I was reading random posts on facebook today when I saw a friend talk about Gakuen Alice and its resemblance to Diary ng Panget (which I haven't seen or read yet, so cannot compare). Having been one of those GA friends and fellow fan who got me updated about the finale of the manga when work has eaten a lot of my time (thank you btw, Ruuri :D), seeing her talk about one thing we love in common brought back memories... which made me realize that after all those years of Natsume lovin', I haven't yet written anything that's Gakuen Alice related. For shame.
So yeah. Here goes.
Gakuen Alice (English: Alice Academy) is a japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tachibana Higuchi which was serialized under the manga magazine Hana to Yume from February 2003 to June 2013. It follows the story of Mikan Sakura and her life at the Alice Academy (as she goes after her best friend Hotaru Imai)—a secretive school run by the government which only the elite, gifted people with "Alices" can enter.
 |
| Image via zerochan. |
One of those titles I will always fondly cherish not just from childhood but these recent years as well, Gakuen Alice is a story I followed closely from the anime down to the manga. I remember watching it alongside other titles (e.g. Princess Tutu) way back at Animax, and I remember that even after the anime ended back then and I began to grow up, the fascination didn't stop as I continued following the manga going forward (which I don't regret no matter how long the journey has been).
 |
| Image via Pinterest. |
Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga are among my favorite characters to date, and will always be among the top ten of my most loved pairing anime/manga wise. I specifically love Natsume: that mighty, arrogant jerk who doesn't let himself succumb to just about anyone but falls to his knees when it comes to Mikan. I love how he started with an ice cold demeanor (which, ironically, was what made him hot) and how he eventually became the first to fall (for Mikan. Swoon~).
Anime vs. Manga
The anime ran for 26 episodes and was aired at Animax around 2004-2005. It was everything cute, with darker aspects of the manga toned down to minimum so as to cater to a larger audience - mostly younger ones. The manga, which was released with 32 volumes, was darker and complicated (and was rather more engaging, I think...). It explored way more than just Mikan and Hotaru's friendship and the Alice Academy per se, and allowed for further developments regarding Mikan and Natsume's relationship which I personally loved loved loved.
Gripes
The ending for Gakuen Alice was cute, happy even, what with Mikan reuniting with Natsume and all other blah blah. However, it left me sort of hanging as well in that a few questions remained unanswered like... what happened to the Alice Academy afterwards? And where's Hotaru? I know endings don't really need to be happy, but they shouldn't have to search for Hotaru in the last chapter, should they? She should have been present! Or at least, Hotaru should have been present. Being the one who set motion for it all (re: Mikan entering the Academy) wouldn't it just be proper to still have her presence in the end? Or with Natsume living and Mikan regaining her memories, was that too much to ask?
Either way, still, Gakuen Alice would forever remain a great masterpiece for me, and one that for sure will greatly stand the test of time. It has just about the right dose of cute, fluff, humor and (sometimes) a dark undertone that makes up for a true classic. Highly recommended.
Gripes
The ending for Gakuen Alice was cute, happy even, what with Mikan reuniting with Natsume and all other blah blah. However, it left me sort of hanging as well in that a few questions remained unanswered like... what happened to the Alice Academy afterwards? And where's Hotaru? I know endings don't really need to be happy, but they shouldn't have to search for Hotaru in the last chapter, should they? She should have been present! Or at least, Hotaru should have been present. Being the one who set motion for it all (re: Mikan entering the Academy) wouldn't it just be proper to still have her presence in the end? Or with Natsume living and Mikan regaining her memories, was that too much to ask?
Either way, still, Gakuen Alice would forever remain a great masterpiece for me, and one that for sure will greatly stand the test of time. It has just about the right dose of cute, fluff, humor and (sometimes) a dark undertone that makes up for a true classic. Highly recommended.
 |
| Image via Natsume is Love. |
0 comments:
Post a Comment