Ahhh, Gakuen Alice. One of my first manga series.

Let's start off with the bare-bones: little Mikan Sakura is a 5th grader with a serious girl-crush on her best friend, Hotaru. Naturally, when Hotaru is accepted into a school for "geniuses" away from the serenity of their rural life, Mikan is crushed and vows to follow her friend to the super-school at any cost. After a little fun and adventure, our heroine realizes the school - called Alice Academy (or "Gakuen Alice" for the average Japanophile) - is actually a program for children with special, unique powers called Alices. Hotaru has one, and what's more-- Mikan has one, too! And so starts the girl's journey in Alice Academy.

While the initial plot of GA is a little cliche - school-aged children with powers, no wai!1!! - it's still clever and cute. There's a heavy dose of lightheared humor, but also a little angst, drama, and romance for the well-rounded reader. The Alices are interesting and really inciting... I'm not the only reader who wishes they had one, right!? Anywho-- don't expect any heavy plot lines or epic fights. It's just not the type of thing to suit this manga.

Art is... well, it's a downside. The 13 year old girl I used to be certainly fell in love with it, but looking back the style is pretty hardcore shojo. The eyes are bigger than saucers, and I think I will vomit if I see another kid with a head as big as half their body. It's not that it's terrible - in fact, it's well drawn and nice for the easygoing fluff of the story - but readers who are used to more realistic styles will be in for a shock.

While I do enjoy most of the characters in GA, it would be a crime to rate this component higher than a 6 simply for our little Mikan. While she's cute and has her "flaws", she's got Mary Sue written right on her forehead. Orphan who realizes her parents were actually all-powerful and famous? Yes. Possesses one of the most rare and special Alices in the school? Yes. Liked by everyone, complete with a fair share of crushes? Yes. Will probably get in the pants of all 3 main male leads her age? Yes. Good-natured, never quick to anger, forever innocent? No.
... just kidding, yes.
The rest of the characters are sweet and likeable, my favourite being Tsubasa. Gotta love a boy with an appreciation for flair. But if you're anything like me, with a machine gun in the back of the truck for Mary-Sue hunting over the weekend, well... be warned.

Overall, GA is a pretty enjoyable series. It's definitely given me laughs, surprises, and lots of fun; I recommend it for the early-teenaged shojo lover -- anyone else might be a little too ill-prepared. If you like lighthearted plots with a boarding school setting, a large cast of cute characters, and that little extra bit of magic and mystery, this is a definite positive recommendation.