Having just completed The Hound of the Baskervilles, a Sherlock Holmes novella, I can conclude that not only is Pandora Hearts filled to the brim with Alice in Wonderland references, but the occasional Sherlock Holmes reference as well. It's so wonderful to see references to classics in manga.

Mochizuki Jun also excels at plot twists and cliff hangers, and her art is stunning to boot.

Pandora Hearts is good at a few things. Its art is unique and beautiful, with much improvement from the author as it progresses; the humor mostly (yes, mostly...) works, because it delightfully defies anime stereotypes; it creates a wonderful, refreshing atmosphere of mystery with its setting and plot; and its characters, like its humor, like to turn your expectations for them on their head. Mostly.

But there is one thing that I just cannot overlook with Pandora Hearts, no matter how much I love it and wish to pet it and call it pretty: I don't know what's going on (mostly with the setting).

Where in God's name is this happening? Okay, yes, Baskervilles, okay, yes, Four Houses/Dukes, contracts, yes, good. I can follow the storyline and tell someone what's happening, but I would understand it about as much as the person I'm telling it to. They would naturally ask me, what exactly is the Abyss? The Four Dukes? Dukes of what? What country? What world? Where is everything in relation to everything? And I would be able to explain to them absolutely nothing about the setting and the plot, though I would be able to say with some certainty that it borrows from England and Alice in Wonderland.

But I still enjoy it - because enjoyable characters are everything nowadays. And I don't particularly mind that the setting and plot are rather crazy and vague - it's almost an homage to Alice in Wonderland with its madness and un-expectations, and somehow that's okay with me. The plot is pretty good itself, anyway - doing great, once again, at turning things and expectations on their head. I'll keep reading!

... Last updated on June 6th, 2012, 3:52pm

BUT RESPECT ! This is the best manga i've ever read.

In summary: Mysterious twists and turns plot, Light hearted moments are extremely beautiful, All characters have their story to tell, The main character isn't the only important guy, Art is fabulous.

Plot: Super, Keeps you engaged, Very mysterious And has lots of details but if you can follow it's a very interesting experience and with every twist and turn it's all "OHH MY GOD!?! I THOUGHT--" And also, ALL the characters are somehow involved in the main plot, I hate kuroshitsuji because they don't give other characters time to shine, And only the main characters are truly important, In Pandora hearts ALL the characters are very important, Without one, Everything won't exist. There're no "Extra, not so important". 10/10

Art: Just look at that thumbnail, Does it look bad to you? Doesn't for me, It's so beautiful. 10/10

Characters: SO. AMAZING. You know how in bleach and naruto the main character is better in everything? and they don't give space for other aspects of all the characters? Well pandora hearts does this, Every character is unique, Each have their uniqueness, weaknesses and stories to tell, You can't say "-- is better than --" because all of them are different and good in their own way ! 10/10

RECOMMENDED ! (I really want to make this review realistic by varying the ratings, but i just can't find one fault even if i try !)

It's a good quality manga, simple as that!

Solid characters, offers great humour, with deep and complex enough plot. When the twists happen, they don't seem repetitive, or forced, or stretched out. Just enough of linger, clues, curiousity, and growing revelation. If you like talking about theories or predictions, or overall a manga that makes you think, this is the one for you.

And of course, the art is quite lovely - well paced and well drawn.

It says a lot too, because prior to reading the series I was already VERY sick and tired of the Alice in Wonderland themes going on everywhere. So it goes to show how intriguing it was to actually lug my arse into trying it.


Fair warning though, read carefully or it can get confusing. No lazy reading, glazing or skipping chapters. It looks like a pretty manga, but it isn't a fluffy or typical one. You might have to get used to some aspects of the storyline overall. Once you do though, it will feel more smooth.

Some of the characters *can* be a tad cliched (Or can do the odd cliched thing) but the majority are intriguing, unique and likable, with plenty of growth surrounding them.


It is not my all time most favoured series of all time, but it it's a top contender. It keeps me going at least. Highly recommended!

This manga is by far one of my most favorites if not favorite all together! I find it impossible to lose interest in this manga, its characters, plot (Though complicated) and art are all truly amazing. I find the characters an immensely big part of this manga, it revolves about them, and almost each and everyone of the characters introduced have a story. There personality are all so different and the author did well to express this. The art is beautiful, and a big inspiration for my own art. The expressions and moods are captured so well is unreal. The plot, now, this manga is definitely not for everyone. The plot is complex, very complex, and it takes a lot of time, patience and a lot of attention to detail to work it out but it is definitely a one of a kind and a interesting plot none the less. This one event in the past has so much too it, and creates so many obstacles for the characters, keeps the readers interested, and we all want to know what really happened. Definitely a manga that keep you interested.

Right, if you haven't read this manga yet and are thinking about it, there are a few things you could do with knowing about:

Complex plot: As I have stated, this manga isn't for everyone, and many people find the plot too complicated or crowded. If you can handle a mysterious and twisting plot, love surprises and have the patience to work out the mysteries, this will not bother you, only interest you more!

Gore: This manga contains quite a lot of blood, so if your not one for gore, you might not want to read it.

Other than that, its a very enjoyable manga, or if you are like me and many others, its one of the best and deserves to be in the top 10!

I mean first of all the plot is just fascinating, unpredictable, mysterious, and just great! All the character trying to understand the true history of this one event that will explain who they are and why they are who they are. The emotions, action, and reasons for their actions is interesting in of itself, I'm never disappointed thinking, oh this is so typical because each one is different and unexpected! But at the same time, as soon as you do now it, so much makes sense. The author is great at building suspense and mystery, but also good at explaining a lot while at the same time creating new questions that need to be answered! Then the art is just amazing! I can't think of one thing that annoys me, i don't even mind that its not heavy on romance because the relationship she's created between alice and oz shows how much they care for each other in their actions and expressions, its much deeper and understandable than most rushed romances i've seen. I recommned this 100% And i wish i could give it an thousand out of 10, but the website won't let me...Anyway, I love it and want to own all the books so that i can read them over again if i want to!~ Can't wait for the next chapter~

If you had to pick any manga book to read I would tell you to read Pandora Hearts. It is one of the best books I have ever read. I want every single book that is made for Pandora Hearts, because thats how good it is!

This is the best manga ever! I have read a lot of mangas (more than 100!) and this is my favorite one... I love Vincent, Gil, Break and the 99% of the cast, even the protagonist (Oz) which is extremely rare because I hate heros! (well, he is not a conventional hero...)

People you NEED to read this manga before you die.

... Last updated on February 27th, 2012, 6:29pm

I started Pandora Heart by watching the anime. I was confused and couldn't grasp what was happening. However, as I start reading the manga, I've come to a better understanding. I really like how this manga is complicated and always keeps the readers in suspension. It is very unique without those heroes/superheroes thing. The 'past' is what keeps the story juicy. Leaking pieces of information at a time and then finally revealing the pieced puzzle definitely make this manga a must try.

... Last updated on March 28th, 2013, 10:10pm

Pandora Hearts never fails to surprise me with its plot twists and surprises. I was able to empathize and comprehend many of the characters, many of whom are likeable. The art wasn't horrible, though it could use some brushups. When I first picked up this manga, it was hard to understand because of the concepts of chains, contractors, etc, but after reading more chapters, I began to get a grasp of the terminology. If you're still confused, Wikipedia provides a good explanation of these terms.
Overall, a great and thrilling read.