ALICE ACADEMY

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is a manga by Tachibana Higuchi, currently being serialized in the ''Hana to Yume'' shōjo manga magazine. It was adapted into an anime series, produced by Aniplex and Group TAC which spanned 26 episodes, originally premiered on NHK BS 2, between October 30 2004 – May 14 2005. The anime was then translated and dubbed into English by the anime television network, Animax, who has broadcast it in its respective networks within Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and other regions.

Contents

Story

Setting

Alices

Alice Type

Alice Shape

Star-Ranking

Control Device

Main characters

Media

Tankōbon

Fanbook

Episode list

Theme songs

CDs

Video games

Production

Staff

References

External links

Story

''Gakuen Alice'' is the story of a 10-year old girl, Mikan Sakura, who is devastated when her best friend, Hotaru Imai, transfers to a special school for "genius" kids in Tokyo. After hearing horrible rumors of what happens in the Academy, Mikan runs away from home to seek out her dear friend, and finds that the school Hotaru transferred to, Alice Academy, is specifically for children who each have a special power called an "Alice".
After a teacher at Alice Academy, Narumi, discovers that Mikan has a unique Alice, she is admitted into the school. The story is primarily about Mikan and her experiences at the academy, from the everyday bore of classes and exams to the unexpected clashes with the AAO, or Anti-Alice Organization. Despite her initial view of the so-called greatness of the school, Mikan slowly finds out that beneath the grand facade of the Academy lies a never ending stream of lies and deception.
Also, in the school Mikan meets a boy named Natsume who she at the very start of the manga ''hates'' but eventually starts falling for. Along with the many other friends she comes to make such as Ruka Nogi, Yū Tobita a.k.a. Iinchō, and many others. Mikan comes to love the Academy and its teachers despite the truth that is built upon half-truths and lies.

Setting

The Alice Academy is located somewhere in Tokyo (in the Anime it is across from a huge gorilla billboard.) The size of the school grounds resembles the dimensions of a sprawling estate. The grounds are enough to contain three levels of school (elementary, junior high, senior high) which respectively accompanies with a Hostel, Main Building, as well as Central Town, where shops managed by Alice-bearing artisans sell goods resulting from their Alices.
In the anime, the Academy has its own monetary system, the Rabbit (Rt). One Rabbit equals 100 yen. However, in the manga, the Academy uses yen as their primary currency. There are four forests surrounding the estate, the most visited one in the manga being the Northern Woods where the infamous "Mr. Bear" resides.
Communication is limited in the Academy. Even letter-sending is limited to only once in a long time. The reason: because of their abilities, children with Alices are prime and lucrative targets for kidnappers and slave traders. Escapees are deterred by concentration camp-style barriers (like heavy security and electrified fences). However, honor students and those getting the highest exam scores have the privilege of going home and visit relatives. Topnotch students in the Final Examinations get other perks as well, like free meal tickets and certifications, as well as that week-long leave.

Alices

Alice Type

#Latent Ability- Most students at the school are in this class. Alices here are the most traditional, or better known as super powers. It's the most normal class and students here are serious.
#Technology Ability- Just like its name, any experiment can create an Alice level. The Alices are based on technology and research fields. Most students are involved in their individual work, so it's the most quiet class.
#Active Ability- This type is not forced with inventions or practice unlike other classes. The Alices are based on the body of humans, animals, and other living things.
#Special Ability- Basically, this class is for students with Alices that don't exactly fit in any of the other three classes. The powers are different and the class is mixed. The specialty of the class can be described as chaotic or peculiar. However, some of the rarest Alice belong to this class.
#Dangerous Ability- It's considered to be an extra type. Alices that may be one of the above types, but they are considered dangerous by the school. It's very different from the other classes. It could be described as occult.

Alice Shape

Every Alice is categorized as one of four ''shapes'', that specify how much of it can be used and how often.
#Childhood: The Alice slowly disappears as the child with it 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 each use impacts against the user's own life and can kill them if overused.

Star-Ranking

A Star-ranking is the evaluation system that the Academy uses to judge a student's Alice level and attitude. There are four rankings which are indicated by the number of gold stars on a student's collar.
#No-Star: Students who are below-average. This is mainly reserved for very small children.
#Single: Students who are pretty much average. Most of the students in the Elementary Division have this rank.
#Double: Students who are more of an over-achiever than Singles but aren't exceptionally brilliant at either their studies or use of their Alice.
#Triple: Students who usually are deemed as "over-achievers" and tend to excel at either their studies or use of Alice or both.
#Special: Students who are considered the best of the best, signified by a lapel in the shape of a star enclosed in a circle (though rarely seen in the anime). Those who excel tremendously in their Alice and, if they care, their studies--to put in short, geniuses. Also known as the "Principal students."
Each star ranking has its own monthly allowance rate.
#No-Star: 5 Rabbits: (500 yen)
#Single: 30 Rabbits: (3000 yen)
#Double: 50 Rabbits: (5000 yen)
#Triple: 100 Rabbits: (10,000 yen)
#Special: 300 Rabbits: (30,000 yen)

Control Device

There are specially design prevention devices made for a particular person. There are numerous devices worn on the head, hand, and such that can emit tracking signals. Each kind has sealing abilities (the locking away of Alice within the device). There are also control devices for punishment purposes like the Cat Mask.

Main characters

:''Names are displayed in Western order (given name before surname).''

Mikan Sakura

;
:Mikan is the protagonist of the story. She is an energetic, good-natured girl, but is very clumsy. She is an orphan who used to live with her grandfather in the country. She has been friends with Hotaru since second grade, so when Hotaru left to the Alice Academy she became really depressed and decided to leave her grandfather and her home to go after Hotaru. She was then accepted to Alice Academy by Narumi-sensei and could attend Alice Academy with Hotaru and other children with extraordinary powers. Her "Alice" is the power to nullify the Alice of others, which is the reason why the Academy administration keeps an eye on her. She also has feelings for Natsume. When Natsume called her by her first name, she blushed and, as shown in the manga and anime, her heart was beating really fast. In the manga they kiss. Hotaru happened to know about it but she still keeps quiet.

Hotaru Imai

;
:Hotaru Imai is Mikan's best friend. She is extremely intelligent and rational. During the story, though she may appear to be rather cold and indifferent on the surface, it is apparent that she genuinely cares for Mikan. She has the Alice of Invention, and during her time at the country with Mikan and her grandfather, she created many strange but useful inventions, often made to look like animals. She knows that Natsume and Ruka have a crush on Mikan. She also knows who Mikan likes. Hotaru breaks the fourth wall by teaching the audience about her inventions. The other characters see her explaining her inventions to apparently no one.

Ruka (with his rabbit) sitting beside Natsume.

;
:Natsume is a genius and ditches class frequently throughout the story. He is thoroughly unhappy with the school, and is suspicious of the intentions of adults. He is paired up as Mikan's "partner" by their mostly-absent class teacher, Narumi. He possesses the Alice of Fire, and is classified into the Dangerous ability type. He is generally moody and silent, but seems to have softened to Mikan and listens only to her problems. During the anime, there are hints that his family perished in a fire that burned down the village, which may have been due to Natsume's fire Alice. He has a lot of girl fans but it is hinted that he has feelings for Mikan, since Mikan, according to Ruka, was the first ever girl that Natsume called by her name. When he was in a very pained and sick stage, and was being protected by his other fellow students, he kept on calling out "Mikan", who was beside him holding his hand. In the manga, he kisses Mikan in volume 9 during the Christmas party arc.
;
:Ruka is Natsume's childhood friend and often referred by Mikan throughout the story as "Ruka-pyon". He is a gentle and generous person, characteristics that balance out Natsume's personality. His animal pheromone Alice allows him to get cozy with animals, a fact that he is embarrassed and often blackmailed over. Despite this, he often carries a rabbit with him. He knows Natsume (his best friend) has a crush on Mikan, and he also has a crush on her. In episode 19, Ruka plays Snow White in a play and Mikan was forced to play the prince. But at the very end, her teacher told her to improvise and kiss him on the lips. Startled by the sudden change of plans, as they were about to kiss, Natsume threw an apple at her head and Hotaru turns off the lights. This was the most obvious clue that Natsume was in love with her, and wouldn't let Ruka kiss her.

Narumi

;
:Narumi is the homeroom teacher of Mikan's class (class B). He teaches Japanese and often deals with Natsume when he gets in trouble or tries to break out. He has the human pheromone Alice; he can make older people do what he wants by attracting them, but children pass out. Mikan calls Narumi "father" because she misses her grandfather so much. Narumi is too young to be called "grandfather" so he asked Mikan to call him "father." Later in the manga, it is found that he harbored unrequited feelings for Mikan's mother. It is proven that he is not Mikan's father, but he made a promise to Mikan's mother that he will take care of Mikan during her stay in the Academy. He is of course, concerned about Mikan and Natsume.

Media

Tankōbon

''Note: The ISBN below refers to the Japanese edition.''

★ Volume 1 - ISBN 9784592172451, Release date: February, 2003

★ Volume 2 - ISBN 9784592172468, Release date: July, 2003

★ Volume 3 - ISBN 9784592172475, Release date: November, 2003

★ Volume 4 - ISBN 9784592180913, Release date: March, 2004

★ Volume 5 - ISBN 9784592180920, Release date: July, 2004

★ Volume 6 - ISBN 9784592180937, Release date: November, 2004

★ Volume 7 - ISBN 9784592180944, Release date: March, 2005

★ Volume 8 - ISBN 9784592180951, Release date: August, 2005

★ Volume 9 - ISBN 9784592180968, Release date: December, 2005

★ Volume 10 - ISBN 9784592180975, Release date: April, 2006

★ Volume 11 - ISBN 9784592180982, Release date: September, 2006

★ Volume 12 - ISBN 9784592180999, Release date: December, 2006

★ Volume 13 - ISBN 9784592181002, Release date: May, 2007

★ Volume 14 - ISBN, Release date: September 19, 2007

Fanbook

The cover art of the official fan book

An official fanbook was recently published in May 2007. There was also a special fanbook titled ''Pika Pika SP Fanbook'' released as a furoku in ''Hana to Yume'' magazine.

Episode list

# Our School Will Be Gone
# Welcome to Alice Academy
# I Won't Let Alice Get to Me
# This is My Alice
# The Star-Class is Tough
# Am I an Outcast Type?
# I Won't Lose the Alice Dodgeball
# I Miss Grandpa
# I Love You, Hotaru
# How Exciting, Central Town
# Alice, I'm in Special Training
# The School Festival is Here
# Go After the Superstar
# Let's Bring Natsume Back
# Let's Go Back to the Academy
# Imagine the Maze, the Magic Lamp
# Hotaru's Secret
# Just the Two of Us, in the Dark
# Raise the Curtain, Snow White Sleeping Beauty
# Who Will Have the Last Dance?
# Aim for the Honor Student Award
# Mr. Bear and the Prince
# The Circus is Here
# Mr. Narumi's Lies
# Let's Bring Back the Academy
# Friendship is Forever

Theme songs

CDs

A soundtrack for the series has been released on March 2, 2005. ^[3]
;Drama CDs
Three drama CDs were broadcasted on a web radio and then were first released together in one CD, as a furoku in ''Hana to Yume'' magazine in 2006. Later on, they were released separately. ^[4]

Video games

''Gakuen Alice ~Kira Kira Memory Kiss~'' was released on 22 June 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~''.
In April 19 2007 a Nintendo DS game called ''Gakuen Alice: Waku Waku Happy Friends'' was released in Japan.

Production

Staff

★ Main director: Takahiro Omori

★ Series Composition: Masashi Yokoyama

★ Script: Jukki Hanada, Masashi Yokoyama, Michiru Shimada

★ Storyboard: Atsushi Matsumoto, Atsushi Takada, Hidehito Ueda, Katsuyoshi Yatabe, Kentaro Nakamura, Kiyotaka Ohata, Shinichi Watanabe, Takahiro Omori, Yukihiro Matsushita, Yuzo Aoki

★ Episode Director: Atsushi Matsumoto, Atsushi Takada, Daisuke Chiba, Katsuyoshi Yatabe, Ken Katou, Kiyotaka Ohata, Kyosuke Mikuriya, Mamoru Enomoto, Shinichi Watanabe, Yukio Okazaki

★ Music: Makoto Yoshimori

★ Original creator: Tachibana Higuchi

★ Character Design: Yoshiaki Ito

★ Art director: Yoshinori Hishinuma

★ Animation director: Akihito Dobashi, Haruo Ogawara, Hideaki Shimada, Hiroki Abe, Hiroyuki Shimizu, Hisashi Mitsui, Kei Takeuchi, Kinomi Sakurai, Masakazu Ishikawa, Noritomo Hattori, Takuji Yoshimoto, Toyoaki Fukushima, Yoshihiro Sugai

★ Background: GREEN

★ Color design: Shigenobu Kaihou

★ Sound director: Yoshikazu Iwanami

References

1. . Accessed 2006-12-06.
2. . Accessed 2006-12-06.
3. Tachibana Higuchi's Official Site on the release dates of books, CDs and DVDs
4. CDJapan on the Gakuen Alice Drama CDs

External links

★ Aniplex's official website for ''Gakuen Alice''

★ NHK's official website

★ Animax East Asia's official website for ''Alice Academy''

★ Animax South Asia's official website for ''Alice Academy''

★ Official Gakuen Alice ~Kira Kira Memory Kiss~ Playstation 2 Game Homepage

★ Enoki Films USA official website for ''Alice Academy''