This is actually one those rare manga series that actually won 2 big American comic awards. The Harvey Award and the Eisner Award. If it’s good enough to be acknowledged that way in the US. That definitely means this is something special.
American comics are laughably bad compared to Manga how is appealing to people used to trash impressive? It would be more impressive if an American comic won a Japanese award
@@Glotaku Very true. I just took it as them finally acknowledging manga for once. I very much agree that US comics are awful in comparison to manga. So their opinion doesn’t hold a lot of water in the grand scheme of things.
Study basic shapes and then use single line cross hatching for shading instead of colour, greyscale, or halftones. It’s literally the first art style I learnt to draw in on my own and I slowly abandoned it for more complex cross hatching styles because of how simple and frankly boring it is to draw in. It’s like 20% actual drawing and shape and 70% just single line crosshatching. If you really wanna learn how to draw like this specifically then google “Peter Paul Ruben’s crosshatching art” study his anatomy and then just draw shadows with pencil and when you ink it fill the pencil shadows with single direction lines. You can have the lines follow the shape of the figure to mimic 3d or you can follow the light direction. You can add second smaller lines following the same direction to create the illusion of shadow thickness or draw secondary lines in the same direction but very slightly perpendicular to create the illusion of shadow and shape but it’s all subjective. Just do all that with a more anime-ish style and similar cross hatching. Just not as complex and detailed as Peter Paul Ruben. This manga in particular uses single line cross hatching that follows shape to create the sense of 3d so copy that method if that’s what you’re going for. But I really don’t know what else to tell you, it’s not a very complicated style. If you’re still struggling to copy it well I’m sorry but the problem is your understanding of shapes. You need to study anatomy and proportions more and simply them into basic shapes. Figure out how to simply a body part or object into 3 or less shapes. If you can accurately draw a figure with that 3 shapes you can try to complicate more and add more shapes to more accurately draw the whole figure and keep increasing it until you’re confident in your ability to analyse these things. You’ll have a much easier time copying styles once you can confidently draw anatomy and proportions within accurate shapes.
A bit late but if you enjoyed that part of the manga I'd highly suggest magus of the library, it's a massive love letter to books and literature and it has a lot meta narrative elements that almost make you feel like you're reading a story within a story, and of course the art is also amazing and very story book-esque(and there's some awesome fantasy too!)
the complete lack of fan service is such a breath of fresh air. also the way the series deals with serious topics like assault???? it’s literally a masterpiece and i will not stop spreading it around like a jehovah’s witness lmao
complete lack of fanservice? ahem have you seen Qifrey? jokes aside, that is fantastic to hear! definitely an additional big + to check this out for me.
I really enjoyed Dungeon Meshi. Its magic system is a little on the softer side, but has some interesting quirks to it. The really interesting part about it is that it has very well thought-out monster ecology, and it's satisfying learning how they make these monsters into food.
Witch Hat Atelier (Shirahama Kamome) is one of my personal "hidden gem" manga which help me through a lot. It may not be all fantasy but here they come: Ancient Magus' Bride (Yamazaki Kore), Beastars (Itagaki Paru), Land of the Lustrous (Ichikawa Haruko), Blue Period (Yamaguchi Tsubasa) You might see some pattern there LOL... Glad to found you and seeing Coco again!
I'd add Goodnight Punpun to that list. Beastars is amazing until it starts focusing on fights, and then its kinda.... average ? Still agree that its a hidden gem, despite having a solid anime adaptation.
If you want another absolute banger with 10/10 world building and great art, I recommend Magus of the Library (Itsumi Mitsu). Although it also only gets updates every few months and the latest chapters aren't available in English anywhere.
@@Lawly_ yeah, it's fine if the monthly/bi-monthly uploads are consistent, but such gaps between chapters make me worry that sooner or later the manga will go on indefinite hiatus, like a lot of other epic mangas have been and it's very frustrating to get invested in a story just to find out that it won't get finished.
I absolutely love the art style! And the ink sketch style matches with the vibe of the manga where magic is drawn. Also refreshing to find a story that doesn't rely on fanservice.
Something really cool about the magic system in Witch Hat is that, if you give it enough thought and know enough signs (official name for keystones) and sigils, you can make your own spells. I've spent almost 4 years doing so at this point (even writing wiki pages explaining the parts of the system we've deciphered so far), and the stuff you can make can get lowkey crazy. DDR machines, snowplows, magic beds for brushbugs, air friers, magic toasters... the fan-made content goes HARD, and Shirahama Sensei even retweets it on twitter sometimes.
RIGHT AFTER HE EXPLAINED THE MAGIC I WANTED TO GO AND COMMENT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR COOL SPELLS! Crazy that I saw your comment right away! I love the spells you create, they are so so cool!! 🫶🫶🫶
@@kayayayayayaAlways happy to see ppl who enjoy my work. There's so much we can do with the magic system. It's consumed a good portion of my brain for almost 4 years now, and it hasn't gotten any weaker as time has gone on.
In terms of pure fantasy, Sousou No Frieren is one of the best manga out there. The world-building and character writing are so well done and there is an anime coming out soon. Also, Ranking of Kings is an incredible fantasy (non-isekai) anime.
Land of the Lustrous has been the only anime so far that has made me read its manga and it also does justice to 3d animation. world building was a bit lacking but then again the story didnt needed much
I kind of liked it but I felt like the main character's development was extremely unnatural and rapid. Maybe that's part of the point, but Phos didn't grow as a person, she broke and was replaced overnight by a very different person.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an isekai but it really does scratch that itch of classic fantasy. The way the author writes each and every facet of the world is really insane, it makes you feel like you're in it because of the amount of detail she stuffs into everything. I definitely give the light novel and anime props. Check it out if you ever get the opportunity.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is on my list! I've only been reading Manga since 2020 and started with Berserk (which I love), and then last year started reading The Girl From The Other Side and Witch Hat Atelier (which is lovely.) I have so much to learn, and don't know yet what the 'light novel' means exactly, or what an Isekai is, or other terms, but I'll get there! Love the art styles of Berserk and Witch Hat Atelier, just gorgeous and so detailed!
@@ladyfox6705Isekai is essentially a genre of Japanese entertainment that follows a protagonist who is reborn into a new world, foreign from what they know. A light novel is essentially shorter form books that are usually fiction. I wouldn't really classify Ascendance of a Bookworm as a light novel series because of how long it is though. If you don't want to read a book, the anime is on its third season, with its fourth being worked on by the original Attack on Titan anime studio.
@@ewbait Thank you! I've been Googling a lot haha. So, does a light novel still include art panels? I love reading, but happy to experience all media forms 😊
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is an isekai that stands alone, to me. I haven't watched a ton, but the story is character focused, the artwork and animation are gorgeous, and the music rules. Would definitely recommend!
Can confirm, it's a shame we didn't get at least a 2nd season since it would probably cover Light Novels Vol. 3 and 4 which are sort of where the story was at its best.
I also quite liked that they got hit with amnesia, so they bumbled about and had to grow and improve in this new world or die. They weren't the cool main party, they were people confused in another world.
It's an interesting premise, but it was never going to be very successful. A core aspect of Isekai is escapist power fantasy. Grimgar is a direct subversion of that. Nothing wrong with it, but most people don't want grimdark Isekai where the protagonist is a weak peasant who struggles to pay for basic necessities.
The way I was drawn to this series was the same way I was drawn into Earthsea (by Ursula K. Le Guin), DeltoraQuest, and Gulliver's Travels (some publications had beautiful cross-hatched ink drawings of Gulliver and his interactions). Beautiful, consistent worldbuilding that really sticks to the themes of childlike wonder, exploration, and bildungsroman, with a distinct and intricate style that really lends itself to the mystery of it all. All wrapped up in a flowing story that isn't without danger, but also isn't obsessed with killing off its own cast for theatrics. It felt like a lot of these kinds of stories were left to the wayside when the shounen genre exploded with the Big Three, and on the West's side with the explosion of politically-charged fiction stories (Hunger Games, Divergent, Game of Thrones, etc.). Witch Hat Atelier feels like a graceful return to form that few other creators of today can replicate, and for that I am grateful.
Isekai is hell, fantasy is the best genre ever. This is the first video of yours I’ve ever seen and it was great! I’m always on the hunt for what to read next so I’ll add this to the list!
God, I love this manga more than anything, it’s such a goddamn masterpiece. For recommendations, have you ever read Hooky? It’s a western webtoon (although it recently got an amazing physical print which I actually really prefer as a reading experience) about two witch twins who miss the bus to witch school and end up becoming apprentices of a seer instead. The art is gorgeous, especially the way the author uses color. The characters are just amazing, it’s perfectly whimsical, and it has that amazing tonal balance of childlike wonder and perseverance in a world that’s deceptively grim that you find in stories like Witch Hat Atelier, Harry Potter, ATLA etc. Definitely give it a shot.
This is one of the best and most imaginative manga I have read. The system is VERY much like full metal alchemist. As well as the mother motivation and organization around magic. There's more similarities than at first glance.
I’m so glad this is the first manga I found out about on accident I just found it in the new library near me and after reading it I instantly fell in love with the story and even more the art as a art student and now I inspire to be like her but right now my art style isn’t like her but she did inspire me to continue my art path Quick edit: I forgot to mention the manga is getting a anime adaptation but nothing other than that has been revealed yet so maybe another year or so and then we get it
What got me first was the art. was looking for "woodcut-print" artstyles for inspiration, found a few panels of Witch hat atelier. The clarity of line, form and use of hatching is just stunning. Add to that the beautiful worldbuilding and story... that manga is just a treat.
One problem I have with Isekai is that it seems to have swallowed the Fantasy genre as a whole. Most of the stories that are called "Isekai" nowadays could very easily have just been a normal Fantasy series, but have had a "protagonist was reincarnated from the modern era" bit slapped on that adds very little if anything to it. At best, the character's knowledge of the modern world is an explanation of how he knows how to do certain things that a Medieval man probably wouldn't have thought of, at worst it's literally irrelevant. A ton of "I got transported into a book" stories quite literally brush off the fact that the main character died and was reincarnated within the first chapter, or even the first page, and then it never comes into the story again. Its only purpose is to establish why the character has foresight of her own downfall and knowledge of the world's characters, things that could just as easily have been learned by some kind of magical vision without involving reincarnation of any kind. It just feels superfluous now, as if people feel like their fantasy stories NEED to have "Isekai" slapped onto the cover and genre in order to get people to read them.
The fact the you can draw to create magic feels symbolic of how real life artists create things, illustrations, sculptures, written works, and discoveries that evoke a sense of joy and inspiration to others - which is in a sense "magical".
its actually the exact reason the author has started drawing the manga! she said her friend told her that drawing and art is just like magic and she got inspired by that
Oh man this was such a good video! I'm glad to see someone finally mentioning this manga. It's such an underrated gem. This really ignited the kid like wonder that we once had as a child, from it's artstyle to it character. Everything is just "magic". Especially the magic system, the genius way that the author created this is still mind blowing! This is definitely one of the great magic system alongside the nen from hxh. I also hope we get an anime soon so that more people can enjoy the beauty of this story.
Re:Zero, Mushouku Tensei... and Ascendance of the Bookworm (please!). That being said, I've been screaming nonstop about Witch Hat since 2019, glad it's getting some attention at long last. If you enjoyed it (and the lovely artstyle) I also recommend Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon) which is due to become an anime soon if that's more your cup of tea.
I would also recommend bookworm. Very good at word building a believable society. Perhaps the best part though is all the fan discussion that goes on in J-novel forums
Ive started to read it because of this video, im at page 20 and already fallen in love with it. Its clearly a master at work, a genius, such a great mind. Kamome Shirahama is insanely good and ivnt heard of her until now at all... Some times her leading is very subtile but so well implemented, so smartly done and the drawings and line work, ive really yearned for something like this. Its crazy good. On page 20 the main character is in a big panel slightly bent to the left, with the hands seen at the lower edge, wich leads the eyes naturally to the next panel but then in the next panel the character positioning and the speech bubble lead to the last panel on the page and there its happening, its subtile but amazingly smart implemented. The male character is leaning on something like a table, holding his hand for support on to it, but the table is actually the edge of the panel... and this gives so much weight and direction, only this little idea alone, it might not look like much to some people but for me it already is amazing. Im a semi professional artist and things like that can be very inspirational. Ill definitely enjoy this Manga.
Okay, I'll say that why, but somehow you spoke to me, and really in those first few minutes, they were enough to tell me that I don't need to watch the rest of the video, but rush as soon as possible to read Witch Hat Atelier. However, just because you managed to encourage me so much, I just want to say that I will play the video in the background muted on purpose (because I don't want even the slightest spoilers about the world) so that the algorithm works as well as possible and as many people as possible watch your video movie. Have a nice day
Stumbled randomly upon this manga last year and read it in a weekend. Its such a crime how underrated this work is, definitely my top 3 manga of all time.
I stopped at half video to avoid more spoilers, but thank you for the suggestion! I would suggest you "March Story" if you like this art style and fantasy setting. It is very short but absolutely deep with emotions.
The thing i love possibly the most about this manga in particular is the Magic system. It's honestly one of the best and most well thought out magic systems I've seen in my lifetime as a fantasy enjoyer, and really brings me joy to learn even more about. The magic also actually feels magical, instead of just being slightly inexplicable chemistry. You have a spell that breaks things into dust? Well, inverse the sigils and now it rebuilds whatever was turned to dust perfectly back into it's previous form. How? It's fucking magic. Pity the chapters release roughly monthly
I don't read much manga, but I will certainly check this out. You asked for recommendations, so I really have to suggest some Western comics. Saga is one of the greatest space fantasy epic stories ever, and deserves a MUCH larger reader base than it has. Birdking is a phenomenal series with stunning unique art. Monstress is another high fantasy epic that is unbelievably cool and bingeable.
i’m astonished by small your channel is. your videos are captivating, concise and don’t feel lengthy at all. i will most definitely give the manga a try i keep up the good work!
I shall comment on this to help the algorithm out a bit, BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, more people need to read this like come on get it together. Millions o people out here reading the new Boruto chapter when they could be feasting their eyes on this gem. I just hope that whenever the anime adaptation comes out (has been announced for almost two years but no sight of nothing) people will open their eyes
Thank you for this beautiful recommendation. Although I stopped really listening to complaints about Isekai when I realized that most people will expand that category to include basically the heroes journey.
besdies the amazing story telling, bro has impeccable music taste, the memories that flooded my mind when the bravely default music came up was legit tear-inducing
I recently discovered this series and I am absolutely blown away, the art is stunning, the magic system is genius (a story in a drawing format having magic that gets drawn is just chefs kiss) and the characters are engaging and interesting. Definitely worth the read
Alright, I've read about half of it now and you're right, it's really fucking cool. The magic system is so fucking tight; it really feels like an actual system, like a language on its own where you can combine its letters to create whatever you want. Like, I keep pausing everytime I see a glyph now to try and figure out what it does. Also, the characters are so great. I was so proud of them after they finished the second test. Definitely gonna stay up way too late to catch up fully.
Didn't finish the video, you had me sold so quickly with the intro and the art style ! I will discover it right away, thanks a lot for the recommendation !!
I've already heard amazing praise for this manga. Idk why ive3put this off, other than scared of enjoying something too much. I appreciate this effort to showcase something grand.
Damn, that drool from Itadori though! 😅 And can we take a moment to appreciate the stunning art in Witch Hat Atelier? It's truly mesmerizing! Also, the concept that common sense doesn't always lead to common action-totally agree with that. And I find it interesting that even male magic practitioners are referred to as witches instead of warlocks, creating a sense of uniformity. Love the uniqueness of these details in the series!
You won me over and had me sub with all of the ghibli clips and best fantasy anime picks you used in the beginning clips, my top fav anime of all time are mushoku, re:zero and made in abyss and when people show or talk about ghibli movies it's always Howl's moving castle which sure is really good but my favourite is Princess Nausicaä for which i even went and read the manga, one of the few manga I've read, anyway incredibly based picks and im pausing 4m in since you've sold me and i dont want to spoiled another second
i picked up the first two volumes years back purely based on the artwork and have pretty consistently been blown away by the sense of wonder and "magic" he continues to shovel into the series the only other fantasy thing i've felt as struck by in recent years is Frieren, which doesn't have the same extreme artwork, but its take on what happens after the fantasy journey is over....man, just pure bliss for me
As someone who has grown bored of elves, generic magic, and totally not Europe, I can not tell you how much I want the feeling I had as a kid. When you read Lord of the Rings as a kid, everything is new. The magic is sometimes so intangible, the worldbuilding is grand and matters... But I already read LotR back when I was 11. I do not want to read LotR fanfiction my whole life. This is why I fell in love with anime. While Isekai is more of the same, we have hundreds of anime that have wholly different magic systems and world building. I will definitely check this out.
Hi, I just came across this video and HAD to comment agree over the take over of isekai anime in terms on fantasy world building. I reallllllllyyyyy wish I could find more fantasy anime but I've watched alot of the ones you mentioned and of that I only like a few like full metal alchemist, jobless reincarnation, made in the abyss, attack on titan, rankings of the king and somewhat snow white with red hair purely because of beautiful animation. I've watched more that would maybe fit this category but yes overall I really do wish anime had more fantasy because it is the PERFECT medium for artist to showcase beautiful world building
Reading witch hat atelier's first couple chapters reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's novels. The way in wich the magic system is preseneted and it's secrets, and _damn_ the magic problem solving... so cool.
Great video and wholeheartedly agree on all points. Despite being effectively a middle aged fella (help) this manga has whisked me away to a land of wonder and spectacle, beautiful characters and amazing world building. Themes such as education, abuse, privilege and inclusion are dealt with sensitively and deftly. Shirohama is an absolute genuis artist and mangaka. I love it! Also re: Isekai anime recs - Juuni Kokuki / Twelve Kingdoms. Unfortunately it never got completed, due to illness (?). There is still a full and complete arc within the anime, it just barely touches the full depth that I believe is in the mangas/novels, and starts a new arc that is sadly incomplete. That all said, it has world building galore, interesting and flawed characters with a story that left me wanting more. Absolutely brilliant opener track too.
Fuck yes this has been my favorite ongoing manga for several years now and as an artist I learn so much about composition, lining, flow and rendering thanks to Shirahama Kamome's immaculate caliber as an artist. Also not just art but how she crafts her characters, careful sense in worldbuilding and her absolute keen eye for relating the hard magic system of the story visually. One of the reasons why you can take so much from her as an artist is likely due to her insirations stemming out of the manga and anime industry, we have artist and author like her who take inspiration beyond the industry. But where, when and who she choose as her own artistic masters seems like the masters and artist of the golden age of illustration and prior. The way she sets up her paneling and framing has an art nouveau way of interacting with th frame itself and directing the eye. While she doesn't get caught up in the ornate ways of embossing art nouveau is known for. While her mastery over the pen and ink is reminiscent of artsit like Arthur Rackham and Franklin Booth, though for Franklin Booth was trying to immitate wood-engraving art of Gustave Dore. There are alot more influence you can see within her artistic style and techniques that is brought to the limelight if you delve in and anaylze it more which is one of the biggest pleasures one can have if you dabble in the craft. I love how each individual line has intention in it to render out the form... God I fucking adore her art so much lol..
@@Lawly_ also I loved how you pointed to Jean Giraud, Moebius too. He had a ton of impact on the two or three generations of manga authors older than Shirahama Kamome. Urasawa Naoki has mentioned how much of an inspiration Moebius had on him multiple times on camera for his show Manben. While you can see it too much within Urasawa's art but for how Shirahama lines and renders you definitely can
@@Lawly_ yeah you can find him mention it in the more recent episodes of Manben Neo. He also mentioned how a lot of his generation were shocked with the art and storytelling method of Moebius. Though I don't know where you can find those episodes online these days. I see them uploaded to RUclips every so often then taken down due to that show airing on NHK and they are known to take down a lot of their copyrighted material.
Hey there Lawly, if you are reading this then I am pretty sure that you are going to like it, but it will take a while to read through. You have been warned. So first off I would like to say that I really like your video, you did a great job of making an outline, and then explaining things in a straightforward manner. (You would be surprised about how many people can’t seem to do that). I am going to check out that manga after this. I like Anime, Manga, and Light Novels. I really like to read as long as the story catches my attention. This was really the first time I have seen a content creator mention anything by Brandon Sanderson (not that I have been really looking for it…). My point is that I like everything you said in the video. The first manga I ever read was Solo Leveling, and that was an eye-opener. After that I started looking for great manga like it, and some other ones with a good story. Sad to say that I didn’t find too many, or at least not in the places I looked. But if you like a great story, great characters, and even greater art, then you will love (or at least like) the manga Jungle Juice. The name is deceiving. It is not really like anything I have seen before, but I really like it a lot (unless they added more chapters and the plot fell through). But I am sure you would at least like most of it. Again it is called Jungle Juice, and it is not an isekai, just to clear that up. After I finished reading through that, then I really couldn’t find any good mangas, so I turned to LNs. I was one of those people that read through ALL of the books of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Rising of The Shield Hero, In Another World With my Smartphone, etc. before I knew about the Anime for any of them. Light novels are a good way for me to imagine great art, voices, and other things without having to suffer through manga where the storytelling is good, but the art isn’t. I mentioned earlier that I read through the Slime isekai, but seeing what the anime is, I absolutely HATE what they drew the characters as. Anyway, I really like what you did with this episode, this is my first time seeing one of your videos, so I am going to check out some of your other ones, but just keep on making videos like this. And in the future, could you suggest some good Light Novels as well? I will subscribe after posting this, have a great day.
I also really liked grimgar of fantasy and ash, not very much known but really nice, the pace of the story is slow and i rly like how the focus of the show is on the characters development and their feelings
Grimgar is actually pretty well known and the anime of it is highly praised. Personally I think it's complete garbage. Sure, character development is the focus but the writing is trash and none of the characters are likeable, 2 things that are essential when writing a character-focused story. To me it's just all too clear that the author does not have a good understanding of how humans actually are, how they actually act and why they do what they do.
This was actually the first physical book manga I read. I've been following it since I found it in my school's library around 3 years ago. If you are looking for a good fantasy manga with no fan service then this is definitely right for you.
Thanks for the recomendation, I was looking for a manga that could bring back the emotions that i used to have reading them and that one is definitely helping me to do so. I only read the first chapter and i think I´m in love with it. Also loved the way that you edited this video, it looks so cool. Ps: drop the onlyfans link king pls
1:47 You might hate this answer, but "The Irregular at Magic High School" has a pretty interesting magic system. Of better series, maybe Hunter x Hunter would qualify? Not called magic, but tons of time put both into world-building and how nen works.
@@Lawly_ The show itself is kinda sus, but the magic viewed separately is pretty interesting. There was some other show that had pretty interesting magic, but the show itself was just pure thrash, though I can't remember the name. I started rereading witch hat atelier because of your vid (last time I read it only 3 chapters were translated), and decided to document all the magic while reading. I was surprised how understandable the seals were and how a lot of my guesses for the unexplained signs turned out to be correct. Does make the reading process a lot slower though, I've only gotten to chapter 12 so far.
From the panels that were shown, dang that looks masterpiece level stuff. Obviously illustrated by the hand of a pro. Also, Owl House magic vibes are strong with this one.
Ive discovered your channel with the Kaiju N.8 video. I read the manga all night long, and finished it this morning. Then I saw a new video, this one. And god damn I am glad I found your channel. RUclips algorithm can be pretty broken sometimes, but this is when I'm glad that it is. You're a small RUclipsr, that's a fact, but I could have sweared you had a good 500k followers with how confident and mature your content is. Keep up that crazy nice work, I'm eager to get more video to watch. ✊
I’m leaving a separate comment sense my other was before I’d finished. This is a very solid recommendation and I love a good magic system governed by clear rules. The art is luscious and detailed while the premise is familiar, but fresh enough to garner attention. Thanks for making a video about it, I’d never heard of it before. I also happen to love magic circles, sigils, glyphs, runes, all that stuff. Nice job, good video? Thumbs up.
Hey, don't know if anyone mentioned those, but you may like: (Not Isekai) -Henkyou no Roukishi - Bard Loen: the story of an older knight who just want to kinda see the world and solve his wonderlust from youth (no magic). -Sousou no Frieren : the elf mage of the hero party outlives everyone else by centuries and still roams the world with her arch-magic, trying to not end up completely alone amidst civilizations that are ever changing. (lots of magic, kinda of a soft magic system). -Dai Dark: space shenanigans in what should be a grimdark world, but the mc's are just to carefree and hilarious to actually care. Really unique aestetics that looke like it came from the 80's (space-tech shenannigans that kinda passes as magic? Not the focus at all tho). - (Isekai) -Isekai Apocalypse MYNOGHRA: guys get's transported to the world of his favorite RTS, and has to deal with actually leading and making decisions while governing the undead. {this one is funny} (soft magic system, it's more about the resources). -Youjo Senki: war intense manga about a cold salaryman reincarnating as an orphan girl in a magical world that's about to go through it's first world war. The integration of magic and military is simply sublime. (hard-magic system, and a well thought out at that). -Saihate no Paladin: reincarnating as a child raised by strong and reclusive monsters, with their own heartbreaking stories, and choosing to follow the goddess of, essentially, death,/grief/life to act as a flame amidst the darkness. (there's hard magic, divine magic and so on, but it's really more about wondering what should we even live for). -Honzuki no Gekokujou: reincarneting as a sick medieval child and JUST WANTING TO READ SOME BOOKS, IS THAT SOME KIND OF A CRIMEWHYISITSOHARDOMFG. No magic, but really good. (no magic for the common folk, and the protag is poor asf so that's that). -Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu: reincarnating in a world where the godess hates you for being ugly and you can't even speak the language of humans, but still beating dragons into friendship. (kinda balanced between a soft/hard magic system). -Isekai Tensei Soudouki: a neet with random knowlodge and an old samurai get stuck inside the head of a noble kid, the mix of their knowlodge is what allows them to keep going against abissal odds. Great use of politics and warfare, based on technological innovation. (balanced, but here the true power is that of SCIENCE). -Isekai Tensei Soudouki: in this one the girl reincarnates and just wanna lazy about with the easiest magical possible, but shit just keeps happening to her. (Soft magic, this one focuses on summoning and made me want a tiny pet snake who can eat metal).
GREAT world building with element of magic without the Eurocentric fantasy setting: 1) Moribito Guardian of the Spirit; 2) Thunderbolt Fantasy; 3) Legend of Hei; 4) Giant Robo (OVA series); 5) Delicious in Dungeon (upcoming), and definitely 6) Land of the Lustrous. Old Fullmetal Alchemist also deserves a strong mention (though arguably it's not a fantasy). Also Spice and Wolf, Princess Tutu, Utena, Rage of Bahamut (S1 anyway), Little Witch Academia, as well as the classic Escaflowne (being one of the earliest isekai, though there were others before)... these are definitely Euro centric (some heavily so), but they are really imaginary unlike most of the current game-based or inspired isekai ever since SAO.
As for fantasy recommendations, although just a light novel (and soon to be visual novel) there is Avesta of Black and White written by Takeshi Masada. It takes place in the greater Shinza Bansho universe, the same universe that includes Dies Irae and Kajiri Kamui Kagura, and goes for a real kind of epic fantasy style of High Fantasy. What makes it so interesting is the way it takes a cold hard look at the kinds of Good vs Evil plots we so commonly see in fantasy and pushes it to the most extreme ends to show the absurdity of it. Due to this, it really digs into its worldbuilding in order to create a setting where morality itself is law while also having some overlap with the shared world building of the series it belongs to. However, as per typical of Masada's work, it is the characters that really steal the show with a kind of over the top earnestness that is honestly difficult to find elsewhere. Seriously, I hope that the visual novel version gains enough momentum to allows for an anime adaptation of that story.
@@Lawly_ Just know that Masada is currently self publishing meaning that the Light Novels are difficult to come by as well as currently being untranslated. At best, the only thing available in English are summaries found in various forums. Other than that there are the web novel editions that are published on a Japanese equivalent to Patreon. Seriously, I hope it get's translated one day. Also, Masada's prose can be a love it or hate it kind of thing as it is this extremely flowery and verbose kind of prose that is not everyone's cup of tea.
Wait this magic system is similar to the magic I made for a book I am working on just much more fleshed out. Edit: The magic system alone makes me want to read this manga 'cause I love complex magic systems like the one in this manga
I heard the anime adaptation news about this last year. I hope, and I really hope they didn't butcher it. I hope it turns out to be as good as that Freiren anime (hopium😭🙏)
Definitely check out Dorohedoro for an interesting magic system, stellar art, and cool worldbuilding. It takes place in a more modern and grungy setting than typical fantasy, but still has wizards and demons, etc. The magic system has wizards who are born with a special gland which can excrete smoke through a series of arteries. The effects of this smoke vary from person to person; one person's smoke might heal, while another's could transform people into mushrooms. There's a lot of diversity in what powers people have, and how they're utilized. The main character isn't even a wizard, he's a non-magic human who's been partially turned into a lizard by magic. Humans are basically a lower class compared to the wizards, genetically lacking the ability for magic. The wizards treat them like guinea pigs, torturing them and destroying their environment, then returning to their own dimension.
For a couple of recommendations, Mushi-shi and Wolf’s Rain are a couple of really good series. (Sorry in advance for how long this comment is) Mushi-shi follows a man named Ginko who travels around and finds people who are troubled by mysterious entities called Mushi, which are only visible to some people. Mushi are not inherently evil creatures; they are more like animals just doing what they need to to live. The series has a way of being unnerving and yet sort of peaceful at the same time, and can sometimes provide a sense of wonder like studio Ghibli. It is a more episodic series; every episode is it’s own story and there is no real end goal, but there are some callbacks to earlier episodes every now and then. It’s a series that is better to take time watching rather than binging. As for the world building, it may provide a particularly large world, but the different kinds of Mushi seen are interesting and there are some episodes that might provide little insights into things like how people can communicate with Mushi masters (people who know how to deal with Mushi) despite them traveling all the time and with phones not existing yet, or how one episode has archives where all the Mushi record their findings. I haven’t finishes watching Wolf’s rain yet (I’m only about a third of the way through, but I like it a lot so far), but I think it is fascinating. It takes place in a future that feels sort of apocalyptic. People live in isolated cities surrounded by wastelands. Wolves, which are thought to be extinct, are able to survive by making themselves appear human and living among them. The main characters are four wolves searching for a place they call paradise, which supposedly only a wolf can know how to find. This show merges fantasy with science fiction and dystopia for an interesting world. It feels bleak and somber, and can be emotional at times, but there is some hope through it all. While neither of these series have really detailed magic systems, I find their worlds very interesting.
Absolutely undeniably this. When I first saw the explanation for the origin of the titans in Shingeki no Kyojin it made feel so happy because it reminded me of Mushi. I would have hated it if they went with a more lame sci-fi backstory.
@@Lawly_ Damn, that's a shame. Same happend to me actually, I droped it like twice in S1, it was hard to get into but ended up being one of my favourite animes, but I don't blame you at all. If you're interested in giving it another shot, you can watch one from S2, given it's non-linear nature is safe, I liked those more. I can't name them and have to go to bed now but I can hit you up with two or three specific recommendations if you want.
I remember seeing Escaflowne as a kid and even though it was on cable tv for a short run it’s still super underrated and in my opinion it’s still one of favorites and also one of best examples of isekai (especially with the protagonist still able to return to the “real world”)
Great video Although i have only read Vol 1 till now, i am enjoying it so far. So i came back to drop my appreciation for a fantastic recommendation. Good work!
There are so many good underrated manga and manhwas like this but unfortuntely nowadays most people only love old hit series and new series are not getting that much credit and recognition.
It has a solid magic system, and a lot of world buildings done right. It's like an old fairy tale kinda style, with witches and dragons. Also, Inceptions is actually an amazing exposition example. Most of Nolan films are, now that I think of it.
I've been tracking this series for two years now. Literally outstanding, you can smell the generous inspiration from all the other series, yet it somehow makes everything and turns it into a melded originality that is so refreshing in not only manga, but the entirety of the Fantasy genre.
someone learning to be a witch/wizard is a story that never grows old to me, no matter how many times it's told
Yep same
I'm making a ttrpg right now with a very in depth & abstract take on witches and magic.
it might sound weird but the art style and composition almost really reminds me of Berserk, it's so magical and almost interactive.
So true
This is accurate. The art is less grittier tho.
Miura definitely, undeniably, absolutely 100% would enjoy this manga. Not just because of the story.
I can *definitely* see that!
i think is beacause of the inspiration in old european paintings
This is actually one those rare manga series that actually won 2 big American comic awards. The Harvey Award and the Eisner Award. If it’s good enough to be acknowledged that way in the US. That definitely means this is something special.
For sure
the mangaka has also done variant cover work for american comics, so there's clearly something special about the creator, not just the creation
American comics are laughably bad compared to Manga how is appealing to people used to trash impressive? It would be more impressive if an American comic won a Japanese award
@@Glotaku Very true. I just took it as them finally acknowledging manga for once. I very much agree that US comics are awful in comparison to manga. So their opinion doesn’t hold a lot of water in the grand scheme of things.
@@GlotakuManga elitists are a reason everyone pities you
I love how it’s drawn like an old story book I used to have. I’ve been obsessed with this series from early on I wish I could draw as good
As an artist I literally study this art, and it always confounds me how kamome makes such insanely cool decisions
Study basic shapes and then use single line cross hatching for shading instead of colour, greyscale, or halftones.
It’s literally the first art style I learnt to draw in on my own and I slowly abandoned it for more complex cross hatching styles because of how simple and frankly boring it is to draw in. It’s like 20% actual drawing and shape and 70% just single line crosshatching. If you really wanna learn how to draw like this specifically then google “Peter Paul Ruben’s crosshatching art” study his anatomy and then just draw shadows with pencil and when you ink it fill the pencil shadows with single direction lines. You can have the lines follow the shape of the figure to mimic 3d or you can follow the light direction. You can add second smaller lines following the same direction to create the illusion of shadow thickness or draw secondary lines in the same direction but very slightly perpendicular to create the illusion of shadow and shape but it’s all subjective. Just do all that with a more anime-ish style and similar cross hatching. Just not as complex and detailed as Peter Paul Ruben. This manga in particular uses single line cross hatching that follows shape to create the sense of 3d so copy that method if that’s what you’re going for. But I really don’t know what else to tell you, it’s not a very complicated style. If you’re still struggling to copy it well I’m sorry but the problem is your understanding of shapes. You need to study anatomy and proportions more and simply them into basic shapes. Figure out how to simply a body part or object into 3 or less shapes. If you can accurately draw a figure with that 3 shapes you can try to complicate more and add more shapes to more accurately draw the whole figure and keep increasing it until you’re confident in your ability to analyse these things. You’ll have a much easier time copying styles once you can confidently draw anatomy and proportions within accurate shapes.
A bit late but if you enjoyed that part of the manga I'd highly suggest magus of the library, it's a massive love letter to books and literature and it has a lot meta narrative elements that almost make you feel like you're reading a story within a story, and of course the art is also amazing and very story book-esque(and there's some awesome fantasy too!)
the complete lack of fan service is such a breath of fresh air. also the way the series deals with serious topics like assault???? it’s literally a masterpiece and i will not stop spreading it around like a jehovah’s witness lmao
I totally agree
lack of fanservice??? have u not seen the professor?? /s
but yeah they're all kids (not that that's stopped other authors..)
@@stonecat676nah the author cant draw little girls feets for shizzz or hands
Them are hags feet and hands
The chapter on the assault when we followed the Knights Moralis was AMAZING.
complete lack of fanservice? ahem have you seen Qifrey? jokes aside, that is fantastic to hear! definitely an additional big + to check this out for me.
her art is the big selling point for me, its like old 40s 50s book illustrations
It’s so good
I really enjoyed Dungeon Meshi. Its magic system is a little on the softer side, but has some interesting quirks to it. The really interesting part about it is that it has very well thought-out monster ecology, and it's satisfying learning how they make these monsters into food.
That one’s on my read list
That one's great. It kind of lost me when they ate a mermaid, though.
@@Eagle-2448 Mans gotta eat
The manga just recently finished, time to find another worthy Manga to read. Sousou no frieren is also good read.
Witch Hat Atelier (Shirahama Kamome) is one of my personal "hidden gem" manga which help me through a lot. It may not be all fantasy but here they come: Ancient Magus' Bride (Yamazaki Kore), Beastars (Itagaki Paru), Land of the Lustrous (Ichikawa Haruko), Blue Period (Yamaguchi Tsubasa)
You might see some pattern there LOL... Glad to found you and seeing Coco again!
I’ve seen all your recs and they’re fire
Holyyy
I finished Blue Period around march this year and I have to say...
10/10
land of the SUFFERING, you mean.
@@sleepingalligator Have a pleasant 10.000 years, friend...
I'd add Goodnight Punpun to that list. Beastars is amazing until it starts focusing on fights, and then its kinda.... average ? Still agree that its a hidden gem, despite having a solid anime adaptation.
The only bad thing is the fact that chapters update every few months, but I can’t blame the author because the art is too breathtakingly beautiful :D
Yeah, I don’t have a problem waiting if everything is a banger
If you want another absolute banger with 10/10 world building and great art, I recommend Magus of the Library (Itsumi Mitsu). Although it also only gets updates every few months and the latest chapters aren't available in English anywhere.
@@Lawly_ yeah, it's fine if the monthly/bi-monthly uploads are consistent, but such gaps between chapters make me worry that sooner or later the manga will go on indefinite hiatus, like a lot of other epic mangas have been and it's very frustrating to get invested in a story just to find out that it won't get finished.
I absolutely love the art style! And the ink sketch style matches with the vibe of the manga where magic is drawn. Also refreshing to find a story that doesn't rely on fanservice.
I totally agree
Same cant stand this fan servoce bullshit ^^
Something really cool about the magic system in Witch Hat is that, if you give it enough thought and know enough signs (official name for keystones) and sigils, you can make your own spells. I've spent almost 4 years doing so at this point (even writing wiki pages explaining the parts of the system we've deciphered so far), and the stuff you can make can get lowkey crazy. DDR machines, snowplows, magic beds for brushbugs, air friers, magic toasters... the fan-made content goes HARD, and Shirahama Sensei even retweets it on twitter sometimes.
RIGHT AFTER HE EXPLAINED THE MAGIC I WANTED TO GO AND COMMENT ABOUT YOU AND YOUR COOL SPELLS! Crazy that I saw your comment right away! I love the spells you create, they are so so cool!! 🫶🫶🫶
@@kayayayayayaAlways happy to see ppl who enjoy my work. There's so much we can do with the magic system. It's consumed a good portion of my brain for almost 4 years now, and it hasn't gotten any weaker as time has gone on.
In terms of pure fantasy, Sousou No Frieren is one of the best manga out there. The world-building and character writing are so well done and there is an anime coming out soon. Also, Ranking of Kings is an incredible fantasy (non-isekai) anime.
I love both of those series
it's so beautiful
I am SOLD with this amazing explanation, not only I got drawn to read this manga, I forgot the name and your video popped up, THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHH ♥
Mission accomplished 🫡
@@Lawly_ reading it rn 👌👌👌👌
I've been reading the manga since it started releasing in my country last year, glad to know it's starting to get the traction it deserves!
It’s too good
Land of the Lustrous has been the only anime so far that has made me read its manga and it also does justice to 3d animation. world building was a bit lacking but then again the story didnt needed much
I’m really wishing for a season 2, but I don’t think we’ll get one soon
Pain, very good pain
I’ve heard that! I really need to read/watch this one.
Honestly one of my favorite first episodes in any show. Immediately felt immersed in the characters and world.
I kind of liked it but I felt like the main character's development was extremely unnatural and rapid. Maybe that's part of the point, but Phos didn't grow as a person, she broke and was replaced overnight by a very different person.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is an isekai but it really does scratch that itch of classic fantasy. The way the author writes each and every facet of the world is really insane, it makes you feel like you're in it because of the amount of detail she stuffs into everything. I definitely give the light novel and anime props. Check it out if you ever get the opportunity.
It’s on my read list
Ascendance of a Bookworm is on my list! I've only been reading Manga since 2020 and started with Berserk (which I love), and then last year started reading The Girl From The Other Side and Witch Hat Atelier (which is lovely.)
I have so much to learn, and don't know yet what the 'light novel' means exactly, or what an Isekai is, or other terms, but I'll get there! Love the art styles of Berserk and Witch Hat Atelier, just gorgeous and so detailed!
@@ladyfox6705Isekai is essentially a genre of Japanese entertainment that follows a protagonist who is reborn into a new world, foreign from what they know. A light novel is essentially shorter form books that are usually fiction. I wouldn't really classify Ascendance of a Bookworm as a light novel series because of how long it is though. If you don't want to read a book, the anime is on its third season, with its fourth being worked on by the original Attack on Titan anime studio.
@@ewbait Thank you! I've been Googling a lot haha.
So, does a light novel still include art panels?
I love reading, but happy to experience all media forms 😊
I cannot wait for the anime, this has by far the coolest magic system ive ever seen
I’m so hype, man
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is an isekai that stands alone, to me. I haven't watched a ton, but the story is character focused, the artwork and animation are gorgeous, and the music rules. Would definitely recommend!
A ton of ppl have been recommending it
Can confirm, it's a shame we didn't get at least a 2nd season since it would probably cover Light Novels Vol. 3 and 4 which are sort of where the story was at its best.
I also quite liked that they got hit with amnesia, so they bumbled about and had to grow and improve in this new world or die. They weren't the cool main party, they were people confused in another world.
Its a much better light novel than manga series . The small party interactions and world building for me is the key for me :).
It's an interesting premise, but it was never going to be very successful. A core aspect of Isekai is escapist power fantasy. Grimgar is a direct subversion of that. Nothing wrong with it, but most people don't want grimdark Isekai where the protagonist is a weak peasant who struggles to pay for basic necessities.
The way I was drawn to this series was the same way I was drawn into Earthsea (by Ursula K. Le Guin), DeltoraQuest, and Gulliver's Travels (some publications had beautiful cross-hatched ink drawings of Gulliver and his interactions). Beautiful, consistent worldbuilding that really sticks to the themes of childlike wonder, exploration, and bildungsroman, with a distinct and intricate style that really lends itself to the mystery of it all. All wrapped up in a flowing story that isn't without danger, but also isn't obsessed with killing off its own cast for theatrics.
It felt like a lot of these kinds of stories were left to the wayside when the shounen genre exploded with the Big Three, and on the West's side with the explosion of politically-charged fiction stories (Hunger Games, Divergent, Game of Thrones, etc.). Witch Hat Atelier feels like a graceful return to form that few other creators of today can replicate, and for that I am grateful.
For real
I've always loved magic and how imaginative they can be used in their respective settings.
Yeah, the creative use of magic in Witch Hat Atelier is a huge selling point
Isekai is hell, fantasy is the best genre ever. This is the first video of yours I’ve ever seen and it was great! I’m always on the hunt for what to read next so I’ll add this to the list!
God, I love this manga more than anything, it’s such a goddamn masterpiece.
For recommendations, have you ever read Hooky? It’s a western webtoon (although it recently got an amazing physical print which I actually really prefer as a reading experience) about two witch twins who miss the bus to witch school and end up becoming apprentices of a seer instead. The art is gorgeous, especially the way the author uses color. The characters are just amazing, it’s perfectly whimsical, and it has that amazing tonal balance of childlike wonder and perseverance in a world that’s deceptively grim that you find in stories like Witch Hat Atelier, Harry Potter, ATLA etc. Definitely give it a shot.
Thx for the rec
Well you’ll be happy to learn that it is getting a anime adaptation
This is one of the best and most imaginative manga I have read. The system is VERY much like full metal alchemist. As well as the mother motivation and organization around magic.
There's more similarities than at first glance.
I see. Nice observations
I’m so glad this is the first manga I found out about on accident
I just found it in the new library near me and after reading it I instantly fell in love with the story and even more the art as a art student and now I inspire to be like her but right now my art style isn’t like her but she did inspire me to continue my art path
Quick edit: I forgot to mention the manga is getting a anime adaptation but nothing other than that has been revealed yet so maybe another year or so and then we get it
As a fellow artist, I’ve studied her art a bunch
More like a few years 🥲
What got me first was the art. was looking for "woodcut-print" artstyles for inspiration, found a few panels of Witch hat atelier. The clarity of line, form and use of hatching is just stunning. Add to that the beautiful worldbuilding and story... that manga is just a treat.
It looks so good
One problem I have with Isekai is that it seems to have swallowed the Fantasy genre as a whole. Most of the stories that are called "Isekai" nowadays could very easily have just been a normal Fantasy series, but have had a "protagonist was reincarnated from the modern era" bit slapped on that adds very little if anything to it. At best, the character's knowledge of the modern world is an explanation of how he knows how to do certain things that a Medieval man probably wouldn't have thought of, at worst it's literally irrelevant. A ton of "I got transported into a book" stories quite literally brush off the fact that the main character died and was reincarnated within the first chapter, or even the first page, and then it never comes into the story again. Its only purpose is to establish why the character has foresight of her own downfall and knowledge of the world's characters, things that could just as easily have been learned by some kind of magical vision without involving reincarnation of any kind. It just feels superfluous now, as if people feel like their fantasy stories NEED to have "Isekai" slapped onto the cover and genre in order to get people to read them.
Yeah, that's why I like how Re Zero and Mushoku Tensei actually use the main character's past lives as a way to reflect on their new ones
Yep
The fact the you can draw to create magic feels symbolic of how real life artists create things, illustrations, sculptures, written works, and discoveries that evoke a sense of joy and inspiration to others - which is in a sense "magical".
its actually the exact reason the author has started drawing the manga! she said her friend told her that drawing and art is just like magic and she got inspired by that
Oh man this was such a good video! I'm glad to see someone finally mentioning this manga. It's such an underrated gem. This really ignited the kid like wonder that we once had as a child, from it's artstyle to it character. Everything is just "magic". Especially the magic system, the genius way that the author created this is still mind blowing! This is definitely one of the great magic system alongside the nen from hxh. I also hope we get an anime soon so that more people can enjoy the beauty of this story.
The anime has been confirmed, but no other info
So glad to see people talk about this manga. It has been my favorite manga for quite a while now.
Same
Re:Zero, Mushouku Tensei... and Ascendance of the Bookworm (please!). That being said, I've been screaming nonstop about Witch Hat since 2019, glad it's getting some attention at long last. If you enjoyed it (and the lovely artstyle) I also recommend Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon) which is due to become an anime soon if that's more your cup of tea.
Thx for the recs
Yeah, Ascendance of a bookworm is the best I’ve read so far. Really, nothing compares to it. I’d heavily recommend reading the light novel.
I would also recommend bookworm. Very good at word building a believable society. Perhaps the best part though is all the fan discussion that goes on in J-novel forums
Ive started to read it because of this video, im at page 20 and already fallen in love with it. Its clearly a master at work, a genius, such a great mind. Kamome Shirahama is insanely good and ivnt heard of her until now at all...
Some times her leading is very subtile but so well implemented, so smartly done and the drawings and line work, ive really yearned for something like this. Its crazy good.
On page 20 the main character is in a big panel slightly bent to the left, with the hands seen at the lower edge, wich leads the eyes naturally to the next panel but then in the next panel the character positioning and the speech bubble lead to the last panel on the page and there its happening, its subtile but amazingly smart implemented. The male character is leaning on something like a table, holding his hand for support on to it, but the table is actually the edge of the panel... and this gives so much weight and direction, only this little idea alone, it might not look like much to some people but for me it already is amazing. Im a semi professional artist and things like that can be very inspirational. Ill definitely enjoy this Manga.
On god
Okay, I'll say that why, but somehow you spoke to me, and really in those first few minutes, they were enough to tell me that I don't need to watch the rest of the video, but rush as soon as possible to read Witch Hat Atelier. However, just because you managed to encourage me so much, I just want to say that I will play the video in the background muted on purpose (because I don't want even the slightest spoilers about the world) so that the algorithm works as well as possible and as many people as possible watch your video movie. Have a nice day
I appreciate it
Stumbled randomly upon this manga last year and read it in a weekend.
Its such a crime how underrated this work is, definitely my top 3 manga of all time.
It’s in my top 3 as well
I stopped at half video to avoid more spoilers, but thank you for the suggestion! I would suggest you "March Story" if you like this art style and fantasy setting. It is very short but absolutely deep with emotions.
Thx for the rec. Hope you enjoy the series
@@Lawly_ thanks to you!
The thing i love possibly the most about this manga in particular is the Magic system. It's honestly one of the best and most well thought out magic systems I've seen in my lifetime as a fantasy enjoyer, and really brings me joy to learn even more about. The magic also actually feels magical, instead of just being slightly inexplicable chemistry. You have a spell that breaks things into dust? Well, inverse the sigils and now it rebuilds whatever was turned to dust perfectly back into it's previous form. How? It's fucking magic.
Pity the chapters release roughly monthly
I don't read much manga, but I will certainly check this out. You asked for recommendations, so I really have to suggest some Western comics. Saga is one of the greatest space fantasy epic stories ever, and deserves a MUCH larger reader base than it has. Birdking is a phenomenal series with stunning unique art. Monstress is another high fantasy epic that is unbelievably cool and bingeable.
Thx for the recs
@@Lawly_ since this i have binged the entirety of Witch Hat Atelier, thank YOU for the recs!!
i’m astonished by small your channel is.
your videos are captivating, concise and don’t feel lengthy at all. i will most definitely give the manga a try
i keep up the good work!
Thx for the compliment
I shall comment on this to help the algorithm out a bit, BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, more people need to read this like come on get it together. Millions o people out here reading the new Boruto chapter when they could be feasting their eyes on this gem. I just hope that whenever the anime adaptation comes out (has been announced for almost two years but no sight of nothing) people will open their eyes
Thx for the support
Thank you for this beautiful recommendation.
Although I stopped really listening to complaints about Isekai when I realized that most people will expand that category to include basically the heroes journey.
I hope you enjoy the manga
besdies the amazing story telling, bro has impeccable music taste, the memories that flooded my mind when the bravely default music came up was legit tear-inducing
Bravely default is goated 💪
@@Lawly_ you're goated bro 💪
I recently discovered this series and I am absolutely blown away, the art is stunning, the magic system is genius (a story in a drawing format having magic that gets drawn is just chefs kiss) and the characters are engaging and interesting. Definitely worth the read
Glad you enjoyed the series
This manga looks so amazing and pretty!!! Thanks for the recomendation
You’re very welcome
Alright, I've read about half of it now and you're right, it's really fucking cool.
The magic system is so fucking tight; it really feels like an actual system, like a language on its own where you can combine its letters to create whatever you want. Like, I keep pausing everytime I see a glyph now to try and figure out what it does.
Also, the characters are so great. I was so proud of them after they finished the second test.
Definitely gonna stay up way too late to catch up fully.
Make sure you get enough sleep!
Didn't finish the video, you had me sold so quickly with the intro and the art style ! I will discover it right away, thanks a lot for the recommendation !!
Make sure to watch my video on 0.25 speed in the background so I still get that watch time lol
The panel composition is clearly inspired by art nouveau. Consider my internet peaked.
That’s true
4:50 The bit about the "brimmed hat witches" being "dubious/bad" vs. The non-brimmed hats was neat... it's a fun twist on the concept.
I've already heard amazing praise for this manga. Idk why ive3put this off, other than scared of enjoying something too much. I appreciate this effort to showcase something grand.
I hope you enjoy reading the manga
I am so happy I stumbled upon this video. I've been in a slump for so long after berserk and this is a breath of fresh air!
I’m glad you enjoyed
Damn, that drool from Itadori though! 😅 And can we take a moment to appreciate the stunning art in Witch Hat Atelier? It's truly mesmerizing! Also, the concept that common sense doesn't always lead to common action-totally agree with that. And I find it interesting that even male magic practitioners are referred to as witches instead of warlocks, creating a sense of uniformity. Love the uniqueness of these details in the series!
I love that Itadori drool page
I'm so glad this manga is getting attention, I am anxiously waiting for the anime release when it inevitably gets picked up!
The adaptation has been announced
You won me over and had me sub with all of the ghibli clips and best fantasy anime picks you used in the beginning clips, my top fav anime of all time are mushoku, re:zero and made in abyss and when people show or talk about ghibli movies it's always Howl's moving castle which sure is really good but my favourite is Princess Nausicaä for which i even went and read the manga, one of the few manga I've read, anyway incredibly based picks and im pausing 4m in since you've sold me and i dont want to spoiled another second
Mission accomplished. Make sure to put the vid on mute and 0.25x speed in the background so I still get that watch time lol
@@Lawly_ now im just going through your channel lol
@sunplatedfish8255 thx for the support 🙏
i picked up the first two volumes years back purely based on the artwork and have pretty consistently been blown away by the sense of wonder and "magic" he continues to shovel into the series
the only other fantasy thing i've felt as struck by in recent years is Frieren, which doesn't have the same extreme artwork, but its take on what happens after the fantasy journey is over....man, just pure bliss for me
Yeah I love frieren too. I read it back in the day when it was first being published on Twitter
As someone who has grown bored of elves, generic magic, and totally not Europe, I can not tell you how much I want the feeling I had as a kid. When you read Lord of the Rings as a kid, everything is new. The magic is sometimes so intangible, the worldbuilding is grand and matters... But I already read LotR back when I was 11. I do not want to read LotR fanfiction my whole life. This is why I fell in love with anime. While Isekai is more of the same, we have hundreds of anime that have wholly different magic systems and world building. I will definitely check this out.
I hope you enjoy
The art is GORGEOUS. l have to add this to my read list.
Ikr. I swear I’m just walking through an art gallery when reading it
You deserve my like for 7k. I never heard of this book before now and I am happily just reading it.
Thx for the support. I’m glad you enjoy the series
You got a buyer. Imma read it as soon as I can! I've always adored Frieren so this sounds like something right up my alley!
Mission accomplished
Give Dorohedoro a crack if you haven't already. More modernistic than than your average fantasy story, but the world-building is incredible.
I could never get into the story, unfortunately
I watched 2 min of this video read the series came back to the video and just kept nodding my head. Thank you for showing me this masterpiece =)
Mission accomplished
@@Lawly_ indeed
Hi, I just came across this video and HAD to comment agree over the take over of isekai anime in terms on fantasy world building. I reallllllllyyyyy wish I could find more fantasy anime but I've watched alot of the ones you mentioned and of that I only like a few like full metal alchemist, jobless reincarnation, made in the abyss, attack on titan, rankings of the king and somewhat snow white with red hair purely because of beautiful animation. I've watched more that would maybe fit this category but yes overall I really do wish anime had more fantasy because it is the PERFECT medium for artist to showcase beautiful world building
I totally agree
I read this series and this is one of the best recommendations I’ve picked up from RUclips. Good job!!
Glad you enjoyed
Its been rough with fantasy, to me as long as its not harem, i'll read.
I hope you enjoy witch hat atelier
Reading witch hat atelier's first couple chapters reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's novels. The way in wich the magic system is preseneted and it's secrets, and _damn_ the magic problem solving... so cool.
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson as you can tell
@@Lawly_ lol I wrote the comment before the mistborn shout out and now I feel dumb
@FractalParadox nice lol
Great video and wholeheartedly agree on all points. Despite being effectively a middle aged fella (help) this manga has whisked me away to a land of wonder and spectacle, beautiful characters and amazing world building. Themes such as education, abuse, privilege and inclusion are dealt with sensitively and deftly. Shirohama is an absolute genuis artist and mangaka. I love it!
Also re: Isekai anime recs - Juuni Kokuki / Twelve Kingdoms. Unfortunately it never got completed, due to illness (?). There is still a full and complete arc within the anime, it just barely touches the full depth that I believe is in the mangas/novels, and starts a new arc that is sadly incomplete. That all said, it has world building galore, interesting and flawed characters with a story that left me wanting more. Absolutely brilliant opener track too.
Thx for the rec and glad you enjoyed the video
Fuck yes this has been my favorite ongoing manga for several years now and as an artist I learn so much about composition, lining, flow and rendering thanks to Shirahama Kamome's immaculate caliber as an artist. Also not just art but how she crafts her characters, careful sense in worldbuilding and her absolute keen eye for relating the hard magic system of the story visually.
One of the reasons why you can take so much from her as an artist is likely due to her insirations stemming out of the manga and anime industry, we have artist and author like her who take inspiration beyond the industry. But where, when and who she choose as her own artistic masters seems like the masters and artist of the golden age of illustration and prior.
The way she sets up her paneling and framing has an art nouveau way of interacting with th frame itself and directing the eye. While she doesn't get caught up in the ornate ways of embossing art nouveau is known for. While her mastery over the pen and ink is reminiscent of artsit like Arthur Rackham and Franklin Booth, though for Franklin Booth was trying to immitate wood-engraving art of Gustave Dore. There are alot more influence you can see within her artistic style and techniques that is brought to the limelight if you delve in and anaylze it more which is one of the biggest pleasures one can have if you dabble in the craft.
I love how each individual line has intention in it to render out the form... God I fucking adore her art so much lol..
I literally study her art all the time, it’s so goooood
@@Lawly_ also I loved how you pointed to Jean Giraud, Moebius too. He had a ton of impact on the two or three generations of manga authors older than Shirahama Kamome. Urasawa Naoki has mentioned how much of an inspiration Moebius had on him multiple times on camera for his show Manben. While you can see it too much within Urasawa's art but for how Shirahama lines and renders you definitely can
@tasogarerubica oh, I never knew grasses also took inspiration from moebius
@@Lawly_ yeah you can find him mention it in the more recent episodes of Manben Neo. He also mentioned how a lot of his generation were shocked with the art and storytelling method of Moebius.
Though I don't know where you can find those episodes online these days. I see them uploaded to RUclips every so often then taken down due to that show airing on NHK and they are known to take down a lot of their copyrighted material.
Hey there Lawly, if you are reading this then I am pretty sure that you are going to like it, but it will take a while to read through. You have been warned.
So first off I would like to say that I really like your video, you did a great job of making an outline, and then explaining things in a straightforward manner. (You would be surprised about how many people can’t seem to do that). I am going to check out that manga after this.
I like Anime, Manga, and Light Novels. I really like to read as long as the story catches my attention. This was really the first time I have seen a content creator mention anything by Brandon Sanderson (not that I have been really looking for it…). My point is that I like everything you said in the video. The first manga I ever read was Solo Leveling, and that was an eye-opener. After that I started looking for great manga like it, and some other ones with a good story. Sad to say that I didn’t find too many, or at least not in the places I looked. But if you like a great story, great characters, and even greater art, then you will love (or at least like) the manga Jungle Juice. The name is deceiving. It is not really like anything I have seen before, but I really like it a lot (unless they added more chapters and the plot fell through). But I am sure you would at least like most of it. Again it is called Jungle Juice, and it is not an isekai, just to clear that up.
After I finished reading through that, then I really couldn’t find any good mangas, so I turned to LNs. I was one of those people that read through ALL of the books of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Rising of The Shield Hero, In Another World With my Smartphone, etc. before I knew about the Anime for any of them. Light novels are a good way for me to imagine great art, voices, and other things without having to suffer through manga where the storytelling is good, but the art isn’t. I mentioned earlier that I read through the Slime isekai, but seeing what the anime is, I absolutely HATE what they drew the characters as.
Anyway, I really like what you did with this episode, this is my first time seeing one of your videos, so I am going to check out some of your other ones, but just keep on making videos like this. And in the future, could you suggest some good Light Novels as well?
I will subscribe after posting this, have a great day.
Glad you enjoyed the video so much
ascendance of a bookworm is great. id recommend the book if world building is the main point your looking for
in book like 35 you learn shit about magic that fills in gaps in your knowledge
THIS!! such a good series and the light novel is absolutely amazing. I read each week on j-novel great world building.
Thx for the recommendation
I'm sold. Thank you.
I'll come back some other time and edit this comment and write a short review 😊👍
Mission accomplished 🫡
I LOVE YOUR HOT TAKE! BEST TWO ISEKAIS EVER🔥
For real
I also really liked grimgar of fantasy and ash, not very much known but really nice, the pace of the story is slow and i rly like how the focus of the show is on the characters development and their feelings
Thx for the rec
Grimgar is actually pretty well known and the anime of it is highly praised. Personally I think it's complete garbage. Sure, character development is the focus but the writing is trash and none of the characters are likeable, 2 things that are essential when writing a character-focused story. To me it's just all too clear that the author does not have a good understanding of how humans actually are, how they actually act and why they do what they do.
aight bro now your getting my sub cause i been waiting for witch hat atelier to get more love
and i read 334150
Let’s gooooooo
Yeah tbh same, most entertaining witch hat atelier vid ive seen. Based as hell
I appreciate it
The RUclips algorithm blessed me today. This is certainly an interesting manga. Thanks for introducing it to us!
No problem
Thanks for the recomendation, I've read it all and now I'm hungry for more
Glad you enjoyed the series
This was actually the first physical book manga I read. I've been following it since I found it in my school's library around 3 years ago. If you are looking for a good fantasy manga with no fan service then this is definitely right for you.
Man, you’re lucky to have it in your schools library
That’s how I found the manga as well
Thanks for the recomendation, I was looking for a manga that could bring back the emotions that i used to have reading them and that one is definitely helping me to do so. I only read the first chapter and i think I´m in love with it. Also loved the way that you edited this video, it looks so cool.
Ps: drop the onlyfans link king pls
Glad you enjoyed. The only fans is coming eventually ;)
Irregular at magic high school has a very interesting and unique magic system and world building. it set it a modern fantasy set in the future though.
I’m not a big fan of its magic system
@@Lawly_ is because it more modern. It is much different from the ritual and magic of fantasy stories.
Yo this video is really good! Congrats
Thx
1:47 You might hate this answer, but "The Irregular at Magic High School" has a pretty interesting magic system.
Of better series, maybe Hunter x Hunter would qualify? Not called magic, but tons of time put both into world-building and how nen works.
I’m not a big fan of irregular at magic school. Hxh does go hard tho
@@Lawly_ The show itself is kinda sus, but the magic viewed separately is pretty interesting. There was some other show that had pretty interesting magic, but the show itself was just pure thrash, though I can't remember the name.
I started rereading witch hat atelier because of your vid (last time I read it only 3 chapters were translated), and decided to document all the magic while reading. I was surprised how understandable the seals were and how a lot of my guesses for the unexplained signs turned out to be correct.
Does make the reading process a lot slower though, I've only gotten to chapter 12 so far.
From the panels that were shown, dang that looks masterpiece level stuff. Obviously illustrated by the hand of a pro.
Also, Owl House magic vibes are strong with this one.
Yeah, there are tons of owl house similarities
owl house creator is a big witch hat fan so likely there are some inspirations there
Damn I'm glad for stumbling upon this video, it really made the inspiration juices flowing!
Glad you enjoyed
Completely agree, Incredible takes, and absolutely loved the way you styled your vid, take care!
I appreciate the compliment
Ive discovered your channel with the Kaiju N.8 video. I read the manga all night long, and finished it this morning. Then I saw a new video, this one. And god damn I am glad I found your channel. RUclips algorithm can be pretty broken sometimes, but this is when I'm glad that it is. You're a small RUclipsr, that's a fact, but I could have sweared you had a good 500k followers with how confident and mature your content is. Keep up that crazy nice work, I'm eager to get more video to watch. ✊
I’m glad you enjoy the stuff I’ve recommended
This really reminds me of the Phantasia arcs from Berserk. I can see the inspiration very clearly. Love it. Good panel work too.
Yeah, very much so
I’m leaving a separate comment sense my other was before I’d finished. This is a very solid recommendation and I love a good magic system governed by clear rules. The art is luscious and detailed while the premise is familiar, but fresh enough to garner attention. Thanks for making a video about it, I’d never heard of it before. I also happen to love magic circles, sigils, glyphs, runes, all that stuff. Nice job, good video? Thumbs up.
Thx
Hey, don't know if anyone mentioned those, but you may like:
(Not Isekai)
-Henkyou no Roukishi - Bard Loen: the story of an older knight who just want to kinda see the world and solve his wonderlust from youth (no magic).
-Sousou no Frieren : the elf mage of the hero party outlives everyone else by centuries and still roams the world with her arch-magic, trying to not end up completely alone amidst civilizations that are ever changing. (lots of magic, kinda of a soft magic system).
-Dai Dark: space shenanigans in what should be a grimdark world, but the mc's are just to carefree and hilarious to actually care. Really unique aestetics that looke like it came from the 80's (space-tech shenannigans that kinda passes as magic? Not the focus at all tho).
-
(Isekai)
-Isekai Apocalypse MYNOGHRA: guys get's transported to the world of his favorite RTS, and has to deal with actually leading and making decisions while governing the undead. {this one is funny} (soft magic system, it's more about the resources).
-Youjo Senki: war intense manga about a cold salaryman reincarnating as an orphan girl in a magical world that's about to go through it's first world war. The integration of magic and military is simply sublime. (hard-magic system, and a well thought out at that).
-Saihate no Paladin: reincarnating as a child raised by strong and reclusive monsters, with their own heartbreaking stories, and choosing to follow the goddess of, essentially, death,/grief/life to act as a flame amidst the darkness. (there's hard magic, divine magic and so on, but it's really more about wondering what should we even live for).
-Honzuki no Gekokujou: reincarneting as a sick medieval child and JUST WANTING TO READ SOME BOOKS, IS THAT SOME KIND OF A CRIMEWHYISITSOHARDOMFG. No magic, but really good. (no magic for the common folk, and the protag is poor asf so that's that).
-Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu: reincarnating in a world where the godess hates you for being ugly and you can't even speak the language of humans, but still beating dragons into friendship. (kinda balanced between a soft/hard magic system).
-Isekai Tensei Soudouki: a neet with random knowlodge and an old samurai get stuck inside the head of a noble kid, the mix of their knowlodge is what allows them to keep going against abissal odds. Great use of politics and warfare, based on technological innovation. (balanced, but here the true power is that of SCIENCE).
-Isekai Tensei Soudouki: in this one the girl reincarnates and just wanna lazy about with the easiest magical possible, but shit just keeps happening to her. (Soft magic, this one focuses on summoning and made me want a tiny pet snake who can eat metal).
Thx for the recs
GREAT world building with element of magic without the Eurocentric fantasy setting: 1) Moribito Guardian of the Spirit; 2) Thunderbolt Fantasy; 3) Legend of Hei; 4) Giant Robo (OVA series); 5) Delicious in Dungeon (upcoming), and definitely 6) Land of the Lustrous. Old Fullmetal Alchemist also deserves a strong mention (though arguably it's not a fantasy). Also Spice and Wolf, Princess Tutu, Utena, Rage of Bahamut (S1 anyway), Little Witch Academia, as well as the classic Escaflowne (being one of the earliest isekai, though there were others before)... these are definitely Euro centric (some heavily so), but they are really imaginary unlike most of the current game-based or inspired isekai ever since SAO.
That’s quite a lot of recs
Also, Dorohedoro
I’m not the biggest fan of dorohedoro, ngl
@@Lawly_ 😢
As much as I like the weird world and the underlying mystery, I wasn’t that interested in the plot
It’s the only series with such a hard magic system I can think of and I love it
For real
refrencing mobius was an immediate sub from me and im definitely checking out the manga
Thx for the support. Hope you enjoy the series
As for fantasy recommendations, although just a light novel (and soon to be visual novel) there is Avesta of Black and White written by Takeshi Masada. It takes place in the greater Shinza Bansho universe, the same universe that includes Dies Irae and Kajiri Kamui Kagura, and goes for a real kind of epic fantasy style of High Fantasy.
What makes it so interesting is the way it takes a cold hard look at the kinds of Good vs Evil plots we so commonly see in fantasy and pushes it to the most extreme ends to show the absurdity of it. Due to this, it really digs into its worldbuilding in order to create a setting where morality itself is law while also having some overlap with the shared world building of the series it belongs to. However, as per typical of Masada's work, it is the characters that really steal the show with a kind of over the top earnestness that is honestly difficult to find elsewhere.
Seriously, I hope that the visual novel version gains enough momentum to allows for an anime adaptation of that story.
Thx for the rec
@@Lawly_ Just know that Masada is currently self publishing meaning that the Light Novels are difficult to come by as well as currently being untranslated. At best, the only thing available in English are summaries found in various forums.
Other than that there are the web novel editions that are published on a Japanese equivalent to Patreon.
Seriously, I hope it get's translated one day.
Also, Masada's prose can be a love it or hate it kind of thing as it is this extremely flowery and verbose kind of prose that is not everyone's cup of tea.
Wait this magic system is similar to the magic I made for a book I am working on just much more fleshed out.
Edit: The magic system alone makes me want to read this manga 'cause I love complex magic systems like the one in this manga
That’s cool
I heard the anime adaptation news about this last year. I hope, and I really hope they didn't butcher it. I hope it turns out to be as good as that Freiren anime (hopium😭🙏)
It might be difficult to capture the same feeling as the manga, but my hopes are up
Definitely check out Dorohedoro for an interesting magic system, stellar art, and cool worldbuilding. It takes place in a more modern and grungy setting than typical fantasy, but still has wizards and demons, etc. The magic system has wizards who are born with a special gland which can excrete smoke through a series of arteries. The effects of this smoke vary from person to person; one person's smoke might heal, while another's could transform people into mushrooms. There's a lot of diversity in what powers people have, and how they're utilized.
The main character isn't even a wizard, he's a non-magic human who's been partially turned into a lizard by magic. Humans are basically a lower class compared to the wizards, genetically lacking the ability for magic. The wizards treat them like guinea pigs, torturing them and destroying their environment, then returning to their own dimension.
I could never really get into it, unfortunately
absolutely convinced, ty for the recommendation
Mission accomplished
For a couple of recommendations, Mushi-shi and Wolf’s Rain are a couple of really good series. (Sorry in advance for how long this comment is)
Mushi-shi follows a man named Ginko who travels around and finds people who are troubled by mysterious entities called Mushi, which are only visible to some people. Mushi are not inherently evil creatures; they are more like animals just doing what they need to to live. The series has a way of being unnerving and yet sort of peaceful at the same time, and can sometimes provide a sense of wonder like studio Ghibli. It is a more episodic series; every episode is it’s own story and there is no real end goal, but there are some callbacks to earlier episodes every now and then. It’s a series that is better to take time watching rather than binging. As for the world building, it may provide a particularly large world, but the different kinds of Mushi seen are interesting and there are some episodes that might provide little insights into things like how people can communicate with Mushi masters (people who know how to deal with Mushi) despite them traveling all the time and with phones not existing yet, or how one episode has archives where all the Mushi record their findings.
I haven’t finishes watching Wolf’s rain yet (I’m only about a third of the way through, but I like it a lot so far), but I think it is fascinating. It takes place in a future that feels sort of apocalyptic. People live in isolated cities surrounded by wastelands. Wolves, which are thought to be extinct, are able to survive by making themselves appear human and living among them. The main characters are four wolves searching for a place they call paradise, which supposedly only a wolf can know how to find. This show merges fantasy with science fiction and dystopia for an interesting world. It feels bleak and somber, and can be emotional at times, but there is some hope through it all.
While neither of these series have really detailed magic systems, I find their worlds very interesting.
Thx for the recs
Absolutely undeniably this. When I first saw the explanation for the origin of the titans in Shingeki no Kyojin it made feel so happy because it reminded me of Mushi. I would have hated it if they went with a more lame sci-fi backstory.
@@Lawly_ Just here to double bouch for Mushi-shi, shit's fucking magestic.
Ngl, I was bored when I watched the first few episodes 🫥🫥
@@Lawly_ Damn, that's a shame. Same happend to me actually, I droped it like twice in S1, it was hard to get into but ended up being one of my favourite animes, but I don't blame you at all.
If you're interested in giving it another shot, you can watch one from S2, given it's non-linear nature is safe, I liked those more.
I can't name them and have to go to bed now but I can hit you up with two or three specific recommendations if you want.
I remember seeing Escaflowne as a kid and even though it was on cable tv for a short run it’s still super underrated and in my opinion it’s still one of favorites and also one of best examples of isekai (especially with the protagonist still able to return to the “real world”)
Thx for the rec
Great video
Although i have only read Vol 1 till now, i am enjoying it so far.
So i came back to drop my appreciation for a fantastic recommendation.
Good work!
Glad you enjoyed
There are so many good underrated manga and manhwas like this but unfortuntely nowadays most people only love old hit series and new series are not getting that much credit and recognition.
For real
I was ur 19th subscriber and now your at 400 + i hope u keep ur promise to remember me wen ur famaous
I’ll make a video dedicated to you if i hit 1 million
@@Lawly_ ill be counting on ya 😤❤
Mistborn!!!
Brandon Sanderson books go hard
It has a solid magic system, and a lot of world buildings done right. It's like an old fairy tale kinda style, with witches and dragons.
Also, Inceptions is actually an amazing exposition example. Most of Nolan films are, now that I think of it.
I totally agree
I've been tracking this series for two years now. Literally outstanding, you can smell the generous inspiration from all the other series, yet it somehow makes everything and turns it into a melded originality that is so refreshing in not only manga, but the entirety of the Fantasy genre.
I totally agree