Danica Davidson
January 10, 2025 
Eden of Witches is published by Kana, a new imprint of Abrams that specializes in manga. The environmental fantasy story opens with an idealistic beginning, where plants and animals live in harmony. However, then humans show up, and their cruel behavior leads to plants and animals escaping to small pockets of land, while most of the earth becomes a barren wasteland. Pili, the main character, is a teenage witch who lives in one of these pockets.
Witches are women who are in tune with the earth. Orphaned Pili was adopted by Toura, who teaches her the ways of witches and how to care for plants. But Pili worries she will never be good enough, as she’s fifteen and still can’t hear the language of plants. When Toura gets ill, Pili wanders into the human world in hopes of finding medicine or a doctor. What happens changes everything.
Toura has told Pili about a place called Eden, where the most elite witches live. Pili will need to journey there, and in the meantime she will run into more humans. Most of the humans she meets are one dimensional, cruel people, but sometimes she meets someone who will show some kindness.
Eden of Witches has a strong environmental stance to it, and a less-than-stellar stance on the behavior of human beings. The story gets going quickly and soon becomes gripping. The artwork is very detailed, down to the nitty gritty of plants or the massive wastelands and mountains that cover the planet. Pili is a solid main character and the most developed character so far. The world-building is fascinating, and there are lots of places where this story could go.
Eden of Witches is published with its dust jacket in place, like how manga are published in Japan. This usually doesn’t cross over when manga are published in America, so it’s a nice touch that Kana did that. It also opens with several pages of color illustrations. You can check out Otaku USA’s preview here.
Story & Art: Yumeji
Publisher: Kana
Translator: Jessie Aufiery
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
