Pandora Hearts- two chapters to go! Review..

EDIT- CHAPTER 96 IS OUUUTT~ QUICK EVERYONE GO READ IT X'D www.mangahere.co/manga/pandora…



Ok so this will be my 'thoughts' (.... almost a review!) of one of my favourite series=
At the moment it still sits at about second on my list (first being Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni), depending on the next two chapter's however that may change... for better or for worse.

There are several reason's why I'll always recommend this to others or why I rate it so highly...


The storyline- It's wonderful; dramatic, tragic, romantic and humorous all in one, for a bonus throw in a Victorian setting.

Bit of a warning.... do not get too attached to any of the characters- Mochizuki is not afraid to batter or kill off ANY of her characters, this includes mains!

It's rare to find an author who actually kills off main, so I have to wonder... are they really dead!? She may just turn it in to a 'Disney death' if you get what I mean (Bring them back to life), I'm sure lots of people would be pleased with that though.

The plot is meant to revolve around a fifteen year old boy (Oz Vessalius), at his coming-of-age ceremony he is cast into the eternal 'prison' known as the 'Abyss'.
Luckily he isn't there for long as he is saved by a mysterious girl who names herself 'Alice', she is what's called a Chain and a very powerful one at that! Oz makes a contract with this girl/Chain ,who has 'another name' 'B-Rabbit (Bloodstained Black Rabbit), they manage to get out of Abyss using this new-found Contract... however Oz later learns that ten whole years have past! (The Abyss has a different time-flow), Alice is told to have amnesia and now two shadowed organizations appear to be after Oz - Pandora and to a more deadly extent, the Baskervilles (who cast him in the Abyss in the first place!).
Oz and Alice now work with Pandora, Oz finds his servant from the past all grown up and with him again . Oz and his friends go on a quest to 'solve their problems'....

The storyline at this point is to try to get all Alice's memories back and to find out just why Oz was cast into the Abyss in the first place.

It is a good plot, even though it get's quite confusing and may need a re-read. It mostly ends on cliff-hangers, which can be utterly horrid (given it's often when characters look as if they're about to die!) .... the manga,roughly, get's one chapter published every month... The American manga is a little better- it was a volume every two months... although that's an uncertainty.

Pandora Hearts can be very gripping and at the same time utterly mind-screwing! It has it's own terminology... which I honestly can't be bothered going into! Google can tell you.


The artwork- I find Mochizuki's artwork divine; Beautiful, sometimes almost haunting to look at!

Done usually in near water-colour, pale tones but also lots of darks...

This is a dark manga, it has many yandere characters (which I enjoy~). Pandora Hearts is a Shounen manga, it seems a little different from most Shounen I've read. It's something, in theory, anyone should be able to enjoy... despite the bloody scene <- there are quite a few! It's always being compared to another manga- Kuroshitsuji (you may know it as Black Butler), to me they aren't that alike though.. only the setting and a few of the characters.
It's unique and hard to copy~


The characters- hmm~ I'm afraid, even now, I don't have a favourite character... they're all so likeable in their own way!

There are many who easily can be mistaken (for being 'bad'), personally I find they all have their purpose.. it can get confusing though, especially for those who keep 'changing sides'.
One that I did dislike, even was shown to have a more humane side... in his dying moments! It's always terrible for those left in the wake of the deceased, many to feel for...

Since a while back it was always Baskerville versus Pandora... even though they, more or less, want exactly the same thing! A certain peace-maker/keeper character (Reim) in a recent chapter finally stated that they put aside their differences and work together... it was just after the death of a main character too!

Everything points back to one-hundred years ago- in the capital city of Sablier... a 'feud' between two aristocratic (Baskerville and Vessalius.... Glen/Oswald and Jack) families still bringing tragedy to the current 'living relatives' (Oz, Leo and to a lesser extent Alice, Gil and Vince). It's a little unfair really- all that happened, the many who died because of this.
Again I will say it clearly-
Do not get too attached to any of the characters, this includes mains!

The many deaths aren't really something I can go into without giving spoilers, I can say in the more recent chapters... there are several....
Also every year on the eighteenth of March, a significant character dies!.... it appears to be a coincidence? 

Oh but don't be discouraged by this, it is a very good story. You should enjoy all the characters while you can ... they are lots of characters to cater to your likes I'm sure~
.... it's why I can't seem to find one who can be classified as my ' favourite' ! I can narrow it down a bit, just not to one.... I'm going to watch several character's reactions in the last two chapters... then maybe I'll be able to pick one whom I like above all the others ~


The other works for the series- It also has an anime, Drama Cds and Light Novels/Fan novels.

Pandora Hearts has a twenty-five episode anime, (plus nine OVAs) by Xebec. I'm fairly sure it has a non-dub U.S. release.... however I don't think much of the anime sadly, it is enjoyable but ends with much yet to be revolved.... and the artwork isn't great but it is ok (like I said Mochizuki's style is hard to copy, correctly!)... the soundtrack and seiyuu are excellent though!


Pandora Hearts Drama-CDs, one which I'm yet to hear was just released~  They're pretty good, but mostly you have to have read up-to a certain point of the manga (the current volume of the time of it's release is helpful)

The focus on the more light-hearted side of Pandora Hearts, they are cute and funny. Also there are ones in which you can hear deceased character's voices again and hear ones who weren't in the anime! They aren't very long but defiantly worth hearing, translations are available (at least they were!)


Pandora Hearts light novels, there are three but I'm still reading them. From what I can see; They are interesting but non-canon, so characters who have died are still live and kicking, I recommend them to those who either have the spare time or who miss their beloved deceased character~

They appear to focus of the main familes- Vessalius (Oz,  Gil, Alice, Ada?, Oscar?, Sharon and Break), Nightray (Elliot,Vince, Gil, Oz? ,Echo, Ada? and Leo), Barma/Rainsworth (Rufus, Sheryl, Sharon, Reim and Break?)  and  possibly (fairly sure) Baskerville (Oswald, Jack?, Lacie, Levi ,Charlotte?, Alice(both)? Gil and Vince).... I'm not positive but from what I can see.. something like this.

Filled with short-original stories and artworks by Mochizuki (actually wrote by someone else... can't remember the name..sorry) , worth reading!



The last few chapters...without spoilers...hopefully-(Note;volume twenty and up) With two more chapters to go, my curiosity at peak! A lot has happened so far, the ending so close...yet so far... several months!

Pandora Heart's drama also peaking, confrontations play out (mainly between Oz/Pandora and 'Glen'/Baskerville... it's lasted many volumes and still isn't entirely resolved!)

From 'around' the middle of the Head-hunter arc/ volume thirteen or so, the Baskervilles have 'come out to play'. They appear to be trying to re-create the tragedy of one-hundred years ago, it's later learned that 'Glen' (head of the Baskerville family..) is trying to rewrite time and kill someone whom he misses, wishing they were never born (It makes sense to him, clearly!...at least I think that's the objective, correct me if I'm wrong~)

One -hundred years ago explores bits of Jack and 'Glen'/Oswald's past... the girl they loved who was sacrificed to the Abyss... also the true past of Alice (also her twin sister...Alice<- yes really!), Gilbert and Vincent ... yes it has to do with characters who are alive in the present time, clue- the Abyss...

More is revealed about various characters- their true motives and past's.... more are killed off in fights and getting bad injuries. However it also brings back a few faces whom I'm  a little surprised to see, one who I'm was sure died quite awhile back and some who the author herself appears fond of (added in one-shots and recently seen in the story)
.... yes I am referring to Him( ) and Him!( ), but don't get your hopes up too high yet though, this doesn't mean they're alive! (sadly)


If you have read all the English published manga, I suggest you read the online too. It's only a couple of chapters! (roughly two volumes and a bit)




In closing... Pandora Hearts is an amazing story, anyone should be able to read and like~ (especially those who like- Victorian, Yandere/yangire, dark romcom, fantasy, Alice in Wonderland)
I look forward to seeing it's ending ♥


I just have to add some pictures to this...these are some of the characters (mains), got these of Google ;3











.... for some strange reason it's taken ages to write all this  Q.Q'