Witch Class Volume 1

I picked up this book on a whim. I almost didn't buy it because the cover art seemed rather cheesy and the plot description on the back wasn't exactly enticing. I'm so happy that I decided to pick up Witch Class anyway. The story stars Dorothy, an absent minded teenager who, in an absent-minded moment, wanders off on her way to school and stumbles upon a witch, Lilly, conjuring up a store. Inside Dorothy meets Lilly's servant rabbit and her nephew, the handsome Jean. The witch is convinced Dorothy has magical powers and forces her to become her apprentice after Dorothy turns Jean into a werewolf (oops!). The rest of the book is about Dorothy's humorous attempts to break her curse on the nephew. The illustrations are better than I expected from the cover. Clearly the author's talent is for black and white. The translation seems well done, though the binding is a bit close in certain spots, causing the text to run too close to the binding. Also, the paper quality could have been better, but it's worth buying for the story anyway. Witch Class is a slapstick Shoujo comedy, with most of the jokes coming from Dorothy's absentmindness. If you liked Azumanga Daioh and loved the character Osaka, then you'll enjoy Witch Class. On a final note, Witch Class should probably be read by teens 13+ due to the dialog of some rather sweet-looking but foul-mouthed pixies.