, also known as Alice Academy, is a Japanese
manga written and illustrated by Tachibana Higuchi, currently being serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume. It was adapted into an anime series, which was produced by Aniplex and Group TAC and originally premiered on NHK
BS-2. It spanned twenty-six episodes, between October 30, 2004, and May 14, 2005. The anime was translated and dubbed into English by the anime television network Animax, and the dubbed version has been broadcast on networks throughout Asia. At Anime Expo 2008, The Right Stuf International announced that its Nozomi Entertainment division had licensed Gakuen Alice for the North American market.
Plot
Best friends Mikan and Hotaru grew up in a small town in the remote
countryside. When Hotaru moves to a school for geniuses in Tokyo,
Mikan misses Hotaru so badly that she decides to travel to Tokyo
herself to find Hotaru. She finds Hotaru in a school called "Alice
Academy," and finds that the school is actually for people with
special powers called "Alices." Narumi-sensei, a teacher at the
school, discovers that Mikan also happens to have an Alice, and
Mikan is admitted into the academy. There she finds friends, love,
and a life that she will never forget.
Differences between manga and anime
The anime episodes are similar to the corresponding manga chapters,
but some events are changed or combined. The manga's darker tones
are reduced in the anime to suit younger viewers. Characters in the
anime may have different hair and eye color than their manga
counterparts. The anime series leaves the
love triangle between Mikan, Ruka, and Natsume
unresolved, with Mikan having not realized their feelings for her,
and the mystery of Mikan's parents remains unrevealed. In the first
episode, she doesn't catch a taxi to Alice Academy, nor does
everyone know about Alices in the anime. Many of these differences
may be due to the fact that the anime has had only one season,
while the manga is ongoing.
Setting
The Gakuen
Alice is located somewhere in Tokyo
, in the
anime across from a huge gorilla billboard. The school
grounds contain three levels of education (elementary through
senior high), a hospital, the main building, and the central town,
where shops managed by Alice-bearing artisans sell goods produced
with the help of their Alices.
Four forests surround the grounds. The Northern Woods are the most
visited and are home to "Mr. Bear."
In the anime, the Academy has its own monetary system, the Rabbit
(Rt), with one Rabbit equivalent to 100
yen.
However, in the manga, the Academy uses yen as their primary
currency.
Due to constant threat by kidnappears and slave traders, vocal and
written communication is limited to within the Academy. The grounds
are closely guarded, and heavy security and electrified fences
deter students from attempting to leave.
High-scoring students in the Final Examinations receive perks such
as free meal tickets, certifications, and money. Along with honor
students, these students are permitted a week-long leave.
Alices
Alice type
- : Latent Alices are the most common in the school, and involve
powers connected to ESP abilities. This is the most well-documented
class. Examples: Teleportation and Telekinesis.
- : Technical Alice types appear when the individual performs a
certain activity, such as cooking, drawing, etc. The Alices in this
type are based on technology and research fields. Examples: Plant
Manipulation,Invention and Cooking.
- : Unlike other classes, this type manifests itself physically.
The Somatic Alices are based on the bodies of humans, animals, and
other living things, and appear in the form of a pheromone or
physical ability. Examples: Super Speed and Human Pheromone.
- : This class is essentially for students with Alices that don't
fit easily into any of the other three classes. Their powers are
different and the class is mixed. Some of the rarest Alices belong
to this class. Examples: Shadow manipulation, Doppelganger Alice,
and Nullification Alice.
- : This is considered to be an extra type; basically, the Alices
in this class are so strong that they are a threat to the school.
This class is very different from the others and could also be
described as an occult. Examples: Stealing Alice, Mark of Death
Alice and the Fire Alice.
Alice shape
Every Alice is categorized as one of four
shapes, which
specify how much of it can be used and how often.
- Childhood: The Alice slowly appears and disappears as the child
grows into an adult.
- Diffuse: The Alice is always available, but at a relatively low
power level.
- Intermittent: The Alice can only be used for a short period at
any time, but at a relatively high power level.
- Limitless: The Alice can be used as often and as much as
desired, but impacts the user's life with each use and can even
kill them if overused.
Star-ranking
A star-ranking is the evaluation system that the Academy uses to
judge a student's schoolwork, Alice level and attitude. There are
five rankings, which are indicated by the number of gold stars on a
student's collar.
- No-Star: Students who are below average. This rank is reserved
mainly for children, and is not enough to graduate beyond the
Elementary School Division.
- Single: Students who are approximately average. Most of the
students in the Elementary School Division have this rank. Required
to graduate from the Elementary School Division.
- Double: Students who are above average, but still are not
exceptionally advanced at either their studies or use of their
Alice. Required to graduate from the Middle School Division.
- Triple: Students who are usually considered "overachievers" and
tend to excel at their studies, use of their Alice, or both.
Required to graduate from the High School Division.
- Special: Students who are considered the best of the best,
signified by a label in the shape of a star enclosed in a circle
(though rarely seen in the anime). Students of this rank excel
tremendously in their Alice and, if they care, their studies. Also
known as the "Principal students".
Each star ranking has its own monthly allowance rate):
- No-Star: 5 Rabbits (equal to about 500 yen or 5 US
dollars)
- Single: 30 Rabbits (equal to about 3000 yen or 30 US
dollars)
- Double: 50 Rabbits (equal to about 5000 yen or 50 US
dollars)
- Triple: 100 Rabbits (equal to about 10000 yen or 100 US
dollars)
- Special: 300 Rabbits (equal to about 30000 yen or 300 US
dollars)
Control device
Control devices are specially designed prevention devices made for
a particular person. These devices are worn on the head, hand, or
other body part and can emit tracking signals. Each kind of device
has sealing abilities that lock a person's Alice within the device.
There are also control devices used for punishment purposes, such
as the Cat Mask.If a person wearing one of these disobeys the
higher-up, they are immediately punished with a pulsating electric
shock throughout the body.These devices can only be removed by the
person who placed it on.
Main characters
- Names are displayed in Western order (given name before
surname).
Media
Volume list
Anime
The 26 episode anime version of Gakuen Alice was directed by
Takahiro Omori. The episodes started
airing in Japan on October 20, 2004, and ran until the finale on
May 14, 2005.
The series uses two pieces of theme music. The opening theme,
Pikapika no Taiyou (Shining Sun), is performed by
Kana Ueda, the protagonist's voice actress. The
ending theme, Shiawase no Niji (Rainbow of Happiness), is performed
by Kana Ueda and
Rie Kugimiya.The
second season is currently ongoing in Japan. It is most likely to
be shown on television in English around April 2010.
Fanbook
The cover art of the official fan
book
An official fanbook was published in May 2007. There was also a
special fanbook titled
Pika Pika SP Fanbook released as a
furoku in
Hana to Yume
magazine.
CDs
A soundtrack for the series was released on March 2, 2005. A single
of the opening theme and ending theme were also released.
Three
drama CDs were broadcast on a
web radio. On January 18, 2006,
Sony Music Entertainment released
the first drama CD.
Video games
Gakuen Alice ~Kira Kira Memory Kiss~ was released on June
22, 2006, for the
PlayStation 2 in
Japan. There is also a
Game Boy
Advance game that has also only been released in Japan called
Gakuen Alice ~Doki Doki Fushigi Taiken~.On April 19, 2007,
a Nintendo DS game called
Gakuen Alice: Waku Waku Happy
Friends was released in Japan.
References
External links
Wikis
Quiz
Map
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