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(4.53/5)The art is fantastic but it does get challenging
Let me start with what everyone has been saying - the art is phenomenal. This is handsdown the prettiest manga I've read so far and even a few books in I still catch myself just staring at the artwork for some time.
The story itself is good but nothing too captivating for me. It felt a bit handholdy and predictable at times but was still enough to keep me going.
Having read now 5 books of the series I can safely say that the difficulty curve is all over the place. I'd place myself in the early N2 level and some sections I can blast through without many look ups but then especially when it comes to explanations of magic or when certain characters speak it becomes very fantasy-esque where they love to use words you just don't see in everday speech. Still a good intro if this is a genre you want to approach but be aware that you're not stupid for not understanding at times it just does become challenging later on.
Gentle and captivating
The art nouveau drawing style is just breathtaking, and, I believe, a deliberate choice of style based on how the magic system in this world works. Some panels are so gorgeously drawn that I had to stop reading and just admire them.
My opinion is that the reading level is actually more like 24-25 but the lack of furigana makes it seem very intimidating to tackle. The language itself is not difficult, however. Naruto, firmly at level 25, is way more difficult than Atelier IMO.
The story is just the right amount of captivating. It's not addictive and probably won't keep you up at night waiting to read the next page, but it's compelling enough that I caught myself going about my day thinking "I can't believe [event] happened, that was so interesting." It warmed my heart, got me choked up, had me lightly clutching my pearls, and generally kept me excited to continue. I can't wait to go on to Volume 2 :)
Absolutely beautiful art. It is worth reading just to see the intricate and gorgeous panels that appear sporadically, and the art throughout is solid as well.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, it doesn't have much else going for it. The writing seems more focused on world-building and explaining the magic system than on the characters and their interactions. If you're someone who prefers hard magic systems and a lot of world-building, this may be the manga for you. For me, I could have gone without knowing the three components of a magic circle and the process for creating magic ink, in favor of some actual plot.
Beautiful art and worth continuing
Oh boy, this manga looks good. It's not just aesthetics or good drawing skills, but also the way the panels are organized, which feels like you're reading a fairy tale storybook. The way the magic system works here is exciting and well thought out. For the language content, it's not particularly hard, but there are fantasy words here and there.