Any soul out there who tries to restrict the things you learn is only doing it to keep you square under their thumb.

Thus, in one sentence, a character in volume twelve of Kamome Shirahama‘s superb Witch Hat Atelier sums up the major themes of the story. From the moment the Brimmed Cap gave Coco the spellbook and wand, Witch Hat Atelier has been about who is allowed to learn and what they’re allowed to do with that knowledge. Some characters, like the Knights Moralis, have very firm ideas about this and will stop at nothing to enforce it – even, as we see in volume fourteen, if it goes against everything they purportedly stand for. Others, like Qifrey, are willing to bend the rules in pursuit of knowledge. And still others are ready to throw the rules away, declaring them arbitrary and counter to the good of humanity – because how can magic that gives a boy back his legs be anything other than good?

The lack of clear answers is what makes this such a strong story. These volumes cover part of (most of?) an arc taking place at the Silver Eve festival, a celebration of witches and magic where new contraptions can be shown off, among other things. Showing an unerring understanding of the literary device carnivalism (where the world is turned upside down and logic is inverted; think of the ways rules and reality are suspended at a carnival in the Venetian sense), Shirahama uses the backdrop of purported festivity to bring all parties together in what is essentially a closed world free from reality’s constraints. They’re not truly in another world, but the nature of carnivals allows for the meeting of groups who typically avoid each other and sights often left deliberately unseen. Both Pointed and Brimmed Caps have a vested interest in the festival, and more specifically in the young apprentices who come to participate. From a teaching standpoint, witches bring their students to learn and to demonstrate the fruits of their schooling. But for the Brimmed Caps, the festival offers almost unfettered access to young apprentices who may be swayed to their side.

This gives the series space to explore real-world themes via a fantasy lens. Volume nine, for example, is centered on the subject of “blame.” This takes on several meanings, all of which are easily transferable to our own lives – are witches to blame for Custas’ injuries and their refusal to heal them? Does that make the Brimmed Caps who did offer him a solution blameless? And does this play into ideas of victim blaming – should Custas have known better than to put himself in a dangerous situation? And what about Luluci, the knight moralis who was sexually assaulted as an apprentice – why would she be blamed for her suffering? The juxtaposition of Luluci’s story and Custas’ work shines a light on both the series’ inherently unfair world and the way that it’s simply easier to blame someone for what happened to them, because if it’s their own fault, there’s nothing to be done. By transporting these questions to a fantasy realm, Shirahama allows readers to step back from our world and think about the issues and how they might be mirrors of what happens in our own lives.

This makes it incredibly important how Agott has grown. Volume eleven shows us that she’s no longer the angry little girl of volume one, and a large part of that is down to the fact that she has learned to stop blaming herself and Coco for what happened to her. Characters like Richeh have always blamed others for their situations; in Richeh’s case, she feels that adults have failed children. (She may not be wrong; many of the problems in this series arise from adults being too pigheaded to see what they’re doing to the future.) Agott, however, has always turned her blame inward. She wasn’t good enough to apprentice in her family; Coco was wrong to use magic, making it her own fault her mother was petrified. Agott consistently blamed the victims, including herself. But in volume eleven, she’s shown to have been able to move past that. Blame is rarely black and white, and that goes double for this series. The problem is that people have lost the ability to see the nuances in any situation, like how medical magic isn’t the same as transforming people into statues. Agott alone is learning this lesson as she grows up.

It’s important that Agott, a child, is shown to be capable of learning. Almost none of the adults appear to be, stuck in their own heads and preconceptions. Qifrey comes the closest, but despite his amazing fight scenes across these volumes, he’s still got his own chips on his shoulder, holding him down. Richeh’s inclination to say that adults cause all problems may not be entirely wrong, as this arc takes pains to show: by volume fourteen, it’s Coco and Agott who are stepping up to defend the city against leeches – and it’s Easthies, an adult and a knight moralis, who is at risk of letting it fall because he’s so blinded by his own prejudice and the tiny brim on his cap.

Witch Hat Atelier is more than just an excellent fantasy series. It’s an allegory for reality, a fantasyland plagued by the same human prejudices that mar our own. There’s no guarantee that Coco and Agott will succeed, that Easthies and Beldaruit won’t somehow get in the way because they can’t see what’s right in front of them. But if the girls do manage, maybe that means there’s hope for our world as well.

Manga UP! Global released the following manga in English over the past few weeks:

Title: I’m Now the Princess of Spring in Another World (Shiki-hime, Hajimemashita: Shōkan Sareta Sekai de Haru o Tsukasadoru Oshigoto Shimasu)
Creator(s): Mochiko Mochida (author), Satsuki Urushiji (artist)
Release date: July 29
Summary: Toono Hana (34) was just a temp worker whose contract had just expired, leaving her unemployed and feeling down. But in a sudden turn of events, she finds herself summoned to a parallel world—a realm where humanity has the power to change the seasons! Waiting for her there is a prestigious role: the “Spring Princess.” However, this isn’t just a royal title; it’s a job requirement, and she’ll need to recruit her own knight as well… In a fantastic world without family or friends, Hana must persevere as the Spring Princess to find her way home!

Title: Fantasy Gourmet (Isekai Shokudō)
Creator(s): Kōta Amana (author), Otsuji (artist)
Release date: July 24
Summary: Suddenly transported to another world, Shunichiro finds a new life passion: seeing, touching, spelling and eating all the unknown foods it has to offer! Alongside his beastkin maid, Sylphin, he’s set to eat his way through a fantasy world in this delicious adventure!

Title: Sunbeams in the Sky (Sorani Hidamari)
Creator(s): Monika Kaname
Release date: July 23
Summary: Himari Akeno can’t wait to start high school! Even though she’s parting ways with her twin sister, Mio, Himari’s enthusiasm to start this new chapter of her life is palpable—that is, until a traumatic incident sends her home to hide in her room…Watching Himari’s dreams shatter is more than Mio can bear, especially when her sister still longs for an ordinary student life. Determined to see her twin get back out into the world, Mio “catches a cold” and convinces her sister to fill in until she “recovers.” As long as the shy, introverted Himari can pull off impersonating the bubbly, energetic Mio, nothing could go wrong…right?

Title: Since I Was Confessed To, Milady Has Been Acting Strange (Ore ga Kokuhaku Sarete kara, Ojō no Yōsu ga Okashii)
Creator(s): Ryū Hidari (author), Yuki Yatō (artist), Takehana Note (character designer)
Release date: July 20
Summary: Hoshine, the elite young lady of the Tendou family, has long harbored feelings for Eito, the servant who has been by her side since childhood. When she discovers that a classmate has confessed to Eito, Hoshine doesn’t hesitate! She decides to pour all of her intellect, strength, wealth, and (questionable) intuition into winning his heart. See the surprising lengths she will go for love in this chaotic lady-and-butler rom-com!

Title: School Submarine Fleet: Mermaid Girls (Gakuen Sensuikan-tai: Mermaid Girls)
Creator(s): Makoto Fukami (author), Seigo Tokiya (artist)
Release date: July 16
Summary: After alien lifeforms known as “Trenchwalkers” land in Antarctica, they transform the planet, causing sea levels to rise by 70 meters and submerging cities like Tokyo. Furthermore, they begin converting Earth’s water into a divine substance, “Nectar,” which proves fatal to those whose bodies cannot adapt to it. A handful of girls who can withstand the Nectar are chosen to board a submarine, equip special swimsuits, and head to the battlefield to reclaim our planet. Upon receiving the dying message of her older sister, Todoroki Hiro goes in search for the strongest marine soldier Tsunoba Kiriri, and despite her heart being full of uncertainties, she chooses to enroll in the Masakado Girls’ Academy Submarine Fleet. However, will it actually be smooth sailing for her?! Girls in swimsuits, water guns, and high-stakes combat: the ultimate splash-action battle for Earth is here!

Source: Email correspondence