Beautiful art (that is simply magical to gaze upon), unique, enchanting, cosy, which all would be potential home runs, being potential favourite, yet there is one major reason why that is simply not the case. Before going into it, I will highlight the positives.

I really liked these shorter and more focused narratives. Where it doesn’t go needlessly long but has a specific theme and story thread it focuses upon. Not too short to build attachment, but neither too long to feel it is overstaying its welcome. It’s an episodic story, a slice of life of Ran’s life as a 10-year-old sorceress, but it also focuses on other characters. It might be my favourite aspect of the story, the lives characters have outside of the protagonist. It does have an overarching narrative and does touch upon the themes of adulthood in a clever way, which is reinforced in the ending and the afterword.

The artwork by Aki Irie is simply elegant. She has such a striking art style that you can’t help but be enraptured by it. It captures that folklore aesthetic and how it’s integrated in the real world. The character work in general is quite nice; I liked Ran, Jin, and her parents, Sango and others. People who have brief introductions but certainly feel like they belong.

Now comes the bad, Outarou. This decision is so baffling; I really don’t understand what the author was thinking concerning this decision. Like I do get the overall goal, the theme she explores with such a deplorable character. Yet, it doesn't really see this as the only avenue; there were much better ways to explore adulthood. The only thing I’m glad about is that he doesn’t do anything too serious to Ran (a kiss is the real extent). Let's just explain how this is wrong on so many levels, bro is already a womaniser and treats women like crap. Then a 10-year-old, who can transform into a busty 16-year-old wearing certain magical shoes, crash-lands in his house, and then he makes creepy advances on what he understands is a 16-year-old girl. Which is already disgusting, but the fact she is 10 years old and, as the story goes along

Spoiler, click to view

he knows she is 10, which is yuck.

Like it’s actual pedophilia, and the worst thing is the manga barely condones it or reprimands his disgusting actions and intention. I truly couldn’t care less about this individual and the author's decision to include this character in what could have been a truly great manga is puzzling. On a side note, a great comparison is Mushoku Tensei. Yeah, people often view that series with some serious bad faith, but the problematic and polarising aspect of that series is important, as the author doesn’t glaze it aside but acknowledges it and explores it. Here the author barely acknowledges it, nor is the character used in an interesting way to justify it. At the very least, you do have a character who does end up loving her, but not because that individual overly sexualizes her.

I was so happy

Spoiler, click to view

when the dude died in Volume 6 because it means we spent the entire Volume 7 with him dead. Though in general I don’t understand why people in the world liked this asshole.

What could have been special and was great in many respects has one giant reason why it won’t end up like that for me. Do I recommend it? Strangely enough, yes, if you like the first volume and can push through Outarou, I will say continue reading it.