Charmed: Magic School

by Katy Rex

Charmed, the supernatural television sensation, returns in an all-new tale of magic and mystery... but this time, the adventures of the Halliwell Sisters are told as manga!

Delia, a young girl with blossoming and uncontrollable supernatural powers, accidentally unleashes her powers in a school. A danger to herself and others, she draws the attention of Phoebe, Piper, and Paige - three witches with experience managing innate abilities! With their help, Delia begins to make a new life for herself... but magic has a way of getting out of control, and it's only a matter of time before this incredibly powerful novice draws the unwanted attention of sinister forces!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Witches, Manga, Supernatural, Magic

104 pages, Paperback

Published November 20, 2018

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was difficult to get into. I thought this might be based on the reboot on CW due to the timing, but it's set sometime towards the end of the original show I think. Every comic is someone's first comic, this was my introduction to Charmed. I was very lost. There's no real introduction to the world or the characters even though the author had the perfect opportunity to introduce the reader as the new witch entering magic school was introduced. There's no real plot to speak of either, except new witch goes to class and uncovers something bad towards the end.

This was billed as a manga, but the only thing it has in common with manga is that it was black and white. It reads like a typical American comic left to right and the art is definitely American in style as well. Jonathan Lau is a talented artist but in this case black and white worked against him. This was obviously not colored like a black and white comic. It looked like someone took the fully computer colored comic and then switched it to grayscale. The mostly female cast was hard to tell apart due to the heavy use of similar gray tones.

I would only recommend this to die hard fans of the original show.

Received a review copy from Dynamite and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Jessica✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

-pointless and boring narrator/character
-plot holes and very uninteresting
-artwork is pretty bad looks nothing like the actual people.
-genre messed up. Definitely not manga, more comic.
Basically is like a D rate comic book. I have read a few Charmed comics and they were really good, artwork was great the stories were more in tune to the show and characters.

[Roobie · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2 stars⭐️

Well this was in no way a manga. Not the reading style or the art. It wasn't bad but sadly not what I expected and wanted it to be.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

[Kay ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before I begin to bash this, let me just state that this would have been great as a story without it having to do with Charmed. A young witch coming into her magic and being sent to a school for magic is great to work with. Adding Charmed to it just made it worse. However, 

I appreciate the LGBT+ representation which was something not shown in the television show. Not sure if it was shown in the Zenescope comics either. The characters are one dimensional. They are either nice or mean. No type of depth.

As someone who has seen the original series and read S9 & S10 of the comics by Zenescope, I was thoroughly disappointed with this mess. First off this is a GRAPHIC NOVEL not a Manga in the slightest. I am also unsure where on the timeline this takes place. From what I gathered Wyatt and Chris are both in the story so it takes place after S6. Leo is no longer an elder but a whitelighter? Was he demoted? Paige is headmistress of Halliwell Academy. When did this open? What happened to Magic School?

The artwork isn’t the greatest in regard to the Halliwell sisters because they look nothing like their TV counterparts at all. I couldn’t even tell them apart.

If one other thing was done right, it was how they captured the essence of Phoebes ego. Here is a quote that is spot on! “And not to be a jerk or anything, but I am the most popular columnist at the bay mirror. My fans expect real advice”.

This has potential if they move away from Charmed and try to make it their own thing.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie]

DNF. Not able to read on my Kindle- FYI - not a Manga.
No rating.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

That one wasn't good. First it isn't a manga in anyway (except the fact that it's black and white...). It doesn't read the way manga does and it hasn't the illustration style of a manga (Manga have many style but we still feel a common direction in most of those I read that we don't here). The story was not really interesting either. Maybe if you're a die hard fan of Charmed you would hvae a different opinion, maybe not, but I didn't enjoy this one at all!

[Zwart Raafje · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

[aikaterine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spin-off adventure set in the Charmed world, but partly following two teen students attending the Magic School. Enjoyable story, I would have preferred a bit more color though.

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my my own.*

Before I begin I should mention that I watched all, but the last season of Charmed. I loved the show, but by then it was repetitive and it lost its spark for me. I won't even go into my controversial thoughts on who Phoebe should have been with (they did them so wrong...).
That being said, I was really excited to see what this graphic novel would be like!

Unfortunately, I feel like it fell into the rhythm many comics have of being too choppy--jumping from one scene to the next with little segue or even development. As a manga fan, I'm used to a slow moving story with character development and feeling. Here I felt like the main character, lost and confused when tossed into a new world. (Yet, professors said she was taking like a fish to water???) Calling it "Charmed: THE MANGA" really made me think they would spend time flushing out characters and building up a story.... but no. Also, the art isn't totally to my preference, and knowing what the Halliwell sisters looked like in the TV show made it a bit harder to look at.

There is a pretty diverse cast, which I think is awesome. Love seeing all types of people become witches. What I don't like is calling someone by their name that they no longer identify with (sorry, I can't remember the right term). Honestly, I knew then or slightly prior who the bad person was and wondered why no one else thought the same! It isn't okay to do, especially if it isn't given the weight it deserves. No one should feel slighted because of who they are.

Because of my love for the show I had a hard time rating this. Originally, I gave it three stars, but the more I think about it the more realized I had to give it 2, even though I didn't want to. It was nice to catch up with the characters, it was a little fun seeing the magical school, but when I think about how I would feel about this had I not watched the show, I'd probably rate it lower.

By the way, you have to have watched the show to understand like any of what is talked about in the comic and understand who the characters are.
So, if you've watched the show, I'd maybe recommend this if you are feeling nostalgic, and if you like comics, then you might actually like this, otherwise I think you could skip it just fine.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very confused at the backlash? Yes, this isn't a manga, I don't understand why people thought it would be, you can see the cover on here, even if it says so in the description, do use critical thinking, descriptions are often wrong. I also can't imagine the desire to pick this up if you have no context of the eight seasons of the show that come before this moment?

I think the art was solid, with characters looking very distinctive and similar enough to the actors, even though I assume they couldn't have been modeled exactly after their likeness because of the lack of permission? And frankly, it felt very much like an episode of season 8, just with a shift in the POV. I also liked seeing a bit of the magic school, considering it wasn't really developed in the show (nor in season 9, season 10 is much better though), it was fun!

[Phylicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The girls have their own Halliwell Academy (Magic School)
It's sort of hard to figure out who is who since the pages are black and white. However, the illustrations like the background, Manor, attic, etc, are good.
Some teachers are mean to Delia which I don't like. She's new. She doesn't know to bring a crystal and a map unless you tell her.
Miss Donovan is still at the library
There was a gnome, like in the TV show. He seems like a jerk in this though. Might be a different one.
Kit the cat is back.
Paige calls Delia, "girl." She never did that. She also says, "rad" in the book. Also, something she never did. Rad is a Kelly Clarkson phrase. It's usually "honey," or "sweetie."
They mentioned they tried to kill "the parasite demon last year." I assume season 8. Not my favorite season. I couldn't stand Billie or Christy. Mostly Christy.
I love that kids are psyched when they go to the Halliwell Manor and the attic. It's so cute.
Even though it is black and white, I can tell there's a bust of Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus in one picture. Why not? She's a witch too. And Wini and Phoebe flew on a broomstick in the Halloween episode.. A kid said that flying on a broomstick is a myth. Not in the magical sense.
Thankfully it's short, so I can read it fast.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this really didn't pick up until the last stretch which is rough. There was a lot of potential wasted honestly.

The sisters were very OOC. The dynamics were off. I hated how Paige ran the school honestly. The main character needed more guidance than was given. You think a whitelighter and charmed one would understand that. It ticked me off.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like the original Charmed never ended. Now I want to do a rewatch.

Edit: if you’re not well versed in the original show, this book will make zero sense because there’s no intro to the sisters or what time point in the story you’re in.

[Courtny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I loved getting to know the characters even more then when watching them on the screen!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was...fine. as a huge charmed fan i enjoyed it but wish it was more ABOUT the charmed ones.

[Ruthsic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 'manga' would perhaps only appeal to those who have watched the original Charmed show. On its own, it has a very generic storyline - a new witch student arrives under the care of the Halliwell sisters, and she is being targeted by demonic forces who may have infiltrated the school. It mostly focuses on Delia but occasionally also switches to the three sisters, and their current life (it is set after the show). The artwork is okay, but I think it has more in common with American style comics than manga - it is more focused on action, than the characters. Also the scenes cut out and jump ahead without warning, and we don't get much background of the characters or the magic systems of this world, which should be there for newcomers to this franchise. Perhaps the only charm of this book is for Charmed fans.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Dynamite Entertainment, via Edelweiss.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded up

I received a copy of Charmed: The Manga through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I used to be a huge fan of Charmed when I was younger, so when I saw that they were coming out with a manga version, I knew I had to give it a chance!
I should mention though that while it is called Charmed and is described as a story about the Halliwell sisters, they’re really only a small part of the story being told. The main focus is on a new character, Delia and her adjustment to the new school she’s being sent to. The famous sisters do show up, but they’re present for only about a third of the volume, if that.
I think if you were to go into this hoping for a continuation to the TV series then you might find yourself disappointed. However, maybe if you went into it expecting Delia’s story it’d work out better. I certainly hope that’s the case (you can probably guess which situation I ended up in).



Charmed: The Manga was fun and whimsical in a blast from the past sense. I do like the idea of Charmed continuing in manga form, even if I wasn’t completely thrilled with this specific book. It suits the sisters oddly well, don’t you think?
The art style really suited the plot and the sisters’ well. Think about it – they basically acted like anime/manga characters half the time during the show (with their dramatic reactions and arguments) so it’s sort of an intuitive leap, all things considered.
Delia was an interesting character, all things considered. She had all the makings of a typical witch story; dark background, suppressed magic, moving to a new city to control her magic, the works. But those tropes aside, her character development and personality were decent. I think I liked a few of the side characters more, but that’s okay.
I was sad by how little the Halliwell sisters actually seemed to matter in this book. Yes, they were present, and yes one of them is the headmistress of the school…but it still didn’t seem like they were really part of the book. Not in any way that counted. Even the climatic ending, where they rushed in to save the day. You’d think at this point in the series they’d be confident and capable, but instead it read as them being almost…bumbling. It wasn’t a very flattering picture of them.
While I didn’t love it, I will say that I had fun reading it. Some of the side characters were really unique – I think they could hold up a whole series on their own, truth be told. Still, tropes and complaints aside…it was cute. Though maybe I should credit that to nostalgia and the manga influence?


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I searched for Charmed comics, Erica Schultz’s series came up and after I read and loved the first issue, I downloaded the whole series. I got Charmed: Magic School Manga even though I didn’t think it was connected to Ms. Schultz’s series since it was written by a different author and took place mostly at magic school. I didn’t care that it wasn’t related though, I just wanted my Charmed content, you know? Anyway, what with it being the holiday and all, it took me some time to get to it, but now that I’ve read it, I had a good time with it. It wasn’t as strong for me as Ms. Schultz’s series and it took some time for this one to grab me, but it did eventually and I really enjoyed it.

I didn’t think that I would particularly love staying with Delia instead of being with The Charmed Ones, but it didn’t take long for that to change and I would actually want to get back to Delia when we were with the sisters. I became invested in her and the mystery of what was happening at the school, though I will say that figuring out who the villain wasn’t very hard, but I didn’t mind that. Also they were actually pretty creepy and sinister when they revealed themselves which I thought was pretty cool. I did think Delia would have a bigger role in taking down the big bad, but that’s not to say she did nothing because she did have a role, I just thought she’d do more. It was interesting the route Katy Rex went, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.

I feel like Katy Rex left some things open for future books and if they ever write more books about Delia or some of the characters besides the sisters, I’d be down to read them. Charmed: Magic School Manga was a great read and I’m glad I downloaded it.

~ Sonja, 4 Stars

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why they called this a manga. It's not in manga format, nor do the illustrations exhibit any of the traditional manga characteristics other than being drawn in black and white.

So let's call this a comic or graphic novel instead, k? K.

If you're familiar with the graphic adaptations of a lot of other television, novel, and film franchises, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series, etc., you'll know what to expect here. This is essentially one episode of the original Charmed television series.

In this 114 page book, you follow a teenage witch who's had an "incident" and is picked up by Paige and Piper and taken off to Paige's magic school. It follows the classic episode arc, with an "innocent," Delia, and a bad guy (not telling you). The Charmed Ones work together to vanquish the bad guy, with the help of some students and The End.

This book is, however, way more diverse and queer than the series ever was. The new student's new bestie is a Black trans boy and the other students are racially diverse. None of this is a Thing, except that the bad person does deadname the trans boy and I wanted to punch her.

Is this book for you? Probably only if you're a diehard Charmed fan. I am, and I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd pay full retail price for it, however. Maybe look for a sale.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[H. Bentham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving it just a solid three bec I think it was written in the same beat as most episodes of the show, which I love, but as a graphic novel, I find it lacking.

I found the pacing too fast. Delia was displaced one moment, settled into a new school the next moment, and then we're fighting demons next? And I hated how the sisters just seemed uninterested in Delia's problems. Okay, maybe uninterested is a strong term, but a lot of the problems would've been avoided if they had sat down with her and actually talked TO her and not OVER her. I do acknowledge that this is told in the teen's PoV and us adults can seem to be always preoccupied with ourselves so maybe that's deliberate on the creators' part, but I also know the Charmed Ones, given all of the things they'd gone through, would be a little more careful and less, well, hapless in dealing with the threat.

I can't recommend this to people who are not familiar with the show because the worldbuilding is nil to nonexistent, BUT if you're a fan of the show, this can be entertaining.

There were aspects of it, like the new character coming in to the Halliwells' lives, that I would enjoy so much had I read this in my own teen years. And I liked the part where the Magic School changed to be more inclusive to Wild Magic.

So yeah. Three Stars. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Charmed: Magic School' by Katy Rex with art by Jonathan Lau is a manga based on a popular tv show.

The Halliwell Sisters find a young girl named Delia with some pretty strong powers and decide to help her out by enrolling her in a magic school where she can learn to use her powers safely. The only problem is that someone or something wants that power and Delia and her new friends may not be safe.

I am a little familiar with the tv show this is based on, so I can't speak as to how accurate they got things. I was a bit lost getting in to it, but got up to speed pretty quickly. I liked the story and the surprises and the art was decent enough.

I received a review copy of this manga from Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have been waiting all year for the release of this book. Charmed the TV Series is very popular amongst all of our patrons and they will be ecstatic and patiently awaiting the release of this graphic novels. I am really glad there not many changes to Delia, Piper, and Paige the Halliwell sisters so readers can still relate to them even in the graphic novel.

Thank you Edelweiss and Diamond Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We will definitely consider this title for our graphic novel collection. That is why we give this book 5 stars!

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

1 star.

Sadly this wasn't for me. I HATE to give a bad review, but they need to be honest, so this is my honest thoughts on this. It didnt have enough connection to the great tv show Charmed and it didnt really have that manga feel to it. Yes the illustrations were in black and white but that's where it ends. The story was sorta ok but I kept losing interest in it. So from me, this is a no. Expecually if you are a fan of the show.

[Sara Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but it just wasn't well done. The animation is hard to follow. I had a really difficult time determining which character was which. The Halliwell sisters do not look like their television counterparts. I think that might have made some difference.
The plot was fine but the dialogue was cheesy and didn't add enough to the story.
All in all I didn't love this. It's such an easy, quick read that I would say if you had the opportunity to read it, then do so but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to get it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.*

I've been a fan of Charmed for years, so when I saw there was a manga I was really intrigued, unsure if it would live up to the hype of that I think the show is. I'm happy to say it did. The characters are well written, the plot line is solid, and the artwork is absolutely amazing. I couldn't wait to read the next page to see how this would end. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Sami Passlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

*This Book was generously provided by NetGalley*

I was excited to read this as I am a massive fan of Charmed. The premise was good but the execution was not. It was very short, there was barely any character development and everything was fast paced. I think there could have been more detail in the story and for the pacing to be slower. I also didn’t like the shadows on characters faces, it just looked like they had dirt marks on themselves.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have always been a fan of the Charmed Universe. That is what drew me to read this graphic novel and there were always questions I had about Magic School during the tv series. With that being said this book was listed as Manga and it did not read that way or have the art style. The story was okay, but left a lot to be desired. I put a lot of hope in this but left me hanging a bit. 

[Loc'd Booktician · Rating 3 out of 5]

it wasn't bad. I enjoyed it. I wish there were more volumes so I can get a real feel on what I am reading. It follows the story of a new witch who was put in the protect of the magic school ran by Paige. However the book of magic at the school was trying to tell Paige something and she couldn't figure it out. With help of her students, Piper, Phoebe, Leo, and other folks they were able to figure it out. And as always, they were able to assess and come up with a plan to defeat evil.

[Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This needed to be longer!

I like the idea of this being like an introduction to a new Charmed show. As much as I liked the Charmed ones being in it, I feel it could've used their name without actually having them in it and just having it as a new story for up and coming trainee witches.

The storyline was interesting, the characters could have been explained a little bit better but I did enjoy it and truly wish it was longer.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Id like to thank netgalley and dynamite for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I chose this book because I enjoyed the show and I heard that the author is doing the SVH graphic novel that is supposed to be released soon. With that being said, I was disappointed and hope that that's not the case with the SVH graphic novel as well.