Witch of Thistle Castle

Ugh John Tarachine my beloved. If I had only 1 criticism of this story, it's that it's a bit too short to really grow into its world and get comfortable with fully developing the characters. The art is phenomenal, truly spectacular. The premise and setting are also intriguing, as the unique steampunk supernatural historical setting to the story isn't one commonly encountered in manga. The world building hints at an interesting grittiness to it while also containing a large amount of whimsy too. The characters are charming and sympathetic, if ever so slightly underdeveloped due to the short length of the story. I didn't havea huge issue with the age gap of the setting due to how fantastical and removed from reality the story is, but do be aware there is an age gap relationship that develops at the end (interestingly, it's the slightly less common pairing of younger guy-older girl in Shojo/Josei manga). Overall, the vibes, art, and world are immaculate, and the characters are interesting and make me want to know more about them. Well worth the read, especially given how short this story is.