Manga Review – Witch Hat Atelier Vol 12 by Kamome Shirahama (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN-13: 979-8888770795
Stand Alone or Series: 12th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series
Source: Bought Paperback Book
Rating: 5/5 stars
“As the new trial comes to an end, one of Coco’s rewards from Beldaruit the Wise is the story of Qifrey’s past and how he came to desire the mysteries of magic. Feeling a connection with her own desire to save her mother, Coco departs for the source of all answers: the Tower of Tomes. But it is a perilous journey to make on her own, and the secrets held within could sway even the most virtuous of witches…”
Series Info/Source: This is the 12th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series. I bought this paperback book.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this a lot more than previous volumes. This volume was more action-packed, we saw more magic, and the story made some intriguing progress. I feel like the last few volumes have been fairly transitional, but this volume really felt like the story was moving forward again.
This volume starts with a bang when a horrible creature attacks the city. Coco is separated from the rest of her friends, and it ends up being up to her and Qifrey to try and stop the horrible beast. Meanwhile, everyone else in the city is trying to pitch in the best they can to help save lives and limit the damage of this monster.
The illustration here is absolutely beautiful; this is one of my favorite parts about this series. I also really love the cozy feel to this. There is a lot about friendship and people learning to support each other. The magic system is fun as well.
There are a lot of characters at this point, so I struggled to remember some of the more minor ones. The story also jumps back and forth between multiple POVs which can be a bit jarring. At some point I need to sit down and re-read this series back to back. I don’t think any of this says anything bad about the series; it is just that I read a lot and am struggling to keep it all straight given the length of time between books.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this next volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series. I love the characters, magic, and beautiful illustration. I also really enjoyed the more action packed storyline, was happy to see things picking up pace some, and to see the main storyline making more progress. I am excited to see what the next volume brings.
