I'll make this review spoiler free. If there's any spoilers, I will warn you of them.
I found this manga by first watching the anime of it. The anime was wonderful even though some moments were stretched. However, the story didn't go all the way to the end and so many questions were left unanswered. This is the first manga I've ever read and so far it's been worth it.
CHARACTERS ~
I think all the characters are wonderful in each aspect and I love that they all have some story arc. They all come back at some point and are not just there for laughs for example.
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They're also very smart and relatable characters and it's easy to pick your favorite (mine is Xerxes Break btw). They're all very fun and energetic and play well in the story.
I'll write a little bit about every main character here.
Oz Vessalius
Oz is the protagonist of the manga. He has a habit of accepting everything weird while it happens without asking any questions. In other words, he just rolls with things. Of course accepting everything has it's ups and downs and they're of course touched upon the manga. He's also a big flirt and loves helping others in need and catches on things very quickly.
While I love Oz as a character, I can't help but feel a bit annoyed by him from time to time. He's too much of a good guy to me even though he isn't perfect. He often seems a bit weak but it could be just about not getting any love from his father. Of course there's nothing wrong with being weak. I don't know, he just isn't my type of person I guess.
Alice
Alice is a chain of the Abyss that Oz made a contract with. She is tough and honest to her feelings. Alice is very smart like all the characters in the manga. She understands loneliness well after being alone in the darkness of the Abyss and relates to Oz well. She also loves meat.
I love Alice. She's always energetic and doing something. She's smart and complements Oz very well. She doesn't worry too much and just overall gets things done. She's of course flawed like any normal person and that makes her beliavable. Sometimes she takes things too far and often argues with the other characters.
Gilbert Nightray
Gilbert is Oz's servant. If you don't want ANY spoilers about the manga you shouldn't be reading any further - if you're okay with spoilers from the first couple chapters then this shouldn't reveal too much. [SPOILER ALERT BEGINS] In the beginning Gilbert is a year younger than Oz. He is shy and afraid (mostly of cats). He can also be very brave when needed the most. After Oz returns from the depths of the Abyss it's gone 10 years from the time he was cast there. In that time Gilbert has grown into a man wearing all black. He has gained confidence and can be very hotheaded from time to time. When the story continues, he becomes more and more afraid of losing Oz from his life because he feels he's not needed anymore. He also carries the burden of joining a rival duke house of the Vessalius, the Nightrays.
Gilbert is a wonderful angsty character. He's been mocked in the manga many times and it always makes me laugh. Because of his hotheadedness he and Alice always find a reason to fight and I just love that. They're hilarious. Gilbert is a well written character who always takes action to protect Oz and others he cares about. There's not much more to say about him, other than that he's great. [SPOILER ALERT ENDS]
Xerxes Break
Break serves the duke house of Reinsworth. He's brave, smart, mysterious and like most of my favorite characters, wonderfully weird. He eats a lot of sweets and likes to steal other's desserts. He enters closed spaces from the weirdest places and gets out of them the same way. He doesn't trust people that easily and thus doesn't have many friends in the beginning.
What should I say about this character? Well, what shouldn't I! He's not only my favorite character of the anime and manga, he's also my favorite character of all time. And not without a reason. He's story arc is perfect and I look up to him in every single way. He's always doing something funny or badass (except in the touching moments) and takes the story forward. He's also very determined and does anything to achieve his goal. He's funny and unique. If I write anymore it's all going to end up with me screaming "I LOVE HIM SOM MUCH OMGOMGOMG" so I'm just going to stop right here.
Sharon Reinsworth
Sharon is the pretty girl of the story. She's young and beautiful and like any Reinsworth woman should be, very elegant. She loves girl talk. She of course has a darker side too, acknowledging her own weakness.
Even though this characters doesn't have many flaws she still seems very human. She's often smiling and likes to help out when she can. Like I already wrote, she awknowledges her weakness later in the manga and that's probably why I'm okay with her character.
STORY~
The story was covered in mystery from the very beginning. The secrets took a long time to be revealed and every time you got to know something it just raised more questions. At some point toward the end of the manga they just suddenly revealed all the biggest secrets in a big pile of information. It was okay and played very well in the story like every other aspect of it, but it took a little more time to process that way. All of the secrets are very well thought out and give you very satisfying results. Every character plays a part in the story and it never seems out of place. The story seems to be going towards a more and more epic ending every chapter and I can't wait to see how it all plays out in the end.
ART/STYLE~
Being the first manga I've read I can't say too much about the art, but I'll try to write something anyway. I thought the art was very beautiful and the character easily identifiable. The backrounds, when there were some, looked amazing. Compared to anime styles at least there isn't really anything outstanding or that different about it, but to my eye it was all just so beautiful.
LAST THOUGHTS~
After read the manga as far as I have I just love it so much. Every single aspect of it. I wish they would've continued the anime farther as well. The manga always surprises me and makes me shake from excitement waiting for the next chapter. It's so well written that I can't even handle it. It's perfect. Yes, it's that good. It makes you think about things you normally might not, mostly around the subject of what is selfish and it has opened my eyes to so many things. It also gives you great drama, action, comedy and fantasy moments. I have nothing else to say, but
"Don't try to excuse yourself by saying you're doing it for someone else's sake"
Who said that? You'll know if you read the manga ;).
Aug 26, 2014
Pandora Hearts
(Manga)
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I'll make this review spoiler free. If there's any spoilers, I will warn you of them.
I found this manga by first watching the anime of it. The anime was wonderful even though some moments were stretched. However, the story didn't go all the way to the end and so many questions were left unanswered. This is the first manga I've ever read and so far it's been worth it. CHARACTERS ~ I think all the characters are wonderful in each aspect and I love that they all have some story arc. They all come back at some point and are not just there for laughs for example. ... |