Alice 19th, Vol. 2

ありす19th [Alice 19th] #2

by Yuu Watase

In this volume, Lotis Master Frei explains the power of the Lotis words to Alice. That's fine, she thinks - but when he decides he wants to marry her, much to her chagrin - he tries to seal the deal with a kiss, and Alice is ready to fight. Rabbit-girl Nyozeka sees that Kyou has the potential to become a Lotis Master himself, if only he would realize it. Meanwhile, Frei and Alice must enter the "inner heart" of her mother to eradicate the evil therein. Complicating matters even more, Mayura has been swallowed by a very powerful demon, and Alice is not at all sure that her magic bracelet or the magic words will help her save her sister.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels, Shojo, Comics, Young Adult

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Yuu Watase (渡瀬悠宇) is a Japanese shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

Reviews

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it wrong to think Kyo is adorable?

[Ady Weasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este tomo estuvo muy divertido.
Las locuras de Frei son únicas, la actitud de Alice con el es divertida. El pasado de Kyou es misterioso. Mayura es enigmática.

Cada vez vamos viendo como las palabras tienen fuerza cuando los sentimientos te dirigen.

[bookishdoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully, I found this one to be better than the last. There are still some parts where I honestly question why it was even in there in the first place.

It is a fantasy/contemporary series (at the time it was published, anyways) so there are some crazy magical bits included. I found whenever there was action, it was wildly and confusingly done because of the magic and paneling.

I did like some parts of it though. The scene when they are writing notes to each other in a notebook felt well done and natural, which is surprising because a lot of Watase’s works don’t feel natural.

[Hannah Mérida · Rating 5 out of 5]

AY ME ENCANTAAA ME ENCANTAAA😍😍😍ME ENAMORE DE KYO Y DE FREI💗💗Y este tomo me hizo reír mucho más que el primero<33

[Kricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

in which we discover that alice's self-proclaimed fiance is a lotis master named frey and the gang's plan to save mayura is waylaid by oishi, who, after failing to steal kyo for herself, tells everyone at school the terrible thing kyo did once. and she's evil. and the lotis gang has to go into her heart and rescue her from mara. and then they still need to get mayura. and kyo drops a startling confession on alice.

the fantasy aspect of this one almost totally lost me. i don't understand how they journey into people's hearts, or what the rules are for using the lotis words...or why frey has no trouble using the lotis words at first but later he's not supposed to because he's still in training? everything seems to be happening at complete random.

BUT the goofy little floating bunny makes me laugh. and kyo and alice seem to be workin something out.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the misterious guy Frei keeps joking about Alice being his girlfriend.

Kyo and Alice keep not telling their feelings, Frei stays with Kyo and some humorous momments happen.

A girl being jealous of Alice causes them to go to the other world and they learn more power words while saving her,

Still goin fun

3 stars

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for complete series



For the most of it, I think Alice 19th has missed its potential. It is a cute manga with a somewhat clichéd premise and it somehow manages to have as much going for it as it has going against it. There are two main plot points - one of our main character Alice being in love with the same boy her older sister loves, the other being somewhat reminiscent of magical girl series where the characters develop magical powers and must find lost magic words. Both of these plot lines intermingle of course and, paired with Watase's pretty art, this could make a solid sweet kind of manga that combines a bit of high school drama with light magical elements. The problem is, almost everything in this manga is underdeveloped or under-explained.

Let us start off with characters and relationships. Although I liked Alice and Kyo as characters, I don't think we got to see much development between the two. I can partially forgive this because it is clear that Alice has liked him well before the story begins. But this seems to be a general issue throughout the series. New characters are introduced but we rarely get the time to get to know much about them. Even Frey who is one of the more prominent characters never really gets explored. Yes, we get to see snippets of his past but somehow I never feel like we got to see what makes him tick, nor was it ever explained why he is looking for a bride. I also couldn't relate to why he likes Alice as there were never any significant scenes between them and, unlike Kyo, they didn't know each other previously.

This leaves us with the relationship between Alice and her sister Mayura. This is arguably the best developed relationship and I appreciate that. It's nice reading about sisterly bonds, even if these two are at odds for most of the story. I think their situation - magic aside - is pretty realistic of how even loving siblings can find themselves in an argument where they find it hard to forgive the other. Various flashbacks show that these two care a lot for each other so it keeps you rooting for them to find a way back to each other.

My biggest issue was the under-developed magic system. It is never really explained to a satisfactory level and is confusing at most. I understand that there are 24 words that the characters use in a form of magic. I can't say whether this magic system is based on any form of mythology or whether it is fully invented by Watase herself but I found myself just going with the flow rather than trying to make sense of how this magic works. What I found a little frustrating was that it is never explained why this book is titled Alice 19th (is perhaps the word for bravery - Alice's main word - the 19th of the 24? We're never shown a list or anything so I'm just guessing here) and we don't find out what the lost 24th word is either. Sure, Alice finds out and uses it at the end, but unless I missed something, I have no idea what word she used.

This manga series does leave a lot to be desired, and yet I can't find myself disliking it.

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wakamiya Kyou ternyata juga Lotis Master. Lotis Word pertamanya adalah "Kara" yang berarti perlindungan.

Di volume sebelumnya, Alice dan Wakamiya bisa masuk ke inner heart-nya Matsujou yang dimakan oleh kegelapan Mara dengan kata kunci "Na Sadaru Lotis Ran". Alice akhirnya berani mengatakan pada Matsujou bahwa dia tak bisa bersama lelaki itu karena menyukai Kyou.

Setelah berhasil keluar dan mengusir kegelapan dari hati Matsujou, muncul seorang Lotis Master misterius dari Norwegia bernama Frey yang langsung menyatakan cintanya pada Alice *tepok jidat. Ibu Alice salah paham pada kedekatan putrinya dengan Frey. Ia mengira Alice tak peduli pada hilangnya Mayura dan malah main-main dengan lelaki. Hati ibu Alice pun dikuasai kegelapan mara dan ia mengatakan lebih baik Alice saja yang menghilang menggantikan Mayura.

Frey lalu menunjukkan cara canggih dalam menggunakan Lotis Master untuk mengusir kegelapan dari inner heart orang. Tapi ibu Alice baru benar-benar terbebas dari kegelapan setelah mendengarkan kata-kata Alice yang bertekad akan membawa pulang Mayura. Setelah itu Frey akhirnya tinggal di rumah Kyou dan ikut menjadi pelayan di restoran milik paman Kyou.

Di sekolah, tersebar rumor bahwa Wakamiya pernah membunuh orang saat SMP. Yang menyebarkan adalah Oishi, gadis pembully Alice yang ditolak Wakamiya dengan tegas. Benarkah rumor itu? Alice tak berani memastikannya.

Child abuse menjadi isu yang diangkat secara serius di sini. Ayah Wakamiya adalah seorang pemabuk yang suka menyiksa istrinya. Karena itulah Wakamiya bakal marah besar jika melihat ada perempuan yang disakiti. Namun, jika marah dia bakal kelepasan dan bakal menghajar orang yang cari gara-gara dengannya sampai orang itu benar-benar babak belur. Di saat itu Wakamiya akan dihantui oleh bayangan kekerasan yang dilakukan ayahnya dan menganggap dirinya tak beda dengan sang ayah.

Oishi yang hatinya dikuasai kegelapan pun kurang lebih sama. Kedua orangtuanya selalu bertengkar sehingga ia merasa hampa. Wakamiya menyentuh hatinya dengan mengambilkan koknya yang tersangkut di pohon. Karena itu ia jadi sangat terluka setelah Wakamiya menolaknya.

Ketika Frey berusaha melawan Oishi dengan berbagai jurus serangan, hanya Alice yang tahu bahwa bukan itu cara yang tepat untuk menyelamatkan Oishi. Yang dibutuhkan Oishi adalah kasih sayang.

Terakhir aku mau mengomentari soal karakter Frey. Secara visual, desainnya memang menarik. Tapi secara sifat? Ya ampun, dulu waktu masih muda aku menganggap adegan Frey yang suka nyosor itu lucu. Tapi sekarang enggak lagi. Apalagi dia diceritakan sudah mencium bibinya Wakamiya juga sampai suaminya jadi geram (karena sang istri malah senang). What a cheap joke, Watase Yuu.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story continues and gets a little bit darker as it goes. It's not yet Ayashi no Ceres dark, but knowing Watase-sensei it could very well go that way.

First the bad... well and kind of gross. I really hate the 'molestation is funny until it's not' moments complete with a bit of gay panic. Watase-sensei is not the only one who did this and does this but it makes me B| every time. It also sort of makes me wonder what her contemporary manga or like.

That aside, I do like the continuation, though slightly hesitant about where it's going because well it is a bit too close to what we've seen before. Still the concept is interesting and I enjoy how it's not just about defeating the bad guys but 'purifying the darkness'. And that it doesn't really change the nature of someone's character but makes them a little bit better? Though they are still as much of a jerkass as they were (so it seems). I also feel that this speaks to high schoolers and in general about standing up for yourself and others but I'm not sure I like how 'courage' is always applied.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now we start getting in to the meat of the story. Lotus master Frei is finally talking about what it means to master the words, and how to fight for a heart which has been consumed by the darkness. The problem? Mayumi is really lost. She doesn't seem interested in coming back (I wonder what the reason for that is...was she not happy in her 'perfect' life? hmm...)

And of course Alice is still having issues with boys, only now instead of wishing to be noticed by one boy in particular, Frei seems to think she ought to marry him. Can I say I really like Frei right now? He's so over the top, he's just fun. I Love people who live in a way which is true to themselves.

Loving every second of this story so far. Can't wait for more!

[Ceejay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume of Yuu Watase's Shojo Manga is as enjoyable as the first. In this volume things become even MORE complicated for Alice. Her sister disappears, held in place by Mara, the darkness that everybody has in their hearts. A new character, Frei,a fellow Lotis Master appears and claims Alice as his fiancee! Also Kyo, Alice's sister's boyfriend, falls victim to slanderous gossip. He is also wondering who his true love really is. Excellent Manga! Excellent Shojo!

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: Death of a loved one, Child Abuse, Spousal abuse, Distant Parents, Bullying, Violence

This second volume is really good! We go more into the back story of Kyo! He had a rough family life when he was little, this volume explores that. We also meet a new playboy character named Frey! He's a funny character! I really like how this series explores the darkness in people's hearts! I recommend this series if you like fantasy romance.

[Nyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This story gets more complex as we learn more about the magic system and the characters themselves. There was a lot of personal growth and development in Kyo especially. The more it goes on, the better it's gonna get. Overall, I just can't wait to keep reading.
THIS TIME MAYURA IS THE ONE BEHIND THE MARA

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I'm rereading! In this book we get to know Frey who had a last second appearance in the first book and is another lotis master. We learn there are both light and dark words and more drama ensues!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m liking this series so far. I liked learning more about Kyo. My only complaint is that Frey’s harassment is always brushed off even when Alice or Kyo get violent to get him to stop. Maybe they need to go into his inner heart and find out why he’s such an ass.

[Juan Carlos malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este tomo estuvo genial, divertido, cruel, misterioso y los personajes me están enamorando.

¿Para qué leer este tomo?

1) Para reir como loco de las ocurrencias de Frei
2) Para conocer la oscuridad que habita en los corazones.
3) Para saber el poder de las palabras que decimos.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one more than the first one, since the plot is finally getting into its stride. I like Kyo, maybe too much. The fighting inner darkness with words of light magic is really cool now and I was way more invested this time.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very exciting manga. I love the characters and the plot.

[kiwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Frei

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

still a lot of WTF am I reading. one more volume and I'll DNF if not into it.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw man, now I have to wait for the next manga from the library... hopefully it won't take too long.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't put it down!! Great and suspenseful, enjoyable artwork and characters to love!

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my first mangas I read as a child, and they were adorable and a really cute series!

[kaitlphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worldbuilding with the words of power and the inner heart is interesting, and I like Kyo's character development. While Frei is occasionally funny, I find his attentions toward women annoying.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should do a deep-dive review of this series…someday (when I’m not being lazy).

[Leetsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's getting better but at the same time it isn't.... Kind of... The power and how it works it's weird but oh well

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun.

[Whitnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, quick, road-trip read. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

[Karla V. H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nos revelan varias cosas importantes en este tomito y la historia va agarrando forma y más sentido. Me encanta lo retro que son los husbandos, definitivamente algunos tropos nunca pasarán de moda.