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Toronto Comic Arts Festival Hosts Witch Hat Atelier Manga Creator Kamome Shirahama on May 11-12
posted on by Alex Mateo
Shirahama launched the Witch Hat Atelier manga in Kodansha's Morning two magazine in July 2016. Kodansha published the manga's 13th compiled book volume on February 22. Kodansha USA Publishing began releasing the series in English in April 2019, and published the 11th volume in September 2023.
An anime adaptation of the manga was announced in April 2022.
The manga's story centers on Koko, a girl who lives in a little village, and who has always dreamed of becoming a wizard. But being born without magical aptitude meant that she could never become a wizard, and could never hope to witness magic's spark. She gave up on her dream. But one day, a traveling wizard named Kiefley came to her village, and she happened to see him performing magic.
The series was nominated for the Best Comic award at Angoulême International Comics Festival in January 2019. The manga was also nominated for the 11th Manga Taisho awards in 2018. The series ranked in the top 10 on the list of the best manga for male readers in the 2018 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook. The manga ranked on American Library Association's (ALA's) Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in 2020. The series won Best Manga at the Harvey Awards in October 2020.
In addition to creating Witch Hat Atelier, Shirahama has drawn cover illustrations for comics, including Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Star Wars: The last Jedi, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman.
Source: Email correspondence
