Why Gakuen Alice Belongs in Affection Archive

Spoiler scope: The television anime's opening premise and basic character relationships. The linked Natsume essay discusses events through episode 26.

Mikan goes to Alice Academy because she wants to see Hotaru again. Before the school becomes a place full of extraordinary abilities, it is the place her friend has gone without her.

That is where I want to begin this Gakuen Alice series. I like that a school with such an unusual condition for admission enters the story through such an ordinary wish: wanting to be with someone. It gives me a reason to look at who reaches out, who keeps their distance, and what happens between them.

Mikan's affection for Hotaru is easy to see. Hotaru's cooler manner does not meet it with the same enthusiasm. They are best friends; they also express themselves very differently. I want to keep both things in view. Does a cold reply mean there is no feeling behind it? And does knowing they are friends mean every sharp word deserves a generous reading? I would rather follow what they actually do than settle either question in advance.

Natsume makes me want to ask something similar. His guardedness is a starting point, but knowing that he shuts people out still leaves the question of whom he lets close. His friendship with Ruka gives us somewhere to look. Understanding another person, letting them approach, and making them feel understood may happen at very different speeds.

The first character essay already follows that question: Natsume Hyuuga Understands More Than He Shows. It looks at one exchange with Mikan and the distance between noticing her feelings and making his own attention easy to recognize. Read it if you have finished the television anime; this introduction can be your starting point if you have not.

As the collection grows, I want to read Mikan, Hotaru, Natsume, and Ruka both individually and alongside the people they care about. Being in the same friendship does not necessarily mean wanting the same kind of closeness. A cheerful person and a reserved one can share a scene while hoping for different things from it. That is what I want to slow down for: the words they choose, the response they receive, and the next thing they decide to do.

You can follow those readings in the Gakuen Alice collection, starting with the Natsume essay above.

Premise and character references: Aniplex's official episode 2 synopsis and profiles for Mikan, Hotaru, and Natsume. The questions about their feelings are the approach of this essay series, not official explanations of their motives.