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.
