continued reading it. So overall, if you can muster enough motivation to read past volume 4, the story is worth reading through and is very well thought out (to the point where it starts to become unpredictable).

Art:
The art at the beginning (as with most mangas) isn't as good as the art in the later volumes. However, as you read through you begin to realise that each character is growing and this is clearly shown in the art. For exaple, if you compare the art of chater 1 to chapter 140, you can see that each character has grown and they start to look more middle school-like. The expressions are drawn really well (although the tears can be too thick.)

Character:
Ah, the characters. This'll take a while. Each character plays an important part in the manga. I won't go into detail with Mikan since she's the protagonist, but the more I read, the more I believe that Mikan is growing up. She goes through a lot throughout the story and soon starts to think for herself instead of being the spoilt girl she was at the beginningof the story. Hotaru, Mikan's best friend, doesn't really chage much in attitude, but as the story progresses, she becomes more open to her feelings and sharing her ideas with others. Ruka - you can't help but feel sorry for him - is a great asset to Natsume as a best friend as Natsume only tells Ruka about his thoughts and feelings. In a way, he was able to help Natsume out of the darkness. And Natsume, being the main male character, has one of those close-to-darkness stories enveloping him. Natsume changes the most in the series and I becomes probably the most noble character. His character changes drastically, but he doesn't turn into one of those who-blush-whenever-they-see-the-girl-they-love types (like Syaoran) and its quite surprising what he decides to do and how he does it. He is one of those characters who you can't help but want to root for. Anyways, many character's pasts are revealed, leading to character development and there is a wide range of different characters, both good and bad.

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed reading Gakuen Alice very much. The comedy was hilarious is some places and the gets really interesting. Each character, with their own unique personality, makes this manga enjoyable (especially when Tsubasa teases Ruka and Natsume~)

Overall:
Need you ask? Although I wasn't very satisfied with how the anime turned out, I can say with certainty that the manga is worth reading. To really feel for the characters you have to read it slowly and with feeling. The art is not the best, but very good nonetheless. Characters are lovely and entertaining. Story is one of the best and most indepth out there. I would recommend this to any shojo manga lover as well as those who like stories with a lot of turmoil.

Plot - Mikan Sakura grew up with her grandfather on the countryside of Japan. When her best friend, Hotaru, transfers to a prestigious school in Tokyo, Mikan follows her. The school is actually an elite Academy for gifted people with "Alices," an ability that is unique depending on the individual being. Once Mikan arrives to the gates of the school, she encounters an Alice teacher named Narumi, gets enrolled due to a series of events, and is told that she possesses a rare Alice. Despite her initial view of the so-called greatness to the school, Mikan slowly discovers that beneath the grand facade of the ... Academy, there is a never-ending stream of lies and buried secrets. The school's increasingly manipulative and sinister actions towards her make it a dangerous place to be. Little does Mikan know that her enrollment in Alice Academy set the gears in motion to an even greater tragedy.

Storyline - When you start reading the manga you may think the story is about, well friendship and romance like any other shoujo manga but that infact is not true for Gakuen Alice. This manga isn't an ordinary shoujo manga. The manga is more focused on friendship rather than romance. Its beautifully written and drawn. The storyline gradually becomes more and more compelling leaving you wanting more.

Story- 9/10

Characters - Well Gakuen Alice is a manga with many characters and each of these characters is important in their own way. The character development is very good. You get to more and more about each character. Each character is funny, unique and unforgettable

Characters - 10/10

Art - The art is pretty good from the very start and it improves with each arc.

Art- 10/10

Enjoyment - Well this is one manga that I think everyone will enjoy. Its not just humorous but also very feely. You'll be laughing like a maniac but at points crying like a baby.

Enjoyment - 10/10

Overall- Overall the manga was truly enjoyable. The protagonists story is one that I think everyone would want to follow through the end. I highly recommend this manga

Overall - 10/10

This is such a cute and funny manga!
Some say, the first impression is a bit childish but I think the story itself's becomes very serious. I really would recommend it to people who likes to read an interesting manga with an intresting story.

At first I had no interest in reading this before but then after remembering how much I loved the anime I figured to give it a chance because you know "The books are better than the movies" am I right? Well, starting off on the first chapter I was already laughing at the childishness of it. But in an absolutely good way! Next thing I knew, I could not stop reading it. Approximately, I finished the whole thing in 5 days. 5 straight hours of reading it per day because it was that great! Now I'm going to start going in detail.

Story: 10
The story is ... really unlike no other! It has it's plot twists that make total sense in the end and are a great factor in making the story as good as it is. It starts off really innocently but also quite challenging due to the fact that most of the characters treat her unwell, but each chapter she becomes one of their most important people in their life which is really heartwarming. All of a sudden, before you know it Mikan and all the characters just.. grow on you and what they feel, you feel! Their sadness is your sadness, their happiness your happiness! (But that's what I think.. unless I'm just a super sensitive butt) I like the fact that in the story, their build up to action and intensity (which in fact, is really strong) is quick and makes you wonder what will happen next. > /)(\