Comics / Manga

Pandora Hearts Volume 7


By Chris Zimmerman
January 11, 2012 - 06:48

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Despite stumbling early on, and building its story in the most abstract manner possible, Pandora Hearts seems to have finally found its footing. Early in its run, when the series wasn’t raising question after question and introducing several characters without any rhyme or reason, it was explaining the plot in longwinded dialogue scenes. As the series progresses, Jun Mochizuki has been broadening her understanding of the creation of manga, taking time to flesh out the characters and pace the series in such a way that it doesn’t feel as though a million plot points are being cobbled together and shoved in the reader’s face.

While the last volume was a step in the right direction, there were a few goofs that nearly upended it. Chief among them were the portions detailing Oz and his uncle sneaking into an Academy. Fortunately things picked up when the Baskervilles made their presence known. Sadly, ths volume doesn’t really offer a proper payoff, as the Baskervilles retreat at the reappearance of Jack Vessalius.

What follows is a break in the serious nature of the series in favor for tongue in cheek activities. Sharon attempts to coach Alice on her relationship with Oz while Oz’s uncle dole’s out his own brand of hijinks. Truth be told, these chapters feel odd and out of place. There really isn’t any reason for them to be here save for an attempt at humor that feels more forced than genuine. Thankfully the series gets back on track by focusing on its most appealing character in Break. Audiences are treated to another glimpse into his past, and while it leaves off on a cliffhanger, it’s a surprising enough revelation that it will have readers returning for more.

Volume 7 of Pandora Hearts stays the course the series has been on. It has its share of good and bad, and resolves lingering mysteries while opening up new cans of worms for readers to churn over. Once again Break is the highlight of the volume, and the reason to truly invest in the series, however the misplaced humor and pointless plot contrivances distract from any advances Mochizuki has made.

Rating: 8 /10


Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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