Gakuen Alice (manga, vol. 3) by Tachibana Higuchi

This is my last book post before my big move - there's not much in the way of read-alikes at the end of this post, but if I think of more later I can always just edit this post. Anyway, have fun with this - I love Gakuen Alice, it's just so cute. Things get a bit darker in this volume, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Higuchi's going to balance the various tones of the series in later volumes. I guess that means I'll have to find a way to buy this series in the future, since I'll no longer be able to get it at a local library...

It's now Autumn, and nearly everyone at Alice Academy is gearing up for the School Festival, at time when many students get to showcase their particular talents. Some Alices are very popular and do well at the festival, while others either aren't very popular (Special Class, the one Mikan is in) or aren't allowed to participate (Dangerous-ability type class). Mikan is sad when she discovers that those with a Dangerous-ability type Alice, like Natsume, can't participate, but she can't really think of any way to help. She can and does think of a way that the Special Class can show their worth - she tells the others in her class her idea, and they like it, but readers will have to wait until at least the next volume to find out what Mikan's great idea is.

Every student at Alice Academy receives an allowance, depending upon his or her star ranking - Mikan, a lowly no-star, receives only 500 yen a month (approximately $5, I think), whereas a one-star student, the next level up, receives 3000 yen (approximately $30, I think). The students are allowed to go to Central Town, a shopping center located on Alice Academy grounds, to spend their allowance, if they'd like, but Mikan, a no-star student, can't go unless her "partner" (Natsume) goes with her. Natsume doesn't really like her, but he agrees to go because a little boy with a Dangerous-ability type Alice who likes tagging along with him wants to go. Mikan loves Central Town, but she doesn't have enough money to buy Howalon, a special Alice Academy candy that's so good it makes you happy. Unwilling to accept a loan from one of her friends, Mikan raises the money for the candy by enlisting her friends' help and staging a little "Mikan the Little Match Seller" play in the streets of Central Town.

The students discover that the guest of honor on the third day of the School Festival is going to be Reo, an Academy alumnus who's a big Hollywood star with the Alice "Pheromone Voice." Before going to the Academy, Reo will be getting a check-up at the Academy hospital. Meanwhile, Natsume has been admitted to the hospital because of exhaustion. Several Alice Academy students, including Mikan, try to sneak into the hospital in order to catch a glimpse of Reo, but Mikan and Sumire (a girl who hates Mikan and who actually got into the hospital for a legitimate reason, to see Natsume) get the closest to Reo and witness him kidnapping Natsume. Faced with the difficulty of getting adults to believe them in time to actually do something, Mikan and Sumire chase after Reo's car on foot. However, they get caught and wake up in a warehouse. Reo, a member of a rebel organization called Z that opposes the Academy, plans to sell or kill all three of them (Natsume, Sumire, Mikan). Fortunately, Mikan and Sumire eventually manage to escape - and Mikan decides to go back to rescue Natsume. However, Mikan gets hurt and Natsume (whose Alice is Fire) blows up. When Mikan wakes up two days later, she's at the hospital but otherwise fine, and Natsume is also resting.

While this could've just been a school comedy with the occasional romantic and dramatic moments, the introduction of a rebel organization may potentially push the series in a different direction. It's still not clear how Narumi is going to behave - he seems to want to help Mikan, and he seems to like her, but his motivations may actually have more to do with finding the person from the Academy's past who also had the Alice of Nullification. I also found it interesting that Reo thought that Narumi might actually prefer to be part of Z, because Narumi is also anti-Academy.

In addition to some interesting Narumi moments, Higuchi also reveals Natsume's great secret - apparently he incinerated his entire hometown. I'm sure that it was an accident, maybe the result of being unable to control his Alice, but it's still big news. Also, Reo reveals that the Dangerous-ability type students are trained by the government to become spies (and, I'm guessing, assassins, but maybe that was too much to say in a manga starring a bunch of 10- and 11-year olds).

As a final note, I thought it was cute that Natsume blew up after watching Mikan get hurt - although I doubt he'll ever confirm it, I like to think that he totally lost it because he's starting to care about her and didn't like seeing someone else hurt her.

As far as extras go, there are a few character profiles, a 5-panel Higuchi's room comic strip in which Higuchi bemoans a mistake she made concerning Mikan's birthday, an entire page devoted to a scene in the previous volume that made many readers uncomfortable (the one where Narumi and Mikan fall asleep in the same bed - readers wondered if Narumi might be "that kind of person," but Higuchi assures everybody that this is not the case and that she didn't mean for the scene to be taken that way), and an illustrated explanation of Hotaru's Tranquilizer Patch.

Read-alikes:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book) by J.K. Rowling - After spending 10 years with his uncle, aunt, and their bully of a son, all people who hate him, Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although things don't exactly become easy, as he tries to deal with a new magical world he knows nothing about, his celebrity status in the world of witches and wizards, and a powerful enemy who tried to kill him when he was just a baby, Harry still manages to enjoy himself and make friends. Those who'd like another fantasy series with a school full of children with special abilities and a detailed fantasy world might like this book, which is the first in the Harry Potter series.
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book is Smith's Dark Visions series. Kaitlyn Fairchild is a psychic whose drawings predict the future. The only problem is, her drawings usually don't make sense until after whatever they predict has happened. When she finds out about the Zeetes Institute, a place where she can learn to control her abilities, she decides to go, but the institute may have have more sinister intentions than Kaitlyn realizes. Those who'd like another story involving psychic abilities, action, and characters with lots of dark secrets might like this young adult book and series.

Gakuen Alice series (manga) by Tachibana Higuchi

Ten-year-old Mikan and Hotaru are classmates and best friends. One day, Hotaru tells Mikan that she's leaving to attend Alice Academy, a mysterious and elite school for geniuses. Mikan is heartbroken, but she becomes determined to go to Hotaru and become a student at Alice Academy as well. On her way there, Mikan meets at teacher from the academy and finds out that the meaning of "Alice" is not "genius" but "special ability" (we're talking telekenesis, the ability to quickly and easily create amazing inventions, etc.). After Mikan proves that she has an Alice, a special ability, she is allowed to become a real student at Alice Academy. Unfortunately, Alice Academy students are allowed little contact with the outside world, and there are many secrets that the academy and its teachers are hiding.

This comedic/romantic fantasy series is mostly light-hearted and sweet. Although Mikan isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, she's a cheerful and trusting girl who's good at getting others to open up. The premise, a school for students with special abilities that has a lot of secrets, is not an original one, but Higuchi's story is still an enjoyable read. Readers may enjoy the many details Higuchi provides about life at Alice Academy - in addition to details provided within the story, there are also extras that give details about things such as school uniforms and Alice nullification items.

The characters are another draw of this series. There are many characters, each with distinctive personalities - most readers should be able to find at least one character they like, if not more. Even characters who aren't necessarily nice to Mikan and her friends are made interesting by the secrets and complexities they have that Higuchi hints at.

Overall, I'd say that this series would appeal to a wide range of ages. However, there are some instances in the story that might offend the sensibilities of some readers. For instance, one of the teachers has an Alice involving pheromones - he mainly uses it to deal with overly aggressive students. His pheromones overwhelm children's systems when he kisses them, causing them to pass out. There's nothing sexual about this, and the kiss is just a peck, but it may still upset some readers. Also, at the end of volume 2, Mikan sleeps in the same bed as one of her male teachers, someone she considers a friend. Once again, there is nothing sexual about this - she's 10 years old, has had a scary day, and needs the comfort of being near an adult for a bit. However, as with the pheromone power, this has the potential to upset some readers.

If you'd like to see more information about the different volumes and the read-alikes and watch-alikes (why they were suggested, what they're about), then click on the links for the different volumes.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

Volume 1

• Kodocha (anime TV series)
• Ceres: Celestial Legend (manga) by Yuu Watase
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith
• Midnight for Charlie Bone (book) by Jenny Nimmo

Volume 2

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book) by J. K. Rowling
• Arrows of the Queen (book) by Mercedes Lackey
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith
• Fruits Basket (anime TV series); Fruits Basket (manga) by Natsuki Takaya

Volume 3 [added 9/17/08]

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book) by J. K. Rowling
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith

Gakuen Alice (manga, vol. 2) by Tachibana Higuchi

Mikan is now officially a student at Alice Academy, having proved in the previous volume that she possesses the extremely rare Alice of Nullification. In this volume, Mikan learns a little bit more about how Alice Academy works, and not everything she learns is good and fun. Many of the students have become more accepting of her now that she's proven that she has an Alice, but there are still several students who are determined to hate her. Mikan learns about the academy's star ranking for students and soon becomes the only student in her age-group to get the lowest star ranking possible. This makes her situation especially miserable, since a student's star ranking determines just about every luxury they get in their life, from the food they get to eat to the condition of their bedroom. For some reason, one of Mikan's teachers hates her and seems determined to make sure that she doesn't have an easy time at the academy. However, Mikan begins to enjoy herself a little more when she is assigned to her ability-type class and meets a lot of kind and friendly students there. By the end of the volume, however, Mikan discovers another upsetting fact about the school and begins to wonder whether her favorite teacher, Narumi, is really the friend she thought he was.

By volume two, I'm still feeling good about this series. Once again, this series mixes together lots of humor with just enough seriousness, and it works really well. Mikan, as usual, is determined to be cheerful and optimistic - I think she's actually less annoying in this volume. She wasn't too annoying in the first volume, but it's still nice that some of the more self-centered aspects of her character were toned down just a smidgen. However, Mikan is still an idiot. Despite the fact that she learned in the previous volume that students at Alice Academy aren't allowed much contact with the outside world, she's incredibly shocked when she discovers what Narumi's been doing with her letters. She's a very trusting girl who doesn't always put two and two together.

I liked the little revelation in this volume that there was a previous student at this school with the Alice of Nullification who apparently caused a lot of trouble. Although Higuchi isn't always great at writing about mysterious things and actually keeping them mysterious (I figured out what Mikan's Alice was way before Higuchi officially revealed it in the manga, for instance), this is one mystery that does sound really interesting and mysterious. I look forward to finding out more.

The ability-type class was a nice addition, too. Up until now, Mikan's pretty much been hanging onto Hotaru as much as possible, but her ability-type class will provide her with the opportunity to develop good friendships with other people - that means there'll be more characters for us readers to get to know and like. Mikan's ability-type class seems really nice, and I imagine there's more than a few readers who'd love to end up in that class. Natsume's class, on the other hand, seems a little scary. Considering that his class is the "dangerous ability type" class, and considering what one of his teachers said about a mission having come up, I have a feeling that the government is already using children like Natsume to do their dirty work for them, without even waiting for them to graduate first. There might not be a lot of dark moments in this series so far, but the ones that come up seem to be pretty intense.

This paragraph might not be the best thing to read if you haven't actually read this volume yet, so consider skipping it if you haven't. Anyway, I'm kind of wondering if Narumi is Mikan's father. This speculation is probably a bit premature, but this volume drops several clues that I've been playing around with. First, the school used to have another student with the Alice of Nullification, who I think might possibly have been Mikan's mother. I don't think anything's been said so far in the series about her parents - she lives with her grandfather. Second, Narumi seems to be really focused on Mikan. This might be due to the fact that he brought her into the school, but I'm wondering if there's isn't more to it than that. He's the one who first noticed what her Alice might be, he goes out of his way to be friendly to Mikan, and he protects her pretty fiercely at the end of this volume. Third, Narumi's the one who suggests that Mikan call him dad - sure, he might have made the suggestion in order to get out of being called grandpa, but I still think it's telling that he was the one who made the "dad" suggestion. Fourth, at the end of the volume Higuchi shows us the Mikan was apparently adopted by somebody. Narumi could've been her father and not known it, because Mikan's mother could've given her up for adoption before Narumi found anything out.

Oh, speculation is fun, and I think the ability to speculate about things is a sign that a story is engaging and interesting. I can't wait for my public library to get more volumes of this series.

As far as extras go, this volume has an author freetalk sidebar in the form of a short comic, a more in-depth explanation of Natsume's power limiters as well as a few other kinds of power limiters, a few character profiles, and in-depth descriptions (with illustrations) of the Junior Division uniforms.

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book) by J.K. Rowling - After spending 10 years with his uncle, aunt, and their bully of a son, all people who hate him, Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although things don't exactly become easy, as he tries to deal with a new magical world he knows nothing about, his celebrity status in the world of witches and wizards, and a powerful enemy who tried to kill him when he was just a baby, Harry still manages to enjoy himself and make friends. Those who'd like another fantasy series with a school full of children with special abilities and a detailed fantasy world might like this book, which is the first in the Harry Potter series. Like Mikan, Harry has a teacher who despises him for unknown reasons. Also, similar to the "ability-type classes" in Gakuen Alice, this book has different Houses, which each have their own special characteristics.
• Arrows of the Queen (book) by Mercedes Lackey - Talia is part of a very restrictive community that she doesn't feel she fits in with. She dreams of being able to leave and serve Heralds (sort of like travelling peace-makers, although they do much more than that) and their Companions (beings that have bonded with humans and that look like horses, but that are at least as intelligent as humans). Talia's wish is granted when a Companion finds her and bonds with her, taking her away to be trained as a Herald and the new Queen's Own (emotional advisor to the queen). This is the first book in Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series. Those who'd like a story with a school for special children and teens might like this book. At one point, Talia attends classes that teach her about her own special abilities - these classes remind me a little of Gakuen Alice's ability type classes. Like Mikan, Talia never even knew that she had abilities that could get her into such a school.
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book is Smith's Dark Visions series. Kaitlyn Fairchild is a psychic whose drawings predict the future. The only problem is, her drawings usually don't make sense until after whatever they predict has happened. When she finds out about the Zeetes Institute, a place where she can learn to control her abilities, she decides to go, but the institute may have have more sinister intentions than Kaitlyn realizes. Those who'd like a story with romance, psychic abilities, and a school with secrets might like this book and series. Like Natsume, the main male character, Gabriel, is dark and dangerous, a complex character.
• Fruits Basket (anime TV series); Fruits Basket (manga) by Natsuki Takaya - Tohru had been living with her grandfather after her mother died, but circumstances and Tohru's own desire not to be a burden meant that she ended up living alone in a tent for a while. However, she gets taken in by the Sohma family, who are hiding a secret - certain members of the family turn into animals in the Chinese zodiac when they're weak or hugged by a member of the opposite sex. Both the manga and anime are good - the anime follows the manga pretty closely (except for a few things, and the last episode), but it ends well before the manga does. Those who are looking for a fantasy manga series that is mostly light-hearted (at least at the beginning), with a cheerful, likable, and determined heroine who has a tendency to be a bit oblivious, might like this series. The manga series gets a little darker later on, as the author starts revealing various characters pasts and secrets, but this is overall a light and gentle series. The anime series also has its darker moments, but it stops well before the story's biggest secrets are revealed.

Gakuen Alice (manga, vol. 1) by Tachibana Higuchi

Mikan is a cheerful and energetic 10-year-old who doesn't always think things through very well. Her best friend is Hotaru, who's pretty much the opposite of Mikan - she's intelligent, cool, and greedy. She's not very good at showing her feelings, although she really does like Mikan. One day, Mikan finds out that Hotaru is going to become a student at Alice Academy, a special and mysterious place that people say is a school for geniuses. Students at Alice Academy aren't allowed to have much contact with those outside it, and Mikan becomes determined to become a student there in order to see Hotaru again. Fortunately for Mikan, the meaning of "Alice" isn't "genius" but "gift." All the students at the school have special gifts, like being able to start fires with their minds, easily invent amazing things, or fly. A nice teacher at the school gives Mikan a chance to attend Alice Academy, but she must prove that she has an Alice if she wants to stay there. Mikan tries her best, but there are already several students who hate her and try to make her life difficult.

Okay, so this isn't the most original premise for a story. I liked this manga anyway. Mikan can be annoying occasionally, since she's completely oblivious to a lot of things and has a tendency to be a bit self-centered, but her cheerful idiocy can be pretty endearing. Hotaru balances her out a little and keeps her from getting herself killed.

Although the premise, a mysterious government-controlled school for children with special powers, isn't really all that original, it's still a lot of fun. So far, each student has a different power (although it's mentioned that some powers are more common than others), so it's fun to see what other powers people at the school have. Personally, I don't think Mikan's power is all that interesting, but I'm sure Higuchi will find lots of ways to make it interesting, especially since Mikan's power means there's lots of potential for a sweet kid romance between her and Natsume (who at this point in the series hates Mikan). By the way, Higuchi tries to make Mikan's power a mystery in this first volume, but, if you're paying attention and think about it a bit, it's pretty easy to figure out what her power is within a few pages of her first meeting with an Alice Academy teacher.

The teachers are probably going to be a lot of fun. The main teacher that stands out in this volume is Narumi (it drives me crazy how similar his name is to Natsume - I kept getting their names mixed up in my head). His Alice is "Pheromone Sensitive," which means that he exudes pheromones that make him charming and attractive to both males and females. He mostly uses his ability to subdue overly aggressive children at the academy - basically, his pheromones are too overwhelming for young children, so they pass out if he kisses them (don't worry, it's nothing icky, just a peck on the cheek or something). Narumi's got lots of comic potential, so the scenes he's in tend to be pretty light in tone, but it's also obvious that he knows more about what's going on in the school than he's willing (or able?) to tell Mikan. This results in flashes of seriousness that are a lot of fun as well.

Basically, this first volume feels mostly light-hearted. There's a lot of humorous moments (including a homicidal teddy bear and a kid who produces animal pheromones) and Mikan's not really capable of being serious for too long. However, there's also lots of indications that this series could take some pretty serious turns before it ends. As I mentioned earlier, this is a government-controlled school that's so concerned with protecting these children that they aren't allowed hardly any contact with the outside world. Students who act up are made to wear an "Alice nullification mask" which makes it difficult or impossible for them to use their special abilities.

Overall, I really liked this first volume. The mix of humor and seriousness is interesting, and I enjoyed reading about what this school is like and what kind of Alices each of the students have. Although some of the characters didn't always appeal to me (like Mikan and Hotaru, whose personalities are a little over-the-top in different ways), there are also several characters I enjoy and who intrigue me (Narumi and Natsume, for instance). I'm looking forward to seeing how this series develops.

As far as extras go, there's in-depth explanations and illustrations of Alice Academy's Elementary Division uniforms, author freetalk sidebars in the form of short comics, and a less-than-lovely map of Alice Academy that looks like it was probably originally in color (it's different shades of gray and somewhat fuzzy in this edition).

Read-alikes and Watch-alikes:

• Kodocha (anime TV series) - Sana Kurata, a cheerful 5th grader who's the star of the hit TV comedy "Child's Toy," is determined to win back control of her classroom from her arch-enemy, Akito. Akito has organized the classroom boys, encouraging them to be noisy, violent, and generally unpleasant, and Sana won't stand for it. The more Sana learns about Akito, however, the more she comes to like him and see other sides to him. Those who'd like another comedy/romance/drama series starring a very cheerful girl and a complex male character might like this series. In addition, Kodocha and Gakuen Alice have very similar art styles.
• Ceres: Celestial Legend (manga) by Yuu Watase - Aya and Aki are twins who think they have normal, everyday lives, until they turn 16 and everything changes. They come from a line that carries the blood of tennyo (heavenly maidens), and the females in the family that have this blood most strongly are killed when they turn 16 so that the family can avoid the tennyo's wrath. Aya is possessed by the tennyo, Ceres, and manages to escape. She continues to evade her family's plans with the help of a mysterious young man, another woman with weaker tennyo blood, and the woman's brother. Those who'd like another story with people who've got sudden amazing abilities might like this series. As with Gakuen Alice, characters with special abilities often find them to be uncomfortable (emotionally, mentally, etc.), but this series focuses on this idea much more than Gakuen Alice, resulting in an overall darker tone.
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book in Smith's Dark Visions series. Kaitlyn Fairchild is a psychic whose drawings predict the future. The only problem is, her drawings usually don't make sense until after whatever they predict has happened. When she finds out about the Zeetes Institute, a place where she can learn to control her abilities, she decides to go, but the institute may have have more sinister intentions than Kaitlyn realizes. Those who'd like a story with romance, psychic abilities, and a school with secrets might like this book and series. Like Natsume, the main male character, Gabriel, is complex and dark.
• Midnight for Charlie Bone (book) by Jenny Nimmo - This is the first book in Nimmo's Children of the Red King series. When Charlie Bone is 10 years old, he discovers that he can look at a photograph and hear conversations and even thoughts that people had when the photograph was taken. Charlie hears one conversation that prompts him to search for a girl who has been missing for years. When he begins attending Bloor's Academy, an elite school for the rich and endowed (that's what people with special abilities are called), Charlie makes friends who try to help him solve the mystery of the missing girl. Unfortunately, the Bloors and Charlie's horrible relatives try to make things difficult for him. Those who'd like another fantasy story with a mysterious and restrictive school for children with special abilities might like this book.