BOOK NOOK

Witch Hat Atelier Is A Masterpiece

By Philip Lee

Have you ever read or watched a 10/10? A piece of media so unique you cannot think of anything that could improve it? Witch Hat Atelier is that piece of media. This is a resounding 10/10. 

The only issue with WHA is the need for more volumes. Currently, there are only 11 volumes in English, and they are all relatively small. 

The art is phenomenal. Using borders, panels, and layout to provoke an emotional response is masterfully done. The characters feel lively, the world feels lived, and Kamome Shirahama’s facial expressions tell more than a lesser mangaka’s entire volume. Her attention to detail is simply incredible. For example, in volume 11 of the English release, Shirahama did not forget to include the Sylph Shoes marking on the bottom of the two character’s shoes. Shirahama’s masterful art makes for a lack of dull pages.

 Witch Hat Atelier is not finished and probably will not be for a while, but this is about the story so far: Coco has dreamed of becoming a witch her entire life. Her dream comes true in a horrible fashion when Qifrey, a witch, comes to visit. Coco wants to watch Qifrey’s magic but is adamant that the process must remain secret. Goaded by a couple of other kids, they sneak a look at Qifrey to find he is drawing. Immediately, Coco recalls a drawing book she bought at a festival years ago. At night, Coco traces the drawings in the book. She activates a spell that almost turns both her and her mother to stone. Fortunately, Qifrey came just in time to save Coco, but her mother was not so lucky. Coco becomes Qifrey’s apprentice and vows to find the book to turn her mother back. 

The world of Witch Hat Atelier is extensive. There are two governments at work where Coco and co-live: The witch government and the peninsula government. While the Peninsula King and the six kingdoms are attractive, the witching world is exciting. The Three Wise Ones rule the witches. So far, the story has only revealed the Wise in Teachings; the remaining two have yet to be seen. 

The exciting part, however, is the secrecy of magic. Magic is a secret system that anybody can use. While this is true, only a few born witches learn magic in Witch Hat Atelier. While on the surface, this seems like plain bigotry and superiority, and in some less than-honorable witches it is, in the larger world, it goes deeper. Well, before Coco’s story, everyone had magic. There was no limitation on what humanity could do with magic other than the sky and imagination of the user. In this time, there was war, death, and misery abound. Finally, the best witches came together and created the system Coco knows now. However, a wisp of previous-era magic remains within the Brimmed Caps. 

Now, that is much information. If a secret witching society or Coco sounds interesting, check out Witch Hat Atelier. Witch Hat Atelier can only be found as a graphic novel, but the animated adaptation is in the works. If reading is not particularly fun, try watching the animated version.

Summer Time Rendering

By Philip Lee

Summer Time Rendering, by Yasuki Tanaka, is a reasonably short-action manga. Boasting 139 chapters and six volumes, it is not the longest. For example, Naruto sits at 700 chapters, and One Piece has over 1000. Summer Time Rendering is also short within the story. The entire story spans just a couple of days. Well, it spans a couple of days officially. The story takes place over 1-3 weeks and, if we are getting technical, over an additional 300 years.

What does this mean? All these temporal shenanigans stem from the main character’s, Shinpei Ajiro’s, power. Shinpei gains the power to travel back in time by dying. If it were not for this ability, the story would have ended within the first chapter.

This is the synopsis of Summer Time Rendering: Shinpei Ajiro returns to his home island for his friend’s funeral. While there, he runs into Hizuru, also known as Ryunosuke and Shadows. Shadows are creatures that can mimic the shape of a human. Shinpei finds out he has gained the power of Heine, the mother of shadows. Shinpei and his friends attempt to kill the Shadows forever to save the entire island. 

Yasuki Tanaka’s art serves the story incredibly well. His art can be stunning when it needs to be but can turn dreams into nightmares in combination with the story. Tanaka is exceptional at warding off the hell-is-going-on syndrome many black-and-white manga suffer from. He uses thinly striped lines in the background to keep the characters distinct from the background during action sequences. The art likely will not drive a reader to or from the manga.

Summer Time Rendering is masterful at emotional responses. Tanaka is excellent at writing heart-wrenching moments and triumphant and fulfilling moments. Summer Time Rendering is not a manga to show to adolescents, but it will bring some enjoyment for some. 

Walk the Blue Line

By Jian Jung

Walk the Blue Line by James Patterson is about policemen risking their lives to protect and serve. There were numerous stories about the police law enforcement side. They had stories about saving people, narrowly escaping death, and other nail-biting situations.

This was one of the best books I have ever read because it had many sad and touching stories and showed me something new about policemen. It showed me that police officers or law enforcers mostly had one reason for becoming police officers or law enforcers: they wanted to help people.

One story involved a police officer who almost was killed when he got shot six times and almost died after getting into a gunfight with two thugs. His father asked him later, what job/what will you do now? He told him, I will just go back to catching robbers and being a cop. 

All the police officers who return to duty, even though they were injured or almost killed, the only reason they go back to being on the police force is that they want to help people. It matters to them so much to save one more life. 

As you might know, police officers are constantly being mocked in some places, such as the south side of Chicago. People in the south side are portrayed primarily as gangsters and drug addicts. 

Many police officers told stories about how they found kids and grownups who were doing bad things, and the police officers kept on encouraging them to do better. Twenty years later, they find that person wholly improved! There was one police officer who met a kid named Junior who kept on running away from home and playing with unhealthy kids. The police officer talked with him, and twenty years later, he met Junion in a supermarket. Junior tells him he graduated college and made many other decisions thanks to the police officer.

The book taught me that police officers, SWAT members, and FBI members are all here to help. We thank them sincerely for all the help they have given us throughout the years. Many people got justice thanks to them. SWAT members always storm through the most dangerous places to save others' lives. They are living a very humble life. They are not living for their own life but for others. That is walking the blue line.