Oz Vessalius may have survived his stint in the Abyss, but he is no closer to discovering the truth behind the “sin” for which he was condemned. On the advice of a mysterious man who appeared to him when Alice regained the first of her memories, Oz, along with Alice and Pandora’s Raven, embarks on a mission to investigate the site of his disastrous coming-of-age ceremony in search of answers. However, what begins as a simple investigation becomes the revelation of a harsher reality, which comes swooping down on Oz as the hands of the clock continue ticking away mercilessly…
Contents: Retrace V: Clockwise Doom Retrace VI: Where am I Retrace VII: Reunion Retrace VIII: Whipserer Retrace IX: Question
Toooo confusing...!!! But I am so excited to know more! It feels like there is going to be a great plot twist. And it feels like it is going to break my heart. I also loved characters : Oz- very complex character, never showing much emotion and having cheery face, but thinking and confused, even scared inside. Alice- is also confused because she doesn't remember anything about herself and how she is in abysis .. And she looks tough but really vulnerable inside. Raven is perfect , reliable and also cool)) I loved him, so handsome.. And there is Sharon- which I am not sure who she is (I don't trust her ) and Break- which I don't trust either.. The manga is both comic and creepy...That's why I have high hopes)))
Second read Wow. It is so easy to see how messed-up person Oz really is. He is creepy. And hey, knowing all the plot twists ahead, it is fun reading...and also heartbreaking...
I'm not sure I've got this emotionally involved in a story so early on as I have with this one. I have a feeling this is going to destroy me, I'm so excited!
I've surrendered any expectations of understanding everything immediately. I'm fine with this, because I absolutely adore the potential of the characters. Oz, Raven, and Alice are a beautiful trio of bickering BrOTPs. OZ AND RAVEN'S FRIENDSHIP, HNNNNNNNNNNNG, I NEED MOAR. Break amuses me. By the way, can I ask if Emily is a real person?
Still not exactly sure what a contractor does. A contractor makes an agreement with a chain, right? To be their body? Or something...
Eh, still not sure about everything, but I'm sure I'll catch on as I go forth!
"...But to me...it doesn't seem like...you've lost anything that makes you who you are."
"Why do you care about that girl?"
Pandora Hearts continues to throw questions at us, and doesn't take the reader as someone for a low IQ. Rather, it treats you like one of the characters, twisting your emotions and playing with you.
It's rare to find a manga series that doesn't feed everything to you. PH takes you seriously, and it doesn't hold back on depressing themes, love and friendship. And this is handled in a very mature manner.
The art is gorgeous as always, and expressions are drawn with such diversity that every scene stands on its own.
The second volume opens with Oz asking Gil why his father despises him. From there, we learn more about Break and Sharon, the Baskervilles, and why Oz has been condemned.
Because Oz made a contract with Alice who is a Chain-someone born in the Abyss-this makes Oz an illegal contractor. An illegal contractor is branded with an incuse, which is a clock-like tattoo that tells how much time the illegal contractor has left before they are devoured by the Abyss...we quickly see an example of this and it shakes Oz to the core. Break and Sharon decided not to tell Oz about this, because he needed to witness the horror himself. Kind of cruel if you ask me.
Despite all of this, Oz smiles and hides behind his cheery mask. I can instantly relate to hiding behind a smile, and it was even more convincing when you would see glimpses of another part of Oz that proved he was more twisted than you believed.
Even Break confronts him about this and we see Oz's guard slip under Break's scrutiny. Break and Sharon themselves are hiding lots of secrets. We learn who Raven truly is, how long Oz has actually been in the Abyss for, and why Break and Sharon still look they way they do after all that time passing. We even get a little taste about why Oz was cast into the Abyss...and it isn't pretty.
Even though more questions are raised than answered, I was intrigued and engrossed completely. This volume had a strong emphasis on friendship, loyalty, death and love. One of Alice's memories is returned to her this volume, and in it, we learn about a dark side of Oz.
While Oz still thinks Sharon is cute, he definitely seems to feel something towards Alice. He blushes a few times and it so adorable.
Pandora Hearts is not a series that you can pick up and expect to understand everything right away. Go with the flow, become invested or interested in the characters and the world, and you should easily enjoy it. Don't try to make assumptions about what's going on, because you will most likely be proven wrong. The writing is strong and it is obvious the mangaka mapped out every little detail. Definitely will be continuing the series.
Here you can purchase Pandora Hearts for $9.74 instead of the listed $13: my link text This link will lead you to the first volume. The rest can easily be purchased from this link.
My good friend Lex was explaining to me that PH is confusing. (It's not just me, huzzah!) Many things aren't explained for a good long while and/or they still haven't been. So, keeping this in mind, I'm going to henceforth read the following volumes, and hopefully this will allow me to read them without constantly griping that I don't know what's going on.
Hopefully.
Much better than the first one though, if only for the bickering amongst the crew.
This volume felt slower to me. Oz, Alice, and Raven all take a trip to the Vessalius mansion where everything started, but most of the dialogue and events still felt like exposition to me...like it was setting up for future volumes. I did appreciate how the slower pace allowed me to understand the backstory of Raven more, but I'm definitely interested to see where the story goes from here.
after reqding alice in wonderland this hits in another different tone !!!!!! i love the story line but i mostly love the main character, Oz. 😭💓 he is literally a tiny small music box, with light hearted songs that we need to protect. 😭😭
Oz, Alice, and Raven plan to return to the site of Oz's coming-of-age ceremony in search of answers.
This is going to be one of those series that are especially hard to review because it seems like every time a question is answered, it really only breeds more questions, and because the narrative flow is especially good, making breaking up this series into volumes feel somewhat unnatural. This next instalment provides us with some much needed world building, as we learn the consequences of making a contract with a chain. I don’t know just how shocking the reveal was in the first chapter, because I knew it was coming having watched the anime and read this volume before, but I do like the turn of events. It was also nice getting a bit more backstory between Oz and Gilbert, though I wish not every character was shrouded in mystery.
The second volume of Pandora Hearts continues the story of the first one, following Oz Vessalius and Alice, along with representatives of the organization Pandora, in their quest to find Alice's memories. Among these representatives are Break, an eccentric fellow who seems to know more than he's telling, Sharon, a young girl who's not what she appears, and Raven, a dark and mysterious man who wields a gun. Together, Raven takes Oz and Alice on a mission, where the two learn about Illegal Contractors, which Oz is. Illegal Contractors are people who have improperly made a Contract with a Chain (not the Pandora way), and those who do have a limited time before they're thrown into the deepest level of the Abyss. Most people do this because the Chain tells them that if the person feeds them enough human lives, then that person can change the past. Afterwards, they return to the mansion where Oz was cast into the Abyss, and it is there they find one of Alice's memories, along with a secret. It turns out that Raven is actually Gilbert, Oz's valet and friend, and that ten years have passed since Oz was imprisoned within the Abyss. They stop the enemy, who was one of the ones who threw Oz into the Abyss, but unfortunately they get away. I enjoyed this because it continues the previous book's style, but builds upon what was there in a positive way.
The characters continue to be enticing and believable, along with fairly likeable. Oz continues to be an unwavering optimist, and is still incredibly childish. Alice is still violent and extremely controlling, but is shown to have a softer side when Oz gets hurt. Finally, Raven/Gilbert is mostly quiet, but is highly loyal to and protective of Oz, to the point that a powerful Chain controlling him can't force Gilbert to kill Oz. However, he does not get along well with Alice in the slightest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Oz and Gilbert's friendship really get me going the most, although I'm not that much a fan of the teasing. But it's fine, they still have lots of "lovey-dovey" moments, which I live for.
The mysteries get clearer but also more confusing each chapter, which I love though. I have many theories each chapter and it's so fun writing them down. Lots of them have came true so far, which is nice.
I really like how Oz is a kid and an old man at the same time. He's pretty mature, the way he adapts to situations and the people around him, but also is very playful and seems way too naive for the world sometimes. Really like the way the mangaka made his character.
4 stars As someone who jump into any fantasy worlds but I'm all about urban or more fairy tale storytelling with tons of secrets and mysteries, complex characters with tons of twists and horror elements Pandora Hearts is exactly what I was looking for. If the first volume was a bit confusing and convoluted this one makes up for it. And Gil my precious child, I've missed you so much.
This book is an action and fantasy. It is a very good series with the element of surprise, it has a lot of plot twist. Love able characters and fights are the best and to holding onto the edge of your seat seeing what happens is a good and bad feeling. You should read this book if you love fantasy and action.
Every single character is so interesting....The story is so so so amazing... The art is so beautiful.... I have a soft spot for Gilbert but also Break, this clown will be the death of me, I'm pretty sure. It's been so long since I came across such a great manga! Cheers ~
Många intressanta avslöjanden och vi fick mer information om vem någon är och det visar sig att det är någon som vi redan har träffat och känner sen tidigare. Jag hade även sett på böckerna att det var en klocka som ticka på backsidan och i denna volume får vi reda på vad det står för och betyder.
Te van desmenuzando las cosas muy poco a poco, lo que hace que quieras seguir para ver qué leches es esa condena de Oz y por qué está pasando todo. Los husbandos ayudan bastante a querer leer, la verdad, qué maravilla de dibujo!
Is anyone else super confused? I’m not sure if it’s cause the version I’m reading has confusing translations or it’s the story itself? But overall I really like it! And I love Gil!