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The power of… manifestation?

Is the story painfully unoriginal? Yes. Was this an enjoyable read still? Also yes.

First and foremost, the art is very cute, simple and clear, which, as far as I know, is this author’s go to style. It fits the narration, but not the somewhat darker themes it tries to convey. In that sense it’s a little too cutesy at times.

Fast paced, but not rushed, the story isn’t anything the world has’t seen before. The title says it all, this is about the magic and curse that is to love, all the while adding an interesting take on witchcraft. There is hardly any ... world building, but that’s because the setting is our human world, with the ‘witch trials’ from older times being the primary incentive. I like how the characters relationship does’t overshadow the plot and vice versa, but instead intertwine quite well. The final resolution happens rather quickly, but I didn’t find it predictable. This is one of those stories where the final climax is the best part, albeit a little corny, and the short span of pages building up to it are well written.

The characters are also well written and presented in a timely fashion, explaining who they are, where they are from, their motives and how they relate to the plot and the rest of the cast. This made the read all that much more enjoyable.

I have a soft spot for witchcraft and witch history, so to the surprise of literally no one I did end up liking this. This isn’t a psyche enriching story, but I don’t regret picking it up.

Fresh off reading the parent story, Only the flower knows, I got into this thinking it would be just your average sequel/prequel and I was, in fact, wrong.

“Hana no miyako de” 9/10

I loved it. I’m the biggest sucker for melancholic, retrospective plots, and this three-chapter long story delivered and delivered well. I enjoyed this so much more than the parent story.

The pace is actually really good, given the length of the work, and in a few pages you get to see the characters development and struggles as they grow to accept themselves and the future that lies ahead for them. The way the characters meet ... is more realistic and although still cliché-y, it is well presented and thought out.

The segue into the main story is honestly just perfect and I would definitely, 100% recommend this.

“Hana no migoro ni” 7/10

It serves as closure to the main story and, however briefly, it does a good job of touching on issues like acceptance.

I don’t have much to say as nothing extremely remarkable happens, but it did give me a sense of completion to the story, which isn’t something to take for granted.

I have to admit the very first chapters are really unimpressive and I was tempted to drop it, but I’m glad I didn’t because it does pick up rather well after the third chapter. Satisfying ending.

The plot, although simple, does make for an interesting short story.
The premise, however, is rather banal. This is the typical “I drop my phone and the love of my life picks it up, our eyes meet and we live happily ever after” kind of deal, so don’t expect some complex developments. Still, the side characters and the addition of ‘the flowers element’ make the whole thing come together.

As far ... as queer/lgbt representation goes, this is were this manga is rather lacking (like most BL/queer manga anyway *sigh*) or maybe I’m not the target demographics? From bizarre stereotypical ‘urges’ to the bs trope ‘I’m not gay, but you are the exception’, and even if the latter could be debatable, I wasn’t really given any evidence of this not being the case while reading. However, one aspect that is well portrayed is the characters’ development in their acceptance of each other and their sexuality. Also, there is smut, but it does not feel out of place or there just for the sake of being there, but instead fits well with the progression of the story.

A funny plus (for me) is that one of the main characters has very bad eyesight so I could somewhat relate to that lol.

The artwork and style is clean and cutesy, which complements the story well. All in all, despite the hiccups, it’s not a bad pickup if you have a few hours to spare.