Witches: The Complete Collection (Omnibus)

Witches is a remarkable work of vision and surrealism. I have previously read Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi. They share many common themes. These themes include the inadequacy of words in describing the non-dual ultimate reality, myths of ancient cultures hinting at deeper metaphysical truths, and the ecological world possessing hidden spiritual essences.There are four main stories in this omnibus. Each story focuses on a particular witch and includes oneiric, surreal plot twists; some of them can be quite striking, whereas others are haunting. Each story challenges the reader's sense of normalcy, making him or her question the nature of the universe and their place within it. Daisuke Igarashi's stunning artwork captures this theme very well.Each story ends with tragedy for a specific character. Nonetheless, it is done in a symbolic way that encourages a person to learn from both the joys and the struggles of living harmoniously with nature. In addition, this book instills a deeper sense of reverence for the human body. The body is nature's temple.Some parts may come across as overly didactic, but I did not mind because I believed it added to the atmosphere. I will conclude this review with a quote from the third story:“Life is born in the stars. Planets die and become dust.Somewhere, they are gathered again and mixed anew.They are reborn as a new planet. And again, they die.The memory of life is engraved in all things…Amidst the repetition.”I hope Seven Seas will translate and publish more of Daisuke Igarashi's masterpieces in the future!

Thank you, mangaka Igarashi, for this book - it has changed the way I look at manga forever. Beautiful, far-reaching, high-key reality resonates within fantasy settings to create a gorgeous song throughout the entire book.We are all a family of witches.

I couldn't stop reading this! It's a little weird, but brilliant and philosophical. Hikaru Nakamura's Saint Young Men was my first manga; I loved it. Daisuke Igarashi's Witches is my second, and it opened my mind to just how brilliant and strange our universe actually is. Everything is made up of rhythm and vibrations (as stated in physics); everything dies, including planets, and is reborn. This book is well worth the read. After I was finished I couldn't stop thinking about it. Igarashi's view of the universe simply stays with you.

This manga is a series of short stories about witches or women with strange magical powers. Most of them are presented in a good light and most of the stories have a moral or have a good ending. They are not interrelated... well, two sort of are, but the rest are not related at all. They mix science-fiction, folklore, and lots and lots of good old Japanese psychological horror.And when I say Japanese psychological horror, I mean it will get in your head and mess you up. Forget chainsaws and girls big big boobies jiggling in the camera as they run away from the guy in the rubber outfit. No, these stories are twisty, turny, Eldrich abomination, creepy, skin-crawling, mind messing up psychological horror that will leave horror fans totall satisfied! Its like people who love hot sauce... this manga is excellent spicy sauce!

Simply one of the best Manga I’ve read. Tight storyline. Weaves several tales together masterfully. I sincerely hope we get more English translations of Igarashi’s work.

Having just recently read and enjoyed Igarashi's Children of the Sea, I was excited that Seven Seas was releasing this author's work from 2003-2004. Witches exceeded my expectations. I won't claim it's a better work than Children of the Sea, but I enjoyed it even more. Igarashi finds just the right blend of unsettling and magical elements here. Of the manga I've read over the last couple of months, it is one of my favorites, sitting beside No. 5 and Sunny (both by Taiyo Matsumoto), Land of the Lustrous (by Haruko Ichikawa), Velveteen and Mandala (by Jiro Matsumoto), and Girls' Last Tour (by Tsukumizu).One minor complaint: I really wish Seven Seas had bothered to provide a couple of glossy color pages displying the covers of the original volumes. Tiny versions of those images are included on the top and bottom of the book's outer spine. But that doesn't really do justice to those lovely images.

Art is fantastic but the story is all over the place if you're not paying attention you'll get lost very easily.

The book arrived in excellent condition and on time. I will say that I was unsure of what to expect when I first got this book. Regardless the book blew me off my feet so much so that I read it all in one day. It consists of a multitude of stories that focus on different and interesting characters. The art style itself varies in appearance here and there however it stays solid throughout the stories. Great read and I highly recommend this book.