A coming of age theme is rather unnoteworthy and common in a fiction story. Much like "Alice in the Wonderland", heavily referenced in manga, the story usually carries an unsettling and mysterious tone. Under the fantasy setting lies a deeper story of lies and deceit, betrayals, and the loss of innocence. This is Pandora Hearts.

Pandora Hearts is a well-drawn manga by Jun Mochizuki. The character designs are, evidently, Wonderland-themed. And despite the heavy referencing, Jun Mochizuki skillfully developed designs that match their identity and personality, in a seamless manner that fully integrates them in the world of Pandora Hearts.

In a manga with two different worlds, the connection and interplay between the worlds establishes a strong foundation for the story. With two vastly different worlds, the story keeps the readers engaged in exploring the mysteries of the Abyss and uncovering the truth behind the relationship between the worlds.

Although battles do occur occasionally, they’re not the main focus of the story and I’m sorry to say that you would be disappointed if you came looking for battle scenes. The characters’ powers, however, do play a significant role. Even characters without the powers, aka Chains, play a significant role elsewhere.

But if you came looking for a great story, this is it. Pandora Hearts is a manga to be remembered for its solid storytelling. Observing the story unfold from different perspectives, we learn of the world through the lens of different characters and their realities. Despite the atrocities a character may commit, we may find ourselves sympathizing with them. Character development is one of the greatest strengths of this manga and it is difficult to argue otherwise.

As much as I’ve praised the manga, there are a few flaws it has. Towards the end of the story, the amount of information may cause the story to feel confusing and incomprehensible for most. Emotional scenes may feel forced and awkward at times, which faces the same problems as the comedic scenes. Additionally, there are times when arcs feel “disconnected” and the “continuity” is broken, disrupting the immersion.

Too lazy to write up in detail so I'll shorten the rest.

There were shocking plot twists that I didn't see coming lightyears away. There's also the theme of searching for identity, which may seem similar to coming of age, but much different once you read the entire story. It disguises itself as a fantasy story but it really is a mystery at its core.

If you have nothing else to read, or you’re just reading mass produced manhwas and isekai all day, I recommend reading this for a change of pace. But hey, thanks for reading what I wrote using the time I should’ve spent writing my college essay. I didn't mention a lot of things here but I gotta stop procrastinating, cya folks.