Wandering Witch
Wandering Witch is a manga by Shiraishi Jougi (writer), Nanao Ikki (penciler) and Azuuru (Chara-designer). Volume 1, released in July 2021 by Kurokawa, is only the first, we hope, of a long series. Indeed, 4 volumes are available (current series) to date in Japan. In France, volume 4 is scheduled for August 18 .
Wandering Witch T01 is composed of several short stories. Indeed, each chapter tells a different story. You will be transported, for example, to the land of the Magi as well as to the land of flowers. Follow Elaina, a young witch on an adventure full of fabulous encounters.
A story full of lightness
It is not always easy to read a book composed of several short stories. In general, the volumes follow each other, telling a single adventure. We follow the daily adventures of the heroes, admiring their various successes and setbacks. In Wandering Witch, it's different. Indeed, as said before, this first volume includes several small stories. Each of them focuses on a journey. And each of these trips is unique. They have no links with each other, do not follow any "big villain" or particular quest, apart from discovering the world. So here we go on an adventure with Elaina, a young witch who wants to see the world. Although the stories are brief, they are still pleasant to discover. No surreal fights, suspense or explosions at all costs, only meetings, experience sharing and sleight of hand to win a few coins. And it's a success! With Wandering Witch, Shiraishi Jougi shows us that a series does not have to be explosive to be interesting. This first volume is of a comforting lightness. We devour the boxes, one after the other without tiring. We discover the character of Elaina, simply, according to her travels and her encounters, without stress or headache. This first volume will allow you to immerse yourself in an interesting work, while allowing you to relax, enjoy your reading, take a breath of fresh air. In addition to the discovery of a world filled with beautiful places, a touch of magic is presented to us. Logically, you will tell us, if the main character is a witch. Well, again, this aspect is presented to us with tact. No fights, spells or magic potions to lose your mind. The magic is integrated in a very natural way. From the start, this universe will seem familiar to you, as if you had always known Elaina.
Elaina, an endearing witch
Indeed, the character of Elaina is very endearing. While we don't know much about her character, following her adventures allows us to learn more about her. The adventures are not long, but the reactions and actions of this young witch allow us to quickly understand how she works and how she can feel. However, don't think you know everything about her at first glance. Although Elaina is young, she remains an admirable witch, who will surprise you as she goes on. In addition, Nanao Ikki's pencil stroke accentuates the endearing side of the character. Indeed, the graphics are fine, the characters very well represented and the scenery, are adapted according to the situation. The details are adjusted according to the action that takes place there. This allows us to dwell on the dialogues and on the characters present. Regarding Elaina, she is depicted as a young witch, eager to discover the world around her. However, despite having an angelic appearance, the facial features make us think that she is determined to achieve the goals she has set herself, that failure is not an option. Throughout the pages, we quickly realize that Elaina is no longer a child, that she knows how to adapt to the situation, that she is resourceful. It is very satisfying to discover a main character leaving the predominant genre currently, that is to say a hero, not hesitating to rush into the pile to achieve his ends. Indeed, in this first volume, although Elaina is faced with sometimes complicated situations, she will not necessarily get involved. She describes herself as an itinerant traveler, not a savior in search of glory. This can be disturbing at first, since we can hope that she solves all the problems she will encounter, but in the end, she simply continues her journey, looking for simply magical places. In short, Wandering Witch is a series that we can not advise you enough. Full of enthusiasm and joie de vivre, you will have a great time discovering the adventures of this young witch, full of talents. For those who would still like to discover an action-packed series, we recommend reading Shy, a heroic series.
