someone learning to be a witch/wizard is a story that never grows old to me, no matter how many times it's told

it might sound weird but the art style and composition almost really reminds me of Berserk, it's so magical and almost interactive.

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

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.

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 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.

her art is the big selling point for me, its like old 40s 50s book illustrations

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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 ♥

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!

I cannot wait for the anime, this has by far the coolest magic system ive ever seen

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".

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.

I've always loved magic and how imaginative they can be used in their respective settings.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

So glad to see people talk about this manga. It has been my favorite manga for quite a while now.

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!

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.

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 !!

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 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!

Good rec, thanks

This manga looks so amazing and pretty!!! Thanks for the recomendation

The art is GORGEOUS. l have to add this to my read list.

Damn I'm glad for stumbling upon this video, it really made the inspiration juices flowing!

Will definitely have to check it out, great video!

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.

I'm so glad this manga is getting attention, I am anxiously waiting for the anime release when it inevitably gets picked up!

Completely agree, Incredible takes, and absolutely loved the way you styled your vid, take care!

I read this series and this is one of the best recommendations I’ve picked up from KZfaq. Good job!!

Give Dorohedoro a crack if you haven't already. More modernistic than than your average fantasy story, but the world-building is incredible.

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.

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!

Yo this video is really good! Congrats

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

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

You deserve my like for 7k. I never heard of this book before now and I am happily just reading it.

Thanks for the recomendation, I've read it all and now I'm hungry for more

Its been rough with fantasy, to me as long as its not harem, i'll read.

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!

Thanks for linking the bg songs you used, I instantly recognized Hanezeve

This really looks awesome 👀 thanks for bringing it to my attention

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 =)

This really reminds me of the Phantasia arcs from Berserk. I can see the inspiration very clearly. Love it. Good panel work too.

Liked and subbed, quality vid, looking forward to the next one! Starting the series tomorrow :)

absolutely convinced, ty for the recommendation

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.

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.

Thank you for sharing this manga. Just started it today and it is amazing!

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.

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. KZfaq algorithm can be pretty broken sometimes, but this is when I'm glad that it is. You're a small KZfaqr, 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. ✊

aight bro now your getting my sub cause i been waiting for witch hat atelier to get more love and i read 334150

Great video! I’m definitely checking this out. You described this in such an entertaining way

The KZfaq algorithm blessed me today. This is certainly an interesting manga. Thanks for introducing it to us!

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.

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.

Thanks for the rec! I have to check it out. I would suggest you check out Somali and the forest spirit or journey of Elaina

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.

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

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

I'm sold. Thank you. I'll come back some other time and edit this comment and write a short review 😊👍

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

ascendance of a bookworm is great. id recommend the book if world building is the main point your looking for

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.

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.

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!

It’s the only series with such a hard magic system I can think of and I love it

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.

Thx for telling me about this manga. I was really looking for a nice fantasy world manga like this.

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 love this manga thanks for talking about it bro👍

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😭🙏)

This was the first video i saw from your chanel. Amazing and lovely. I want to read this manga now. Great Job

Great video, friend🤩🤩👍👍 I actually bought the first volume of this manga on Book Walker recently and what captivated me was the cover art and the synopsis. I have been a huge fan of fantasy since I was a litle boy in Nigeria in the 2000s. So far, the story was great and the world building is amazing. Though the books are a bit pricey at $10 USD, the story and great art make it so worth it. Though I will likely hold out for a Kodansha sale before I buy the next volumes.

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

The panel composition is clearly inspired by art nouveau. Consider my internet peaked.

Sorry you had me at 2:18 So I'll have to watch the rest of the video after I'm done reading!

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

Yo I've seen this video 2 weeks ago and now I'm caught up with the manga. I need more. I loved the paneling. Anyone got any other recommendations for non-standard paneling like in Witch Hat Atelier?

I was ur 19th subscriber and now your at 400 + i hope u keep ur promise to remember me wen ur famaous

You've earned a new sub just because you've mentioned the final empire.

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 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”)

Mistborn!!!

Nice ... Will check it out

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.