In today’s column, we dive into steampunk, gothic romance, and werewolves—and that’s just in one release! Besides the omnibus collection for Soulless, our reviews this week include volume of Re:Zero, a Lycoris Recoil anthology, and an older release getting new life as an anime next month.
Kunon the Sorcerer Can See (Vol. 2) • Lycoris Recoil Official Comic Anthology: Reload (Vol. 2) • Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed (Vol. 10) • Soulless: The Complete Omnibus • Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection • Witch Hat Atelier (Vol. 1)
Witch Hat Atelier, Manga Vol. 1
“When Man has the power to do anything, then anything he will do.” Coco is a young girl in a fantasy land who wishes she could be a witch. Magic, like the spell that keeps the local well water clean or illuminates the paths in the city, is so useful and beautiful and exciting, after all! Alas, Coco was born without magic, and so cannot become a witch…or can she? When a real witch, Qifrey, shows up at her mother’s shop and ends up offering his help to repair a broken carriage, Coco can’t wait to see him perform magic—and then can’t help but want to imitate him. But what may sound like a typical shonen setup—the young protagonist determined to accomplish what everyone else says they can’t—quickly swerves into a much darker, richer, more thoughtful, and more thrilling adventure. Coco isn’t determined to become a witch, because she accepts that it’s impossible—but there are other forces at work who seem bound and determined to make her a pawn of their own in the battle between light and dark. And already from the get-go, there is a crack in the way that Qifrey and the other witches who follow a moral code are framed as the good witches against the “anything goes” bad ones: Though the good witches have banned any magic that affects the minds and emotions of others, they allow one exception—memory erasing. So their ideals are inconsistent, subordinated to pragmatism—as long as it’s in a good cause. But what really counts as “good” here? And what do you do when it’s the antagonists who are calling you “our only hope”? This is one of my all-time favorite series, and it’s an incredible, nuanced fantasy—some say it even rivals Frieren. I am waiting for the anime in April with bated breath, anxious and hopeful that it does justice to this gorgeously depicted and morally complex story! ~ Dr. Steve
Witch Hat Atelier is published digitally and in print by Kodansha and can be read on the K Manga app.
Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection, Manga
Ten more Junji Ito stories come our way via another beautiful hardcopy edition of his creepy tales. Stories this time include the titular one about an art club and headless statues; a circus descending on a small town in which the performers aren’t able to successfully complete their dangerous acts; and my favorite, an elderly woman trying to escape her town’s ancient funeral rites, which keep the dead from finding peace. There’s nothing here that’s unusual for Ito—if you’re a fan, you’ll like this collection, and if not, there’s nothing here that will change your mind. Except that I should say, maybe you should give Ito another chance? I’ve seen criticism that trends toward seeing his work as cringey or that it’s too unsettling; if the latter describes your thoughts about his work, well, I would agree and we certainly all have our limits. But if the former does, I encourage you to dive in with a mindset that these stories are a throwback to the horror shorts of yesteryear and a continuation in the line of Poe, The Twilight Zone, and so much more. Each story is enjoyed as a work of art itself, and I believe the collections are best read a few at a time…alone and in the dark. Mwahahaha! ~ Twwk
Statues: Junji Ito Story Collection is published by VIZ Media.
Read Junji Ito Manga Reviews: The Liminal Zone // Deserter // Smashed // Venus in the Blind Spot // Soichi // Tombs // Black Paradox // Moan
Lycoris Recoil Official Comic Anthology: Reload, Manga Vol. 2
As a property, Lycoris Recoil reminds me very much of Full Metal Panic: Both are series featuring loveable, memorable characters whose settings (the cafe for LycoReco and school for FMP) also lend themselves to plenty of slice-of-life moments, though their stories are set in dangerous, espionage-related, life-and-death situations. The two LycoReco anthology series currently being released by Yen Press, like Fumoffu for FMP, really explore the happier possibilities for these characters; it’s a smart move. But I found the first volume of Reload to feature less-than-stellar artwork and too many out-of-character moments. Thankfully, volume two rectifies many of those problems. I enjoyed the artwork by the fourteen mangaka who wrote tales for the collection thoroughly (Tsukiko Kashiwagi’s is a favorite), and the characters acted like they should have. Of note is that Kurumi really gets to shine, with no less than three stories heavily focusing on her (though don’t fear, Chisato and Takina fans—every story features this daring duo). The stories themselves are sometimes a little scattered, but fine for an anthology collection, and every one is fun to read. This is a step up for Reload—and I can’t wait for more Lycoris Recoil one-shots to be reloaded for a future volume! ~ Twwk
Lycoris Recoil Official Comic Anthology: Reload is published by Yen Press.
READ: Lycoris Recoil Official Comic Anthology: Reload Vol. 1 Review
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed, Manga Vol. 10
Re:Zero is what it is. When it’s good, it can be thrilling, cute, and frightening. When it’s bad, well, it’s mostly because we just can’t buy into it. Sometimes it’s both, and sometimes both at once. That’s what volume ten of this Re:Zero manga arc is, at once demonstrating much of what’s to love about Re:Zero and what’s cringe-inducing, too. Concluding Subaru’s fight against Garfiel, this volume also shows much of Emilia’s backstory (as well as those for many other characters). That latter portion is particularly creative and interesting. I love it when characters we know are shown in a different light; in the world of Re:Zero, that means dread because we know some of them are headed for an unhappy ending. That’s the exciting part of this volume. Less exciting is the saccharine quality of Subaru’s relationship with others, which to me always feel fake. I just don’t buy Subaru as an optimistic character; we’ve seen too much of his negative side to really believe that’s him. It may be who he wants to be, and it’s who he projects himself to be, but it’s obnoxious to be fed by the story that this is who Subaru is—and worse, to think that all the characters around him believe so strongly that Subaru is truly like this that they would transform because of him. Nah. A little more subtlety in Subaru could lift this material to great heights it’s initially promises, but by this point in the series, we’re left with that inconsistency that makes you love the story and, in my case, kind of hate it. But hey, that’s Re:Zero. ~ Twwk
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed is published by Yen Press.
READ: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed Review Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 9
Kunon the Sorcerer Can See, Manga Vol. 2
Manga adaptations of light novels have come a long way; while they may still exist to make as much money out of an IP as possible, many of the artists who create them have mastered the art. Occasionally, these manga supersede the original or the anime adaptation. I haven’t read the Kunon the Sorcerer Can See novels, but the latter, at least, appears to be true for this series, if the first two volumes are any indication. While volume two of Kunon doesn’t quite capture the encouraging tone of the first (though how could it, since Kunon’s personal transformation was largely completed in the initial offering?), it remains an optimistic tale. In volume two, more important people come into the main character’s life, helping him grow and, in turn, being encouraged by him, with his new master, the harsh and arrogant Zeonly Finrol, being a prime example. Despite the challenging tutoring, Kunon continues to thrive and keep his optimistic spirit, though what really strikes me about this volume—and particularly in its final chapters—is that the inner world of Kunon is much more realistic and pessimistic than the one he lets others see. There’s a realism there that’s so important and helps us as readers who aren’t living with disabilitiesremember those who are living with disabilities and how challenging they can be to navigate daily. The final chapter also reveals a depth I wasn’t expecting, and possibly a more epic and/or darker direction for the story—and I am here for it. But in addition to the writing, the adaptation itself, again, is excellent—it moves quickly, cutting away the extra story (mostly the slow-moving of the day-to-day) which could be charming, but isn’t considerably so. By moving the story quickly along, we’re kept engaged as readers; it’s an excellent choice, and further proof that this manga adaptation is an artistic and wondrous work of its own. ~ Twwk
Kunon the Sorcerer Can See is published by Yen Press.
READ: Kunon the Sorcerer Can See Vol. 1 Review
Soulless: The Complete Omnibus, Manga
Alexia Tarabotti is “soulless,” a “prenatural” being feared by the supernatural in Victorian London, who are now part of society—some helping the government and some with their fearsome and often anti-human plans. Alexia is also a spinster, well-read and hardheaded, making her quite the foil for the werewolf Lord Conall Maccon—though could it be that these two are a supernatural match? That’s the introduction to this full collection of the Soulless, the manga adaptation of the beloved gothic romance and adventure novel series of the same name, but it only covers, really, the first few dozen pages. This omnibus is dense—more than six hundred pages long—and that’s very welcome, as there is a lot of story to tell. The first three volumes of the novels are adapted here, and all three stories are very good, filled with conspiracies, romance, and lots and lots of action. I’m not much for paranonormal gothic romances (aka I never read them), but I was very impressed by how writer Gail Carriger makes the Victorian England, the supernatural, and the steampunk subgenre her playground; she never runs out of themes and settings to explore, from religious Templar Knights to secret scientific societies, there’s so much in this world to occupy Alexia, Conall, and the rest. Too much, perhaps. The manga moves a little too quickly; it’s sometimes hard to keep track of characters, and sometimes one panel seems wholly unrelated to the next, skipping transitory material that’s presumably been cut out to keep the manga to a reasonable length. Another complaint would be Alexia and Conall’s relationship—it’s cute (and yes, sometimes steamy, though not to the point I expected from this genre), but their foundation is so weak. Why do they like each other? That’s never really explained beyond an “animal” attraction for one another. It’s hard to pull for their relationship when there’s no reason, honestly, for them to deeply care for one another, and when one is constantly flirting and even cheats on the other. It’s a sizeable roadblock for the series. Still, Soulless is otherwise a fun, creative romp—kudos to Yen Press for reprinting this series after many years, and in this full edition! If only we could get more to cover the remainder of “The Parasol Protectorate” series! ~ Twwk
Soulless: The Complete Omnibus is published by Yen Press.
“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.
