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Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 4)

Master Qifrey’s atelier has just gotten a letter. Two of his students, ambitious Agott and solitary Richeh, are due to take their second test at Serpent Back Cave. Upon their arrival, they meet another master and his student, shy Euini. The second test, called Sincerity of the Shield, has the students shepherding myrphons (an adorable blend of penguins and ducks) through the cave to their nesting grounds during migration season. The path is ancient – and dangerous. More so when a member of the Brimmed Caps appears and creates trouble, both for the students inside the cave, and Master Qifrey and Coco outside…

Much development for secondary characters happens in this volume. We see Richeh in particular preferring to create her own spells instead of copying existing spells for practice. She is reluctant to take the test, but agrees to when she realizes she can do it her own way. This contrasted with newcomer Euini, who has failed the test twice before, by trying and failing to emulate what others have done before him. There’s great dialogue about doing things “right” vs. “wrong” vs. “your own way” and all three students taking the test learn from one another.

Speaking of tests, I am really enjoying the magic and testing system in this manga. It’s been my experience that many “magic school” stories have more written over practical exams for their students. This type of test, where the students are given a task to do, feels like it showcases everyone’s unique abilities better as well as fostering collaboration and character growth. This volume is a prime example of this reverse-trope done well.

This volume ended on the worst cliffhanger, so I’m very eager for the next one!

– Kathleen

Shirahama, Kamome. Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 4). 2019.

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Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Vol. 4)

Akiko is continuing to work at the call center and in Hidaka-sensei’s classroom while drawing and submitting manga to Bouquet magazine. Some of it sticks (such as a Thelma and Louise styled story), some doesn’t. When Bouquet ceases publication and a new magazine called Cookie starts up in its’ place. Challenged to write a youthful, more fashion-forward story, she writes “Dress Up Summer” which gets serialized. She’s finally bringing in money regularly from writing and drawing manga! After being invited to a publishing party in Tokyo, she meets Ishida Takumi and other manga creators for Cookie who live and work in Osaka. Akiko’s saved up enough by this point to move there… but what about Sensei and his students who are studying for their own exams?

I feel as if the pace slowed down a little bit in this volume, but in a good way. Akiko shows more details and events of her life during this time period. For example, she helps Sensei with a home project to make his garden look and feel more like Monet’s fabled gardens. We also see a visit from her boyfriend at the time, and all the sights they saw and the foods they ate in Miyazaki: including a meal from Sensei himself. All these events and details are meticulously rendered – so much so that I was craving the sushi that was shown!

A chapter that will be enjoyable for all readers (not just artists like myself) is the chapter where she explains the process of making manga. It’s so much more involved than even I thought! And so fascinating! It’s even more impressive that she did so much by herself, only in the evenings, for so long. It’s at this point that she recruits friends as assistants, for good reason!

More and more, this story becomes less about Akiko’s artists journey and more about the folly of youth and the illusion that comes with it: that we all have all the time in the world. From the beginning, she’s been foreshadowing that something has happened to Sensei since the events of this story, and that something is finally revealed in this volume. All her hints and “what if” sighs do nothing to make this gut punch any less heart wrenching and painful. At the end of this volume, she’s left with a choice: to go back to Miyazaki and help Sensei and his students, or to continue her upward rise in Osaka. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing her choice in the next volume.

– Kathleen

Higashimura, Akiko. Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Vol. 4). 2020.

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A Bride’s Story (Vol. 11)

This volume picks up right where the last picked off: with Talas reuniting with Mr. Smith in Ankara. Her story is told here. When she and Mr. Smith parted the first time, she was deeply unhappy. She got married so her elderly mother wouldn’t worry about her, but she confessed her feelings for Mr. Smith to her new husband. Wanting to make her happy, they set off for Ankara under the guise of going on a pilgrimage to pray for a long and prosperous marriage. As Talas and her husband wait in Ankara, she asks him to pawn her jewelry and possessions for more money so they can stay longer. When they find him, she begs him to take her with on the rest of his adventures… to which Mr. Smith agrees, despite the dangers that may be in store for her. As they travel to the port town Antalya, taking pictures all the way, they find something they may not expect…

Ahhh I loved this volume (I mean, I love all of them, but this one in particular) because it took place mostly in Turkey. The change of scenery – from the wide plains of Karluk’s introspective journey to the crowded and noisy towns – is nice from a storytelling point of view. What’s also fun is further connection of story threads not previously thought related. Mr. Smith makes a comment about wishing he hadn’t thrown away his pocket watch – only for it’s story to be told and it to reappear 😉

There was also a short story at the beginning about winter with Amir and Karluk’s family that was brisk, cold, and poetic.

As always, looking forward to the next volume!

– Kathleen

Mori, Kaoru. A Bride’s Story (Vol. 11). 2019.

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Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Vol. 3)

Everyone’s asking Akiko what she’s doing after graduation – but she doesn’t have a clue. She’s working part-time at a used bookstore while finishing school. It’s a pretty sweet gig – she gets to take home unsellable manga for free to read and study. While she still wants to become a manga artist, she still hasn’t drawn any manga, nor has she told anyone that’s what she wants to do. She ends up returning home to Miyazaki after graduating because Hidaka says he got her a teaching job. It ends up falling through, so he offers her a part-time job as his assistant instead. Her parents, eager for her to get on her feet, get her a job at her father’s company’s call center. Deeply unhappy and desperate, Akiko finally starts to draw manga and sends it to Bouquet magazine for a contest entry. She’s finally pursuing her dream, but how long until it gets out of the bag?

This volume was honestly pretty depressing. It reminded me of my days working two jobs, thinking I could also make art in my spare time. Though it does highlight the thing I appreciate the most about this manga: being an artist is hard. Finding the time to be an artist is hard. Akiko thankfully made it work for her, but not without her own unique struggles.

Something else to appreciate about this manga: she showed examples of other famous manga artists’ work by drawing a character in a few of their styles! Most I didn’t recognize, but it was a nice touch, especially considering her mention that she studied different manga and their styles during this period of her life.

Looking forward to the next volume!

– Kathleen

Higashimura, Akiko. Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Vol. 3). 2019.

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Remina

A sentient planet is on a collision course with Earth!

A scientist, Dr. Oguro, discovers a rogue planet beyond our solar system and names it after his daughter, which leads to much public adoration paid to the teen Remina. But soon the planet starts to journey towards Earth, devouring all other planets and moons in its wake. Soon Remina’s fans turn against her, thinking her namesake planet is coming because of her influence. She is then on the run, with only a few of her most infatuated fans helping her escape from the mob, who are intent on crucifying her. Once the planet arrives at Earth, it is clear it is not a planet after all, but a strange giant organism intent on destroying all of humanity. Will Remina survive the mobs and the deadly alien?

Author and illustrator Junji Ito is well known for his distinctive and intricate black and white panels. I loved the macabre art in Ito’s classic body-horror manga Uzumaki, and enjoyed his short story collection Venus in the Blind Spot. I mentioned in both reviews that even if the narrative dips into absurdness at times, the art keeps you riveted. However, that was not the case in this book, for I could not overcome the needed suspension of disbelief. It would have helped greatly if I was rooting for Remina to survive, but she was purely a damsel in distress the entire time and had absolutely no personality. While the art remained as captivating and creepy as ever, which is always Ito’s strength, the narrative fell far short. I felt dissatisfied with a story I was counting on to be scary but instead found to be ridiculous.

-Nancy

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Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 3)

The Knights question Coco after the accident at the riverbank. The power she and Agott displayed was too great for their level. They found nothing for now, but will come back later. The risk of the secret of magic getting out is too great, and they can’t afford to make exceptions for anyone. However, Quifrey finds a strange kind of ink in Coco’s bag. He takes her and the ink to a Mr. Nolnoa, who specializes in inks. They discover that it’s the same kind of ink that was used on the cobblestones in Coco’s adventure with the dragon – but what does it mean? And when Coco becomes plagued with nightmares and falls ill, can she recover with the help of her new friend Tartah?

The more I read this graphic novel, the more curious the story becomes. We see a darker side to the usually cheerful mentor Quifrey, and we have to wonder what game he’s playing at. There is also the mystery of the Brimmed Caps, which has deepened in this volume. I’m excited to discover more how it all comes together.

Tartah has been among the most interesting characters introduced so far. He has a condition called “Silverwash Syndrome,” which in this universe is comparable to color-blindness. He sees the world through a wash of silver, not in colors. When Coco falls ill, they work together so he can find an herb that will hopefully bring her fever down. There was some commentary about him fitting in, and how it’s a shame more accommodations weren’t being made to help him function and succeed in the world. By working together with Coco, they find a solution that gives both of them hope – not that he can become normal – but that he can learn to work around his affliction.

With the deepening mystery and interesting characters – now one with a disability that isn’t just magically fixed! – I’m looking forward to the next volume!

– Kathleen

Shirahama, Kamome. Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 3). 2018.

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Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 2)

Coco and her cohort discover that the portal they fell through at the end of the last volume led to a magic maze, which is guarded fiercely by the dragon that’s hounding them. Agott, Tetia, and Richeh think it’s Coco’s fault they’re trapped. When they bed down in a safe place for the night, Tetia conjures a soft, warm cloud (a spell of her own creation!) for them to sleep in. That gives Coco an idea. What if they used Tetia’s spell to lull the dragon to sleep and sneak past it towards the way out? It will take many spells drawn in tandem for it to work. Can the girls get out?

Meanwhile, Master Qifrey has made a discovery while looking for the girls. Both the Brimmed Caps (evil witches who shield their faces) and the Knights Moralis (kind of a police force for magic users) could be after Coco – for the same reason. How can he keep her safe so she can learn magic and free her mother?

This manga likes to leave off on middle-of-the-story cliffhangers between volumes. It took me a minute to remember what happened at the end of the last volume and thus make sense of the beginning of this one. It ended much the same way as the first: that is, we wrapped up the arc started in Vol. 1 in the middle of Vol. 2; the middle of Vol. 2 started a new arc, ended in the middle of that arc, and will conclude at the beginning of Vol. 3. This is unlike other manga I’ve tried which wraps up each arc neatly within the volume. I hope I don’t have such a long stretch between this volume and the next!

We continue the world-building here with a society of both evil witches and the knights who keep magic users in line. It will be interesting to see how they operate and what their interest is in Coco. There is also some character development and backstory, regarding Agott in particular, that will make for a fascinating foil to Coco.

I said in my review of Vol. 1 that I liked the classical attention to detail to everyday items and chores. That is shaping up to be a common theme in this manga. One of the “lessons” Qifrey teaches Coco is to use magic for everyday applications so it “sticks.” As a result, he asks her to be in charge of a meal, which means practice for her, and gives us an idea of how magic is used for cooking in this world – and what kind of food they eat!

To me, this is a fantasy manga reminiscent of both Harry Potter and The Rithmatist (Brandon Sanderson), with the slice of life elements of A Bride’s Story, which I’ve grown to love. Looking forward to the next volume!

-Kathleen

Shirahama, Kamome. Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 2). 2019.

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Magus of the Library (Vol. 4)

Theo returns to Aftzaak after passing his kafna exam for his training! Not only did he pass, but so did everyone he met on the road and in the exam: Ohgga, Natica, Sala, Peperino, Mihona, and Alv. As he meets the rest of his cohort, he begins to wonder anew how he fits in among them. As their entire first year is spent in training, he has some time to get to know them. Their class is led by Professor Xtoh, a hard and firm woman who does not tolerate softness. It’s during the Matriculation Ceremony that Theo sees Sedona again – as the head of the Protection’s Office. He meets her afterward and offers to return the book she gave him, but she encourages him to keep it. He vows to meet her again after he becomes a kafna. Will he be able to keep his promise?

I wasn’t expecting this series to have this big an ensemble cast of characters. It was a little overwhelming for me. The chapter breaks each had a few characters and bios on them, which did help, but I feel that a “cast of characters” page in volumes going forward would be very beneficial.

The most fun thing for me in this volume were the flipped gender roles. Theo is assigned a room with the only two other boys who passed the kafna exam: Alv and newcomer Sumomo. While very smart, he is intimidated by women as he comes from a family almost exclusively of kafna! At one point he explains how the women in his family had to become almost aggressively assertive so they would be taken seriously. The context of this passage is comical, but it was funny in part because it’s true!

Other than that, the poetic prose and rich lore and artwork keep me coming back. Looking forward to more!

– Kathleen

Izumi, Mitsu. Magus of the Library (Vol. 4). 2020.

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A Bride’s Story (Vol. 10)

Karluk and Amir make a visit to her clan, but Karluk is staying for a while. He wants to learn the bow, how to hunt, and generally how his in-laws live. He’s even given a golden eagle to teach how to hunt. He starts to distance himself from Amir to try to show his growth and independence. He doubts himself… is he really manly enough for her? Meanwhile, Mr. Smith and Ali have finally made it to Ankara and met his friend, Hawkins. Though Mr. Smith wants to retrace his steps and photograph his findings, the war with Russia is getting very bad. Is it enough for him to prematurely go home to England?

I was so glad to see Karluk in the spotlight in this volume. Though Amir is the main character, we haven’t gotten a very clear picture of him until now. He went through some much-needed character development, and though he went through a lot of it in this volume, it didn’t feel rushed at all. It still moved at a leisurely pace, and there was a chapter dedicated solely to golden eagles and how they were used for hawking to break up the emotional content. His conversation with Amir – where they confess their feelings for one another – felt earned and well deserved. (Also made me tear up)

Upon finishing this volume, it occurred to me that I’ve never made it this far in a manga before! This one really speaks to me. The historical setting lines up with my interests. Though romance is a huge part of the story, it’s not cheesy, over the top, or melodramatic, and progresses organically. It’s a slice of life story, which is slow moving and focused on showing everyday things, not necessarily grand adventures or deep philosophical questions. This, coupled with the fact that it’s a manga, is definitely outside of my normal reading zone, but I am so happy I gave it a chance. I hope one day to find more manga like it!

❤

Kathleen

Mori, Kaoru. A Bride’s Story (Vol. 10). 2018.

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