Despite having an incredible variety of themes, they work together surprisingly well. You get an action/drama/fantasy/mystery. Plot twists or character developments keep coming, so things never get boring. Actually, I keep having to re-read chapters just to make sure I've gleaned all the clues out. So there's high re-read potential. Despite the heavy amount of plot, character is just as important. So whether you like interesting characters, or an interesting plot, there's enough to keep you satisfied.
I was surprised to see this often categorized as a "shounen" manga. Is it because the hero's a guy? Because the lead lady wears a miniskirt? Because there's some action? In my opinion, it has a MUCH stronger gal appeal than guy appeal. But that's just my opinion. If guys like it, great!
Bit of a synopsis:
Our hero is Oz, heir to a dukedom, 15 years old (and oddly small for his age). His side-kick is his incredibly loyal and meek/shy servant Gil. Well, that's how things start out. But soon Oz is sent into the other dimension, and meets our lead lady, Alice (who also takes on the form of a giant rabbit). After Oz and Alice leave the dimension, they meet Break (aka the "Mad Hatter"), Lady Sharon, and eventually a slew of other characters. One by one, we see the characters' backgrounds unfold. Later, Oz has to make some reforms to his own attitudes. He seems to be a normal kid, but we find that he's had some painful experiences that have given him a poor opinion of his own self-worth.
Plotwise, there's a lots of things we need to follow. We need to figure out who the Baskervilles are, what was the tragedy of Sabrie, Gil and Vincent's pasts, why Alice's memories are missing, what's the deal with the watch, who is the mystery guy in Oz's dreams...yep. Lots of plotlines to follow.
Like drama? Mystery? Character development? Gothic-Victorian manga style? If so, you'll love Pandora Hearts!
(P.S. If you like the manga, be sure to check out the anime! It's pretty faithful, and just as delightful as the manga. It does a good job at playing up the comedy too.)
