Witch Hat Atelier 1 by Kamome Shirahama

I've packed in more graphic novels/mangas than usual this month, simply because they are always happily seen by young readers. Plus, I enjoy them, too. Today's read hits a series which has existed for several years already, but it's one I haven't had a chance to pick up yet. I'm betting, at least, some of you have already read or heard about this one. And if so, feel free to leave your thoughts below! I love hearing what others think of the reads I present but don't get much exchange on that front.

Anyway, let's settle into our chairs and take a look at this one!

WITCH HAT ATELIER 1

by Kamome Shirahama

Kodansha Comics

YA Fantasy    /   Manga

208 pages

A TOUCH OF MAGIC

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With a dash of Howl's Moving Castle, this adventure opens up to magic, friendship, and learning to chase possibilities.

Coco would love to be a witch ever since she saw magic for the first time. Unfortunately, witches are born to be witches, and she wasn't. Still, she loves her mother and doesn't mind working in the shop. When a magical carriage appears, she can't believe that such magic has arrived in their village, but that is nothing compared to the strange man, who wants to buy cloth from their store. He seems to watch Coco closely, especially when his identity as a witch is made known, and she tells him about her own, silly dream. However, when she mentions that a man once gave her a picture book and a pen in the form of a wand, his interest increases tenfold. By accident, she learns that witches draw spells; they don't cast them. And the book she received is full of all sorts of spells. So, she tries them on her own and, unknowingly, releases a forbidden spell which traps her mother. Unfortunately, the book disappears in the chaos, so the witch can't help. But he has another proposal... to save her mother, she needs to become one of his apprentices, and then, she'll gain access to a place which might hold the key to saving her mother.

This is a delightful tale, and it's no surprise that it's as popular as it is. Coco is a simple girl with big wishes and a heart of gold. She's humble and kind, and carries just the right amount of naiveness to step into all sorts of adventures and learn along the way. The world is well laid out and the magical rules are nicely set and explained. Add that her mother and her have a wonderful relationship, and there's tons of heart and goodness. This, then, clashes nicely as Coco steps into the witch's world and joins his handful of apprentices. Each of the three girls carries a very different personality and there's friction right away. Danger and tension slide right in to keep the pages turning while the wonder and mystery and enjoyable suspense and expectations. All along, Coco's beaming personality and heart keep everything wholesome and even add a dash of humor.

The artwork is so easy to get lost in and enjoy each scene. This is a manga and needs to be read as such, but this aspect flows seamlessly. It's an inviting tale and I can't wait to jump into the next volume and see what Coco is up to next because she has quite the journey ahead of her.