There are some anime` series that I really don’t get. The Alice Academy (Gauken Alice) is one of them. Although it’s spazzy and bubbly, the undertones are bleak to the point of nihilism. Take for instance the main character, Mikan. She tries to pursue a friendship with a girl who never, ever returns it. This is heartbreaking in itself and not really funny unless you’re a fan of cutting black humor; admittedly that is occasionally entertaining, but to have it thrown in your face over and over again is dispiriting.

Ok, let’s say that you can handle that much, but things get worse for our heroine. By episode two, she finds herself in a school comprised of elitist bullies who take delight in tormenting her in embarrassing and typically true-to-life jr. high/high school ways. Maybe I’m just too emotional for my own good, but I sure remember junk like that. Mikan never gives up, but that’s a bit unrealistic; by this point, a lot of people would be crushed. However, she still hasn’t endured enough. Her friend finally comes to defend her, after admitting that so doing results in her sacrifice of being honor student of the year and insults Mikan, publicly.

The Alice Academy pretends to be funny, but what it holds up as comical is all-too real. I really couldn’t continue watching it after two and a half episodes.

Welcome to the graveyard, Alice Academy.

Alle Neuheiten im Überblick

Ab Ende Februar 2009 überall im Handel erhältlich.

After School Nightmare 1
Alice Academy 7
Blick der Bestie
Cheeky Vampire 8
DAISUKI 03/09
Fesseln des Verrats 3
Kekkaishi 8
Killing Iago 1
Lieber Lehrer…
Manga Love Story 38
Naruto - Die Schriften des Tô
Only the Ring Finger Knows (Novel) 4
Shaman King 30
Silver Diamond 10
Welcome to the N.H.K. 2
When a man loves a man 9

Auch diesen Monat:

ONE PIECE: YELLOW

One Piece Yellow

Die Wartezeit hat ein Ende! ONE PIECE YELLOW wird nun im Juni erscheinen. Carlsen entschuldigt sich an die Verzögerungen!

Infos:

ONE PIECE YELLOW ist bereits der dritte Sonderband zur Erfolgsserie ONE PIECE von Eiichiro Oda! In diesem Band mit dem Untertitel »Grand Elements« werden den Fans auf über 300 Seiten weitere Hintergrundinfos und neue Facts zur durchgeknallten Piratenserie präsentiert.
Im »Event Log« werden noch einmal die Charaktere der Serie und die wichtigsten Ereignisse in ihrer Zeit auf See beleuchtet. Dort kommen nicht nur die Hauptdarsteller um Ruffy, Nami, Sanji und Co. zum Zuge, sondern es wird auch den anderen Piratenbanden sowie den unterschiedlichsten Nebencharakteren genügend Platz eingeräumt. Im Abschnitt »Material« findet sich ein detailliertes Verzeichnis mit 500 wichtigen  Begriffen aus dem “One Piece”-Universum.
Zwischendrin finden sich, wie bereits in den Vorgänger-Sonderbänden “One Piece Red” und “One Piece Blue”, kleine, witzige Kurzcomics und -geschichten.

Für One Piece Fans ein Pflichtkauf!

Ab Nächste Monat bekommt ihr auch die Neuheiten von Tokyopo.

This is the cutest manga about elementary students since Card Captor Sakura.

Love triangles always make for good entertainment.

Well, first off I guess I should say Hello, considering it’s my first time posting. So hello! You can call me Cream Puff. It seems as though I’m going to be blogging Gakuen Alice. Please don’t expect a post as soon as the newest chapter comes out, I can only get it as soon as it’s available. This also means that most of the pictures I post come from someone other than myself. Mostly because I can’t be bothered to get my scanner working again. The odd time I do scan something, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Alritey, so this series is predictable yet very, very addicting. When I first found Gakuen Alice, I had watched the anime. I don’t think I would have read the manga otherwise, but if you’re not the anime type of person, I highly suggest this manga. The 2 main characters could be compared to Sakura and Syaoran from Card Captor Sakura.

Our heroine, Mikan Sakura, who is ‘Happy-go-lucky’, optimistic, and high energy ends up chasing her best friend Hotaru Imai, to a school for geniuses, or atleast that’s what she thought. Of course, the school isn’t a school for ‘geniuses’ so much as it is for people who possess supernatural powers known as ‘Alices’. The different types of Alices range from controlling fire to being able to give stuffed toys souls. Here she finds she has an alice of her own, but her new (perverted) teacher Narumi insists she must find out what it is on her own.

She finds out she has the alice of nullification when she is attacked by fellow classmate Natsume Hyuuga. Unfortunately for her, it looks like there was one other person with the nullification years ago who caused quite a bit of trouble, and now Jinno-sensei (also known as JinJin xD) and the other teachers are set on keeping it from happening again. Jinjin ranks her a ‘no-star’ the lowest of the entire star rank system. The star rank system is based on your grades and behavior, the highest there is is special star (with 1, 2 and 3 in between that and no star). The star ranking system determines how much monthly allowance, which chores, and quality of the meals served. Mikan, being her high spirited self, endures with the help from Hotaru (but not without compensation) and her Class President.

So that’s the gist of the first 5 or 10 chapters. I won’t give out too many spoilers for the next 90ish chapters because it would be so much more thrilling if you read it yourself. Of course, if you wanted a summary of the rest of the series I’m sure either me or LN would be happy to summarize for you, let us know.

Around 30-ish (I believe?) Ruka (Natsume’sbfflol) and Natsume both begin falling in love with Mikan. Mikan’s now caught between the two boys. Eventually Mikan’s rival appears, the insane ‘Luna’ who’s intent on keeping her away from Natsume. Much to Mikan’s dismay Natsume ends up playing along with Luna, who apparently can hurt Mikan. On top of all of this, there are issues involving most of their families, a dark side to their school, and scary lolicon/shota teachers who wear black lipstick. (BUT MY LOVE FOR PERSONA IS UNCONDITIONAL.)

So me, being an easy critic has (so far) given this manga a 8.9 out of 10. I really didn’t have many big rants about this one, actually I never had any small ones other than it was a bit to predictable. Volume 4 comes out in English sometime in September I believe, whether I blog that or not will depend on the time I have. Expect the recent chapters to be blogged a week (at the least) after they come out.

Enjoy!

CP

ALERT: by the way, whatever translations you’ll read here AREN’T MINE! So, let’s give Caesar what’s due to Caesar (tama ba?)- whoever Ceasar is… Thanks to those people who spend time translating the manga… You rock!

Natsume: “Mikan!”

Mikan can’t see anything anymore. It was dark. “Whaa… What is this? Skeleton dungeon!?”

The hospital…

Misaki: “Everyone…Imai…”

Subaru: “Doctor, the patient’s condition has suddenly worsened.”

Misaki: “Imai, hang on. Even though President Imai’s Alice is helping, it’s still the body of a child. Defending against the strong poison robs her of much of her strenght.” Misaki-sensei thinks to himself: “Man…at such an important time, that fellow…i’ll definitely kill him the next time I see him. He’s unforgivable. (reffering to Narumi)”

Hotaru murmuring: “Mikan…uh…slow and idiotic Brinjal.”

Everyone at the hospital didn’t know what she meant by that, and was surprised.

Hotaru, still murmuring: “Slow…slow and idiotic Brinjal, just like Penguin.” She senses something, probably that Mikan was in danger.

Scene changes…

Penguin was helping Tsubasa open the ground.

Tsubasa: “Dammit, can’t open it. What kind of contraption is this? Is it a deathtrap? It pulled Mikan in, then closed up again.”

Ruka: “Where did they bring her? Can it be, Sakura’s buried in the sand?”

Tsubasa: “No, it’s probably some tunnel or hole in there. I can tell from the echoes. Natsume, can you think of a way to blast through this with your Alice? Much as I don’t wanna try that.”

Natsume is panting and coughing. He remembers about the teachers’ conversation about Mikan (a few chapters back). “Especially that girl… That girl…”

Tsubasa: “Natsume?”

Natsume: “That fellow’s probably alright. She won’t be killed that easily, and we should be worrying how to get that fellow back. Trying to waste our time before we can get to the destination. From what’s just happened, those guys probably want to disperse us and get rid of us one by one. From now on, even if we want to chase them, we must try our best not to be separated.” <coughing> He thinks to himself: “Dammit, this body…”

Ruka: “Natsume…”

Tsubasa: “Hey, the door’s open.”

Scene changes to Z…

Mihara: “Did we only manage to catch one in the dungeon? Never mind, no matter how it goes, they’re all trapped. Direct the remaining three to the big room.”

Person: “Kanbu, because of security concerns, comparing data of these intruders with information in the organization’s database has shown, this kid…is the ‘Black Cat’, Hyuuga Natsume.”

Mihara: “Oh, that’s really… It’s the first time i’m meeting this famous junior of mine, huh… This’s really interesting. Immediately contact the boss, and tell him about this good news.”

Camera: Tsubasa: “Hey, are you going in? I’m asking you, are you going in there? Natsume: “We can only go here, there isn’t another way, is there?”

Scene changes to Mikan…

Mikan finally opened her eyes, spitting sand.

Mikan to herself: “Where is this? Where’s everyone? What’s going on…the floor suddenly collapsed…I seem to have been pulled down into the sand by a strange skeleton, and separated from everyone.”

Then Mikan sees the skeleton and began screaming, horribly shocked, because it was moving. It seems the skeleton is also shocked because of her loud voice.

Mikan: “Ah, w-why is it moving!? Is this because of Alice, too? Or is it a demon? Ah, anyone…help me!”

She doesn’t know that she is being watched.

Person: “Regarding Hyuuga Natsume’s companions, even though we couldn’t find records of two of his companions in the organisation’s database, we did discover something about that girl. There’s one point worth noting…”

Mihara: “What is it?”

Person: “It’s this child’s Alice, this girl seems associated with the Reo incident, previously. Because there’s no actual data to work with, it’s hard to confirm, but if this is true, it’s a very rare Alice she has…the Nullification Alice.”

Azumi was stunned: “Nullification?”

Mihara: “Rare, indeed. Be it Hyuuga Natsume or this girl, what’s up with these fellows, shall we bring this girl directly to the boss?”

Azumi: “Please, wait a moment. Bringing her to the boss with insufficient data…I feel that that is too rash. It’s better to confirm it before we do anything. Besides, being able to update this information is a great thing, too.”

Mihara: “Hmm…well said.”

Azumi started to walk out to the door.

Mihara: “Where’re you going?”

Azumi: “When it comes to collecting data, I can more or less help. To a child, perhaps it’ll be more comforting for a woman, such as I, to go.”

Mihara: “Hmm…then Shiki-kun, we’ll pass the task of collecting information regarding Nullification fully to her, can I trust you to capture ‘Black Cat’ and the rest as soon as possible?”

Azumi to Shiki (using telepathy): “Hey, Shiki, what we’re doing, is it really the right thing? If we could use your Alice to help the children of the school, that’d be great. “

Shiki to Azumi (still using telepathy): “…I don’t know.”

Azumi to Shiki (still telepathy…): “But…”

Azumi left. The other Z agents are still discussing.

Back to the three…

Tsubasa: “Is it really alright to go in? The door’s closed again. Basically, any door that opens itself stinks of a trap. Even though nothing strange happened so far.”

Natsume: “Those fellows have already created the conditions to lure us onto this path, if the opponent’s itching for a fight, we’d have to accept, ofcourse.” <remembering Mikan’s fall>

Tsubasa notices he’s angry: “Even if you’re angry, it doesn’t help matters. Even if you’re angry, Mikan won’t come back. Well, don’t need to care about it too much. It’s true that you seem to have especially taken a liking to bluffing, yet actually unable to save Mikan, of course this feels bad, and it feels worse than you can ever feel.” Tsubasa-senpai patted Natsume’s back.

Natsume was even more angrier than before. Tsubasa-senpai exploded into the air, caused by Natsume’s Fire Alice.

Natsume thinks: “When I see those fellows, I want to confirm one thing with them. Is what they said true? Does that kind of Alice really exist?” He remembers again about the teachers’ conversation. Jinno-sensei: “Especially that girl…she also has the Alice of Ability Theft.”

Traps were suddenly activated. There were rays of light fired everywhere. One was headed towards Natsume’s direction. Luckily, Tsubasa-senpai pulled him aside.

Tsubasa: “Natsume, it’s dangerous…you…why were you dazed?”

Natsume was speechless.

Natsume: “Let go!”

Tsubasa: “Ah, ouch, ouch! If you’re so energetic, then run, quick!”

As they were running…

Tsubasa: “…It’s like, don’t you feel that these rays of light seem to be automatically chasing us wherever we go?”

Natsume: “…It seems so.”

They entered a big room. They saw a person (most likely Shiki).

Ruka: “Eh…”

Shiki: “I have been waiting for you, Hyuuga Natsume and your two companions. Welcome.”

Scene changes to Mikan…

Mikan was imagining things again. In her head, she remembers Hotaru’s words: “Mikan…don’t cry. Don’t cry, Mikan. You must always keep on smiling.”

Mikan: “But, Hotaru…i’m scared of monsters.”

Hotaru’s voice: “Your crying face makes you look three times uglier than usual.”

Mikan: “But, even if you say that, monsters…”

In her head, she pictures Hotaru hitting her with her ‘Baka Gun’. “Didn’t I already tell you not to cry? Bloody irritating-”

Mikan returns to reality from her daydream.

Mikan: “Just now…an illusion!? Was it because it was too scary?” She sees the skeleton again, peacefully sitting at the corner.

Mikan: “I can’t…I can’t be caught now. Because I was scared, I panicked… Crying doesn’t help anything! I’m such an idiot!” She then began hitting her head.

After a while, she began to laugh.

Mikan: “After laughing, look…that skeleton doesn’t seem scary anymore. But… What I should be wondering about now, is how to escape this room and reunite with everyone.”

Scene changes…

Azumi is walking down the hallway towards the dungeon Mikan is in.

She remembers all that had happen regarding Mikan. She also remembers what the other Z agent said: “It’s regarding this girl’s Alice, it seems to be Nullification.”

She also remembers that time when she and her companions invaded the academy. Hotaru had said: “Stupid, Mikan! (causing Azumi to remember what she named her daughter)”

And also that time when she had tried to use her Alice on Mikan, which didn’t work. “Nullification Alice…”

Azumi thinks: “Why, why…what went wrong? How did things turn out this way?”

Flashback between Azumi and Mikan’s father in high school:

Azumi: “Sensei’s Alice is great! It’s Nullification!”

Mikan’s father (still don’t know the name): “Hm? What’s wrong? Someone’s looked down on your Alice again?”

Azumi: “Nah, I don’t care about that. Anyway, I made them cry.”

Mikan’s father: “Did you fight? A girl’s body shouldn’t be treated that way, wounded and bruised everyday.”

Azumi: “Nothing to do. I’m just such a detestable person. I’m used to it. Obviously never stole anything, yet being treated as a thief, and always looked down upon. What’s with ‘detestable person’!”

Mikan’s father: “You definitely have many friends who understand you, and many companions to follow you. Of course i’m one of them.” He patted her head and smiled.

Present time… Azumi: “That day, it’s so…so far away from me…”

Flashback again:

It was raining, and Azumi was wet and sad, crying, sitting on the floor outside.

Mikan’s father: “If they’re distanced from you because they are scared, it’s proof of their narrow minds.” He was carrying an umbrella and offered a hand to her.

Azumi looked up.

Mikan’s father: “No matter what kind of Alice, it can either hurt or heal, depending on the user’s choice. Isn’t it most important to believe in and love your own Alice? That you are here on earth with this Alice, there must be some meaning to it.”

Present time…

Azumi: “Sensei…”

She has reached the dungeon Mikan was in. She saw her wrestling with the skeleton. Mikan was too busy wrestling it she didn’t notice another person was there.

Azumi looked closer, something about Mikan reminded her of something. “…Sensei.”

Azumi thinks to herself: “Always…wanting, wanting to be together…”

Another flashback:

Azumi: “But, to tell the truth, if I had kids, i’d rather they had no Alice.”

Mikan’s father: “Why?”

Azumi: “Because having an Alice will only cause pain. And being unable to see your parents, too. If it really can’t be helped, I still think Sensei’s Alice is better than mine.”

Another scene (flashback), the day Mikan’s father died:

Azumi: “What suicide, you’re lying! Saying this is an accident…it’s impossible!”

Classmate: “Sensei was murdered!”

Azumi: “You’re lying, Sensei isn’t dead!”

Present time:

Mikan then noticed now that there was another person watching her. She looked at her.

Azumi thinks: “Only this child…only this child, I hope she can live on without being associated with Alice. Why…only this child…why, why have things become like this? Only this most important child…of Sensei and mine…how did the gears of life turn out so wrong, like this…like this…”

Both of them stared at each other.

I’ve recently caught the Gakuen Alice craze and I’m in desperate need for someone to lead me to the whereabouts of ang manga scans that has been translated…It’s really hard to find. I mean the chapters folloing Chapter 56. So if you have any links could you kindly message me? hehe The anime is addicting, at first glance the anime is much more that you bargained for..It’s so much better! So if you’re looking for some lighthearted romance and Comedy this anime should be right for you.

Episode 24 – Mr. Narumi’s Lie

Episode 22 – Mr. Bear and the Prince

Episode 21 – Aim for the Honor Student Award

Episode 20 – Who Will Have the Last Dance?

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Episode 17 – Hotaru’s Secret

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Episode 16 – Imagine the Maze, the Magic Lamp

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Episode 14 – Let’s Bring Natsume Back

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Episode 12 – The School Festival is Here

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