Reviews Manga / Pandora Hearts

An utter gem of a series

This show is so complex and hard to describe that it's hard to say what exactly makes it so great. At first, it seems average and forgettable. But PH's strength lies not in the character designs, but in the characters themselves. Every character has more than one side to them and often they have had to grow and change and do bad things. Oz the protagonist has an abusive father and has low-self esteem in himself, for example, but he tries to hide it from the world by being as optimistic as possible. Gilbert worries over Oz and fears the differences between years in him since he escaped from the abyss. Alice wants to find her memories. Gradually, the plot starts moving in an interesting twist. Every volume is packed with new surprises, twists, and more fascinating revelations that will make you want to pick up the next. Pandora Hearts is all about the beauty of life, about identity and memory, and trying to figure out who you are. The majority of the story shapes itself on the events of 100 years ago in the "Tragedy of Sablier" and moves back and forth between that time and the present. Gradually, the points converge and many surprising things happen.

The character designs are unique and Jun-sama has incorporated all kinds of little things in each one to make them unique. Sure, it may be talky, but it is one of the best manga I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is a tragedy, a drama, a comedy, a romance.....an utterly, all-consuming, enthralling masterpiece of a series that refuses to let you go once you enter the world of Pandora Hearts. It is hard to put it down.

That doesn't mean it doesn't have flaws, though. Sometimes, the humor can be distracting from the main plot, and the characters can repeat information a little bit until it becomes annoying. The one-shots in the back are annoying at times.

Overall, I highly recommend this series.