History Manga / AliceAcademy

[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gakuenalice.JPG]]

''Alice Academy'' (or ''Gakuen Alice'' in Japanese) is an anime and manga centering around 10-year-old Mikan Sakura, who is dismayed when her best friend Hotaru is transferred away to a boarding school for genius students. When she learns that Hotaru is not allowed to visit or write back home, Mikan becomes suspicious, and travels alone to the school to investigate. She discovers that Hotaru is attending Alice Academy, a school specifically for children with special powers called Alices. Mikan meets a teacher named Narumi who says that Mikan herself has an Alice, and he requests to have her enrolled.

Though Mikan is [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer bullied by the other students]] and [[SadistTeacher some of the faculty]], and often abandoned by Hotaru, she loves her new home at Alice Academy and remains optimistic about her life there. But as time goes on, she learns sinister secrets and meets people who suggest the school may not be as benevolent as she originally believed.

Based on the {{shojo}} {{manga}} of the same name, which ended in February 2014.

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!!Provides examples of:

* AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil: The good type.
* AcademyOfAdventure: Set in an Academy.
* AccidentalKiss: [[spoiler: Natsume and Mikan in the Christmas Ball when a dancing pair bumps into them, resulting in a crash. Or rather, "her teeth hit his". Doesn't matter. Natsume [[ForcefulKiss makes it permanent and undeniable later on the same night]]]]. Consider this also a FirstKiss.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Mikan, especially in the beginning.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Rui.
* AmplifierArtifact: The Alice stone Tonouchi gave Mikan before they went into the wormhole to chase after Z, as amplification is his power.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler: Mikan leaves with Luka and Natsume to find Subaru and Hotaru who are still lost in Time and Space]]
* AntiMagic: Mikan's nullification Alice. [[spoiler: Her dead father had a nullification Alice as well]].
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Persona is looking to start as one.]]
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[spoiler: Natsume and Mikan]]. Also Yuka and Izumi way back when.
* BabiesEverAfter: [[spoiler: Nobara and Persona, of all people, are revealed to have a baby in the last chapter.]]
* BaitAndSwitchLesbians: In a way, in that Mikan's feelings for Hotaru get downplayed immensely in the course of the series, which is ironic, considering they were her motivation for entering Alice Academy in the first place.
** Even more ironic, while Mikan's feelings are played down, Hotaru's are played up. While distant at the beginning, Hotaru shows real care in the later chapters.
* BareYourMidriff: Mikan (10 years old) has a midriff-baring cheerleader's costume in the OP, and bared it again in a ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie''-style. [[http://c2.sankakustatic.com/data/sample/59/2d/preview592d72fad78941712b23b69803a6c93d.jpg costume]] for the SchoolFestival.
* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Male and female trios in the picture above (they even match left to right). [[note]] For the males, Luca [Beauty], Yuu [Brains], and Natsume [Braw]. For the females, Mikan [Beauty], Hotaru [Brains], and Sumire [Brawn].[[/note]]
* BettyAndVeronica: Luca (the Betty) and Natsume (the Veronica) have feelings for Mikan (the Archie). She eventually [[spoiler: falls in love with Natsume]].
* BigBrotherInstinct: Natsume to Aoi. Also to Youichi, for that matter.
** Also, [[spoiler: Subaru begins to show this later in the series to Hotaru.]] We also find out that [[spoiler: he had always loved his family]] but had to act indifferent to them because of the events at the academy.
** Most of the male characters from the Special Class are this way to Mikan, including Tonouchi and Tsubasa.
* {{Bishonen}}: This is a {{shojo}} series after all.
* BlitheSpirit: Mikan. She doesn't quite agree with the ideology of most other students. Though at first she is bullied for this, her cheerfulness becomes indispensable to the other characters, later described as "the light" for many. This personality of hers also makes darker characters' lives better, even helping them revert to the good side (e.g. [[spoiler: Natsume, Nobara, eventually Persona]]).
** Also [[spoiler: Mikan's father Yukihira-sensei]], who played the role in the previous generation.
* BookDumb: Mikan, who is quite clever and resourceful outside of class. Sometimes.
* BookEnds: [[spoiler: The story begins and ends with Mikan leaving to find Hotaru]]
* BoardingSchool: Yes, it is one.
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: Yes, this Trope seems to plague these two. Let's see:
** Natsume does this to Mikan at one point before the Z Arc once Persona drops the "kitten of a different color" being in danger.
** Mikan does it to Natsume at the Sports Festival once she tells Natsume that him worrying about her was troublesome when he asked what was wrong. This was because [[spoiler: Luna warned her to distance herself from the other students.]]
** Natsume does it again by coldly telling everyone that Mikan wasn't his concern and it wasn't theirs either after she almost dropped to her death in the Cheer competition. Though somewhat unintentionally as Mikan overheard him. This was because [[spoiler: Luna warned him that the best thing he could do for the girl is to turn people away from her.]] He makes up for this later when he [[spoiler: hugs Mikan while disguised, so that initially she doesn't realise it's him.]]
* ButtMonkey: Mikan and Tsubasa. Tsubasa gets it a little worse since most of the kids bullying him are ''four to eleven years younger than him''. Later, most of the bullying goes to Tonouchi, who is again bullied by his juniors, though he is the oldest in the Special Class.
* CampStraight: Narumiiiiiii.
* CarryingTheAntidote: Yuka carried the cure for Hotaru in the Z arc.
* {{Catgirl}}: Sumire's Alice, with some dog thrown in for good measure.
* CaughtInTheRain: [[spoiler: Yuka and Izumi]].
* ChekhovsGun: The Healing Alice stone Natsume always wears was originally given to [[spoiler: Yuka by Hotaru's brother, Subaru, during her years at Gakuen Alice. Yuka later gave it to Kaoru, Natsume's mother, as temporary protection, and after Natsume's birth the stone passed to his hands, effectively connecting his fate with Mikan's (as Yuka is Mikan's mother)...and arguably Hotaru's as well]].
* CerebusSyndrome: The manga, which takes a nosedive into ''serious'' angst around chapter 90.
* ChillyReception: The way Mikan is treated by the other Academy kids upon arrival is brutal, including violence, invasion of privacy (the mind reader forcibly reads her thoughts) and ManipulativeBastard behavior on Natsume's part.
* ClassRepresentative: Tobita
* CloudCuckooLander: Mikan.
* CollapsingLair: The Z Arc.
* CommLinks: Hotaru's panda earmuffs and much later, mushroom earplugs.
* CompellingVoice: This is basically Leo's Alice. Also Narumi and anyone with a pheromone. Shizune has a sound pheromone that is similar.
* ContrivedCoincidence: The circumstances of Mikan getting into Alice Academy are a rather [[ExaggeratedTrope extreme example]]. Had the sequence of events all the way up to and including arriving at the gates of the school gone even slightly differently, the main plot would never have happened. Since Mikan's Alice is hard to detect, she wouldn't have ended up at the school at all unless she walked straight into it, which is exactly what she did.
* CoolTeacher: Yukihira-sensei. Narumi-sensei fills the role for Mikan, but is more feared/suspected/ridiculed than loved by the other students.
* CrystalBall: Selina-sensei.
* CruelMercy: [[spoiler: Yuka gives this to the ESP. She inserts two Alice stones: Yukihira-sensei's (Nullification), for letting him die, and Rei/Persona's (Mark of Death) for manipulating and using him. Persona's stone slowly injures him, while the Nullification stone keeps it from killing him, keeps him from using his cloning Alice, and also have him stay in a child's form. The only reason that she did not do anything worse is because Yukihira-sensei and Persona wouldn't have wanted it]].
* {{Curse}}: Rui's Alice. Also the reason why Tsubasa has the star-shaped mark under his eye as punishment for his misbehavior, called the "Mark of Obedience".
* TheCutie: Mikan, Luca, and Youichi.
* DeathBySex: [[spoiler: Yukihira-sensei after his first time with Yuka]], and immediately afterwards.
* DeathIsASadThing: Mikan and others [[spoiler: had to watch not only Penguin die (with Mikan in denial for a bit), but Mikan's father and Natsume's mother]].
** [[spoiler: And now Mikan's mother as well (and not through just [[TimeTravel a flashback]], either)...Mikan is NOT having a good year.]]
*** [[spoiler: Technically speaking, Natsume did die too for a while]].
* DeclarationOfProtection: Natsume [[LoveConfession openly declares this about Mikan]]. Also applied to [[spoiler: his sister for when she was held hostage]].
* {{Delinquents}}: A lot of students, to their own classmates, were like this before Mikan came in. It's even said they didn't get along.
* {{Determinator}}: Mikan, boy howdy!
* DidNotGetTheGirl: Oy, where to begin? [[spoiler: Narumi, Luca, Shiki, Narumi (AGAIN, poor guy)]]...
* DoAnythingRobot: Penguin did this only when needed. For example, he vacuumed up the classroom and perhaps did other work. On the Z arc, the penguin pin Mikan got from Penguin in his handy-dandy pouch had served as a radar to find the others in the lair. Then his body was able to be flatten so he can get through the barricaded rocks and grab the fallen antidote successfully. Subverted only slightly because he causes more trouble than it's worth.
* DoggedNiceGuy: Or girl: Mikan with regard to Hotaru.
* DopeSlap: A more violent equivalent, and looking less lighthearted. Can happen to other characters rarely, and used as part of the comedy. Comes with a rare side of PaperFanOfDoom. But Mikan gets this SO much for her behavior, you have to wonder why she hasn't suffered severe head trauma. But that's MadeOfIron for you.
* ElectricTorture: Jinno-sensei can do this. Good thing [[spoiler: he's a good guy]].
* ElementalPowers: Some Alices fill this Trope. Few examples being:
** [[PlayingWithFire Natsume]], with the Alice of Fire
** [[AnIcePerson Nobara]], with the Alice of Ice.
** [[ShockAndAwe Jinno-sensei]], with the Alice of Lightning. Or a derivation.
** [[BlowYouAway Hayate]], with the Alice of Wind.
** [[GreenThumb Misaki-sensei]], with the Alice of Plants.
* ElevatorSchool: It is one.
* EmbarrassingNickname: Luu-chan for Luca in his home town.
* EmotionlessGirl: Hotaru
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: [[MeaningfulName Yuri]], though justified with the ([[IncompatibleOrientation to her]]) unfortunate Alice she was graced with.
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Misaki and Tsubasa can get this.
* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Considering that all people who have Alices will eventually go here unless the parents manage to escape it that long, this is more of an expected Trope. Since this is the only type of family they'll have for awhile, and the only kids they'll be spending their following years with until they're 20, minus the teachers, they're bound to know other Alices only. It is stated that because of this, most Alice children come from Alice parents who met in Alice Academy, and became a couple. Or had gotten married.
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: In the manga, it was a caring robot penguin simply named Penguin, who, despite being a machine, showed a plethora of emotions. Noted to be one of Hotaru's inventions made in the summer before Mikan came to the academy. The reason for its creation stems from one of Hotaru's many request letters, where a lonely 64 year old man whose daughter and son-in-law died asked for it, according to one of the fanbooks, with instructions to make it adorable, and able to give him strength (figuratively). However, it was returned because it pitifully missed her and kept crying, which made Hotaru bully it a lot. It appeared many times with the characters, and even joined (or rather, snuck in) Natsume, Mikan, Tsubasa, and Luca in their quest to retrieve Hotaru's medicine and Tobita's alice. But... [[spoiler: bring your tissues with you. It died bravely to save Mikan in Chapter 43.]]
* EvilVersusEvil: The ESP versus the Anti-Alice Organization.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Izumi Yukihira changes his hairstyle from his bangs parted at the side, giving him a messy look (arguably the most preferred by fans), to then being parted in the middle, making it clean. Done because his older brother criticized it and he took it seriously. But this was to show a certain maturity or change within him when it came to his job figuratively.
** Averted [[spoiler: after death. From the images we see and after Yuka's death when he carries her away, he returned to the messy look]].
* EyesAlwaysShut: Nodachi-sensei and the flying Alice guy. And random one time character Hoshino.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: Izumi Yukihira.]]
* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: [[spoiler: Yukihira-sensei to Kuonji(ESP) with a defiant expression directed at him - "You...won't have your own way... definitely..."]].
* {{Fearless Fool}}: Yukihira-sensei. Twice. Second time...
* FirstGuyWins: Natsume is the first male student that Mikan met upon arriving at Alice Academy. They eventually become a couple
* FirstNameBasis: Something Natsume has a hard time with.
* FiveManBand:
** BigBad: ESP aka Kuonji. All of the problem in the academy is the result of his doing, from establishing Dangerous Class as his personal mercenary to manipulate all of his subordinate.
** TheDragon: Persona. Teacher of Dangerous Ability Class and the most dangerous people with ability to rot anything. Including human, which if it's too late it will also rot the victim heart and kill the victim. The reason Natsume is the academy now and also his behaviour in the series beginning.
** TheEvilGenius: [[spoiler:Luna Koizumi]], former best friend of Mikan's mom. Using local FountainofYouth to approaching Mikan and [[spoiler:make her in the same condition as ESP]]. Her ability is controlling many people and she used it to controlling many innocent students as human shield and also to framing Mikan that she stole the Alice of the students. Replace Persona as TheDragon after Persona Heel-FaceTurn.
** TheBrute: [[spoiler: Hijiri Goshima, establish Fuukitai as the police students to catch any opposition to ESP, act as spy in Time Travel Arc, which ultimately killing Mikan's mom, and replace ESP as body double because of his ShapeShifter ability before he knocked off by Narumi. Also act as StudentCouncilPresident.]]
** TheDarkChick: Nobara Ibaragi to the Dangerous Class, AnIcePerson who also acts as Persona MoralityPet. Has a SplitPersonality who could be said as Persona's [[TheDragon Dragon]] [[spoiler: until her HeelFaceTurn and managing to control her power with the help of [[SuperEmpowering Tonouchi's]] [[AmplifierArtifact Alice stone]].
* FreakyFridayFlip: This happens to Mikan, Hotaru, Natsume, Ruka, Sumire, Yuu, Mr. Bear, and Kokoroyomi. [[spoiler: Hotaru, in Mikan's body, stumbles upon Luna, who threatens her without realizing she's not really Mikan.]]
* FriendToAllChildren: Yukihira-sensei, and Narumi-sensei.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Luca's Alice lets him be even more of one than he already is.
* GadgeteerGenius: Hotaru.
* GenderBlenderName: Narumi's first name is revealed to be Anju, which probably explains why he's never used it.
* TheGentlemanOrTheScoundrel: Mikan must choose between Ruka (the Gentleman) and Natsume (the Scoundrel). [[spoiler: She ends up choosing Natsume by the end.]]
* [[GiveHimANormalLife Give Her A Normal Life]]: [[spoiler: Yuka attempted to do this to Mikan as an infant at two points.]]
** At first, [[spoiler: she considered stealing her Alice to keep her from ever getting involved with the academy, but she decided against it.]]
** [[The next time was accidental, as she didn't really want to leave her to [[MuggleFosterParents her then-future 'grandpa']], but she was being hunted down. Because of this, she ended up thinking it was the right thing to do]]. Unfortunately, or as predicted, didn't turn out as planned.
%%* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Goes with the BattleAura.
* HesNotMyBoyfriend: With some variations here and there, this is typically Misaki's response every time someone mitakess her and Tsubasa as a couple. [[spoiler: Until they become official, that is]].
* GreenEyedEpiphany: Natsume ends up partners with Luna, which was her intention, as well as to make it appear as if they are being paired off romantically (the complete opposite in reality: Natsume hates her guts, and she does too). Despite that the reason for doing so is to protect her, this causes a slight distance between him and Mikan, who certainly feels the sting. Shocked the first time, asking him to be here on the Red Team with her on the Sports Festival later on, to even the "I don't care about them" denial in Chapter 85. Of course, no feelings are admitted or said... on Mikan's side.
** [[spoiler: Also from Izumi to Yuka in the past when the news of Yuka marrying Kuonji got to his ears]].
%%* HealingHands: Subaru.
%%* HerHeartWillGoOn: Oh, and ''how''. [[spoiler: Poor Yuka]].
%%* HeroicSacrifice:
** Happens a few times, most recently [[spoiler: when Yuka protects Narumi from the blast that would eventually kill her.]]
** [[spoiler: Hotaru and her older Subaru]], allowed themselves to disappear somewhere in time and space for the sake of reviving Natsume.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Several. Natsume and Luca, Narumi and Misaki, Sakurano and Subaru, [[spoiler: Yuka and Kaoru]].
* HonestJohnsDealership: Hotaru, to some extent.
* HotForStudent: [[spoiler: Yuka and Izumi, resulting in Mikan.]]
** [[spoiler: Persona and Nobara by the end. Looks like Sensei rubbed off on him]].
* HotTeacher: Yukihira-sensei, Misaki-sensei, Narumi-sensei... and if principals count too, the high school principle [[spoiler: and the next middle school principal]].
* IllGirl: [[spoiler: Hotaru]] becomes one in the sixth volume of the manga, when she uses herself as a human shield for Mikan.
** [[spoiler: Nobara (accidentally) becomes this later in the story in the attempt of getting through Persona]].
* {{Important Haircut}}: [[spoiler: Yuka. After Kaoru dies, she promises herself she won't cry anymore and fulfill Izumi's and Kaoru's wishes]].
* ImpossiblyDeliciousFood
* InnocentCohabitation: Natsume and Mikan do this once. Well, more like Natsume FORCES her to, despite that the effects of being stuck from the mochi Tsubasa spoiled wore off, much to her depression. Comes with 1/2 ThereIsOnlyOneBed and 1/2 BeautifulDreamer (Natsume is the one sleeping), at that.
** Hotaru and Luca as well, but they are honestly still stuck. It's also with Youichi.
* InstantFanClub: Natsume has one.
** So does Yukihira-sensei - ([[spoiler: Mikan's father]]) in the flashback arc of the manga
* IsThatCuteKidYours - And they're in elementary school.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Luca has finally given in the towel. With a six paged speech about it, too.]]
** [[spoiler: So does Hotaru, who revives Natsume through TimeTravel with the help of Subaru and Nodacchi, at the cost of having to disappear with the former and everyone's memories of them getting erased.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: Sumire at several points.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Natsume.
* KansaiRegionalAccent: Used here and there, like with Mikan.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Kaoru, Natsume's mother and Izumi, Mikan's father in the backstory. Yuka and Penguin]].
* KillerRabbit: Bear.
* LastKiss: [[spoiler: Izumi gives Yuka this before the incident that's coming soon after it]].
* LethalChef: Anna. The weird part is that it her [[BlessedWithSuck Alice]] happens to be cooking-based.
* LightIsGood: Thrown around when referring to Mikan, who is often described as a light within the darkness, or a light found. Bright, with a strong heart, and helps bring happiness to those around her. More so when it comes to Natsume, who she "will save" - which was the sole reason why Narumi even partnered them up in the first place. [[spoiler: The light virtues were more or less "inherited" through her father, who was thought of the same way to aid in changing the academy]]. Also the children's light, that can't be destroyed by the darkness, which is why there's a need to protect them so they won't pass through the pain that being under the ESP does. Light themes are used for other things as well.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Misaki and Tsubasa, which is lampshaded at some points.
* LittleMissSnarker: Hotaru.
* LockedInARoom: Mikan and Natsume, at the haunted house.
* LongLostSibling: [[spoiler: Hotaru and Subaru, with the latter being sent to Alice Academy when he was five years old. However, they knew they existed beforehand]].
* LovableAlphaBitch: Sumire, AKA Permy/Curly.
* LoveConfession: The first time, Natsume accidentally brought it upon himself. He took another student's - Kusami's - white punishment mask from the bench so he could hide, but naturally, this caused others to mistake him ''for'' said student. He had to take his place in the next Sports Festival challenge, which consists of getting a piece of paper, and randomly grabbing the person they truly feel fits the description personally to them that's written down on it (for example, "annoying co-worker"). Natsume was graced with the "person that I love". Forward to the fireworks that BRIGHTLY lit up what the paper said when he reached the finish line with Mikan on tow. He runs away after in an attempt not to be found out. Mikan suspects it was him due to the similarities regardless (and later on Natsume does something that confirms it to her), even after Luna covers it up.
** [[spoiler: The second time, however, he outright confessed, in front of Narumi, Luna, the whole Dangerous Abilities class, the ESP, and Mikan herself]]. Though in both of these, we don't get a real reaction out of her. Yet.
*** [[spoiler: Yuka and Yukihira-sensei as well, obviously]].
*** [[spoiler: Mikan has finally (FINALLY!) [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther reciprocated Natsume's feelings]] in recent chapters, doing so via telepathy, tears, and an epic hug]].
** [[spoiler: Luca also confessed to Mikan but [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy accepts that she belongs with Natsume]]]].
** [[spoiler: The latest chapters are just FULL of these. Yuka admitted that she cares deeply for Narumi, despite promising herself she would not love another after Yukihira]].
* LoveTriangle: Luca/Mikan/Natsume. They fell under Type 3, but as the manga went on, it went up to Type 4 once [[spoiler: Mikan reciprocated Natsume's feelings]]. It becomes a LoveDodecahedron if you put Sumire and Hotaru into the mix.
** There's also the much smaller [[spoiler: Izumi/Yuka/Narumi]], which is Type 4 <-- even with DeathOfTheHypotenuse and Shiki added. In the present, there's another Type 3 with Shiki/Yuka/Narumi, [[spoiler: with Narumi in the lead, as Yuka appeared willing to try and move on after Izumi's death when she realized her feelings for Narumi could possibly be more than platonic before she's KilledOffForReal]].
* MakeThemRot: Persona, the superviser of the Dangerous Ability group. Has a DarkAndTroubledPast because of his powers and [[PowerIncontinence his inability to control it]].
* ManipulativeBastard: Principal Kuonji, or ESP.
%% Zero Context Example, please replace this with either CoolMask or MaskOfPower * MaskPower: Persona, and Natsume when he's destroying things.
* MeaningfulName: Yuri. She has a female pheromone Alice. [[GirlsLove Do the math]].
* {{Meganekko}}: Yuu Tobita is a male version of this trope, being one of Mikan's nicer classmates.
* MindControlDevice: Hotaru used this on Narumi once when he caught her and Mikan sneaking around.
* MindControlEyes: Usually anyone under [[spoiler: Luna's]] Alice.
* TheMourningAfter: [[GenderFlip Gender Flipped]]. [[spoiler: Yuka]].
* MundaneUtility: The students have no problems to use their Alices for amusement, like at the {{school festival}}.
* MythologyGag: At some point late into the manga, [[spoiler: Leo Mouri hijacks the school's broadcasting room]] in the manga, like he did in episode 25 of the anime. However, [[spoiler: instead of using his Alice to brainwash students into destroying the academy, he uses it to snap everyone else out of Luna's trance.]]
* NaiveNewcomer: Mikan in the beginning of the series.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever it was that happened when Yuka was exposed to a full blast of Narumi's pheromones upon their first meeting.
* NoRespectGuy: Yuu Tobita.
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Sawajiri-sensei to Yukihira.
* NotWhatItLooksLike: Mikan and Natsume in the haunted mansion, when he lifted up her skirt and saw her panties, calling her "Strawberry". Naturally, she went over to attack him, but it turned rather unfortunate, and it left them in compromising positions. Cue the others [[ComeToGawk appearing to watch]] in time and Mikan panicking afterward.
* ObliviousToLove: Mikan. Sometimes Misaki as well when it comes to Tsubasa... [[SelectiveObliviousness or is she really? Hmm]].
* OddFriendship: Mikan and Hotaru. Even mentioned by some in the actual canon as well.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Kazu Yukihira and Hii-sama. And not to mention the ESP, whose age is a complete mystery.
* OpaqueNerdGlasses: Hayami, to enhance his already incredible eyesight.
* OvertookTheManga: Which resulted in a GeckoEnding for the anime.
* ParentalAbandonment: Most of the story is about this, found in different variations.
** ''Forced'' abandonment, the main reason as to why people try to avoid sending your Alice gifted kids there as much as possible. This is what happens to most kids, including Natsume and Luca.
*** Some kids agree to leave their families and go to the academy for various reasons, e.g. Hotaru (her parents were paid money which they used to save her village school on her request), Mikan (who unwittingly followed Hotaru to the school, leaving her grandfather behind).
*** Some kids were actually abandoned by their parents, e.g. Yuka, Persona and Nobara (because of their dangerous Alices).
* PleaseWakeup: [[spoiler: Rei Serio (Persona) when he accidentally lost control and used his Alice too strongly on Yukihira-sensei, inevitably killing him. Most of the denial came from the fact that Izumi helped him train his Alice, and always used his Nullification to cure the minor marks and to prevent harm, which led Rei to thinking he would survive his attack]].
* PowerCopying: Using [[spoiler: the Steal Alice and Insertion Alice]] to great effect.
* PutOnABus: Amanatsu, in the anime.
* RaisedByGrandparents: Mikan.
* RedStringOfFate: In the omake after Chapter 139 of the manga, baby Mikan and Natsume are briefly seen holding two ends of a (presumably) red string.
** [[spoiler: In the end of the mange, a red string of fate is seen tying Mikan and Hotaru]]
* RememberTheNewGuy: Hoshino from Chapter 76, who left that very same chapter.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Several, including Penguin and Bear.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Mikan and Hotaru, though it is somewhat one-sided, and seemingly more romantic in Hotaru's end.
** Occasionally requited however, especially in the festival dance episode.
*** [[spoiler: Yuka and Kaoru]].
*** [[spoiler: Luna and Yuka, though that's even more one-sided.]]
* SadistTeacher: Jinno. [[spoiler: Subverted in the last episode, when he turns out to [[PetTheDog be a decent guy]].]]
** And in the manga, where he's one of the good guys and has been all along. But still sadistic.
* SayItWithHearts: Narumi in the manga, at least in the beginning. ''Oh'' God, Narumi ♥.
** Rui is another one, only with [[SayItWithHearts Say It With Stars]] ★.
* SiblingRivalry: A very odd, sort of tension going on with [[spoiler: Subaru and Hotaru]] all the time. Though they really do care. In their special way.
* {{Shojo}}: It is one.
* ShapeShifting: Goshima, concerning his ''face''. More or less his Alice. Along with a ShapeshifterDefaultForm.
* ShipperOnDeck: For a while, it seemed as though the whole "guardian angel" following liked pushing [[spoiler: Luca and Mikan]] together... or maybe it was just because they supported the former because he CannotSpitItOut and felt sorry for him.
* ShyBlueHairedGirl: Nobara.
* SittingOnTheRoof: Done by Mikan in the end.
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: And after the tribulations, [[spoiler: Mikan was born into the world]].
* SpiritualSuccessor: The anime has a great deal in common with another shoujo from ten years prior, ''Manga/KodomoNoOmocha'', including but not limited to Mikan being practically a clone of that series' lead, Sana.
* SplitPersonality: Nobara, in some form or another. It's later revealed the Dangerous Class used [[BrainwashedAndCrazy hypnotherapy]] to utilize her Alice since she refuses to hurt people with it.
* SproutingEars: Very common in the manga.
* StudentCouncilPresident: Shuichi Sakurano. Succeeded by Hijiri Goshima.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Hotaru, with regard to Mikan's affection. And to Luca, for that matter (though it's debatable).
* {{Super Senses}}: Hayami's Alices are Sight and Hearing.
* TallDarkAndSnarky: Eliminating the "tall", Natsume in the first half, but he changes slowly as he gets CharacterDevelopment.
* {{Tareme Eyes}}: Luca, Nobara, amd Hotaru.
* TearsOfRemorse: Little Rei (Persona) certainly spilled a lot of them in the Flashback arc after [[spoiler: accidentally killing the only person who first accepted, loved, cared, and raised him]].
* [[TellMeAboutMyFather Tell Me About My Mother]]: [[spoiler: And father, for that matter]]. It was for [[spoiler: Mikan]] to choose the path for her future.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: Mikan says this a lot, but it ends up misunderstandings save one or two. However, [[spoiler: Yuka used this ''seriously'' on the ESP when she inserts the two Alices stones in him. She also served it with an oath that she will destroy his plans ''one by one'' (that includes his clones). Let's just say she made good on that promise - Yuka, Kaoru (who passed away), and Shiki were working on it, and still are, at least to the point of cornering him and making his high positions and status critical]].
* ThoseTwoGuys: [[MindReading Koko]] and Kitsuneme, as well as Nonoko and Anna for Mikan.
* TimeMaster: Nodachi-sensei's Alice, basically.
* TimeTravel: A whole manga arc was based off this to learn of what happened in the past.
* TitleConfusion - The series is called Gakuen Alice, but the school is called Alice Gakuen. The Animax dub simplifies this by calling the show ''Alice Academy''.
** This is a side effect of the way words in names flip around in Japanese/English translations. What they should have called it is Xanth Academy. (If you like this series you may just like "A Spell for Chameleon".)
* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: Yuka]] reunites with her most beloved, [[spoiler: Izumi]].
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler: Yuka, when she finally had enough of the ESP and his ways]]. And Mikan, when her friends are in any fatal danger.
* TragicMistake: [[spoiler: Everyone assuming that the key to the outside brought over by "Tsubasa" (who was actually High School Representative Goshima in disguise, on orders of the ESP) was authentic. The explosion caused by it kills Yuka and severely wounds Narumi.]]
* TroubledButCute: Natsume.
* {{Tsurime Eyes}}: Natsume and Sumire.
* UmbrellaOfTogetherness: In a chapter where the Special Abilities class find old photo albums when cleaning, they also find graffiti done by past students in a wall behind a cupboard. One of them had written "Yuka" and "Sensei" under a drawn umbrella symbol. Mikan, unaware at that point of what it meant for her (it's her parents), drew a line downwards where she wrote her name. Even before that, on one of Yuka's flashbacks, Izumi found her on a rainy day sitting on a stool-step, upset with people shunning her for her Alice. He, of course, had an umbrella opened. And then the students all draw themselves in a family tree under the umbrella.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Luna and Persona, before their StartOfDarkness.
* WatchingTroyBurn: [[spoiler: Coming from Aoi. Without it being her fault, of course, as Persona placed a faulty and artificially made amplification alice stone by the windowsill with an attempt for Natsume to get it. Unfortunately, Aoi saw it, and kept it because it was the color of her brother's eyes and a sign of his protection. It soon gets inserted into her body, and well, the trope explains itself. Both Natsume and Luca (and some onlookers) watch as they find their town completely obliterated in smoke by the fire, and it's what sets off them going to Alice Gakuen]].
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: The school not only accepts but also seeks out children with Alices no matter how ridiculous or impractical their powers may be. Examples include Anne, whose Alice makes food come to life, and one of the younger students who can fly by ''farting''.
** HeartIsAnAwesomePower: Mikan gets teased for her Alice, which is not particularly flashy compared to other students'. It does, however, turn out to be extremely useful in the right situations.
* WizardingSchool: Tis' one.
----

* FiveBadBand:

* AntiMagic[=/=]: Mikan's nullification Alice. [[spoiler: Her dead father had a nullification Alice as well]].

* MaskPower: Persona, and Natsume when he's destroying things.

* [[spoiler: AndTheAdventureContinues: Mikan leaves with Luka and Natsume to find Subaru and Hotaru who are still lost in Time and Space]]
* AntiMagic: Mikan's nullification Alice. [[spoiler: Her dead father has nullification Alice as well]].

** TheDarkChick: Nobara Ibaragi, AnIcePerson who also act as Persona MoralityPet, at last before Time Travelling Arc. Has SplitPersonality who could be said as Persona's [[TheDragon Dragon]]. First to do Heel-FaceTurn after befriending Mikan.
* FreakyFridayFlip: This happens to Mikan, Hotaru, Natsume, Ruka, Sumire, Yuu, Mr. Bear, and Kokoroyomi.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: This is more or less Luca's Alice.

* GenderBlenderName: In the manga, Narumi's first name is revealed to be Anju, which probably explains why he's never used it.
* TheGentlemanOrTheScoundrel: Mikan must choose between Ruka (the Gentleman) and Natsume (the Scoundrel).
* [[GiveHimANormalLife Give Her A Normal Life]]: [[spoiler: Yuka to Mikan. It was accidental, as she didn't really want to leave her, but she was being hunted down. Because of this, she ended up thinking it was the right thing to do]]. Unfortunately, or as predicted, didn't turn out as planned.

* GreenEyedEpiphany: Natsume ends up partners with Luna, which was her intention, as well as to make it appear as if they are being paired off romantically (the complete opposite in reality: Natsume hates her guts, and she does too). Despite that the reason for doing so is to protect her, this causes a slight distance between him and Mikan, who certainly feels the sting. Shocked the first time, asking him to be here on the Red Team with her on the Sports Festival later on, to even the "I don't care about them" denial in Chapter 85. Of course, no feelings are admitted or said...on Mikan's side.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Narumi and Misaki. Sakurano and Subaru.

* HotForStudent: [[spoiler: Yuka and Yukihira-sensei. Resulted in a certain little bundle of love we know.]]
** [[spoiler: Persona and Nobara. Looks like Sensei rubbed off on him]].
* HotTeacher: Yukihira-sensei, Misaki-sensei, Narumi-sensei... and if principals count too, most ''definitely'' and ''infinitely'' the high school.

* [[spoiler: IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Poor Luca has finally given in the towel. With a six paged speech about it, too.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: Go Sumire!

* KansaiRegionalAccent: There's a few.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Kaoru, Natsume's mother and Izumi, Mikan's father, then Yuka. And Penguin]].
* KillerRabbit: Bear. Just. Bear.
* LastKiss: [[spoiler: Izumi gives Yuka this before the TearJerker incident that's coming soon after it]].
* LethalChef: Anna. The weird part is that it is her [[BlessedWithSuck alice]].

* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Misaki and Tsubasa. Not surprisingly.

* LongLostSibling: [[spoiler: Hotaru and Subaru, with the latter being sent to Alice Academy when he was five years old. However, they knew they existed beforehand]]. The audience...didn't.

*** [[spoiler: Mikan has finally (FINALLY!) [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther reciprocated Natsume's feelings]] in recent chapters, doing so via [[TastesLikeDiabetes telepathy, tears]], and an epic hug]].

* LoveTriangle: Guess which. ''Just'' guess. They fell under Type 3. As of recent chapters, however, Luca/Mikan/Natsume went up to Type 4 once [[spoiler: Mikan reciprocated Natsume's feelings]]. There's also the much smaller [[spoiler: Izumi/Yuka/Narumi]], which is Type 4 <-- even with DeathOfTheHypotenuse and Shiki added. In the present, there's another Type 3 with Shiki/Yuka/Narumi, [[spoiler: with Narumi in the lead, as Yuka appeared willing to try and move on after Izumi's death when she realized her feelings for Narumi could possibly be more than platonic. Then she died]].
** The Luca/Mikan/Natsume triangle can become a Love Dodecahedron if you put Sumire and Hotaru into the mix.
* MadeOfIron: Mikan, who can take amazing amounts of physical abuse.

* ManipulativeBastard: ESP, or for once to say his real name, Principal Kuonji.

* {{Meganekko}}: Yuu Tobita is a 11 year old, male version of this trope.

* MythologyGag: At some point late in it, [[spoiler: Leo Mouri hijacks the school's broadcasting room]] in the manga, like he did in episode 25 of the anime. However, [[spoiler: instead of using his Alice to brainwash students into destroying the academy, he uses it to snap everyone else out of Luna's trance.]]
* NaiveNewcomer: Mikan Sakura in the beginning of the series.

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Sawajiri-sensei to Yukihira. For real.
* NotWhatItLooksLike: Mikan and Natsume in the haunted mansion, when he lifted up her skirt and saw her panties, calling her "Strawberry". Naturally, she went over to attack him, but it turned rather unfortunate, and it left them in compromising positions. Cue the others appearing to watch it in time and Mikan panicking afterward.

** ''Forced'' abandonment, the main reason as to why you'd want to avoid sending your Alice gifted kids there as much as possible. This is what happens to most kids, including Natsume.

*** Some kids were actually abandoned by their parents, e.g. Yuka, Persona (because of his dangerous Alice).

* PowerCopying: Using the Steal Alice to great effect.

* ThePowerOfLove: Applies to Natsume's various sacrifices for Mikan. [[spoiler: Also the reason that Izumi's and Yuka's spirits reunited in the afterlife.]]
* PowerNullifier: Leading to a FridgeLogic explanation for [[spoiler: the seemingly nice teacher helping Mikan get in - he really just wanted her there to help control the other kids.]]
** To be fair, in the manga Narumi had much more valid reasoning. [[spoiler: Mikan's father also had the nullification Alice, which is quite rare, so he suspects some relation.]]
*** To be even ''more'' fair, it seems likely that the lack of this in the anime is probably due to them having OvertookTheManga before the above spoiler got revealed. [[spoiler: Mikan reminds him of a 'her' whom is never named. Oops.]]
*** He also had the valid reasoning that [[spoiler: he got a demonstration of her powers. When he first meets her, he tries to use his pheromone on her to manipulate her into returning home, which fails.]]
* RaisedByGrandparents: Or can be seen as such to Mikan.

** [[spoiler: In the end of the mange a red string of fate is seen tying Mikan and Hotaru]]

* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Penguin.
* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Mikan and Hotaru, though it is somewhat one-sided.

* SayItWithHearts: Narumi in the manga, at least in the beginning. ''Oh'' God, Narumi ♥. Rui is another one, only with [[SayItWithHearts Say It With Stars]] ★.

* ShipperOnDeck: For a while, it seemed as though the whole "guardian angel" following liked pushing [[spoiler: Luca and Mikan]] together...or maybe it was just because they supported the former because he CannotSpitItOut and felt sorry for him.

* SplitPersonality: Nobara, in some form or another.
** It's actually been revealed recently that they use [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Hypnotherapy]] to utilize her Alice since she refuses to hurt people with it.

* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Mikan gets teased for her Alice, which is not particularly flashy compared to other students'. It does, however, turn out to be extremely useful in the right situations.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Kaoru, Natsume's mother and Izumi, Mikan's father. And Penguin]].
** ... *sigh* [[spoiler: Yuka]].

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: In the manga, it was a caring robot penguin simply named Penguin, who, despite being a machine, showed a plethora of emotions. Noted to be one of Hotaru's inventions made in the summer before Mikan came to the academy. The reason for its creation stems from one of Hotaru's many request letters, where a lonely 64 year old man whose daughter and son-in-law died asked for it, according to one of the fanbooks, with instructions to make it adorable, and able to give him strength (figuratively). However, it was returned because it pitifully missed her and kept crying, which made Hotaru bully it a lot. It appeared many times with the characters, and even joined (or rather, snuck in) Natsume, Mikan, Tsubasa, and Luca in their quest to retrieve Hotaru's medicine and Tobita's alice. But... [[spoiler: bring your tissues with you. It died bravely to save Mikan in Chapter 43, giving us one of the early TearJerker moments of the story. OH, Penguin.]]
** Which is even more of a TearJerker when you consider that Penguin was built with Mikan's personality, as a sign of how much Hotaru missed her friend.

*** [[spoiler: Mikan has finally (FINALLY!) [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther reciprocated Natsume's feelings]] in recent chapters, doing so via [[TastesLikeDiabetes telepathy, tears]], and an [[CrowningMomentofAwesome epic hug]]]].

* XMeetsY: [[http://www.heartofmanga.com/gakuen-alice-tachibana-higuchi-series-review/ This review]] described it as "''Manga/FruitsBasket'' meets ''Literature/HarryPotter'' meets ''Franchise/XMen''."

** Even more ironic, while Mikan's feelings are played down,Hotaru's are played up. While distant at the beginning, Hotaru shows real care in the later chapters.

** Even more ironic, while Mikan's feelings are played down.,Hotaru's are played up. While distant at the beginning, Hotaru shows real care in the later chapters.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The anime has a great deal in common with another shoujo from ten years prior, {{Kodocha}}, including but not limited to Mikan being practically a clone of that series' lead, Sana.

* XMeetsY: [[http://www.heartofmanga.com/gakuen-alice-tachibana-higuchi-series-review/ This review]] described it as "''Manga/FruitsBasket'' meets ''Literature/HarryPotter'' meets ''Franchise/{{X-Men}}''."

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gakuenalice.JPG

''Alice Academy'' (or ''Gakuen Alice'' is Japanese) is an anime and manga centering around 10-year-old Mikan Sakura, who is dismayed when her best friend Hotaru is transferred away to a boarding school for genius students. When she learns that Hotaru is not allowed to visit or write back home, Mikan becomes suspicious, and travels alone to the school to investigate. She discovers that Hotaru is attending Alice Academy, a school specifically for children with special powers called Alices. Mikan meets a teacher named Narumi who says that Mikan herself has an Alice, and he requests to have her enrolled.