PH2: Pandora Hearts Plot Holes
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I picked up the series because the fansubbing group which was doing Durarara!! happened to be doing this as well and for some odd reason the images and descriptions caught my eye. (No idea.)
The concept is compelling, I'll give it that much. A boy on the verge of being 'crowned' leader of the surrounding kingdoms is caught by a band of rebels terrorists in the middle of the ceremony, and he's thrown into a prison (which he had originally thought was just a ghost story fairy tale that his uncle used to describe to scare him). There he meets a strange girl who protects him and requires his contract in order to be freed. But she only wants to regain her memories and so the two of them, accompanied by a few others fight off these demons in order to find her memories.
However, the story needs work. Or at least, the anime does. I'm not certain whether the anime was meant to have a second season or not, but by the way they wrapped up the tale in the last episode, I find it hard to believe that they'll continue it. The problem with the anime is the plot holes. With the way certain ideas were introduced and presented and resolved, it left a lot of questions open.
What is the Tragedy of Sabrié?
The anime never actually tells us. I looked it up in wiki, and even then the answer I found was based off the manga (which is still going, apparently obviously). From what we can tell in the anime, it was caused by Glen Baskerville who ordered his underlings to burn and kill everyone in the city. But then again, Vincent also appeared there, claiming that it was his [Gilbert's] fault. The manga's/wiki's response: Glen Baskerville felt despondent after the love of his life (Lacie) died so he ordered them to destroy the city. On top of that, they were trying to reincarnate Glen Baskerville into a new body, Gilbert's. So they killed Gilbert. But Vincent summoned Abyss, which actually caused the massacre, in order to save Gilbert... To be honest, that hardly makes any sense. We'll see in the future if they've course-corrected that line of reasoning.
Who is Alice? Who is the White Alice/Will of the Abyss?
According to the anime, the Will and Alice are actually twins, but one died at birth. If that is the case, then...
What caused the Will to be created at all?
Just because a fetus doesn't come to term, does not mean it becomes an almighty force in another dimension with powers capable of destroying the world.
When and why did Alice die?
It can be implied that Vincent killed her with scissors when she was still locked away at the Baskerville's tower. But how did he get there? Why kill Cheshire? Why would he kill her? Did Vincent kill her more than 100 years ago, before the Tragedy? Is that how he appeared before the White Alice when Break came to her 50 years ago? But if that the case...
What is the actual timeline with regards to Vincent/Gilbert's appearing in Abyss and Break's appearance?
They say that Break's killing spree occurred 50 years ago, but only after that did he go to Abyss to ask for the power to change the past. But when he went there and found the White Alice, we see Vincent carrying Gilbert (which is presumably from the Tragedy) and thusly taunting her.
Who is "Lacie"?
The song from the watch, the song that Glen apparently wrote and that Eliot managed to compose an alternative to on his own as well. Wiki/Manga: Lacie was Glen Baskerville's lover/beloved. If so...
What happened to her? How is she related to Alice?
Oddly enough, her name is an anagram of Alice's name...Does that mean there is a connection? Hard to say right now. Except that for some reason, the grave (which according to Wiki is Lacie's) at which the watch was found contained one of Alice's most potent memories of Jack Bezarius.
Who/What is Oz Bezarius?
There are a few situations in which someone (Break) questions where is really is. Is the question meant to be metaphorical/symbolic/spiritual, or was it a true question? According to Wiki/the Manga, there was a hint that Oz's father actually took him as a baby and possibly did something with him: replacing him, changing him, etc. Does this have something to do with his ability to control the Black Rabbit without Gilbert's seal? Or his own power that equals that of the Mad Hatter's (the ability to negate the powers of Abyss)? Does it have something to do with why his father was trying to send him into Abyss?
Why did his father/the Baskervilles want to send Oz into Abyss?
As far as I can tell, the true reason behind it is still a mystery. Even by the end of the anime. Does Oz have some sort of connection to Abyss beyond the contract he made with Alice? Something that stems from before he went there? From his birth? From his soul? Hopefully, the manga does a better job in the long run of developing this thought thoroughly.
Where is Glen Baskerville?
From the hints in the anime and the Manga/Wiki, Glen Baskerville is still alive, despite the histories that say Jack killed him. Looking up in Wiki, the Jabberwocky that appeared at the end of the series is actually Glen's Chain. However, the anime never goes into that detail. I suppose that an anime-only fan is supposed to assume that the Baskervilles somehow (for some reason) opened a gate to Abyss, sending all of those Chains into the real world to wreak havoc and nothing more. That the only reason the Jabberwocky appeared is by chance and that he's simply the 'final boss' of the series.
Who is Eliot?
Apparently another Nightray. But the anime again never brings that up. And the hints that he may be a reincarnation of Glen or at least has some of his memories (seeing as he composed a variation of Lacie).
Why the Alice In Wonderland theme?
Is there something else beyond the use of the stock names from Carroll's story or is that all there is to it? In the original, Alice falls down a rabbit hole in a dream. In that case, could Alice herself be the dreamer? Then what about Oz? His name is obviously from The Wizard of Oz, in which case Oz itself is a dreamworld so that Dorothy could come to terms with the life she was living.
I'm sure there are questions that I'm forgetting so I'll leave it open here for later.
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Even though the plot itself looks like swiss cheese, should I pick up the manga and hope for a more solid resolution to the story? Or should I leave it as is and be content with the Evangelion-like ending? =/
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