Manga Review – Witch Hat Atelier Vol 11 by Kamome Shirahama (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Manga/Fantasy
Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: October 3, 2023
ISBN-13 : 978-1646517459
Stand Alone or Series: 11th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series
Source: Bought Paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Silver Eve, a time for witches and normal folk to come together, nears its final day. At the procession, witches from all walks will have an opportunity to secure an audience with the king–if they display an exceptional spell. In an attempt to help Dagda and Custas, Coco desperately tries to concoct something but becomes frozen with fear. The only one who sees her in crisis is Agott, whose aid might bring them closer to the king…but farther from everything they once knew.”
Series Info/Source: This is the 11th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series. I bought a paperback copy of this to read.
Thoughts: This book continues to feel a bit slow and transitional to me, which has been true of the last couple volumes in this series. I was excited to see that a big event happens at the end which should be exciting to read about in the next volume.
This book follows Coco and Agott as they try to come up with amazing spells to present in front of the king. Coco is having trouble finding something she thinks is good enough. However, there are other activities at foot and, during the end of the Silver Eve festival, something truly astounding happens.
The majority of this volume still feels very “day in the life” to me. Our characters are trying to prep their spells and learning how to support each other. There is a lot about friendship and helping each other. The illustration is absolutely beautiful and I continue to enjoy our characters as they grow through their apprenticeship. I was happy to see the plot take a more interesting turn at the end, because although I appreciate the last few volumes and the quality of them, I have found them a bit boring.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done volume in this series. I love where the volume ended but the majority of it continues to feel very “day in the life” and a bit slow. It is still beautifully illustrated and has that cozy fantasy feel to it. I just feel like not a lot has happened in the last few volumes, so I was excited to see a major new plot point introduced at the end of this volume.
