Time for a personal favorite.
Unlike its anime adaptation, whose sole good point is the Opening and the OST made by genius Yuuki Kajiura, Pandora Hearts manga is an amazing work and worth the hype.
It goes like this:
"Young lad Oz Vessalius is a flirty, easygoing nobleman who is to succeed his uncle as head of the Vessalius Dukedom. The story basically starts during Oz’ coming of age ceremony, introducing him, his friend/servant Gilbert and two more major characters, Sharon Rainsworth and Xerxes Break.
The ceremony is, however, crashed by a group known as the Baskervilles who are able to control monsters knows as ‘Chains.’ It ends with Oz being thrown in a place known as “The Abyss”, but he’s able to escape after forming a contract with a girl named Alice; he comes back, but it’s been years since his coming of age ceremony.
From there on, he discovers that Gilbert was adopted into the Nightray family and the Four Great Dukedoms (Vessalius, Nightray, Rainsworth and Barma) founded an organization called Pandora, whose goal is to take care of illegal contractors (category in which Oz is unlucky enough to fall), monitor chain outbreaks, unravel the mysteries surrounding the Abyss and stop the Baskervilles from resurrecting their lord."
Despite all the info drop I just did, trust me when I say I’m telling you nothing, haha. That’s just the premise, not the actual plot surmised.
Also, if the formerly stated didn’t give you a hint, then I’ll just get to the point: PH is not a happy story. Don’t be fooled bit the occasional comedy bits and lighthearted moments in the first half. Pandora Hearts tell the story behind an old tragedy that originated from one man’s madness. As such, there’s a high body count, amount of blood and disturbing scenes popping up. If you’re uncomfortable with these things or are a ‘white or black’ type of person, better avoid it at all costs; there was only a guy with a functioning moral compass in this manga and well, it didn’t end well.
Pandora is also an award to Mochizuki’s determination, hardwork and dedication, for it shows their evolution as a mangaka through the passing of years. Boring, stiff-looking panels turn an one hundred, enters perspective, proportion and details that compliment the narration beautifully.
We go from THIS:
To THIS:
If you love conspirator theories, this manga is for you. There’s LOTS of foreshadowing. Even when showing important snippets of the truth, Jun Mochizuki’s storytelling cleverly shows everything, but nothing makes sense before the big reveal comes; it’s a love-hate thing.
Better grab a napkin if you’re gonna give it a try, ‘cause you’ll tear up a little. This is a emotional rollercoaster. Don’t like the protagonist? So what! There are too many characters, endless plot twists and sob stories; trust me, you’re doomed to care about someone. We get character development, we get background, we get FEELS. You can’t escape the endless circle of pain, I'm telling you.
The ending leaves a bittersweet taste, yet it feels adequate for a manga like Pandora; to me it wasn’t a happy ending, but it wasn’t overly tragic, either. That’s just my opinion, yours may differ.
Before departing I’ll say: I’m not masochist, okay? I don’t love suffering, but I’d re-read this manga any day.
