Pandora Hearts, Volume 9

Pandora Hearts #9

by Jun Mochizuki

The incuse on Oz Vessalius’s chest ticks onward, but the young heir to one of the four great dukedoms directs his gaze back, seeking the facts behind a centuries-old tragedy. Intent on examining the ruins of Sablier despite warnings to scare him away, Oz and his makeshift party of explorers wander through the remnants of the former capital in search of clues to shed light upon the consuming darkness of the past. But in the yawning void where the opulent city once stood, will Oz come face-to-face with the truth? Or will he find misery the only resident…?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Mystery, Comics, Graphic Novels, Shonen, Adventure

178 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2009

About the author

Jun Mochizuki (望月淳 Mochizuki Jun) is a Japanese comic artist (manga-ka), best known for the fantasy shounen series Pandora Hearts/パンドラハーツ.

Reviews

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger endings are so cruel!!

[gabriella escoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is burying me with all these questions.

[Amy Keeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry. Had to get that out.

Okay...on to the review.

First, off, this volume is all about reconnecting to who you really are. Which makes a lot of sense because we started off this volume with Gil finding out about Oz's incuse, a bunch of memories that are deeply troubling Gil, Alice with questions of her own about how the illegal contract is progressing, and, of course, Oz still trying to figure out why his sin is his very being.

Each of the characters in this volume come a little closer to realizing who they are, but none more so than Oz. Due to all the things he's learned from Barma and Break, he decides to go back to the beginning--and yes, I can't help seeing Inigo Montoya telling off that member of the Brute Squad when I write that. But the beginning, he realizes, is before the point where he was thrown into the Abyss. Long before. The beginning of everything is in Sablier, the city that, due to Glen Baskerville's massacre, dropped into the Abyss.

Well, naturally a lot of stuff happens on the way and all of it is very important, but a few key things happen. Or at least I think they're key things.

First, Gil discovers his feelings toward Alice might not be as hateful as he thinks. But they have to be.

Second, Alice realizes Jack is hiding more pain than he's told Oz.

Third, Oz meets Glen Baskerville's memory in Sablier. And that event is what caused my first sentence in this review. Because that meeting opens a door into Oz that is absolutely stunning and gives a definite clue regarding why his sin is his very existence.

Highlights:

* The way Oz was finally able to get Gil to talk to him.

* The revelations about Eko-chan and another character that appeared earlier on. (And I will never forgive Vincent for how he treated Eko. Never.)

* Oz freaking out Reim so he can get the information he needs.

* Everything to do with the orphanage.

* Break, who always seems to be one step ahead of everyone. (Not as many good pics of him in here, but every time he shows up is awesome.)

* The ending of this volume. Oh, my gosh. This ending is absolutely the best cliffhanger and the best plot twist so far.

[MissAnnThrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

24 July 2013

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½ ☆

Oh, Jun Mochichizuki, you are such a tease. Every time I think I'm going to take a much needed break from this series, Mochizuki drops a tantalizing treat at the last minute to lure me back in. The ending of Pandora Hearts, Vol. 9 did just that and now I'm left salivating for the next volume. Damn you, Jun Mochizuki.

This volume is quite exciting and had me captivated nearly throughout the entire book. More backstories and mysteries, familiar faces, and split-personalities keeps this story interesting. We even get a hint of who holds Ada's heart captive.

There are a few moments that melted my heart and others that had my adrenaline spiking. I always enjoy seeing Oz and Elliot together. Their dynamic never fails to give me an aww moment. Gil's conflicted emotions with his unfaltering loyalty to Oz and his feeling towards Alice will endear you to him even more. But it is poor Echo, who will break your heart.

The thrilling standout scenes involve my favorite characters. Undoubtedly, I am a huge sucker for a really good villain and frisky Vincent is proving to be deliciously evil. His moment with Lottie is all sorts of wrong and I absolutely loved it! Badass Break always steals the spotlight. I was at the edge of my seat with his appearance in this volume. I honestly can't decide if I like the silly candy-loving Break or the murderous Break more. For this volume, I'm going to say the Break who viciously stabs Zwei is the one who has my heart! I also really enjoyed seeing Glen Baskerville and his frightening chain, Jabberwock. Glen reminds me of Sebastian from Black Butler, but not quite as nummy. I can't wait to see more of him in the next volume.

This series has a diehard fanbase who spout their undying love for it from the rooftops. Although I see enormous potential for this series to be truly fantastic, I have yet to feel the love. The stunning artwork and complex characters keep me coming back for more, but the storytelling can be a bit spotty and confusing. I believe this series is better enjoyed in small doses instead of reading several back-to-back. Once I'm caught up to the current volumes, I will read them as they are released and will hopefully enjoy them more. The tricky thing, though, is since the plot can jump all over the place, it may require rereading previous volumes to figure out what the heck is going on.

I ♡ Break. Even if I never quite fall for this series, I will always come back to see what my favorite joker is up to.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my Oz and Gil feels. Have them. Just take them, you cruel manipulative manga, you. Also, ECHO. Oh lord, Echo. Come here, Echo, I'll hug you and feed you and keep you safe baby. And yay, more Glen! And his cute nerdy friend whose name escapes me. Can we has more Oz/Glen scenes, please?

[Michael Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es war einfach wieder so so sooooooooo mega *___*

[Ren (A Bookish Balance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[Ayxan · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this point, I'm guessing the people involved in that big tragedy all planned out their next lives, like: "you know what, if we can't defeat each other now, let's continue in 100 years. See you then." ...

[p. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a little change of setting. The world of the series begins to feel more lived in and larger.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retrace XXXIV: "Noise of Echo"
Retrace XXXV: "Madness of Lost Memories"
Retrace XXXVI: "Sablier"
Retrace XXXVII: "Glen Baskerville"

[ʀ⭒. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo my baby :(

[Fatemeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume felt more like a preparation for what is to come. But still, we had some very important revelations that brought in more questions rather than answer.

Chapter by chapter rambling oncoming:

Chapter 34 → ◙ I guess I just didn't remember that Gil and Alice still don't know about the incuse moving forward. But I'm glad they found out.
◙ Poor poor Echo... On the other hand, I love the idea of Echo being the shadow of 'Noise'
◙ What I don't like is Vincent dating Ada. No. No. NO.

Chapter 35 → ◙ Alice and Gil's memories, they're our keys to unlocking the truth about everything.
◙ My boy Elliot, you look sot hot in black

Chapter 36 → ◙ Ooooh, the head-hunter's being mentioned for the first time. That's some good shit I'm excited for.
◙ And although I don't mind Gil being Oz's servant, I guess I can see where Elliot is coming from. And I feel sorry for him, in a way.
◙ Ooooh, so not only we're going to see Alice's memories, but also Gil's.
◙ Aaaaand Glen Baskerville makes an appereance.

Chapter 37 → ◙ So, Glen not only sees and Knows Oz, but also condemns his existent the same way his lackeys did. Huh.
◙Never though we'd have so much info about Lacie by now.
◙ Me likes Break torturing the Baskervilles for information.

[Nərmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good God! The manga is confusing and surprising, and beautifully depressing...
The art is becoming more beautiful and I like their expressions and emotions shown in the manga.
I also love the complex characters and knowing their backstories. All in all, I am super-addicted to this manga!

[Cami L. González · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Al fin en Sablier! Amo a Elliot <3 y extraño a Alice, apareció poquito aquí.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

[lu ¿ aero · Rating 5 out of 5]

bene kinno Elliot ora si tratta di capire quanto potrebbe finire male 💀

[Kaya Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm consistently confused, but still following the main thread of story. Also, the art/dramatics i would have eaten up when I was younger, but now I keep thinking it's too much lol

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series

I'd like to start by saying that with my two decades of manga reading, Pandora Hearts has recently earned its way to being one of the best manga series I've ever read - and to think I almost didn't pick it up!

There's actually a bit of a story to it: Pandora Hearts was being released around the time I knew I would be moving overseas. At the time, I had no idea how moving to the other side of the world would affect my manga buying. Also at that time, I was working at a comic store with staff discounts at my disposal and I never had to worry too much about picking up whatever I fancied. When I first saw Pandora Hearts, I thought the art looked beautiful and this just might be a really good manga. It also struck me as a manga series that could go on for quite a while [which was a reasonably accurate assumption as 24 volumes is not a length I could commit to lightly]. Not knowing how I'd get my hands on manga or how long this series would be let me to putting it back on the shelf. And I confess, it was filled with quite a bit of regret.

When I finally did move overseas - a family friend had a good bye gift. The shape was easy to discern: it was undoubtably a manga volume. While thankful for receiving a gift, I was also nervous: having worked in a comic store, I knew for sure: I either already own it or am not interested in it. In addition, the friend in question doesn't know the first thing about manga. To my surprise, it was the first volume of Pandora Hearts which was probably the single only volume she could have taken from the shelf that wasn't already in my possession and did interest me. How she managed to pick out that one I don't know, but it's a coincidence I feel thankful for and, in some cheesy way, made me feel like it was just meant to be that I read Pandora Hearts after all.

Fast forward to 2023, I finally found the time to read this 24 volume series and am absolutely delighted. My original observation remains: the art is absolutely stunning. With the exception of a oneshot debut work, it's hard to believe that this is quite close to being a beginner's work - you'd not believe it just looking at the first volume's art.

My other thoughts are largely around how hard it is to praise a story you think is so thoroughly good as this one is. It's not really a plot you can explain to someone, it's a story you have to read for yourself as even the latest volumes will throw some surprises at you. But I think, besides the art, what really contributes a lot to this work are the characters. Oz might be our main character, but we have a large cast and they are all lovingly created. There's hardly a character you won't be able to like in one way or another, even the most broken of them. It's quite a feat to create a story that makes you care and worry about almost every character's fate.

And worry you can indeed: it has light and beautiful moments, but it is essentially a dark tale and you'll constantly worry whether the characters will make it through. Needless to say, there are losses throughout the story. There are plenty of twists and turns, things that will surprise and shock you.

I will also add that the plot is complex and not always easy to follow. Some characters have multiple names - this becomes even more difficult for some characters who also have multiple personalities who also have multiple names. Not everything in the plot made entire sense to me - it's hard to say whether they were plot holes, not explained well enough or I was simply missing something - a reread might answer that. But regardless, when these moments arose, I decided to just go with the flow and it didn't disrupt my reading experience at all.

Besides a bit of confusion here and there, I can't fault this series with anything. The pacing is well done, the 24 volumes were neither too long nor too short [something I often complain about] and it wrapped up nicely. For such a dark read, there's also a lot of soft story telling which just concludes this with a very wholesome ending. There is close to no romance but I wasn't missing it [and I'm a big romance reader] - the friendships and bonds between the characters were absolutely beautiful even without much romance thrown in.

I'm glad I did read this series and it is definitely going down as one of my favourites. Highly recommended.

[Emily Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...that ending was slightly terrifying...also Glen Baskerville is also terrifying (In a way he is, which I'm not even sure if he's an illusion or not.) Oh and that whole "Lacie" memory of Jack explaining to Alice that the song he composed with Glen on that pocket watch was a song dedicated to a girl with the same name (Lacie) and how that grave Ada, Oz and Gil found back then was hers was finally the answer I was looking for. Like I always wondered whose grave it was and why the song was named "Lacie".

The only part I was really confused about was the whole Echo/Zwei thing. Does Echo have a split personality or was she being controlled by a Baskerville that goes by the name "Zwei"?? I couldn't really tell.

I really hate Vincent now. Not only did he punish Echo for hanging out with Oz, but he's also supposedly dating Oz's sister Ada??? Is he really the guy Ada had a crush on??? Why?? Why him, Ada?! I know for a fact Vincent is just using her but for what purpose I wonder?

As for Elliot, he reminds me a bit of a "nicer" version of Bakugo from my hero academia. I say "nicer" because unlike Bakugo, his anger and hatred towards Oz and Gil seems justified. I can tell from the small hints of his past that he was raised to despise anyone in the Vessalius family and I can see why he'd hate Gil in particular since he "betrayed" the Vessalius family and joined the Nightrays. I have a feeling his character (Elliot) will be explored more in the next few volumes.

[toast · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much new information again. I wonder if Gil is being manipulated by Jack since he has been shown in the panels whenever Gil was having his headaches and his desire to kill Alice. But also I feel like Leo‘s backstory needs to be uncovered. Is he the child of a dead illegal contractor as well? (On that note, poor Philippe, this child is too precious.)

Okay, now the important stuff, though: WTF IS HAPPENING?! Everybody is being dragged into an illusion and we see that somehow Glen, Jack and Alice are connected to a dead woman named Lacie whose death might have been responsible for Glen trying to obtain the power over the abyss. Not only that, Oz has also met Glen now. I wonder if this is the real Glen, since the Baskervilles are convinced that he‘s still alive.

And to finish off this volume gloriously: Break‘s dramatic entrance was really fucking cool.

[Kaito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally some more focus on Oz, I kinda felt like in the earlier volumes that he started to fell off a bit. The cliffhanger at the end really leaves a lot of questions, I wonder how he got a scythe. Looks badass atleast.
Besides that, the plot twist with Two was very good. Explains some stuff and was very unexpected. I feel bad for Echo tho.
And for Ada too, god I never would've thought that the man she fell in love with is Vincent. I really thought it was Gilbert but well if it's Vincent it makes sense too.
Glen was a bit dissappointing, but there is a lot about him to be revealed yet so I wait until I judge too much.
Overall, good quality as always. I really love how the story gets better and better with each volume.

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo has DID and her other personality is called Noise, or Zwei, as the Baskervilles know her best. She’s under Vincent’s orders and she’s unexpectedly fearsome.

Anyway, Oz, Gil and Alice travel to the part of Sablier that was destroyed in the catastrophe 100 years ago, only to find that there are poor, homeless people living there among the ruins. Elliot and Leo come to the place too ‘cause apparently the Nightray family helps the unfortunate by giving them provisional shelter and food.

But, as to be expected, the place is haunted by Alice’s memories and the deeper they go, the dimension has its cracks. Actually, they all get affected by their own repressed memories and Oz goes berserk against humans morphed into chains, which only means that he can unleash the B-rabbit power anytime, even if Alice is not near.

And well, I read the manga years ago so I know what this means but wow, the foreshadowing still hits me in the face! Jun told us everything we needed from the beginning but we weren’t seeing it all, huh.

This volume contains Retrace 34 – 37.

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4 | Volume 5 | Volume 6 | Volume 7 | Volume 8

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Regresa junto con tu crimen, al abismo donde perteneces".

En este tomo conocemos a la otra personalidad de Echo. Una entidad bastante aterradora y psicópata que se hace llamar Zwei.

Ella al igual que Vincent Nightray, desea desaparecer a Oz Vessalius si a su amo eso le genera placer. Por lo que ahora Echo estará bloqueada en los pensamientos de su personalidad malvada como castigo por pasar tiempo con Oz.

Poco a poco Gil empieza a recordar cosas de su pasado, que lo orilla a pelearse con su amo. Y aunque intente protegerlo con todas sus fuerzas, al final sabe que es demasiada responsabilidad para otorgarsela solo a un niño.

¿Qué pasará ahora?

[Kazu · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Para o meu pequeno irmão, que só tinha eu nesse mundo. Vicent precisa de mim
Quando ele não estiver por perto. Existirá outra pessoa que precisará de mim?
[...]
Ser necessário por alguém, este é o meu desejo"

Elliot e Reo apareceram :D. Mini cena do Elliot se importando com o Gil :D. Foco no passado do Gil e do Vince :D. Mas a que custo... *imagem do homem na guerra*

Teoria suprema: O Gil projetou as memórias inconscientemente do antigo mestre dele no Oz, junto com a vontade de proteger alguém, desde que o Oz caiu no abismo, Gil não teve ninguém para cuidar, por isso ele age da mesma maneira como a 10 anos atrás. Que mecanismo. 🗣🗣🗣

[A Literate Doofus · Rating 3 out of 5]

.*.*.*.*. 3 stars corrupted by memories*.*.*.*


35: hate that my guy gil is not allowed even a bit of angst for two minutes, can't wait him to go batshit crazyyy
Oz continue to pisses me off.
ELLIOT NIGHTRAY ALLLERT BAD BITCH SPOTTED🔥🔥🔥🔥
36: I'm a certified main character hater but by god Oz need his ass whopped he is so annoying, wish his obnoxiousness was dialed down or get a different main character
37: i have this little theory that oz is a chain, or half chain, and it has something to do with his mother.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran introspección a Gilbert, Vincent y todo lo que pasó cien años atrás. Estos dos hermanos querían protegerse mutuamente pero en el camino causaron otras cosas.
En este punto sigo un tanto confusa respecto a lo que pasó en Sabrie, peeero al menos ya sé que Gil conoció a Jack y que alguien manipuló su mente para que sintiera esas ganas asesinas de proteger a su maestro (ojo con que no hay nombre).

[Feirodenn]

La descente dans l'abysse est aussi une descente dans le plus profond de l'âme de chaque personnage. Oz se reconnecte avec le pouvoir de sa chain, Alice avec ses souvenirs enfouis, Gil avec son soi d'enfant. Ce tome pose plus de questions qu'il n'en répond à travers des visions d'horreur, des combats aussi bien physiques que psychologiques, et une contamination des souvenirs sur la réalité.

[nukes · Rating 4 out of 5]

this volume really gagged me bad, this series has finally stopped being confusing and has finally gotten so good man 😭 the art is so pretty and i’m seriously locking in. ALSO???? vincent… you weird sexy little freak… what was that lottie/vincent scene bro like vincent malesub confirmed was not something i was expecting. the population needs a doujin quickly

[Ady Weasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oz decide ir a las ruinas de Salbier y va acompañado de Alice y Gil. Así mismo descubrimos un secreto de Echo.

El fondo del abismo es un riesgo y los chicos han arcaico en la trampa, será que salgan ilesos?

[୨୧ A Literate Taxidermy ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

.*.*.*.*. 3 stars corrupted by memories*.*.*.*


35: hate that my guy gil is not allowed even a bit of angst for two minutes, can't wait him to go batshit crazyyy
Oz continue to pisses me off.
ELLIOT NIGHTRAY ALLLERT BAD BITCH SPOTTED