Gakuen Alice

Mikan is content being raised by her grandfather and attending classes with her brainy best friend Hotaru. But when Hotaru is sent to a special school and Mikan receives only one letter over a period of several months, Mikan packs up and sneaks off to find her buddy. Surprisingly, the Alice Academy is not for geniuses but for children with super powers, or Alices. Although Mikan is allowed to enter (it turns out she, too, has an Alice) and reunite with her friend, she then faces an uphill battle to win acceptance from both students and faculty, in a place where explosives, giant baby chicks, and ax-wielding teddy bears are commonplace. But Mikan must persevere, because once novices enter the mystical academy, they're not allowed to leave. Director Takahiro Omori's Gakuen Alice is a mix of gentle Japanese school comedy and X-Men, with unhurried stretches of humorous daily life punctuated by dashes of action. Mikan is an appealing heroine, while the rest of the cast is a step up from the usual stereotypes, and the animation is bright and cute. Compiling all 26 episodes from 2004-05 on a five-disc boxed set in Japanese-only with English subtitles, suitable for 13-up, DVD extras include liner notes and character bios. Recommended. Aud: P. (L. Martincik)