Posts in Gakuen Alice Category
May 15, 2005
Final exams are over and graduation comes, with Narumi giving the commencement speech. However, Mikan's more worried about Hotaru. There's talk that she's leaving to go overseas to study... One day her room ends up empty and that mail delivery turtle is back again, so she must've left. But... she actually wasn't going all that far. Only going to stay in her lab since she's going a presentation soon. Silly Mikan ;)
And so we end pretty much exactly how we began. I can't say I really liked the conclusion here, but since there were only 26 episodes there wasn't anything to be done about it, I suppose.
Gakuen Alice is one of those shows that could've been that much better (given the source material) given a better budget and more time, like last year's Twin Spica (cut short at 20 episodes). However, that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. Mikan's certainly a likeable character and Hotaru is well.. Hotaru, with her own way of showing her love to Mikan ;) Natsume and Luca-pyon, the whole cast was an interesting bunch. Plot-wise, we had our ups and downs, with the threads about Natsume being most interesting to me. Wish they would've had more time to explore that among other things that weren't fully explained, but given that the manga's still in serialization and the episode count we got what we got.
Now, there has been talk of a 2nd season of Gakuen Alice, but nothing official has been said yet. With the events of this episode they've kinda broken the setting for the next major plot thread so I dunno where they'd pick up.... But we shall see about that.
Thanks to Garten for getting me all involved in watching and reading Gakuen Alice, and blogging it (much better than I have) along with me. When he gets around to it y'all go read his thoughts about the show. It's been fun :) I'm still going to read more of the manga as my budget permits (who knows when that'll be) so if there's interest I'll write about it. I'd definitely recommend reading it to the Japanese-capable out there ;)
That girl Narumi and Reo liked was Mikan's mother... Naru gets word that Reo's circus animals are on the loose -- made to wreak havoc on the school by Luca-pyon's alice -- so he and Mikan and others go to try to get things under control. Meanwhile, Luca goes to find Natsume... however, when Natsume does come he gives Luca a good smack, telling him to cut it out. Natsume doesn't like being made to do the school's bidding, but he'll do whatever he wants to.
Reo starts broadcasting over the school's intercom using his alice to control the students, so Narumi goes off to stop him and gets captured. Despite Narumi telling them not to, everyone goes off to stop Reo as well. Finally, Narumi gets Reo to stop... and so Reo leaves...
Nothing much to say here besides that we got to the climax, finally revealing the connection between Narumi and Reo and Mikan's mother. Next time we finish up... with Hotaru leaving to go somewhere far away again? I'll save most of my thoughts now for the wrap-up after watching the last episode tomorrow. I should be on time this week ;)
Reo tells Luka-pyon of the darker side of Gakuen Alice and a bit about his past with Narumi-sensei and also another girl that was very much like Mikan... Natsume's alice is the type where every time it's used it shortens his life. So hearing all of that, and with Reo's alice doing some work to help convince even more, Luka's now determined to stop Persona from making Natsume do any more of the school's "work". He gets everyone in the class involved to keep Persona from taking Natsume, even going so far as barricading themselves in the classroom, but they relent when Narumi-sensei says he'll take care of Natsume.. but he couldn't stop them from taking Natsume away in the end anyways.. Jinno-sensei and everyone else assumes Mikan is behind things, and Hotaru's brother does the same when he comes to ask a few questions. Luka, as the actual leader of the group, demands things be changed...
So we seem to be heading towards a resolution of things... though not building up to it next episode as it's a recap episode.
The circus comes to Gakuen Alice, but the person who's running it seems familiar -- well, it's completely obvious who it is. After Luca-pyon notices how badly a lion's being treated he gets worried and goes backstage, getting to know one of the workers there who used to go to Gakuen Alice, but since his Alice was one that disappeared when he became an adult, he left. Luca-pyon finally does meet Reo, who says he'll tell him about the secrets of the school...
Gakuen Alice looks to be taking the anime original conclusion route here. I was somewhat worried last time, but after things this time I'm not quite as much. Revealing more of Natsume's past this time, and more of his relationship with Luca-pyon was well done. The obvious comparison of the poor kid lion who was forced to perform to Natsume, who was forced to do those "missions" for the school though a kid, also made the choice of the circus coming this time make more sense. As for those "secrets" of the school, I don't have any idea what it could be since those haven't been talked about in the manga I read, so we'll see exactly what Reo has to say about things as Gakuen Alice approaches a hopefully good climax :)
Mikan meets the guy she heard about from Tsubasa-senpai, the one who made Mr. Bear (cue the Rocky music!), Kaname. His alice is one which allows him to imbue the stuffed animals he makes with a spirit, to make them come alive. He's very popular with the high school girls since he makes those stuffed animals for them ;) But using that alice comes at the price of shortening his own life, and once Mikan hears that she wants to stop him... but she comes to understand that Kaname wants to keep on doing it to make others happy, even if it comes at that cost. And then she thinks about Natsume. Could he be the same?..
A well done, kinda touching episode this time :) But the next episode preview made me uneasy. Yet another anime original story with only a few episodes left? But, can't judge before seeing where they take us these last few episodes... I'm assuming they'll stop it at a particular story, but we'll see how it wraps up.
I'm going to resist the urge to write something in red text here (Y'all probably know what I was going to write, hehe). Anyways...
Mikan finally gets a letter from Jii-chan as the last night of the school festival comes and it's time for the big dance. Mikan hasn't asked anyone to dance with her for that "Last Dance" yet, though, unlike the other girls. But she does have her share of fun dancing with everyone, and in the end, Hotaru (after eating who knows how many crabs) asks her to dance with her for that last dance. Fitting :) And even Natsume laughs for once this time.
Looks like we'll be starting the next major plot arc next time as final exams come. Whoever does the best on them gets to return home for a week... and I can't say anymore because I know what happens (we're almost at the end of volume 5 of the manga).
Gakuen Alice hops on the gender-bending bandwagon along with Mahoraba and GIRLS Bravo with a production of the ever popular Snow White and Sleeping Beauty mixed together. Luca-pyon plays Snow White, with Yuri-senpai -- not a coincidence Yuri-senpai's alice is a pheromone that attracts girls, I think -- playing the prince. Well, until some rather sticky balls get lose and the cast gets stuck together. So Mikan fills in as the prince... Sumire plays the villain, of course, since it's not really acting for her. And even Natsume joins in... Hotaru was hilarious this time -- she and Tamami from Mahoraba would get along rather well ;)
And with Luca-pyon Snow White, Mikan the prince that means... they have to kiss.. but someone seems to be jealous and makes sure that doesn't happen ;)
Next time, it's the last day of the festival and the big dance.. so who's Mikan going to dance with? ;)
Mikan goes with Luca-pyon and Natsume to have fun at the school festival and visits Hotaru's shop in the 技術系 area. But an accident brings Hotaru's brother, one of the school principals in...
And he's an example of what happens after you've been at that school for a while. Cold, unfeeling, almost machine-like responses, never really felt a need to see his parents after being sent to Gakuen Alice... Hotaru, however, won't become like that.. she's got Mikan ;)
Good very much needed character development for Hotaru this time, showing that she's definitely not that unfeeling compared to others out there. But she won't stop abusing Mikan when she's causing trouble, of course ;) Next time Mikan has fun with Natsume in Tobita's haunted house (that actually happened before this episode's events in the manga).
As usual, see Garten for a complete summary of what happened this time
This time was a break from the seriousness of the past few episodes, back to the lighter tone that characterized the earlier episodes of Gakuen Alice. Mikan was extremely kawaii this time, wasn't she? So was Neko Mimi Mode Sumire ;) But poor Mikan, getting harassed by Natsume again, and on top of that having to grant Natsume 3 wishes.. she'll have fun with Natsume at the festival, if things go as they did in the manga ;) Judging from the next ep preview, the situation in which Mikan learns Hotaru's secret has been changed a bit for the anime (I don't recall Hotaru's robot going crazy), but anyways...
Plenty more fun stuff to come up (if things go as the manga), but we'll turn back to more serious stuff eventually, of course. See where we go these last 10 (right?) episodes.
See Garten for a detailed summary of what happened this time ;)
Same as Garten, I have to think that Persona's threat against Natsume, of losing people who are important to him, was only effective since Natsume's sister is alive somewhere. Though others like Luka-pyon would certainly be possible... It also seems like Natsume is able to kinda get along with, and even stand up to protect Mikan, because she somehow reminds him of his sister in some way. Though all of that still isn't too clear after reading through 6 volumes of the manga. Same with Mikan's connection to "that girl" from 10 years ago...
I do have some worries about whether or not the writers will be able get everything important into the last 11 episodes... However, if there were a second season, stretching it out to 52 episodes, it might be too much considering the pace we're going at now -- they'd have to insert filler somewhere or really slow things down... Another worry is that since the manga is still ongoing there's the possibility of an open "ending". Or perhaps the anime will catch up and pass the manga, and will go to its own conclusion, resolving everything. We'll see.. Anyways, I'll be optimistic that they can get what needs to be done, done in what's left for now ;)
And okay, sure, maybe I do like Sumire a bit more because of the Neko Mimi. You can blame all of that on Hazuki (from Tsukuyomi) ;)
