She-Geeks discussion

Heads up, I found this manga for free through an app called Manga Storm on the iPad. I'm pretty sure it's available on other manga apps for the iPad too since it's hosted by MangaEden. Also, how many chapters are in the first volume?

I'm pretty sure there's 7 chapters in the first one.

I'm already planning to check it out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up. :) I was already wondering if it's available on some online sites as I'm not exactly sure if I'd be able to get it in Germany, without having to resort to some overpriced import from the US. ^^

I was wrong, there's five chapters in the first book. I started off on this series: Alice In The Country Of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit, Vol. 1 by accident. It was VERY confusing. @_@

Rebecca wrote: "Thanks for the heads up. :) I was already wondering if it's available on some online sites as I'm not exactly sure if I'd be able to get it in Germany, without having to resort to some overpriced i..."

No prob, hun. Manga sites that I'm aware of: MangaFox, MangaReader.net, MangaEden, Batoto, and MangaHere

Ashleigh wrote: "I was wrong, there's five chapters in the first book. I started off on this series: Alice In The Country Of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit, Vol. 1 by accident. It was VERY confusing. @_@"

Haha, yeah. I ran into a lot of spinoffs while I was searching for it. It can be tricky if you don't understand Japanese. Thanks!

Yay, getting it on my iPad now :D

http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Alice-... Is this the right one?

Becca (Leena) wrote: "http://www.mangapark.com/manga/Alice-... Is this the right one?"

Yeah, that's the one.

Yay, thanks!

Why'd they have to cancel #5 on mangareader? It's so notfair.

Omg, so many bishies =w= <3

I love alce and the country of hearts but avoid the spinoffs or the one called alice and the country of clover it came before this one...... I think

I have checked it out, and I will be reading it, soon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I rea this manga so long ago! I need to read it again XD I remember absolutely loving it!

Wow! I didn't know it was free. :( Just bought it on Amazon! Oh well, I'll enjoy reading it. Will remember Ashton's advice though not to bother with the spin offs. :D

This is my first manga...a bit of a twist to get the order right, 40 or so pages in, not too bad. Interesting take on the Alice Mythology...

Finished the first volume! I love it.

I just finished this, and I'm honestly really not sure what I just read...but I liked it! I hope someone else finishes soon so that they can explain the ending to me!

Ashley wrote: "I just finished this, and I'm honestly really not sure what I just read...but I liked it! I hope someone else finishes soon so that they can explain the ending to me!"

Ashley...I have 2 chapters left and I feel the same, I like it, but it is a lbit confusing...it seems that Alice is loved by all she comes in contact with because of the drug...and she has to stay in the country of hearts to find out what the purpose is...that's my take at least...but I still like it through the confusion.

Well Idk how it ened i think the chapter i read was real or it could of been a spinoff not sure because it didnt explain nothing of..... nevermind unless you want to know what happened in the other books then ill tell

Cyndi wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I just finished this, and I'm honestly really not sure what I just read...but I liked it! I hope someone else finishes soon so that they can explain the ending to me!"

Ashley...I h..."

I just googled it in the attempt to figure out what was going on, and realized that it's based on an otome game, which makes a little more sense. I'm still baffled as to half of what happened though! I read all three volumes and I'm all WTF about the third one.

Yea and also if you want you can read alice and the country of clover the aruthur made it after she was forced to end alice and the country of hearts early cause she changed editors but in the story it is like Alice never went to the country of hearts but all the characters are the same but she ends up with a different guy

Alice and the country of hearts ends at the 6 book

Ashton wrote: "Alice and the country of hearts ends at the 6 book"

I bought the compendiums (2 volumes per), so I've finished Hearts - I'll definitely have to check out clover!

Ashton wrote: "Yea and also if you want you can read alice and the country of clover the aruthur made it after she was forced to end alice and the country of hearts early cause she changed editors but in the stor..."

I'm no expert on this series, but all I know is that it started with the games by Quinrose. They had the manga based off the first game (the one we're all dealing with) and there are all the doujins. They're kinda like little mini stories for each game or character. (You have to remember this is an otome game with many different endings.) Like how for Clover we have "Heart no Kishi" (Alice x Ace) or "Kuroi Tokage to Nigai Aji" (Alice x Grey) Some have been translated by scanlators, others are more obscure.

If you have one of these doujins associated with a game, in this case, Clover, then it takes place during the events of that game.

The order is this: Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, and Diamond (the brand new one)

There are different artists doing these doujins, though many of the ones I've seen are by Fujimaro (who is doing the art for the new Diamond game). Of course, that's a different artist than this manga for Heart.

I'll also note that I've seen doujins for Heart as well. Like one for Julius. I have no clue what's going on with Toybox and Diamond, as they are relatively new.

Ahah... I hope this makes sense. I just don't want everyone to be confused and all...

This series wasn't really my cup of tea, but was enjoyable enough that I finished the whole of it in one sitting. I wish the author wasn't so MADDENING though. She drops hints about so many things and then never explains what she meant. Or even gives enough information for the reader to make an educated guess about what she meant.

It was that trick played one too many times that turned me off to the series - I was left wanting so many explanations that I simply can't get. I don't think the spin-off series have them either because (as I said previously) I accidentally started with one of those. From what I found it expected you to know the main story line without offering any new information - just changing who she falls in love with. I couldn't make it very far though - maybe 20 pages. It read like... bad fanfiction. Really bad fanfiction.

< mild spoiler> I will say my favorite characters are Boris, Peter and Vivaldi. Peter might even be first... I just know I'd react to him the exact same way Alice did; smothered by his abundant feelings yet completely powerless against his cute form. I'm a sucker for cute fluffy things. >_<

Ashleigh wrote: "This series wasn't really my cup of tea, but was enjoyable enough that I finished the whole of it in one sitting. I wish the author wasn't so MADDENING though. She drops hints about so many things ..."

Ahh, well it did all start as a series of games. I started with this manga, and I had the exact same thoughts. But after going through the games, things are much better explained, the first game has darker elements (though it may take some thought to realize a few) and the ending for the manga, just... felt half baked?

To me, it seemed almost as if this artist wasn't entirely informed about everything. Maybe she didn't get a good script or didn't play the games all the way, etc. (those bad endings are actually extremely important to understanding Wonderland and how Alice even got there) Really, in the game, even that stupid little vial is more than it seems. Alice isn't even as young as she looks in Wonderland. Not back home she's not. After playing the games, anything that isn't revealed there can easily be pieced together with some common sense.

And those spinoffs, they are just doujins. Like little extras, never really meant to be a full finished story thing. Besides, it is an otome game, after all. ;)
Also, odds are, those were from Clover (as it has easiest doujins to track down, and the most scanlated) which I personally found to be the weakest of the games plot-wise. The best parts about it would have to be adding in some new traits to Wonderland, new characters of Pierce and Gray, and showing more of Nightmare's personality when interacting with him normally, not in some trippy dream state. Beyond that, it's Alice and her angsting. And Ace is more unstable. -_-

I've just spent the last three days reading all six volumes. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to! Admittedly, it took me awhile to understand the ending, but it was still a very interesting manga.

Checkpoint: Volume 1, Ch.5

I enjoyed it more than I expected (although my expectations were pretty low to begin with). When it comes to manga, my consumption has been mostly shonen action so this is the first manga I've read of its kind. The most interesting bit I took away is how each character or land represents actual desires and insecurities in Alice's real life. I find myself frequently guessing at what every symbolic gesture from the male characters may represent in Alice's real life. Are you getting over an ex? Vying for the attention of an admiree? Jealous of your sister? And speaking of bishies, this series does not disappoint! I enjoyed the mild perversion which adds to the "twist" of this rendition of Alice in Wonderland. With all the eye candy surrounding her, you can't help but imagine yourself in her shoes hehe (^_^). The dialogue comes off wonky and unnecessarily cryptic at times. Alice is kept out of the know, including the reader. As I mentioned, I'm used to reading action genres so when a dozen bullets go off and nobody flinches much less gets grazed, I need answers. Yes, reasonable answers in a fantasy world.

I wasn't aware that it's based off an otome game until after I was finished so the story somewhat makes a little more sense now. That explains why she has to meet with everyone for her vial of fluid to be filled (like a video game). Overall, the read was nothing enthralling but its got quirk in a good way. I wouldn't mind reading the remaining volumes to get a better grasp on it. I'd rate the first volume 2.5 stars out of 5.

Alysse wrote: "Ashleigh wrote: "This series wasn't really my cup of tea, but was enjoyable enough that I finished the whole of it in one sitting. I wish the author wasn't so MADDENING though. She drops hints abou..."

Can you have pity on us poor souls who can't afford the video game and clue us in on what the game has that the manga doesn't? >_<

Ashleigh wrote: "Alysse wrote: "Ashleigh wrote: "This series wasn't really my cup of tea, but was enjoyable enough that I finished the whole of it in one sitting. I wish the author wasn't so MADDENING though. She d..."

Seconded!

Got a question I'll do what I can to answer, at least.

Sorry, but this'll be long, and I might throw in a few things from later games, but I'll share what I know.

-Miss Alice Liddell-
(view spoiler)[Let's see, for starters, there's Alice's backstory. What we do know is that Alice has an older sister, Lorina. They also mention a younger sister, Edith, a father, and a deceased mother. After her mother died, Alice's father became a different person, very distant and much more of a workaholic. Edith also begun to have a bit of a hatred for Alice as Alice did not cry at their mother's funeral. Lorina became the only family member that really understood Alice, and she really admired her elder sibling very much. They spent every Sunday afternoon together in the garden. Alice seemed to be about 16 or so at this time.

We also know Alice had a boyfriend, who I believe may have been her tutor, though don't trust me on that last bit. What I do know is that this guy left Alice for Lorina. Obviously, this was very painful for her, and she wanted to hate them, but she loved both to much to do so. (Mostly Lorina) Unfortunately, Lorina had died, though I am not sure why. Of course this was another blow to everyone connected to her, and especially Alice. Everyday after Lorina's death, she would go out to their favorite spots out back and just remember. Of course, time passed and Alice was soon about 20 or so, ready to graduate university. That's when she decided to give up her past and force herself to move on, so the day she leaves university was supposed to be the last day she thought anything of Lorina again. (hide spoiler)]

-Down the Rabbit Hole-
(view spoiler)[Now just how does Peter come into play? If you notice, in Wonderland, a single country can only hold 12 roles, with a few exceptions. (The twins count as one. Later on, the Jokers are shown to be exempt from this, and there is a special season that allows the limit to be ignored as well.) The reason for this is each role holds a connection to an hour on the clock. Peter, although we've never been told the exact hours for each, happens to be sometime in the afternoon. The same time of day Alice spent with Lorina. As Alice held this hour so precious and called upon them every moment she could, that is how Peter came to know her and fall in love with her. She was the first to give him so much love (since you know, germophobe who sees everyone else as germs doesn't garner much affection), even though she didn't mean him as a person.

As she planned to give up calling upon those times for good, Peter couldn't stand losing her, so wanted to bring her to Wonderland, so she could be happy and forget the bad things. He asks Nightmare for his help, as Nightmare controls the Dream Realm. The border between our worlds rests in the Dream Realm, thus, the only way to reach Wonderland is to be dreaming first. Nightmare rarely breaks the rules, as smuggling foreigners is illegal and they are only supposed to arrive of their own will, but seeing cold-hearted Peter White in love with someone and begging for help changed his mind. (Nightmare also mentioned that he'd be forgiven himself easily, as once again, he normally follows the rules. This suggest there be some sort of "game master" but nothing is directly stated about that) Alice falls asleep in her garden while remembering Lorina, which is why when we first begin the tale, we see Lorina and a 15/16 year old Alice. She was dreaming of the past, and as Nightmare let Peter cross the border, he could kidnap her.

What happens to Alice in this world isn't stated, so I'm not sure if her body here is just asleep, disappears with her conscience only to return when she leaves Wonderland, or whatever other theories could be out there. Just remember that it exists seperate from our world, and was not created by Alice at all. Either way, she's in Wonderland now. (hide spoiler)]

-Potion of Hearts-
(view spoiler)[So, with her arrival in Wonderland, we remember the potion of hearts she had to drink. In the game, she comments on the taste of the medicine (alongside beating the crap outta our white rabbit), mentioning how it tasted bitter and weird. That drink was her emotions, and the vial is a reflection of her heart. She is can only leave when her vial is full as it is full of her emotions. Since it's a normal response to want to get out of a freaky new place and go back home to make sense of things, making her down that medicine gave her a blank slate on the world. And, if she truly wished it, it was revealed that she could go back home anytime she wanted, regardless of the vial. This is also why she had to interact with role holders, as her feelings about them would determine her final decision on going or staying. In the game, you can get the bad endings because the vial fills with feelings of responsibility. Also, in some endings with different characters, the vial has been shown to break. When the twins tried to break it physically, it never shattered, but when she winds up with someone and is overfilled with emotions that would make her never want to go back the vial breaks.

Another bit part as to why Alice remains in Wonderland is her sister. Remember the time when Alice had a headache when trying to recall something about her sister? Her memories are being suppressed. Nightmare has blocked a few of her memories, because you have to take into account that she was taken straight out of a dream. A dream where she was younger and Lorina was still alive. If she was to remember Lorina's death, it would overwhelm her emotions and possibly affect the whole "dreaming" part. (like how when you realize you're dreaming it wakes you up) So regardless of how much she truly desired to remain in Wonderland, Alice would have to return. (hide spoiler)]

-The Game-
(view spoiler)[The game, as we've heard, is a vital part of Wonderland. It's not actually about foreigners at all, as I've seen some believe. The roleholders are actually like actors in a play, putting it one way. Foreigners who have a blank state of emotions about Wonderland get involved sort of like guest stars, but they are not original players, as they do not posses clock hearts. The role holders are like hours on the clock, which is why they get faces. We remember the hours, and if you look at most clocks, they are the only portions that get labeled, unlike the minutes and seconds who are the faceless. I've also noticed that each territory seems to be associated with a time. (though only Peter's placement has been suggested) Vivaldi loves the sunset times, the Hatter's tea parties are always in the evening, when you think of an amusement park you tend to think of midday, leaving mornings for the Clock/Clover Tower.

Alice has a distinct love for time in general, probably being the person who timed things down to the seconds. As she cared for every little moment, especially after Lorina's death, she can tell the faceless apart. Their connection to the seconds is also why they are seen as being more disposable. People don't mind waiting a few minutes or so, but when an hour is lost, we kinda tend to get upset, don't we?

Personally, I find the faceless to be closer to us than the role holders. As they are unimportant, they can live normal lives like us, as we're definitely not all celebrities. This seems even more notable as all the role holders were faceless at some point, though they are chosen to take the place at random, so they could be anyone at any age. (I can't get off the actor thing.)

And of course, games have rules. Not all of these rules have been specified, but some have come up now and again in the story, such as during April Season, the roleholders all must visit the Joker's circus, or how certain events must be held, like the ball. There are also some things that may not be rules, but should not be diverged from or else it will likely disrupt the norm too greatly, (actors!) as we see with Blood and Vivaldi.

Also, as each role is different, there seems to be differing levels of importance. This can be seen with Julius and Nightmare, as their roles are vital to Wonderland. Julius as the clockmaker, controlling the time changes, repairing the broken clocks and restoring life, and Nightmare with the Dream Realm as his domain, being able to oversee everything that occurs in Wonderland and patrolling the border. Joker seems to be important too. Whatever his role is for is unknown, but the very fact that he is immune to the roleholder limit should say enough. (hide spoiler)]

-A Land of Time-
(view spoiler)[I'm sure there are many things to note about Wonderland. First up is the time changes. Time can change at random, and in the first game, we see right off the bat that Julius has at least some control over the time of day. Role holders seem to have at least some control of time, but it is likely the rules that prevent them from changing things. Julius likely gets the ability to change the time because it's his duty. The Tweedles also can control their own time. They never did it in the first game, but by Clover, they decide to become older whenever they want, probably ignoring the rules, but then again, they are the Bloody Twins. Also, we've seen Vivaldi become younger in later games (non flashback. I'll note her genderbend self as well) When things are disrupted in the movement between Clover and Diamond, the ages of characters are disrupted as well. The twins are now almost always in adult form. Ace and Nightmare are the opposite, having child forms they are in much of the time. Crysta also has a child form, and switches between that and her default self at will. (hide spoiler)]

-Powers of Roles-
(view spoiler)[Alongside this, there are other powers we see with roleholders. They seem to depend on the role. Crysta can freeze people like the the White Witch. Boris can actually summon doors to travel from place to place. Peter, Boris, and Sydney have shown to have an animal form. The lizard tattoo on Gray's neck can come to life and he can feel everything it feels. Pierce does have potions and such to alter size. Nightmare's got a list, levitation, mind reading, entering dreams, coughing up blood (ok, not really a power there), etc. Joker can actually stay out of Nightmare's observation, prancing around the dream realm at will. And we've all seen them summoning guns too. (hide spoiler)]

-Movement-
(view spoiler)[Movement is another strange attribute, where the land itself transfers to another country. Out of the five games, we have gone through 3 countries, each named after a suit. Heart, Clover (present in 3 games), and Diamond. Somethings get picked up and others left behind. It almost seems totally random, as long as the 4 territories and 12 role holder requirement is met. That's why the Clock Tower and Amusement Park were left behind in the second game which added Clover Tower and the Forest filled with doors, and to add in Gray and Pierce, Julius and Gowland were left. Diamond has the territories of Graveyard/Art Museum, Hatter Mansion, Castle of Diamonds, and Train Station. Vivaldi, the King, Gowland, Pierce, and Peter have been left behind in this new game. Instead we have Sydney, Crysta, and Jericho. (hide spoiler)]

-April Season-
(view spoiler)[April Season does enter into the 3rd (Joker) and 4th (Toybox) games though. It's a special time of year where the role holder limit can be exceeded, and Joker's circus comes to town. The Park returns along with Gowland and Julius, so there are quite a few characters in those two games. The season also bring about actual seasons, each territory getting a different one. The Castle had spring, the park gets summer, fall for the Hatters, and winter for the tower. The seasons can be changed by playing a card game with Joker. If you win, he'll change the weather for you. (hide spoiler)]
I'll continue later

Ashley wrote: "Ashleigh wrote: "Alysse wrote: "Ashleigh wrote: "This series wasn't really my cup of tea, but was enjoyable enough that I finished the whole of it in one sitting. I wish the author wasn't so MADDEN..."

Thank you so much for doing this - it makes way more sense now!

I was mostly confused about (view spoiler)[her sister's death. It was so random to me! I didn't get that she had started out dead, it just seemed like something randomly thrown in to tie up a loose plot thread. (hide spoiler)]

The entire story just jumps around so much, with very little transition. It's hard to follow!

Continuing onward. Also, don't be surprised if I repeat some info or mention stuff you already know.

-Drawn to Alice-
(view spoiler)[Another trait of Wonderlanders is that they are supposed to love Alice. Now, this doesn't mean that everyone has to love her romantically or will fall in love at first sight. They have to interact with her, and the time it takes depends on the character. They all are drawn to foreigners, due to their hearts. Hearts like ours simply do not exist in their world, and those with beating hearts are not bound by any rules as they are. This is amplified by Alice personality, as she is overall very caring and has a strong value for life. She doesn't want any of them to die, which is something that most haven't really experienced. Just look at Boris' change in attitude after Alice chastised him. Her value of time also allows her to tell the faceless apart, making her care for them even more notable.
(hide spoiler)]

-Nightmare's Domain-
(view spoiler)[So I had mentioned the dream realm before. It is where the border between worlds resides, and is how Peter took Alice into Wonderland. This is Nightmare's domain, and the only way to even enter the realm is with Nightmare's permission, which is why people don't just casually go to Wonderland everytime they take a nap. It is basically impossible to go between realms without passing through the dream realm. We know they passed through the dream realm in the game as we could see the background become the dream realm when they fall down the hole before reaching the Clock Tower, but this allusion is excluded from the manga. Nightmare is also most powerful here than outside the realm. (He can float outside, for example, but it probably takes more energy or something along those lines, which is why he only does it in the dream realm.) He can change the appearance of the realm, like whole giant mushroom thing, walking on rainbows, riding giant flying sea turtles, and so on, though it tends to be in that empty, colourful miasma form, if that's what you'd describe it. Oh, and he's turned Alice into a mermaid once. I was super confused, but whatever...

What's really interesting is that you can't enter the realm without Nightmare letting you in. But with the introduction of the Jokers, they just waltz into Alice's dream, really pissing Nightmare off a few times there. Joker can enter the dream realm at will, and there have been times where when Alice wanders the dream realm, she somehow stumbles into the prison realm. Joker's prison. This may suggest that the prison realm is either in or connected to the dream realm, and just adds more questions on what Joker's role is even about, especially after adding in his knowledge of Alice's memories, which was originally restricted to just Peter and Nightmare.
(hide spoiler)]

-Clock Hearts-
(view spoiler)[Now, we also are aware of how all of Wonderland's inhabitants have a clock heart. This is because of how they are connected to time. They are seen as replaceable because they're clocks can be repaired, but also because time passes, and as time passes, things change. Many people don't really pay attention to the hour itself, more what is associated with that hour. (Like a meeting, date, party, school, television show, etc) This is exactly like how the people themselves don't find value in their lives, but they do see the roles they fill as important. Julius really does represent father time in this respect as he must repair the clocks and allow time to continue foreword. Once again, this relates to Alice and how she cherishes time and her connection to Peter.
(hide spoiler)]

-The Four Suits-
(view spoiler)[As one can conclude from the title, each country we've known of so far is named after the four playing card suits. By the point of the newest game, Alice has been to Heart, Clover, and finally Diamond, and any new land will likely be Spades. There have been times where other oddities occurred as well, such as Toybox offering yet another world. But that's more of a just-for-fun thing, and is a parallel world where everyone is at a magical academy (probably the same one that was in Quinrose's first otome game, as the uniforms are identical). Since the land itself can move, the territories present changes in some games, but there are tends to be three feuding factions and a fourth, neutral area. There are two major exceptions, when the Amusement park temporarily disappears with nothing but neutral forest behind, and the addition of Joker's Circus with the Forest of Joker.

Territories:
Heart - Clock Tower (Neutral), Heart Castle (Seat of Government), Hatter Mansion, and Amusement Park

*movement occurs*

Clover - Clover Tower (neutral. Seat of Government), Heart Castle, Hatter Mansion, and The Forest Filled with Doors (Unmanaged)

Joker - Clover Tower (Neutral. Seat of Government. Connected to Clock Tower), Heart Castle, Hatter Mansion, Amusement Park, and Joker's Circus within Joker's Forest (Neutral. Appears to be the same as the Forest filled with Doors)

Toybox - Same as Joker, but with the possibility of playing through a parallel world instead of Wonderland.

*movement occurs*

Diamond - Hatter Mansion, Castle of Diamonds (Seat of Government), Graveyard/Art Museum, and Train Station (neutral)

*odds are another movement will occur in if there is another game, likely to a country of Spades. They're also likely to throw in another April Season. Just because we like having all of these guys in one game.*
(hide spoiler)]

Okay, next up is characters. Once again, I may repeat information you are already aware of, but there are changes in character personalities between the manga and everything else. And it'd feel odd if I just left out parts of it, even if it was something we all know.

I'll group them in a similar way the Joker and Toybox games do, for convenience and balance.

The Hatter Mafia family is just that, a mafia family. They reside in the Hatter Mansion, and are a part of the territory feud occurring in the story. The situation becomes more intensified in the latest game, Diamond, as one of the territories includes a rival mafia family.

-Blood Dupre-
(view spoiler)[Hatter Mafia Family (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)
Mad Hatter (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)

For some of you, parts of this explanation may sound a bit odd, but this is the Blood I'm accustomed too. You see, he's had quite a personality shift between him in the games (and doujins) and him in this manga.

As far as his general disposition is concerned, he really is lazy. I recall times in the games where he would do an ungodly amount of work at once, but only so he could sleep for multiple time periods on end. He'd still prefer to have the work done in the end anyways, and is surprisingly responsible. He hates being bored, and is kinda arrogant at times, acting a bit like a jerk, but nowhere near as bad as in the manga, and still the gentleman, as always. Still a bit of a flirt, teasing Alice at times. And Blood does have quite a sharp tongue, though I have never heard him use particularly crude language in the games, and calling people names isn't much of his thing either.

With his friends, you can see how he is protective towards those important to him. He was willing to break Elliot out of jail (a dire case of rule-breaking), and promised to break Elliot's clock so he could not be replaced (an even greater offense). There is also the situation with Vivaldi. They were extremely close siblings prior to receiving their roles, which happened to be quite an unfortunate setup. Yet despite his role forcing the two to be arch enemies, he continues to care very much for her, so he had the secret rose garden where they can meet without anyone's interference. Putting up a good front also helps, so it's not very obvious he's breaking the rules. It is revealed that he chose to take a role, even if it was an enemy one, just so he could see Vivaldi again. Vivaldi has told Alice many times that Blood will take good care of Alice, as he had for herself.

Towards Alice, this is where things get complicated due to the manga. Really, the manga version basically turns him into a jerk who acts like a spoilt child, calling Alice names and harming her. Yeah, he did act arrogant and mean to Alice at times, pointing out her ex-boyfriend, but he certainly wouldn't be childish enough to call her names. In the games he is more mature, and it appears to be more of a case that he can't really express his affections for Alice too well. You have to remember that he's still a mafia boss, and had never encounter someone like Alice before. But Blood is quite protective of her, even if it was more discreet. He tries to be sure she's looked after well, even if it's not by him. (has a place to stay, eats well, doesn't die, and so on.) I've noticed that he has the most "jealously events" too, but doesn't take it out on Alice. I'll also note, that throughout each game, he gets progressively nicer as Alice and interacting with her seems to soften him a bit. Blood's really the only one in practically all the games to marry Alice, and takes responsibility for these things.

So we are also reminded of Alice's boyfriend because of her response to Blood. To her, Blood's face looks like her old boyfriend's. Now, I'm not sure if the Blood we, as the audience sees is the same as the face Alice sees. Why does she see her Ex's face when looking at Blood? That's because Nightmare altered her perception of his face to see her old love's. Everyone else's face is the looks the way it actually is, only Blood is affected, and only Alice can see the different face. To everyone else, he looks the same as always. I suspect that we the readers see his real face, as, if you notice, they never draw out the boyfriend's face, in either the games or comics. Regardless, Nightmare probably did it to expand Alice's chances of staying behind, and for kicks too since Blood acts so different from her Ex.

I'm also sure it's quite obvious he's based off the Hatter/Hatta from the books by Lewis Carroll. Really, except for the hat (which says 10/6 in basically all versions I've seen of him) and the love for Tea Parties, there isn't much similarity. He's definately not near as mad as Hatter, who recites nonsensical poetry, makes random personal remarks, and gives unanswerable riddles. In the original book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, he does have his Tea Party with the March Hare and the Doormouse, who both are mafia members in this adaptation, so retain their connections to the Hatter. The original Hatter has been in trouble with the law before also. He tried to sing for the Queen of Hearts during a celebration, but is sentenced to death for murdering time. He escapes being beheaded, but Father Time forces him and Hare to be trapped at 6:00 forever. (His shaky relations with Julius likely alluding to this.) He also appears at the Knave's trial, and the Queen remembers him as the singer that was supposed to be beheaded. (This may be where the idea of their roles being enemies stems from.) In Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice Found, he goes by the name Hatta, he's having more trouble with law. (Welp, I guess that's where the mafia thing came from) But he hasn't committed the crime yet, as sometimes these things work backwards in Looking-Glass Land. Also is a messenger for the White King, alongside his friend Haigha (March Hare).
(hide spoiler)]

-Elliot March-
(view spoiler)[Hatter Mafia Family (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)
March Hare (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)

Elliot is really just Elliot in both versions. He's the guy in the group with the big heart, since Ace is more of a stepford smiler. Now, even though he does have just a lovable personality, he is the Hatter Family's number 2. He does what Blood asks him to do, no questions asked, and that includes things like killing. He does have moments where he is quite scary, and it's quite a big contrast to the cheerful self we see at tea parties. Peter really finds him to be just stupid for believing he's a dog of some sort. Peter knows he's a rabbit and that Elliot's one too, so they tend to shoot at each other because of that. Pierce also just wants to flat out hug these rabbits because he just love other rodents, who aren't trying to eat him like Boris.

Also, Elliot adores Blood. He will whole-heartedly follow Blood.
This is of course, due his backstory. A close friend of Elliot had died, and respecting his final wishes, destroyed his clock so he could not be replaced. Being a huge sin as it is, Julius had Elliot arrested by sending Ace. Elliot was defeated by the masked man (never knowing it was Ace.) Blood busted him out and the two promised to destroy the other's clock if they died first. Since Elliot is really a lot like a big brother type, he can't hold a grudge against anyone. Anyone except for one. The one person he wishes to kill with all his heart is Julius, as Julius had him arrested and his role prevents anyone from having freedom in their lives. Joker also seems to garner contempt from Elliot, but really, everyone hates Joker, which I'll get into later.

Even though he almost killed Alice the first time, he never tries to do so again as Blood was against it. He's extremely kind to her. He's genuinely liked by Alice, but also tends to be the type she can say she likes without the awkwardness. Even in his route, there are times where she just sees him as adorableness instead. It must be depressing to date someone who tends to see you as something to just hug like a teddy bear a good portion of the time. Also, Alice feels the need to pull on his ears because he's just too damn cute.

Once again, it's fairly obvious who he is derived from, being the March Hare who appeared in the two original stories. He retains the original's connection to the Hatter by being Blood's number two, as in both books he's been with the Hatter. Still, not much resemblance is seen in personality, as he's far from being constantly nerve-wracked. He is first drawn with straw on his head in the illustrations by Sir John Tenniel, which was a common way to depict madness in Victorian times. This may not have been intentional, but Elliot has been seen with bits of straw on his clothes or the whole thin-plant-in-mouth effect. The March Hare has also appeared as Haigha, one of the White King's messengers in Through the Looking-Glass.
(hide spoiler)]

-Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum-
(view spoiler)[Hatter Family (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)
Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)

So, Dee is the one in red and Dum is in the blue. Dee prefers to take breaks and holidays, while Dum prefers money. Outside, they are children, and as far as their maturity is, they are, regardless of how they look. (They get adult forms later on, but they still act exactly the same.) But they are still smart enough to use their age as an advantage, using the excuse of being children to get their way. Blood was the guy who hired them, but they're total slackers. Most of the time, they were never at the gate, and when there, they'd kill anyone, friend, foe, or neutral. Despite this, Blood still hired them happily, since the Tweedles are strong, even if they are bad employees.

The twins are totally bffs with Boris despite him living on enemy territory. This is because the trio love shooting and cool weapons. Dee and Dum are also chased by Elliot alot, as they are slackers and Elliot would hate for Blood to waste all his money on these two. Thing 1 and 2 here also have to deal with Ace often. They hate him because he's the only guy they are afraid off, since he's just too strong for them, and they just hate his guts. Unfortunately for them, Ace gets lost on his way to other places and winds up at the gate way too much for comfort. They want to do the "no trespassing" part of their jobs when they actually do show up, but Ace is just too crazy strong and they just get their asses kicked.

When dealing with Alice, the twins always aim for the weak spots. Dee and Dum know she can't say no to children, and use their ages as leverage. This causes the twins to do some... unchildlike behavior, then shift to puppy dog eyes mode if they think Alice is getting upset. They're 12 yet they know they're sexually harassing the girl. And they enjoy it.

It just gets even trickier with the second game, Clover, as they gain the ability to change between their child forms and their new adult forms. If you see them, Dee has the hairpins, and Dum has the ponytail. They decided to do this because they noticed Alice get all nervous and stuff around other guys, but realized they can't get that reaction as children. So the Tweedles cheated, and change their ages at will.

Still another obvious one, with the two being based off Tweedledum and Tweedledee. But these guys certainly aren't two little fat men with scottish accents. They first appeared in the second book, Through the Looking-Glass. The two recite an old nursery rhyme and planned to reenact the battle mentioned in it, but a huge crow scared them away. They never contradict each other in this tale either. So far, the biggest resemblance is that they're twins, and maybe one can argue for the whole battling thing. (Though looking back, it would be interesting to give them accents, just because it's a bit different. But I don't know how long I could go with it.)
(hide spoiler)]

Alysse wrote: "Okay, next up is characters. Once again, I may repeat information you are already aware of, but there are changes in character personalities between the manga and everything else. And it'd feel odd..." thanks for all this info! I can not play the games since I do not know Japanese so I greatly appreciate this.

Castle of Hearts is next, containing characters whose original counterparts are all connected in a similar situation as well, associated with the Heart royals if not being them. The Castle of Hearts is the seat of government in the first game, but because of the feud, little gets done in that regard except for things like trials.

-Vivaldi-
(view spoiler)[Castle of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)
Queen of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)

Vivaldi is our Queen of Hearts. She's beautiful, poised, powerful, and has a temper, which often results in the beheading of those who are in her line of fire. We should have the gist of her backstory as of now. She also has her wonderful love of cute things too, keeping them all in a secret room.

To her peers, we know her to keep her refined and poised personality wherever she goes, often speaking in the royal "we", even in informal situations. But her temper, though not one that causes her to burst out, does cause heads to roll, so many faceless servants fear her, mostly when they're being sent to court. Normally, others can't persuade her to do otherwise, but those she cares for can cause her to soften up to their requests, which is how Alice saved quite a few faceless from being decapitated. Vivaldi love her brother, Blood, strongly, but due to the unfortunate situation they're in, they can only be themselves in a secret rose garden. Flowers that they both adore. She wholeheartedly believes in her brother's abilities, often stating to Alice how she would be taken care of by Blood. Still, she does have a notable prejudice against men, noting things about their uselessness or finding them stupid. Odd, seeing as she gains the ability to genderbend herself in Toybox. She also seems to like the King more than she'd dare admit. Her affection for cute things also tends to overtake her a few times, such as when she was okay with Boris but not with everyone else as he's a cat and cats are cute. Pierce is despised by her because he's a mouse and rats are disgusting vermin to her.

Towards Alice, she finds herself to be very close, almost like a sister. (But a few interpret her as a lesbian. The genderbend just makes it even more confusing.) And of course, she thinks Alice is cute and pretty, so likes seeing her in clothes that suit her, and has taken her shopping a few times. She seems pretty protective of Alice too, and enjoys the idea of her being with Blood.

Roots of this character are obvious, but she'd definitely not as crazy as the original. Sure, both had a temper and liking for beheadings, but Vivaldi is far from being such a threatening obstacle. The Queen first meets Alice in her beloved rose garden (Both her and Vivaldi love roses) just to become frustrated until her husband reminds her Alice is only a child. She also enjoys croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs as playing tools, which our version of the Queen likes as well, but with normal items.
(hide spoiler)]

-The King-
(view spoiler)[ Castle of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)
King of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)

The often forgotten, henpecked King to Vivaldi. The two were assigned their roles at random, as everyone else is, and the two aren't married. Because Vivaldi has such a stronger personality compared to his softer, docile, moderate one, he is really just forgotten all the time, just wandering the background. He does seem to care for Vivaldi, though maybe not in a romantic sense, yet he always winds up leaving exasperated because of her temper and tendency to behead people for slight offenses. He really dislikes their lack of staff, but he can only try to calm her down and attempt to moderate things as much as he can.

Since he's not that major of a character, we don't see him often, but he has interacted with Alice at the Castle before. He seems to just be a generally nice guy to her. Probably likes her in a totally platonic sense. And is likely glad there's someone else who can calm Vivaldi down.

Based off the King of Hearts, who is very much in the exact same situation as this one. He secretly pardons all who the Queen tries to behead and is pretty decent to Alice, and likely one of the most "sane" people in Wonderland, which is seen in this King.
(hide spoiler)]

-Peter White-
(view spoiler)[Castle of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)
White Rabbit (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)

This is another character that had some noticable changes done to his personality in the manga. He's much cuter in the manga, actually. In the manga, he's only slightly annoying, as he's cute with a bit of a stalker personality, but in the games there is much more to his personality, and his actions are explained much better.

Peter is the one who conspired with Nightmare to bring Alice to Wonderland. He's a germophobe and works at the Castle as Prime Minister.

To those around him...
Okay. He hates everyone. Period.
He's that much of a germophobe. He hates everyone around him, seeing them all as germs. But he does have levels of hatred. Ace is the one he hates more than anyone, even going out of his way to send assassians after him multiple times.

Peter just absolutely surrenders to Alice though. This is why Nightmare was willing to help Peter, as he was just so callous and cold hearted, but was begging the incubus for help in retrieving Alice. He's head over heels for her, and will do anything to make her happy. He's easily the most honest and determined with his love for Alice, but his ways of expressing it often get a bit twisted and distorted. He takes Alice to Wonderland to make her happy, but that did require kidnapping. Also, he's willing to shoot and kill all of Alice's family to make her stay, and he doesn't care who she winds up with. Yet it's all for her happiness. I think the main problem is that he was so cruel hearted before and, like many other role holders, never felt love before, so that twists his perception into thinking that stalking is love. But he's willing to go to the grave for Alice's happiness. (No, seriously, he said that it's okay if he accidentally missed his target and hit Alice instead, because he'd shoot himself too.) Peter is definitely a complicated character, though he's one of the farthest from being "cute", personality-wise.

Quite far from the character he was derived from. That figety white rabbit that's always afraid to be late definately isn't this Peter. (Actually, he doesn't give a damn if it's AM or PM. They're both close enough in his mind. And he still shows up late.) The original was herald to the Queen of Hearts and was the one who lead Alice to Wonderland. The original is always nervously shilly-shallying, with spectacles and all. He acted like a pompous ass to his subordinates, yet groveled before those higher than him. (And this Peter is kinda mean to subordinates, but that's the whole germ thing) There are a few times where Peter has accidentally rhymed while speaking, probably referenceing some memorable lines from the book, as they have a similar ring as well. ("I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!")
(hide spoiler)]

-Ace-
(view spoiler)[Castle of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox)
Graveyard/Art Museum (Diamond)
Knight of Hearts (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)

Ace is by far one of the most complicated and unstable characters here. He starts off looking like your cheerful, friendly, possible comic relief character. Second time you see him he's covered in blood and dressed like a serial killer. Then you find out he is one of the most warped characters in the entirety of Wonderland.

He's the roleholder who hates the rules. Playing the Knight, deep down Ace knew he wasn't truly a knight at all. His heart was far from that of a noble knight. He found the lives of others worthless moreso than other Wonderlanders, including his own life, as they can all be replaced so easily. So he purposefully went against his role, helping Julius collect clocks. He hopes he can get caught by someone higher up and thus be relieved of his role as knight. Vivaldi had called him foolish, as he would never be relived of his role until the game is over, even if he was caught. Knowing this was useless, Ace still collected the clocks.

Ace claims to want to be friends with everyone, but everyone dislikes him, probably because he's just a stepford smiler and couldn't be attached to anyone. Julius is the only person he found any sort of real attachment to. Their relationship is a bit of a strange, mutual relying on each other. Julius claims to only use Ace for collecting clocks. Ace says he helps Julius because Julius is a pathetic person who needs him, or at least someone. Another interesting trait about their relationship is that, as Julius is kinda of a pathetic person, helping him does make Ace feel like a knight. Even though this is him going against being a knight, knights help the weak, to this situation with him helping Julius is kinda like a paradox here. This is why in the second game, which Julius is gone, he become so much more unstable. He also really hates Gray, because not only is Gray of equal strength but also because of Gray's rocky rival like relationship with Julius, claiming he's "stealing what belongs to Julius" (meaning Alice).

Ace is really confused when dealing with Alice. He befriended Alice in his fake friendly manner he uses with everybody else, but he knew that he was attracted to her, especially because of her heart and ruleless life that could never be replaced. So someone like her is what he wanted most, but this also placed him at a dilemma. As Ace's emotional maturity is like a child, change is scary for him. Even here, you'll notice that people are wary of massive changes, and in a place like Wonderland, this is amplified. Alice can easily change others, making Ace perplexed as he could never change the rules or add meaning to his worthless existence. Ace desires what Alice represents, but part of him also felt threatened by that same fact. He truly does love Alice to the extent of his own life, if not more, but is also the most likely to kill Alice because her presence leaves a weight in his heart that causes him to care about his place in the world.

As he is the Knight of Hearts, he is likely based of the Knave of Hearts. The Knave was in the first book, and on trial for stealing the Queen's tarts, but Alice appears and tries to defend him, as she found the entire situation absurd. The Hatter and Duchess's cook are also witnesses at the trial, but do such a terrible job they are dismissed. When looking at the Knave's outfit in the original illustrations, one may notice a small club symbol on his shirt, so throughout the trial, it may not have even been the correct Knave at all, and instead someone else who just didn't get the chance to clarify. (may be a stretch, or coincidence, but could reference how Ace works for Julius and Joker at times.)
(hide spoiler)]

The Clock Tower is this post. The Clock Tower is Julius' residence in the first game, Heart, and he was the only one living there, until Alice comes along. (Of course, the game lets you live in other places, but the Clock Tower is almost canon and what's used in the manga and also noted in Clover.) It is the only neutral territory in the country of Hearts, but when the movement to the Country of Clover happens, the Clock Tower and Julius is left behind. Instead, Alice finds herself in Nightmare's office, in the Clover Tower, the new neutral area here in Clover. In the third game, April Season allows the 12 roleholder limit to be exceeded, so a special door that's a portal to the Clock Tower appears in Clover Tower.

-Julius Monrey-
(view spoiler)[Clock Tower (Heart. Technically in Joker and Toybox as well)
Clover Tower (Joker, Toybox)
Graveyard/Art Museum (Diamond)

Clockmaker

Julius is one of four role holders who are neutral and are most bound to the rules. (The others are Nightmare, Gray, and Joker) Julius is basically the mortician of Wonderland, as he deals with the broken clocks, the ended lives of people. The rules force him to repair these clocks and replace the life that had been lost. His role is vital to the very existence of Wonderland, but others often see him with contempt because his job is why life is worthless and easily replaced. He himself is one of the people who is against viewing life as worthless, and perhaps the one strongest against it. But because of the vitality of his role, he absolutely must follow his rules, moreso than most, and as everyone hates him he has a very low self-esteem, being a workaholic loner. A personal note, I don't really see him as a mortician at all, and is really more like the opposite. Morticians prepare the dead for their final goodbye, while Julius brings them back. Still, everyone, including himself, see his job as a dirty job, which is why he yelled at Alice for trying to touch the clocks, but he complies anyways.

Because of his role, lots of people hate him, but the main exception is Ace. Ace is just like a living contradiction, as on one hand, he hated being worthless and meaningless, but on the other, he could feel like a true knight when helping Julius, as Julius has this low self esteem and self pity. Bonus points as he's child Ace's guardian in Diamond, residing in the same territory as Jericho and his mafia family. Gowland is interesting too, as he seems to be friends with Julius. Maybe not the closest of people, but they're on surprisingly good terms despite Julius' role. He might just be avoiding Gowland to stay away from rollercoasters, since he really can't stand them. He also has a notable dislike for the mafia, seeing them as nothing but rule breakers, especially as he is the one who had Elliot arrested for smashing a clock. That incident just increased the tension, even though he was just doing what he needed to do.

Julius is practically a tsundere towards Alice. Since he abides by the rules, he was upset with how Nightmare and Peter smuggled Alice into Wonderland (and that they landed right on top of his tower, so he promptly tries to kick the noisemakers out). But soon he also realized that he could not get rid of her. Blood, Ace, and Vivaldi note this a few times, finding it amusing that Julius, of all people, would want Alice by his side, especially for him it would be one of the most forbidden things to do. Unlike some other characters, he's a bit more passive with Alice, but also someone she'd prefer to spend time with. Especially since she feels that if she'd leave him alone he'd forget to eat and die from overwork. He's also very caring about her well being, one of the main reasons he insists on doing the dishes over Alice is that he doesn't want her hands to become rough. Julius is attracted to Alice and her irreplaceable life and her value of people, but knew that his role as clockmaster places him closest to the truth that could harm Alice.

He's likely based of Father Time, a character mentioned briefly by the Hatter in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He was almost killed by the Hatter's singing at the Queen of Hearts' celebration, so trapped the Hatter and the March Hare in an eternal tea time. This could be where his dislike for the mafia and arrest of Elliot originates from.
(hide spoiler)]

This one is Clover Tower. When the movement to the Country of Clover happens, the Clock Tower and Julius is left behind. Instead, Alice finds herself in Nightmare's office, in the Clover Tower, the new neutral area here in Clover. Clover Tower also is the new seat of government, and meetings of all the roleholders occur here periodically. In the third game, April Season allows the 12 roleholder limit to be exceeded, so a special door that's a portal to the Clock Tower appears in Clover Tower.

-Nightmare Gottschalk-
(view spoiler)[Dream Realm (Heart, Clover, Joker, Toybox, Diamond)
Clover Tower (Clover, Joker, Toybox)
Trainstation (Diamond)

Caterpillar, Station Master

Nightmare is the incubus in charge of the Dream Realm. He's one of the four neutral role holders Throughout Heart, we only see him in the Dream Realm, and in Clover he's revealed to be from the Country of Clover, as Lord of Clover Tower. In Diamond, he instead runs the Train Station and is often in a child form, but still seems to retain his normal self in the Dream Realm. Nightmare's been shown to have a variety of powers and abilities, though some of them are mostly used in the dream realm. His roles is one of the most important in all of Wonderland, as he watches over the entire world and patrols the border. And despite his abilities, he's quite sickly, often coughing up blood. Still, he refuses to take any sort of treatment, as he's really terrified of hospitals, especially injections, much to the exasperation of his subordinates. He has a bit of an arrogance to him, talking about himself highly, but those who work for him say otherwise. He's still been a pretty nice guy though, even if he is a bit ridiculous. He actually has a few passive traits in his personality too, in a vein similar to James from Team Rocket. (They even got the same haircut!) Overall, he seems to be one of those who likes to see things like a child (sort of like how some people you see as childish are oddly more mature because of it.) He really acts like an idiot, really, even though he's far from it.

Really, he doesn't seem as comedic in Heart (games or manga) and is more mysterious, even if he does have moments of coughing up blood. But, that's only when we see him in the Dream Realm, where he's more powerful. After knowing more and more about him through the second game, you learn just how goofy he actually is. It's almost as if he's a gaming nerd and the Dream Realm is the internet where he can try to act as badass as he wants and get away with it, while in real life his subordinate Gray is basically acting like his nanny. Nightmare is practically like a head of government since he's in charge of Clover Tower, but he's has been known to hide in boxes, under desks, or in his bed to avoid doing work. Seems to like cats too, as Gray keeps bringing strays in and they sleep in Nightmare's bed, since they're fuzzy and warm. He also reads minds and teases people about it a few times, (until scary people start threatening him) and there was a time he offered Blood a dream filled with orange. His occasional moments of trying to be impressive often get ruined by a snide remark or Gray just simply being exasperated by it all. But due to his regular demeanor, it does make it even more surprising how many residents of Wonderland fear him. There was one time when he's been out just around town, and sees a kitten in a tree. Things were going fine before, but since he floated up to save the kitten, people realized who he was and begun to gossip and get a little nervous and edgy, as the incubus was near. The general populace fears him, though the exact reason is not known. Makes it kinda sad, since he's also the guy who'd go around playing watergun tag with the kids at the park when he's not throwing up blood or hiding from work. Pierce likes him alot though, since he's an insomniac so Nightmare helps him sleep. There is a bit of mystery around him, and he is quite powerful, even if he does whine while claiming to be impressive.

When with Alice, he's often chastised by her for being too childish, doing things like pressing his face into the glass when it starts snowing outside. Nightmare is very protective of her though, and does not allow for people to think lowly of her in anyway whatsoever, especially if it's due to her associating with him. (remember the mind reading?) He's gone past his limits to protect her, trying to fight despite his weak constitution. He also tries to hid bad things from Alice, not only her memories, but even when he's hurt he tries to pretend he's perfectly fine. (Until a skeptical Alice hugs him tightly and he starts to really feel the pain)

Being based off the Caterpillar, he does retain a few traits from him, although he's not a caterpillar in this. (But he does wrap himself tightly in blankets often, making him look like a "bagworm") Alice initially does not like the Blue Caterpillar, as he gives her no direct responses and just seems confusing to her. (Which Nightmare does at times) He is first seen sitting upon a mushroom, smoking a hookah, which is also alluded to in the game, as in one dream Nightmare was sitting on a huge mushroom smoking from a long pipe. (yeah, he smokes and avoids the hospital...) Some sense of knowing seems to be held by many incarnations of the caterpillar, and sometimes the caterpillar knows quite a bit about Alice, which can be reflected by Nightmare knowing about Alice's memories, being the one suppressing them, as well as him having to overview all of Wonderland.
(hide spoiler)]

-Gray Ringmarc-
(view spoiler)[Clover Tower (Clover, Joker, Toybox)
Train Station (Diamond) ?

Lizard

Gray is a character first introduced in the second game when everything moves to Clover. He serves as Nightmare's bodyguard. He's very mature and a hard worker, and Alice had compared him to a mom a few times, since he does act like a worried mother when someone he's caring for gets hurt or in trouble. Unfortunately, other than hot chocolate, everything else he cooks is practically lethal, such as when he made dinner that came out as a mysterious purple porridge. Same goes for art, as everything he tries to draw, sculpt, or paint is always completely different from what was intended, becoming something terrifying. There are plenty of times where he can become quite scary though, sorta like how Elliot can when on the job, since Gray has been targeted many times before. Overall, he's just a very practical person. There is also a black lizard tattoo on his neck that can come to life, and he can feel every thing the lizard does.

He was a former assassin who was supposed to kill Nightmare, but he wound up working for him instead, and does have a strong loyalty to him. He reverts to this state in Diamond, but since's Nightmare's just a child, an still just as sickly as before, he views him more like a companion, and takes him to the hospital instead just to annoy him. Oftentimes, he crushes up Nightmare's medicine and places it into his food, as he refuses to take it himself and just whines. Nightmare's constant refusal to go to the hospital and hiding from work often leaves Gray exasperated much of the time. Honestly, he's more like a nanny who just acts like a bodyguard. Still, he's all but willing to take the bullet for Nightmare, even if playing through his route does make him seem like he's basically getting screwed over most of the time. Because he's such a strong fighter, he actually matches Ace in combat, and Ace absolutely hates him because of his relations with Julius, so Ace keeps picking fights. Gray and Julius have a rivalry, as Gray is often upset at Julius, seeing only Julius' self pity despite all the many things he has, almost seeing the clock maker as ungrateful. He compares himself to Julius often, and since Julius can get so many things much easier and still hate himself makes Gray even more of a workaholic. His love of cute things also is why he's okay with Boris, as Boris has been around him in his cat form before. (Gray loves cute things so much, so he'll stop everything he's doing when he sees something adorable) Animals seem to be attracted to him in general, like when flying squirrels entered Julius' office because Gray opened a window. He actually collects lots of stray animals, as he he can't just leave them to starve on the street, and Nightmare is the one who gives them names.

Gray is very caring towards Alice, even worried about her when she gets a tiny papercut, rushing out of the room to get an entire first aid kit. He tries to keep her safe, but in doing so decides to hide his past as an assassin. This is also because he wouldn't want to be the one to hurt Alice himself either, unlike, say, Ace. Alice feels as if she's just a little child and inferior when with Gray, as he's perhaps one of the most mature characters in the entire series. He seems to also smoke less when around Alice, but he'll still do it when stressed. (which is often, since he has to pick up the slack for Nightmare)

Bill the Lizard is the character Gray is based off of, a lizard who does all the hard work for the community. So we see where the workaholic trait comes from. After trying to get an overgrown Alice out of the White Rabbit's house, he is sent flying out of the chimney as she kicks him. But he survives due to other animals catching him. (Fuzzy animals helping him out, this guy collecting strays...) And he later is also part of the Knave's trial as a juror, only to have his squeaky pencil taken away by Alice.
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Chimney wrote: "It was a good series, but I have yet to read on of the other adaptions. I was rooting for Ace the entire time."

Yeah me to :) I like characters like Ace.

@ Lottie

I don't know, Ace seemed like a bit of a psychopath to me, lol

Mia wrote: "@ Lottie

I don't know, Ace seemed like a bit of a psychopath to me, lol"

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this :X

I honestly loved Elliott best, and was kind of sad (view spoiler)[ that he didn't end up with Alice in the end! (hide spoiler)]

I guess I'll be one of the dissenting opinions here. I only read the first volume (I hadn't even thought to check to see if it was free - I saw that it was being sold, used, at my local bookstore, and snapped it up).

And while I know that a lot of it was trying to decipher her psychology, I just didn't like it and didn't have enough information to decipher much at all. Again, since I'd only read the first volume of Alice in the Country of Hearts, I only had so much information to guess or go off of, and I didn't enjoy it enough to want to pick up more.

The fact that I thought Alice was a sixteen year old who was continuously getting sexually harassed or threatened by everyone she met, well, it turned me off, to be honest. I just didn't want to read anymore about the handsome murderers who were going to seduce her whether she liked it or not. *shrugs*

The added information from this thread helps a lot, but not enough for me to want to read further. Sorry.

Morgan wrote: "I guess I'll be one of the dissenting opinions here. I only read the first volume (I hadn't even thought to check to see if it was free - I saw that it was being sold, used, at my local bookstore, ..."

Honestly, I feel like I should hold this opinion more! It did bother me that the entire manga was basically Alice being forced into abusive relationships...but so much manga seems to have these themes (Hot Gimmick comes to mind...). Honestly, so much YA in general seems to glorify really unhealthy relationships, that I think I might be a bit numbed to it. Not a good thing!

Ashley wrote: "Morgan wrote: "I guess I'll be one of the dissenting opinions here. I only read the first volume (I hadn't even thought to check to see if it was free - I saw that it was being sold, used, at my lo..."

I agree, though mostly because of the manga. The games, it kinda varies from guy to guy. Some routes (Okay, Ace and the Twins are the biggest on this) are just sexual harassment everywhere. Others, Alice (Nightmare, Julius) seems to be wearing the pants in the relationship. Then others just seem a bit more, "normal" (if that's the right word) (Boris, really.)

And then there's Gray, who I just feel sorry for -even though he's from a later game-
(In Clover, Alice seems to just displace all her feelings for the missing Julius onto Gray and he just kinda takes it. Then his boss doesn't care for him. Other guys start flirting with his girlfriend who's okay with it and he just takes it...)

I wasn't a huge fan. There was sexual harassment (it was basically tons of abusive relationships), Alice was pretty annoying as the archetype of needs-to-be-cared-for Mary Jane, and none of the killing appealed to me. Plus the plot kept hinting at things that were never explained, and any themes that could have made some social commentary or made us think of something really new were not explored. I guess they wanted to keep it in the style of the otome, but as an otome lover, these are NOT the kid of guys that I want as choices.

I read through the entire Country of Hearts series and have to agree with MEghana you really can't stand the i need to be taken care of type of hero. plus the way the Hatter just suddenly fell for her? blah, i have recently started the Country of Clovers collection, and by far my favorite volume out of that series is the Bloody twins.

I liked this manga. what was that going on between the Queen and Blood at the end I wonder. Pretty wild plot. I didn't even think about Alice's age w/ all the men. But I'm glad they didn't go too far in that direction. That was quite dark though, about retrieving the clocks. So does Vol 2 continue or does it go off in a completely different direction. Anybody know? It was an interesting read!