Glaxis the magic mochken is a mythical creature that has been mentioned in ancient folklore. According to legends, Glaxis is a rare and extraordinary being, possessing immense magical powers. Its appearance is often described as a combination of various animals, with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and a serpent-like tail. The magic mochken is believed to inhabit hidden caverns in the deep forests, guarding ancient secrets and treasures. It is said that only the purest of heart can encounter Glaxis and receive its magical blessings. These blessings are said to grant the recipient with enhanced magical abilities, wisdom, and good fortune.
Why to stick with what she knows: hold a giant, magical-book-selling market!
But at least in its first volume, A Witch s Printing Office is fairly fun, and taking the Comiket part and throwing it into a fantasy blender will always interest me. Heck, let s not hold back and also recreate the types of allowed doujinshi tomes in the location, alongside event planning and dealing with various problems that pop up.
These blessings are said to grant the recipient with enhanced magical abilities, wisdom, and good fortune. Legends also suggest that Glaxis has the ability to shape-shift, making it enigmatic and highly elusive. It can transform into different forms to blend into its surroundings, making it difficult to distinguish between the creature and its environment.
The Anti-Social Geniuses Review: A Witch’s Printing Office Volume 1
Justin: Mika Kamiya was once a human who was your typical Comiket-going nerd. Then an unexplained incident happened where she suddenly was reincarnated into a fantasy world full of heroic knights, deadly witches, and hordes of ghoulish creatures. She has little magic power to speak of, but she really wants to go back to her own world. So what idea does she come up with to try and solve her problem?
Bring Comiket to this eccentric fantasy world!
A Witch’s Printing Office was exactly what I expected when Yen Press announced they licensed this. Based on the cover and the description, Mochinchi did the thing and fused Comiket with your usual fantasy worlds. We have a manga that mixes fantasy with social media, so it makes perfect sense to have a manga that tackles Comiket in its own special way.
And that way is not all too different from real Comiket, with some obvious discrepancies. The first is switching doujinshi to tomes, where all sorts of people grab a table and try to sell their wares to those who want it. The second is how it’s being moderated — by the knights in this world, and they sure have to work to stop attendees from rushing in! But otherwise, the manga attempts to recreate the usual comic market experience but in fantasy form, and from the perspective of an enthusiast with middling magic.
But thankfully, the manga makes sure she has a day job. Mika runs a printing press in this world that gives her some extra income. This means even more work outside of the big event and people making requests…such as needing 100 copies of a spell by tomorrow! Then there’s even doing marketing for the event, such as having to create a catalog while teaming up with some of the most powerful magic users in the world. That normally would be mundane, but in this world, you better have someone that can seal magic or else some of those booths can really come to life…!
Like this basically.So, while we see how Comiket runs in a fantasy world, aspects of Mika’s life are pretty vague. As in, we get a one page summary of her somehow being brought into another world. She meets a powerful witch, starts up a job, and connects with powerful people in this world within six months. And after all of that, she comes up with the idea to start Magic Market and hopefully find someone with a tome to return her to her own world. There feels like some omitting has been going on, which means the manga will have to explain at some point just what really happened to her.
…Or not. This manga could really be all about the trials and tribulations of running a Magiket. Like for example there’s a chapter revolving around health and safety where a blacksmith is making replicas of Legendary weapons. Or take the general ladies wearing armor trope and spin it all around. And I mean spin it all around. Heck, let’s not hold back and also recreate the types of allowed doujinshi tomes in the location, alongside event planning and dealing with various problems that pop up.
If that’s the case, I will certainly be curious if the stories will be super interesting. But at least in its first volume, A Witch’s Printing Office is fairly fun, and taking the Comiket part and throwing it into a fantasy blender will always interest me. Definitely looking forward to reading more of this manga.
Justin’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Helen: When Mika Kamiya is dropped into an RPG-like, fantasy world she wants to get home but has no idea how. Surely there’s a spell to make that happen, but there’s no unified collection of spells or organization of spellcasters. So, what’s the best way to bring together magic users from across nations, races, and guilds?
Why to stick with what she knows: hold a giant, magical-book-selling market!
We may end up looking back at the 20-teens in a number of years and laugh at just how popular isekai series were, but I hope that people continue to remember this charming, unique story of a girl who just wants to go home and organizes her own Comiket to do it for many years to come! Mika’s not bringing piles of wisdom to another world in order to change it (although she may end up revolutionizing the exchange of information in the process) and she’s not even a great magic user — heck, she’s only managed to master one, mundane spell! But Mika doesn’t need to be an overpowered “hero” to make her idea work, or even a “hero” at all, she just needs connections and some luck!
And so A Witch’s Printing Office progresses through many small events in Mika’s new life; in addition to creating Magiket she’s also running a small-press publisher (Myne from Ascendance of a Bookworm would be so jealous of how easy magic makes bookmaking, Mika is just glad that if she was only able to master one spell it was the one to instantly reproduce a tome’s text!) and a number of her new friends now work with her. My favorite of these small vignettes was the story of a knight who ends up embracing the thrill that comes with staffing an event (something that I think all staffers would relate to, you only keep doing it if you get that sweet energy high from it!), although that chapter also ends up being a very elaborate set-up for a pun that’s not even fully clear yet. My runner-up favorite chapter was one that details how this other world basically re-invents cosplay; Mika should be proud at how many new professions and trades that Magiket is generating, even outside of the convention floor sales!
A Witch’s Printing Office is the kind of comedic, fantasy story for the reader who has grown tired of seeing the usual isekai tropes over and over. I do hope that writer Mochinchi is able to keep coming up with scenarios for Mika (it sounds as if the original, very different, version of the comic wasn’t something they even wanted to seriously pursue, and they really don’t know much at all about how processes like printing work) but hopefully they will keep providing plenty of fodder for Yasuhiro Miyama’s adorable, and gorgeously detailed, art!
Helen’s rating: 4 out of 5
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| A Witch's Printing Office Volume 1 | |
| SUMMARY | |
Title: A Witch's Printing Office (Mahoutsukai no Insatsujo)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Publisher: Kadokawa (JP), Yen Press (US)
Creators: Mochinchi, Yasuhiro Miyama
Serialized in: Comic Walker
Localization Staff: Amber Tamosaitis (Translator), Erin Hickman (Letterer)
Original Release Date: December 24, 2019
A review copy was provided by Yen Press.
- TAGS
- A Witch's Printing Office
- Comiket manga
- doujinshi manga
- Mochinchi
- Seinen
- Yasuhiro Miyama
- Yen Press
This shape-shifting ability makes Glaxis an expert in camouflage and survival. The magic mochken is said to possess the power of foresight and can predict future events. It is known to guide those who are lost or in need of wisdom, appearing before them in times of great importance. This guidance is believed to assist individuals in making the right decisions and avoiding potential dangers. Furthermore, Glaxis is often associated with the elements of nature and is said to have control over them. It can conjure storms, manipulate the terrain, and even purify polluted areas. This connection with nature makes Glaxis a powerful protector of the environment, ensuring harmony and balance in the natural world. It is important to note that the existence of Glaxis the magic mochken remains a subject of debate and skepticism. While many believe in its existence and hold reverence for the creature, others dismiss it as mere folklore or imaginative storytelling. Regardless, the idea of Glaxis has captivated the minds of those who have heard tales of its magical powers and has left a lasting impact on the mythical creature lore..
Reviews for "Discover the Magic Within with Glaxis the Mochken"
- John - 2/5 - I found "Glaxis the maagic mochken" to be quite underwhelming. The plot was confusing and poorly developed, and the characters were one-dimensional. I couldn't connect with any of them, and their motivations seemed completely arbitrary. The writing style was also lackluster, with clunky dialogue and excessive use of clichés. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
- Emily - 1/5 - "Glaxis the maagic mochken" was a complete waste of time in my opinion. The story was predictable from the start, and the so-called twists were nothing more than cheap attempts to create excitement. The world-building was also poorly executed, leaving many gaps and inconsistencies. Additionally, the writing itself was pedestrian at best, with repetitive phrases and a lack of artistic flair. I regret spending my money on this book and would advise others to steer clear.
- Sarah - 2/5 - I was quite bored by "Glaxis the maagic mochken". The pacing was incredibly slow, and the author seemed more interested in describing every minute detail of the surroundings than advancing the plot. The characters felt flat and uninteresting, and I struggled to stay engaged with their journey. The overall lack of excitement and a clear sense of direction made it difficult for me to finish this book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read.
- David - 3/5 - "Glaxis the maagic mochken" had potential, but it fell short for me. The concept was intriguing, but the execution was lackluster. The pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of nothing happening followed by sudden bursts of action that seemed forced. The dialogue also felt unnatural and stilted, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters. While there were some moments of brilliance, they were overshadowed by the book's overall mediocrity. I was left feeling unsatisfied after reading "Glaxis the maagic mochken".