Favorite Fantasy Manga Vol.2!
Today on the blog, I’m delving into the wonderful world of Fantasy Manga! If you’re interested in seeing my previous post on Fantasy manga click here!
Witch Hat Atelier
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…
The world-building in this fantasy story truly whisks the readers away to Coco’s world full of whimsy and wonder. Because she is young there is a naivete that surrounds her aura, but I love her willingness to learn and explore the world around her. Her energetic spirit will warm the reader’s hearts as she does her best to navigate her journey as a witch. The artwork is stunning and there is so much detail in each panel.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?
Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this series at first glance, but I’m so glad I picked it up. Frieren can be best described as a fantasy adventure with a much slower pace. Even though it’s full of action-packed magical battles, death, and harsh truths its slow pace gives this fantasy series a slice-of-life feeling. While immersive and transporting readers to a brand new world it feels realistic and bittersweet as Frieren has many self-realizations on her journey. She soon comes to terms with the concept of time and the purpose of life as she reminisces about friends who have passed on.
Kaiju No. 8
With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!
Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem—he’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.
This series is action packed, full of deadly monsters, and has fight scenes that will put the reader on the edge of their seat. I also didn’t expect to be so comedic either, so prepare for lots of laughs. The story seems familiar but brings a unique take on the monster trope. The main character, Kafka, is a person who the reader can root for and the readers gets to watch him navigate a promising yet frightening journey. The Kaiju designs are so detailed and are made out of the stuff of nightmares (while also being amazing). It only amps up the suspense on top of Kafka having to keep his new identity a secret.
Ancient Magus’ Bride
Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old Japanese girl, was sold for five million pounds at an auction to a tall masked gentleman. Abandoned at a young age and ridiculed by her peers for her unconventional behavior, she was ready to give herself to any buyer if it meant having a place to go home to. In chains and on her way to an unknown fate, she hears whispers from robed men along her path, gossiping and complaining that such a buyer got his hands on a rare Sleigh Beggy.
Ignoring the murmurs, the mysterious man leads the girl to a study, where he reveals himself to be Elias Ainsworth—a magus. After a brief confrontation and a bit of teleportation magic, the two open their eyes to Elias’ picturesque cottage in rural England. Greeted by fairies and surrounded by weird and wonderful beings upon her arrival, these events mark the beginning of Chise’s story as the apprentice and supposed bride of the ancient magus.
This is an enchanting manga with excellent world-building and a magic system that is clear and consistent. It’s full of folklore and characters with developed backstories. It’s slow-moving as far as the plot goes (which I appreciate) and the love story is also a slow burn too. It’s an intriguing fairy tale-oriented story that will surprise readers in many ways. With each volume, the story gets even better.
What are some of your favorite Fantasy manga series?
