Abrams Comic Arts launched an English manga imprint called Kana back in April with one of the licenses being the debut author Yumeji‘s Eden of Witches. Eden of Witches is interesting in that it was first commissioned by the editors at the French manga publisher Ki-oon before being released in Japan after.
A preview of the first volume of Eden of Witches has been shared, the artwork evoking a Ghibli-esque feel with its detailed background and expressive character faces and eyes. The first six pages opens with an old woman named Toura giving the protagonist, Pili, a seed to help her find Eden. The coming-of-age josei story is set in a world where only witches have the ability to communicate with nature but their powers have made humans fear them, forcing them to hide.
Check out the preview here:
When she’s forced from her home by humankind, Pili, a young apprentice witch, sets out on the roads accompanied by the wolf Oak. However, she is not accustomed to the world outside and traveling long distances. Her fatigue quickly takes its toll, and she ends up injuring herself when she tumbles down a rocky slope! Fortunately, a boy named Bowei finds Pili and takes her home to nurse her back to health. However, the arrival of the unfamiliar young lady arouses suspicion among other villagers, who quickly discern her true nature as a witch. And all captured witches are subjected to the same fate–execution!
Eden of Witches Volume 1 releases on November 12 in bookstores and a day later in comic shops. The paperback comprises of 184 black and white pages and costs $12.99 in the U.S., and $16.99 in Canada.
Source: Press release
