Alice in the Country of Hearts?

[Neko-Hime]

I've been reluctant to just pick up and read a manga since a certain 'incident' that nearly ended with my eyeballs melting out of my head. D8

Could anyone give me a brief review of Alice in the Country of Hearts? It looked pretty cute [famous last words] and I was just wondering if it was appropriate or not.

So sorry if this manga falls under a do-not-discuss catagory! D8

Thanks for the input!

[airichan623]

yes I am quite interested in hearing this series "analyzed" it LOOKS adorable and cute, but you know manga, it could be lolicon. D:

[Neko-Hime]

Indeed. Loveless looks adorable and cute, but it's shotacon. I don't want to go through that incident again. xD

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="century gothic"]There's one scene of a forced kiss, another slightly suggestive scene where Alice is kinda stuck between a guy and a wall and a few small scenes of murder, people being held at gunpoint, but nothing horrible. ^^
There's a bit of morbidity and there's a demon-nightmare-thingy that appears to Alice, also.

Though I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out in later chapters. O.o[/font]

[uc pseudonym]

I've read the first four volumes of the series. From that, it seems firmly in the general shojo category, so I don't think there will be any content you find too objectionable. The standard kisses, a few deaths off panel, very little offensive overall.

That having been said, I don't recommend the series. I realize that many here might not agree with my reasons, but I still want to state them. Though I found this series fascinating because it seems to critique the emotionally pornographic harem model, so far those themes have gone unused, becoming exactly what it almost criticizes. While obviously loli or shota is worse, this series still left me with a bad taste in my mouth and disgusted with humanity.

[airichan623]

That having been said, I don't recommend the series. I realize that many here might not agree with my reasons, but I still want to state them. Though I found this series fascinating because it seems to critique the emotionally pornographic harem model, so far those themes have gone unused, becoming exactly what it almost criticizes. While obviously loli or shota is worse, this series still left me with a bad taste in my mouth and disgusted with humanity.

care to elaborate? is it a criticism of human nature, like Death Note, or something else?

[uc pseudonym]

Sure, I can explain. That will require a few spoilers, but it's nothing all that important.

Like the source material, this manga takes place in a dream of the main character. She enters a world where the Mad Hatter and company are all bishonen that almost immediately fall in love with her to the point of obsession. That's par for the course in harem shojo.

What's interesting is that the series suggests that the entire dream really is just her fantasy. In the real world she feels unloved (this situation is only revealed slowly via angst flashbacks) so she has retreated to a fantasy where everyone loves her. Some of the characters actually talk about the fact that their feelings for her are automatic and basically fake, because this is her erotic fantasy.

But so far, that's all. Though the series has a somewhat interesting subplot about the world itself, it's mostly just a parade of bishonen put in dramatic situations for people who like that sort of thing. In other words, it really is just wish fulfillment for the reader as well as the main character.

[airichan623]

good to know.... to basically its PG rated fanservice for female readers -_- great.