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Witchcraft Works #1
Witchcraft Works, Vol. 1
Honoka Takamiya is an average student. Ayaka Kagari, his classmate who sits next to him in class, on the other hand is the class "Princess". Ayaka is tall, strikingly gorgeous and has a regalness to her that almost exudes a royal attitude. Despite their promixity in school, over the school year the two have never shared much conversation...until today.
So today as class ended, Takamiya was suddenly attacked by a cat-eared witch and her band of bunny-costumed thugs! And if that were not enough of a shock, this average joe would then be saved, like a Princess by none other than Ayaka Kagari... a witch herself!
So today as class ended, Takamiya was suddenly attacked by a cat-eared witch and her band of bunny-costumed thugs! And if that were not enough of a shock, this average joe would then be saved, like a Princess by none other than Ayaka Kagari... a witch herself!
190 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2010
19 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 9, 2015
This is one weird manga. I haven't read anything quite like this yet. It is about high school students, witches, illusory magic for which I don't yet see the purpose, fuzzy evil bunnies that kill, lots of fire burning fights (though I don't see that anyone was seriously injured yet they should be dead), pantie shots, and big boobs.
For some reason, this really popular high school girl who is also a witch has taken a liking to an ordinary guy. Yet it seems he's important. Not sure why yet. He doesn't yet know, either.
I think I may read the next one. These scenes of fighting the evil bunnies and their attendant witches with lots of violence and fire were just bizarre.
For some reason, this really popular high school girl who is also a witch has taken a liking to an ordinary guy. Yet it seems he's important. Not sure why yet. He doesn't yet know, either.
I think I may read the next one. These scenes of fighting the evil bunnies and their attendant witches with lots of violence and fire were just bizarre.
May 28, 2017
2.75 - 3 stars
What did I just read?? What a weird book. The first chapter is just bizarre. Takamiya is just an average guy. His classmate, Kagari, is known at school as “Princess.” She is smart, beautiful, graceful, and has her own fan club. For some reason she keeps sitting by Takamiya. They are always on class duty together. She rides the same bus he does. All of this gets him into hot water with Kagari’s fan club, whose members are fiercely jealous and protective of their idol.
Then one day, the tower in the courtyard collapses and almost falls on Takamiya. A weird girl with fuzzy ears attacks him with an army of large, creepy bunnies. Kagari rescues him, and he learns that she is a fire witch, he is her “princess,” and she will protect him at all costs.
Ooookayyyy. Takamiya, for reasons unknown, is wanted by the evil Tower Witches. Kagari is a good Workshop Witch, who protects the world from the Tower Witches. I didn’t really understand what the hell was going on, and clearly, neither did Takamiya. He has been kept in the dark about why these evil witches are out to get him and his white stuff. What is his white stuff? Who knows, though we all know what Takamiya thinks it is.
There is a ton of action, but since I didn’t understand the point of all of these attacks and rescues, it didn’t really capture my attention. Takamiya is constantly waking up in Kagari’s private room at school after she rescues him. He’s an okay character, I guess, but he is kind of weak and pathetic and therefore, not very interesting. Kagari is more noteworthy, just because she seems to be a badass with her fire magic, but she, like the other women in the story are there more for the big boobs and short skirts than anything else.
The art is crisp and clean, with fine line work. The characters’ noses look strange, and I found them distracting. The actions sequences conveyed a good sense of motion.
I checked this out from the library because I have volumes 4 – 9, courtesy of Vertical. I will try to pick up the story again with volume 4, because the library currently has only volume 1 in their collection. I don’t think this series is going to be successful for me. I didn’t find it particularly amusing, and the chapters felt a bit repetitive, but I’ll read at least what I have.
What did I just read?? What a weird book. The first chapter is just bizarre. Takamiya is just an average guy. His classmate, Kagari, is known at school as “Princess.” She is smart, beautiful, graceful, and has her own fan club. For some reason she keeps sitting by Takamiya. They are always on class duty together. She rides the same bus he does. All of this gets him into hot water with Kagari’s fan club, whose members are fiercely jealous and protective of their idol.
Then one day, the tower in the courtyard collapses and almost falls on Takamiya. A weird girl with fuzzy ears attacks him with an army of large, creepy bunnies. Kagari rescues him, and he learns that she is a fire witch, he is her “princess,” and she will protect him at all costs.
Ooookayyyy. Takamiya, for reasons unknown, is wanted by the evil Tower Witches. Kagari is a good Workshop Witch, who protects the world from the Tower Witches. I didn’t really understand what the hell was going on, and clearly, neither did Takamiya. He has been kept in the dark about why these evil witches are out to get him and his white stuff. What is his white stuff? Who knows, though we all know what Takamiya thinks it is.
There is a ton of action, but since I didn’t understand the point of all of these attacks and rescues, it didn’t really capture my attention. Takamiya is constantly waking up in Kagari’s private room at school after she rescues him. He’s an okay character, I guess, but he is kind of weak and pathetic and therefore, not very interesting. Kagari is more noteworthy, just because she seems to be a badass with her fire magic, but she, like the other women in the story are there more for the big boobs and short skirts than anything else.
The art is crisp and clean, with fine line work. The characters’ noses look strange, and I found them distracting. The actions sequences conveyed a good sense of motion.
I checked this out from the library because I have volumes 4 – 9, courtesy of Vertical. I will try to pick up the story again with volume 4, because the library currently has only volume 1 in their collection. I don’t think this series is going to be successful for me. I didn’t find it particularly amusing, and the chapters felt a bit repetitive, but I’ll read at least what I have.
June 25, 2021
Witchcraft Works would be a very middle-of-the-road series so far, if not for two things: the artwork, and the fact that the main character tries to take some control of his situation.
Honoka Takamiya is your bog standard average high school boy who gets wrapped up in a situation he never prepared for. He's suddenly the target of every witch in town (and there are a lot of them), and this leads to him being in way over his head, and constantly needing to be rescued by Kagari, his classmate, the most popular girl in school, and a very powerful witch in her own right.
This leads to some very flashy action sequences, full of characters with great designs. The line work is generally light and delicate, but it has a lot of personality. It's really quite nice, and one of the saving graces of this volume.
Takamiya, himself, helped keep my interest up when he gets tired of putting himself and others in danger, and tries to pull his own weight by asking Kagari to teach him magic. He's actively trying to better himself, and I respect that in a protagonist.
The rest of the book is hit or miss. The magic on display is cool, and it's neat getting to see what the characters can do, but the core plot is simultaneously very simple, and largely unexplained: all these witches want Takamiya for his "white stuff," which is heavily implied not to be as lewd as it sounds--but again, it's unexplained so far. It's enough to get the story rolling, but ultimately, little has happened so far aside from fights, kidnappings, rescues, and dialogue that dances around elaborating on any of it in a meaningful way. But those character designs are really good.
Four stars for now, because I'm optimistic that the pieces will start to fall into place in the next volume. And the prospect of getting some context to all these well-drawn magical battles is an appealing one.
Honoka Takamiya is your bog standard average high school boy who gets wrapped up in a situation he never prepared for. He's suddenly the target of every witch in town (and there are a lot of them), and this leads to him being in way over his head, and constantly needing to be rescued by Kagari, his classmate, the most popular girl in school, and a very powerful witch in her own right.
This leads to some very flashy action sequences, full of characters with great designs. The line work is generally light and delicate, but it has a lot of personality. It's really quite nice, and one of the saving graces of this volume.
Takamiya, himself, helped keep my interest up when he gets tired of putting himself and others in danger, and tries to pull his own weight by asking Kagari to teach him magic. He's actively trying to better himself, and I respect that in a protagonist.
The rest of the book is hit or miss. The magic on display is cool, and it's neat getting to see what the characters can do, but the core plot is simultaneously very simple, and largely unexplained: all these witches want Takamiya for his "white stuff," which is heavily implied not to be as lewd as it sounds--but again, it's unexplained so far. It's enough to get the story rolling, but ultimately, little has happened so far aside from fights, kidnappings, rescues, and dialogue that dances around elaborating on any of it in a meaningful way. But those character designs are really good.
Four stars for now, because I'm optimistic that the pieces will start to fall into place in the next volume. And the prospect of getting some context to all these well-drawn magical battles is an appealing one.
March 10, 2023
Witchcraft Works, Vol. 1 (My Kindle Review)
This manga centers on Honoka Takamiya, a high school student who’s not so social and likes to keep a low profile. His life changes forever when he’s nearly attacked by a witch and is saved by Ayaka Kagari, who’s treated as a goddess at school for her tall and beautiful figure. As he tries to get used to having her by his constant side, she reveals to him that she is a fire witch and that her fellow witches are being threatened by powerful tower witches. He is now determined to become her apprentice and attempt to protect himself from incoming danger.
It’s a good slice-of-life manga with an interesting fantasy idea that could use more lore and story. It certainly has some small similarities from other manga, for me it’s the humorous moments between Takamiya and Kagari who usually acts like his beautiful knight in shining armor that make it enjoyable fun. I hope that “WW” can bring more of a story along with its cast of feisty witches. B+ (83%/Very Good)
This manga centers on Honoka Takamiya, a high school student who’s not so social and likes to keep a low profile. His life changes forever when he’s nearly attacked by a witch and is saved by Ayaka Kagari, who’s treated as a goddess at school for her tall and beautiful figure. As he tries to get used to having her by his constant side, she reveals to him that she is a fire witch and that her fellow witches are being threatened by powerful tower witches. He is now determined to become her apprentice and attempt to protect himself from incoming danger.
It’s a good slice-of-life manga with an interesting fantasy idea that could use more lore and story. It certainly has some small similarities from other manga, for me it’s the humorous moments between Takamiya and Kagari who usually acts like his beautiful knight in shining armor that make it enjoyable fun. I hope that “WW” can bring more of a story along with its cast of feisty witches. B+ (83%/Very Good)
May 10, 2024
4.5 read in one sitting was fun
September 18, 2019
review to come!
February 13, 2016
I watched the anime and loved it and I was sooo excited when I heard the manga was licensed by Vertical!
Now I finally have read this and I must say, points to Vertical. Many publishers for manga have one problem: Often you can't read the text bubbles or see the images because the pages are bound in too close to the back(spine) of the manga and you have to bend the whole manga at times to just see what they are saying. Vertical however, has a bit awkward format (a bit bigger), but this is ok, because they made big margins and you don't need to bend the book at all, you can just carefully open it (and not break the spine) and you can read everything clearly without problems. Yeah for Vertical! I am really looking forward to more manga by you.
Now for the manga. It was pretty much the same as the anime (so I have to say, yeah!, for the anime following the manga pretty well), so it was a bit boring. However it has been a few months since I saw Witchcraft Works so I am delighted to see everyone again. The Tower Witches, the Workshop Witches, our main character and various others. It was hilarious to see how Kagari and Takamiya met each other, how Takamiya is totally oblivious to everything that happens around him (especially the part where he was thinking about how coincidental it all was that Kagari was always close by and he didn't get it).
The illustrations are gorgeous, we have some 2 page illustrations and wow, feast for the eye!
The manga is packed with action, lots of magic and also a big pinch of comedy.
All in all I can't wait to read the next volume (coming in December). I would really recommend this manga to all. Are you looking for something fun? Something action-packed? Looking for a manga about witches and war? Then this one is your new manga!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Now I finally have read this and I must say, points to Vertical. Many publishers for manga have one problem: Often you can't read the text bubbles or see the images because the pages are bound in too close to the back(spine) of the manga and you have to bend the whole manga at times to just see what they are saying. Vertical however, has a bit awkward format (a bit bigger), but this is ok, because they made big margins and you don't need to bend the book at all, you can just carefully open it (and not break the spine) and you can read everything clearly without problems. Yeah for Vertical! I am really looking forward to more manga by you.
Now for the manga. It was pretty much the same as the anime (so I have to say, yeah!, for the anime following the manga pretty well), so it was a bit boring. However it has been a few months since I saw Witchcraft Works so I am delighted to see everyone again. The Tower Witches, the Workshop Witches, our main character and various others. It was hilarious to see how Kagari and Takamiya met each other, how Takamiya is totally oblivious to everything that happens around him (especially the part where he was thinking about how coincidental it all was that Kagari was always close by and he didn't get it).
The illustrations are gorgeous, we have some 2 page illustrations and wow, feast for the eye!
The manga is packed with action, lots of magic and also a big pinch of comedy.
All in all I can't wait to read the next volume (coming in December). I would really recommend this manga to all. Are you looking for something fun? Something action-packed? Looking for a manga about witches and war? Then this one is your new manga!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
September 7, 2018
This is a weird one for me. It has magic, a fun main character in Karagi, pretty artwork, and magic. The pacing is good, the writing is good, it has a lot of what I like. So why am I not that satisfied after reading it? I feel like the main reason is the expressions that characters wear, or more accurate lack thereof. I want to make it clear that up until recently, I never gave character expressions a second thought. For the most part, mangaka go all out with them and are seen frequently enough that I never paid close attention to it. Witchcraft Works, at least from this volume, does not have very expressive characters. I'm not saying that they have to be in every panel like in Magi, My Hero Academia, or Assassination Classroom, but at least some would go a long way. There are particular scenes were something dramatic is happening or someone is in danger, and the main character Takamiya will look mildly concerned rather than horrified or surprised. It kills the mood because the reader feels the weight of the scene but its not being conveyed by the main character. This isn't necessarily a deal breaker purely because the story is solid and the characters are fun, but it does bother me considerably since it pulls me out of the experience. I will be continuing with the series and I hope I can get past my qualms and enjoy it.
January 28, 2016
Nope. It's terrible that I got volumes 1-7 from the library because I should just read them because I have them, but I don't think I can survive. This book is basically just action sequence to action sequence with little explanation as to what is happening. The sequences are the same the guy gets attacked, taken, and the witch saves him with ease. The bad guys then run away and then try again and again very Team Rocket style. It's just reusing ideas and flaunting the point that it is with asides. Just nope.
July 24, 2015
this was cute and kind of cheesy but I enjoyed it
January 21, 2015
Kinda fluffy. I'll check out the second volume to see if it deepens up any.
November 7, 2024
I binged the anime & got interested into reading the manga. I'm glad the anime & manga are pretty much 1-on-1, so I didn't have to go back n read from the start. I just jumped into Ch.27 where the anime ended off at.
Now that I finished reading the manga I can say it was overall a pretty decent story despite its weird moments. I enjoyed the fight scenes, but my fav would have to be: "The origin of the spiritual power is her curse, yet you have chosen to heal her heart instead..." - YUP, THATS THE EPITOME OF OUR BOY TAKAMIYA.
Also, Kagari not caring for anyone but Takamiya is so 😭 UGH AND THEIR HEIGHT DIFFERENCE?? Cute. Love to see it.
Now that I finished reading the manga I can say it was overall a pretty decent story despite its weird moments. I enjoyed the fight scenes, but my fav would have to be: "The origin of the spiritual power is her curse, yet you have chosen to heal her heart instead..." - YUP, THATS THE EPITOME OF OUR BOY TAKAMIYA.
Also, Kagari not caring for anyone but Takamiya is so 😭 UGH AND THEIR HEIGHT DIFFERENCE?? Cute. Love to see it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2019
This was a refreshing take on the harem manga genre! The character set-up started tropey enough that I was initially skeptical, but I was quickly drawn in by small quirks of character and storytelling that turned into a much more complex story than is usually found in this type of series. The reveal of the Princess partway through the story was a pleasant surprise and enough to keep me going on to the next volume. Additionally, the artwork is stunning, using a CLAMP-like complexity while not bogging down the visuals or storytelling. I hope the rest of this series holds up to the first volume.
January 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this! Boy meets girl, only to learn she's a powerful witch whose goal is to protect him from other witches who are out to get him. So far, it's nothing too complicated, as our leading lady has refused to explain everything, which is a minor complaint of mine. I also want to learn more about her personality, as it's not too developed yet. But it's the beginning of a series, so I'm assuming she'll be more rounded out as it goes.
I like the art and the varied character styles, so that's also strong.
I recommend this, and I definitely want to pick up the next volume.
I like the art and the varied character styles, so that's also strong.
I recommend this, and I definitely want to pick up the next volume.
September 12, 2017
I'm surprised at the low ratings on this one. I liked it! I just skimmed through the other reviews to see what people had a problem with and, mostly, they said it's weird. Um... it's manga. How did they not expect weird? So, yes -- this was weird. But cool!
And yes, the boobs are over the top. (Insert sexual innuendo here)
(Ps: I read this whole book while waiting in the doctor's office. Yet another reason why it's always smart to carry around a book. Or two.)
And yes, the boobs are over the top. (Insert sexual innuendo here)
(Ps: I read this whole book while waiting in the doctor's office. Yet another reason why it's always smart to carry around a book. Or two.)
May 19, 2020
J'AI PROFITÉ DE #RESTECHEZTOIAVECUNMANGA
DONT KANA FAIT PROFITER POUR LIRE LE PREMIER TOME DE WITCHCRAFT WORKS.
Très bonne surprise ce volume! J'ai beaucoup aimé ce côté protection Enver et contre tous et de princesse qui débarque dans deux personnages principaux. Beaucoup de mystères aussi, çalaisse supposé une histoire à rebondissements. Les dessins sont vraiment beau, où Ayala est si badass en mode "princesse de feu". Un titre qui va direct dans ma wishlist!
DONT KANA FAIT PROFITER POUR LIRE LE PREMIER TOME DE WITCHCRAFT WORKS.
Très bonne surprise ce volume! J'ai beaucoup aimé ce côté protection Enver et contre tous et de princesse qui débarque dans deux personnages principaux. Beaucoup de mystères aussi, çalaisse supposé une histoire à rebondissements. Les dessins sont vraiment beau, où Ayala est si badass en mode "princesse de feu". Un titre qui va direct dans ma wishlist!
June 22, 2020
One of my first-ever manga! It's pretty good, but not great. The main guy character is unusually meek, which I like. Kagiri (the girl) is the badass in this one.
Some people are complaining about it being hard to understand, which I don't get. Maybe it gets more confusing past the second book? There's a lot of action and lots is left to be explained later, but that's OK, I think.
The witches have cool designs and powers.
Some people are complaining about it being hard to understand, which I don't get. Maybe it gets more confusing past the second book? There's a lot of action and lots is left to be explained later, but that's OK, I think.
The witches have cool designs and powers.
July 6, 2017
What the hell just happened... I am not sure what I just read! The conversation didn't flow at all and a lot of time I was unsure what was going on!
The art was a little bit too busy and sometimes I struggled to decipher what was happening. There were sexual connotations I think... unless it's my dirty mind! Also, people's boobs just aren't that big!!!
The art was a little bit too busy and sometimes I struggled to decipher what was happening. There were sexual connotations I think... unless it's my dirty mind! Also, people's boobs just aren't that big!!!
December 30, 2019
This was an interesting take on magical girl manga, with a bit of role reversal with a male "princess." Unlike some other reviewers, at no time did I feel confused about what was going on, and the art was enjoyable, though I was a tad bothered by the constant "jiggle" sound effects and cheesecake layouts. Despite an unfortunate emphasis on all the female characters' breasts, and a kind of gross line in the middle, I liked much of the rest of the story, which had very well done art, and an interesting world. I particularly liked that magic was presented as something you learn, and not something you are simply born with, as is often the case with witch-related media.
January 29, 2022
Beda y XDD
Manga membalikkan dimana si gadis itu harus melindungi seorang pria yang tidak terlalu istimewa. Plus badan si gadia lebih "tegap" daripada si MC LOL. Utk pembukaan awal ini tidak terlalu menarik perhatian, namun cukup layak utk menyimak jilid berikutnya :))
Manga membalikkan dimana si gadis itu harus melindungi seorang pria yang tidak terlalu istimewa. Plus badan si gadia lebih "tegap" daripada si MC LOL. Utk pembukaan awal ini tidak terlalu menarik perhatian, namun cukup layak utk menyimak jilid berikutnya :))
August 4, 2022
I throughly enjoyed this manga, although I was slightly confused as some of the action illustrations were hard to decipher. The storyline and characters have my heart. I definitely will continue this series!
November 12, 2017
“Princess” lol
March 3, 2018
There's a sort of frustrating lack of questions actually being answered in this volume, but I love the character designs!
May 15, 2019
Not sure about this... why is Takamiya so special?
January 3, 2020
Ugh. I kinda didn’t care for this and it took almost a month to get through InterLibrary Loan. 😭
April 30, 2020
Les dessins sont chouettes mais je n'ai pas accroché.
June 19, 2021
Great manga
I'm a fan of Japanese anime and manga. And heard about this book. Glad I got it. Waiting to see the anime
I'm a fan of Japanese anime and manga. And heard about this book. Glad I got it. Waiting to see the anime
September 29, 2021
Good start
I wanted to read this after seeing the anime, and for now, it's pretty standard. I love the design of the characters, and the story is promising
I wanted to read this after seeing the anime, and for now, it's pretty standard. I love the design of the characters, and the story is promising
May 14, 2023
Artwork is beautiful, story is lacking.
This book doesn't explain anything about its world, but that's the gimmick. When you turn the page, suddenly there's an army of mechanized rabbit knight or there's a tea party with an alligator. A lot of the other reviews don't get that.
Real stakes and mystery are not really set up until the 2nd volume.
This book doesn't explain anything about its world, but that's the gimmick. When you turn the page, suddenly there's an army of mechanized rabbit knight or there's a tea party with an alligator. A lot of the other reviews don't get that.
Real stakes and mystery are not really set up until the 2nd volume.
October 8, 2023
Funny lines, good artwork, entertaining story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews