The Fall 2023 Manga Guide

Witch of Thistle Castle

What's It About? 

The last in a long line of Witches of the Black Wood, Marie Blackwood lives a quiet life in Edinburgh – away from the scrutiny of the Church. But when the Church thrusts 13-year-old Theo into her hands for safekeeping, Marie suddenly gains the responsibility not just of taking care of a teenager – but protecting the world, and Theo himself, from the amazing power that lives inside of him.

Witch of Thistle Castle has a story and art by John Tarachine. The English translation is by Jonathan Clements and Motoko Tamamuro, with lettering done by Cale Ward and Jessica Burton, and published by Titan Manga (September 26, 2023).

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman

Rating:

I came very close to giving this a 2.5 because while it's interesting, it also feels slightly more confusing than is strictly necessary. The story takes place in modern Scotland, where witch Marie runs a magic shop under the watchful eye of the Church of Edinburgh. It's not clear if Marie's shop is an honest-to-goodness magic shop or just a New Age one (it doesn't seem to be stage magic), and while that sort of blurring works for some readers, I'm not usually one of them. Since there's a sense that the average workday world may not be fully aware of the existence of witches who can use magic, it feels like something they should be upfront about.

That said, there's an elegant sensibility to this, a sort of cross between xxxHOLiC and Kiki's Delivery Service. Marie isn't quite as hedonistic as Yuko, but she's got many of the same basic traits, specifically in her world-weariness and uncertain relationship with the outside world. She's thrilled with how the church keeps tabs on witches, but she does appear determined to keep Theo, the teenage boy they drop on her doorstep, safe from both them and his lack of magical knowledge. Theo has spent most of his life in a London church basement, and although Marie doesn't explicitly state that she thinks that's evil, her actions do. She's not keen on having an apprentice, but she's also not going to let the poor boy suffer anymore, and that sums up her character nicely. She's a misanthrope to a degree, but not one who'll turn her back on others.

Theo is the wide-eyed young protégé of lore, as innocent as a puppy and just as eager to learn. He understands nothing about his innate power and its disturbing name but is willing to follow Marie's lead in most things. It says a lot that he's not so sure about getting his hair cut by himself; he'll do it, but he's not comfortable going into the barber shop alone. He more or less imprints on anyone kind to him, and when the volume ends, that's starting to look a little bit dangerous because French witch Charles may not be entirely trustworthy. Charles is much more closely aligned with the Church of France, which appears to rue its hand in Jeanne d'Arc's death, but given the fact that she's even mentioned, canny consumers of anime, manga, and Japanese games might still feel a little suspicious of them. Indeed, Marie doesn't appear to trust them entirely, and she's the most aware person in this book.

If you're hoping for a more modern-set Witch Hat Atelier or a new Flying Witch, this won't fit the bill, but I still like it much more than many other witch-based manga I've read. It has potential, and Theo is interesting as a character; plus it uses an old-form Scots Gaelic word correctly, so it deserves a couple of volumes to see where it goes.