Hengoku no Schwester

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I first came across this work about a year and a half ago and halfway through I already thought this might be the one of the best mangas ever written. In an era flooded with Isekai, the setting of this work is simply a breath of fresh air. Despite spanning only 32 chapters, the flow never felt rushed and the depiction of characters were nothing less than masterful.

The ability to create suspense is exceptional in this work and few can rival it in this aspect, especially at this length. I truly believe this is one of those hidden gems that come few and far ... between.

First of all, the synopsis above is pretty lackluster so let me explain what this manga really is about :

The story takes place in the XVIIth century in Central Europe (basically somewhere between Poland and Germany). The protestants are getting leverage in the region, which is not appreciated by the catholic church. This is the new age of inquisition, and companies all around Europe go on a witch hunt.

We follow here the story of Ella Kowlosky, a young girl who gets sent to a monastery run by the order of the Claustrum. The goal of the monastery is to transform witches' daughters into righteous nuns.


This ... story is great because it is basically the tale of a few people rising against oppression. It is a story about determination, and how hard it is not to lose yourself when all your liberties are taken away.

The main characters all have different personalities that complement each other and make for a very credible story. I really rooted for all these characters, felt their sorrow and their joys, which are really well conveyed.

Another plus for this manga is the ending (spoiler free don't worry) : it is really hard to know who will win in the end : will it be the order ? will it be Ella ? both ? none ? The author really did a great job to both make the ending and the hardships Ella gets through (or not ? :s ) really important.

It has basically climbed to the top spot in my favorite mangas, must read !