The Spellbook Library is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Uta Isaki. Published in English first, the series began serialization on Kodansha USA's platform Kodansha Reader Portal on November 18, 2023. As of October 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected into a single volume.
| The Spellbook Library | |
 Cover of the first volume, featuring Tohru | |
| Genre | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Uta Isaki |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Kodansha Reader Portal |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | November 18, 2023 – present |
| Volumes | 1 |
Plot
editYan grew up a troublemaker. However, when he was attacked by a spellbeast, his life was saved by spellbook librarians. Following these events, Yan decides to become spellbook librarian himself. On the day of the employment exam, he meets Tohru, a mysterious boy who also wants become a librarian for personal reasons. Together, they pass the test and must then learn how to become better spellbook librarians.
Production
editWhen Isaki first began working as a manga artist, they mostly wrote seinen and shōjo manga. However, they had wanted to try writing a more traditional shōnen manga and began planning a story for one. Eventually, an editor reached out to them to create a title for the Kodansha Reader Portal platform, so Isaki decided to base it on their planned story.Vol. 1
Publication
editWritten and illustrated by Uta Isaki, the series was announced by Kodansha USA at Anime NYC 2023 as an English-first release. It began serialization on their Kodansha Reader Portal platform on November 18, 2023.[2] As of October 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected into a single print volume.[1]
Volumes
edit| No. | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 22, 2024[1] | 979-8-88-877293-5 |
| 2 | December 31, 2024[3] | 979-8-88-877294-2 |
Reception
editThe story has received a positive response from critics.[4][5] Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network wrote that it feels like a shōnen version of Magus of the Library. Jean-Karlo Lemus of the same website felt that the story was a little shalow, though they liked action scenes.[4] Kara Denison of Otaku USA liked the mix of action, comedy, and fantasy elements, comparing it to Cardcaptor Sakura.[5] The characters have also received some praise. Lemus liked the main trio and their interactions. Silverman felt that Yan was "not all that interesting", but that she was "invested" in Tohru and curious to learn more about him.[4] Lemus also praised the setting, which he described as "Arabian Nights-esque".[4]
The artwork has seen a positive response. Silverman felt that it was "clean and easy to follow"; she also felt the backgrounds were very detailed and "breathtaking".[4] Denison described both the artwork and the character designs as "gorgeous".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "The Spellbook Library, Volume 1". Kodansha USA. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ Savill, Joel (November 18, 2023). "Anime NYC '23: Uta Isaki's THE SPELLBOOK LIBRARY licensed in English". Comics Beat. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "The Spellbook Library, Volume 2". Kodansha USA. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Silverman, Rebecca; Lemus, Jean-Karlo (October 25, 2024). "The Fall 2024 Manga Guide: The Spellbook Library". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Denison, Kara (September 20, 2024). "New Manga Coming This October from Kodansha". Otaku USA. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
External links
edit- The Spellbook Library at Anime News Network's encyclopedia