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cat12345's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexism, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Confinement
oddduck's review against another edition
fast-paced
5.0
Wow, I'd forgotten how much I loved this graphic novel! It's such a cute story with a great message about gender and family. The characters are all very fun and diverse and complex. The magic system is interesting and not overly complicated. And Aster's story ties in nicely with the family history, which is always something I love.
The theme of family is particularly well explored here. It's clear that Aster's parents love him, even though they aren't quite sure how to help him or give him what he needs. But by the end, they're trying, and so is the rest of his family. It's that kind of fumbling "we love you and have accepted that this is who you are, but we're also actively unlearning a lot of beliefs that you challenged, so we're trying, but we're not perfect and we don't intend to hurt you" that is so painfully realistic. And if you look at Aster being a witch as a metaphor for being trans (or otherwise queer), this also really fits.
And the above had to happen in order for them to avoid making the same mistake that hurt Mikasi. Because yes, what he did to himself was partly his choice, but he only did it because he'd tried to get help from his family and they refused to accept that his needs were different. It was his family's rejection of him, because he couldn't do the magic he was "supposed to", that pushed him into that choice. And sure, it's hard to imagine Aster becoming like Mikasi, because he just doesn't seem like that sort of person, but that's the beauty of it. We don't know what Mikasi was like, so we might have said it was unlikely for Mikasi to go down the path he did. Now, we'll never find out, because Grandmother realized that tradition had harmed her brother and had the potential to harm Aster and so she made the choice to value her family over tradition. Or, maybe not over tradition, since tradition is very important to her still, but certainly not more than her family. And that's the best possible ending.
The theme of family is particularly well explored here. It's clear that Aster's parents love him, even though they aren't quite sure how to help him or give him what he needs. But by the end, they're trying, and so is the rest of his family. It's that kind of fumbling "we love you and have accepted that this is who you are, but we're also actively unlearning a lot of beliefs that you challenged, so we're trying, but we're not perfect and we don't intend to hurt you" that is so painfully realistic. And if you look at Aster being a witch as a metaphor for being trans (or otherwise queer), this also really fits.
And the above had to happen in order for them to avoid making the same mistake that hurt Mikasi. Because yes, what he did to himself was partly his choice, but he only did it because he'd tried to get help from his family and they refused to accept that his needs were different. It was his family's rejection of him, because he couldn't do the magic he was "supposed to", that pushed him into that choice. And sure, it's hard to imagine Aster becoming like Mikasi, because he just doesn't seem like that sort of person, but that's the beauty of it. We don't know what Mikasi was like, so we might have said it was unlikely for Mikasi to go down the path he did. Now, we'll never find out, because Grandmother realized that tradition had harmed her brother and had the potential to harm Aster and so she made the choice to value her family over tradition. Or, maybe not over tradition, since tradition is very important to her still, but certainly not more than her family. And that's the best possible ending.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Dysphoria, and Kidnapping
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