WHAT happens when Lewis Carroll’s Alice falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in … a reverse harem manga?
The result is that almost every character we know in Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland is now a wispy-haired bishie. Yes, even the grinning Cheshire cat, who is now a fetching lad with cat ears and punk fashion sensibilities.
And then there’s the Mad Hatter, who is not really mad, nor is he the flame-haired, crazy-eyed version played by Johnny Depp in the upcoming Tim Burton movie which premieres nationwide this Thursday. He’s just a good-looking chap, who happens to wear a hat … and is the head of a mafia gang named “the Hatters”. Uhm. I see.
The fact that these characters are now bishonen is not surprising since this alternative Alice in Wonderland tale is actually based on a dating simulation game by Japanese video game maker Quinrose.
The story, however, starts out quite like the Carroll story: While relaxing in the garden with her sister Lorina, Alice Liddell is distracted by a white rabbit who demands that she follow him. This is where the tale goes a little differently: when Alice refuses, said rabbit (whose name is Peter) turns into a long-haired bishonen with rabbit ears who whisks her away and throws her down a deep, dark hole, and she ends up in Wonderland.
While Wonderland is indeed the same strange place, the characters in Wonderland, besides being mostly made up of pretty boys, seem to be in love with Alice! Fortunately, Alice has enough sense to know that this isn’t exactly normal.
Bear with me as I narrate the rest of the tale, as I had a tough time following the story and my interpretation could be wanting.
It seemed to me, on my first reading, that Alice complains much about her lot. No wonder, since random cute guys appear ever so often to confuse her (and the readers) about their motives. (And some of them can be a bit grabby too, brr!)
The second time round, things were a little clearer. Apparently, Wonderland is at war, and those who claim to love her have to do so because of some game. And not everyone is happy to do so. Also, in order for Alice to return home, she has to talk to as many Wonderland denizens as possible.
If you’re confused, I don’t blame you as I’m not exactly on the same page with the creators of this tale myself. I am still not sure where this story is heading to, what its purpose is, and what the lads are there for except to satisfy some desire to cram as many bishie as possible in a manga.
Far too many characters are introduced too quickly and without a reason for us to relate to any of them. And with the men dragging Alice to one strange place and situation after another at breakneck speed, I felt a little mad towards the end.
Perhaps that’s how it’s supposed to be: things have to be this confusing and the pace so manic because we’re in Wonderland, where things aren’t supposed to make sense. (I’m being sarcastic.)
The art, at least, is pleasant. If you have a thing for bishonen, you’re in for a treat, though the backgrounds are plain and rather boring.
Alice, too, is a bearable heroine – she doesn’t swoon helplessly into the arms of any man she encounters, and some of the men have a dangerous edge that makes them microscopically more intriguing.
