Rozen Maiden, Vol. 8

Jun Sakurada is a shy junior high student who spends much of his time alone, until a strange young girl arrives in his life. She is Shinku, one of the Rozen Maidens: living dolls, crafted by a mysterious maker and bound to a secret contest called the Alice Game. The dolls compete to become Alice, and each has her own rivalries and wishes. As Jun is drawn into their world, he finds himself caught between the dolls' ambitions, and the boundary between the doll world and his own grows thinner. This volume continues the series' blend of delicate art, gothic atmosphere and odd, tender relationships.