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venus6277's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
owlsreads's review
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Okay! Turns out the plot went in a direction I really liked. The apprentices all working together and Coco, as determined as always, learning a little bit more about magic was lovely. The world-building also continued to expand and I liked the introduction of new characters and information about the forbidden spells.
kdahlo's review
5.0
These continue to be adorable, beautiful and clever. Good for a break. Appropriate for all ages of readers.
schmetterly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
aksmith92's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The setup: Volume Two picks up right where Volume One left off, leaving us on a thrilling cliffhanger! Coco and her friends find themselves in a mysteriously different town, possibly due to magic. Their goal is to return to their own world, but a cunning obstacle stands in their way—a dragon. As we follow their journey, we witness the group's strategic thinking and the bonds they form to overcome this perilous situation.
What I liked: Similar to Volume One, Volume Two presents a captivating storyline and plot. The magic system, with its unique elements, adds a refreshing twist to the narrative. The story also places a significant emphasis on learning and collaboration, which I found particularly engaging. The illustrations are in sync with the plot, and the author's storytelling style is a delight to experience.
What was missing: Ugh, this still just reads so young to me! I know it is likely meant to, and I think these Volumes do a great job of accomplishing what they are meant for—to tell a cute and cozy story about some witches. I can see showing these comics to my (potential) 12-year-old one day so that they can learn about teamwork, critical thinking, and determination. However, overall, I am just not in that space in my life, and I think some pieces are still missing. For example, our character, Algott, is still a bit of an enigma, and while we read more about her, her actions and lack of kindness still don't add up. Finally, I sometimes struggle to read facial expressions - I cannot tell if they are trying to make the characters shouting/yelling or just excited.
However, for what it is, I will likely continue this series. Three stars have their place, and just because it's not the best for me, it might be for someone else. The messaging is still lovely in these books.
What I liked: Similar to Volume One, Volume Two presents a captivating storyline and plot. The magic system, with its unique elements, adds a refreshing twist to the narrative. The story also places a significant emphasis on learning and collaboration, which I found particularly engaging. The illustrations are in sync with the plot, and the author's storytelling style is a delight to experience.
What was missing: Ugh, this still just reads so young to me! I know it is likely meant to, and I think these Volumes do a great job of accomplishing what they are meant for—to tell a cute and cozy story about some witches. I can see showing these comics to my (potential) 12-year-old one day so that they can learn about teamwork, critical thinking, and determination. However, overall, I am just not in that space in my life, and I think some pieces are still missing. For example, our character, Algott, is still a bit of an enigma, and while we read more about her, her actions and lack of kindness still don't add up. Finally, I sometimes struggle to read facial expressions - I cannot tell if they are trying to make the characters shouting/yelling or just excited.
However, for what it is, I will likely continue this series. Three stars have their place, and just because it's not the best for me, it might be for someone else. The messaging is still lovely in these books.
lectora_nocturna's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
angorarabbit's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TLDR: I love this series.
This volume is as good as the first. I still have a problem reading facial expressions.
The characters are developing and becoming more interesting. We learn in this volume some of Agott’s backstory. She may become my favourite by the end of the story.We meet the enigmatic Olruggio. We learn a good technique for when lessons lull you to sleep. But will Coco ever get a pen of her own?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying
Child endangerment, injuries are to children.nonesensed's review
5.0
Trapped in a maze with a dragon, Coco and her fellow apprentices have to figure out a way back to their teacher Qifrey without becoming dragon food. Why did the mysterious brim-hatted witch trick Coco and her fellows into this maze? And will the four apprentices be able to work together to free themselves?
Everything about this manga's art is gorgeous and it fits the mood the plot is going for perfectly. That on its own is reason enough to give it a read. But what I love the most about this story thus far, is that we get a protagonist who happens to be a girl, interacting with a lot of other girls in a believable way. This is the kind of story I wish I'd gotten to read more of as a child. Growing up, I remember a lot of female characters in media, especially children and teenagers, being very stereotypical in how they interacted with one another. There was a lot of artificial cattiness, weird ideas about "queen bees" (which might happen somewhere but that I've never personally experienced in real life) and always some odd conflict about "who is prettiest" that made it so clear the author had no real idea of what small girls and teenage girls actually say to each other when away from adults and people of other genders. So, this is a wonderful breath of fresh air for me personally, even though I suspect this is just me being old and out of the loop re: modern portrayals of young girls in media (at least I hope it's that).
Also, I enjoy that Qifrey, for all his moral ambiguity, acts like an actual good teacher. Someone not learning from repetition? Put that practice into a daily activity they do anyways! Basic teaching skills, sadly so rare in stories featuring people learning magic (or anything, really).
Everything about this manga's art is gorgeous and it fits the mood the plot is going for perfectly. That on its own is reason enough to give it a read. But what I love the most about this story thus far, is that we get a protagonist who happens to be a girl, interacting with a lot of other girls in a believable way. This is the kind of story I wish I'd gotten to read more of as a child. Growing up, I remember a lot of female characters in media, especially children and teenagers, being very stereotypical in how they interacted with one another. There was a lot of artificial cattiness, weird ideas about "queen bees" (which might happen somewhere but that I've never personally experienced in real life) and always some odd conflict about "who is prettiest" that made it so clear the author had no real idea of what small girls and teenage girls actually say to each other when away from adults and people of other genders. So, this is a wonderful breath of fresh air for me personally, even though I suspect this is just me being old and out of the loop re: modern portrayals of young girls in media (at least I hope it's that).
Also, I enjoy that Qifrey, for all his moral ambiguity, acts like an actual good teacher. Someone not learning from repetition? Put that practice into a daily activity they do anyways! Basic teaching skills, sadly so rare in stories featuring people learning magic (or anything, really).
alexnorvell2016's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0