Alice 19th, Vol. 4

ありす19th [Alice 19th] #4

by Yuu Watase

Jealousy makes the heart grow darker and Mayura's envy of Alice and Kyo's developing relationship makes her vulnerable to being devoured by Darva, dark mistress of the Maram words. Neo Lotis Masters, Alice and Kyo are the only ones who have even a chance against Darva, but are they strong enough to go up against this most formidable of enemies?

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

200 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 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

[Ady Weasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estoy sufriendo con Alice. Ese amor que no puede ser correspondido es trágico. Cada vez odio más a Mayura.
Frei es muy divertido, pero con ello oculta su seriedad. Chris es un nuevo personaje, veamos cómo entrará en la historia

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sister against sister...um...?

Weird choices in some of this volume. I've really been struggling through this series. I really loved Fushigi Yuugi and expected a lot maybe from Yuu Watase, but this one is just a little...bizarre. I want to read to the end, but right now I kind of want to just start over and read them all one right after another and see if it makes more sense if there's no gap between the volumes.

[reading.sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ze worden steeds leuker en leuker! Oh de liefdes drama! Oh het gevaar drama. I love it all!

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing different from the other tankobon of this series I have read so far is that Nyozeka the puff-rabbit holds a "mini-mini Lotis class" at the end before the written-out kana page explaining what they mean.
Lotis words and Maram words are the good and evil words that directly make happy and evil things happen. They are what this series is based around, essentially.
I suppose Yuu Watase did not want to sketch a mini-mini Maram class, so that will be left to the imagination. Well, ummm, of Maram words, I found that sura is carnage and riiya is avoid!

I got a little confused discerning the guys around Alice and her sister Mayura, but maybe I also wasn't paying especially close attention.
It may have been a plot point to be wondering whether Mayura was good or evil.

Sometimes, specifically in this volume, it seemed to me like Alice looked essentially the same as Kinomoto Sakura, just slightly different hairstyle and eye style, but then again, I have obsessed over Cardcaptor Sakura for around eighteen years, having made three cosplay outfits inspired by that series - none of which fit anymore - and having sung just yesterday three tunes from that anime to calm the anxious cats at the shelter for which I volunteer, so I dismiss my saying so as most likely a personal bias and not a real resemblance. (I sang Tomoe [https://www.animelyrics.com/Anime/ccs...], Yoru no Uta [https://www.animelyrics.com/Anime/ccs...], and Yasashisa no Tane [https://www.animelyrics.com/Anime/ccs...] - although honestly at the time I had SERIOUS PROBLEMS with Tomoe because it automatically makes me burst into tears.)

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main issues with this series are really on display here.
1. Alice wants to save Mayura out of a sense of responsibility, not because she loves her, her SISTER.

2. When thinking about her love for Kyo, Alice flashes back to moments of her being shy around him at school before Mayura's disappearance, NOT all the time they've spent together recently. They're so much closer now so this is really weird to me.

3. The good action scenes and emotional moments are continuously interrupted by unfunny little one panel gags or the boys ogling Alice.

I'm gonna finish the series because I like the art and am curious enough about how things go to read the last 3 volumes but I'm definitely enjoying it less as it goes on.

[Elvedina k · Rating 5 out of 5]

its was rlly odd

[Shubba The Emo Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Great Britain is a fancy name for England" NO IT F*CKING ISN'T!!!!!!

[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 4 out of 5]

Wakamiya Kyou akhirnya mengungkapkan perasaannya pada Alice. Tapi tentu saja Alice tidak bisa membalas perasaan itu gara-gara kutukan yang ditanamkan Mayura pada tubuh Kyou. Gadis itu cuma bisa menangisi nasibnya.

Mayura lalu menyerang Alice sebelum akhirnya pergi ke markas Mara Master di gedung gubernur. Rupanya Mayura sudah dikuasai oleh Darva, mara master terkuat. Mayura lalu mengaktifkan sekat pembatas di langit kota dan mengaktifkan mara yang tersimpan di hati setiap penduduk kota. Dengan begitu hanya dengan sedikit perintah ia bisa membuat seluruh penduduk kota menyerang Alice dan Kyou. Karena belum benar-benar resmi menjadi Lotis Master, Alice dan Kyou tak bisa menggunakan Lotis Word gara-gara sekat pembatas di langit itu.

Di saat genting saat dikeroyok oleh para penduduk kota, muncul Chris, tuan muda anggota Biara Lotis dari Inggris. Ia menyediakan rumahnya sebagai suaka bagi para Lotis Master dan menyembuhkan Alice yang disambar oleh petir amarah Shura yang ditembakkan Mayura.

Sementara itu seorang Mara Master mendatangi rumah Kyou dan menarik kegelapan dari hati bibi Kyou.

[Juan Carlos malik · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este tomo vamos a encontrar mucha acción, el lado oscuro del corazón y el amor que no puede ser correspondido, por que ocasionara muerte.
Me esta gustando como esta evolucionando la historia y gracias a estas paginas vamos a conocer los verdaderos poderes del mal con DARVA y sus secuaces misteriosos.
Frei sigue haciéndome reír y Alice, dios mio, REACCIONA, jejeje

¿Para qué leer este tomo?
1. los nuevos personajes, son misteriosos y muy tétricos.
2. La maldad pinta a escenas de mucha acción y escenarios muy negros.
3. El final te deja con ganas de seguir leyendo.
4. Los personajes están creciendo y evolucionando, aunque Alice ya me esta desesperando.

[Nyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I am loving this series. So many twists and turns and dead ends that make up the complex maze of this series. The only part I didn't like was the naked fight between mayura and alice. Seriously??? I thought this series was a little better than that. But the war is in full blast and I love it. Overall, I just can't wait to see what happens next.
UNCLE?

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, full of suspense! Some inappropriate and unnecessary artistic choices were made that I did not appreciate. Overall, this is a great series with beautiful illustrations and an intriguing storyline!

[Leetsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow it all improved a lot! It's still not ss good and it's kinda late but the story got better and even the characters are more interesting now, let's hope that the peace doesn't get slower from here

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story continues to get interesting. I am hoping Alice and Kyo can save Mayura from the darkness in her heart.

[Maru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues nada que la historia que nos muestra aquí Yuu Watase me tiene enganchada y deseando estoy de conocer el final.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fight between lotis and mara continues! Now we start to meet even more masters of both mara and lotis, and we learn just how high the stakes are for our new neo-masters!

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

eep, this are getting downright nasty

[Kathrine]

This book is something that I really want to red!

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my reread, some of the things are just so over the top that it’s a little embarrassing…

[Karla V. H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta pero al ser una historia corta los personajes secundarios no tienen mucha profundidad.

[Whitnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 is getting much deeper into the story. Mayura is becoming even more evil and her minions are making everyone suspect.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t stand anymore. I am skipping to the end just to find out what happens…

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bath time is obviously the best time for an ambush. Keep em naked and afraid.

[Lady Cassiopeia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hab's verschlungen. Der Zeichenstil ist mittlerweile natürlich etwas gealtert, doch das ändert nichts an der wunderschönen Geschichte. Hat mich persönlich auch ganz leicht an den Erzähl-Stil von Tanemura erinnert. Lohnt sich in jedem Fall!

[Koorihime-sama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought from Amazon, and I still own a copy.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2012 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5

Ease of Reading Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Plot: 3 out of 5
Art Touch-Up: 4 out of 5
Translation: 5 out of 5
Design: 5 out of 5

As the relationship between Alice and Kyo becomes more apparent, Mayura is becoming even more jealous of Alice. Mayura is now very close to being devoured by Darva, a powerful Mara. Are Alice and Kyo powerful enough to go up against Darva?

Okay, there might be some slight spoilers, but nothing too major. :)

Let’s start off with a warning first, there is some fan-service/naked scenes with Mayura and maybe Alice. It’s not that bad, so don’t worry too much. You only get to see the top part of Mayura (her breasts with the nipple shown) and her bottom, but nothing more than that. And for Alice, it’s mostly hidden with bubbles and other things. xD

The development is still pretty good and going at a normal pace. You are finally getting to learn about the Maram’s leader/ruler, Lotis Masters, and other things a little bit more. Also, there is a new side to Frey that I haven’t seen. It’s really sweet, especially this one scene with Frey and Alice. ;) *GRINS* Alice is also starting to get more courage and not as weak as before, so it is starting to get interesting there as well. Though, with how the manga-ka adds the curse, it kind of makes her seem a little more weak. However, I feel a little sorry for Alice that she can’t confess to Kyo because of the death curse, especially since she finally got the courage to tell him. :(

Anyways, the plot kind of went down hill with the routine jealously scenario that seem to be in all shoujo manga. Even though the jealously is the kicking point of where Mayura decides to turn against Alice; use the Maram words; and become closer to being devoured by Darva, I would have liked something a little bit more different to kick-start the main part of the plot. Oh well, that’s shoujo manga for you.

Despite the typical jealously of shoujo manga characters, the characters, designs, and art are still well done. I especially love the new characters — Chris and Stewart — and how they interact with each other. Oh, and I love the manga-ka drew the kiss scenes too. :D So overall, it is still pretty nice to read, you just have to get over the nudity (if you don’t like nudity in manga) and the typical jealously of shoujo manga. :S

Now for VIZ’s portion of the manga, they are doing a better job at art-touching, but it is still kind of noticeable of where they edited out the kanji in some of the places. The translations and everything else still look great. ;)

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alice saves a rabbit from a speeding car, her life is turned upside down. The rabbit turns out to be a magical girl, and Alice discovers that she has the power to master powerful words known as the Lotis Words. Unfortunately, words can do harm as well as good and, when Alice accidentally banishes her sister, she must fight to get her back.

A lot happened in this volume! The plot is starting to come together, and the end game is being slowly exposed. It is a lot less confusing than volume one, haha. This volume is also quite dark, darker than the last volume. I suspect that's now going to be a trend until the final volume. D:

Like, Mayura's getting the general public involved now, and the Mara is becoming something that is affecting more and more people. D:

We met some new characters: Chris, who is English, and we also met Kazuki, who is Kyo's friend. I really do like Chris, even if he is quite stereotypically English. He is quite young, but a powerful Lotis master. I'm looking forward to seeing his character develop in the last three books. As for Kazuki, we haven't seen that much of him yet, but I feel like he'll have an important role to play.

Kyo and Alice continue to dance around each other, though I think Kyo is becoming much more aware of his own feelings. It's a shame that poor Alice can't do anything about it, though. :( Hopefully that'll get sorted out.

Frey had some character development too, even though it consisted mainly of him being a bit of a butt. It's nice to know that his personality doesn't just consist of being a bit of comic relief. He is still one of my favourite characters, though.

This one ended on a rather horrible cliffhanger. D: I'm so glad I already have the whole series sitting on my bookshelf.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have ever heard of the series. I picked up the book and read the blurb on the back and it sounded interesting and it turns out it really is! The story is about a high school girl named Alice who has major problems expressing her feelings in words. She wants a rabbit but can't have one since her sister has allergies and her parents tend to dote on her sister.

She sort of ends up with a rabbit anyhow, though, when it turns out a magical one she finds is really a magical girl who wants Alice to become a master of Lotis Words, words that have power to project a person through the "inner heart" worlds.

As in many magical girl stories, Alice doesn't want to do that but she's given no choice when she causes her sister to disappear. It turns out Alice is in love with the same boy that her sister is. After her sister disappears Alice agrees to try and become a Lotis Word master so she can save her.

Things get really complicated after that. This is not a real light series; it's rather dark and somber but still very well done.

[Viridian5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alice 19th vol. 4 went way wrong as far as I was concerned.

This new excuse for Alice not to confess her feelings (and to amp the drama and angst and extend the "will they ever?" thing) ticked me off. Oh the angst! Oh the peril! Oh me standing there muttering, "Oh please." Alice's yo-yoing parents are a tired plot device right now and further put the persecution fantasy way aspects of the story over the top. I know they're being manipulated, but they're being manipulated in the same way as they have been several times before, and this is only volume 4. Plus, the naked bathroom battle felt gratuitous. I did not need to see nipples. This volume will stay a browser instead of becoming a buy.

But there were some fun scenes with Kyo and Frey. And Frey shows some underhandedness. I wonder how much of the goofy, jam-loving persona is a facade....

[Veronica Ika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jealousy That Devours
Mayura’s envy opens the door for Darva, the dark mistress of the Maram Words, turning emotional wounds into a terrifying force of destruction.

Love Cursed into Silence
Bound by Mayura’s cruel spell, Kyô is doomed if he hears words of love from anyone but her, trapping Alice in a heartbreaking dilemma where confession equals death.

Facing the Mistress of Darkness
As newly awakened Lotis Masters, Alice and Kyô stand as the last hope against Darva, forced to test whether their fragile power—and forbidden love—can withstand absolute darkness.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice 4

So after Kyu kisses Alice she goes away, and fights with her sister. A new person shows, a British lotis master who rescues them and decide Alice and Kyo are to live in his house to train.
Meanwhile Mayura receives her soldiers and gets control of a building in the city, from there she will launch attacks, while being protected.

Things are getting closer to the next fight level, interesting developments.

4 stars