Gakuen Alice

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Alternative Titles

English: Gakuen Alice

Synonyms: Alice Academy

Japanese: 学園アリス

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 31

Chapters: 183

Status: Finished

Published: Sep 5, 2002 to Jun 20, 2013

Genres: Comedy, Drama, School, Shoujo, Super Power

Authors: Higuchi, Tachibana (Story & Art)

Serialization: Hana to Yume

Statistics

Score: 8.34¹ (scored by 18,152 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #212²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #294

Members: 36,049

Favorites: 3,344

8.34

Ranked #212Popularity #294Members 36,049

MangaHana to YumeHiguchi, Tachibana (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /31

Chapters: /183

* Your list is public by default.

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Synopsis

For Mikan, there was no better friend than Hotaru (though Hotaru sometimes seems to have other sentiments). They often played together. But Hotaru is a very special child, and she agrees to go to a school in Tokyo which the government reserved only for geniuses. This left a very lonely Mikan at home. When Hotaru fails to keep her promise and come home for holidays, her young friend is very disappointed and rather angry. But upon overhearing a conversation between Hotaru's mother and a teacher, Mikan realizes that her friend's reasons for leaving might not have been what they seemed. So Mikan takes it upon herself to run away and go to Hotaru's school. There she discovers the so-called "genius academy" is actually a school for people gifted with special powers called "alices." Her friend Hotaru is one of these, and after a chance encounter with a teacher, Mikan suddenly finds herself enrolled. Finally, the two friends are reunited, but is Mikan actually one of those so-called Alices?

(Source: Aerie Scans)

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Background

Gakuen Alice was partially published in English by Tokyopop, who published sixteen volumes from January 1, 2008 to April 5, 2011, before becoming defunct.

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Related Manga

Spin-off:	Kageki no Kuni no Alice
Adaptation:	Gakuen Alice

More characters
Characters

Hyuuga, Natsume

Main

Sakura, Mikan

Main

Imai, Hotaru

Main

Nogi, Ruka

Main

Andou, Tsubasa

Supporting

Anjo, Narumi

Supporting

Bear, Mr.

Supporting

Hijiri, Youichi

Supporting

Harada, Misaki

Supporting

Persona

Supporting

More reviewsReviews

Jan 24, 2015

179 of 183 chapters read

Overall Rating: 10

soomyu (All reviews)

25 people found this review helpful

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 read more

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Feb 24, 2011

180 of 183 chapters read

Overall Rating: 10

Yume_to_Tsubasa (All reviews)

19 people found this review helpful

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.

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Aug 20, 2015

180 of 183 chapters read

Overall Rating: 9

Narmina (All reviews)

11 people found this review helpful

[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 ;-;

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Jun 21, 2014

180 of 183 chapters read

Overall Rating: 8

brennasaur (All reviews)

4 people found this review helpful

If you understand love, family, or true friendship this manga will hit home HARD.

This is a series set around a school for special children found to have an ability called an alice and this school called Alice Academy helps them learn to harness and progress their alice while still learning normal school standards. So essentially its Hogwarts with a twist, since people with alices are considered "national treasures" you can not leave the school until you graduate and you will absolutely no outside contact with your family ( until you graduate).

The story follows and optimistic girl named Mikan Sakura who is best friends with Hotaru Imai. When Mikan finds out Hotaru has an alice and will be attending the school, Mikan follows her to the school Alice Academy. Outside the school while she tries to get in she runs into a teacher there and he finds out she has a special and rare alice and admits her to the school, unbeknownst to the heartache to come.

*WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILER* ( and just in case you don't listen to my warning and read anyway I won't use any names) Some like me will scream at the page YOU'RE ONLY 11!! But love is love right? An I feel even though they are so young they truly understand love and they fit each other perfectly. One shines like the moon and stars and the other is mysterious like the dark night sky. I also really love it when characters get jealous it just really makes me laugh. But I always feel bad when there is any sort of love triangle... Because someones gonna get hurt. Especially when the two are best friends.

* SPOILER FREE FROM HERE ON* Any way one of the many themes is friendship which usually is pretty cheesy but when presented like this it feels.. right. Like Hotaru and Mikan... just make sense and there are times when they tease each other but when it gets down to it the two would do anything for each other, which is something not a lot of people can say honestly about anyone anymore.

There is also has a hidden theme of family, and sacrifice. Honestly this was one of the saddest parts because of how much had been given up to reach the main goal.

Another great thing which I love in a story is how almost every character has some connection to a bunch of other characters through the past, which gives the whole set of characters a kind of huge family connected to one another by something bigger, like the red string of fate is entangling them all in a huge web. And in the end this really for me pulled it together as a series

The story was great but it kinda had two climaxes it felt like cause they almost achieved what they wanted but didn't reach their goal till the second attempt, and the end kinda left me feeling empty like it wasn't really DONE and needed a sequel to resolve everything (this is my opinion though). I also didn't understand the villains motives or what they were really doing that was so bad(though is might just be my stupidity).

The art was okay but felt a little dated and took some getting used to. It felt like Inuyasha miked with Kuroshitsujii

But overall I thought it was a good series with a LOT of sad surprises at the end, and an overall feeling of love, family, sacrifice, friendships, and bonds.

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