At first glance Gakuen Alice may seem like a manga that deals with cutesy and very childish problems since the protagonist Mikan is no more than 10-11 years old. That was my initial judgement which prevented me from reading on. However, I kept on stumbling upon praises for GA to the point that I had to see what the fuss was all about; and from that point onwards I've read GA 3 times (from start to the latest chapter) without once feeling bored.

Don't be fooled by the synopsis as it only covers a fraction of the whole story (i.e. like 2-3 chapters out of the whole hundred). Sure, Mikan makes friends along the way - your typical lone girl trying to adapt in a new and harsh environment, but it's not like your typical shoujo manga where the girl makes one friend and suddenly the whole school is her friend. Mikan does things herself without relying heavily on others, and that's one of the reasons why I love GA so much.

I have this hate for girls in mangas who cry, hesitate and are awfully uselss, but Mikan is none of those; She may seem to cry a lot at first but she grows and matures quickly to the point where I forget that she's only 10.

I'm in love with mangas that deal with dark issues and Gakuen Alice has not failed my expectations. I wouldn't say it's overly dark, but it's enough to keep the suspense.

GA gets a double thumbs up from me since it continually surprises me with new twists that goes from comedy to tragedy.

I'd recommend it to those who like strong heroines, dark plot, romance, comedy and special abilities.